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Showing posts from 2013

Be Honest—Darth Maul: Love to Hate and Hate to Love.

Who didn't want to see Star Wars Phantom Menace simply cause of Maul? That's right, everyone. HE was the guy! THE MAN! You wanted him to kick ass and take names and leave a swath of dead Jedi in his path. He was so cool. So bad ass. His tattoos. His horns. All in black. COME ON! You loved it. You loved him. He was the most popular character in the new movie(s). The most popular toy. The most popular costume. Everything his image was put on was GOLD. Then the day came and you saw it. Sure he didn't talk alot. Sure he really wasn't the main bad guy—Darth Sidious/Palpataine kinda made him into more of a henchmen, assassin instead of being the #1 Sith in-charge, but ya know what, you didn't care. Why? HE was awesome! A Duel Light Saber! HE had a huge two-on-one duel with Obi Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn, who he finally killed after having earlier fought him in the movie. That was the "Lets Get to Know Each Other" round. :) Then it happened. :( You we

Kingdom Come: WORLD MAP 2! (Mostly Done)

!!!!!THIS IS JUST MOSTLY DONE !!!!! Thoughts?

Kingdom Come: WORLD MAP!

The Great Angela R. Sasser is doing another round of amazing work for me. This is just the beginning. :)

Defending Man of Steel.

1 The movie was great, so I'm going to skip any minor thoughts or opinions I have about specific moments or sequences I thought could've been done differently.    I'm just going to jump right in.     I'm over the perfect Superman. The bedtime Superman, who, no matter what, always makes lemonade from a bag of horrible, rotten lemons.    I like this new interpretation of Superman's beginning. A Superman, who, with all his powers, is, at times, unable to put the world back together...'cause ya know what, sometimes horrible things happen and you can't save everyone; especially while you're trying to save your own life, because you're the only one who can stop the utter destruction of the world.    Question: Ever watch the old Superman/JL(U) cartoons; ever read comics?  *@!% gets blown up all the time. Buildings fall. Explosions happen. There's a ton of destruction spread for miles. We just "assume" the people live.

5th Amazon review!

Thanks Erin Keahey     "Wonderful world you can sink your teeth into. Story telling executed in a fantastic style that makes you want to keep reading. The characters jump off the page and make you believe in their journey. Good till the end. When is the next one?"

Twitter!

Yep, it's true. I now have a cell phone. This is always the face people give me when they learn the terrible truth about my past. :) Well, now I do and it's a pretty nice one; though I've no idea how to use most of it's functions and when I recently tried to use the Navigation App I quickly found myself wanting to throw THE DAMN THING OUT THE %^&*?@# WINDOW ! Anyway *going to my happy place* you can now follow me on @WadeJGarret Thanks

More Movies

It was good. Not great. But good. I feel much of the book's impact was lost, given the adjustment to Ender's age and the few more violent/psychological scenes which were clearly down-played; though I understand their reason. I don't agree, but I understand. What also didn't help was the fact Harrison Ford seemed to phone-in his performance for much of the movie. Perhaps it would've gone better simply to limit his role in the first place, give more time to the cadets? The climax, when THE MOMENT happens, is worth it though. All-in-all, B- is about how I feel about it. Alright, so I just (like the weekend it came out, sorry for posting so late) saw this and contrary to a friend's opinion, Malekith, in my humble opinion, is nowhere near the worst Marvel Villain ever. Still, by far, is the horror that was the deconstructed Mandarin. Anyway, the movie and Malekith were great. Lots of fun. It wasn't AMAZING. I think they missed out on a few moments h

4th Amazon review!

Thanks NGreen: "I am not usually one for reading the longer Sci-Fi novels, but Genesis was definitely worth time. Garret really does a great job providing the physical and social landscape of this world. Fantastic imagination went into the different classes of people, especially of the Arete. The characters and relationships in this book are another great strength. I give the book 4 stars because Garret has created a compelling and complex story that will leave you wanting more, but there are some editorial issues that keep it from perfect. I am certainly waiting for the next book in this series."

