This short movie from Simple Truths has richness in it.

I enjoyed the illustrations immensely. They captured the nuances of emotions and made me laugh.

This is really apropos for today’s times.

Karin

• Transition times

• The Land of Mango Sunsets (book)

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

• Courage

• Living by nouns

• Land Real Estate Opportunities

• Tee Times Green Fees Golf

• A Simple Plan A Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Tokens Hard Times Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey-NHL Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles

I saw this movie today, and it was surprisingly funny. I hadn’t particularly wanted to go, but I was glad I did.

The entire audience laughed a lot. There were only a few really dumb things, and one character I could have written out, but the main character is so delightful and watchable and innocently kind that she is a pleasure to watch. And she holds many lessons.

There are a couple of questionable things for very young children and some bad language, but not a lot. My girls would love it, at 10 and 12. I think they can handle it.

Shelley (Anna Farris is charming in the part and makes the movie) is living the life of her dreams at the Playboy Mansion. She feels the mansion has given her the home she never had before. (The movie begins with a short montage of her early childhood spent in an orphanage, until she finally found acceptance and a sense of family. This is not dwelt upon, but you might need to be aware of it.)

Hugh Hefner plays himself in several cameos in the movie. It’s good to see his health has improved. I hadn’t realized he was in it.

When Hugh goes off for a time, immediately after Shelley’s 27th birthday party, she is presented with a letter from him giving her 2 hours to leave the premises as she is now ‘too old.’ 27 is now evidently 59 in Bunny years.

How she finds herself the housemother of what likely began as Zeta (Zeta Tau Alpha) but morphed into a close cousin in name, is part of the poignancy and fun. The girls in the house need to pledge 30 girls in order not to lose their charter. How she turns them into a viable sorority is a delight.

There is a typical sorority bitch that has shown up in several movies. (And there is a Bunny bitch too.) In a way this movie is like a female version of Sydney White, but we liked it better. (The theater rated it 3 out of 5.)

It’s easy to imagine Elle Woods living this life. (Colin Hanks plays her love interest.)

She’s definitely a likeable bimbo, and you can’t help but root for her. Many scenes touched my heart.

We went out happy.

Karin

• Easter/Passover Traditions

• All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny

• Harry Potter spoilers here in comment section, not in main post

• Premonition, the new Sandra Bullock movie (college girl’s spoilers)

• Good to go for Harry Potter

• Cartoon Character Bronze Age 1970-79 Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Golden Age 1938-55 Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Modern Age 1980-Now Comics Collectibles

• Cartoon Character Silver Age 1956-69 Comics Collectibles

• Archie Cartoon Character Bronze Age 1970-79 Comics Collectibles

I’m happy to share this online interview with Jane Porter. She was gracious to spend some time with us. I think you’ll agree that she is a voice we’d like to hear more of.

Jane, I so much enjoyed your book Flirting with 40, and I’m really looking forward to it being a movie! Thanks so much for joining us today.

I understand you have options on another book(s)? I have a friend who has had options also. It’s quite exciting to see it come to fruition on screen. Did you write the script or have any say in the script?

Hi Karin, thanks for inviting me! It’s a pleasure to chat with you. I didn’t write the script. Sony contracted a scriptwriter for the job and she did it beautifully. I was lucky enough to get a peek at it while it was in progress and it was really cool to be included, even briefly, in the process.

The whole book-to-movie experience is great. I spent a week on the set in Hawaii and had a lot of fun. I got to be an extra in beach scenes on two different days, and then wear a headset and sit behind the director and listen in as they filmed. I have to say that it’s been a bit surreal having a movie made of my book, especially starring Heather Locklear.

Were you able to give any input into the casting?

I was asked for suggestions so I got my readers who hang out on my board to help me. We had lots of fun coming up with possibilities but in the end, it was really up to the studio. I n the end it was great that Heather could take the role as she’s a Lifetime viewer favorite.

How did you find yourself writing in the genre that you write in? How did you become an author?

