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November 7, 2014 · 10:15 am

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XX – The Movies 5-8

For the first eight years after Elvis returned from the army, he made movies and records but did no live performances.

I featured his first four movies in an earlier blog post, so the following four movies are next…

G.I. Blues 1960

About: Elvis plays Tulsa McLean, an army tank crewman from Texas whose dream is to open his own nightclub with his buddies, who are part of his singing act. On leave in Germany, he places a bet with his fellow soldiers that he can spend an entire night with ‘ice princess’ a hard to get entertainer played by Juliet Prowse.

Side notes: The 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armored was Elvis’ regiment when he was in the Army with the 3rd Armored Division in Germany, so it was used for the film. Also, just my opinion, Juliet Prowse was not nearly pretty enough to play the role of a sought after beauty who turned Elvis’ world upside down.

My favorite song from the movie: ‘The Best I Can’ (I know, it’s odd. I don’t usually like the ‘mainstream’ popular songs as much as I do the lesser known ones)

One of my favorite scenes: Early in the movie, Tulsa is on stage singing and a guy goes over to a jukebox and the camera shows, in the window of the jukebox, ‘Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley’ and the guy (we’ll call him ‘first guy’) hits the button and Elvis’ Blue Suede Shoes begins playing while Tulsa/Elvis is performing. Another guy in the club says “Hey turn that off, the kid’s singing.”

First guy: “I want to hear the original.”

Second guy: “Turn that off.”

First guy: “Turn Tulsa off.”

A scuffle breaks out and Elvis goes up to First guy who is snapping his fingers to the song. Elvis snaps along with him for moment, then punches him and a brawl ensues.

Ha! He punches the guy for playing HIS song. 🙂 Love it.

Elvis and Juliet Prowse on the set of G.I. Blues

Flaming Star 1960

About: Elvis plays Pacer Burton, a half breed Indian who is pulled between his white blood and his Indian blood. When a neighboring family is massacred by the Indians, hostility and mistrust among friends causes trouble for Pacer and his family.

This movie took me by surprise. I mean, I’d seen it before, quite a few times, but not in years and years. I didn’t remember loving it as much as I did this time. It was a well-acted, moving, and intense western. Elvis did an excellent job in the role. I cried, a lot. Very sad and emotional. I highly recommend it.

Side note: Elvis was inducted into the Los Angeles Indian Tribal Council for his role in the movie. Barbara Eden co-starred, but she was actually the love interest of Elvis’ brother. The movie poster is misleading.

My favorite song from the movie: Elvis actually only sang one song in this movie, ‘Cane and a High-Starched Collar.’ Not exactly one of his best, so I’ll have to go with the title song, ‘Flaming Star’ (which was originally recorded as ‘Black Star’ and Elvis had to go in and re-record, replacing ‘black’ with ‘flaming’)

A couple of my favorite scenes:

There is a scene where Pacer’s mother has been shot and she needs a doctor. Due to the new hostility against Pacer and his family, the doctor refuses to come home with him and treat her. The doctor’s little girl is playing outside (Pacer has known her her whole life). He grabs her up and tells her they’re going to play a game, but in reality, he is threatening her father that if he doesn’t come help his mother, he’ll hurt the child. Elvis does a great job of threatening the father while at the same time, comforting the child. He tells her, “Grownups don’t know how to play, do they?” She says, “This is a funny way to play, Pacer.” And Elvis says, “You know I won’t hurt you.”

Another scene I love is when he is fighting shirtless. What’s not to love, right? 🙂

Wild in the Country 1961

About: Elvis plays Glenn Tyler, a young man with a troubled past and an alcoholic father, who dreams of being a writer (pretty cool, right?). He beats up his brother (played by Elvis’ long-time friend, Red West) in the beginning of the movie and is sentenced to probation and ordered to weekly counseling sessions with Irene Sperry, played by Hope Lange. He also moves in with his uncle, who wants to marry him off to his daughter, a single mom and wild girl, played by Tuesday Weld. Elvis actually has three love interests in this movie, the third being his longtime girlfriend, played by Millie Perkins. Again, I cried in this movie. Elvis does a wonderful job in this role, and it’s very dramatic and moving.

Side notes: Millie Perkins broke her arm when she had to slap Elvis’ character. The scene was not used in the movie.

The film was originally not going to be a musical, but Colonel Parker insisted that Elvis sing. Millie Perkins claimed that Elvis was not pleased. In one scene where he has to sing while they’re driving along in a truck, she said that Elvis said, “God, this is embarrassing. People wouldn’t do this in real life.”

At the end of the movie, Hope Lange’s character, after rumors of an affair with Glenn and the threat of Glenn going to prison for murder, attempts to kill herself. In the original ending, she succeeds, but that was not received well, so it was changed.

Hope Lange played the ‘older woman’ Glenn fell in love with, but in actuality, Hope was only 13 months older than Elvis at the time.

And, finally, Christina Crawford, daughter of Joan Crawford and author of Mommie Dearest, played a small role in the movie.

