Felt like a night for a party

Last night I went to see Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in concert. To say the show was phenomenal would be a huge understatement. There is a reason beyond blind, dumb, luck that these men are on the fast track to epic success and last night I saw it first-hand.

From the moment they stepped on stage, the energy was unlike anything I've ever experienced. It was infectious. I felt zapped from standing outside in the heat all day and wondered how I would make it through the rest of the show. From the first beats of the opening song, 10,000 Hours, my energy level was no longer a concern.

The way Macklemore was able to command and connect with the audience was unprecedented. There's an very "real" quality to him and at no point did it feel like we were watching an ego perform. It was the performance of a man who appreciated every ounce of the success he's worked so hard for.

There were many high points of the night but there's one in particular that I wanted to mention. The song Same Love has become the unofficial anthem for the same-sex marriage equality issue. When they performed it last night the place exploded. I can't describe what was like to hear ten thousand people singing the line "Damn right I support it!". I choked up a little. It was a beautiful moment I'll never forget. 

I could write pages upon pages about why it was such a good time, but I'll keep it short and sweet. So why did I feel the need to blog about a concert? To urge everyone to go see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis live. Unfortunately for my Colorado friends, if you missed last night's show, you're out of luck. There are no plans for them to return on this tour. For the rest of you, if you love Macklemore or are looking for an excuse to let loose and have a genuinely fun time, spend the money, get a ticket. It's not just a concert but an experience to remember!

And we danced, and we cried.
And we laughed and had a really, really, really good time.
Take my hand, let's have a blast
And remember this moment for the rest of our lives.

*Photo credits go to my BFF, Jannah.

Review: Shudder by Samantha Durante

Shudder Synopsis

It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Nicki's Review-


There are some heart pounding moments from the beginning in this installment of the Stitch trilogy. Alessa and Issac have escaped Paragon, searching for a rebellion safe haven. Food is scarce, the weather is miserable and they have a new horror stalking their every step. As readers, we experience their fear, dwindling hope and desperation.

I fell in love with these characters all over again. Issac is one to add to the list of "book boyfriends". All he wants to do is protect the people he cares about. He second guesses his decisions and in a weird way, the insecurity makes him more endearing. He's not the overly confident, cocky hero we're all used to. It sets his character apart from the pack, anchoring him in reality. Don't get me wrong, there's still a place for those arrogant yet lovable heroes but I find this character a refreshing change of pace.

If you loved Stitch, this book is a fantastic follow up.If you haven't read it yet, hop to it. You're missing out! This book was a wild ride of emotions. Within the first one hundred pages I feared for the characters' lives, swooned at the sweet moments and cried at the heartbreaking ones.Samantha Durante has a wonderful gift of incorporating many genres into one one well thought out and intriguing tale.  Let this author pull you into her fascinating, dark future of the world we live in. You won't be sorry!

To Purchase your copy of Stitch (Book 1) for just 99 cents click HERE.

To purchase Shudder (Book 2), you may follow the links below:

Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)
Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold

You may connect with the author via:

Her website

Facebook

Twitter

Author Bio:
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. 

Where has the Squirrel Whisperer been?

Good day! My apologies for not posting much this past month. I've been very busy. Let me get you caught up and then I'd like to share some awesome news!

The main project eating away most of my time, of course, is my novel. I've been working tirelessly to get it ready for my editor, the always awesome Cynthia Shepp. The manuscript will be placed in her very capable hands this Saturday, August 10th (Eek!). If all goes well, I'm hoping for a release date sometime in September/early October.

This past month, I finished two short story submissions for an anthology contest. Actually, I wrote three, but deemed one unworthy of submission. I ripped out the good parts and added them to another story. Nothing like a little literary vivisection to bring a smile to a girl's face.

Now the good news! My Frankenstein of a tale, brought forth by the previous story's demise, will be published as part of the upcoming Stalkers Anthology. The competition was fierce and I spent six days lurking around on Facebook waiting for the winners to be announced. I was very nervous my story wouldn't make the cut. As with all of my peers, I'm always on edge, waiting for someone to finally discover I'm a total hack. Until that time however, I'll keep chugging along and celebrating my victories.

