Archive for July, 2010

Book Review: Tapestry of Tales: Classic Fairy Tales Retold by Sarah Deckard

Tapestry of Tales: Classic Fairy Tales Retold
Book Review by Amber Stults

Tapestry of Tales: Classic Fairy Tales Retold by Sarah Deckard is not for children unless you want to scare them into staying awake. The tone of her stories perfectly mimics the cheery tales of old but very few have “happily ever after” endings.

More than one character wonders if the fairy tales they’ve heard are told from the wrong point of view or have incorrect details. They find out firsthand if the tales were correct or not. For instance, Sleeping Beauty’s tale is retold from the prince’s point of view. He’s a wanderer and uses his lover to find out more information about the fortress protected by magical thorns to prevent a prince from wakening the princess inside.

Other tales are alternate versions. Snow White goes to live with a family of odd Dwarves with names like Trippy, Sappy and Freaky. One story which stood out for me was “Beware of Wolves”. In this tale, Little Red Riding Hood discovers wolves come in more than one form. It’s a dark interpretation and days later won’t leave my mind.

Book Reviewer Wanted

Niteblade is looking for another book reviewer or two. That reviewer could be you if you:

  • Enjoy reading small press publications and sharing your opinion about them
  • Are familiar with (or willing to learn) how to post blog entries via Word Press
  • Can write clearly
  • Are not looking to get rich

Unfortunately we can only afford a token payment for reviews ($1, plus a .pdf copy of each issue of Niteblade as they come out) so you will not get rich doing this job. I encourage reviewers to aim for one review a month as a minimum.

If you’re interested please email me at rhonda @ jofigure.com with a sample book review (of any book you’ve read recently) that follows our reviewer guidelines under the cut. Use the word ‘Reviewer’ somewhere in the subject line of your email, please.

There is no ‘application deadline’ or anything like that. The first couple reviewers who seem to be a good fit will be welcomed to the team.

Thank you!

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Laurene Alvarado’s PAVOR NOCTURNUS

Tremble with fright as movie monsters rendered in terrifying hues disturb your fitful sleep. Wake up screaming when classic horror villains invade your troubled dreams. Enter the nightmare world of Laurene Alvarado’s Pavor Nocturnus.

Always an artist, but never diligently so until fairly recently, Laurene began painting seriously in 2009. Now she may spend ten or more hours a day with brush in hand working on her acrylic creations. She loves painting at night, drawing energy from the midnight hush.

A great fan of horror, for her first collection Laurene decided to paint a number of the classic characters of horror. After the triple-viewing of The Exorcist during an all-night painting session led to a nightmare so vivid that Laurene woke up screaming, she found a name for her collection – Pavor Nocturnus, meaning “night tremors”.

Laurene draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including movies and music. She immersed herself in all things horror while working on the pieces for Pavor Nocturnus, watching horror movies and listening to horror movie soundtracks while she painted. Laurene lists Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and every Disney animator that has ever lived among the artists who’ve inspired her. She strives to be known for her use of colour as well as her eye for detail and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects. Acrylic is her favourite medium, which makes a perfect match for an artist with such an appreciation of the limitless power of colour.

Laurene’s next collection, The Golden Age, will feature legendary actors and actresses from cinematic history. More of Laurene’s work can be seen at LAURENE*ALVARADO.

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