My favorite song from the movie: ‘In My Way’ or ‘I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell’

One of my favorite scenes:

Glenn gets drunk and goes with Tuesday Weld to Irene Sperry’s house, demanding that she return his story to him. He ends up spraying down her porch with the water hose while shouting at her to give him his story back. . It’s a very cute scene, with a touching moment. He was so adorable.
In this video, clips from the movie are shown while the title track from the movie plays:

Elvis and Tuesday Weld, who he briefly dated:

Blue Hawaii 1961

About: Elvis plays Chad Gates, who has just returned to his home in Hawaii after two years in the army. His wealthy parents want him to join the family pineapple business, but Chad wants to be independent and he takes a job as a tour guide.

This movie was one of Elvis’ most popular, but it wasn’t one of my favorites, strangely enough. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but not as much as I did many of his others. I think it was partly because I wasn’t crazy about the music in the movie (even though the soundtrack spent 20 straight weeks at #1 on Billboard’s top LP’s and was Elvis’ most successful album) Yeah, I just don’t usually seem to go with the opinion of the masses. Also, there was no romantic conflict. He returned home to his girlfriend and they were together in the entire movie, with a few minor road bumps along the way. Joan Blackman played his love interest, and she was gorgeous.

Side notes: At the beginning of the movie, Chad is deplaning and if you listen carefully and turn up the volume, you can hear hundreds of screaming fans who were watching the shoot.

Angela Lansbury played Elvis’ mother, but she was actually only nine years older than him.

My favorite song from the movie: ‘Almost Always True’ or ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’

One of my favorite scenes:

Probably this scene where he’s singing Slicin’ Sand – He’s wearing these tight, white shorts and his body looks amazing, and it shows his fabulous butt. 🙂

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Tagged as Alicia Dean, Amazon, Angela Lansbury, Beale Street, Blue Hawaii, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Flaming Star, G.I. Blues, Graceland, Hope Lange, Kindle, Memphis, Rambling Elvis Movies 5-8, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Tuesday Weld., Wild in the County

November 1, 2014 · 9:14 am

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XIX – Rare Recordings, Duets, and Remixes

Elvis released hundreds of songs over his career, and in the nearly forty years after his death, his songs are still being released. Many are never before heard recordings, some are remixes, some are alternate takes, and some are duets. I am not crazy about most of the remixes and duets. I like the pure, original sound of Elvis’ music. Below I’ve listed some of my thumbs up and thumbs downs.

Thumbs up:

Any song Lisa Marie records of her father’s. I think it’s awesome that she is a singer, and that she loves and respects her father so much. The songs she records with him are beautiful. I’m not certain how many she has done, but I know of a handful: In the Ghetto, Don’t Cry Daddy, and I Love you Because.

I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone, the alternate version – This is an alternate version that was recorded by Elvis in the early years. It’s better than the one that was released. It’s moody and bluesy and gives me chills. They should have released this version, not that there was anything wrong with the one they did release, but this one is phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

This is a rare home recording of Elvis at a friend’s house in 1958 singing Happy, Happy Birthday Baby. Can you imagine sitting around a living room with Elvis while he belted out songs and played the piano?

Thumbs Down:

Lisa Loïs Duet of Love Me Tender – While this is a beautiful version, and the girl has an amazing voice, it gets a thumb’s down simply because when I hear the first few notes as I’m listening to Elvis radio, I can’t help but be disappointed that it’s not an ‘original’ Elvis.

Barbara Streisand Duet of Love Me Tender – The woman has a fantastic voice, and there’s no doubt she’s a superstar, and I love that she and Elvis had a mutual respect and admiration for one another, but to me, she tampers with the pure sound of the original arrangement. And, I’m not sure what those extra lyrics are at the beginning, but they’re not needed.

All of the remixes – Although these releases did well, I don’t care for the addition of the Techno sound to Elvis’s songs. I’m not sure how many were done that way, but a few I know about are Rubberneckin’, Little Less Conversation, and Bossa Nova Baby. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like them okay if I hadn’t heard the true versions, but Elvis didn’t need the Techno sound added. His music was timeless and perfect in its original form.

How about you? Do you agree, or am I way too picky when it comes to Elvis? 🙂

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Tagged as Alicia Dean, Amazon, Barbara Streisand, Beale Street, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Kindle, Lisa Marie Presley, Love Me Tender, Memphis, Ramblings Rare Recordings, Remix, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio

October 24, 2014 · 11:51 am

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XVIII – Song & Movie Tidbits

I thought I would share a few facts that I find interesting. If you’re an Elvis fan, you might already know them. If not, then I hope you find them interesting as well.

A Star is Born – A highly successful movie released in 1976 starring Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Barbara and Elvis were friends and held one another in high regard. Barbara asked Elvis to co-star with her in the movie, and he was thrilled. He planned to do it, but Colonel Parker nixed it and wouldn’t let him. I think this would have been a huge turning point in Elvis’ acting career, and in his life in general.

Thunder Road – An excellent movie from 1958 starring Robert Mitchum. Elvis was a fan of Mitchum’s and wanted to meet him. When they met, Mitchum asked him if he’d be interested in co-starring in Thunder Road. Elvis was thrilled and desperately wanted the role, but the Colonel refused.