I wrote my first story in pre-school. I was four or five and I’ve written stories ever since. My father was a professor and he wrote-and my mother loved literature and was already reading to us-so writing seemed natural to me. I thought all kids sat down and made up stories, and growing up my favorite books featured girls who wrote as well like Jo from Little Women or Laura from the Little House on the Prairie.

I chose to write stories that appeal to women - that are about women and real life because it’s a topic that fascinates me the most. I love women. I think we women have to be compassionate towards each other, but also ourselves and being a teacher, I just found it easy to write stories that encourage and support each other.

What is your favorite type of romance to read? Is it the same as what you write?

I love historical and paranormal romances! I was on a Mary Balogh binge for a few months, and because I go on binges I’ll read as much as I can by a particular author and then rotate authors to get a new style. Some of my favorite authors this past year include JR Ward, Loretta Chase, Mary Balogh, and Anna Campbell. Outside romance I read everything I can by Marian Keyes, although Watermelon is probably still my favorite. One of my favorite books I’ve read this year is Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer. It’s wonderful and I highly recommend it.

I notice that you have a book title contest. That’s fun! Have you done this before? I often wondered whether it was the author that titles a book or the printing house.

They are fun! I’ve done them before and it’s always interesting to see what titles everyone comes up with for the same story. Unfortunately as an author, I don’t really have much say in the title but the publisher asks for input and that’s my purpose for hosting the title contest. I want ideas and suggestions and I send them all to my editor once they come in and after that, it’s out of my hands. Marketing has the final say on titles because they know exactly what has better chances o selling the book.

How do you decide character names?

Sometimes the names just pop into my head as I think of the story and I know it’s the right one. Other times, it takes some time and inventive research to find the right name to fit the right character.

What advice do you have for others who are interested in writing?

As with anything, don’t give up. Don’t accept defeat. Keep learning, keep applying what you learn about the craft, about the world, about you to the story. Writing is a muscle and requires muscle. Learning to write well takes time. It’s like hitting the gym to build a bicep. You only get a better, stronger muscle by working it. Well, the same is true for writing. Of course good writers make it look easier than it is so don’t be discouraged if you have to write and rewrite.

What are some challenges in writing romance? Any particular genre of romance more difficult to pull off? What kind of research do you do, if any? Is there anything you wish you’ve seen in a romance novel — and are you writing it for us?

I love writing romance and find it very rewarding as love really does make the world go round. I don’t know if one genre is harder than another to pull off. I’m fascinated by them all and enjoy researching for my Harlequin Presents. I tend to read lots of historical accounts, biographies, travel logues, travel books, cook books, and magazine articles when outlining and planning a new book. I want to know as much as I can about a country and culture and the conflicts between men and women in that culture. Obviously a sheikh from Dubai will have a different way on interacting with women than an American or an Italian. The climate is different in every country, as are the foods and customs and I don’t just want to write a ‘romance’, I want to write a rich layered fantasy that seduces the reader and the senses.

I prefer personally to read a more emotional, intense romance. I love deep conflict and angst and sensual love scenes but those love scenes must come out of the character’s emotion and conflict, not just stuck on top. Great writers are writing these books and I’m just lucky I’m able to read them!

Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you handle it? What do you find difficult, if anything, about writing? And what do you like the best?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I see difficulties in writing related more to craft or knowledge, or sometimes physical fatigue. Sometimes I make a mistake writing a story which leads me to a dead-end. I won’t know I’ve taken a wrong turn until I can’t seem to move the story forward, or if I’ve begun to make a series of wrong decisions. Then I just end up in a muddle and I won’t write for awhile until I figure out where I went wrong.

The most difficult part of writing for me is the time alone, and also the wear and tear on the body from sitting in one place so long and typing like mad for hours. I have to be sure to get lots of exercise when I’m writing hard as the days tend to be long and it’s easy to get carpal tunnel like symptons in my wrist and elbow.

Was it difficult to get published? How did you find your agent?

