Fangs for the Memories…

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7

Well, it’s over.

I’ve completed the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. I just finished season 7 a few days ago, and I have to say, it’s one of the all-time, best-quality television series in history! Not only was the cast of actors exemplary in representing their characters, but Joss Whedon is a genius who produced episodes with themes classically relevant to the actual everyday problems faced by real people, though with a decidedly satisfying dose of mysticism, pop culture, and pure fantasy. I feel so lame for having waited an additional 12 years to catch up with everyone else! Now I see precisely what my friend, Shannon, had been preaching to me about for YEARS. My apologies for being so late to the party, Shannon. Oh, and…you were SO RIGHT!!

The Scooby Gang from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I felt immense loss when the credits rolled at the end of the final episode, as if an old friend were moving away forever. I kept wanting to know MORE about where the self-proclaimed “Scooby Gang” characters were headed in their lives, as well as how they reconciled their lingering personal challenges.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Once More, With Feeling" Episode

Looking back I have to say that my favorite Buffy episode was “Once More, With Feeling” from season 6. That was one of the best TV episodes that I have ever seen! And while I’m not even a big fan of musicals, it made my list of Top-3 all-time favorite musicals, too. OMG, I immediately went out to iTunes and purchased the album, which has since been replayed again and again on my iPhone. I’m a shameless fan-boy for all things Buffy now.

Angel TV Series

However, I was also smitten with the companion series, Angel, which I have watched intermittently throughout my Buffy journey. It’s very good, as well, and it was thoroughly enjoyable to see ex-Buffy regulars appear on the Angel series. I’m currently over halfway finished with season 5, and it’s VERY different in its setting. As in BTVS, the storylines are thoughtful, often emotional, often humorous, and highly entertaining. If anything, it continues my connection of “new” material from the Buffy universe (albeit, more than ten years AFTER the series completion!). Once again, better late than never.

Which TV series were you, or are you, completely addicted to?

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Playing With Cats

Cats help reduce your stress level!

Well, actually, while watching videos of cats playing can actually lower your stress level, sometimes your stress levels can increase by owning a cat. If you’re a cat owner, you know what I’m talking about. Those cuddly bundles of fur can also be real ass-monkeys when they want to be, can’t they?

Recently, I purchased some cat toys on Amazon for Tabby from a company called Equipt4, LLC. I bought two Fish Teasers with Wand and two Feather Teasers with Wand. They were packaged very nicely together and wand assembly was a cinch. Unlike other cat wands, these have a durable string attached and there are handy fishing-style leader clips so that you can easily change out the teaser lures for your kitty. The lures are well-constructed, durable, and visually appealing. And the ensuing wand action? Amazing!

(Cat Toys -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

The results were fantastic. Tabby immediately took to them immediately and never seems to tire of them. In fact, she frequently comes begging to me to get them out so that she can leap to and fro through the air trying to catch the lures. This is the most and best exercise Tabby has had since becoming addicted to chasing the red laser dot around the house. (I love those laser pointers, as I can perch on the couch watching television while effortlessly keeping my kitty amused.)

All in all, my latest cat amusements are a real hit, and I highly recommend them to anyone who has cats. They’re priced very affordably, too. I’ve included the purchase links below if you’re interested.

Fish Teasers: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LZU8EDE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Feather Teasers: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LZUCIL8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

What fun toys does your cat enjoy? Leave me a comment.

In the meantime, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Important News to Share! And it’s novel timing…

It’s wonderful seeing you again!

I have important and exciting news to share.

The 5th book in my paranormal romance Sunset Vampire series, SUNSET RISING, is being released on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, and it’s NOW available for pre-order in eBook format on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Additional purchase links are forthcoming, which will be posted on my books page at http://www.jazprimo.com/books/ located beneath the Sunset Rising description section. I’m confident you’re going to love my newest installment in the series!

Please help me spread the word about Sunset Rising by sharing the pre-order link with others. I genuinely appreciate your kind assistance.

 In addition, I have equally-exciting news about the 2nd book in my Logan Bringer urban fantasy series. BRINGER UNLEASHED will go to my editor, Laura, in July. The novel is tentatively scheduled for release this fall, just in time for the holidays. The novel has truly been a labor of love for me during the past two years, and I’m very happy with the completed manuscript. The newest installment picks up within weeks of the events from the first book, and quickly immerses you into Logan’s and Agent Sanders’ countdown to uncover the source of the terrorist threats and thwart them. The stakes have definitely been raised.

Please stay tuned for news regarding the upcoming cover reveal for Bringer Unleashed, as well as pre-order opportunities.

In order to receive advanced information about cover reveals, novel releases, and special giveaways and discounts, please sign up for my newsletter using the entry form located on the lower right-hand side of this webpage. Just scroll down until you see the entry form and enter your email address and your name. Simply click Submit and you’ll receive a signup confirmation email for verification. Then you’re all set!

Speaking of novels, how is your summer reading coming along? I hope that Sunset Rising made your list because its release is only a few weeks away. Stay tuned for a blog update on how my summer reading is coming along, as well.

In the meantime, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Summer is Coming! Read All About It…

[LEGAL USE OF THIS PHOTO LICENSED AND SECURED VIA DREAMSTIME - June 2015 - Credit: Mike Brake ]

Step aside, wicked White Walkers…Summer is coming!

(No, I couldn’t resist a Game of Thrones reference…)

Okay, perhaps there’s still a few days left on the calendar before the official summer solstice begins. However, now is definitely the time for you to get busy.

Busy doing what, you ask?

Cleaning the grill to get ready for endless summer barbeques? Sure.

Putting away your sweaters and unpacking your shorts and swimwear? Of course.

Unboxing your collection of gaudy, plastic margarita glasses? Well, yeah.

But most importantly, it’s time to begin picking out your summer reads!

C’mon, it’s time again for more memorable hours spent taking some family vacation time and escaping into realms of enjoyment while your spouse swims, the kids play, and the dogs snooze.

It’s time for you to fall head over heels for the juiciest romances, kick back with the most charming chick-lit, patio chair lounging over plot-twisting mysteries, lying pool-side with paranormals, tree hammock haranguing with some horror, and umbrella sitting with sci-fi. Remember last year when you experienced some of the best reads that you could have ever set your eyes upon?

Well, it time once again to “read-rave-repeat,” my dearest bookworms!

Below are the two novels that are prominent on my summer reads list. In fact, they’re already purchased, downloaded onto my Kindle, and ready to delve into.

First on my list is Old Man's War, which is book #1 in John Scalzi’s epic space fantasy series of the same name. First debuting in 2007, Scalzi had made quite a name for himself with this unique spin on the space-faring hero, only this time in the body of a much older person than we’re used to rooting for. Since then, the series has continued a successful reign and Scalzi has become as a proven high-quality author. I’m excited about reading the first book!

Next, I selected a work from one of the most gifted and inspirational masters of fiction, the incomparable Neil Gaiman. His 2013 hit, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, captured my attention and practically insisted to be purchased. Coming from an amazing author like Gaiman, how could I possibly refuse? Suffice to say, I’m more than eager to read it.

But enough about me, let’s get back to YOU.

What’s on your summer read list? Drop me a line and let me know.

Now, get busy and go purchase some summer reads.

Oh, and while you’re at it, perhaps you could refill my iced tea glass and made sure my barbeque has a side order of extra sauce.

Ahh, thank you.

As always, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

Weekend Forecast: Fair to Partly Castle

(Photo used from Oklahoma Renaissance Festival official website - 2015)

During the Memorial Holiday weekend, I took a road trip back in time with a few friends to Muskogee, Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, which marked its 20th anniversary this year. We had a fantastic “ye’ olde” time!

(Map of castleton - Image used from Oklahoma Renaissance Festival official website - 2015)

We were transported to the European Renaissance community called Castleton, a bigger than life area covering many acres of period-looking structures, including quaint merchant shops and bazaars, tournament grounds, public stages, and craft stands. The costumes worn by Castleton’s denizens are immersive and realistic and the personalities of all players are both welcoming and socially engaging. One denizen confronts anyone who has their hands in their pockets with, “You can pick someone else’s pockets, but you can’t pick your own!”

In the middle of town, there’s a rustic little bank where you can trade in modern currency for hearty coins of the realm equivalencies that you use with vendors and merchants for making purchases. And, oh how the vendors love to engage you about their wares, many of which were handmade (leather goods, and crafts) or home-conjured (soaps, herbal remedies, etc.). The entire environment is like the cross between a Renaissance community and Disneyland in the 1600s!

(Photo used from Oklahoma Renaissance Festival official website - 2015)

While it wasn’t like taking an actual TARDIS trip back to the 1600s, it was immersive and highly socially engaging. Face it; properly masked technology is appreciable. I mean, it’s not only nice to be able to use modern currency or a debit card when paying for one’s chicken Shawarma or lamb kabobs, but modern plumbing is wonderful when it’s time for those infrequent restroom breaks. In fact, those tactfully placed “Ye Olde Privy” signs are a hoot, too.

(Ladies of Castleton -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

It was my second year in a row to attend the festival, and my love for it continues to grow. I loved the boisterous welcome provided at Castleton’s entrance by some lovely ladies who placed visible lipstick kisses onto you, only to have Castleton’s residents and players poke fun at you for having visiting the “wenches” as you wander the town. One of my friends – her character’s name is Pearl – was one of those lovely ladies, and she played her role to the hilt! (Pun intended…)

(Lady Knight on Horseback -- PHOTO COPYRIGHT 2015 BY JAZ PRIMO)

Of particular interest was a rare lady knight on horseback. She participated in both the equestrian events and the actual helmed joust. She was amazing! I genuinely appreciated her posing for a photo, too.

Oh, there are foods galore to choose from, too. The fresh scent of cooked meats permeates the air and there are both wine and beer merchants when you’re ready to imbibe. As for treats, I purchased some blackberry and black raspberry jams from one of the merchants, as well as some tasty honey-roasted almonds. Next year, I plan to patronize both the chocolate fudge vendor and the kettle corn merchant.

If you’re interested in learning more about Castleton or the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, please click HERE to go to their website. I highly recommend a visit!

However you choose to spend your weekend, don’t forget to pause for a moment in reflection for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for us. Certainly, none elected to become a statistic, but we nevertheless owe them at least a silent acknowledgment that we appreciate their sacrifice.

As always, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.

The Newest Marvel and DC Plans Go on Forever? Hell, Yeah!

Recently, I’ve read online tweets or snarky blog posts about Marvel’s aggressive grand plan for interweaving the various superhero franchises into common threads of storylines, including movie crossover events. One sardonic reviewer for the film Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (which I loved!) had the audacity to sound shocked that there was already a seven year strategic plan by Marvel to develop continuing sequels for both individual and team-based superhero events. Shocked? Seriously?

My response to that person is, you must have never read superhero comics during your lifetime. Personally, I couldn’t be HAPPIER that Marvel has a strategic plan for their superhero franchises. The fact that they plan to continue interlocking characters and storylines as the films progress is particularly encouraging. So often in the past, films and television programs based upon comic book heroes have operated seemingly independent of the various superhero universes, which always seemed strange to me because comics have a long history of crossover storylines and cameo appearances with heroes, villains, and the casts of key supporting characters.

I’ve primarily been a Marvel fan since childhood, especially Iron Man and Spiderman. The tangible angst and personal failures of Marvel heroes always seemed both believable and often germane to real-world problems that I was experiencing. I identified with Peter Parker’s self-confidence issues, as well as his desire to do the right thing even when it ran contrary to either public opinion or political machinations. As for Iron Man, Tony Stark’s personal demons were palpable and helped provide his hyper-intelligent wealthy aura of perfection with a real-world counterbalance that I could also identify with. Hell, even Tony’s and Peter’s personal relationships were challenged and imperfect. Who couldn’t identify with that?

By contrast with DC, though I was (and still am!) a huge Wonder Woman fan, few of the heroes from the DC universe seemed anywhere near realistic compared to the rest of us mere mortals. I never saw Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne struggle with ANY problems that real-world people seemed to have. Even the way their characters’ lives were conducted seemed not only idealistic but unrealistic. While idealistic in nature, I believe that most readers want to see shadows of themselves, or at least their real-world problems, reflected in the fictional characters they invest their time (and money) into.

But I digress…

Back to Marvel’s Master Plan for Success. Interestingly enough, DC appears to be catching on.

Yes, for all of you DC lovers out there, take heart. It appears that DC’s management team has FINALLY managed to get their collective acts together and take a few key ideas from Marvel’s playbook. First and foremost, DC has begun linking the character and storyline universes together. Next DC has established a timeline for release of their future films and television programs.

If there is a challenge to both DC and Marvel’s strategies, it’s the prospects of maintaining the momentum for filming schedules, strong storylines, and compelling character developments over a series of arcs and seasons. Still, as a longtime fan of all things superhero, I’m hopeful that these new developments will provide fans with everything they have patiently waited for quality conversions of their heroes from the small comics pages to both the big and small screens.

Thus far, I’ve been pleased with The Flash and Daredevil, and I’m cautiously optimistic regarding how well Gotham has progressed. And of course, I’ve loved all of the Marvel films that have been released in the past five years. Moreover, I’m feeling hopeful for the upcoming Supergirl show, as well. Now if they can just get Wonder Woman right on the big screen, I’ll be one step closer to completely satisfied.

Which superhero films or programs have you been anxiously awaiting? Also, which current superhero films and programs have you been enjoying?

As always, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading!

Jaz Has His Own YouTube Channel!

Hi! I hope that all is well in your world.

I have great news to share with you today. I have my very own YouTube channel, and you can subscribe to it right now by clicking HERE!

I’m very excited to have a video log so that I can speak to you directly versus merely in textual format. I’ll be able to cover a number of topics related to me, my novels, or various events or developments that I want to share with you verbally. For those who are hearing impaired, I’m actively working on the transcription function for closed captioning. I’m very new at this, so I appreciate your patience as I work through things.

There are already a handful of videos available for you to watch, including some background about who I am, why you should read my novels, and what makes my Sunset Vampires different from traditional vampires in films and literature. I’m really excited about the potential that a YouTube channel brings to reaching out to you through another modality.

I enjoy a number of YouTube channels, including Emergency Awesome, which is operated by a nice guy named Charlie who covers films and television shows related to fantasy, superheroes, science fiction, and comic books. If you’d like to subscribe to Emergency Awesome, click HERE.

After you get to my YouTube Channel, you’ll see a series of playlists. My official Jaz Primo videos are stored under the playlist titled “Official Jaz Primo Videos.” Okay, so I realize that you could probably easily figure that out on your own, but it makes my OCD feel assuaged by saying it.

Please try out the videos and let me know what you think. I hope that over time I’ll get the hang of adding enhancements to the videos such as clickable links and overlay images during the videos. I’m all about baby steps. Besides, I’m also trying to keep writing on my novels. How’s that sound?

Thanks for all of your support, and please try out my YouTube channel as soon as you can.

Peace.

Excellent Tips for Improving Your Reading

[Photo by Dreamstime Studio. – Legal use licensed via Dreamstime - May 2015]

If you’re like me, there never seems to be enough time to read. While life has a way to stripping away our free time, more often than not, each of us don’t necessarily do a great job of managing the spare time we have available. That’s why I was happy to run across some helpful advice in a blog posting in Publisher’s Weekly by author Gretchen Rubin where she recommended ten steps to improving a person’s reading abilities.

I found most of her tips very helpful and I’ve begun to incorporate them into my reading routine. Here’s some of her tips that I found particularly helpful.

 Tip #1: Quit reading.

At first, this sounded shocking. However, that simple statement is much more than it appears. In fact, it’s excellent advice! Instead of slogging through a book that you’re simply not able to appreciate, don’t feel guilty or obligated…just STOP READING and put it aside. Move on to something else that catches your eye that perhaps will be more satisfying. Reading shouldn’t be a chore, you should enjoy it. Don’t waste valuable free time reading something you don’t like. Of all of Gretchen’s tips, I appreciated this valuable nugget of wisdom the most.

 Tip #2: Skim.

It’s important to read the things that are most important or that interest you, so quickly glance through media such as newspapers, magazines, or Internet content to find the most relevant content. Only select key items to explore further or in more detail. Spend your reading time wisely and with the focus of maximizing both your reading pleasure and knowledge.

I recall that while completing a graduate course in financial institutions for my master’s degree, my professor mentored us on how to efficiently read the Wall Street journal, as well as most any daily newspaper. He advised us not to spend more than a minute per page scanning article titles and subtitles for content of interest or value to our industry or expertise, and he cautioned us to select only a handful of the most interesting or pertinent articles to read in total. Since then, I’ve regularly applied those principles to reading magazines, newspapers, and online content and it’s paid off handsomely in saving valuable time.

 Tip #3: Set aside time to read demanding books.

Learning and expanding my intellectual horizons is very satisfying to me. As such, it’s good to occasionally read material that challenges or expands your own intellectual horizons. That may include simply reading some classically-written literature or poetry that requires careful consideration to successfully comprehend. (House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, anybody?)

For style purposes, classical literature and poetry demonstrates how writing styles have changed. From a practical point of view, not only will you learn new and compelling things by broadening your horizons, you may also acquire helpful and essential knowledge that will aid in writing your next novel. Besides, one never knows when they will end up as a contestant on Jeopardy someday. (Hey, I personally know a fellow author, William Bernhardt, who was a successful, winning Jeopardy contestant.)

 Tip #4: Always have plenty of reading material on hand.

You never know when you’ll find yourself pausing at length, so always try to have something to read handy. Today, it’s so easy to install an app on a smartphone or tablet that enables you to download and read eBooks, so this should be relatively easy advice to embrace.

 Tip #5: Keep a reading list, and keep it handy.

For best results, keep that list on your smartphone or tablet so that it’s handy at a moment’s notice, both to reference and to add to when the moment strikes. I started this over four years ago and it’s been invaluable and convenient. It’s even helped me in conversations to recall a book title or author. In truth, I’ve expanded that advice to “books read” and “movies to see” as well.

*pausing* Okay, let’s hold the Type-A personality quips to a minimum, shall we?

At the very least, I’ve graduated to a Type-A-minus nowadays…

 Tip #6: Don’t fight reading inclinations.

Read what you feel in the mood to read and not only will you read more material, you’ll feel more satisfied about reading it. Seriously, this works! For authors, I take that to another level by adding: write what you want to write whenever the mood strikes you. You’ll write more passionately and be happier with the content that you’ve written.

 All in all, I’ve found those six tips invaluable, and they have already improved my reading satisfaction, as well as made better use of my available spare time.

There are a number of other tips that I didn’t list here, so if you’d like to read Gretchen Rubin’s full blog post regarding her reading advice, click HERE.

Happy reading!

[5-2-2015: The link has been corrected for the blog article by Gretchen Rubin. - Jaz]