Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
When it's done right
Mario here:
What I'm reading: Koontown Killing Kaper by Bill Campbell.
We writers obsess about story-telling and are ready to nitpick any plot that come our way: books; TV shows; movies. So it's a treat when someone does it right. Like in the new Star Trek movie.
I'm definitely old school when it comes to Star Trek and resent the retooling of the mythos. I prefer my Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty shrink wrapped in nostalgia. My verdict then, of Into Darkness?
Simply: photon torpedoes and phaser banks locked on target and Fire! It was that awesome.
The story clipped along at Warp speed. Hollywood thrillers tend to clobber us with the lynch pins of plot development--the inciting incident, the lock in, the reversal, the main culmination, the third act twist--and we tend to process the unfolding story like a stale joke. This Star Trek movie wove the plot with seamless precision that advanced the story at full throttle. Although the screenplay reworked the Star Trek universe, it managed to snag enough of the necessary tropes (like Scotty's snark and the Vampire pinch!) to keep both veterans and recruits satisfied.
Moving forward: The best free entertainment in Denver. Ever!
The second Denver Noir@Bar. Miss it, and we'll come calling with brass knuckles and lead pipes.
8PM. Thursday, May 23. Juanita's Eat. 32 S Broadway, Denver.
We're hoping for another evening worthy of low life excursions from previous Noir@Bars: NYC, LA, St. Louis.
Mario here:
What I'm reading: Koontown Killing Kaper by Bill Campbell.We writers obsess about story-telling and are ready to nitpick any plot that come our way: books; TV shows; movies. So it's a treat when someone does it right. Like in the new Star Trek movie.
I'm definitely old school when it comes to Star Trek and resent the retooling of the mythos. I prefer my Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty shrink wrapped in nostalgia. My verdict then, of Into Darkness?
Simply: photon torpedoes and phaser banks locked on target and Fire! It was that awesome.
The story clipped along at Warp speed. Hollywood thrillers tend to clobber us with the lynch pins of plot development--the inciting incident, the lock in, the reversal, the main culmination, the third act twist--and we tend to process the unfolding story like a stale joke. This Star Trek movie wove the plot with seamless precision that advanced the story at full throttle. Although the screenplay reworked the Star Trek universe, it managed to snag enough of the necessary tropes (like Scotty's snark and the Vampire pinch!) to keep both veterans and recruits satisfied.
Moving forward: The best free entertainment in Denver. Ever!
The second Denver Noir@Bar. Miss it, and we'll come calling with brass knuckles and lead pipes.
8PM. Thursday, May 23. Juanita's Eat. 32 S Broadway, Denver.
We're hoping for another evening worthy of low life excursions from previous Noir@Bars: NYC, LA, St. Louis.
Labels: Bill Campbell, Noir at the Bar, Star Trek, Vulcan pinch
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 8:45 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Jim Butcher, New Star Trek, Much Ado About Nothing, and other good stuff
For you Jim Butcher fans from mediabistro:
The Dresden Files novelist Jim Butcher has inked a seven figure deal for three books in a new steampunk series.
The Cinder Spires series will begin with The Aeronaut’s Windlass. Publishers Weekly broke the news, reporting that Donald Maass Literary agent Jennifer Jackson negotiated the deal with Anne Sowards.
Here’s more from Butcher’s official site: At the Reddit AMA a few months ago, Jim said, “It’s kinda League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Sherlock meets Hornblower. There are goggles and airships and steam power and bizarre crystal technology and talking cats, who are horrid little bullies.” Jim is still writing the first book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass, so we don’t have a release date yet. We’ll let you know as soon as there’s something to announce!
In case you ever wondered...video below from galleycat:
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I screwed up and thought I was publishing this THIS week and instead it got tacked on to last week's blog so I'm repeating it here:
This week: a new book deal for Jim Butcher and some vidya's (homage to Aaron Ritchey) for you to enjoy.
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For you Jim Butcher fans from mediabistro:
The Dresden Files novelist Jim Butcher has inked a seven figure deal for three books in a new steampunk series.
The Cinder Spires series will begin with The Aeronaut’s Windlass. Publishers Weekly broke the news, reporting that Donald Maass Literary agent Jennifer Jackson negotiated the deal with Anne Sowards.
Here’s more from Butcher’s official site: At the Reddit AMA a few months ago, Jim said, “It’s kinda League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Sherlock meets Hornblower. There are goggles and airships and steam power and bizarre crystal technology and talking cats, who are horrid little bullies.” Jim is still writing the first book, The Aeronaut’s Windlass, so we don’t have a release date yet. We’ll let you know as soon as there’s something to announce!
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In case you ever wondered...video below from galleycat:
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I screwed up and thought I was publishing this THIS week and instead it got tacked on to last week's blog so I'm repeating it here:
Another geek treasure too good to miss!!
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And in case you missed this:
Coming to a theater near you in June!!!
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Yippee!!!
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No covers yet to share...hopefully soon!! In the meantime, a St. Patrick Day wish:
Labels: Aaron Ritchey, Jim Butcher, Josh Whedon, Much Ado About Nothing, Star Trek, Steampunk, Tesla vs Edison
¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 2:03 PM 5 comments
Monday, January 14, 2013
Food porn
Mario here:
What I'm reading: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson.