It was hard. Lots of hard work – but totally worth it. It took me fifteen years to sell my first book. I had over twelve rejected manuscripts before I finally sold my first book in January 2000. I actually write for two publishers–very different stuff–and since January 2000 I have written and sold 30 novels. It’s been an a lot of work but I’m living my dream. I’m read around the world. I’m published in over twenty-five countries and nineteen languages. I even have Sony and Lifetime making a movie out of one of my books (Flirting with Forty). This is why I didn’t quit. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to know I could achieve it. I wanted to prove that anything is possible.

Do you work on deadlines now? How long does it usually take you to write a book?

Yes. I think every writer’s life revolves around deadlines. We just have to develop a system to handle them as works best for us.

I try to plan in advance as much as possible and then block out time. If I know I’m on deadline for a book, the last 4-6 weeks will be grueling with 10-18 hour days at the computer so before and after I block out dedicated mom time, time where I don’t need the sitter over, and I plan a fun trip or weekend activity with the boys. Same thing for my social life. Once I’ve been freed from my deadline, I try to catch up with girl friends and have coffees and lunch as when I’m writing hardcore I literally only leave my house to take kids to school and sport events. When the pressure is on me, everything falls away but work and kids.

What about bedroom scenes? What makes a good one? (I know I’ve been turned away from books where it was crude.)

These can be tricky and I can read things I can’t write, but I’m writing fewer love scenes than I used to. I think we all know what sex is and in a book where there isn’t a lot of emotion a love scene reminds me of a game of Twister–right hand on yellow dot, left foot on blue–so for me, the love scene must not just be about physical desire and physical pleasure but the emotional, psychological and spiritual connection between the two.

How do you define love?

Love validates the self. Love makes one feel important and valued and real. Which is why I like to write about all kinds of love in my books–not just romance, but love between friends, sisters, parents and children. Love really does make the world go round.

What do you hope your readers will gain from your books?

As I touched on above , I write about women, for women. If we want the world different for our daughters we have to be the ones to demand change and although I have boys not girls, I want the world different for all the little girls coming after me. I want to be strong, powerful, courageous and encourage children to be the same. We should teach our girls to be brave and encourage them to face discrimination and talk about what makes us hurt and what makes us hope and make sure that we’re part of the decision making. It’s important girls understand that life’s hard, sometimes very hard, but it’s also gorgeous and fascinating, challenging, rewarding and complex and that there will be times life is going to smack you and hurt you and knock you to your knees but you can get up. Falling down won’t break you. Falling down is just part of getting stronger and smarter and more compassionate. Falling and failing happen to all of us. And this is why I write. I want women to know what it’s taken my forty years to figure out–that life is only as good as you give, and you have to fight hard for what you want, including fighting for happiness. We all deserve love, joy, freedom, peace and respect. We all deserve the good stuff but the good stuff doesn’t just fall into our laps. We’re going to have to work for it.

What do you do to relax and get away from writing? I’m sure you find ideas all around you! Is there something that really gets you away from it all?

When not writing, I read, and travel. Love to travel, be with my kids, love new places and new experiences. I am always looking for a new adventure!

What are your hopes for the future?

More books, more time with friends, more travel, and hopefully, one more baby.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? When can we expect your next book?

I’m so glad you invited me to join you. This has been great fun. I always have lots of contests and conversations over on my website, www.janeporter.com, including info on my next book which is a July ‘09 release from 5 Spot. For the Harlequin fans, I’ll have another book out late in 2009 as well.

Thank you, Jane, for being here.

Jane has offered us a signed copy of Odd Mom Out, her September book which is the first of the two connected novels set in Bellevue. If you’d like to be included in this contest, leave a message here, and we will include you in this contest.

Karin

• The Frog Prince by Jane Porter

• Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter

• Speaking of libraries

• Speaking of interesting older women

• Speaking of spam

• Jane Iredale Foundation Makeup Store

• Jane Iredale Lipstick Makeup Store

• Happy Bunny Animation Characters Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

• Life Savers Candy Nuts Advertising Collectibles

• A Bugs Life Pixar Collectibles Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles

Apres Vous is a romantic comedy that takes place in Paris. The DVD is subtitled in English, at least here in America.

