Valentine's Day reminds me of......some bloody good novels!

Have a great Valentine's Day everyone.

Question of the day #64: What are you reading?

Black House  and The Regulators

Black House is fast-paced and a thrilling read so far on my Nook.  I'm about halfway through the book.  The Regulators is in paperback (for those places I read that I could drop it in water). I started this book years ago but didn't finish it.  Having just read Desperation this was an obvious choice for my next book.

$10,000 was riding on this question today

Who Wants To Be a Millionaire had this question during the show. 

With members like Stephen King and Amy Tan, what rock band of famous authors often performs at charity events?

A:  Galley Proof Band                                B:  Traveling Quillburys
C:  The Stringers                                       D:  Rock Bottom Remainders

Get this, the lady's name was Sharon King and "claimed" to be a Stephen King fan.  She jumped the question which was worth $10,000.00.  Now, had I been on this show, with my somewhat extensive knowledge of Stephen King I would have won some serious moola with this question.



D. The Rock Bottom Remainders

Set Your Calendars and DVRs for "Bag of Bones" on A&E

Bag of Bones
On Sunday December 11, 2011 A&E offers an early Christmas present to Stephen King fans. A two night event is scheduled for 9 PM/8 PM Central on 12/11/11 and 12/12/11. Promos are available through this link. After watching the preview, I am sure this is going to be as hauntingly good as the original
 book. :) :) ;) ;).



CHECK THIS PREQUEL
In preparation of the mini-series, Campfire NYC which is A&E's marketing firm has released some "Easter Eggs" for King Constant Readers. If you haven't done so already check out this interactive site for your pure enjoyment. I spent about an hour looking at all the King references that will be in the film. The HD quality images are "fan"tastic!!


Will you watch?

Mile 81 coming out on September 1

Did anyone win the Mile 81 contest and able to read it already?  No dice for me.  My ebook is pre-ordered and will be on my Nook on the first. 

Question of the day #62: What is the best Stephen King book to read during a power outage? That is assuming you have a candle (which isn't recommended if you fall asleep while reading), flashlight, or a charged eReader.

My choice for a short outage with a campfire like atmostphere would be Salem's Lot.   But for an extended outage I would say  IT.  Either one could scare the bejesus out of me with all the lights on in the house.  A power outage is a great time for a reread.

Already? Film rights optioned for "11/22/63"...I'm not surprised!

I'm tickled to hear this news.  We may get to see a new film with Stephen King as Executive Producer.  In this article passed along by Ms. Mod.  Film 11/22/63

'Ghost Brothers of Darkland County'

Alliance Theatre 2011-2012 Line-up:  April 4 through May 18, 2012

[In the tiny town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi in 1957, a terrible tragedy took the lives of two brothers and a beautiful young girl. During the next forty years, the events of that night became the stuff of local legend. But legend is often just another word for lie. Joe McCandless knows what really happened; he saw it all. The question is whether or not he can bring himself to tell the truth in time to save his own troubled sons, and whether the ghosts left behind by an act of violence will help him – or tear the McCandless family apart forever.]

After reading this on the Alliance Theatre's website I mused that Mississippi is the perfect setting for a hellishly gruesome story.  Believe me, I know, I lived there for a short time (not short enough IMO.)  For the people that love MS please forgive me but it was a miserable place for me and my family to live.  I'm sure I won't have any problem relating to this eerie story based in MS.   

The idea of this play spanning 40 years of music and events whets my appetite for another King story.  There should be some new Blues, Rock, and some present day genres to enjoy.   Writng for the theatre seems like it would be so natural for King, that I am surprised that it took him so long for him to do so.   

ATSK's Review of Advanced Reader's Copy: Orbit: Stephen King Comic

Sorry I've been away so long...... 

Release Date May 'll.  approx. 23 pages

The Orbit:  Stephen King comic begins with Stephen's near-fatal accident.  The comic explains how the accident happened at a point when King's life was going exceptionally well after he faced and conquered many of his own personal demons.  Orbit: Stephen King describes King's highs and lows in his personal life.  Some of the events that the comic focuses on are when his father abandoned the family, his damaging ear infections (which could have ended his life), meeting his wife Tabby, and his addiction to drugs and alcohol.  The writers of this comic peppered some of King’s poignant quotes throughout the text during different events that are described.  Overall the comic had a nice flow and recounted a lot of Mr. King’s life without losing too much time.  This book is great for the King collector in all of us.   

My personal thoughts on what I read in the comic:

I have to say when reading Orbit Stephen King I felt that King was meant to be here for all of us to enjoy his books.  There were events that could have prevented him from delivering such wonderful books to us, that it's just plain frightening!  On the other hand, he was placed in situations that made writing the stories he does possible.  In my humble opinion he and his books are a gift to the world.   He and his books changed me and my life in a profound way, which is why I feel so much is written about him including, but not limited to this biographic comic book.

