Genre Favorites Blogfest

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts. As always, thanks for dropping by. As you can see, we're shaking things up a bit this week. Rather than discuss my vampire series - my book is on the right and we've got the cover reveal for the forthcoming sequel over there as well - I've decided to join Author and Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh's latest and greatest blogfest. These things are always huge and lots of fun as we meet new people and share a bit of ourselves. Today, we're discussing Genre Favorites in books, music and film.

As a horror writer you might worry that my books and films would be full of blood and guts, and my music dark and eerie; however, you may be surprised to find that my choices might be scary for all the wrong reasons. Let's get started, shall we?

Favorite Movie Genre: Here's where I leave you scurrying off into the night. You see, I have a poster of The Exorcist on my library wall and I was a teenager when teenagers were being sliced and diced in the original Friday the 13th and Halloween films, but when I curl up on the couch to be comforted, I choose Romantic Comedies... What? Yep, it's sad but true. I write vampires, but would rather watch Notting Hill, An Affair to Remember, Love Actually and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

Favorite Music Genre: Now this one should make a bit more sense to you. I listened to pop music as a child, but it was when I got into Junior High that things changed. Since then, it's all been about Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. We call is Classic Rock now and refer to the 80's musicians as Hair Bands. My first real show was Kiss just after the make up came off. I saw Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen and much more. Here's a photo of me taken when Van Halen was "standing on top of the world for a little while." I'm kneeling in the center.

Favorite Book Genre: Here's another category which should make more sense to those that stare at the flames above and wonder what the hell happened to make me like tear-inducing films. *laughs* As a teenager, I found myself reaching out for Jaws and The Amityville Horror (still one of the most frightening reads ever, whether you believe it was fake or not). I then found Michael Slade, Clive Barker and Uncle Stevie. I'm still reading horror, but now they are mostly Indie books and you guys wrote them.

Guilty Pleasure Genre: Hmm? This provides an interesting choice. I could tell you how my iPod also includes Air Supply, Neil Diamond and the Bee Gees, and that would be a lot of fun, watching you scratch your collective heads once again. Instead, I think I'll list Dramas as my guilty pleasure in books. In fact, I'll tell you that my favorite all-time book is Beach Music by Pat Conroy. Yeah, I know. I didn't want to read it either, and fought it for a while before succumbing to what I think is a masterwork and one of the most brilliant books ever crafted. My sister in law peer-pressured me into reading it and I have yet to put it down. Every couple of years of so, I find myself grabbing it off of my book shelf and carrying it with me on vacation or just to spend a weekend. I can't help myself. It's that good. I am firmly on record as having said that I will die happy if I can write a story half as good as Conroy did there.

So there you have it. I hope I have gained some new friends in this latest and greatest from Ninja Alex, and haven't scared others off. Lol! I look forward to seeing your answers. I can guarantee you that it will take me most of the week to get through the list, but I will. Eleven hour day jobs do that to people. Here's the link back to Alex's list here. I'll see you guys there.

We'll talk soon.