Tuesday, March 20, 2012

21 jump Street -- Then & Now

Most of us can say we remember this series, which originally aired from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991 (four seasons). Or at least for our slightly younger ones, we remember it in rerun form which aired on FX from 1996-1998 and a hit as well. We also can recall a few if not all of its cast.


The most familiar member was the talented Johnny Depp (who doesn't know this man), but let's not forget the wonderful others, which was Holly Robinson, Peter DeLuise, Dustin Nguyen, Steven Williams, Michael DeLuise, Michael Bendetti and Frederic Forrest (A brief six episodes as Captain Jenko). Without them, there of course wouldn't be 21 Jump Street.

We also know that this series provided spark to Mr. Johnny Depp's acting career by making him a teen idol and from there to go on and star in films such as Edward Scissor hands, Sleepy Hollow and my personal favorite "Captain Jack Sparrow" from The Pirates of the Caribbean.

Now 21 years later (ironic huh?) from when this TV series originally went off air, we now find ourselves revisiting it in the form of a movie. With Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill playing roles in this light- hearted take on the TV series, they debuted at a whopping $35 million at the box office! (Way to go guys!)

Now not to down play the great acting from Mr. Tatum and Mr. Hill (we did love Dear John and Moneyball) but one has to think if the success of the film could also be attributed to the cameo role of our wonderful Mr. Johnny Depp. The actor was happy to do so, but with a stipulation (I liked it). His fellow cast mate Peter Deluise would appear as well.

And then there was another ... Mr. Depp also requested...want to know? Well I won't be the spoiler, so I've included the link and leave it up to you...:0)

http://on-msn.com/GBMnL3

All in all, it is congratulations to all for a wonderful series and now a wonderful movie. We thank Mr. Depp and Mr. Deluise for their cameos and it seems a full round of appluase to both Mr. Tatum and Mr. Hill for their fine performances.



A review of the movie by Centerfolds & Empty Screens-  http://bit.ly/zpIKRk

 Wanna read some 10 fun facts about the original?  http://bit.ly/AnRpAN

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading!
A.D.





Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A.D. Duling Presents A Guest Post By Brian Holers, Author of Doxology

Here’s an author’s view on writing and publishing.


Please enjoy this guest post by Brian Holers, author of the literary novel, Doxology. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

Not just for Christians

One of the beauties of self-publishing is that the gatekeeper has been fired. In this new world of books made possible by the Internet, no one is left to guard the door. To tell the reader what is what. This state of affairs may introduce an element of confusion for dogmatic readers, but the good news is, new breeds of literature are being created.
Self-publishing allows literature to cross over in new ways. Traditional Christian fiction publishers, for instance, disallow most references to sex, and even the most juvenile profanity. Self-publishing changes this. Not to suggest a writer should ever debase a genre—as writers we are obliged to choose our words carefully. But the old Christian books kept many readers away. “I’m not going to read that. That’s Christian. It’s boring.” Still, nearly every Christian I know periodically swears, fights, and even becomes amorous from time to time. Christians like good stories too, with depth of character, excitement, whimsy, action. The success of a book like The Shack shows the need for stories of real people dealing with real problems, in a faith-based context. It doesn’t even have to be good literature.
As humans, we all look for answers. Stories are stories. Conflict builds to crisis, which leads to a form of resolution. Sure, some people never doubt their faiths, even in the face of horrible tragedy. Others do. Some never ascribed to a faith in the first place, and instead spend their days casting about for a context to this condition we call humanness. The problem with much traditional Christian literature is this; when a character is pushed to a crisis, and the only change we read is “he fell on his knees, then and there, and accepted Jesus into his heart,” that incident may describe a beautiful sentiment, and may have value to a real person in real life, but as a reader, it doesn’t tell me anything. A reader wants details. He wants to see the sweat break out. She wants to hear the thoughts and words that accompany the character’s condition. Literature is literature. We want to see development. We want to get inside the characters. We want to get to know them. That’s why we care. Regardless of the genre label put on the book.
Doxology is a story in between. The book has a religious message; given its primary setting in rural north Louisiana, that message is Christian. But the characters are just people. They experience the same emotions all people do—love, joy, loss. Their conflicts grow and grow until they must be resolved. Like real people, they go astray, take paths of separation from God, or just from what is good for them. They experience desires that can never be fulfilled, want things that can never be had or even understood. They discover the traits in their lives that aren’t working, and set out to find new habits that will work. Many Christian values are universal—a belief, despite evidence to the contrary, that our lives are worthwhile. An understanding that letting go, and learning how little we are in charge, makes life more manageable. A certainty that the kindness and compassion we offer to others is returned to us a hundredfold.
Some say God. Some say the universe. But we all–when we’re honest, and when we pay attention, have a sense of something looking out for us, giving us what we need. Putting people we need into our lives. We give credit for these gifts as we see fit. Good literature promotes a point of view by showing the reader how a character’s modes of operation and beliefs work for her (or don’t). Good literature, whatever its genre, lets the reader inside. Lets the reader do part of the work. Doxology, in this vein, is a story at the crossroad of God and man. It presents God as the characters experience God, and as real people experience God, looking out for them, giving them what they need. Coming to understand how God has been there all along.
Doxology is a love story. Faith plays a role, as it helps the characters find answers and resolution, improves their lives. Like Jody and Vernon and the others, we all look for redemption from brokenness of the past. They and we find it, as people both real and imaginary alike do, in family, friends, productive work, a sense of place, a faith in something greater. Doxology is a story, first and foremost. Its characters face problems. Their conflicts grow. They look for resolutions and ultimately find them, imperfect as they are. We the readers get to know them, and we care. We sympathize. They matter.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Doxology eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
  1. Purchase your copy of Doxology for just 99 cents
  2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event
Help my blog win:
The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME.
About the book: Fathers, sons and brothers reconnect over tragedy in this blue-collar Southern tale of love, loss, and the healing power of community and family. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: An arborist by day and a novelist in every moment he can steal, Brian makes up stories from the treetops. Visit Brian on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Thanks for dropping by and appreciate the follow...

R,
A.D.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Ebook giveaway

Hi All,

I am doing an ebook give away of my book The Key #1 of my Anna Kippling Series (YA Paranormal romance/ epic fantasy). Click link below to enter!
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/822219-giveaways

Wanna win more free books, click on the links of the blog hop (lower right) and have fun!

A.D.