Years ago I first saw that a digital camera had been installed in a cell phone. At the time I thought it was frivolous attachment, but it didn't take long to appreciate what a stroke of genius that was. Remember the communicator in Star Trek? Wouldn't it have made sense to install a camera in those? Tom Wolf once wrote a short story set in the near future where everyone carried a camera or a video recorder...in their hats.
With a camera so handy, people are ready to take photos of everything. What especially surprises me is that people take pictures of their food. Why? I think it's to both document and share the experience. The plate arrives, and we take a moment to appreciate the presentation--the colors, the texture, the promise of gastronomical Nirvana. A good serving skewers you not only in the gullet but also in the head with a bayonet charge of endorphins. The photos are battle ribbons in our collective campaign for the perfect slice of heaven.
"A true gastronome should always be ready to eat, just as a soldier should always be ready to fight."
Charles Pierre Monselet (1825-1888)
French journalist and author.
For example, pizza and a flight of beer. Passport to pleasure.
What more appropriate dish on a cold afternoon (with more than a little alcohol confusing the internal gyroscope) than an exquisite serving of apple pie a la mode at Sam's No. 3? The crust--so flaky. The filing--so warm and perfectly seasoned. The ice cream--in such cosmic balance with the pie. The coffee--so hot and full-bodied. The right combination to prop me upright enough for a second round at the bar.
Whatever her faults (and there are many), Jeanne knows that nothing lubricates a writer's muscles better than a rum cocktail.
What I'm reading: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson.Years ago I first saw that a digital camera had been installed in a cell phone. At the time I thought it was frivolous attachment, but it didn't take long to appreciate what a stroke of genius that was. Remember the communicator in Star Trek? Wouldn't it have made sense to install a camera in those? Tom Wolf once wrote a short story set in the near future where everyone carried a camera or a video recorder...in their hats.With a camera so handy, people are ready to take photos of everything. What especially surprises me is that people take pictures of their food. Why? I think it's to both document and share the experience. The plate arrives, and we take a moment to appreciate the presentation--the colors, the texture, the promise of gastronomical Nirvana. A good serving skewers you not only in the gullet but also in the head with a bayonet charge of endorphins. The photos are battle ribbons in our collective campaign for the perfect slice of heaven.
"A true gastronome should always be ready to eat, just as a soldier should always be ready to fight."
Charles Pierre Monselet (1825-1888)
French journalist and author.
For example, pizza and a flight of beer. Passport to pleasure.
What more appropriate dish on a cold afternoon (with more than a little alcohol confusing the internal gyroscope) than an exquisite serving of apple pie a la mode at Sam's No. 3? The crust--so flaky. The filing--so warm and perfectly seasoned. The ice cream--in such cosmic balance with the pie. The coffee--so hot and full-bodied. The right combination to prop me upright enough for a second round at the bar.
Whatever her faults (and there are many), Jeanne knows that nothing lubricates a writer's muscles better than a rum cocktail.Labels: beer, cocktails, Nirvana, Star Trek
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 8:29 PM 5 comments
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Easy as 1,2,3...Vampires, Booze, and Sex
Mario here:
1. There's often talk that vampires have run their course. We scoff at such heresy. At the Biting-Edge, it's always:
Mario here:
1. There's often talk that vampires have run their course. We scoff at such heresy. At the Biting-Edge, it's always:
Friday and Saturday, Sept 24-25, Jeanne and I will spread the undead gospel at the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Trade Show at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.
The Biting-Edge can never get enough vampires, and we especially dig the old school, creepy pre-sparkly kind such as Frank Langella, the urbane and dashing Dracula. "No drugs! It will pollute her blood." Spoken like a true gentleman in a 70s do.
We even appreciate Frank Langella's thespian license when he steals the show as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.
We even appreciate Frank Langella's thespian license when he steals the show as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe.
(watching this movie helps if you have a thing for Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn.)
On the subject of goofy, sci-fi/fantasy-related videos, check this out:
2. We're riffing here, so follow the drops of Saurian brandy to this classic piece on Space Trek Sousing in Modern Drunkard. Spoiler alert, the author despised the politically correct Star Trek TNG.
3. And there's this great news from Publishers Lunch:
Lorelei James's next two BLACKTOP COWBOY novels, involving a sports therapist and her hard-riding cowboy patients, to Kerry Donovan at NAL, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group.
If you want to learn more about what makes Lorelei James such a smoking hot author of erotica, sneak a read of Book 5 of the Rough Riders series: Rough, Raw, and Ready. Warning: This book contains unbelievably explicit sex, including multiple cowboy/cowgirl/cowboy ménage scenes, juicy, hot, male on male action, a bucketful of politically incorrect situations and true Western ideology.
And the San Francisco Bay Area thinks it has a lip lock on such pervitude. Yee-ha to South Dakota!
Labels: Dracula, Modern Drunkard, Sex, Star Trek, Vampires
¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 5:28 PM 1 comments
