July 17, 2008

Vegas, baby!

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

It’s a place you either love or hate. If you’ve been there, that is. For a while (before The Professor) I went with my parents once a year. They’ve been regulars to Sin City since I was in elementary school. I was 23 the first time I went and could play and let’s just say I was bitten. I love the city. The lights, the noise, the slots. I can’t be there for very long, it’s too INYOURFACE! too loud, too bright, too full of people. But for a couple of days it’s pure fun. The shows are fantastic, the food (sans buffets, hate them) can be great and people watching is unparalleled. The different casinos with their themes and decor is just fascinating. I mean the chairs at New York, NY casino have tuxedos on for Pete’s sake. How cute is that? The light/laser show downtown is pretty awesome and there are fireworks every weekend. Lights, lights everywhere - even their golden arches are covered in lights.

And I admit I love the thrill, the gamble of putting some money in a machine and hoping that it’s my lucky day.

You get better odds with the table games, but I’m a writer which means I’m an introvert and therefore I don’t want to talk to anyone. So I play the slots. They’ve changed a lot since I first started going and was stuck with the nickel slots crossing for my fingers for cherries or sevens. Now you can play penny slots for hours on a $20 and they have fun bonuses with treasure hunts and leprechauns and mermaids. So fun.

I’m not a serious gambler, it’s pure entertainment for me and I never play with much money so I rarely win big. Okay I’ve never won big, but I have won and tend to leave a casino with about as much as I went with. I’d call that a win. The Professor and The Chief (aka my father) would call that “girl math” but hey you don’t get money back after you go to the movies so to get money back after you’ve enjoyed your entertainment, so hey, it’s a win.

So how about you? Are you the thrifty sort that can’t get passed the thought of throwing money away or are you like me and enjoy a game of chance every now and then?

July 9, 2008

Robyn blogs

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

Your Hair Should Be Pink

Hyper, insane, and a boatload of fun. You’re a traveling party that everyone loves to follow.

June 23, 2008

New home

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

Don’t you hate moving? There’s all the packing and labeling and then unpacking and… well, none of this actually applies when the new home in question is really just your home page. Have you checked out www.RobynDeHart.com today? Go ahead, go check, I’ll wait. Oh, it doesn’t look any different? Clean your cache.

Now you see. Isn’t it beautiful? With the new series coming out next year, I really felt it was time for a new change and I couldn’t miss an opportunity for working with a new company from my home town. They did a fantastic job and I just couldn’t be happier. The new design really evokes the atmosphere for my writing and especially my Legend Hunter series.

In addition to the new design I’ve reorganized and streamlined existing content to make the site more user friendly. I hope you all love it as much as I do.

So what do you think makes a great website? What makes you bookmark a site to visit again and again?

June 17, 2008

M. Night Shyamalan

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

If I made movies, I would want to be so good at it that all of them were released as Robyn DeHart’s whatever. All of M. Night Shyamalan’s are like that. (Tyler Perry too, but I’m not talking about his movies today) It’s just kind of cool and frankly says this guy is very proud of his product. He also can afford to do only one movie every other year. Granted he doesn’t just direct, he also writes the stories and produces the movies as well. No one-trick pony, that M. Night.

It all started with The Sixth Sense. You all saw it. Remember that first time, being so utterly shocked. It’s still remarkable to me that everyone kept the secret for everyone else as if we all recognized the perfection in the story and wanted to maintain that for everyone’s enjoyment. Really quite nice of all of us, don’t you think? In any case I was so impressed with his storytelling and directing that I became an immediate fan.

So then came Unbreakable (okay I’m skipping Stuart Little cause it just doesn’t fit). And to say I was disappointed is an understatement. Maybe my expectations were too high. I can’t even say it was the comic book thing because I really enjoy the Marvel movies. I don’t know, something about it just didn’t work for me. I think one of the main reasons is because the previews led me to believe the movie was going to be about something entirely different. I like my idea better.

He redeemed himself with me with Signs. I might even like this one better than The Sixth Sense. The symmetry is perfect and the comic timing is unparalleled. Who would have ever thought to make a movie about faith and set it in an alien flick? And to the dissenters out there who didn’t like the alien shots at the end, suspend your belief people, the movie really works well.

So Shyamalan and me were happy once again. And then came The Village. *sigh* I talked to a lot of people that really liked this movie. And I wanted to. I was really excited about it. The Professor and I went on a date (this was before we were married) and I made him go see it. I hated it. I mean really loathed. It was awkward and predictable and ordinarily while I don’t love Sigourney Weaver, I don’t usually hate her. She was terrible in this movie. The story concept was fascinating, I just didn’t think the movie did it justice. All in all, a big flop for me.

If you’ve been keeping score, you’ve recognized that every other one of his movies works well for me. Unfortunately I haven’t seen Lady in the Water yet. We just missed it at the theatre and it hasn’t rolled to the top of our Netflix yet. But it’s on the list.

And so is The Happening which opened this past weekend. Originally the previews had me thinking this was supposed to be a bigger budget Left Behind kind of movie which had me scratching my head. From the current previews, it kind of looks like another alien endeavor. But hey, who knows, secrets abound when it comes to a Shyamalan movie. The Professor doesn’t do so well with spooky movies so this one will take some talking into, but I think I can convince him to see it.

How about y’all? Are you Shyamalan fans? Which are your favorites?

June 11, 2008

Funny cat videos

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

It’s a lazy summer day so I’m cheating. Enjoy!

May 22, 2008

Birthday presents

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

Have you ever gotten a really cool birthday gift? I mean one you didn’t expect and then there it is perfect, just for you. Well, today is my birthday and someone has orchestrated a doozie for me. Yes, the Professor got me a very cool waffle/grill/griddle thing from Kohl’s that I really wanted, but that’s not what I’m talking about. And my parents sent me a box full of goodies. I got a check from my in-laws and I’m coming up with great ways to spend that money.

