Early Daughtry is a Good indicator of the Future

Greetings all! Well, today I'm going to take a little break from Spec Fic and talk about what I've been listening to on my IPOD of late. It is Chris Daughtry's early band, Absent Element. You may remember Daughtry as the bald-headed rocker from American Idol. Being a metal-head, I rooted for Daughtry on AI and was shocked like the rest of America when he was voted off for the likes of Elliot Yamin, Taylor Hicks, and Kat McPhee. BTW, as bland, formulamatic and poppy as they are - I am addicted to American Idol. I don't know why, I just am. I think it's Simon. I just love that dude's attitude. If a person is crap, he says their crap, even if the other people don't want to hear it.

I think I've only agreed with two idols, Kelly Clarkeson and Carrie Underwood were legit...but Fantasia, Rueben and Taylor did nothing for me and have appropriately off into the Justin Guilarini realm of obvilious hell. Well...Taylor hasn't yet - he was just crowned...but he will. No, I think out of all the Season 5 contestants, Daughtry may be the only one with a decent shot at a long career.

Daughtry's got the pipes, no doubt. Does he have the band behind him? Well, he's in the process of building the band. Let me be one to vote for his old buddies, Absent Element. Sure, they were totally garage. Their EP was not well produced nor did they have the benefit of thousands of dollars and multiple takes to tweak it just right...but that doesn't matter if the songs are good - and these are really, really good.

I totally believe that if any of the singles on the EP were released today - they would shoot up the rock charts...and its not just Daughtry. There's plenty of good music surrounding him and supporting him.

Daughtry says he will audition his former bandmates for his own new band. I find that a little egotisitical but in the end, he's doing what's best for him and who can fault him for that. If his new band is half as good as his work with Absent Element - than we are in for a treat.

If you want to check out the Absent Element stuff, click this link here - If you're going to get it - you need to get it soon - as according to their website, the Absent Element CD and other stuff will no longer be sold.

http://www.absentelement.com/merch.php?ite_id=1&cat_id=0&show_featured=1

Atlantis - still interesting or played out?

There have been hundreds of books that have had at least something to do with the mythical land (both fiction and alleged non-fiction). There's a TV show, a few movies, and other pop culture that has been devoted to it.

So my question is - Does Atlantis still grab your interest or curiosity?

Since I was a young lad, I was always taken by stories of Atlantis. I loved it. From the old B movies to the Leonard Nimoy documentaries (remember the old “In Search Of” shows?) I ate it all up. As I got older and got interested in other things (like Voltron and Transformers – hey, I was a bambino!) the interest of course waned. It remained that way until I read a novel by Herbie Brennan back in the late 90’s called “Atlantis Enigma”. Typically, I don’t subscribe to crackpot theories. I am not a believer in Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce. I don’t know if I believe in Loch Ness or Bigfoot or the Abominable Snowman.

However, with Atlantis in the title, I had to grab the book and see what it was about. It was a very entertaining read. Brennan built his case for Ancient Astronauts and how Atlantis did exist. It surmised that at the destruction of Atlantis that Atlantean culture ferreted out to the rest of the lands of the world, which created large leaps in the advancement of those cultures.

Stargate seems to have brought Atlantis back into the pop culture with the spin off series.

In Ancient Rising, my first novel, Atlantis is the ultimate goal for my heroes and will play an intergral part in the final two volumes of the story.

So, I’m just curious. When the name Atlantis is uttered, does it grab your attention or do you just have “Great…another one?” kind of reaction to it?

Have the stories with Atlantis as a centerpiece been oversaturated or is there room for more?

NCAA Video Game Means Football Is Upon Us!

For about the last decade or so, I’ve had an annual summer ritual - it is a right of summer passage. The end of the long sports void that is known as being without American Football. From February until the end of April, I can entertain myself with the closest thing to American Football – and that would be hockey. Then there’s the NFL Draft at the end of April…after that…back to hockey until the Finals end in the first week of June. From there…it’s the dead zone until days like yesterday when my copy of EA Sports NCAA FOOTBALL 2007 came in.

