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Susan A. Royal

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Susan A. Royal

Monthly Archives: April 2015

Dinner And A Movie Monday ~ Young Frankenstein

27 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by Susan A. Royal in Uncategorized

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Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein is a 1974 comedy directed by Mel Brooks. Gene Wilder stars as a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein who wants nothing to do with the man. A great supporting cast includes Teri Gar, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman and Madeline Kahn, among others. The film is a parody of the classic horror films of the 1930s. The film was shot entirely in black and used 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions like fade to black. The film also features a period score. All of this lends just the right touch to the movie. A box office smash, Young Frankenstein ranks No. 13 on the American Film Institutes’s list of the 100 funniest American moves.

In my books it’s a classic. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. And I still do, every time I watch the movie. Peter Boyle’s portrayal of the monster was hilarious, He could speak volumes without ever opening his mouth. Cloris Leachman was perfect as Dr. Frankenstein’s housekeeper and paramour and who could forget Marty Feldman’s Igor? The actors comedic timing was impeccable. The move reminded me of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope and their “Road To..” shows I watched on late night TV when I was growing up.

Quotes from the movie are priceless. For instance, when Igor says “what hump” or Gene Hackman as the blind man shouts to a frightened monster running out the door “Where are you going? I was going to make espresso.” And then there’s Igor’s reference to “abby normal” or Gene Wilder’s “put…the…candle…back” If you want to kick back and have a belly laugh, this is the movie for you.

Because the movie is set in Transylvania, I decided to go with an “old country” recipe that seemed fitting. I grew up in Texas and we lived close to the New Braunfels area where many German families settled, so I’ve had this stick to your ribs dish many times.

SAUERKRAT AND SAUSAGE

sauerkraut and sausage

2 lb sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

1 T caraway seeds

¼ c brown s ugar

1 diced apple

½ bacon

1 large onion, chopped

1 ½ lb kielbasa sausage cut into 1 inch slices

  1. Place the sauerkraut, caraway seeds, brown sugar, and apple into a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  3. Place the bacon and onion into a skillet over medium heat, and cook until the bacon is almost crisp and the onion is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the bacon mixture into the sauerkraut. In the same skillet, brown the kielbasa sausage in the remaining bacon grease until the sausage begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes; stir into the sauerkraut mixture. Spoon the sauerkraut and sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 1 hour.

#Read about Guest #Author Susan A. Royal

17 Friday Apr 2015

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Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Susan A Royal 01

I write because of the love affair I’ve had with words my entire life. From the time I learned to read, I escaped into the fantasy world between the covers of a book whenever possible. Literally I inhaled everything I could get my hands on—children’s books, Reader’s Digest books, Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey—even Comic Classics from the grocery store. When I wasn’t reading, I was writing short stories and poems. I was one of those students who actually enjoyed a book report assignment. I always dreamed of writing a novel and must have started at least a dozen times, but as it so often happens, life would get in the way and I never finished. When my kids grew up I decided if I was ever going to start a book AND finish it, this was my chance. So I did.

Four books and two WIPS later, I’m still…

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MEET KEVIN HOPSON, MAN OF MANY TALENTS!!

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Susan A. Royal in Interview

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fantasy, fellow MuseItUp author, Kevin Hopson, The Fire King

Kevin Hopson Kevin Hopson, Author

Today I’m pleased to be hosting Kevin Hopson, fellow MuseItUp author. Kevin is a busy man. He’s done freelance writing, written several novels and is a stay-at-home dad to a toddler. He’s going to give us a little insight on his methods for juggling all his jobs.

Prior to hitting the fiction scene in 2009, Kevin was a freelance writer for several years, covering everything from finance to sports. His debut work, World of Ash, was released by MuseItUp Publishing in the fall of 2010. Kevin has released several other books through MuseItUp since then, and he has also been published in various magazines and anthology books. Kevin’s writing covers many genres, including dark fiction and horror, science fiction and fantasy, and crime fiction.

The Fire King

Below is an excerpt from Kevin’s latest book, The Fire King. Don’t you love the cover? It would certainly interest me in picking it up to read.

“I say we kill every human left.” Hirador exhaled, his red chest expanding as a stream of air exited the dragon’s nostrils.

“You would,” Mianth said. She attempted to make eye contact with her brother, but Hirador continued to gaze in the other direction. The frigid conditions only made his displeasure more obvious to her. Water vapor immediately turned to fog upon each of his breaths, which were becoming more frequent.

“One man did this,” a male voice said from behind. “You know better than to put the blame on all of them.” He paused. “Then again, you’ll always find a reason to wage war against humanity.”

Mianth turned to look at her other brother. Tulvir’s yellow eyes glowed, and snow began to cover the green scales along the top of his head. “He’s right,” she said.

“Imagine that,” Hirador snorted. “The two of you are in agreement. As always, you’re so quick to judge.”

Mianth shifted her focus to Hirador. “Maybe,” she replied, “but we know how you think. We can’t afford to do anything rash.”

“Regardless,” the red dragon said, “time is something that eludes us. The swarm is moving west, and we have no choice but to make haste.”

And now we get to the part of the interview I enjoy the most. Let’s find out some things about Kevin you wouldn’t ordinarily read in a bio. Describe what you consider your ideal writing conditions.

Peace and quiet! Ha-ha. I’m a stay-at-home dad (have a toddler), so it can be very challenging to write at times. I’m most productive in the morning so if I can find the time to write early in the day, without any other obligations, it’s an ideal situation for me.

This is something I can relate to. When my kids were little it was always a toss up at naptime. Do I tackle something creative or say the heck with it and try to nap while they do?

When you write, are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

I’m probably a combination of both. I might outline to some extent but rarely do I plot out an entire story. I love the spontaneity of writing. By not being confined, I find that my stories take unexpected turns and flow more naturally.

I completely agree. I have a vague outline and a working synopsis to keep me from getting lost. Much more and my imagination suffers.

Where do you go for inspiration?

This is such a difficult question to answer because so many things inspire me. In fact, I could say that life inspires me. Traveling, reading, and movie watching are just a few things that offer inspiration, but sometimes I find it in the oddest places without even looking for it.

Let your mind wander and who knows what will happen.

Tell us about your current WIP.

I’m currently working on a spin-off/prequel to The Fire King, which focuses on the earlier years of Modrad the dwarf.

What is something we’ll never catch you doing?

You’ll never catch me skydiving, base jumping or doing anything involving heights. I’m petrified of heights. When I visited Paris, I wouldn’t even go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Heights bother me too, but I usually find something to hang on to and do it anyway. 

What is something you’ve always wanted to do but don’t have the nerve?

This is going to sound crazy but getting a massage. Despite being in good shape, I’m a very self-conscious person. I could really use a massage. It’s too bad my paranoia outweighs my desire to get one.

I was skeptical about them until I got one….oh. my. goodness. All I can say is a good masseuse is an author’s best friend! Mine is on speed dial!

Thanks for joining me today, and good luck on your books. To find out more about Kevin Hopson, go to:

Blog – http://kevin-hopson.blogspot.com

Email – kevnessky@gmail.com

Buy links:

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/young-adult/ya-fantasy/the-fire-king-detail

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Kevin%20Hopson&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/our-authors/58-our-authors/authors-h/254-kevin-hopson

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kevin-hopson?store=book&keyword=kevin+hopson

6 Simple Steps to Superbad Villains

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by Susan A. Royal in article

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Sacha Black

6 Steps To Superbad Villains

We all love to hate bad guys, and you gave me some fantastic additions to my villain list last week, (thank you). What I love more than hating a bad guy, is a bad guy that makes me empathise with them before I hate them. It makes the hate so much more powerful, because they cheated me, and I hate thinking of myself as gullible, so if they did get to me, then that makes them superbad in my eyes!

I’ve been thinking about my own antagonists/villains in my WIP, and what I can do to develop them, to make them more hateable but loveable. It led me to thinking about the importance of villains having a redeeming quality or some kind of positive trait. 

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Gruene Historic District

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by Susan A. Royal in article

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Gristmill River Restaurant, Gruene Historic District, New Braunfels Texas

Gruen, Texas11072240_10204388325048560_611542632_n

Recently we enjoyed an evening with friends spent in what’s known as Gruene Historic District in New Braunfels, Texas. We had a wonderful time checking it out and learning a little of its history. In the mid 1800s, German farmers settled in what is now known as Gruene, Texas.

Gruene,_TX_General_Store_IMG_5513

The first mercantile store (now Gruene General Store) was built in 1878 and a cotton gin (now Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar) powered by the Guadalupe River was added soon after. Further construction during this profitable time included a dance hall and saloon (Gruene Hall), which became the center of the community’s social life. However, the economic disasters of the boll weevil and the Depression were too much for the family businesses.

Revised,_Gruene_Hall,_Comal_County,_TX_IMG_5512

With the exception of Gruene Hall, they were all shut down. In 1974, Chip Kaufman, an architecture student at UT Austin working with the Texas Historical Commission learned that a group of real estate developers had purchased Gruene’s historic buildings, and planned a housing development, he convinced the developers of the significance of the buildings in Texas history and worked to place Gruene on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 as an entire district. The developers agreed to let Kaufman find new owners interested in the old buildings for new commercial ventures which would provide a core for their new housing development. Pat Molak purchased Gruene Hall in 1975. The 6,000 square-foot, open-air dance hall became a starting point for many of Texas’ up-and-coming performers, and once again, the heart of Gruene. With the help of Mary Jane Nalley, he worked to preserve the authentic, turn-of-the-century look and feel of Gruene by purchasing and repairing several of the town’s most notable structures and transforming them into thriving businesses.

We ate supper at the Gristmill River Restaurant, where we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. The perfect end to a perfect evening.

Gruene, Texas11075307_10204388324808554_2011040495_n

Good friends, good food, great visit!!!11051304_10204388324888556_129117118_n11007519_10204388324288541_1733111994_n

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