1: Would you rather listen to the Beatles or Green Day?
Green Day Monday through Friday, the Beatles on Saturday, and then my favorite hymn, Nearer My God to Thee, on the Sabbath. I try to live the words of the Hymn most days, but that’s not what you asked. It’s a tough thing choosing something over John, Paul, Ringo, and George, but Green Day freaking rocks! I have to be in a mellow mood to enjoy the Beatles. By comparison Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day’s music is so vibrant and alive I usually hit replay to hear it again.
2: How long did it take you to write your book?
I wrote the first draft in a little over two months. Active verbs were an endangered species, and telly language was as pervasive as weeds in an untended garden. I joined a critique group through the League of Utah Writers, and with their help started cleaning up my beginner mistakes. Over the next three years, I rewrote The Samaritan’s Pistol eight times. While every word and sentence was changed, the story remained ninety percent the same. As writers say: it is “shown” better.

3: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
There’s an elderly ranch hand named Brody that I patterned after a dairy farmer I worked for as a teenager named Oscar. Oscar died a few years ago, and he never would have done what Brody does in the book. But the persona is the same. Brody is a tough, no nonsense guy who has a moral code all his own. By comparison the protagonist is a choir boy. Without giving too much away, there’s a scene with some bear traps in the book that most people have enjoyed.
4: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?
I have a sweet tooth for everything but raisins.
5: What authors do you look up to and why?
I’m drawn to authors who can say much in few words. Brevity and lean will keep me reading longer than flowery prose. As a reader, I want the author to let me in, allow me fill in some details. Here’s the list: Steinbeck, Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Andrew Smith, Elmore Leonard, Stephen King, and Mark Twain. I’m amazed by Utah’s Lehua Parker who has only one published book. She let me read her second manuscript, which she wrote during a Diet Coke fueled, two week insomnia binge. I struggled to find any errors from pacing to sentence structure.
6: Which author do you think you write like the most?
I’d never claim to be close to any on my list, but I’m grateful to each of them for their influence. If I could choose who I’d like to eventually be compared to it would be Elmore Leonard. His wit, sarcasm and lean writing is as good as any.
7: What’s your favorite food?
My wife’s Lasagna. My willpower fades when Janilee makes it. I crave the leftovers, because it just gets better for a few days.
8: What’s your favorite movie?
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It’s laborious and long, and I love every second. I even have the extended version they released a few years ago when they found additional footage. Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach came back to do the audio. Their voices have aged, which all adds to my enjoyment. Like Janilee’s Lasagna, the movie gets better with time.
9: If your book was turned into a movie, who would you cast for the main characters?
While writing, I was hooked on the television series Lost, so Josh Holloway was who I pictured as the protagonist. My favorite character, the elderly ranch hand Brody, was Clint Eastwood, but I’d love to see Kris Kristofferson in the role.
10: Describe your book in one sentence.
A wilderness guide shoots three to save one, and his life is forever changed.
11: What kind of interaction do you hope to see from your fans?
I like people. I like to entertain. I hope they like the things I write enough to buy them.
12: Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m a huge extrovert. Each day I wake and do my best to listen more and talk less. Mostly I fail, but at least I make the attempt.
13: If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Clint Eastwood. Nobody does the gray areas better. I love how the characters in his movies, especially over the last twenty years, aren’t totally good or bad. Unforgiven was a masterpiece. Clint’s character stayed true to his dead wife’s memory but had no problem killing once he got liquored up. In contrast, Morgan Freeman’s character would cheat on his wife at every opportunity, but probably wouldn’t swat a mosquito. I love movies or books that examine nuances in morals. When the audience has to ask “who’s on first?” like the Laurel and Hardy skit, when puzzling over the villain, victim, and hero the movie maker or author has done their job!

ERIC BISHOP is known to to his friends and family as an “author
version of Clint Eastwood.” As the owner of a successful marketing firm,
Bishop spends most of his time on his Utah ranch writing with the music
of his adolescence bouncing off the walls. When he’s not writing, Bishop
enjoys spending time with his wife and four lovely daughters at his
home in Nibley, Utah. Unlike Jim, Bishop hasn’t had any run-ins with the
Mafia. Yet. Find him on Facebook, or Twitter. His book is available on Barnes&Noble and Amazon.

Okay, I have another rant for ya’ll.

Have you noticed that friends and family around you can be incredibly supportive at times? For instance, I don’t drink alcoholic beverages. When I inform people of my decision, they don’t really get it, but totally respect me for it. There have been times when I’ll go to a party and someone will offer me a beer or something, and someone else will pipe up for me: “Don’t give her that crap! She doesn’t drink, man!” It’s great to be around people who love and respect me for who I am and I really feel like I get a lot of support.