Its even more special now, as with the XBOX360 the graphics are simply remarkable. Each player is realistically rendered, the game still is one of the most entertaining in EA’s sports lineup (second, in my opinion, only to the NHL series), and with rosters supplied by those dedicated individuals who will spend hours and hours typing in names so that schmucks like me can see Florida QB Chris Leak’s name instead of #7, I am in my first football Nirvana since the final seconds ticked away from Super Bowl XL (come on, you don’t think I’m desperate enough to watch the PRO BOWL do you?)

You see for me football is not a spectator sport. It’s a religion. Once football season begins, I immerse myself in sensory overload of every single source of the game I can get.

Hell, I’ll watch a Pac-10 or MAC game in the middle of the night on some weekends. Now, there’s not even a reason to stop living football, thanks to Sirius NFL Radio and Directv’s NFL Network, I can get my football fix 24hrs, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Unfortunately, there’s only so many times you can listen to how multi-million dollar athletes are spending their summer vacation. After awhile you need sustenance…and I don’t get that until NCAA hits the shelves. With the arrival of NCAA, I know NFL training camps will be opening soon. The college football season will kick off in a week or two. In August Pre-season for the NFL (and EA’s Madden 2007) will arrive …and for the next seven months I will be swimming in the wonder that is football.

It’s a beautiful thing.

BTW, the game is great.

SG-1 and Atlantis did not disappoint!

Hey all, I just wanted to review the two season premieres in the Stargate universe, SG-1 and Atlantis.

SPOILER ALERT NOW…if you have not seen them yet, DO NOT READ ON!

I thought both episodes were very solid openers to the new season. As expected, in both series, our heroes survived the cliffhangers from last season and were able to sustain some traction against their enemies.

Unfortunately for the SG-1 crew, the Ori are a hell of a lot more formidable than the Wraith are at this point. The Ori are a bunch of asskickers, man! They come in, give you the opportunity to accept them as Gods and their religion and if you don’t – they kill you as heretics. Its funny, they sound like terrible monsters yes? But how is it different than what humans did themselves during the Spanish Inquisition? The Spaniards killed hundreds of non-believers in Christ’s name the same way the Ori are spreading Origin around the Galaxy. The Ori now even have their own savior from a non-sexual related birth (although Vala is the farthest thing from a virgin one can imagine). With the Ori reaping destruction on Teal’c’s home world, it should be interesting to see how this plays out throughout the season.

Then in Atlantis, of course McKay and Ronin got away. They weren’t going to get “lifesucked” – we all knew this…and Shepard hitching a ride on the Wraith ship Millennium Falcon style was too predictable. The one shocking scene was them losing the Orion. I mean, they went through all that drama to get the Orion only to get it trashed by the Wraith? WTF? My question is why didn’t they drop the Wraith-to-Human bomb on the Hive ship before the Orion went all kablewy? Do they really need Rodney to think of everything for them?

In any event, a great opening to the seasons. This is the freshest Stargate has been in awhile. I look forward to seeing how they handle the Ori threat and whether or not the Wraith ship was able to pass knowledge of the Earth’s location to their other Wraith ships.

SG-1 and Atlantis make their Return tonight!

One of the greatest Sci-Fi series in history, Stargate SG-1, makes its 10th premiere tonight at 9pm Eastern time. It will be followed by its spin-off series, Stargate:Atlantis, which moves on to its third season.

Stargate is the 2nd longest running Sci-Fi program in history (Doctor Who is #1). As most fans know, the premiere will pick up where last season's cliffhanger left off. The evil Ori and their Priors are invading the Earth's galaxy via the SuperGate and the Earth and Jaffa vessels along the way, including those that house Teal'c , Daniel Jackson, and Col. Mitchell while Sam watches by the Supergate stranded in a space suit.

Am I talking German to you? Stargate is based on the film of the same name that came out in 94, starring Kurt Russell and James Spader. Stargate was a story about misfit archaeologist joins a military team in travelling through an ancient doorway to a far-away planet, where they must liberate an enslaved people from a powerful false god based on the Egyptian sun-god Ra. SG1 picks up a year after the film. In the movie, it is assumed you can only go to one other world, but Daniel Jackson (the misfit archaeologist) living on the world, Abydos, discovers that not only can the gate go to one world, but thousands of others acrossed the galaxy. They also learn that Ra was a high member of a group of tyrannical aliens called the Gou'ld.

Anyway, SG1 follows the adventures of the team as it visits different worlds and battle the Gou'ld across the galaxy. They also discover that an ancient human race were the original gate builders.