Don’t Cry Daddy – Written by Mac Davis, who also wrote quite a few other songs for Elvis, one of the most popular being In the Ghetto. Mac said that Elvis made some tweaks to most of his songs, and in this one, Mac ended it with ‘another little baby child is born in the ghetto’ and Elvis added ‘and his mama cries’ – which Mac thought was genius. Back to Don’t Cry Daddy, in Mac’s own words, here is the story of how the song came to be:
At the time I was going through a divorce. I had my son, Scotty for the weekend and was about to take him home. I had some time to kill, and I flipped on the five o’clock news. Scotty was about five or six years old. It just happened to be the broadcast where they were showing some film of the massacre in Vietnam. It was a very famous horrific incident where some of our guys shot to death some women and children villagers. They were showing some scenes of the bodies, and apparently I started crying and didn’t even realize it. The next thing I know Scotty was patting my back and trying to comfort a grown man going, “Don’t cry daddy.” That’s where the inspiration came from for “Don’t Cry Daddy.” My songwriter’s brain made it totally different. By the time I got Scotty home to his mother’s…on the way back to my house I had the chorus written. Basically that’s where the song came from. It was a combination of him telling me not to cry because of watching this massacre in Vietnam on TV and my own situation having gone through a divorce. I didn’t know at the time that it was a special song. It was just another day in the life of a songwriter. We write songs about our lives and about things that happen to us…I do remember thinking that I should have written another verse for it. But that was me. That’ll be on my tombstone, “I was still working on that last verse.”

Help Me – An Elvis song written by Larry Gatlin. Elvis recorded a few of Larry’s songs, my favorite of them by far is Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall. I heard a brief interview with Larry Gatlin on Elvis radio recently. He said that he was struggling financially, and he and his wife were at home, wondering how they were going to keep their house. He received a call from a mutual friend of his and Elvis who told him Elvis was recording his song. Larry hung up the phone and said to his wife, “Honey, we can keep the house.”

Here is Elvis’ rendition of Bitter They Are. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a live version.

Heartbreak Hotel, recorded in January, 1956 – Elvis’ first million selling record was co-written by Mae Boren Axton, mother of singer/songwriter Hoyt Axton. She was an English teacher and a songwriter. A steel guitarist, Tommy Durden, read an article about a man who killed himself and left a suicide note that read “I walk a lonely street.” He showed the article to Mae and the two collaborated on the song. Mae took a position as a part time public relations secretary for Colonel Parker, and when she met Elvis in 1955, she said that he had everything it took to be a star except a hit song. She told him, “You need a million-seller, and I’m going to write it for you.” And, that she did.

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Tagged as A Star is Born, Alicia Dean, Amazon, Barbara Streisand, Beale Street, Bitter They Are, Don’t Cry Daddy, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Harder They Fall. Heartbreak Hotel. Mae Boren Axton., Help Me, In the Ghetto, Kindle, Kris Kristofferson, Larry Gatlin, Mac David, Memphis, Ramblings Song and Movie Tidbits, Robert Mitchum, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Thunder Road

October 17, 2014 · 9:52 am

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XVII – Elvis and Wink

Game show host Wink Martindale started out in radio, and he was around when the Elvis phenomenon was just beginning. I’ve heard several interviews with Wink and his wife, Sandy, on Elvis radio. They both adored Elvis and have the utmost respect for him.

Wink was part of a historical day in 1954. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Wink about that time:

“My dream was to work at WHBQ radio and do the morning show called ‘Clockwatchers’ — all the teenagers listened to that.”

His dream came true in 1954, when he auditioned and got the morning gig when he was just 19 years old. It was also the year he met Elvis Presley, with whom he was friends until the King’s death in 1977.

“I happened to be at the radio station one night showing a group of former football buddies from high school around the radio station,” Martindale recalls. “It was at night when there was a show called ‘Red Hot & Blue’ with a guy named Dewey Phillips. He played black music for white kids. All of a sudden I hear a commotion going on. The phones were lit up and I went into Dewey’s control room.”

It so happened that was the night that Sun Records founder Sam Phillips walked into Phillips’ control room with an acetate recording of Presley’s “That’s All Right Mama.”

“Dewey put it on the turntable and the switchboard lit up. He kept playing it over and over. Sam gave me Gladys and Vernon Presley’s telephone number and said get them on the phone and ask them where Elvis is. I was the one who made the call and got Gladys on the phone.”

Martindale told Presley’s mother that Dewey Phillips wanted to interview him that night at the station. His parents got into their truck and found their son at a movie theater by himself catching a western double bill.

“He got into the truck and went down and sat in front of the microphone,” says Martindale. That was the beginning of Presley mania. I think of that as the night when the course of popular music changed forever.”

Just a few years later, Jul 4, 1956,Wink would interview Elvis. Elvis was performing a benefit concert for at Russwood Park in Memphis for The Cynthia Mil Fund and the Variety Club’s Home for Convalescent Children. I love that Elvis was not only charitable, but that most of his charitable acts were to help children.

Colonel Parker did not want Elvis to appear on television without getting paid, but Elvis did so anyway. This is one of the first ever televised interviews of Elvis.

The beginning of Elvis’ unprecedented career is rich with history and momentous events. Yet, even as it was happening, and even up to the day he passed away, he really wasn’t aware of the impact he had on the world. He was often afraid that his popularity would fade, that people would forget him. I imagine he would be blown away to see how his legend has lived on, how his life and career are still celebrated.

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Tagged as Alicia Dean, Amazon, Beale Street, Children’s Charities, Dewey Phillips, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Kindle, Memphis, Ramblings Wink Martindale, Rock and Roll, Sam Phillips, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, The Cynthia Milk Fund

October 10, 2014 · 12:11 pm

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XVI – The Ultimate Celebrity

As everyone knows by now, in my opinion, Elvis had it all.

He was insanely gorgeous and sexy. His voice was phenomenal, magical. He could dance, he could act. He was generous and down to earth. And, people who met him said he had this special charisma that was impossible to put into words, impossible to resist.

And, Elvis did things that no other entertainers will ever do. Can you imagine performers of today; Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Bruno Mars, and others like them, taking two years away from their careers to serve in the armed forces? (I guess these are good examples of the currently popular male singers. Either way, you get my point. :))

Elvis was so special, that my sister, Ruth, and I had to make a ‘deal’ when we played barbies. Instead of having actual Ken dolls (we didn’t have a lot of money, so we had to make do with just the Barbies themselves), we would have imaginary guys for our Barbie boyfriends. However, since we would both want Elvis, and neither would give in, and it would be unfair for either of us to have him for our BB’s (Barbie Boyfriends), we struck a bargain. Neither of us could pick Elvis. He was just too untouchable, off limits. 🙂 Instead, we had to settle for guys like David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Bobby Sherman, and so forth. Somehow, we made do.

Elvis generosity is legendary. He purchased FDR’s Yacht in 1964, intending to donate it to March of Dimes, but they refused the gift, saying the upkeep was too much. He ended up donating it to St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospital. I’ve heard stories, although I’m not sure how many of them are true, about his giving nature. One story is about a man who saw Elvis and a friend in Memphis one day. Elvis was searching his pockets for a dime to make a phone call. The man gave him a dime, and Elvis asked for his address so he could send him a thank you note. A few weeks later, the man received a letter from Elvis with the news that he’d paid off his mortgage. Of course, the stories about his giving away cars is almost as well-known as Elvis himself. One of my favorites is the story about the black lady who worked as a housekeeper at a hospital in Memphis. She was walking down Union Avenue and saw a stretch limo in front of a dealership with its doors open. She stuck her head in to look inside and commented on what a beautiful car it was. Elvis was in the car, and he instructed the man with him to order her one just like it. I also heard that, In 1975, he bought an electric wheelchair for a poor woman in East Memphis, and that he picked her up and personally sat her in it. The woman’s teenage daughter told Elvis she liked his car. He gave it to her and even gave her boyfriend a job. Even if some of these stories are exaggerated or fabricated, enough has been documented about his philanthropic nature for me to be certain he had a kind and giving heart.

Who is your ultimate celebrity? Why? Is it mainly because of their talent and appeal, or does it go deeper than that?

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Tagged as Alicia Dean, Amazon, Armed Forces, Beale Street, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, End of Lonely Street, Graceland, Kindle, March of Dimes, Memphis, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, St. Jude's, Suspicious Minds, Vintage Historical Romance, Wild Rose Press

October 7, 2014 · 8:00 am

Leap into the Knight with M.J. Schiller

A brand new release from the wonderful M.J. Schiller:

Blurb ~

Sir Darius Lee is a Knight of the High Order.

But when Darius discovers a stranger in his room in the middle of the night, and the intruder turns out to be a beautiful woman, he begins to question how he is meant to live his life.

Princess Megan of Bethyea is being held captive.

But when two knights help her to escape and bring her back to her home planet, she finds the home she knew no longer exists.

When The Council of Twelve questions Darius about his relationship with Maggie, she tries to flee from The Academy of the High Order to prevent him from losing his knighthood.

Will Darius and Orion find Maggie before she leaves Albion? And if they do, how can they face the decision of The Council? And what about the feelings Orion has developed for the princess?

Excerpt ~

CHAPTER ONE

Darius Lee sat up in bed and listened to the darkness. What interrupted his sleep and caused him to become so fully awake? Several seconds elapsed while he held his breath and waited, but he heard no noise. Still, he was aware someone else was in the suite he shared with his young novice, Orion Quinn. He closed his eyes and tuned into his Spirit Within in order to get a feel for his current level of danger. He sensed at once the outside presence he felt in the room was not threatening. Despite that, he knew something must be amiss for a stranger to enter their rooms unannounced in the middle of the night.

