Well, my word count is down this week, but I'm SO happy about it. You see, I'm coming to the end of my edits and soon this story will be ready for publication. (There's another step of readers and one more pass through, but still, I'm CLOSE!)
I'm always sort of torn at this point in the process. I've loved this story for so long and I'm excited to be *thisclose* to sharing it with the world. But I'm also sad because it's almost over. The creative process to tell Colby's story is coming to an end. It's a little like having had a close friend visit you for several months and now they're leaving. Sad. But I'll console myself with the fact that Colby's story is AWESOME!
Do you ever feel that way when you finish a manuscript? How did you do in your word count this week?
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
An Amazing 100th Episode of Castle
Last night's Castle was AMAZING! I loved the whole thing from start to finish. I even laughed out loud in the first five minutes when Castle is begging the guys to let him come along. "I can be Charlie and you can be my angels," and then they did the pose. Haha!
The rear window murder mystery had me on the edge of my seat. The tension and suspense was pitch perfect. It was also a nice touch having Beckett not believe him because of his painkillers and have tension between them because of it. Love, love, love. Beckett's case was good, too, but Nathan Fillion outdid himself on this one. When he's in the guy's apartment and Alexis is helping him, seriously, if I was a fingernail-chewer I would have chewed mine to the nib.
Finally getting some evidence to triumphantly show Beckett takes them to the storage locker where the rolled up rug is and the look on Stana Katic's face when they got caught was hilarious. Even Captain Gates hit the mark in her dressing down of Castle. The ensemble really brought it.
I think the height of tension when Beckett goes over to confront the murderer was electric. When the lights went out and Castle is frantic to get to her before she's hurt, my heart was beating so fast. And I was as shocked as he was with what he found. The perfect ending.
It was like the Castle writers gave us everything we could ever want---relationship movement, (Beckett said she loved something about Castle) two great mysteries with twisty endings, and Castle moments with mom and Alexis, too. Last night's 100th episode had it all and I loved every minute.
Did you watch it? What did you think?
Monday, April 1, 2013
Book Review: Blood Relations: A Good Mormon Girl Mystery
Holy cow. That was the first thing I uttered after I finished this book. It was that good. It was the kind of book that I've been looking for (a twisty clean, really well-done mystery) and haven't quite been able to find to this degree. It was unexpected.
Blood Relations by Michaelbrent Collings is about Lane Cooley, a captain and one of the best homicide detectives in the LAPD. She's a Mormon, but it's just part of who she is. There was one part of the book where it describes how her job sometimes makes her feel like she's standing over a dark abyss and prayer was what keeps her tethered from the darkness. I'm not doing it justice at all, but that's how the book is---the LDS aspect is there, but not central. It's part of her, but not all of her. It's layered into the story and a background aspect the author handles really well---which is hard to find these days.
Lane is investigating a serial killer who is murdering blonde, white, 17 year old girls. Her investigative team is diverse and they've made a little family that gives them a foundation to get through the grisly parts of the job. I really loved how quirky and real the team was, especially when danger drew them closer together. And danger hits them hard when the serial killer sets his sights on Lane's 17 year old sister. The tension was ramped up with every chapter and I read this sucker in one sitting. I had to know who the killer was and even when I'd decided who it was, I was thrown off by the twist at the end. Seriously, so, so good. The sister is written so well and the growth in the characters was natural and organic. Since I had never read this author before, I was a bit surprised at how well he wrote women.
The writing is tight, the dialogue is natural, and the characters draw you in, although the serial killer and investigative elements are what really set this one apart. I thought that Lane also being the Relief Society president was a bit unrealistic and since they really only have her deal with someone in her ward once, that storyline thread is pretty much dropped anyway and could have been left out. But obviously that has no bearing on the story. The mystery was so well-done, the idea that the story had an LDS character without the book being LDS was so gratifying, that that one little thing didn't matter. The other complaint I had was the cover. It looked so juvenile to me and not reflective of the really good writing inside it. But, once you open the book the cover doesn't matter either, and the story will suck you in---hard. So, don't judge this book by its cover because you will be missing out on a great story if you do.
This book does describe some grisly parts of the murders, but they're not gory, which I appreciated. There wasn't any swearing, sex, or gore, and I think I'd let my older teenagers read this one. It was a chilling psychological thrill ride that really makes me want to check out this author for more Good Mormon Girl mysteries.
Here's the back copy:
Lane Cooley is the best Homicide Detective on the LAPD. But she isn't anything like you'd imagine. She's no fast-talking femme fatale... no, she's a Good Mormon Girl who doesn't smoke, drink, cuss, or even watch R-rated movies.
But that doesn't mean Lane misses out on all the blood and guts. Especially now. A new serial killer is in town, one who knows all the cops' tricks, all their secrets. One who is targeting young girls, killing them, and cutting them to pieces.
Now, Lane has to race against the clock to find the killer. Because the murderer has chosen his next victim. And it's Lane's little sister.
Now, Lane has to race against the clock to find the killer. Because the murderer has chosen his next victim. And it's Lane's little sister.
Friday, March 29, 2013
First Page Friday
It's Friday! Hooray! That means another First Page Friday and this one includes examples from some of my favorite books and some that I want to read now. Big thanks to William and Heidi for all their efforts this week. If you would like your first page critiqued, follow the submission guidelines in the sidebar.
See you next week!
The Entry
Nymph’s Heart
by William F. Rombola
2005
The pavement was a scab covering a wound that wouldn’t heal. All his life, Jack had longed to scratch it, to peel up the layers, and expose the malignant thing poisoning Miami’s heart.
Car horns echoed off the skyscrapers surrounding the excavation. The drawbridge crossing the river had been raised, transforming the streets into parking lots and filling the air with exhaust. Jack blinked sweat from his eyes and then peered through the viewing scope of the electronic transit. The instrument magnified and tunneled his vision. Heat rose from the pavement in languid waves, lending an illusory quality to the backhoe and the young woman standing before it.
Luisa’s curly brown hair spilled from her bandanna down her tanned shoulder as she directed the backhoe to scrape away the layers of pavement and fill that had covered the grounds of the Royal Palm Hotel for the last eighty years. After a final pass, the backhoe operator dumped a pile of soil on the pavement beside her, retracted the bucket, and cut the engine.
Taking advantage of the quiet, Jack got on the handheld radio. “Can you go down into the basement again?”
Luisa turned, flashed him a grin and then nodded. “What for?”
“I’m gonna dig a test pit beneath the wine room floor, but first we need to map it.”
“What’s his name isn’t going to like you tearing up the ruins,” Luisa said, as she grabbed the prism rod and approached the edge of the excavation block.
“You let me worry about him,” Jack said.
He watched Luisa step off the edge of the pavement, drop two feet in elevation, and land in 1926. She then crossed what was once the neatly manicured ground of the Royal Palm Hotel, her boots kicking up a cloud of dust behind her as she negotiated the desiccated landscape of sand, broken brick, and exposed limestone. A local reporter tried to talk to her, but she ignored him and continued on her way. Upon reaching the ruins, she climbed over the crumbling brick foundation and down another couple feet into the basement.
The girl was painfully shy, and he could hardly blame her. The injuries she’d suffered during that hurricane had left her with amnesia. Her mind had dealt with the pain in much the same way as Miami had dealt with the destruction of the Royal Palm Hotel, by burying it. But nothing stays buried forever.
Comments by Heidi (Senior Editor at Eschler Editing)
The Good
A strong point of this first page are the great descriptions, given in a fresh, interesting voice. A hint of mystery (nothing stays buried forever) is a nice tease, and hints that something bad will be coming. We also get some subtle hints of other problems – such as references to a hurricane and Louisa’s amnesia. The tone was interesting enough to catch my attention. Of course, once you’ve caught a reader’s attention, the trickier half of the equation is keeping it.
The Confusing
Is this sci-fi/fantasy or just metaphorical realism? Is it archeology or hurricane cleanup? Is Louisa shy or not?
This may or may not be fantasy. But the first paragraph alludes to the city as a living entity, dealing with a malignant wound. Nice metaphor, and if you intend this to be a fantasy, it works. But if you are aiming for contemporary fiction of any type, you will be giving mixed signals to your readers. There is an unspoken agreement between author and audience. The audience expects the author to establish the rules and parameters of the new world they are entering. In a way, they are very trusting for the first few pages. Maybe overly trusting. Because they will take many things at face value initially. So your genre will predicate not only the words you use but the readers’ response to them.
There are other mixed signals in this first page. Is this an archeology dig? That was my first impression. But other references make it equally likely that this is the clean-up effort after a big storm.
How about the intriguing phrase “landed in 1926”? Again, the first fleeting thought a reader may have is that this is going to be a story about time travel. Obviously, the sentences right after will probably convince the reader this isn’t a time travel story. But when combined with personification of the city, as well as other contradictory information, the reader may be excused for being a little unanchored as they try to determine what way the story is heading, what type of story they find themselves in, and what the actual problem is going to be.
What about Louisa? We are told she’s shy, but she comes across as confident and capable. She’s grinning, she’s giving orders to the back-hoe operator. She doesn’t strike us as shy. She does ignore the reporter, but that could be out of anger, annoyance, or not wanting to give a comment.
The Un-Problem
At this point, there is no clear cut intro to an inciting incident or a story-worthy problem. There are a few tantalizing hints: Louisa has amnesia, and something is buried, presumably in her subconscious. Then there are the references to something malignant at the heart of the city. If this is fantasy – something wicked this way comes. If this is something more literal – it could be hinting at corruption in the city government, or some past crime that has been covered up. But at the end of the day – the page, I mean – the reader still will be vague on what type of problem they are facing. I say they, because when we read, we subconsciously place ourselves in the character’s shoes, which explains why a reader can be a little impatient when information vital to their well-being (in other words, the character’s well-being) is not forthcoming in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.
Let’s take a look at some random examples. These are mostly first sentence/first paragraphs that introduce some type of problem. As you can see, it doesn’t matter what genre or style you are writing in, because this rule is practically universal.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine – “That fool of a fairy Lucinda not intend to lay a curse on me.”
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – “Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.”
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt – “I was sixteen years old the day I was lost in the forest, sixteen the day I met my death.”
My Fair Godmother by Janet Rallison – “Boys weren’t a problem for Jane. They only paid attention to her while asking for help with homework. She always knew the answers. See, no problem at all.”
Or how about John Grisham’s old classic, The Client: “Mark was eleven and had been smoking on and off for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked.” Obviously, there’s a problem, although in this case, the smoking is just the tip of the iceberg of problems bearing down on Mark. But it’s a great example of using a smaller problem as a transition to the main problem.
Even 200 years ago, Jane Austen knew this rule. Take a look at Pride and Prejudice. The first two pages establishes (and indeed, it’s hinted at in the well-known first line) what the problem is going to be. All the rest – how the story plays out, are merely details embellishing and explaining how the problem (needing to find suitable husbands for five unmarried daughters) will play out.
Other authors grabbed at random from my bookshelf show similar results – Mary Higgins Clark, Brad Thor and Daniel Silva’s espionage novels, Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge mysteries. Start analyzing the first page or two of just about any story, and you’ll find regardless of genre, this tends to be a common element of successful storytelling.
You are under no obligation to name the problem in the first sentence, although if you have a great first line that also includes the crux of the conflict, it can be a great tool. The rule of thumb is that within the first five pages, the conflict should be apparent. If you can put at least a taste of it in the first page, even better. You’ll notice that the examples given here do mention the conflict, and at the same time, leave the pleasure of discovering the how and what and why for the reader to discover.
Tweaking It
What your first page needs to do, ideally: establish setting, voice, introduce characters and their basic relationship with each other and the world around them, and set up the problem, even if we don’t get down to all the nitty-gritty details until later in the story. Whew! That’s a tall order for a first page to fill. But those are the rules of the game, and if you can find a way to creatively fulfill them, you’re going to have a great start. I know, a few lucky people figure a way to break the rules. But it’s usually best not to assume you are going to be one of the lucky ones. Instead, I’d recommend fixing the areas that give readers an ambiguous mental image of what is happening and make sure you have a definitely stated problem, and you’ll strengthen your story and keep the reader on the hook. Good luck and happy writing!
See you next week!
The Entry
Nymph’s Heart
by William F. Rombola
2005
The pavement was a scab covering a wound that wouldn’t heal. All his life, Jack had longed to scratch it, to peel up the layers, and expose the malignant thing poisoning Miami’s heart.
Car horns echoed off the skyscrapers surrounding the excavation. The drawbridge crossing the river had been raised, transforming the streets into parking lots and filling the air with exhaust. Jack blinked sweat from his eyes and then peered through the viewing scope of the electronic transit. The instrument magnified and tunneled his vision. Heat rose from the pavement in languid waves, lending an illusory quality to the backhoe and the young woman standing before it.
Luisa’s curly brown hair spilled from her bandanna down her tanned shoulder as she directed the backhoe to scrape away the layers of pavement and fill that had covered the grounds of the Royal Palm Hotel for the last eighty years. After a final pass, the backhoe operator dumped a pile of soil on the pavement beside her, retracted the bucket, and cut the engine.
Taking advantage of the quiet, Jack got on the handheld radio. “Can you go down into the basement again?”
Luisa turned, flashed him a grin and then nodded. “What for?”
“I’m gonna dig a test pit beneath the wine room floor, but first we need to map it.”
“What’s his name isn’t going to like you tearing up the ruins,” Luisa said, as she grabbed the prism rod and approached the edge of the excavation block.
“You let me worry about him,” Jack said.
He watched Luisa step off the edge of the pavement, drop two feet in elevation, and land in 1926. She then crossed what was once the neatly manicured ground of the Royal Palm Hotel, her boots kicking up a cloud of dust behind her as she negotiated the desiccated landscape of sand, broken brick, and exposed limestone. A local reporter tried to talk to her, but she ignored him and continued on her way. Upon reaching the ruins, she climbed over the crumbling brick foundation and down another couple feet into the basement.
The girl was painfully shy, and he could hardly blame her. The injuries she’d suffered during that hurricane had left her with amnesia. Her mind had dealt with the pain in much the same way as Miami had dealt with the destruction of the Royal Palm Hotel, by burying it. But nothing stays buried forever.
Comments by Heidi (Senior Editor at Eschler Editing)
The Good
A strong point of this first page are the great descriptions, given in a fresh, interesting voice. A hint of mystery (nothing stays buried forever) is a nice tease, and hints that something bad will be coming. We also get some subtle hints of other problems – such as references to a hurricane and Louisa’s amnesia. The tone was interesting enough to catch my attention. Of course, once you’ve caught a reader’s attention, the trickier half of the equation is keeping it.
The Confusing
Is this sci-fi/fantasy or just metaphorical realism? Is it archeology or hurricane cleanup? Is Louisa shy or not?
This may or may not be fantasy. But the first paragraph alludes to the city as a living entity, dealing with a malignant wound. Nice metaphor, and if you intend this to be a fantasy, it works. But if you are aiming for contemporary fiction of any type, you will be giving mixed signals to your readers. There is an unspoken agreement between author and audience. The audience expects the author to establish the rules and parameters of the new world they are entering. In a way, they are very trusting for the first few pages. Maybe overly trusting. Because they will take many things at face value initially. So your genre will predicate not only the words you use but the readers’ response to them.
There are other mixed signals in this first page. Is this an archeology dig? That was my first impression. But other references make it equally likely that this is the clean-up effort after a big storm.
How about the intriguing phrase “landed in 1926”? Again, the first fleeting thought a reader may have is that this is going to be a story about time travel. Obviously, the sentences right after will probably convince the reader this isn’t a time travel story. But when combined with personification of the city, as well as other contradictory information, the reader may be excused for being a little unanchored as they try to determine what way the story is heading, what type of story they find themselves in, and what the actual problem is going to be.
What about Louisa? We are told she’s shy, but she comes across as confident and capable. She’s grinning, she’s giving orders to the back-hoe operator. She doesn’t strike us as shy. She does ignore the reporter, but that could be out of anger, annoyance, or not wanting to give a comment.
The Un-Problem
At this point, there is no clear cut intro to an inciting incident or a story-worthy problem. There are a few tantalizing hints: Louisa has amnesia, and something is buried, presumably in her subconscious. Then there are the references to something malignant at the heart of the city. If this is fantasy – something wicked this way comes. If this is something more literal – it could be hinting at corruption in the city government, or some past crime that has been covered up. But at the end of the day – the page, I mean – the reader still will be vague on what type of problem they are facing. I say they, because when we read, we subconsciously place ourselves in the character’s shoes, which explains why a reader can be a little impatient when information vital to their well-being (in other words, the character’s well-being) is not forthcoming in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.
Let’s take a look at some random examples. These are mostly first sentence/first paragraphs that introduce some type of problem. As you can see, it doesn’t matter what genre or style you are writing in, because this rule is practically universal.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine – “That fool of a fairy Lucinda not intend to lay a curse on me.”
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – “Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she’d been told that she would kill her true love.”
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt – “I was sixteen years old the day I was lost in the forest, sixteen the day I met my death.”
My Fair Godmother by Janet Rallison – “Boys weren’t a problem for Jane. They only paid attention to her while asking for help with homework. She always knew the answers. See, no problem at all.”
Or how about John Grisham’s old classic, The Client: “Mark was eleven and had been smoking on and off for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked.” Obviously, there’s a problem, although in this case, the smoking is just the tip of the iceberg of problems bearing down on Mark. But it’s a great example of using a smaller problem as a transition to the main problem.
Even 200 years ago, Jane Austen knew this rule. Take a look at Pride and Prejudice. The first two pages establishes (and indeed, it’s hinted at in the well-known first line) what the problem is going to be. All the rest – how the story plays out, are merely details embellishing and explaining how the problem (needing to find suitable husbands for five unmarried daughters) will play out.
Other authors grabbed at random from my bookshelf show similar results – Mary Higgins Clark, Brad Thor and Daniel Silva’s espionage novels, Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge mysteries. Start analyzing the first page or two of just about any story, and you’ll find regardless of genre, this tends to be a common element of successful storytelling.
You are under no obligation to name the problem in the first sentence, although if you have a great first line that also includes the crux of the conflict, it can be a great tool. The rule of thumb is that within the first five pages, the conflict should be apparent. If you can put at least a taste of it in the first page, even better. You’ll notice that the examples given here do mention the conflict, and at the same time, leave the pleasure of discovering the how and what and why for the reader to discover.
Tweaking It
What your first page needs to do, ideally: establish setting, voice, introduce characters and their basic relationship with each other and the world around them, and set up the problem, even if we don’t get down to all the nitty-gritty details until later in the story. Whew! That’s a tall order for a first page to fill. But those are the rules of the game, and if you can find a way to creatively fulfill them, you’re going to have a great start. I know, a few lucky people figure a way to break the rules. But it’s usually best not to assume you are going to be one of the lucky ones. Instead, I’d recommend fixing the areas that give readers an ambiguous mental image of what is happening and make sure you have a definitely stated problem, and you’ll strengthen your story and keep the reader on the hook. Good luck and happy writing!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Using A Scene Chart for Tension and Suspense
So yesterday my amazing writer friend Jordan McCollum posted on her blog about "Tension Check" and she included a link to a scene chart. As I looked it over, and read her reasons for using it (she's a lot more organized writer than I am and I know I'll never keep up) but in this case I decided I was going to use it.
As a suspense writer, I want to keep my tension building throughout the book, but I also want that balanced with believability and character growth. It's a tall order to fill. Yet, even just doing the scene chart with my first four chapters I've noticed places that I can add one more layer and change a character's goals. It has been so helpful. (Click here for the scene chart I grabbed from Jordan's site.)
The more I write/publish the more I learn about the craft of writing and I really feel like I'm improving with every book. Tension is huge for a suspense writer, and I try to be very aware of it in my writing. I once had a reader tell me they were absolutely exhausted when they were finished reading one of my books. I think that's a good thing, overall, but there also has to be a bit of downtime and depth. Hence the reason why I am moving away from my pantser habits and becoming the perfect candidate for using a scene chart in my chapters.
So, that's what I'm working on this week. Do you have something similar to a scene chart that's helped you in your writing?
As a suspense writer, I want to keep my tension building throughout the book, but I also want that balanced with believability and character growth. It's a tall order to fill. Yet, even just doing the scene chart with my first four chapters I've noticed places that I can add one more layer and change a character's goals. It has been so helpful. (Click here for the scene chart I grabbed from Jordan's site.)
The more I write/publish the more I learn about the craft of writing and I really feel like I'm improving with every book. Tension is huge for a suspense writer, and I try to be very aware of it in my writing. I once had a reader tell me they were absolutely exhausted when they were finished reading one of my books. I think that's a good thing, overall, but there also has to be a bit of downtime and depth. Hence the reason why I am moving away from my pantser habits and becoming the perfect candidate for using a scene chart in my chapters.
So, that's what I'm working on this week. Do you have something similar to a scene chart that's helped you in your writing?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Up Waaaay Too Late---Word Count Wednesday
So, here I am, up way too late working on the edits for my new book. I am so stoked about this book (does anyone say stoked anymore?) My son is home and we're catching him up on Castle at the same time, so, you know, it's a party.
Earlier this evening (welp, it's after midnight, so yesterday) I went to my son's spring recital and while I was sitting there waiting for it to start I thought of a secondary storyline I could add to the book that would really give it some depth and flesh out a main character. Can I just tell you how motivating that is? I could hardly wait to get home and get my hands on a keyboard. My word count this week is awesome (about 4000 words) and I'm going to be working on it again later today (after I've slept and you know, make sense again because when I'm tired, well, sometimes it isn't pretty. Haha!)
Here's some music that was keeping me awake tonight (this morning) and focused. No laughing.
And don't worry, this one is the super clean version. And I turned it up LOUD.
How did you do this week? And what's been on your writing playlist?
Earlier this evening (welp, it's after midnight, so yesterday) I went to my son's spring recital and while I was sitting there waiting for it to start I thought of a secondary storyline I could add to the book that would really give it some depth and flesh out a main character. Can I just tell you how motivating that is? I could hardly wait to get home and get my hands on a keyboard. My word count this week is awesome (about 4000 words) and I'm going to be working on it again later today (after I've slept and you know, make sense again because when I'm tired, well, sometimes it isn't pretty. Haha!)
Here's some music that was keeping me awake tonight (this morning) and focused. No laughing.
I picked this one because I want to dance as good as this guy and it has a great beat.
And don't worry, this one is the super clean version. And I turned it up LOUD.
How did you do this week? And what's been on your writing playlist?
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and BYU Basketball
Talk about divided loyalties! My BYU team was playing the last five minutes of their second-round NIT tournament game against Mercer and it's time for my shows. What do I watch? Finish the game? Castle? Hawaii Five-O?
What would you do if you had five of your sons sitting on the couch glued to the game? Yeah. We finished the game. But, as soon as BYU won we turned it to Castle. Thank goodness for DVR, that's all I can say.
Castle was really an ensemble show last night. We had the Beckett/Castle thing of her wanting to know who Jordan was and it really signified a lot about their relationship with his reluctance to talk about it, her wanting to know, subtly digging down to that next level of "them." When he finally tells her, it is such a good scene, although I'm really ready for "I love you," instead of this "I like you." After so many years together and everything they've been through, I like you seems flat at this point.
The star of the episode was Ryan. His undercover self was so opposite of how he usually comes across it surprised me. The situation reminded me a bit of a 24 ep I watched once, it was so tense. I loved Siobhan's reaction to seeing him and how it played out with his wife. So, so good. And the ending between them was perfection. Although I still don't think purple is Ryan's color. The funniest moment, though, was when Ryan calls out his crew and there's Castle peeking around the corner. "Really? I forgot my vest." Seamus Dever, the guy who plays Ryan tweeted that Nathan Fillion had ad-libbed that, which makes it even funnier. There is just something magical about this cast. Love them.
Hawaii Five-O had some really great moments, but overall it wasn't my favorite episode (It needed more McRoll). The look on Kamekona's face when Catherine walked in was funny, the shipping container dropped on the bad guy, and the "book 'em Kono." All really well done. Even the Magnum P.I. a capella singing was good, but only because of Danny's reaction. I didn't really like the carguments this time. There is such a fine line between Danny whining and Steve looking indulgent during the whining, and a true banter. Last night felt a bit more like whining. But the best part of all was all the great scenery shots. Seriously, watching them actually made me look up airfare to Hawaii. Someday . . .
What did you watch last night? Are you watching any March Madness or NIT games?
What would you do if you had five of your sons sitting on the couch glued to the game? Yeah. We finished the game. But, as soon as BYU won we turned it to Castle. Thank goodness for DVR, that's all I can say.
Castle was really an ensemble show last night. We had the Beckett/Castle thing of her wanting to know who Jordan was and it really signified a lot about their relationship with his reluctance to talk about it, her wanting to know, subtly digging down to that next level of "them." When he finally tells her, it is such a good scene, although I'm really ready for "I love you," instead of this "I like you." After so many years together and everything they've been through, I like you seems flat at this point.
The star of the episode was Ryan. His undercover self was so opposite of how he usually comes across it surprised me. The situation reminded me a bit of a 24 ep I watched once, it was so tense. I loved Siobhan's reaction to seeing him and how it played out with his wife. So, so good. And the ending between them was perfection. Although I still don't think purple is Ryan's color. The funniest moment, though, was when Ryan calls out his crew and there's Castle peeking around the corner. "Really? I forgot my vest." Seamus Dever, the guy who plays Ryan tweeted that Nathan Fillion had ad-libbed that, which makes it even funnier. There is just something magical about this cast. Love them.
Hawaii Five-O had some really great moments, but overall it wasn't my favorite episode (It needed more McRoll). The look on Kamekona's face when Catherine walked in was funny, the shipping container dropped on the bad guy, and the "book 'em Kono." All really well done. Even the Magnum P.I. a capella singing was good, but only because of Danny's reaction. I didn't really like the carguments this time. There is such a fine line between Danny whining and Steve looking indulgent during the whining, and a true banter. Last night felt a bit more like whining. But the best part of all was all the great scenery shots. Seriously, watching them actually made me look up airfare to Hawaii. Someday . . .
What did you watch last night? Are you watching any March Madness or NIT games?
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