But this other gift is so cool because, well, I get to share it with all you. Want to know what I’m getting?

Um, yummy! That’s right. You might think Indy is coming to a theatre near you because it’s summer and that’s a big movie time. But think about it. It’s a Thursday right before a big holiday weekend. Not a normal time to release a movie. So it must be just for me. Happy Birthday, Robyn!

The Professor and I already have our tickets. We’re going to the big theatre in Knoxville and I can hardly wait. I get so excited when I hear the theme song in previews or commercials. Talk about long awaited sequel. But again, just for me. I realize the movie would have come out eventually, with or without my birthday, but the timing, well, it could not have been more perfect.

Okay, everyone go out today and see the movie and let’s meet back here later and discuss it. I can’t wait!

May 18, 2008

One more winner

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

And the winner of Kathryn Shay’s autographed book is Dorothy. Email me and we’ll work out the details. Congratulations!!!

May 8, 2008

Special Announcement

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for this special announcement. Let’s all make a toast.

Oops, not that kind of toast, how about this one.

Yes, that’s the right one. All right everyone raise your glass and throw chocolate in the air (the small kind so no one gets hurt) because our very own Anne Mallory is officially a USA Today Bestselling Author. Woot! Woot! Woot!

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog and Margo’s inspiration…

May 7, 2008

Deadlines

Written by RobynDeHart in Our Books

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” — Douglas Adams

I’m on deadline. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not really complaining. A deadline, for a writer, means employment. So it’s a good thing, but it’s scary as well. Especially this one, it’s always nerve-wracking turning in that first book to a new editor. I’ve been in that particular scenario three times now. Twice at Avon, and now with my move to Grand Central. You have a whole new learning curve with every editor because they’re all different, they all have their own likes and dislikes and hang-ups. So you essentially start over with every editor. And moving to a new house ups the ante too. Needless to say I’m a mess. A complete ball of nerves. Did I mention I’m not done with the book? And it’s due June 1st?

For the record I’m not a Simpson’s fan (much to The Professor’s annoyance) but this picture was perfect.

Did I also mention that this book is running short? Okay, it’s okay. Deep breaths. Ohm. Ohm. Ohm. Hey, pictures take up a lot of space and I wanted it to look like I really worked on this blog for y’all. But mostly I’m trying to rush right through it and get back to my writing. Wish me luck. And I hope I have new of a completed (and brilliant) book very soon.

In the meantime I’ll give you a topic to discuss amongst yourselves. (Remember that old Saturday Night Live skit with Mike Myers doing Barbra Streisand? The Prince of Thieves is neither about princes nor thieves…discuss…too funny?) Okay what was the first romance novel you read and is it still in your top 5 favorites? Ready…discuss.

April 28, 2008

Road trip

Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post

Week before last my mother and I went on a road trip. She was going with me to the RT conference and well, I had figured Pittsburgh was roughly 10 hours from my house so we should drive it instead of fly because it would be a beautiful drive and we’d save some money. Okay, this idea of mine game before gas became the price of gold, but you know it was still cheaper than flying. In any case the more we planned the trip, the more I thought that if we added a day or two we could do some extra things. You see for whatever reason, my mother has always been fascinated by the Amish culture and has always wanted to see Amish country. I figured everything out and realized that the drive to get to Amish country wouldn’t take us any longer on the way up and would only add 4 hours to get from there to Pittsburgh. So I started looking at everything I could find on Lancaster county PA, trying to find a hotel and everything and I ran across this one website that seemed to be go-to site for all things Amish country.

I told my mom about what I’d found and the name of some of the cities, Intercourse being my favorite. Well, really, how can you not enjoy that irony? So I slyly suggest we stay in the lovely Intercourse and my mom says nope, she just can’t do it. How will she tell my father? But I’m thinking it’s a perfect phase 1 before an RT conference. Needless to say I found this instead. http://www.800padutch.com/lancastercity.shtml Go ahead, go look at it, I’ll wait.

Are you back? Great. Sounds like a quaint village, don’t you think? Now if any of you are from PA, I’m sure you’re laughing by now. It’s okay, I deserve it, but this website is misleading. So we book our night at the historic Hotel Brunswick in historic downtown Lancaster - presidents have stayed here, it’s a classic. As we’re driving into Lancaster, my mom’s eyes are glued to the windows.

“I don’t see any Amish,” she says.
“No,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Not really what I expected.”
“Let’s just get to the hotel, I’m sure downtown will be charming.”

Thank God we had brought my GPS unit in the rental car, she kept us going in the right direction as we’d never have found half of the right places. But she steered us straight to Hotel Brunswick in the heart of Lancaster, which incidentally is a city. Like a real city, and the hotel was nestled right in the inner city fully equipped with loud music, sirens and stinky streets. Did y’all know this? There are no Amish in the city of Lancaster. And that charming prison built to resemble a castle in Lancashire, England, looks like something from a giant miniature golf set - yes, it’s that cheesy.

The day actually got worse from here, suffice it to say we ended up eating at a Bob Evans because we wanted to get back to our hotel before it got dark. The following day we did head east instead of going straight to Pittsburgh, and we eventually found the Amish, with the gentle rolling hills spotted with their farms and the buggies driving alongside the cars.

We walked through a quilt museum and went to a farmer’s market where they sold amazing looking fruits and vegetables and homemade breads and pastries. We drove through the countryside and looked at their farms with their clothes hanging on the line to drive. And it was charming and beautiful and my mother totally loved it. Wanna know where we were? Yep, you guessed it. Intercourse.

So how about you? Ever take a trip that wasn’t quite what you’d expected?