In a way, it is similar to Ratatoille, only not animated. A lot of the action centers around an up-scale restaurant in Paris. Things get complicated when Antoine (Daniel Auteuil) (he was nominated for a Cesar for best actor), the headwaiter, takes a shortcut, scaling the gate, through the park late one night. (I was trying to figure out what park, and if I’d ever been there.) He is late to meet his girlfriend, and he is about to be even later. In a humorous scene, filled with pathos, he saves Louis (Jose Garcia) from hanging himself.

This random act of kindness snowballs into more, when he takes Louis home; doesn’t tell his girlfriend the whole of it; and eventually gets Louis a job in his own restaurant in a funny scene in which Louis is clearly out of his element during the job interview.

The same night he rescues Louis, Louis remembers he sent his grandparents a suicide note. Antoine and Louis take an all night road trip to intercept the letter. But the letter has already been delivered. The grandmother is a hoot, and Antoine reads her his version of the letter. (It would have been fun to know the whole of what the other letter said. I could catch a lot, but I suspect it is even funnier than I knew.) The grandmother is to blame for a lot of it. I bet the actress had fun with this role!

Louis is despondent, because his love for Blanche (Sandrine Kiberlain) was not reciprocated. Louis is just strange enough — and funny enough, since you know this is a comedy — that it makes you wonder how anyone would take him home without being afraid. And make no mistake, he is strange. But against all odds, he manages to conquer the restaurant, strange or not.

Later Antoine finds Blanche, saves her from a disastrous fast-approaching marriage, and falls for her in a big way. He tries to leave the field open for Louis, but there are pitfalls in the way. And the better Louis seems to be, the more Antoine has followed in Louis’ footsteps by being unable to function.

It has a believable and satisfying ending. There are many, many funny scenes, where people just miss each other — or run into each other — scenes in the restaurant; the restaurant owner; scenes in the kitchen of the restaurant; etc.

By the time we had watched half the movie I was picking up a lot of French phrases again. In some cases I know it was subtitled perfectly. In other places I know the subtitles were not complete or were translated easier than it would have been if you knew the language. Scenes in the restaurant, with people talking in the background are not subtitled, but you’d catch the words if you were French-speaking. Same goes for the songs played during the soundtrack, the words are not translated.

Have you seen it? I give it a 3.

Karin

• The fragrance of film

• Meet the Robinsons, movie review

• Meet the Robinsons, movie review contains spoiler

• Comme Une Image (Look at me)

• Ayala Moriel parfums, Part 4

• Paris Hilton Men Discount Fragrances Store

• Paris Hilton Women Discount Fragrances Store

• Comedy Posters Television Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Animated Adventures Star Trek Science Fiction Collectibles

• English Setter Dog Animals Collectibles

Here’s a short 3 minute inspirational movie on the importance of having dreams for your life.

I enjoyed it. I hope you do too!

Karin

• Realized and unrealized (yet) dreams

• Making our lives a prayer

• Living with ambiguities in adoption

• Helen Keller on life

• Inevitable good

• Life Savers Candy Nuts Advertising Collectibles

• A Bugs Life Pixar Collectibles Contemporary 1968-Now Disneyana Collectibles

• Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Ads, Flyers Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Apparel Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

If you want to have an enjoyable couple of hours with laughs galore, head on over to your nearest theater and take in this movie. I went with my girls today, college age, 12 and 10, and we all loved it. Interestingly enough our local paper gave it one *. He must have had a bad day.

Sure, you have to be in the mood, but what’s not to like about a character most of us are already familiar with…I only hoped they hadn’t made it so my littlest ones wouldn’t appreciate it.

Afterwards, I asked them what they liked the best.

12 year old: I liked it all…
Then she began to go through scene after scene and we were off and laughing again.

Steve Carrell can be over the top sometimes, but in this movie he strikes just the right balance. And who doesn’t want to watch Anne Hathaway in everything she does! Honestly, is it possible that The Rock can get any more handsome! (Don’t answer that one!) Alan Arkin as the chief…Terrance Stamp as Siegfried…James Caan as the president…Dalip Singh as the good bad guy…not to forget the cameo by Bill Murray, which was funny in itself…

How about some scenes: the scene in the airplane bathroom…the dance sequence…and on and on and on…

I’m ready to go to Get Smart #2. It’s rare to come out of a movie and really feel good. This is one that succeeds.

Karin

• The inverse power of praise — how to talk to your children

• 101 Ways To Praise A Child

• How do you identify or define yourself?

• Peaceful Warrior, movie

• Sex and the City (no spoiler)

• Girls Handbags

• Local US Political Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Classic Head 1808-14 Large Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Coronet Head 1816-39 Large Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Indian Head 1859-1909 Small Cents Coins US Coins Paper Money

• Kids are so funny, they keep you on your toes

• How do you like my new logo?

• Everything But The Girl - Love Is Here Where I Live (Live)

• Growing up a Hapa Girl in America (book)

• Parameters of spacing children

• Girl Scouts, Girl Guides Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Pins Girl Scouts, Girl Guides Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Uniforms Girl Scouts, Girl Guides Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Badges, Patches Girl Scouts, Girl Guides Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

• Books, Manuals Girl Scouts, Girl Guides Fraternal Groups Historical Memorabilia Collectibles

Juno was recommended to me by a friend. I was told I’d like it, but I had my doubts.

First, the subject of adoption, birth mothers, birth fathers, birth family, and desire for a child are close to my heart. I have two bio children and two children adopted from China. I anticipated that the handling of the story would be superficial and would be hurtful to someone in the triad. I wasn’t sure I was up for it.

Then another adoptive mom friend recommended it as a movie I would like.

I was pleasantly surprised. Many moments are comical. Others are very touching.

Juno is played to perfection by Ellen Page. She is sweet, cocky, tender-hearted, kind. She has a best friend; an oddball, loving family; and a boy, Bleeker, played quite adorably, who loves her as she does him.

And so she finds she is pregnant.

Her step-mother is the kind of step-mother you’d like to have if you had one, especially in a situation like this. Played by Allison Janney, she is also perfection. It is worth the price of the movie to see her explode at the ultra-sound tech (who also plays her part to perfection.)

Her dad, played by J.K. Simmons is the (hoped for) typical dad in this sort of situation. Not quite connected to it all, loves his daughter, wants the best for her (vs. a dad who rails at his daughter — like, yeah, it takes two, duh!) His counsel to her, when she asks, about what she should look for in a potential partner is good advice, to find someone who loves her just as she is, who will stick with her through everything and think she is beautiful even if she isn’t in a particular moment.

I wonder that neither one of them bring up the option of keeping and raising her child by herself, with their support.

The family she finds to adopt her child are yuppies, far more wealthy than her family, and by chance (design of Diablo Cody) what she hoped for (someone who is a musician.) And yes, occasionally a potential adoptive parent (PAP) is chosen almost the first week they decide they’d like to adopt, but it is far more likely that it is a lengthier process with false hopes (as Jennifer Garner mentions at one point, that they were disappointed once.)

Jennifer Garner shows the sorrow, the desire, the love and the fear in the process. I was glad she didn’t have a spirit of entitlement.

I did not like Bleeker’s mom. I even wondered if she knew that he had fathered a child. Contrast her attitude to Juno’s step-mother’s whose longing, then happiness, radiates from her face at the end of the movie.

I did not like the sleaze ball yuppie husband. I was glad it didn’t go where I thought it might.

And yes, marriages break up over the desire for a child or adoption. That part is true.

I’m not sure closed adoption (vs. open) is the right way to go (or vice versa.) Which is better for the child? And it wasn’t really true to life that a birth mother would know the address of the potential aparents. Generally, they would meet in a neutral location. How could the adoption be closed when everyone knows where the aparent lives? and when the birth mother has visited numerous times prior to birth?