In 10 years, you can imagine that their has been a ton of mythology built up over the series. Their are your typical dolls, videogames, and conventions. At the Sci Fic Cons, you'll see just as many people dressed up as a member of the SGC as you would a Klingon.

If you have yet to experience Stargate and you enjoy Sci-Fi, you do not know what you've been missing.

Cell may be Horror Master Stephen King's Best Work in Years!

I recently read Stephen King's latest blockbuster, Cell. A fantastic tale of a strange phenomenon that affects all users of Cell Phones. Those who get a call and answer it at a certain time get their brains scrambled and are turned into human eating zombies. From the first few pages, King beats you over the head with the reason why he is without question the master of horror. Clayton Riddle is King's hero in this one, a guy who's just trying to get back to his family after witnesses the death and carnage that "THE PULSE" causes on the unsuspecting folks that use cells. Along the way he joins with other "Normies" as they battle to make sense of what happend and find a way to survive.

Its a fabulous wild ride that will chill you to the bone and make you think twice about answering that call from your motorola.

Great work, Mr. King!

Summer in Florida SUCKS!

You would think after 32 years of this I'd get used to it...but as typical, as massive thunderstorm blew through the Tampa Bay area today, spawning tornados, hail, and lots of Lightning. I can't stand the Lightning...I think I have what is clinically termed as Astraphobia (An irrational fear of Lightning). Of course, its silly to think that someone with Astraphobia would live in the lightning capital of the continental United States. Its a little stupid right? Riiiiiight.

I can only hope all my stuff isn't fried when I get home. Luckily I keep all of my book outlines and manuscripts on a thumbdrive around my neck. Only the backups are on the pcs (and I backup on three different secured PCs). So worry not, my readers, the second installment of Rise of the Ancients is not in danger of the hated lightning.

BTW, speaking of Ancient Rising, got a nice email today from a Mr. Snyder. He said he couldn't put the book down and is eagerly awaiting the next one. That's always a nice sentiment. If you're reading this, Mr. Snyder, THANKS!

It cheers one up on a crappolicious day like today.

JC De La Torre is the author of Ancient Rising a sci-fi fantasy novel that has been described by some critics as a Da Vinci Code or National Treasure with a fantasy twist. JC is also Vice President of Luna Brillante Publishing, a Speculative Fiction publisher. Visit JC's website at http://www.delatorrewriting.com for the latest news about his works

Pirates of the Carribean 2 a Mixed Chest

The wife and I got an opportunity to watch Pirates of the Carribean:Dead Man's Chest over the weekend. Let me first start by saying I'm a huge fan of Johnny Depp. I believe he is an absolutely fantastic actor with range like no one in Hellywood. I think Depp's interpretation of the character Captain Jack Sparrow is not only unique but brillant. I truly believe that PotC: Curse of the Black Pearl would have never made it big without Johnny.

With that said, I eagerly anticipated the sequel and was excited from the trailers. I had read a few reviews that the movie was not that good, but I didn't let it phase me in the least. The critics panned the first Pirates but then came crawling back to it once it was a shocking hit.

So there I was, watching the new Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest, laughing with Jack Sparrow and his motley crew. I somewhat liked the character of the new villain, Davy Jones. I didn't care for Jone's crew. I thought they were totally goofy looking (considering this is a Disney piece, no pun intended).

Will continued to be the boy scout, wanting to save his love Elizabeth from the gallows, Jack from his debt to Davy Jones, and his pappy from an eternity of servitude to Jones on the Flying Dutchmen.

There was Jack...his Piratey self, conniving, tricking folks into doing his bidding, while being a goofball the entire trip.

There's Davy, the lovesick big bad with squiddy face, who has a softy side to him and hokily plays an organ like the Phantom of the Opera. What the hell was that about?

