Lysa Arryn: The Poster Parent For Attachment Parenting

Sorry, but when I saw the new TIME cover out this week, this was the first thing that came to mind. Yes, for a serious writer I am a bit of a Geek. If you haven't watched HBO's Game of Thrones, or read TIME, the reference may be lost.
(This is definitely a parody, folks.)

Yelo Will Keep You In The Pink

Nestled among the pubs and apartment buildings between eighth and ninth avenues on 57^th street is an urban oasis called Yelo that specializes in, of all things, naps. Yes, you heard right… this is a nap spa.

 My girlfriend and I were finishing dinner at Kashkaval in Hell’s Kitchen and had an hour to kill before meeting some friends at The Gaf for a night of trivia. I was run down from the work day, the weather was cold and wet, and I said something like I wish there was a place around here that I could take a short nap. “There is,” was my lady’s reply.

Avengers Assemble!

The Avengers Trailer is here... as is movie day. Squeeee, as my niece would say.

Hi Def TV And The Future Of Movies: The Actors Are Gonna' Have To Be Better

I just purchased a 46" Samsung 120Mhz 3D HD television. The picture is amazing. In fact, it's so amazing, when I watch a DVD, it no longer looks like a movie. 

I put on The Dark Knight and Battlestar Galactica to test drive the new screen and was surprised by the crystal clear image that looked more like high-definition videotape -- essentially, a soap opera with incredibly high production values. Fortunately, most of the actors in these two shows were up to the challenge of this new realism. But, let's face it, that's not always going to be the case.

Two New Interviews

I've recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by two very smart ladies dabbling in the worlds of fantasy, paranormal, and horror fiction. The first is "Ten Questions For Awakenings Author Edward Lazellari," by Lauren Zurchin at Lytherus.com. 




The second is the "All Kinds Of Writing" interview by Lorna Suzuki at Imago Books Fantasy Realm.


These are intelligent conversations about writing process, the business, and my book AWAKENINGS.

ENJOY.

Local Boy Does Good With First Novel: Bronx Times Article

Everyone likes to see the hometown kid succeed in the world at large -- and the Bronx is no different. Yeah, there's two million people living there, making the borough larger than most states by population, but really, it's just a big small town. We've all sprawled at Orchard Beach, eaten at City Island, rooted for the Yankees, bought the best Italian food at Arthur Avenue, and are proud to be the home of the country's best botanical garden and city zoo. Though I currently live in NJ, my roots are still in Da Bronx.  Bronx Times, does a bang up job of promoting our home town, and this month, I was fortunate enough to have a piece written on my novel Awakenings, which takes place partly in the Bronx.
I am blessed to share an origin with many of America's most creative people. Stanley Kubrick grew up in  the Bronx, as did Al Pacino, Alan Alda, Mary Higgins Clark, Jennifer Lopez, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and many others. (Scarlett Johansson's mother hailed from the Bronx, which is why Scarlett turned out so talented and beautiful.)
The article, written by Patrick Roccio,  is titled, "Co-op City Native Features Borough In Novel."

No New Posts: Novel Under Construction

Apologies for not posting for a while, folks. Trying to get ahead on book 2 of the Aandor series, "The Lost Prince." 
 :-(

In Time Is Money

I initially avoided In Time because of lackluster reviews. I’m glad I eventually relented because it is one of the smartest dystopian films to come out in a long while and one of the most underrated movies of the year. Though Harlan Ellison claims it's based on one of his short stories, the film’s "system-is-out-to-get-you" narrative feels more like a Philip K. Dick progeny (the originator of such paranoid fare as Blade Runner and Minority Report).  Excellently directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca), the film debuts Justin Timberlake as an action hero, playing Will Salas, a down on his luck factory grunt who is big on heart but short on time. His love interest is the heiress Sylvia Weiss, played with preternatural conviction by Amanda Syfried. A bevy of hot Hollywood A-listers (Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Vincent Kartheiser) round out the cast, bringing sexy back to science fiction.

Book Royalty Calculator For Writers

As writers, we all hope to earn enough from our craft to live. Nothing promotes the completion of a next book as much as income from the last book (and the time needed to write it). Leaving that day job to write full time can be a big, scary step. For those of us not in the graces of a wealthy sugar-momma, the Book Royalties Calculator by Shawntelle Madison is a valuable tool in helping determine how much your royalties might be.

A round of applause to Shawntelle for creating this.

No Good Deed…

(This short story was originally published in August 2011 for the Fantastic Fables book giveaway contest at DarkFaerieTales.com.)  
©2011 Edward Lazellari

Lelani did not think the street looked right. The houses were too small and the blue sky looked like a matt painting used in stage plays; everything felt claustrophobic. She consulted her teacher’s notes and things were just off -- really off. There was no mention of any yellow brick road in his texts.

“Lost?” asked a woman’s voice behind her.

Lelani spun around and laid eyes on the strangest women she’d ever seen. She looked as though she stepped out of a children's storybook, plump with a greenish hue -- too tall for any of the houses in this town -- in a black and blue robe. She wore white socks with black circular stripes and ruby-colored shoes, a red cone-shaped hat with a large brim, and held a long gnarled walking stick. Her eyes were a deep black. Lelani sensed great power in this woman.

“Actually, yes,” said Lelani, cautiously. "How can you tell?"

“You are too tall and swarthy to be from this village,” said the woman. “And far too beautiful. Nineteen?” the woman guessed.