About the Stalkers Anthology-
First off, I want to say congratulations to the winners! I feel honored to be printed beside so many wonderful writers/authors. Second, I want to thank Cynthia Sheep and Rene Folsom for putting together another wonderful anthology highlighting indie talent. Seriously, you ladies ROCK!

Now the details- No release date is scheduled just yet, but I'll keep you up to date as the information is handed down.  If you'd like to know a little bit more about my story, Damaged People, click on the Published Works tab at the top of this page.

A list of the stories to be included:
Lucid by Andrea Stanet 
Donations by Bart Hopkins 
Bernice by Chad Foutz 
Destination: Death by Eaton Thomas Palmer 
Autumn by Elizabeth Collins 
Dead Ringer by Jason Brant 
Freezer Burn by Jon Messenger 
Powerless by Laurie Treacy 
The Watcher by Lindy Spencer 
Immortal Luck by Magen McMinimy 
Say My Name by Michael Loring 
Damaged People by Nicki Scalise 
Izzy's Assassin by Nicole Clark 
Blog Stalker by Phil Taylor 
Every Thorn by Rene Folsom 
Affliction by S.L. Dearing
Don't Kiss the Dead Fred by A.E. Killingsworth 

The awesome cover was created by the very talented Rene Folsom at Phycel Designs.

Review: Devoured by Jason Brant

Devoured by Jason Brant


Lance York's life has not been going according to plan. He's unemployed and having difficulty finding work. His marriage is on the skids and his in-laws think he's a loser.  Things are about to go from bad to catastrophic, when he decides to follow a woman, who's behaving oddly and stumbling down the sidewalks of Pittsburgh. Will he survive the destruction of the human race or become another flesh eating monster?



My Review:
Jason Brant has always claimed to be a douche, and after finishing his latest novel, Devoured, I must concur. For those who know him, this revelation will come as no surprise. For those unfamiliar with him, at this time, you may be asking yourself, "What the hell kind of review is this?" Hang tight as I fill you in.

I was given a copy of Devoured in exchange for an honest review. I sat down to begin this book thinking, Eh, I have time to read a chapter or two today and then I have stuff to do. A few chapters later, I thought, One more chapter and then I'm done. Long story short, before I knew it, I was halfway through the book. This is why Jason Brant is a douche. His books are impossible to put down, ergo, I get nothing else done. Okay, technically, that may not qualify him as a douche, but it does qualify him as a damn good writer.

This novel is another prime example of the author's ability to draw you into the world he's creating. There was an awesome sense of experiencing the madness for oneself. The main character's confusion over what was truly happening combined with the uncertainty of what to do next, played very well throughout the entire story and his struggle to survive really had me on the edge of my seat.

Lance is a very likable character. Despite his self described shortcomings, feeling like a miserable failure and suffering from depression, he continued to strive to climb out of that hole. The dissolution of his marriage is heartbreaking at times, and I couldn't help but feel for him as he tried to cope with it on top of everything else. The character, as a whole, is another shining example of the author's skill at creating a hero from the underdog.

The monsters creating all the havoc for our hero are unsettling, to say the least. The descriptions of them were nothing short of fantastic. Here's a little excerpt-

A dozen doctors surrounded the woman from the street.
Her condition had deteriorated dramatically in the few hours since Lance had seen her.
Her eyes were milky and shriveled, like white raisins in their sockets. The veins in her face stood out from her deathly pale, sunken skin.
Her lower jaw hung low, yawning so wide it neared dislocation.
She shrieked again, the shrillness of it stabbing at Lance’s ears despite the wall of glass between them.

Now, if that doesn't give you a shiver worthy visual, I don't know what will. The monsters just get creepier as they mutate but I won't spoil that, you'll just have to pick up the book for yourself.

This book was based off the world created in the author's short story, Lotion, featured in the Apocalypse Anthology. The short story is also great but not a necessary read to follow along. Although, there is a nice little tie in, if you do.

All in all, another awesome offering from the indie master (douche) of horror, Jason Brant. Pick this one up, you won't be sorry.

If you'd like to connect with Jason Brant, you may follow the links to:
His blog
Facebook

If you'd like to read my reviews for his other works, you may do so by following the links below:
The Dark
Tartarus (West of Hell Book 2)
Sheol (West of Hell Book 3)

Contest Time!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who participated!

I'm in a fabulous mood today despite only having four hours of sleep. Why, you might ask? All week I've been receiving amazing critiques from the beta readers on my novel and last night, I completed a short story that I'll be submitting for the Stalkers Anthology. In honor of my chipper demeanor, I want to give away some swag. I would've preferred to do this on everyone's favorite anti-social network, but didn't want to risk the Facebook police shutting down my page, so here we are.

Okay, here's how this is going to work-I'm going to post some random trivia, and all you have to do is answer all the questions correctly. There will be a few prizes to be won, read on for more details. Yeah, that's right I'm going to make you work for this stuff.

EDIT:
It appears I made this too hard, so I'm changing it up. I've deleted all the cover questions and left just the regular questions and the bonus. All entries will get a bookmark. That's right, you don't even have to get the answers correct! The rest of the prizes will be as follows:

Prize one- paperback copy of Apocalypse Anthology or Paranormal Anthology with a Twist.
To be eligible participants must correctly answer all the regular questions. One winner will be chosen via Random.org from qualifying entries. This portion is open to U.S. residents only.

Bonus Prize- Signed paperback copy of Apocalypse Anthology OR Paranormal Anthology with a Twist
To be eligible participants must correctly answer all the regular questions and the super bonus question. One winner will be chosen via Random.org from qualifying entries. This portion is open to U.S. residents only.

Alright, let's try this again, shall we? Answers must be received no later than 5pm mountain time, Monday, June 24th. One entry per person please. Email your answers to nickiscalise@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook by clicking the link.



Regular questions:
1. Name the actor originally cast to play Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

2.What is the title of the Queen song featured during the pool cue beating scene in Shawn of the Dead?

3.Name the film and the character who uttered the awesome line: "Evil will always triumph because good is dumb."

4. What is the name of the other blog I write/review for?

5.Name one of my favorite authors *Hint- I've posted them somewhere on this blog*

6.What is the name and breed of the little dog in my short story Cheyenne Mountain? (Haven't read it yet? Click here to purchase it from Amazon)

7. What was the very last line from Firefly and which character delivered it?

Super bonus question:

What creatures, entities, myths or legends are the main focus of my first novel? There are very few people who are privy this privileged information, so you can either bribe one of them or guess. Now some of you may already be screaming foul because the book hasn't been released yet, or think this is rigged. To an extent you may be right, however, if you guess correctly, you'll be in a very small group of people in the "know". You'll be special! You want to be special dontcha?

So that's it! Good luck!

Review: The Red Order (Order of the Seers Book #2) By Cerece Reenie Murphy

The Red Order (Order of the Seers book #2) 
by Cerece Reenie Murphy


After successfully destroying The Guild's Purification center in Chicago, Joel and Lilli are on a mission to finish what they've started. First item of business is to track down other Seer's before The Guild does. Meanwhile, the evil forces aren't the only ones researching what biological or scientific reasons create the Seers. When the Lost Seers make the discovery, they realize what a huge game changer it will be. However, the Guild has a new plan of attack in the form of the Red Order, a group of Seer's whose purpose is to hunt down and destroy Joel, Lilli and company. Will they evade the new threat long enough to get the word out or will The Guild regain the upper hand?


Book one in this series, Order of the Seers, was the first book I reviewed, this year, over on A Thousand Lives. You can read my review HERE. In a nutshell, I absolutely loved book one, so when the author contacted me to review book two, I jumped at the opportunity.

I have to start out by saying if you haven't read Order of the Seers you have no idea what you're missing. The author has an uncanny knack for making the reader feel every bit a part of the story and feeling the characters' emotions. You'll want to see them succeed and defeat the ultimate corruption. Even though they claimed a victory in Chicago, it wasn't without consequences or losses. Each character has to comes to terms with that in their own way. As with Liam in the first book, Joel is a young man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has to make hard decisions that will effect everyone in very profound ways and within the course of this book he falls, almost hesitantly, into the role of a leader. You can't help but empathize for his position.

The plot was paced very well and never, at any point, did I feel that it ever dragged. The first chapter gets the story going with the super creepy villain, Crane, and the direct aftermath of the events from book one. As stated in my previous review, I still think he's a great villain. Once again, he's a fine example of the author's talent for writing rich character development. It seems everyone has their own agenda in this tale and he is no different, but there's a bit of an enigma to him. He weaves an extraordinary amount of lies and the more one tries to untangle, the more dangerous he becomes. The explanation for his behavior definitely adds menace to his already sinister persona.

I really don't want to give any huge details away but the plot here took me by surprise. I really thought I knew where this book and series was headed but the author pulled a fast one on me. It's a development I really enjoyed, as it opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for the third book. I'm really looking forward to where she takes it. Order of the Seers is shaping up to be a fantastic series already and I highly recommend it.

You can purchase Order of the Seers and The Red Order by visiting the author's Amazon page.

You may also connect with the author via her blog

Bob Loblaw's Law Blog? Nope, just my thoughts on the new season of Arrested Development.

When I first heard Netflix was bringing back the beloved show, Arrested Development,  I was conflicted. It was a strange mix of joy and hesitation. Would we, the fans, be lucky enough for this show to be resurrected and restored to its previous splendor? The answer, as I've discovered, is no. Now before you take a razor to your wrist, allow me to explain.

If you haven't had a chance to watch the new episodes yet , here's a small piece of advice. Don't go into your viewing experience expecting to see the same show we once loved and adored. Instead, go into it, as if, you're watching a new series with familiar characters. Does that make sense? It may not now, but once you watch the episodes, you'll have a better understanding of my point.

There are fifteen episodes to this new season, and to be honest, after three, I almost threw in the towel. It's not that it's all bad, it's just different, and that took some getting used to. I stuck with it and it slowly got better but it never really was the same. Here's where it differs- Due to scheduling conflicts and other filming commitments, it was impossible to get the entire cast together at one time. Therefore, instead of the ensemble we're used to, we get character-centric episodes. So, prepare yourself, there are entire episodes when we don't see some cast members at all. Most notably, Gob (Will Arnett) and Buster (Tony Hale), are noticeably absent, a lot. Given that the entire cast was never present for an entire episode, some of the magic was lost.

There were times, when I felt, some of the actors struggled to get back into character and the writing was strange. I think Jason Bateman's character had the biggest changes. In the original series,  Michael was different from the rest of his wack-a-doo family and that's why he was always trying to get away from them. However, in these new episodes, he seemed to have become almost as manipulative, self-centered, and clueless as the rest of them. Was that the original story arc the character would have taken if the show hadn't been abruptly cancelled or did the writers just forget what the hell they were doing? I have no idea. Even though, Bateman played it well, I still found it to be a disappointing change.

Of course, there were the random cameos from Carl Weathers, Scott Baio (Bob Loblaw), Henry Winkler, (Barry Zuckerkorn,the family's incompetent lawyer). Ron Howard also became a reoccurring character (as himself), as opposed to just a disembodied narrator. I found the addition of his character a bit distracting, although, it did play well into the plot line of Michael trying to get the family to consent to give rights for a movie about their lives. That sub-plot/running joke was nice little nod to the dedicated fans. The best cameo though, hands down, was Ben Stiller as Tony Wonder, Gob's arch-nemesis. The scenes with these two characters together were the absolute highlight of season four.

All the tiny negatives aside, the plot line was intricately woven through each character's story arc and the writers did a brilliant job with it. The characters are consistently screwing over other members of the Bluth family, without ever realizing what they've done. It was very clever and once I recognized what the writers were up to,  the plot better held my attention. I felt the show really hit it's stride around the twelfth episode and while I know that sounds crazy, I thought it wasn't really Arrested Development, until Gob and Buster came onto the scene, with more frequency.

So here's my take-I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. The writers, once again, left the ending hanging and it has yet to be confirmed if there'll be a season five or not. The chatter about an AD movie is still floating around and while I'm torn on whether the show should continue or not, one thing is obvious. The fans demanded, for years, that this show return, and for the first time in a long time, someone listened. So bravo to you, Netflix! Thank you for making it possible to peek in, once again, on the incredibly dysfunctional Bluth family and their mishaps.

Now if we could just talk about Firefly...





I must leave you with one of my favorite scenes. Hope the title doesn't offend, but I have no control over that. Enjoy!