Summer may be over but that doesn't mean the heat is. Brenda Novak burns up the pages in her latest novel,
Body Heat.
Sophia St. Claire has been appointed Chief of Police in her small hometown of Bordertown, Arizona. But not everyone wants her in this lofty position. Sophia is determined to prove herself worthy after twelve illegal aliens are shot at point-blank range by a mysterious killer.
As Sophia diligently scours the crime seen, a Department 6 hired gun, Roderick Guerrero shows up to lend a hand. Things begin to heat up as Sophia recognizes this handsome man as the high school guy she once stood up. Rod immediately feels the same attraction to Sophia as he did in school, but with his estranged father, Bruce, two half-brothers and a bitter, angry and hateful step-mother nipping at his heels, Rod has his hands full and refuses to give into the pressure.
The heat continues as two locals are murdered and rumors begin to swirl from Sophia's shaded past. Can Sophia put aside her feelings for Rod and her stepfather? Will the killer be closer than she thinks? Find out in
Brenda Novak's Body Heat.If you love a good, steamy mystery, Body Heat is a must read. Novak once again plots an engaging tale with romance, suspense and action cleverly weaved in.
Check out Body Heat at;
http://www.brendanovak.com/ also available on amazon.com or anywhere books are sold.
Since my last year has been filled with intense reading, analyzing and writing, I have wondered what, if any, the effects have been on my world outside of writing. As always, the side effects appear least where I expect them.
The movies.
My husband and I decided to catch up on actual movie-going since the kids are in Germany this month. When we were young and poor graduate students and living in Germany ourselves, every Wednesday night was movie night because the theaters had half-price tickets. There was hardly ever a lack of things to see. Sure, there were lulls, but for the most part, Wednesday night was a night away from reality in someone else's enchanting story.
This last week has not been as enchanting. We went to see
Killers with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutscher,
Sex and the City 2, and
Letters to Juliet. You can guess who was picking the movies. But even if my husband had had more of a say, the only one we'd have added to the mix is
Iron Man 2. Without having seen the last one, still, of the other three, the only one that held my attention was
Letters to Juliet. I knew
Sex and the City 2 would be a walk down memory lane, but I was actually checking my watch during the movie! Me. A diehard
Sex and the City fan. During
Killers, I checked my watch, too. I have never checked my watch in a movie. What is wrong with me? Have I studied plot so much that now I cannot get lost even a little bit in a mediocre film?
I think maybe.
The upside is that I've seen
Letters to Juliet twice, and would see it a third time. The writing is smart, the acting good, the storyline plausible, with good A and B arc-ing stories. But why is there only one such movie out there at the height of summer? Granted, I'm waiting for the kids to come back before I go see
Karate Kid, but that's got to be good. The original was already super and the new actors should spice up the latest version. I do not think there will be any watch checking.
However, if there is any truth to the adage that there are no new stories, only new ways of telling them, then I am worried about the movies. Of the movies listed above, only 2 are originals. Of those, I only got caught up in one. I know the movie industry is suffering, but there is good writing out there. Remakes are fun, but the real rush (and dollars) comes from fresh, innovative, exciting writing combined with sharp acting.
Now if I can just apply what I've learned to my own writing!
We went to a Killers concert a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I'd share some lyrics for Poetry Friday. This is the opening of "Bling," (lyrics, I assume, by Brandon Flowers, but I can't find proper credit on their site).
"Bling (Confession Of A King)"
When I offer you survival,
You say it's hard enough to live,
It's not so bad, it's not so bad
How do you know that you're right?
I awoke on the roadside,
In the land of the free ride,
And I can't pull it any longer,
The sun is beating down my neck
So I ran with the devil
Left a trail of excuses,
Like a stone on the water,
The elements decide my fate,
Watch it go..."bling".
Read the complete lyrics here. Or check out this live version.
It must be so cool to be a musician and be able to meld poetry and music and have people dancing to your words!
Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living is hosting Poetry Friday today!
Summer may be over but that doesn't mean the heat is. Brenda Novak burns up the pages in her latest novel, Body Heat.
