Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Holy Flying Circus DVD/Blu-Ray Combo DVD Review



British Comedy has always had a unique and original flare. There are many BBC movies I have enjoyed over the years, is Monte Python and the Holy Grail. Holy Flying Circus give you a behind the scenes look at this films and the controversy it caused, but it does it all in a humorous way. The stars of Mighty Python face off against a very Catholic broadcaster, and the debates that ensue are not to be missed, no matter what side of the debate your own. Here is a little more about the film, direct from Acorn Media.
 
Silver Spring, MD — Offering a Pythonesque peek behind the scenes of one of the most notorious—and beloved—films from the legendary troupe, the fantastical docudrama Holy Flying Circus debuts in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack from Acorn Media on September 4, 2012. A BAFTA nominee for Best Single Drama, this hilariously heretical docudrama reimagines the controversy behind Monty Python’s Life of Brian and the resulting debate pitting Michael Palin and John Cleese against a Church of England bishop and a staunchly Catholic broadcaster.



Broadcast on the Ovation Network in April 2012 as part of their “The Best You’ve Never Seen” premieres, Holy Flying Circus is written by Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Roche (In the Loop) and stars Darren Boyd (Little Dorrit), Charles Edwards (The Shell Seekers), Roy Marsden (P.D. James mysteries), Tom Fisher (The Illusionist), and Stephen Fry (Jeeves and Wooster) as God. Bonus features include deleted scenes, stills, and outtakes ($34.99, AcornOnline.com) 

Holy Flying Circus reimagines the controversy surrounding Monty Python’s 1979 film, Life of Brian, which was greeted with widespread outcry and accusations of blasphemy. Matters reached a head when Michael Palin (played by Charles Edwards) and John Cleese (played by Darren Boyd) agreed to take part in a BBC talk show about Life of Brian with a Church of England bishop and a staunchly Catholic broadcaster. The ensuing TV debate put the Pythons in their most absurd role yet: the voice of reason.


If you are interested in checking out Holy Flying Circus for yourself, it is available at Acorn Media  for the low price of $34.99 for the DVD/Blu-ray Combo.  If you are looking for a good laugh, then this is the perfect documentary for you.


***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. **

The Vampire Hunter's Daughter by Jennifer Malone Wright - Spotlight & Giveaway




Jennifer Malone Wright
Jennifer Malone Wright resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children. Between the craziness of taking care of her children, whose ages range from fourteen all the way down to six months, and being a homemaker, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on freelance work or her beloved fiction.

When she grew up, Jennifer always had her nose in a book. She has been writing stories and poems since grade school. This love of the written word and her strong interest in the paranormal is what has led to her first novel “The Birth of Jaiden.”

In addition to being a mother and homemaker, Jennifer is also a very proud military wife. Moving around the country for the last ten years has made her a bit of a nomad and she finds it difficult to be in one place for too long.

Jennifer is also the author of The Birth of Jaiden, a paranormal novel filled with action, suspense, and even a love story.





The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter
Complete Collection
Parts I-VI
Genre: YA Paranormal
June 2012
This special edition of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter contains parts I-VI, the complete collection. Fourteen-year-old Chloe witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of a vampire. Before the vampire can kidnap her, there is an unexpected rescue by a group of vampire hunters.

 
Overwhelmed by the feeling of safety, Chloe passes out and they whisk her away to their small community. When Chloe wakes, she comes face to face with the only other living relative, besides her mother, whom she has ever met: her grandfather. Chloe’s mother kept her hidden from the family; now, Chloe tries to unveil the family secrets.

Through her grandfather, she learns her mother was a vampire hunter. In fact, her entire family is descended from the powerful bloodlines of vampire hunters. Chloe agrees to join the family she has never known for one reason only: Chloe vows to kill the vampire responsible for her mother’s murder. With vengeance in her soul, Chloe is even more determined to follow through on her vow when she discovers the true identity of her enemy and how he is connected to her.

Experience the world of vampire hunter’s, vampires and mythology with Chloe in this exciting series.