He had been uneasy since he and Orion landed here on Faador on their latest mission. It all started when The Academy of The High Order, where Darius gained his knighthood, received a transmission from an older man dressed in uniform. The man stated Faador’s leader, Justin Filithy, held captive a woman, a princess, from another planet. Little was known about Filithy other than he had some questionable dealings with slave traders. Details of the princess’s abduction were sketchy too, as the communication was cut short. The Order sent Orion and him to quietly investigate any wrong doing under the guise of a routine security check. Yet, ever since they arrived, the leader was occupied elsewhere. In fact, the whole place was crawling with guards and he surmised they were under a high alert of some kind, but no one provided any information. A trio of soldiers stuck them in this suite and promised a meeting with Filithy the next day. He was annoyed by the delay, but since they arrived on the planet late in the afternoon it seemed reasonable to wait until morning.

He slid out from underneath his lightweight bedcover without making a sound and grabbed his clothes, which were lying on a chair beside the bed. He slipped his head through the opening in the loose-fitting shirt, but left it untied at the neck, glancing at his laser-sword leaning against the nightstand. He decided to leave it. No need to scare anyone off if they meant no harm. He would simply have to use caution.

Darius reached the door and thankfully it slid open across its tracks without the usual high-pitched hydraulic hiss. He made out a figure standing in the open doorway to the room where his novice slept. The interloper was dressed in the same slightly puffy white uniform of the guards who they’d seen in abundance ever since they arrived. He was amused at first by the fleeting thought that they resembled marshmallows. Now as he watched the shadowy form, he was curious. What reason would anyone have to steal into their rooms like this? The guard wore a white helmet as the others had, with a tinted visor which could conceal the entire face. This visor, however, was open. Darius could see it flipped on top of the helmet, no doubt so the guard could see in the dim lighting. He wondered why the sight of this stranger gazing at Orion, who was lying completely unaware and vulnerable, didn’t alarm him more. But again, something told him the intruder was frightened, even desperate, but not a threat.

His training taught him how to enter the room without a sound, but the stranger seemed to detect his presence, darting to the left toward the door leading to the outer hallway. Darius took several steps before launching his six-foot-four-inch frame, timing his tackle perfectly. He wrapped his arms around the fleeing legs, bringing both parties down heavily. On contact the stranger’s helmet flew off and skittered across the dura-tile by the entryway. The guard twisted around to try to fight him off, while Darius sought to pin his shoulders to the ground. To his immense surprise he found himself staring into the face of a beautiful, terrified young woman. Long, wavy blonde hair fanned out on the floor as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. Their gazes locked and he drew his breath in a rush. Hers were the eyes of the hunted, wide and intensely blue-green. The oddest sensation came over him, as if, in that one look, an invisible hand reached into him and somehow tied him to this unknown woman. At the same time it was like the connection had been there all his life, an answer to a question he never knew to ask.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered to calm her. Surprisingly she stilled, searching his face as if to determine something there about him. “If I let you up, do you promise to stay here and answer a few questions for me?”

She hesitated.

“I will not harm you.” He dipped his head to better catch those eyes. “Trust me.”

Something in the way he said it seemed to convince her, and she nodded slowly. He released her arms and moved to the side. He sensed she was still tensed to flee if necessary, but for the moment, she decided to place her trust in him.

***

Her heart was racing madly. What was she doing? She should run. She should run as fast as she could, or at least search about the room for a way out.

She sensed him there behind her, though she heard no sound. Her immediate instinct was to flee, as well it should be. After all, she was on the run from a half dozen guards. It was only by ducking into this room a few moments ago that she avoided capture. In spite of all that, she now sat on a couch with the man. It was totally incomprehensible to her, trusting him. She learned the costly lesson of trusting in the goodness of men long ago. But when she scrutinized his face as he peered at her on the floor, she had been filled with an unfathomable sense of calm. It was the most bizarre feeling. All logic, all of her past experiences said to get out as swiftly as possible. But here she was, sitting next to this man as if it was teatime and not the middle of the night in a room where he discovered her hiding. She guessed him to be five or six years older than she. His face was strong, but kind, almost noble, and his deep, dark eyes were compassionate, with a hint of wisdom. It was the kind of face one could trust.

“Now,” he began slowly, ”why don’t you tell me exactly what you’re doing here?”

She was saved from figuring out an answer for his question by a young man who came barreling out of the door behind him. He brandished a laser-sword, yelling as he entered, “Master! I’m here!” The suddenness of the action startled them both.

The man turned slightly to say, “Orion, deactivate your weapon,” and that was all she needed. Her fear returned and catapulted her off the couch and toward the door. She hit the keypad with a force that sent a shock wave rippling up her arm, and was on the other side as soon as it opened wide enough to allow her small frame through. Once on the opposite side, she started pounding on the keypad there, and was able to effectively disable the door for a moment, enough time to search the hallway for a path of escape.

Buy at Amazon Only 2.99

Find MJ here:

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Bio ~

MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh! Can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has a nineteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and seventeen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.

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Tagged as Kindle, M.J. Schiller, new release, Romance, Romantic Realms

October 6, 2014 · 10:07 am

A Fun Halloween Scavenger Hunt with AWESOME Prizes!!!

