Blogies 2011

So here they are the Bloggies 2011 (which is actually all the blogs, people and other)..and Pickies will be posted later this week, with the best books,movies,series,games of the year.
The list and idea came out in a really short notice (i thought about it yesterday cause i was too busy), so i didn't have the time to create something bigger and awesomer. So it's mostly a quick list i did :)

And well i just wanted to say THANK YOU, to all of those great people, for making the blog year more special  :) 

My favorite blogs of the year each one for a different reason. Visit and enjoy! *the order is not on based which i prefer more*

Small Review >> For probably the best book reviews on the blogshpere
Books For Company >> For the awesome memes
Liesewies >> For bringing something different on my dashboard with the variety of movies,fashion and Harry Potter.
Loving Books && Read Me, Bookmark Me,Love Me >> For all the new books that introduced to me with their reviews
Ranting Dragon && Drying Ink >> For their great fantasy book reviews
Once Upon A Time >> For the best discussions posts (along with Drying Ink)
Blackplume >> For writing honest and detailed without spoiling and be a fun person.

Favorite Authors not only or for their great books, but also the attention who give to people and make us feel special. *This does not mean i did not enjoy many other authors and their books, but those at the list really made me remember them for 2011*

Michelle Muto >> For the best YA Books i've read this year and how great is talking with her
Sasha Soren >> For her amazing ideas and constant communication with the bloggers
Emlyn Chand >> For the great tours, book and character
Amanda Havard >> For how much she works on her books and some of the best books promotion ideas ever ( music videos? concert series? apps? )
Alison Goodman >> For the best book with dragons i've read this year
Kathy Reichs >> For bringing new "Enyd Blayton"-like stories in my life
Justin Somper >> For providing a great ending at his Vampirates series
Pavarti K. Tyler, Kendare Blake, Y.S.Lee, Jason Morrow, Philippa Balantine >> For suprising me pleasantly with their stories when i did not expect it

And lastly, some amazing book covers that really made my want to read the books *in the list are included only covers from books i've read*

Stay tuned for Pickies 2011!
-xoxo, Yiota

Happy New Year!!!

art by damaciel @ Deviantart

Happy New Year everyone!!! Weeee!!! Anyone else exciting? 2011 was good i believe ( even though we are from Greece which many bad things happen) and was fun too!

Just wanted to say that i hope everyone has a wonderful year for 2012! For us, the book-movie-game lovers there are many exciting things coming out this year, to make us forget the bad so I am like "yay!".

I do hope you had a good and enjoyable year, here at the blog and enjoyed it as much as i did. There we so many things happened and need to mention so i will make a post full them in the week instead of writing some in hurry now :)

I don't know where everyone is right now to ask if they want to say something and i totally forgot because i was working but here some extra words from Johnny who i talk with, right now:

Happy new year with plenty of good times and more books to take us to distant lands. And may my wardrobe be a gate to Narnia or something similar.

I really hope your new dog, find the portal man...i really do!

Have fun everyone!!! See ya all soon! ^^
-xoxo, Yiota

P.S: How awesome is that i found a pic with a dragon? :D

gif (Bleach anime) by roymustangs

Movie Review: Mary Poppins

A magic nanny comes to work for a cold banker's unhappy family.


REVIEW:
Since it's Christmas time, our TV is airing many old movies. One of those was Mary Poppins, and since I haven't seen it before, I decided to watch it now.


The movie was great for many reasons. The acting was amazing, the songs lovely, in a way that the songs are stucking into your head and they have something to say, and the costumes were beautiful.


I liked the idea of having both animation and real-life actors in one scene, it was unique and very funny, in a way that it's not boring and more appealing to the kids. Mary Poppins was a marvellous woman, she could make the kids listen to her without shouting or yelling, but with singing to them and making them understand in a good way and she could make the others do as she said without them noticing. Bert was gret too. He had many talents and really liked Mary Poppins. As for the parents, I think they were just busy in what they were doing and the kids were not naughty, they just wanted their parents to pay a little attention to them.


I'm not the only one thinking that the movie was great. It was nominated for 13 Oscars, and it won 5 of them, including Best Special Effects, though in your eyes and mine would look little fake, but it's 1964, Best Actress for Julie Andrews and Best Song for "Chim Chim Cher-ee", my personal favourite.


It's the last day of this year, I'm not going to able to write anything else today, so I wish you all A Very Happy New Year and since I have nothing else to say, I salute you with the world's biggest word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Author Interview: Steven Shrewsbury

Steven L. Shrewsbury is a fantasy and horror author who has well over 300 tales published online or in print.  He is the creator of  creator of Dack Shannon and the Majestic Universe, as well as the novels Tormentor (Lachesis Publishing), Hawg (Graveside Tales) and Stronger Than Death (Snuff Books).  

He has appeared in many anthologies, most recently Harlan County Horrors from Apex Publications.  Other anthologies include Deathgrip: Legacy of Terror from Hellbound books; Blackest Death-Vol I from BDB; the high fantasy epic Grimoire De Solace from iUniverse, the hardback Cemetery Poets, Scary, Atrocitas Aqua from DDP.

For more information on Steven L. Shrewsbury, please visit his website at www.stevenshrewsbury.com 

-----------------

SOOW: Try to describe your book in one sentence.-

SS: THRALL is an epic adventure that shows courage sometimes arrives in a dented package.

SOOW: Your genre in "Thrall" is "Sword and Sorcery"? Did you choose that genre on purpose, or did you just start writing?

SS: I write many horror or fantasy tales. THRALL just happened to be seen as S&S. Frankly, it's a horror story set back in the days of things long forgotten so S&S works I guess.

SOOW: What inspired you to write, you took any ideas from other books, movies etc?

SS: Ever since I've been a child, I've been telling stories. They just arrive in my head. I used to re-arragne Biblical battles in my sand box until I discovered this was likely to get me sent to hell. I read books by

Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs to start with, then it was off to the races. I never cared for Tolkien really as a youth, but read more horror as I grew up, King, Bloch, Lovecraft, Ellison along with many great sci fi like Heinlein, Bradbury and then Martin and Gemmell.

SOOW: Did you do any research before start or during of the writing of the books?-

SS: I read a great deal on many topics. I'm a real history goof so at times I'll do honest research, but many things in a fiction novel pop in there from years of reading on varied topics. The background in THRALL is set before the flood in a misty era not many know much about. I had some fun with that.

SOOW: Which scenes were the hardest to write?-

SS: The climax was sort of emotionally draining.

SOOW: How long has it taken you to write a book ?-

SS: Some pop out fast. I cna do a first draft in a month, but redrafts and other dressing up for it takes much longer. Each book is a beast unto itself.

SOOW: What's the best part of writing for you?-

SS: The escapism and just letting it out. I can tell a story, enjoy it and share it.

SOOW: Are you reading or writing something else at the moment?-

SS: Reading some old Tim Zahn STAR WARS books at the moment, but yes, I just finished a horror novel and am ready for edits on another.

SOOW: Did you have support at the beginning and/or during your writing?-

SS: No. However, some friends give me that inspiration now.

SOOW: Did you always had in mind to be a writer or it just happened?-

SS: I've been writing down stories since I was 12 I think. Always knew it.

SOOW: How important you find the communication between you and your readers? Do you reply to their messages or read their reviews? -

SS: I love to hear from readers either via the internet or at Cons. If one
writes me on FB or email, I'll answer. I don't answer comments on reviews,
though. Folks are entitled to their opinions.

SOOW: Are you working on any other projects except writing, right now?-

SS" Trying to get stuff in line for Christmas as well as writing.

SOOW: Something special you want to share with us?

SS: In the next week or so Seventh Star Press well start releasing short
tales in eBook format. Two of my tales (featuring Gorias La Gaul from
THRALL) will be in this release. INSURMOUNTABLE and AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF
OUR FLESH. Next year we'll see the release of my horror novel HELL BILLY and
a prequel to THRALL called OVERKILL, um, but dunno if I was supposed to say
the latter yet :)

SOOW: Now some simple questions and more fun:


SOOW: Your favourite books and author?

SS: HOUR OF THE DRAGON by Robert E. Howard; MOTHER NIGHT by Kurt Vonnegut;
BLOODSTONE by Karl Edward Wagner
Those three fellas are my favorite authors, too.

SOOW: Your favourite band/singer?

SS: BLACK SABBATH
Johnny Cash


SOOW: Twitter or Facebook?
SS: Facebook. My fingers are too big for twittering.

SOOW: Favourite place in the world?

SS: My farm

SOOW: Last movie you watched at the cinemas?

FRIGHT NIGHT. Bloody terrible save for David Tennant parts.

SOOW: The last book you've read?

SS: BIGFOOT WAR by Eric S. Brown

SOOW: Have you ever googled yourself?

SS: Sure. More than once, in fact.

SOOW: Writing, reading or hanging out with friends?

SS: Lately, more of the former.

SOOW: If you wouldn't be a writer, what you would be?-

SS: A LUMBER JACK! No, I dunno...a famer. I've lived on a farm my entire life
yet don't farm.

SOOW: And last one....printed or ebooks?

Printed.

Thanks!