As per Ms. Mod.- Javier Bardem's role as Roland Deschain is still rumor status

http://www.stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php/21478-Dark-Tower-Casting-News

When I hear this Porsche commercial I think of our favorite novelist

When I hear this bluesy song I envision King rockin' out to it, don't know why, I just do.  I would love to know if he likes it because I can't help but think of him when I hear it, weird huh?  What do you think about this song, could you see King thumpin' to this song? lol

Junior Kimbrough "Feels So Good"
(Special Thanks to my hubby for the information on the artist/song. love ya xoxo)

Lovin' the cover for 11/22/63!

My first impression of this cover was.... Wow, I love it!  My curiosity makes me wonder whether the first article is an original one possibly read back in 1963 by King?  I wonder if he had the first article in his possession or even how this particular article "JFK Slain In Dallas, LBJ Takes Oath" was chosen for the cover?   I think this cover will entice more people to give his books a go since it covers such a pivotal event in history. (fingers crossed that more people will read his work, they might find it as entertaining as we all do)  Even though I was born in '69, this event has captured my interest throughout the years.  I am so glad SK has chosen this topic to write about, it will be interesting to see how he "paints" the '60's and the death of JFK .   I love that the cover is "ripped from the headlines" literally!  :)     

'Walking Dead': Stephen King has confirmed "talks" about writing an episode with EW.com

There are many reports that Stephen King and his son Joe Hill (Buzzfocus.com) are in talks to write an episode of The Walking Dead.  AMC & Frank Darabont have filmed a TV show that no other network has been able to do up to this point, they've created a masterpiece for any zombie lover. Q.) What's the only thing that could make The Walking Dead better this upcoming season or next?   A.) An episode written by the writing duo King/Hill.  Now I ask, who else knows dead better?  Ms. Mod of the SKMB still writes that the reports are only speculation at this point.

EW.com

It's St. Patrick's Day SK fans!

Go GREEN everyone, today and everyday.
Wishing you all a little luck O'Irish.  GREEN beverages for everyone.  Be safe and have fun.

Doesn't King have an unfinished short story called The Leprechaun written for his son Owen?  

ATSK: Exclusive Interview with the creators of 'Orbit: Stephen King' Biographic Comic

First of all, I want to say thank you to Bluewater Productions President Darren G. David, writers Michael Lent & Brian McCarthy, and artist Kent Hulbert for offering this exclusive interview for the upcoming Orbit: Stephen King biographic comic book. Michael Lent and Brian McCarthy share their witty thoughts about working on the new comic due out in May 2011.  Retail $3.99 32 pages.

Q. What makes this book different or the same as other biographic comics that you have done in the past?

A. “The Stephen King biography was a crazy challenge for us because he has a huge body of work spanning so many different mediums AND his work is so well known. There’s Stephen King the man and there’s Stephen King the body of work in literature, film, television and comics. Not only do you have to find a way to fit it all in, but you have to get the details right because his fans will know and they will call you out.” – Brian McCarthy

A. “For sure, this was the only assignment we’ve ever had where there was a real risk that if we got some facts wrong, we might be run over by a combine in one of Mr. King’s novels. We’re kidding, sort of, but, for example, we originally conceived King’s near-fatal accident in 1999 in a certain way from the media reports of the time; however, we soon discovered that based on Stephen’s own recounting and the police reports, the event was a lot more complicated. So we had to go back in and recreate everything as it happened – or risk a ride under the combine.” – Michael Lent


Q. What was the main reason for choosing Stephen King for this issue besides the fact that he is an icon?

A. “This was a really great opportunity to bring King to a new audience and new generation. On a personal note, as writers who work in multiple mediums, too, King is a hero of ours. We grew up on him and his work. Being old enough to see The Shining was a rite of passage. Luckily, the movie more than lived up to our expectations and still scares the “wit” out of us.” – Michael Lent


A. “When you’re old enough to read adult fiction King is who you reach for. The other thing is that King is prolific – he’s sold more than 350 million copies worldwide, translated into dozens of languages -- and many of them are masterpieces. Everybody has their personal favorites but we think that books like The Stand, Carrie, Delores Claibourne , It and Misery will stand the test of time. Same goes for movies like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and Misery. We really respect that about King’s work. Did I mention Delores Claiborne? Seriously, that writing baked my noodle.” – Brian McCarthy

Q. How did you get Mr. King involved in this project and what was it like working with him?

A. “We contacted Stephen King through his longtime personal assistant Marsha DeFilippo who has been with him since 1986. To King fans, Marsha is something of a legend in her own right. She was amazingly helpful. Mr. King has an incredibly busy schedule so we emailed our questions and then patiently waited for answers. We had done our homework so we kept our questions short and to the point and mainly we just needed clarification of events.” – Michael Lent

A. “There’s so much misinformation out there so this kind of help was invaluable. Stephen and Marsha are air mobile when it comes to getting factual information out so the responses came quickly and we were able to make our deadline.” – Brian McCarthy

A. “One story we were helped with concerned Stephen as a small child witnessing a friend's accident involving a train. They were playing on the tracks and King literally witnessed him get hit. Until now, the event was largely apocryphal and wasn't mentioned in King's autobiography.” – Michael Lent

A. “We were able to get confirmation on the story. It's a great feeling when you can resolve something once and for all.” – Brian McCarthy

A. “Yeah, we exchanged High-5s that day!” – Michael Lent


Q. What was the artists/writers reaction when they were told they would get to do a comic on Stephen King?

A. “See our answer above.”   

A. “I was excited when Darren asked me to do the Stephen King comic book. I have read a lot of his books so it was an honor to illustrate him.” –Kent Hulbert


Q. How much of Stephen King's life is covered in this book? Was there anything you had to leave out that you wish you could have included?