3rd Amazon review!

Thank you E.W: "Ok so I have to say I'm not a huge science-fiction/fantasy person, but this book definitely has made me think twice about my reading list. One of the best books I've read in a long time! It took me some time to get thru it because I'm not use to the flow of a fantasy story but I loved the overall story. This writer has a way of making the reader feel very invested in the characters. The heroes you will absolutely love and find yourself shouting out loud when they come upon misfortune and the villains you will love as well with their extreme complexity nothing is quite what it seems. A very involved and in-depth story from start to finish, I was so sad when I reached the end but I'm so excited for the second book to come out. I can't wait to see where this story goes. Not a book for the faint of heart, but I have no doubt that most geeks out there will love this book. I have been converted, so glad I picked this one up!!! Happy rea

Ink Master: Finale!

So who is the next INK MASTER? And what did he win with?  If you didn't watch the final episode, you missed out on one helluva bitch-fest from alot of the failed contestants. Bunch of whiners. Grow Up! Aside from that, I'm glad Baby didn't win, nothing against her and I'm glad Kyle will be coming back next season, which I hope for the final doesn't have as many Jerry Springer-Moments as this one did...although it was fun to see Oliver and Nunez knock them down. :)

FACE OFF: Final Five!

So it's been awhile since I've said anything about Face OFF, so I'll jump right in and catch up: 1) Those Gone Eddie: Well, once he started with the ghostly baseball player I knew where he was going with it and knew it was going to get him kicked off for it. Wasn't scary. Goofy yes, Cartoon-like, yes. Too bad. Frank: Awesome this season and very talented, but by doing the gluttonous fat guy, something he was suggested not to do, it cost him. Honestly too, had he maybe worked out the head some more he might've slipped by cause the paint was great.  RJ: Buddy, sorry, it was just bad; cute idea—not in a good way, because it didn't play to the judges and he should've known that. Scott: Yea, everyone got the concept behind your art after learning about your father, but it could've been done better so the narration came through the makeup.  Alana: SHOULD STILL BE ON THE SHOW! 2) Who Will WIN? I really think it's either Tate or Laura

Comics!

Yep, you've guessed it, despite my almost reading ban on all things Super Hero, I'm reading Marvel's InFiNiTy. It's Awesome!!!! but a word to the wise, if you're a little weak on your Marvel History, you might want to bone-up. :) There's a lot going on in this and plenty of breezed over info-dumps that can easily get you lost—think Hard SciFi. My advice, read it, but take it slow; it's worth it. I mean, damn ***SPOILER*** THANOS has a kid?????  So I love everything Batman and a close runner-up is Superman, but anything artist Jae Lee touches, yeah, well, it cries out to me. I just can't get over his amazing depiction of these (and other) legendary characters—they need to be in museums. Then there's the Manhattan Project, which is only getting better and better.  I'm so glad I came across this gem and every issue is sweeter than the last. :) Finally, there's Saga, which as "Book Of The Year" implies—if you

Funny...all over a cup of coffee :)

As an author, I find it very interesting how other writers formulate their ideas. I think I've tried everything: jot-list, flow-charts, recording myself, just writing and seeing what happens, which is often how I start; also why sometimes before I know it I'm lost in my own world...but I've never had this happen. The other day I was out with my wife and after about 20min sitting at a local coffee shop, yep, you guessed it, I plotted out nearly the entire outline for Book Two of the Kingdom Come Series. Insane, right? For weeks I've been going over Part II of Faces in Shadow and Shadows with Faces (fringe stories/characters within my series that will each be woven into the whole after a time) while also cleaning up/working-out chapters I already know have to be in the sequel and then suddenly...BAM! The outline wrote itself. I'll go ahead and say it, this book is going to be different in structure. Book One , for the most part, was linear: all the character

2nd review on Amazon!

 rhondap- "This is his first book published? I am impressed! A lot of action and an entire list characters that bring emotion to a fantastic and dark plot. Looking forward to more from Jak and company." Thanks rhondap, Wade

1st review on Amazon!

*Disclaimer Have/will not pay for reviews, of any kinda, in any fashion. MaryAnn- Garret's characters are memorable and compelling, and his creativity and originality within the fantasy genre makes him a remarkable storyteller. This one is a keeper. Wade Garret delivers the key elements of great science fiction: an authentic and detailed future-world; realistic, relatable characters to live in it; and a taut, thoughtful story. Garret's supple, muscular writing is the icing on the cake. The scene setting and storytelling are so detailed that I felt like I woke up after dreaming in the beginning of the story and walked alongside the characters. I love how the story unfolds like an elaborate piece of origami. If you are looking for a story you can really get lost in with characters you feel like you know then buy this book now. You won't be sorry. The "supple, muscular writing" coupled with "unfolds like an elaborate piece of origami" yea

Movies!

Of course Elysium is at the top of my recent list. It was great, just as as I'd thought it 'd be. It was gritty and dark and brutal in ways that made it feel real, which is soooo important to me. Besides Matt's character and Jodie's limited screen time (I wish the movie was longer to give me more history/setting of her character :) ) my next favorite character perhaps isn't who you'd expect. Yes, it was awesome to see Sharito Copley play the bad ass instead of the goofy hero, but the character who really captured my unexpected attention was Jose Cantillo: The guy who in the preview is asking for the Bone Saw; he was just so cool looking, his concept—my mind raced with ideas about his back story. Go see it. It was great. Then there was this big pile of steamy let-down crap.  Did anyone see this movie and like it?  It was somewhere in the first 20min I accepted I'd hate it.  One of it's few best reviews was something like "Riddi

Face OFF3

So here we go again with another exciting episode of Face OFF. Rule #1 for this episode: Knowing what the word whimsical means, which, to be honest, I kinda felt like the Judges didn't have a unified understanding of it. I don't blame them though 'cause if any of the contestants looked at any art related to Mother Goose, they would've know what they should and shouldn't do. Whimsical: 1: full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims (see whim )) 2 a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice ; especially : lightly fanciful < whimsical decorations> b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change. Also : spontaneously fanciful or playful ; given to whims; capricious , quaint, unusual, or fantastic. The Crooked Man Was turned into a monster; nothing whimsical about it...which is why both artists failed the challenge. The Spider Was cute, he kinda had a smile and I liked the rose. I think he cou

Ink Master2!

So this last episode was great. The focus was detail. Here's the run-down: 1) Baby's wasn't bad, but her lion got ripped on. I didn't think it was horrible, bad yes, but not horrible and kinda fit with her composition. Yes, it did kinda look like a stuffed animal.  2) Jamie got pissed cause his client didn't want New School. Sorry, not everyone is into cartoons being permanent on their body; I know I don't.  3) Josh did an ass-crack tattoo. It wasn't terrible, but it was voted the worst of the day and most likely cause of placement and the weird water/claws/fingers for the background. 4) Craig: Well, his was nice, but the background tripped him up. Less is more.  5) Jason: Bad Dragon. People think you can get away with bending and swirling as long as it's bright and colorful and the head and claws as clearly defined...not this time; not with judges who know their shit and this just happens to be what two of them are experts in.  6) Jakie

Face OFF2

And another bites the dust.  I re-post this pic simply because I find it odd that they're sitting beside each other. Odd. Anyway, if you saw the episode I'm so late talking about you know that Samantha Allen is gone.  Was it her fault? Yes and No. Yes = 'Cause she didn't speak up about the horrible idea her team went with but also because her makeup wasn't really that great—we'll expand upon this in a moment. No = 'Cause even if she did, I don't think Miranda Jordy would've listened (which will likely end up biting her later) and I don't think co-rookie Eddie Holecko would've backed her up: I don't have the video at hand, but I'm almost positive he didn't really say anything or question Jordy's idea.  Now, to my overall issue with this latest makeup  Honestly, how many makeups felt like Frankenstein?  Or do all reanimated corpses + bride always =                                         I do