However, I’ve noticed a complete opposite reaction when I tell people that I’m dieting. They all understand why I’m doing it. Just about anyone can relate to having goals to lose weight and get healthier, right? But then the problem occurs when they try to tempt me anyway.

“Just one brownie. You need to indulge every once in a while.”

“One cookie won’t hurt.”

“But these are SO good! You have to try a little.”

Seriously? Maybe it’s just me, but I have to abstain completely when I’m dieting. I actually believe that I’m addicted to unhealthy food. Because if I have that one little portion everyone is trying to convince me to have, it’s like falling off the wagon. And it’s not just for that one time, either. Oh, no! I become this ravenous, compulsive eater for two to five days before I’m so disgusted with myself for yo-yoing my weight (yet again!) that I bring myself under control and get back into the game of dieting.

And even if I try to explain this to others, they still do whatever they can to try and tempt me. I’ve had people bake goodies, put them on a plate, and drop them off at my house. And of course, my kids are so excited to get them that I have to accept them. Sometimes I’m able to hold out and don’t eat any, but other times I break.

So I ask you, what is up with this? Because it’s sugar that I’m trying to stay away from, my friends have suddenly created this sadistic game of “Let’s See How we can Tempt Adrienne”? Because it really is mean, even though it appears that they’re being oh-so very nice by baking me goodies. If I wanted cookies that bad, I can make them for myself! (Seriously, I’m very talented in the baking department.)

The interesting part is that I don’t think they realize how difficult they’re making it for me. They see it as something fun and lighthearted.

And, I am not seriously bothered by the behavior, myself. I can laugh along with this whole scenario and roll my eyes at my friends. But I really think I would have lost a good twenty pounds by now if it wasn’t for people trying to steer me off the path of healthiness.

What experiences have other dieters out there had? Do your friends and family try to bring healthy dishes at a get together just for you, or do they see if they can bring you to the dark side once again? Why do you think people do that anyway?

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that ebooks are huge these days. Selling electronic books is easier than selling print books.

The reasons people buy more ebooks than print are fairly obvious. First off, ebooks are more affordable. Some books in print are ten dollars or more than what you can buy in ebook format. Secondly, consumers receive their ordered books instantly. They don’t have to wait a week for their order to be delivered, nor do they have to leave the house to go to the book store. Another reason is that book lovers no longer have to have their book collection take over the space in their home. They can keep all of their books in one small electronic device. No one can argue with the convenience of buying ebooks.

But I know a lot of readers out there who prefer traditional print books anyway. They like being able to hold the book, feel the texture of its pages, and even smell it.

I can understand that. Back in the day, I used to spend a lot of my free time hanging out at my local Barnes and Noble. I loved the smell of new books combined with the coffee and baked goods in their cafe. To this day, those combined scents make me feel soothed and completely at home. Of course, I don’t smell that when I’m reading a book at home, but there truly is a difference when reading a print book. One convenience with a printed book is that I can skim through it easier if I need to. This is especially the case when I’m talking with other book lovers and am trying to use a specific example from a book. It take a lot longer to search through an ebook than it is to flip through the pages of a printed book to find what I”m talking about.

Some readers will buy the digital version of a book first, and then buy the printed version if they really love the book. This makes sense to me because if you really love it, you’d want the printed version to add to your library.

So while the practical side of me loves to have my Kindle and download inexpensive ebooks, there is another part of me that is very proud of the small library I’ve created in my home. (It may seem small to you avid readers out there, but I have four large book shelves filled double-deep in my little townhome. I think my husband is incredibly grateful for the Kindle, or he’d have to put up with our house looking like a book dump!)

What is your preference? Do you like being a traditionalist and only getting printed books? Are you in love with the convenience of modern technology and download new ebooks every day? Or are you more like me, able to love and appreciate both versions of books? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

It’s one thing to make a list of cool movies to see but it’s also another thing to make a list of movies that aren’t just cool but funny as well. We may have only gone half of the year, but 2013 is shaping itself to be a great year for movies, you might have some of these movies listed here, others you might not have heard of, but one thing is sure: When it comes to movies we’ve listed here, all of them are pretty darned funny. Here’s five of the best of comedies that have been released so far.

The Hangover 

Director- Todd Phillips

Writers – Craig Mazin, Todd Philips
Stars- Ed Helms, Bradley Copper, Zach Galifianakis

In aftermath of Alan’s father’s death, the wolfpack decides to take Alan to treat him for his mental issues. But on the way to the hospital, Doug is kidnapped and wolfpack is assaulted. Finding Mr. Chow becomes very important as he can surrender to the gangster who kidnapped Doug and in order to save him. Due to Alan’s outlandish behavior, he is sent to Arizona but he gets abducted on the way and he is assigned the task to find Doug. But eventually he lands up in jail because he’s double crossed by Chow.

The Internship
Director- Shawn Levy
Writers- Jared Stern, Vince Vaughn
Stars- Vince Vaughn, Rose Byme, Owen Wilson

Nick (Owen Wilson), and Billy (Vince Vaughn) are salesman and their career has been torpedoed by the digital world. They tried to prove themselves as worthwhile and not obsolete. Therefore they defy the odds by taking an internship at Google with a battalion of brilliant college students. Now they have to compete with the nation’s tech-savvy and elite geniuses, proving that necessity is the mother of re-invention.

Identity Thief
Director- Seth Gordon
Writer- Craig Mazin, Jerry Eeton
Stars- Melissa, McCarthy, Jason Bateman, Amanda Peet

Businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Miami for confronting a harmless, deceptively looking woman who has stolen Sandy’s identity. He knows this when he gets a call confirming his name for spa appointment in Florida. His credit cards get maxed out. A run-in with a bounty hunters gets harder than he expected and he had to find the person who stole his identity. He wants justice and for this he leaves his kids, wife and job in Colorado.

Admission
Director- Paul Weitz
Writers- Jean Hanff Korelitz, Kran Croner
Stars- Gloria Reuben, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd

Portia Nathan is a straitlaced admission officer of PrincetonUniversity. She is caught off guard after making a recruiting visit to an alternative high school and is overseen by one of her former college classmates and freewheeling John Pressman (Paul Rudd). Pressman surmised that his very unconventional student Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) might be the son of Portia who was given to him for secret adoption long time ago. Portia bends the rules to risks her life but in return gets an exhilarating and romance full of life which she never dreamed of.

This is the End
Director- Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg
Writers- Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Stars- Jonah Hill, James Franco, Seth Rogen

While attending a party at James Franco House, Jay Brauchel, Seth Rogen and other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. The party is undisturbed by the blue beams and explosions, mass chaos and vehicular crashes. There is a powerful earthquake and a large cracks open up in earth. They realized that the largest earthquake in the history of California has struck Los Angeles. When the largest demon is going to consume Baruchel and Rogen, they re-affirm their friendship and they wait for their death.

Peter Brady is a senior writer at Eko Entertainment magazine, his interest spans across several sectors that include history, Movies and healthcare, See his recent article on healthcare and vitamin deficiency

If you’re anything like me, you have grown up with the classical romance stories written by Jane Austen. Over a century later, her novels are still so popular that there is a market for books that are spin–offs from her original stories. So, with these timeless romances in mind, one wouldn’t generally think of texting or emailing during a rocky courtship to be romantic.

I remember when one of my boyfriends from high school broke up with me. At the time, I felt like it came out of nowhere and was hurt by the sudden separation. But what made it infinitely worse, was that he broke up with me through email! (I know, I know – but he’s a cool guy now. I promise!:)) So when I think of someone trying to ask a girl out through technology instead of in person, or even over the phone, it seems like a cop-out and entirely unromantic.

However, we are in a technological age, right? I mean, I know a lot of couples who have met over the internet and have been able to make a great, long-lasting relationship from that “unromantic” meeting. I’ll bet some of you could tell me great stories about people getting together through online chats, texting, etc. So, I was trying to open my mind to this idea and wondered what Jane Austen would do with her characters if she were living in today’s world.

I thought about some of my favorite stories and I’ve decided that Jane Austen would probably have loved to take advantage of technology. After all, in Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy rips into Mr. Darcy about his character when he tried to propose. What did Mr. Darcy do? He penned Lizzy a note to clarify the misunderstandings she had of him and his history. What do you think would have happened if they’d been set in modern times? Would Mr. Darcy have sent ten really long texts to explain himself? I personally doubt that would have been his style, but I’m sure he would have sent her an email to explain everything. (I’m thinking he would have found messaging through Facebook too tacky for this circumstance, as well.)

In Persuasion, Mr. Wentworth hears a conversation between Anne and another character about women being more loyal than men. While in the same room, Wentworth writes a letter to Anne to tell her that he’s hurt by her declaration and that he still has feelings for her. He also wrote that he prayed for them to still have chance for their relationship to work out. It was practically a proposal. So if Austen had written those stories today, don’t you think she would have had Mr. Wentworth sending Anne a text explaining that men are just as devoted as women and that the conversation she’s currently having is killing him because he still has feelings for her? I think that would work pretty well.

Of course, part of what makes Jane Austen’s stories so great is the time period in which they are set. It’s great for women to read the books and get swept off their feet by men who were raised to hold ladies in high esteem and treat them accordingly. But I still think it’s fun to think of what Austen would do if she’d had access to the technology we have today! What are your thoughts on the matter?