Then there's our beloved Elizabeth....gone was the shy belle we knew in PotC 1 and in her place is a grade A, certifiable, BRIDEZILLA, MEGA-WITCHWITHAB. Not only does she seduce Jack (not all the way, this is a Disney movie for crying out loud), her old pal Norrington and the evil Brittish dude who is trying to get Davy Jones' heart so the East Indian Trading Company can control the seas. She also pulls a gun on said baddie, locks swords with the weirdo crew of Davy (when in the heck did she learn to sword fight?) and pretty much broods around like a spoiled little beyotch. I couldn't stand her...and of course it would be her that does something terrible mean at the end of the movie (I won't go into details to avoid spoilers). Speaking of the end of the movie....for lack of a better term. IT SUCKED! If you've watched Lord of the Rings 1 and 2...get ready fans, as it was that kind of ending. A cliffhanger...a certain major character is killed of....or are they? Yes, I know there will be a P3....but the ending left you totally unfulfilled and kinda pissed off. Usually, there's some kind of positive resolution to what you've been watching for the last 2 hours. Hell, even Matrix Reloaded had a decent stopping point...but Dead Man's Chest left you wanting more.

Maybe that was the point....still, it was a crappy ending and it ruined the movie for me. Perhaps the next time I watch it, knowing how it will end, I will enjoy the movie a little more...but for the first time around, I'll say the movie was pretty good..but not great...and definitely not as good as the original.

I want YOUR feedback

Hey all,

I've been blogging for a few weeks now. I know there's plenty of you out there reading this, I can see from my site stats that the blog is very active. I thank you for taking the time to visit my little slice of the blogoverse - but I'm a bit troubled. I enjoy reading others blogs and from time to time, I'll place a comment on the blog's subject. I feel its good to let the author know that you're out there and you actually have an opinion on what you have to say.

I think what's bothering me is I don't have hardly any comments for any of my posts. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't need validation. I don't need someone to tell me how smart I am or that I'm a dumbass. I'm married. I have a wife to do that for me. :-)

But I've tackled some pretty big subjects so far on this blog.

1) Andy Garcia's Lost City and the plight of the Cuban people under the tyranny of Fidel Castro.
2) Superman Returns....which is a hot topic in Entertainment
3) Portion's of Rita De La Torre's Dark Dragon...did you like it? Hate it? What?

One of the amazing things about blogging versus just reading the news is you get to comment on what these people are talking about. The writer gets to hear your views.

I'd like to see that. I want to know your opinions on things and I'd love for you to share them with your fellow readers here on the ST.

BTW, Planning on seeing my favorite actor, Johnny Depp, reprise his role as the unforgettable Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean this weekend. I'll have a full review on Monday.

Superman Returns and so do I!

First off, faithful readers, I apologize for my tardiness in updating the blog. I'm afraid I've been extremely busy during the holiday and I honestly have not had a moment to spare to post online.

With that said, I was able to break away long enough to see Superman Returns this weekend.

Before I get started on Supe, I have to say, as a self described Spider-geek it was seven levels of awesomeness to see a trailer for Spidey3 before SR. Venom is going to probably be the greatest (and most expensive) movie villain in history. I cannot wait to see how this turns out. For those of you non-nerds who do not know who Venom is...just wait...you're going to get your doors blown off by this one.

Now, enough about a movie coming out a year from now and on to the movie I just had a chance to view.

There was a few things for a self-described geek not to like. For instance, Routh's Supe was a bit of a downer. Pining after Lois Lane, depressed because she's found someone else and had a kid. Bumming because Lex Luthor is causing trouble thanks to finding an item in Supe's Fortress of Solitude. Routh was not the "happy-go-lucky" Supe of Christopher Reeve.

With that said, of all the Superman movies, this one, BY FAR, had the best plot/storyline. It was a great, believable story. The action was welltimed and not overdone, but there was enough of it to keep one interested. As Supe makes one miraculous save after another, and Luthor's dastardly plot is methodically revealed to us, it builds to such a crecendo that when it all unfolds, you are just in awe of what had just occured.

One cool thing for the "old movies" fans is the fact that former X-men Helmer Brian Singer decided to continue the saga from Superman II (of course, forgetting, as we all have in vain tried to do Superman III: The Continuation of a Cash Cow and Superman IV:The Quest for AnotherPiece of Your Wallet On A ShoeString Budget). The opening credits are the same as the credits from SI and SII...a cool eighties retro feel. John Williams unforgettable Planet Krypton and Superman Main Theme scores are used well, as well as some memorable voiceovers from the late great Marlon Brando. Singer also improved on the weak 70's destruction of Planet Kryton with a full CGI'd FANTASTIC destruction of Kryton. FANTASTIC. Again Supe geek will get a big O out of that.