From October 6th through the 23rd, over 30 authors are hosting a Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Participants visit each site to find a Halloween graphic. The more sites you visit, the more chances to win. There are over 60 prizes, multiple winners each day. On October 6th, visit Sloan McBride’s blog Sloan McBride where you get all the information, including links to the authors’ pages, and a link to a sheet to type all the answers. It should be wicked fun!

(Check the pages on my site to find the Halloween graphic and enter through Sloan’s site. SEE, so much fun!)

And while I have your attention, I’d like to share my latest release – a Halloween short story from The Wild Rose Press: Caster’s Unfriendly Ghost:

BLURB:

A year after her husband’s death, Emily Tillman is ready to start dating again, and hopefully, find what she’s always wanted—marriage and children. But the man who broke her heart five years ago is back. And he’s anything but the marrying kind.

Confirmed bachelor Reese Caster is perfectly content with his life—and he’s finally over Emily, the one woman who almost made him commit. Now, his world is rocked when her dead husband shows up, demanding that Reese pursue Emily to keep her out of the clutches of her latest suitor—a jerk who is only after her money.

Being around Emily again has made Reese reconsider his bachelor life style. But now that the threat of the other man is gone, the pesky ghost wants Reese to break things off. Can he and Emily find the love they were denied, or will the ghost of her dead husband destroy their chances?

EXCERPT:

“Emily is the kind of woman you have to take things slowly with.”

“Sure, if this was real. But you have to step it up, turn on the charm. You need to show you care, that you know her, buy her things that she loves. Her favorite flowers are white roses, she loves dark chocolate, and her favorite wine is Merlot. You need to move in on her, hard.”

Caster gave a humorless laugh and shook his head. “Do you hear yourself? You were her husband, for God’s sake. Have some respect.”

Joey’s face flushed. “I do respect her. That’s why I don’t want this asshole putting one over on her. She deserves to find someone who will truly love her and give her the things I couldn’t.”

A note of pain in his voice almost made Caster feel sorry for him. But not as sorry as he felt for the family who lost a loved one less than half an hour ago. “Listen, I’ve performed back to back surgeries today, and had my night capped off by an emergency surgery that ended with a young girl’s death. So, you’ll understand why I’m not in the mood for this right now.”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about that. My concern is with Emily. And I need you to follow through with your end of the deal.”

“Deal, my ass. You blackmailed me into going along with this bullshit. Well, I’m out. I’ll finish the haunted forest thing, but no more of this romancing Emily crap. I can’t use her like that, I can’t break her heart again.”

“Break her heart? You sound pretty sure she’ll fall for you. My, my. Someone’s full of himself.”

Caster stood and stalked to the door. “Look, I don’t know if she will or not, I just know I can’t do this any longer. You can destroy everything I own, keep me up every night for the rest of my life, but I’m done.”

He put his hand on the door, but Joey’s voice stopped him. “I’ll tell her.”

Caster paused and turned to face him. “You’ll what?”

“Not only will I continue to screw with you, even on the job, but I’ll appear to Emily, tell her about our little scheme. What do you think she’ll think of you then?”

“You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t hurt her like that.”

Joey shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were suspiciously damp. “I don’t want to. But I’ll do anything to keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life.”

Caster let out a resigned sigh and shook his head. “Nah, getting mixed up with the two of us was the biggest mistake of her life.”

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Casters-Unfriendly-Ghost-Hauntings-Garden-ebook/dp/B00NQMV4NQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412516933&sr=8-1&keywords=caster%27s+unfriendly+ghost

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/casters-unfriendly-ghost-alicia-dean/1120455662?ean=2940150463943

Wild Rose Press:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_177_139&products_id=5840

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Tagged as Amazon, Caster's Unfriendly Ghost, Free, giveaway, Halloween, Kindle, new release, Nook, Scavenger Hunt

October 3, 2014 · 10:16 am

Elvis Presley – Ramblings of a Lifelong Fan – Part XV – Elvis’ Twin

I have always been fascinated by the fact that Elvis was born a twin. The other baby, Jesse Garon, was stillborn. Can you imagine, what if Jesse had been born? Would they have looked alike? Would Jesse have been able to sing like Elvis? Would he have been an entertainer as well, or would it have changed Elvis’ course in life, and maybe he wouldn’t have become an entertainer at all? Throughout his life, Elvis was also fascinated about his twin. Those close to him knew just how much losing Jesse Garon affected him.

Here is a great article by Elvis’ hairdresser and friend, Larry Geller. He talks about how intrigued Elvis was about the fact that he had a twin brother.

Click here for article

A couple of additional things to share…

I love it when other celebrities talk about Elvis, and this definitely caught my attention. I saw Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zepplin on Jimmy Fallon recently. Plant is a huge Elvis fan. He speaks with Jimmy about meeting Elvis in 1974. Elvis said he’d heard that Robert sound checked to one of his songs and asked him which one. Robert said “Love Me.” They were leaving and headed down the hallway. Elvis turned around and started singing “Love Me” and Robert Plant sang with him. Plant said, “I could have packed up, quit and gone home right then.” (I paraphrased). Even though I’ve basically quoted the entire interview, here it is if you want to check it out:

Lastly, I have a new release out, and as I’ve stated before, I try to mention Elvis in all my published works. Here is a little snippet from Without Mercy:

China’s house was too quiet. She put on an Elvis Presley CD—finding comfort in the music she and her aunt had listened to when she was growing up—and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. She was heading up the stairs when it occurred to her that the music would mask the noise of an intruder.