I know some adoptees are hurt to be adoptees. I likely would have been. You can’t tie up all the loose ends of familial emotions in a movie. This movie is the start of the story. I’d like to see where it goes in the future. I’d like to know how the child turns out, if he misses his birth family (maybe less likely than a girl? I don’t know the percentages.) I think it would be very difficult to raise a boy without a father/father figure. Will the adoption stay closed?

The hospital scene is funny, touching, endearing, and heart wrenching. The movie ends with a different scene.

Have you seen it? I give it a 3.

Karin

How do you rate Juno?
	1 star
	2 stars
	3 stars
	4 stars
Web Polls

• Harry Potter spoilers here in comment section, not in main post

• Good to go for Harry Potter

• House Bunny (movie) (no spoilers)

• Premonition, the new Sandra Bullock movie (college girl’s spoilers)

• Indiana Jones Da, da, da, DA (No spoilers)

• Children Patterns Sewing Collectibles

• Children Discount Fragrances Store

• Men, Women, Children Statues Chinese Asian Antiques

• All Gods Children Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

• Family Guy Animation Characters Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

Well, this is a movie I’ll definitely want to go see. Billed as the Breakfast at Tiffany’s for our times, I’m ready.

Not to mention that she reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, and I liked her in Amélie and in The Da Vinci Code.

How about you?
Karin

• Emporio Armani Diamonds

• Creative thinking part 1 again

• Oscar jewels

• A little C.S. Lewis on prayer

• Mineral Makeup

• Tee Times Green Fees Golf

• Tokens Hard Times Exonumia Coins Paper Money

• Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Ads, Flyers Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Apparel Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

College Girl and I went to see this last night. The plot of the movie surprised me, but it shouldn’t have. And I hadn’t heard the plot anywhere else.

In one sense, it was like seeing several episodes of the show at once. It was a fun movie, with a constant parade of fashion, some better than others; a multitude of very high stilettos and a closet to die for.

There was more than a splash of eroticism, even if expected, with less censorship than would have got past in earlier years.

The strengths to me are in the friendship between the women, though they are all different, and perhaps in the overall picture of love and forgiveness.

The negative is that I’m not enamored of any of the men they are involved with. None. So that makes it hard for me and gives an added twinge to setting aside reality, which you really do in this movie.

Another negative was that the music drowned out the words in more than one place. It could have been toned down a bit.

I really don’t see any chemistry between Big and Carrie. They have the enthusiasm of a wet noodle. Carrie is always good, especially so in her Vogue wedding gown shoot. Her working relationship with Louise (Jennifer Hudson) was like on fast forward.

Charlotte is too perky for words, living her bliss, annoyingly so. She and Harry have a token Chinese daughter who is in a lot of scenes. She doesn’t say much, but she figures in the plot, and the one word she says is not so funny. The rest of Charlotte’s story is not really true to life percentage wise. That could have been made clearer.

Miranda has one of the erotic scenes which I find strange in light of her personal life in real life. Maybe that’s good acting. She’s not very likable in this movie for a number of reasons. She is the stronger of the two in her marriage, but that isn’t particularly pretty. For a smart woman, she sure was dumb in her home life. I don’t think you have to sacrifice your personal life on the altar of your career, especially when we never see her in her career.

Samantha steals the show in a lot of ways. She has some particularly funny scenes. She isn’t easy to please, but then again, as I said, Smith is less than interesting, though he gives her some nice gifts. It’s her neighbor that provides the erotic laughs — and her staying away from him. He has one three-some, so you might want to be prepared for that.

All this said, would I go see Sex and the City 2, if there were one? Yes, I probably would. After a while, would it be as interesting if they were all in their 60s? maybe so.

Karin

How well did you like Sex and the City?
	1 star
	2 stars
	3 stars
	4 stars
	I’m not gonna see it.
Web Polls

• In the garden, Bob Dylan

• Meet the Robinsons, movie review contains spoiler

• Spiderman, all over again…no spoiler

• Bridge to Terebithia

• Yes, I like the HP book, no spoiler

• Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Cow Parade Figurines Cow Animals Collectibles

• Ads, Flyers Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Apparel Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Calendars Movie Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia