Readers Really Do Judge A Book By Its Cover

I had a dilemma for the final book in the Luminary Saga, Flare. Should I continue with the concept of making each cover visually independent of the previous ones...or revert back to the basic design of the silhouette over a different background? After re-configuring the cover art with a new take on the silhouette, I thought the decision was made. But a book is never done until it's actually published. Which meant I had some wiggle room.

It's true what they say -- readers really do judge a book by its cover. 

Thus I went back to the drawing board -- quite literally.  Playing around with some of the themes explored in the last book in the series, I added images and subtracted them until I was happy with the result. This second option I honestly like better and think is more indicative of a major event in Flare.

So when Flare comes out in October look for the book cover (below) with the volcano (new design). The old design (far below) with the silhouette will not be used; if you're looking for that at your favorite booksellers you won't find it.

I don't have the exact date for Flare's launch  -- which is fast approaching -- but I will post it as soon as it's available.

Cheers,
P.S. Meraux

The Mummy Flops in U.S. While Raking in $$$ Overseas.

Warner Brothers had high hopes with their new creature feature, The Mummy. The reboot of the horror classic was supposed to kick off a new dark universe for the studio with more epic monster movies to come. Unfortunately the only scary thing about The Mummy is how poorly it’s doing at the U.S. box office. That fact alone may not herald a death knell for the burgeoning franchise. The film did very well overseas, making back the entire production budget during opening weekend.

Director Alex Kurtzman's The Mummy (2017) has a decent plot, some stellar CGI and decades of Hollywood lore to draw from. So why did it fail with American audiences?

I have a theory.

And before Tom Cruise fans start yelling at me, hear me out. I don’t plan on bashing the guy or his acting. For the most part I can get behind and even applaud his roles. Cruise is excellent at playing the tough guy, the self-sacrificing hero with a patriotic soul. And people love him for it.

And that’s what I think part of the problem is with this movie.

The script for the 2017 film, while touted as a reboot of the Hollywood classic, actually seems to draw a lot of inspiration from director Stephen Sommers’ 1999 version of The Mummy. That one --starring Brendan Fraser went on to become a cult classic. I wasn’t even a fan of it when it first came out but by now I can quote almost every line.

The lead character was an opportunist rogue, named Rick with a map that’s supposed to help him in his search for treasure. He finds an ancient evil buried under the desert sand and inadvertently unleashes an unholy plague upon the earth. His buddy, Beni, winds up helping the resurrected Mummy.

Rick, with the help of a sweet-faced Egyptologist, her brother and a Medjai warrior who commands a legion of soldiers -- must band together to save the day. Oh, and one of them is to be sacrificed in order to reincarnate a powerful evil being.

In the 2017 version, the lead’s name is Nick. Also an opportunist rogue with a stolen map in search of treasure. He finds an ancient evil buried under the sand and inadvertently unleashes an unholy bitch upon the earth. His buddy, Vail, winds up indirectly helping the resurrected corpse.

Nick, with the help of a pretty archaeologist, her ally --who runs a consortium that tracks monsters, and a group of special forces types -- must band together to save the day. Oh and one of them is to be sacrificed in order to reincarnate a powerful evil being.

Everybody on the same page?

The problem with the modern version is that Kurtzman’s script lacks the essential humor of the Sommers’ feature. So does the cast. It doesn’t offer much that is new, aside from setting up this “monster watching’ consortium" with Dr. Jekyll at the helm. Which frankly added another level of exposition that was just too long.

Fraser’s Rick had a way of letting the audience in on the gag. Be it venting his frustration with Evie or Jonathan -- or even taking swipes at his former jailer. He never took himself too seriously and the audience was always in on it. There was great chemistry among the entire ensemble.

And while there are light moments in the 2017 film, Cruise works too hard at it. It’s more of an exercise in saying the right words at the right moment, yet it fails to charm. The audience is never invited to be in on the joke. Each line is delivered in a believable manner but lacks the mojo needed to captivate or woo. 

Another problem with this current Mummy is the ending. I know that Warner Brothers is setting up the sequel with it. This was not the proper way to go about it. Granted most people expect Cruise’s Ethan Hunt or Jack Reacher  to be self-sacrificing and not get the girl. However that’s not the character profile of Rick/Nick. And thus made the final scenes unsatisfying.

If this film was a paint by the numbers portrait, I’d say the technique is there. The painter managed to stay between the lines and select the right color scheme. And I might spend a moment looking at the end result on display -- just to be polite. But I wouldn’t take it home with me or call it art.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

     While critics have lambasted Captain Jack Sparrow and his new assortment of frenemies in this fifth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, I have to call 'em out since I disagree with them. Granted it's not as good as the first POC was (what sequel is?) That doesn't mean it's unwatchable.
     The film is obviously going for a younger vibe with the introduction of Aussie actor, Brenton Thwaites -- you'll remember him as Prince Phillip from Maleficent and British actress Kaya Scodelario  -- you'll recall that she played Teresa Agnes in the Maze Runner films. She's returning to that role in 2018.
    There are a few cameos of well-established characters from the other films that round out the sizable cast which make it more memorable for fans of the franchise and I willingly admit to being one.
    The action is a little choppy in the beginning of the film as the background for Henry Turner (Thwaites) and the driving need to save his father is established.  It picks up shortly after that scene in the credits from At World's End.  That's all settled long before act two arrives and the true hunt for Poseidon's Trident gets underway in earnest.
     Carina (Scodelario) brings a stubborn, intelligent woman to the cast. Every good story needs one of those. She's not a pirate. When she and Henry discover that they share a similar childhood hardship, instant chemistry abounds.
     The script offers glimpses of Jack's backstory and a little more of Captain Barbossa's past. It's nice to see that he's not quite as horrid as he was in some of the other films.
     I won't go into Captain Salazar's role too much as I don't wish to spoil the show. The ending was predictable but very satisfying. People were actually clapping in the theater when I saw it.  So whether critics poo-poo it or not the rest of us were pleased. Not only by this film but the prospect of two more to come. In the words of Captain Jack Sparrow: "Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!" 

Why Beauty and the Beast Works....

Whether it's boy meets girl, girl meets boy, girl meets girl, or boy meets boy -- the set up for a love story is important. In reality, it truly is a tale as old as time. There are literally millions of venues for the set up to take place. One of the things that makes Beauty and the Beast work so well is the set-up.

It's simple and yet contradictory. The Beast imprisons Belle's father for pilfering a rose from the garden. A hefty price to pay for a pretty bloom, no matter how you look at it.

In doing so, the Beast brings about the unexpected  meeting with this fiercely protective, head-strong girl, Belle. Granted, inter-species relationships were probably not as popular when the story was originally penned in 1740 as they are now. 

The great irony of Beauty and the Beast is that-- keeping Belle captive and getting to know her may bring about the Beast's freedom from this evil curse. A curse he was put under for his selfish behavior. But the act of imprisoning her in the first place-- is very selfish. 

Fortunately for the Beast-- his magical household staff is better at romancing the girl on his behalf. At least initially, quelling the fireworks and animosity between the two. Thank goodness that Lumiere is there to interfere and nudge the courtship along.

At this point one may question who's the captor and the captive. Some may argue that such ambiguity is what makes the dynamic between Belle and the Beast work.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

One of the best aspects of Belle's character is that the girl doesn't need permission to be herself. Bravo! The new film continues that sense of empowerment. When Belle's father is in trouble, the Beast sacrifices his own future for her benefit.

The resultant consequences for the Beast and his household are both troublesome and wondrous. Sacrificing something a character desperately wants so that someone else can be happy isn't a bad gesture. It's a common trope in many love stories. And when it comes to unselfish gestures, Beauty and the Beast is full of them.

A Sequel? Perhaps

I've always wanted for there to be a sequel to this story where the witch who cursed the Beast enacted a similar charm on Gaston. Although technically, he does love someone: Himself.

Like Lumiere, Waxine, the enchanted candelabra in my first novel, Luminary has her own brand of magic. And her own opinions about how it should be used. Maybe I'll put her to work casting a spell on Gaston. If nothing else, she could make him fawn over someone...perhaps even LeFou.  

I hope you enjoy viewing the film.  

Easter Eggs and Hidden Gems

   It's not exactly Candy Crush, but there are some hidden gems in the novels which make up the Luminary Saga.

As an author whose sanity is sometimes debatable -- I feel a responsibility to put more attention into the tiny details of my books than the average reader might reasonably be expected to discover. I find little ways to tuck seemingly unrelated items inside the chapters. They’re of my own playful design, an extra **secret** hidden in the pages for my satisfaction more than anything else. At least I thought they were hidden.

    I’ve gotten some fun questions from attentive readers that I think are very clever. Not just because they like my books. (Hey, I really appreciate that too.) But because they’re asking about the Easter eggs.

While the obstacles the protagonists encounter in the books are fairly obvious, and differ from one novel to the next, the secrets don’t stop there.

     Since the first book in the series starts with Luminary, it shouldn’t be surprising to people that many of the descriptive terms have to do with some form of light. Even the beer. Corona -- as one brilliant reader rightly pointed out, is a crown of light.

 And Wendy’s not so secret crush in Beacon?

When the hairdresser gushes and sometimes mimics her favorite actor,

Liam Neeson, it signals something that fans have picked up on. Another perceptive reader discovered that whenever Wendy makes a reference to Liam in any of the books, the next chapter gets a tie-in. Usually its title comes from one of his hit movies.

The final chapter?

And several vigilant readers have spoken up about the secret of the final chapter in each book: it always includes a clue to the title of the next book.

Do the Easter eggs stop there?

I’m not telling. Why spoil the fun of the avid page-turners who are earnestly hunting them down? When they do, I’ll post them.

  Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux

Inspo ...Comes from many places.

I think most authors from time to time get asked about their inspiration for stories and how they do their research, myself included.
I recently got a question from a reader whose intention may have been the former while she wrote about the latter, asking me where I did my research about: what souls look like and how to alter them ???
    After I stopped chuckling (several minutes later) I started thinking about the nature of inspo. While the description of the soul is fiction in my novels, I did honestly put a lot of thought into it. More than the standard walking around the house mumbling to myself. And yes, I did do some um, ur, research...yes research...corresponding with theologians. Picking their brains for ideas. The general consensus being that the human spirit or soul is not something deemed tangible in as much as it is the presence of life to which the physical body plays host.
     But IF it did exist to the extent that it's visible and therefore describable -- it might have an amorphous form like vapor, liquid or light. With those options in mind, I made a conscious decision to have it resemble pure white light.

Altering it?
    Here I found that I was in virgin territory. There is no expert to consult. A soul is a soul, neither good nor bad. Now a person can change or alter their habits, their appearance, even their beliefs. Does that impact the nature of the soul itself? No one can say for sure.
    I got to thinking about pure white light again or rather the choices available for transforming it. Lighting techs use filters, gels, skims and intensity to change the tone and complexion of light on a movie set.  I couldn't envision a Paragon doing this since some of these devices are cumbersome and wouldn't fit in one's pocket.
    In a sense Paragons are ageless craftsmen and very dedicated to their duty. As many will see in the later volumes, the process of becoming a Paragon is not an easy one. Think molten lava.
    With that in mind, I did examine metallurgy and discovered iron ore is extracted and processed. While interesting it wasn't quite on par with my ideas for a Paragon's skill set.
   The light bulb went off when I was moving a sterling silver tea set that I inherited from my grandmother. Turning the tray over I saw the old hallmarks, well-worn from time and use, as to be almost smooth. I thought about the lost art of the silversmiths and how using hand tools they fashioned such beautiful pieces leaving their signatures with unique symbols and marks. Suddenly I saw in my mind exactly how Wicus would be adjusting a soul. Hence the stardust chisel and mallet of light -- tools of the trade for any Paragon.
    So I have to thank my late grandmother's love of vintage silverplate and hollowware for helping me devise a method for altering souls. Like the second verse of the old nursery rhyme says...that little teapot was clever indeed.
  Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux

Why A Luminary?

     I get asked that question quite a lot. Some have even asked, "Why would a grown woman want to animate a candelabra for a non-kids book?"

    Well to answer that properly, I have to go back a ways to let you know something about me.  As a little girl, I used to believe that flowers whispered their stories and wishes to the bees, who in turn carried them aloft on the breeze. That was the rationale my six-year-old self had for the bees seemingly endless contact with the roses in our garden. So I guess a part of me has always pondered the possibility that there's more sentient life around us than meets the eye.

     Since I've spoken about the dream that I had involving the immortal, the witch and the candelabra -- most of my readers know about that spark of inspiration. But Waxine represents more than just the dream image. She and the other Luminaries embody an added level of diversity in the confluence of worlds that serve as the settings for these stories. 

     I write about soul mates, Paragons, witches, psychics, shapeshifters, vampires, immortals and werewolves...with such a variety of characters, the question isn't, "Why a Luminary?" To me, it's "Why Not?"

     Readers know that while the Luminary Saga focuses on an extra special human, Emily Wren, plenty of other soul mate matches are made throughout the books.  Call me a hopeful romantic. Embracing the concepts of soul mates in all their rich variation doesn't require much imagination. Every person has a soul mate, no matter their race, creed, color, religion or gender. All people have the right to happiness and love.

    What happens when they find them? 

     I like to think of them as sitting in a romantic bistro, gazing into each other's eyes. It's the kind of place where there's a seat at the table for everyone. All falling in love due to the careful orchestrations of a Paragon and a sarcastic, sentimental, smart-mouthed candelabra -- who lets him think that he's in charge. 

Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux