Press Release: "Windsinger" by A. F. E. Smith

Having  read and reviewed the first two in this series, I am super excited for the next installment! :D Here's the summary from the author:

"Ayla Nightshade prepares to meet with the Kardise ambassador to sign a treaty between Mirrorvale and Sol Kardis. However, negotiations are halted as the ambassador is discovered dead in his chambers, poisoned by the same bottle of taransey he and Ayla had shared the night before.

Ayla has been framed for murder and the peace between two kingdoms is at stake. Tomas Caraway and his Helmsmen must rush to prove her innocence before war destroys all they have fought for.

Along the way they discover the plans for a Parovian airship, the Windsinger, which reveal a chamber designed for a special cargo: a living one.

Together Ayla and Tomas set out to uncover their real enemies – a search that will lead them closer to home than they ever anticipated."

I am starting this book today and with the power of friendship I hope to have a review up for you guys before then! :D

Marvel has cast the live action Runaways series on Hulu

Marvel was moving forward on an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s comic series Runaways as a TV show for Hulu. Gossip Girl creators and showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage would be handling the series, which is about a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are a cadre of supervillains known as “The Pride” and runaway only to discover their unusual birthrights.

Rhenzy Felix (Teen Wolf, Casual) as Alex Wilder, "a loud-and-proud nerd. Admittedly a bit of a loner, Alex spends much of his free-time playing video games, but deep down, what he wants most is to reunite his childhood group of friends."

Lyrica Okano (The Affair, Unforgettable) as Nico Minoru. "[She]–tough, intelligent, and independent–embodies teenage angst. A budding 'Wiccan,' Nico’s carefully crafted goth appearance isolates her from her peers and family, but maybe what she really needs is someone to talk to."

Virginia Gardner (Goat, Little Bitches) as Karolina Dean, described as "model-perfect exterior with a lot going on behind her professionally whitened smile, is burdened by the lofty expectations and responsibilities put upon her by her parents. Underneath her veneer of privilege and perfection, Karolina is experiencing a newfound eagerness to explore her identity and pursue her own desires."

Ariela Barer (New Girl, One Day At A Time) as Gert Yorkes. "[Gert] is a purple-haired, bespectacled, contemporary riot grrrl. Never passing up a moment to stand on a soapbox, Gert sometimes wields her persona as a brash social justice warrior to mask her true feelings."

Gregg Sulkin (Faking It, Don't Hang Up, Anti Social) as Chase Stein, a "lacrosse-playing, high school heartthrob. "While many write him off as a dumb jock, Chase exhibits flashes of untapped brilliance in engineering, not unlike his wildly successful father’s."

Allegra Acosta (100 Things To Do Before High School, Just Add Magic) as Molly Hernandez (not Molly Hayes, as in the comic books), "the youngest and most innocent member of her friend group, is known for her peppy positivity and a deep yearning to belong."

"Every teenager thinks their parents are evil. What if you found out they actually were?  Marvel’s Runaways is the story of six diverse teenagers who can barely stand each other but who must unite against a common foe–their parents."

source: Newsarama

"Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives" to open the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open the 16th edition with the world premiere of the feature length documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives at Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday, April 19, 2017. The premiere will be followed by a special concert featuring performances by Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more, taking opening night beyond the screen to honor the legendary music executive and producer. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 19 to April 30.

 Based on Davis’ 2013 bestselling autobiography, the film chronicles the historic influence of “The Man with the Golden Ears,” who rose from humble beginnings, and in a compelling and riveting journey, became one of the music industry’s most iconic figures. Directed by Chris Perkel, the film is produced by Michael Bernstein of Scott Free Productions, with Ridley Scott and Mary Lisio executive producing alongside IM Global’s Stuart Ford, David Schulhof, and Deborah Zipser. Leading independent film and television studio IM Global provided financing for the film. 

 “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a fascinating exploration of his remarkable story and the impact that a great producer can have on artists and music,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of the Tribeca Film Festival. “We are excited to have this powerful film premiere on our opening night.”

“The Tribeca Film Festival has a wonderful tradition of artists supporting artists, so honoring Clive Davis and his unwavering commitment to music and creativity is the perfect way to open our 16th annual festival,” said Tribeca’s Paula Weinstein. “With special live performances by some of the most talented artists of our time, it will be an unforgettable night to celebrate the arts and Clive.”

“Directing this film provided a wonderful challenge because Clive Davis stands at the center of a culture-defining array of talent that has shaped the last half century of contemporary music. His is an inspiring story that's sure to leave you with a smile on your face, a tug at your heart and a playlist of hits forever stuck in your head,” said director Chris Perkel.

The film is an inspiring story of courage, resilience, talent, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. These qualities drove Davis - a child of early 20th Century working-class Brooklyn who lost both parents while a teenager - to full academic scholarships to NYU and Harvard Law School and a brief but impactful stint as a white-shoe lawyer.  His unrelenting drive to be the best and a twist of fate led Davis to assume the presidency of Columbia Records at just 35 years of age. It was only after the discovery of Janis Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival, and Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Santana and Aerosmith shortly thereafter, that it became dramatically evident that he had a previously unexplored natural gift that would command a career that has created the soundtrack for three generations of American culture.

The film examines how Davis rocketed to the top of the bare-knuckles music industry,

repeatedly building major record labels (Columbia, Arista, J), at times becoming the subject of great controversy while overcoming enormous professional and personal challenges and tragedies. 

Davis has signed, influenced and driven the careers of many of the most important music artists of the 20th and 21stCenturies.  In addition to those already mentioned, these include: Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Earth Wind & Fire, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Rod Stewart, Sean “Puffy” Combs, and, of course, Whitney Houston, whose explosive professional career is dramatically captured in a never-before-told story that will move and enthrall audiences. The Soundtrack of Our Lives features interviews with many of these iconic artists. His storied annual Pre-Grammy Gala, which just turned 40, is always the hottest ticket of the year, drawing the biggest stars across music, film, television, and politics as well as business leaders and glitterati from around the world. For the first time, there will be an inside look in the documentary at the musical and social heights reached by this legendary Gala.

Critical Role Fanfiction: "Dreamscape" Chapter 3:

Hello everyone. It has been a while since I have written Critical Role fanfiction. It has actually been a year which is crazy. Life is moving on fast. To tell the truth, my heart and mind had lost inspiration as of late. It happens. Everyone can get writers block from time to time. I recently got a surge of inspiration and I want to continue this story for as long as I can. Thank you all who have read the prologue to Chapter 2. I greatly appreciate the support. For those who are new and have no idea what story I am talking about and want to catch up, click here,

(http://www.otakusandgeeks.com/articles/2015/6/19/critical-role-fanfiction/author?rq=dreamscape) 

and here

(http://www.otakusandgeeks.com/articles/2015/6/26/dreamscape-chapter-2-a-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/author?rq=dreamscape%20)

Enjoy!

The dented armored man sits next to Vex and addresses the group with a low gravely voice. "Excuse me for staring. It's been a rough couple of weeks and as you all can gleen from my appearance, I barely made it out of there alive. My name is Andreus Fallform. I'm a guard in my sovereign's  army which has been torn asunder by the evil that has started to gather there. Unfortunately, this armor is the only article of clothing that I have on me for the time being, so pardon for my appearance. The reason for the sudden stares from across the room, you holy gnome, was in my vision." Pike looks at him with a confused look on her face.  "You had a vision too? I mean I had one and it seems that we've gotten different beginnings but the same ending: a feeling that something is wrong."

Andreus nodded his head. "I was told by the denizens of Imon that a person with your description was the one that I had to set out for. My lady who gave me the vision in the first place, said that I would find you here and also find the group Vox Machina. I assume these are they." He gestures to his eyes each and every member, including Grog who is over at the bar still drinking away. "I've heard some tales about this group of strange of heroes that have fought a dragon and lived to tell the tale as well as other hell spawn of the world. I need your help Vox Machina, and I would like to have your cleric come with me to help my soverign and people."

As Andrus was speaking, Vax was looking very closely at Andrus and was also taking in every word he said, including the inflections that he has made.  Vax notices something else on Andrus. On his face, he has a fresh burn mark. Vax speaks to Andrus. "Before we rush in the situation, as we usually do, what ails the land and your ruler? Also why in the hell haven't you went into detail about the fight that happened on the way to the forum. especially with the burn mark on your face?" Andrus looks at Vax with a stern glance yet the corners of his mouth move upwards into a mischievous grin. "Is there somewhere else where we can have this conversation?"

Back at the keep, Tiberius joins the group around the table and Pike fills him in on what happened. Tiberius snorts and says "Sounds to me that we are going to be dealing with some buttholes again, aren't we?" As everyone settled down at the table, Andrus looks at the group and at the latest guest. Andrus raises an eyebrow curiously at Tiberius. He still has that mischievous grin on his face. "A Dragonborn. Not everyday that I see one around these parts." Tiberius looks at Andrus and says in his own special greeting "Hello. I am Tiberius Stormwind of Draconia." Andrus grin turns into a smile that gives Keyleth shivers down her spine. She is sitting next to Percy and leans over to whisper in his ear, "Percy that smile. I got a bad feeling about this." 

"I am with you on this feeling, however if we don't show that we trust him up until this point, he will shut us out. That means no more information about a cause that we may not want to involve ourselves in." 

Keyleth gives him a resigned look. "Fine but after the whole Clarota fiasco and Lady Kima, I'm starting to get worried by the company we keep or attract. My instincts are out of it, I guess." 

Percy says, "You have every right to be nervous. Don't lose that sense. That just means your on to something."  

Andrus looks at everyone one more time and begins to tell the story.  

 "The kingdom that I grew up at is at the cusp of a forest called Lunaity. The kingdom has no name except for what outsidera call the Emerald City. We established the city about 4 years ago after moving from a desert near a city called Marcett. 

Baywatch Reboot Actor in Talks to play Black Manta

The Get Down actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in Aquaman as the villain, Black Manta, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor recently finished filming a role in the upcoming Baywatch reboot, which co-stars DC's upcoming Black Adam, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Little is known about the role on film, however in comic books Black Manta is a man from the surface world who now lives under the ocean and has sworn revenge on his former home.

Abdul-Mateen would join Jason Momoa in the title role, alongside Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, and Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master.

Aquaman is due out in theaters October 5, 2018.

CLOAK AND DAGGER TV SERIES CAST THE LEADS

Freeform's Marvel TV series Cloak & Dagger has cast its leads, both former Disney Channel stars. Olivia Holt will play Tandy Bowen, A.K.A. Dagger, who has the power to throw bolts of light, while Aubrey Joseph will play Tyrone Johnson, who has the power to maipulate darkness.

Cloak & Dagger has been in the works for almost five years, according to the report, and will center on the romance between Tyrone and Tandy.

“The characters of Tandy and Tyrone have always stood out to me ever since I first met them in the pages of Marvel comics when I was a boy," explained showrunner Joe Pokaski. "When  Olivia and Aubrey read for the roles, these characters leapt off the page. We’re so excited to see what these talented young actors bring to the Marvel Universe."

Marvel also released official descriptions of the characters. It describes Tandy as follows: "Once a privileged little girl, Tandy Bowen watched as her family was destroyed by a disastrous storm that uprooted her life. Now in her late teens, an unexpected encounter with a boy named Tyrone sparks a life changing event."

Meanwhile, Tyrone is described as such: "Young Tyrone Johnson wanted nothing more than to prove he was fearless.  But when everything he held close was taken away, life taught Tyrone to be afraid.  Now older and more sheltered, Tyrone closes himself off. But when he meets a girl named Tandy his life changes Forever."

No projected premiere date has been announced for Cloak & Dagger.

Where Call of Duty Infinite Warfare Ranks with the Rest of the Franchise

Written By Adam Hayes 

If you know know anything about first person shooter video games, you have heard of the Call of Duty franchise put out by Activision. From its very first game released in 2003, it has sold massive quantities of a new installment every single year. However, this year was somewhat different. After Activision released their trailer for Infinite Warfare on Youtube, it quickly became the second most disliked video on the site. When it was released in November, its sales were abysmal when compared to previous iterations of the franchise. In spite of all the hate, it still managed to get good scores from various game reviews.

Though some various game reviewing companies gave it decent scores, the gaming community did not seem to get behind it. So what went wrong? The campaign seemed to be something straight out of movie. With celebrities such as Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington and UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor, there is no way it could have been bad. In spite of the big names attached to it, the campaign fell short of previous endeavors-even short of Call of Duty Black Ops III's wacky/sci-fi entwined campaign, which is the highest selling Xbox One game of all-time. Many people disliked the predictability that we have come to know all too well from the Call of Duty campaigns.

The lackluster campaign goes to show that not even big-name actors can save something that was stale from the very beginning. Of course, not all people are fans of the campaign. Call of Duty is known for its massive online community that spend countless hours in multiplayer lobbies. Usually, something new is introduced. In Advanced Warfare, we had the rise of combat rigs-suits that soldiers wore to jump around and boost forwards around the maps. Black Ops III introduced specialists-premade soldiers that the player can outfit with various-and sometimes outlandish-outfits. Each of these specialists offered some type of unique ability or weapon that was sure to give you an advantage out on the battlefield.

With Infinite Warfare, nothing new really stood out. This gave the multiplayer a feeling of a reskinned previous game. This ultimately led to its downfall in sales. Perhaps the biggest draw to the recent Call of Duty games have been the various zombie modes. First introduced as sort of an easter egg at the end of World at War, it has quickly become the favorite game mode for many players. If there was a redeeming quality of Infinite Warfare, this mode would be it. With a zany space-themed park as the backdrop, surviving waves of the undead was somewhat fresh and inviting.

Ultimately, Infinite Warfare in itself was not a bad game. However, whenever you put it up against previous record breaking games that have been released under the Call of Duty banner, it fails miserably. If Activision wants to continue having their success, they need to listen to what the people want and deliver a fresh and exciting game for the next installment. Otherwise, they won't survive.

Lenni Reviews: "The Haunting of Timber Manor" by F. E. Feeley Jr.

(Image Source)

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated for 18+.

Daniel Donnelly has sadly lost his parents in a terrible accident. He gets a phone call from his estranged aunt who tells him he is now heir to a fortune and a house called Timber Manor. On the way there, Daniel has to pull over in a huge storm and Sherriff Hale Davis - a native of the town near Timber Manor - helps him out. But the manor holds a dark and powerful secret that puts Daniel's life in great peril

While Daniel and Hale make a good couple and you're rooting for them, the novel makes a great ghost story. The tone is perfect for curling up in a blanket and reading this on a stormy night.It was good to have the story switch perspectives to get everyone's thoughts on what's happening but I feel the supernatural story development had more care put to it than the romantic development. Daniel and Hale have that insta-love thing going on that will bug you if that's an aspect of romances that bug you.

And can Francine get a spin-off series!? PLEASE!!

Giving this a 3.7 out of 5.