Debating for just a moment, she decided the silence was worse, and left the music on. “Danny Boy” blasted around her as she reached the top of the stairs.

Her house was a multi-level, thirty four hundred square-foot Tudor with five bedrooms, a pool, sauna and hot tub. The front was secluded by an overhang of trees, and the back yard opened up into a wooded area. The home was much more elaborate than she could possibly afford on her salary. There were months she could barely make the utilities, and last summer she hadn’t opened the pool because she couldn’t afford the upkeep. But at least she didn’t have to pay a mortgage.

She’d always counted herself lucky that Gary had left her the house as compensation for his abandonment. But now it felt like enemy territory, and the spacious rooms seemed to be nothing more than good hiding places for intruders.

In the bathroom, she turned the shower on as hot as it would go and stripped, stepping quickly inside. Steam surrounded her, the spray so strong, it stung her skin. But that was okay. It meant she was alive.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing under the water. It had turned cold, yet she remained. The strains of “Love Comin’ Down” penetrated through the closed door. She considered getting out, but the cold water was starting to numb her, and that was what she needed. To forget, not to feel for a while.

“China?” A man’s voice bellowed her name at the same time the bathroom door flung open, slamming against the wall. She screamed as the shower curtain was yanked back.

On sale – Only 99¢ for a limited time!

Click here to order for the Kindle

Click here to order for the Nook

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Tagged as Alicia Dean, Amazon, Beale Street, Danny Boy, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Jesse Garon, Jimmy Fallon, Kindle, Larry Geller, Led Zepplin, Love Coming Down, Memphis, Ramblings Elvis’ Twin, Robert Plant, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Tonight Show., Without Mercy

September 22, 2014 · 7:58 am

Howard K invites you to ‘Dial M for Merlot’

I’m happy to introduce today’s guest, Howard K.

I ‘met’ Howard a little while back when he hired me to freelance edit his novel. I was a little wary after learning it was the first novel he’d ever written and that it was well over 100,000 words. However, I was pleasantly surprised once I started reading. While it needed some polishing, (as all stories do, even those from seasoned writers), it did not need a ton of reworking. The story was well written and immensely entertaining.

If you love wine and love to laugh (or if you even like ONE of those things), you’ll definitely want to check out Howard’s debut novel.

Now, let’s get to know a little more about him….

Where did you get the idea for Dial M for Merlot?

I had been a wine lover for many years, fully enjoying going to tastings, traveling to wine country destinations and attending wine themed dinner extravaganzas. In late 2007, I was diagnosed with throat cancer and had to endure surgery, radiation and chemo. I am happy to report that I bounced back and have remained cancer free since then, but for many years after, I lost all sense of taste. If you could see my wardrobe and clothing choices, you might be of the opinion that I never had any taste anyway…but that’s another story

Anyway, after a long while I was finally able to once again enjoy great wines and good times out with friends. It was at one of these wine dinners that someone suggested I write a book about the experience of being a ‘wino’, losing all sense of taste and the ability to enjoy wine, and then fully regaining my health and senses. It sounded like a good idea at the time, and I gave it try…but when I sat to write, the title “Dial M for Merlot” popped into my head and the story revealed itself to me as I typed.

What book have you read that you wish you would have written?

Tai Pan by James Clavell. I really love history and historical fiction.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and how do you like it?

Well, since I’m in my fifties and this is the first book I’ve written…one would think I’ve had another occupation, but I actually haven’t had a real job in my entire life! I have been a musician since I was in my teens and I’ve spent the last 25 years composing and producing music for commercials. I’ve been very fortunate to have done work for HBO Sports, McDonald’s, The Florida Lottery, Florida Grapefruit, Ritz Carlton Hotels, about a million car dealerships. My favorite project of all time: a down home-style jingle for ‘Black Kow, the Mature Manure.’ You know you’ve arrived when you can get paid for singing about bullsh*t!

What’s your favorite childhood book?

Goodnight Moon. I loved reading this book over and over again to my two sons when they were very young, and we’ve still got the old, well-worn copy on the shelf in one of their bedrooms.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Dial M for Merlot?

A few good laughs, a smile, and hopefully, a sense of anticipation and enthusiasm for the sequel.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

I would just rather have a good review.

What is your favorite quote?

‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ Of course JFK’s iconic quote was meant to send a message to the Soviets that America would stand with Germany in the face of the communist threat to freedom and liberty, but it has a different and personal meaning for me. I lived in West Berlin for a few years before the wall came down, and from the very first moment I arrived at Tegel airport in 1982, I had the strangest and most unexpected feeling that I had come home…that I belonged in Berlin. So yes, Ich bin auch ein Berliner– – I, too, am a Berliner.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

A magic lantern with a Genie inside, a bottomless wine cellar and a corkscrew. The Genie would take care of everything else

What celebrity would you most like to be stranded on an island with?

Penelope Cruz. No explanation needed.

What is your favorite…

Movie For a recent release “The Way Way Back”

Music: The film score from “The Shawshank Redemption,” by Thomas Newman

Place you’ve visited: the Priorat wine region in Northern Spain

Place you’d like to visit: Burgundy, France

TV show from childhood: Get Smart

TV show from adulthood: Night Court

Food: Steak au poivre, medium rare, with a side of well done potatoes Lyonnaise, broiled asparagus and a bottle of smashing, full throttle cabernet sauvignon.

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television?

None of the above..I’ll take a good book anytime!

Keep reading to learn more about Dial M for Merlot (Only $2.99 for ebook…Click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon buy page where and find links to other outlets below)

Blurb:

In Vino Veritas—in wine there is truth, and the truth is that Justin James is a 30-year-old, socially inept guy who just can’t seem to get a second date. Maybe it’s because of his abiding love for all things sci-fi, including dressing up in costume at every Comic-Con® that comes to town— not exactly the universal definition of “sexy.”

One Friday night, after being stood up for the zillionth time, the lovelorn nerd wanders into a wine tasting at a local shop that opens his eyes, turns on his taste buds and totally changes his life.

Join Justin on an exhilarating, intoxicating and potentially dangerous voyage of discovery and transformation that leads him out of his shell and into the world of fine wine and fine living. From Florida to France and back, Justin discovers there is so much more to life than just Star Trek, Star Wars or Harry Potter—fun, stimulating, and seductive things like fabulous wine, fantastic food, hot sex…and murder. But not necessarily in that order.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Justin James felt the pounding in his head even before he fully regained consciousness. When he finally succeeded in prying open his hangover-heavy eyelids, the room slowly came into a blurred, topsy-turvy view of unreality.

The soft light filtering through the yellowed linen curtains suggested a peaceful post-dawn morning, but the foul taste in his mouth and the fire bubbling up in the back of his throat screamed midnight in Hell.

He slowly propped himself up on one shaky elbow and tried to rub the pain out of his brain. That wasn’t working too well. He resumed crash position and massaged his throbbing temples, struggling to remember just how he had gotten back to the house after what must have been a very long night of wine-fueled debauchery.

Yesterday evening had started on a remarkably high note; attending an invitation-only wine tasting and dinner at one of the most renowned châteaus in all of France. The gigantic, but elegant, gala was co-sponsored by the largest, most powerful wine distributor in North America—the Richard Fox Company, along with its French counterpart, Beverage DeBussey.

It was the Célébration de Vin, an event held only once every ten years, and yet, Justin and his traveling companions managed to wrangle admission. They weren’t a particularly well-connected group of important movers and shakers in the wine industry, just a small band of vino tourists on-the-loose in France for a little fine living and some excessive wine drinking, during the week of the Vin Expo trade show in Bordeaux. Their names were nowhere on the guest list. But no matter.

Right place, right time, a little language barrier misunderstanding, and voila—admittance into the wine party of the decade. In some corners of the world that would be called chutzpah, but as some pissed-off Frenchman would later remark, “Those American bastards had some big balls.” Big balls, indeed.

So there they were—rubbing elbows with some of the most well-known figures in the world of wine, all of whom Justin had never even heard of until a few months back. He watched as the guys spread out into the main tasting room, standing side-by-side with some of the rich, famous, and beautiful people he had read about here and there, but never dreamed of actually seeing in person, let alone tasting outrageously expensive wines with and then discussing their marvelous attributes. Mind blowing. Really. Mind blowing.

Yes, it had started out as a wine enthusiast’s night-of-a-lifetime, but something had gone awry. Between the pounding, the bubbling, and a fair amount of spinning, he couldn’t remember much of what had happened after those first few minutes at the Grand Tasting. How had he wound up back in his bed, wearing clothing he didn’t recognize, with a half-empty to-go box of some sort of disgusting French version of KFC planted next to his head on the pillow?

And where were the guys? He should have at least heard them snoring their brains out in the adjacent bedrooms of their rental house, but strangely, he heard … nothing. If he hadn’t been in France on a vino-expedition, he might have vowed never to drink again.

Being a novice wino was hard work.

*********************************

About Howard:

First-time author and full-time wine enthusiast Howard K is an award winning composer and producer of music for television, film and advertising. He lives with his wife and family in the Tampa Bay, Florida area.

Contact: howardkbooks@gmail.com

Find Dial M for Merlot here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLRLLDC

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id883031847

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/dial-m-for-merlot?keyword=dial+m+for+merlot&store=nookstore

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Dial-M-for-Merlot/book-LlCyz6jOD0OZu3PuoAwl1g/page1.html

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Tagged as Amazon, Bordeaux, Dial M, fun, Howard K., humor, Ich bin ein Berliner, James Clavell, Kindle, Merlot, quirky, suspense, wine