 Guest Post


Independent Publishing Isn’t Really Independent.

Yes, the title may be deceptive and look argumentative, but it’s not. I am an indie author, but even though I write these stories, there is no way I could go this road alone.

When you are an independent author, there are certain people you depend on to help you get to where you want to be. We have our cover artists, our editors, our beta readers, the book bloggers, our friends and especially our readers, who are the reason why we do what we do.
My editors are the bomb, I use Accentuate Author Services and they are absolutely the best. I have learned so much from them and it’s helped my own writing a lot. Let me just say this about editing really quick. Editing your own work is not a good idea. Yeah, you might have the skills to do it, but fresh eyes are what your work needs. 

Covers are very important, because those are what people see first. I use a variety of different graphic designers for everything from my covers to swag and my banners. Paragraphic Designs do the covers for my Vampire Hunter’s Daughter series,  My cousin did my cover for The Birth of Jaiden, Farah Evers does my some of my covers that haven’t released yet and a lot of my graphics for lots of other stuff, and Svenja Gosen did the collection cover for parts 1, 2 and  3 The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter.

I have several supporters online, tons actually that help me out and I simply could not do this without them. Jennifer Swiger helps admin my fan pages so she deserves a shout out for sure. I also want to thank the two other Musketeers, you know who you are. I could go on and on listing people, but I just want to say thank you to each and every one of them, including all the readers. You are the reason I do what I do and am able to do what I do.

This is a sappy blog post, but I don’t think that this stuff is said often enough. People should know that being independent doesn’t mean you are alone.
So, thanks everyone. I heart you!


Excerpt:

I took the first book off the stack and examined the cover. It was titled Vampires throughout History. The cover was leather and so old it was stiff and cracked in spots. The pages showed signs of age too, yellowing and stiff to the touch. There was no table of contents, so it looked like I was going to have to scan the entire book for what I was wanting. I flipped the pages carefully, so as not to tear any of them.

After an hour of scanning and about half way through the book, I found something referring to vampire children.
~~~
Although extremely rare, the natural-born offspring of vampires exist throughout the world. These rare beings are called the dhampir. Dhampir are usually the product of a vampire and mortal. The most common of these unions is a male vampire impregnating a mortal woman. Vampires, both male and female, are seductive in nature and some mortals came willingly to these unions. However, the majority of dhampir born were produced through an act of rape.

Solitary by nature, it is uncommon for a vampire to settle with any one mate for long. The children of vampires, the dhampir, more often than not exhibit all the characteristics of their vampire parent. The strength, speed and agility are the usual hereditary traits that the children develop. They are not always born with these traits but develop them as they grow into adulthood.

The dhampir are day walkers. Some of these children are sensitive to the sunlight but will not perish in the direct rays. Most have no sensitivity at all. Drinking the fresh blood of mortals is also not usually required of the dhampir; however, some have a liking for it. Very few actually need it to survive.
Most dhampir are rejected by the vampire species because of their mortality and weaknesses. Mortals often reject the dhampir, as well, due to their vampirism, so they frequently remain outcast.

Dhampir are known for becoming vampire killers. Their closeness to the vampires and their vampire characteristics make them powerful vampire hunters. The unique ability to track and kill vampires is specific to only the dhampir and the mythological race of vampire hunters.

Historically, dhampir became vampire hunters as a trade. Towns and villages became plagued by vampires who were terrorizing their homes and killing their people. The dhampir accepted contracts in exchange for monetary payment and used their likeness to their vampire counterparts to exterminate the vampires.
~~~
Holy crap, that was a lot to process. The more I read the passages, the more I understood that my being a hunter was more than my heritage; it was my history and my future. Everything about my bloodlines had hunters involved.

Part I of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter is FREE and the author would appreciate it if this was included in the tour spots.  You can find it FREE at the links below.

Buy Links for The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter Complete Collection:

Giveaway
The Author is giving away a $100 gift card from Amazonas the Grand Prize throughout the tour. I will send you the code for this before the tour begins.