Ben as the Bat

Ok, so he's the next Batman... That's not really my concern. He's got the acting chops to do it and I'm sure when they go to work on his physique and his knowledge of all things Batman, he'll be ready. No, I don't want to hear about Daredevil or any other bad movie he's ever done—if we thought like that, most great movies wouldn't get made for fear of what any actor did once upon a time . So let's look at my concerns for this movie. 1) This Batman won't be what we get this go'round—Bat fans know what I'm talking about. I loved Bale, I loved this Trilogy; I love Nolan's world/version of Batman...but like a different comic series, though this new take on the Caped Crusader will have a variety of the same themes and plot points, it'll be something else. Bigger. It has to be, specifically because the Boy Scout is involved. If people can't scrub what Bale/Nolan did from their minds, it's going to really hurt th

Now for Download!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Genesis%3A+Book+One+of+The+Kingdom+Come+Series&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AGenesis%3A+Book+One+of+The+Kingdom+Come+Series http://downwarden.com/blackbedsheetstore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=81_133

Ink Master!

What can I say, I love this show. I'm still a novice with tattoos: I have 5 small ones and a big back piece that's unfinished; but this show has taught me to really make sure I get what I pay for. Also, to realize what I'm paying for is worth it—I don't want to be around my family or friends with busted tattoos. This season has started off great. Let's do the Need-To-Knows: 1) Everyone is glad M.M (can't say his name without laughing) is gone; his mouth killed me, but Chris Nunez shot him down when he tried to defend his tattoo. Don't remember the line and couldn't find it online, but it was great. Go back and watch the episode and you'll see what I'm talking about. 2) James "Danger" Harvey got a raw deal; his client was a pain and sent him packing.  3) Everyone needs to gun for Craig Foster. He's the one to watch right now. The rest of the cast kinda rides the middle, some highs, some lows...no one is shining e

Face OFF!!!!!

So glad it's back!!!!!!! I hope the newbies can keep up with the Vets—I'll be honest, I'm not sure all the Vets should be there. Anyway, just watched the first episode today.  Here's the run-down in no particular order: 1) Adolfo B. Rivera got lucky with his dwarf pig-man. You can tell he's only going to push harder. 2) It wasn't a good day for Ogers...too bad too. 3) The Fawns were my favorite and though I loved Laney Parkhurst's facial hair choices, I liked Roy Wooley's horns and nose more. 4) Both Pixies were well done. 5) Though I liked the Vets team concept—yep, often choose the team with the Dark Fantasy Theme, go figure—I hated the fingers on the back of Laura Tyler's Witch, which was otherwise very good. And yes, maybe it looked cool (to some) or was kinda a new/cool idea; to me, if it doesn't make sense, if its real purpose is clear outside visuals, I don't care for it. 6) Finally, Steve Tolin: got to learn

Beta-readers Essay

Since I've just finished my edits, I got to thinking about another crucial part of the process, which reminded me of an essay a friend sent to me years ago: BETA-READERS AND YOU Ahh, beta-readers—that elusive yet oh-so-critical component of any piece of literature hoping to grow up into something more. As authors, we hear about them all the time and why we should have an entourage of them at our disposal. But what is a beta-reader? Is one as good as the next? How do they differ from an editor? And how exactly do we go about getting one? Though I can’t promise a fail-proof guide to finding the perfect beta, I can offer some advice garnered mostly from personal opinion and experience. Hopefully this will help you in your search for that elusive critter of the literary world. But in order to teach you how to catch them, I first have to un -teach you, therefore we’ll start this little foray into the field of writing with some: MISCONCEPTIONS 1. Beta-readers and editors are the same t