Blog Tour Continues

My blog tour for my book, “Drasmyr,” continues today. It lasts until August 31st. It was originally scheduled to be a Book Review Only Tour, but after some re-evaluation we’ve added a few non-review sites to the list. There are a total of twelve stops, nine of which are going to be book reviews. Below you’ll find the complete blog tour schedule. I’ll be posting links to the blog host of the day as they occur. Make sure you check out the sponsors of the tour–Goddess Fish Promotions–it wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Also, I will be awarding one randomly chosen commenter on the tour (for those who comment on the tour sites—not atoasttodragons) with a small box of metal miniatures from the Vampire Wars Series. It consists of four metal miniatures of vampire counts and vampire slayers. They are excellent for collecting, or to use in gaming.

Blog Tour Schedule

• August 20: Guest Post: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
• August 21: Indie books at shardpubs blogspot
• August 22: DanaSquare
• August 23: Guest Post: Long and Short Reviews: Fantasy
• August 24: White Sky Project
• August 27: Review: Welcome to My World of Dreams
• August 28: Review: Long and Short Reviews: YA
• August 29: Review: It’s Raining Books
• August 30: Dana’s YA Bookpile
• August 31: Lindsay’s Scribblings
• August 31: STOP 2 The eBook Reviewers (WARNING: Adult Content Site)
• August 31: Guest Post: Zombiegirl Shambling

 

Thanks. And hope to see you on the tour!

Movie Review: ParaNorman

Check out the Drasmyr Blog Review Tour.

I saw the kid’s movie “ParaNorman” the other day and found it enjoyable, although I have a few caveats. A few months back I came upon a blog written by a Christian woman complaining about the upcoming children movies that support necromancy, something viewed as very sinful by the typical Christian (actually, I think most modern Christians probably don’t think it is even possible, so being ‘sinful’ is moot). ParaNorman was one of the movies referenced in the blog (another was Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie). Anyway, if you want to take that route with ParaNorman it is open to that criticism–but, then, so are most fantasy movies/books (including my own Drasmyr). Personally, I think that’s going a bit too far; the movie was intended as a silly adventure with a supernatural theme; something fit for Halloween consumption. And as a writer of fantasy myself and a long-time AD&D player, I generally regard magic use as an interesting use of one’s imagination and generally harmless. Still, I can see how the movie could be construed as supportive of witchcraft, sorcery, and similar themes. And it is geared towards young children. So, you’ll have to make up your own mind there. Like I said, it didn’t bother me, but others might be offended.

 

The main character is a young boy with the unusual ability of being able to see and speak with the dead. He is well-known for having conversations with the many ghosts he finds around him. And he is widely regarded as an outcast and an oddity by the people in his town. Naturally, it falls upon him to save the town from the evil of a three-hundred-year-old witch’s curse. The trial and nature of the curse, and the identity of the witch are all part of the mystery of the story, so I won’t spoil it here. Let’s just say the witch is justly angry for her execution and it falls to Norman to resolve the matter. To assist him, he has a best friend (whose name I forget… was it “Neil?”), and a few other compatriots who, at least initially, are less well-intentioned toward him. The story is basically a typical transformation of outcast to hero that seems so popular these days. I thought the climactic confrontation at the end was a bit overdone and drawn-out, but other than that the story held together well.

 

I do have two more caveats regarding the film. Near the beginning, there is an obviously ill man (Norman’s uncle) who, at one point, takes a handful of pills and tosses them in his mouth. I’m sure they were intended to treat his illness(es), but the casual way in which it was done did raise my eyebrows. Maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, but I wish they had taken a little more care in presenting the medicine. The last caveat: towards the end of the movie, one of the male minor characters reveals he’s gay by saying “You should meet my boyfriend.” It’s done casually, in an offhand, but blatant way. Homosexuality is something of a divisive issue, so I don’t think it really belongs in a children’s movie. Some people might be offended by it, others not. In the end, I think particularly devout religious people (of the Christian persuasion, probably Muslim as well… not sure of the others) have ample opportunity to be offended by this movie. Personally, I was not; I enjoyed it, though I thought the gay bit was a hair inappropriate.

 

Overall, I’ll give “ParaNorman” three and a half stars out of five.

Blog Tour: Stop #5: White Sky Project

Check out the Drasmyr Blog Review Tour.

My blog tour for my vampire fantasy novel, Drasmyr, continues today. Every day until August 31st, I’ll be visiting a variety of blogs across the Internet where my book will be reviewed. There will also be a few guest posts and interviews interspersed throughout. Today we have a book review at: White Sky Project. Please check them out and show them your support. Also, check out the company that promoted the tour: Goddess Fish Promotions. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Blog Tour: Stop #4: Long and Short Reviews: Fantasy

Check out the Drasmyr Blog Review Tour.

I’m not doing a post today on atoasttodragons because I’ve got a guest post on: Long and Short Reviews: Fantasy . Here’s the announcement:

 

My blog tour for my vampire fantasy novel, Drasmyr, continues today. Every day until August 31st, I’ll be visiting a variety of blogs across the Internet where my book will be reviewed. There will also be a few guest posts and interviews interspersed throughout. Today we have a guest blog at: Long and Short Reviews: Fantasy . Please check them out and show them your support. Also, check out the company that promoted the tour: Goddess Fish Promotions. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.

Blog Tour: Stop #3: Danasquare

Check out the Drasmyr Blog Review Tour.

My blog tour for my vampire fantasy novel, Drasmyr, continues today. Every day until August 31st, I’ll be visiting a variety of blogs across the Internet where my book will be reviewed. There will also be a few guest posts and interviews interspersed throughout. Today we have a book review at: DanaSquare. Please check them out and show them your support. Also, check out the company that promoted the tour: Goddess Fish Promotions. It wouldn’t have been possible without them.