Let's face it folks, there's only one Chris Reeve, may he rest in peace. Routh did a credible job manning the cape, the movie was wildly entertaining and utterly fantastic. I just hope that with the ensuing sequels (if the studio isn't too dissapointed with the open of $84 mill) Routh brings a little more positivity to the Superman and Clark Kent role.

Droppin' Knowledge

I just wanted to provide a heads up to my fellow bloggers concerning Dropping Knowledge. A project that resides at yourquestion.org. Apparently there's going to be a huge consortium with entertainment folks, authors, scientists, scholars, and all other sorts of important people to discuss some of the most important questions facing our kind.

Let's face it folks, there's a lot of tough questions that need to asked and presented to our World Leaders to answer. I've even posed a few here. I just added the question, "If freedom and liberty for the Iraqi people from a dictator was the driving force behind Desert Storm II, then why have we not done the same for the opposed people of Cuba and topple the dictator Castro? If Oil was found in Cuba, would our view on a country 90 miles from our borders be different?"

Maybe they'll contemplate that question....maybe they won't. But perhaps if you have a burning question on your mind, they may consider yours. Check them out!


JC De La Torre is the author of Ancient Rising a sci-fi fantasy novel that has been described by some critics as a Da Vinci Code or National Treasure with a fantasy twist. JC is also Vice President of Luna Brillante Publishing, a Speculative Fiction publisher. Visit JC's website at http://www.delatorrewriting.com for the latest news about his works

Dark Dragon, Sample Pt. 3

And as promised...the final sample (for now) of Dark Dragon
Be sure to remember, the book can be purchased at most stores (although you may need to order it) and is available at the usual online retail sites (Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Albiris.com, plus the usual others and of course the LunaBrillantePublishing.com Bookstore) .

This is called...The Escape

She stepped over the threshold. She tried to sense him at the bottom of the stairs but the spells that were still in place around the room were preventing her from doing that. She tried to call out to him instead.

“Ronin?” she called.

No answer. She began to walk down the narrow steps, which were walled on both sides making the staircase confining. The shadow wasn’t moving - maybe they were too late and he was already dead. She became even more fearful with each step she took.

Ronin not knowing who could be coming down the stairs grabbed a nearby candelabrum to use as a weapon. He did not remember giving his real name to anyone - not even Demshire. Who could this female demon be? It mattered not, as the final opportunity for escape had presented itself.

He put his back against the wall beside the staircase and waited for the girl to pass by. He hated having to harm a female but he had no other choice. He had to get out of here and the door was left open and if he incapacitated her he was good as gone.

Ryauna got to the bottom of the steps and entered the room. It was empty. Off to the side was a mat that was recently slept in. On the other side were shelves with alcoves that would have been filled with numerous wine bottles but now sat empty. The Demshire crest was on the opposite wall. She heard movement behind her and quickly turned as the candelabra came down towards her. He halted it just as it was going to hit her. He stared at her.

By the Gods, could it be her?

She stared at him. He was even more magnificent in person even though his face was just a little shallow from his maltreatment in this place.

“Ryauna?”

“It’s me, we came to get you out of here.” he dropped the candelabra he was grasping and she could not help but run into his open arms. They embraced each other fiercely as if they had known each other all of their lives and have been apart for even longer.

They stayed as they were for what seemed like forever but not long enough, never long enough. They hated to let go of each other. He still held her arms and could not pull his gaze away from her eyes.

A sound above reminded her that all was not yet safe.

“Arkevius! He’s up there fighting some demon. I almost forgot. We have to go.”

----
And that's the end of the final excerpt. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the examples I've provided this week. While this book is intended for younger readers, I do believe the true Fantasy fans can get some enjoyment out of this book, too. I hope you will give it a chance. Don't forget, you can purchase the book at most stores and is available at the usual online retail sites (Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Albiris.com, plus the usual others and of course the LunaBrillantePublishing.com Bookstore)

JC De La Torre is the author of Ancient Rising a sci-fi fantasy novel that has been described by some critics as a Da Vinci Code or National Treasure with a fantasy twist. JC is also Vice President of Luna Brillante Publishing, a Speculative Fiction publisher. Visit JC's website at http://www.delatorrewriting.com for the latest news about his works