Quote

Clare Scott posted this quote on the NZ Romance Writers Loop today and I thought it was timely enough to post it here as well, so thanks Clare.
How about using it as a blanket New Year's resolution?

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much." - Jim Rohn

Twilight

I saw the movie, Twilight, yesterday and I liked it. I haven't read the book, which I think is crucial, so I came to it fresh with no expectations. I saw the flaws and I'm not here to speak about them. If I like a movie overall, I ignore the negatives.
I'm not a vampire story lover though I've read a few and I must say I liked Anita Blake's early books. But I loved the atmosphere in Twilight. I even enjoyed the long drawn out close ups of the characters' faces. I thought the vampire family were unique and fascinating, each one different from the other. The baseball game was such fun.
I will now read the book because I can imagine the depths and layers and subplots that will be in the book to flesh out the story.
I know this movie has many detractors but I am not one of them. Go and see it and let me know what you think.

5 Favorite Heroines

So here are the 5 ladies who I most often visualize for my heroines. My heroines are tough, but with a vulnerability which comes from a painful past. These actresses often portray similar roles.

1) Jennifer Garner

She is the quintessential tough heroine with the soft center. Think of Alias and Elektra.

2) Jodi Foster

Many of her roles are those of the ordinary woman who finds herself in an extraordinary postion. Think of Panic Room and The Brave One.

3) Kate Beckinsale

She has a gentle, beautiful face but think of the two Underworld movies - tough and invincible.

4) Jennifer Connelly

She has dreamy eyes that express depth and vulnerability but she is tough at the core. Think of The Day the Earth Stood Still and Blood Diamond.

5) Linda Hamilton

Think of the Terminator movies, especially the second. Who can dispute that she was one of the toughest heroines yet.

There are of course many others, and I'm sure I will use them in the future to create variety, but for now these are my five.

By the way I have my three book covers over on Book Cover Lovers: http://bookcoverlovers.blogspot.com/

5 Favorite Heroes

Each book I start to write, I need to visualize my hero and heroine before I can proceed.

Here are 5 actors who help me with that process:

1) Who can resist this man now we have seen him perform in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace? James Bond fans may have been upset at the choice of Daniel Craig as their new hero but they soon changed their tune when they saw him emerge from the sea, tanned, buff and serious. I recently set a book in Egypt and he was my man. And he performed real well, thank you.

2) Colin farrell is for when I need a younger hero, a man who has secrets as dark as he appears. He is my character in my current manuscript set in Santa Fe, USA, and he has a very dark secret.

3) No one could leave Hugh Jackson off this list. I have never seen him look bad even when he sprouts ears and other bits. Not a lot more to say, but I am looking forward to seeing him in his new film, Australia, as soon as it reaches New Zealand's shores.

4) Pierce Brosnan continues to look good despite the passing years. He was my favorite Bond until Daniel came along. I have used him before but I can't remember in which story. I guess I've written that many.

5) Viggo Mortensen is Lord of the Rings. Each story, each movie has to have a handsome hero and Lord of the Rings has two - Viggo and Orlando Bloom. Now I would have included Orlando but he's just a little too baby-faced still. Give him a few years and some tough living and he will turn out fine but until then I'll take Viggo. Those eyes hold mysteries and secrets that I would like to investigate, hoping to never know the truth.

In my next post, I will show you my heroines.

Meanwhile, which heroes do you visualize while writing?

Another Great review

Coffee Time Romance has just given me a great review for Crash into Darkness. This is the last section:

"No matter what the subject, Suzanne Perazzini masters every detail. Her ability to draw the reader into each and every scene is exemplary. The crashing waves, howling wind, and cold dark fear are such a tangible force, you will actually shiver in dread. Her characters are just as remarkable. You can feel their fear, and their struggle to control the demons inside. Recommending this book as well as Ms. Perazzini’s other work is a real pleasure, and I am thrilled to do so."

LototyReviewer for Coffee Time Romance

Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

Here is the full review: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Crashintodarkness.html

The Five Things I want for Christmas

Erica Orloff blogged about her Christmas list and I thought I would do the same. But nothing altruistic here. This list is largely materialistic and just for me.

1) A pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes. This is something I will probably never get because I am too sensible to spend that amount of money on a pair of shoes, but this is my wish list and I want these shoes on it.

2) A louis XIV chair. My home is furnished with a mixture of modern and antique. I see one of these chairs in my study near my ultra-modern glass desk. I love the contrast of styles and materials.

3) My own personal masseuse who is on call at least 16 hours a day. My shoulders and back hold my tension and emotions so an undoer of my knots readily at hand would be dreamy.

4) An Alpha Smart Neo. They are so light to carry around. I have a laptop, but they get rather heavy if carried too far, and then I need that masseuse to give my shoulders a rub. And none of that pesky constant editing because you can't see much of what you have written. Ideal.

5) The ideal bra. I seek the perfect bra but it seems to be an impossibility. I want a bra that does its leverage job without effort, that looks perfect under a thin t-shirt, that's not too tight and doesn't dig in anywhere, and that is beautiful to look at. I enter lingerie shops and see all those gorgeous, lacy numbers but under a smooth top all you see are lumps and bumps. Who wears them?

There you go - my five. Give me one of yours. Don't make it practical and it must be materialistic.

EPPIE Finalist

I needed good news and I got it.

I am a finalist in the EPPIE Awards in the action/adventure category for my first published book, Beneath the Surface. The finalists are announced in March next year at the EPIC conference in Las Vegas. I need a travelling companion and I will be on my way. Anyone else out there going to the conference?

My other good news is yet another great review from Cocktail Reviews for Crash into Darkness. I got a score of 6 glasses of champagne out of a total of 5 possible glasses or a full bottle of champagne.

This was the last sentence: This exceptional tale really pulled me in and didn’t let go. I saw everything as though on a movie screen. Most impressive!