A. “We definitely got the highs and lows in terms of King’s personal life. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to focus as much as we would have liked on certain books, his Richard Bachman works, and the various television and comic book series. We would have loved double the pages to cover all of that. That said, we tried to come up with a mix of original and iconic images that would both welcome fans and maybe get them to reconsider the man and his work in a new light. Hopefully, readers will get that and appreciate our effort.” – Brian McCarthy


Q. What did you and your staff find most interesting about Stephen King's biography? Did you have to pick and choose which topics you would include, if so how daunting was it to choose?

A. “We focused on key books and key moments in King’s life and career. It was fantastic when the two coincided or collided like meteors in spectacular fashion. For example, after The Tommyknockers was published, King's family and friends had to stage a drug intervention. They were dumping all the evidence of his addictions taken from the trash and all of his hiding places on the rug in front of him. There were beer cans, mounds of cigarette butts, cocaine, weed, drugs like Xanax, Valium and all kinds of cough medicines that King was downing day and night to stay high. Stephen’s wife Tabitha had stood by him through the lean early years but now she said, “It’s either this junk or me.” Fortunately, King was able to get help and by the late 1980s, he was off all forms of drugs and alcohol for good. Afterwards, King said that there were some books he doesn’t even remember writing during that drug hazed period.” – Michael Lent

Q. Has Stephen King seen this comic yet, if so, what did he say about the amazing likeness of himself and what was his reaction in general?

A. “We sent the cover to him a week or two ago but haven’t heard back. We assume he’ll be bemused. If not, he can always fire up the combine.” – Brian McCarthy


Q. Comic-Con and Wonder Con are coming up soon, will you or any of your staff be there promoting this comic?

A. “We will not be at Wonder Con this year. We will have a presence at Comic con in which I am excited about.” –Darren Davis

ATSK: Comic-Con July 21-24

Q. If this comic sells well, how soon after the release of this one could we expect a sequel?

A. “That would be awesome but something that’s up to Darren and the readers. We are thrilled to be along for the ride.” – Michael Lent

Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you!

ATSK: To ensure that future Orbit:  Stephen King comics will follow, click the link below, “Like” on Facebook, share the link on Twitter and/or buy it of course, maybe even a couple!!! (I had to special order 2 of my own copies through my local comic book store.)

Pre-order below
http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-Stephen-King-Michael-Lent/dp/1450756689

All Things Stephen King

I've got a secret, I'm about bursting at the seams.......

There's going to be something pretty big here at All Things Stephen King!  I can't talk much about it right now but let me just say, I'm elated.  This came so far out of the blue that I really thought it was all fiction at first. :) There will be an announcement made real soon so keep checking back, there may be clues peppered throughout so keep your eyes peeled for any plays on words!  Gotta love surprises! 

25th Anniversary "Stand By Me" Blu-Ray Edition

Release Date:  Mar 22, 2011

NYPOST.com   You must read this interesting and informative article called  Hearty Boys about the cast, filming, and director of Stand By Me.  Good article.

DVDTOWN.com has a review of the special edition Blu-Ray. 

"Herman Wouk is Still Alive" a NEW short story written by Stephen King will appear in The Atlantic

In The Atlantic's May issue, the magazine will include King's short story Herman Wouk is Still Alive on newsstands April 19th.  Herman Wouk was born May 27, 1915 known  for his novel War and Remembrance among others.  He published a novel last year by the name of The Language of God at the age of 96, which makes me smile to myself a little.  Mostly I smile because I think that Constant Readers could quite possibly get another 30+ years of King's writing, that is, if he so obliges.  Oh, and how I do wish he would oblige.

To read more about Herman Wouk click this link for Wiki

Update:  Ms. Mod posted Herman Wouk is Still Alive will be 24 manuscript pages and 6,460 words long.

New Stephen King Biographic Comic for May 2011 Release

Bluewater Comics and King work on a new comic about his interesting life. (I don't know about you, but I just can't get enough insight into his life.)  King recounts some memories not even included in On Writing. 

OMG, it is about time!!!  Nice rendition of our favorite novelist on the cover, the likeness is incredible.  Love it, love it, love it!  I special ordered two copies from my local comic book store.

Read the article:

KING HELPS WEAVE HIS OWN TALE IN BLUEWATER'S BIOGRAPHY COMIC

King politically speaking

Article in Sarasota's Herald Tribune Click Here





The quality of this one was a little better even if it is shorter.