Friday's Film Adaption: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Summary:
Late on Christmas Eve, after the town has gone to sleep, a boy boards a mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives there, Santa offers him any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the reindeer's harness. It turns out to be a very special gift, for only believers in Santa can hear it ring.

Film:

“At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.” 

Release Date: November 10, 2004

Release Time: 100 minutes

Cast:

Tom Hanks - Hero Boy / Father / Conductor / Hobo / Scrooge / Santa Claus

Leslie Zemeckis - Sister Sarah / Mother

Eddie Deezen - Know-It-All

Nona Gaye - Hero Girl (voice)

Peter Scolari - Billy - Lonely Boy

Brendan King, Andy Pellick - Pastry Chefs

Josh Eli, Mark Mendonca, Rolandas Hendricks, Mark Goodman, Jon Scott, Gregory Gast, Sean Scott, Gordon Hart - Waiters

Michael Jeter - Smokey / Steamer

Chris Coppola - Toothless Boy / Elf

Julene Renee - Red Head Girl / Elf

Charles Fleischer - Elf General

Steven Tyler - Elf Lieutenant / Elf Singer

Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mark Povinelli, Ed Gale - Elf

Dante Pastula - Little Boy

Daryl Sabara - Hero Boy (voice)

André Sogliuzzo - Smokey / Steamer (voice)

Jimmy Bennett - Lonely Boy (voice)

Isabella Peregrina - Sister Sarah (voice)

Eric Newton, Aidan O'Shea, Aaron Hendry, Kevin C. Carr, Bee Jay Joyer, Jena Carpenter, Karine Mauffrey, Elisabeth P. Carpenter, Bill Forchion, Devin Henderson, Sagiv Ben-Binyamin - Acrobatic Elf

Josh Hutcherson - Hero Boy

Ashly Holloway - Sister Sarah

Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak - Know-It-All

Chantel Valdivieso - Hero Girl

Hayden McFarland - Lonely Boy

Connor Matheus - Toothless Boy

Evan Sabara - Young Boy

Awards:

Academy Awards Nominations:

Best Sound Editing (Randy Thom and Dennis Leonard)

Best Sound Mixing (Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis S. Sands and William B. Kaplan)

Best Original Song for "Believe"

Trailer

Clips

Author Bio:
Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

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Cover Reveal: Whiskey Neat by Lani Lynn Vale

Title: Whiskey Neat

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Series: Uncertain Saint’s MC #1

Genre: Motorcycle Romance

Expected Release Date: March 3, 2016

Cover Photographer: Furious Fotog

Cover Model: Chase Ketron

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Summary:
Griffin Storm wasn’t prone to violence, but when someone takes what Griffin holds dear, the world as he knows it is gone.

Retaliation, revenge and rage fuels him.  His MC, The Uncertain Saint’s, do their best to offer support, but Griffin is beyond redemption.  He’ll do what he has to do.  Kill who he has to kill.

He doesn’t care if that means he dies.  If it gets him what he wants, then it’s worth it.

He fakes it all until the night he walks into a sex shop for batteries and lays eyes on a woman that will change his life.

Lenore makes him think past tomorrow.  Makes him want to see just what the future might bring.

But his life’s a dangerous one built around pain and deception, and not for the faint of heart.

He won’t give up the past, not until he’s done what he promised to do.

And if that means she’s not there when the dust settles, he’ll risk it.

Lenore, though, won’t give up on him.  She’ll fix him, whether he wants her to or not.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Griffin growled, interrupting my inner diatribe.

“I know,” I lied.

He snorted.  “Stop shaking.  I said I wouldn’t harm you.  I’m a cop.”

Yeah, but good cops didn’t beat the shit out of people in the dark of night.

So what did that make him?

“Keys,” Griffin said, snapping me out of my reverie.

I did not want to give this man the keys.

But did I have much of a choice?

No.

So I gave the man my keys, and watched in agony as he walked into my house, looked through all my rooms, then started into my bedroom last.

I probably wouldn’t have freaked out the way I did had I realized he was only going to be more persistent in going into my room, but I did freak out.

Then he got a curious look in his eye.

“Don’t go in there!” I yelled when he started to push my bedroom door open.

He cocked his head.  “Why not?”

Because the vibrator you gave to me is on my nightstand…next to my lube!

Instead, I settled on, “Because that’s my room!  Get out!”

He grinned.

It was the first grin I’d ever seen grace his lips, and I knew I’d do anything to see it again.

Even humiliate myself by letting him go into my room and see my greatest embarrassment yet.

And I knew the instant he saw it once he turned on the light.

His body froze, spine going solid.

And although he went through the room, even checking under the bed, he stopped by the night stand and picked up the vibrator that’d very recently been inside of me.

Then, with dawning horror, he brought it up to his nose and inhaled deeply.

My mouth dropped open at the way his eyes darkened.

Mother. Fucker.

Then, without another word, he placed the vibrator down gently on the nightstand and left, disappearing into the night.

Leaving me with a proverbial flood going on in my panties as arousal shot through me at the way he’d knowingly smelled the vibrator.

Sweet baby Jesus, that was hot!

So very, very hot.

And so very, very bad.

My mind was torn in between wanting him to come back, and to stay far, far away.

I did, however, go out onto my front porch to look down the street.

However, when I got in place to look without being seen, every single one of them was gone.

Author Bio:
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.

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Buddy Carruthers, Wide Receiver by Jean C Joachim

Title: Buddy Carruthers, Wide Receiver

Author: Jean C Joachim

Series: First & Ten #2

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: April 10, 2015

Publisher: Moonlight Books

Cover Artist: Dawne Dominique

Summary:
Known for his record-breaking stats and womanizing ways, wide receiver, Buddy Carruthers, would give it all up for one chance to win the only woman he ever wanted, Emmy Meacham. Hard-won games, and traveling half the season kept Buddy from pursuing his secret passion. Even if he managed to corner her for a moment, would she still care?

Now a rock star known as Emerald, Emmy lived her life on the road with no time for love. In her dreams, she longed to turn back the clock and spend another night with Buddy. But lies and deceit had kept them apart for five years. Would a chance meeting wash away those years or cause old wounds to resurface? Could two lives traveling in opposite directions make room for love or would they continue to spin, out of sync, and always alone?

He poured a cup of coffee, added one sugar and some milk, and then offered it to her.

She glanced at the mug then up at him. “You remember.”

“I remember everything about you. The way you take your coffee. Your laugh. The way you taste. Everything. Like it was yesterday.” A sadness flashed through his eyes.

“Did I break your heart?” she whispered, the sudden realization making her breathless.

He nodded.

*****

“I’m the same crazy guy you used to love.”

“Nobody’s the same after five years. Life changes people.”

“You’re the same beautiful, sweet girl I fell for.”

“Not really. Life’s changed me. I’m not so sweet anymore.”

“There’s a difference between sweet and stupid. You were never stupid.”

She laughed. “Some compliment.”

He colored. “You know what I mean.” Time to go for the touchdown.

“Yeah, I do.” She smiled up at him.

Buddy leaned down to kiss her. “If you don’t want me, I promise not to bother you again.”

Author Bio:
Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. The Renovated Heart won Best Novel of the Year from Love Romances Café. Lovers & Liars was a RomCon finalist in 2013. And The Marriage List tied for third place as Best Contemporary Romance from the Gulf Coast RWA. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Married and the mother of two sons, Jean lives in New York City. Early in the morning, you’ll find her at her computer, writing, with a cup of tea, her rescued put, Homer, by her side and a secret stash of black licorice.

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Buddy Carruthers, Wide Receiver #2

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Griff Montgomery, Quarterback #1

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Release Day Blitz: Fallen Angel Part 4 by Tracie Podger

Title: Fallen Angel Part 4

Author: Traci Podger

Series: Fallen Angel #4

Genre: Mafia Romance

Release Date: December 4, 2015

***Contemporary Romance for readers over the age of 18***

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Summary:
It was in a small room in a hotel in Washington, DC, that Brooke Stone’s life changed forever—again.

Life had been peaceful, as peaceful as being a member of one of the most powerful crime families in America could be.

But life has a habit of throwing a curve ball, a curve ball so fast and so wide it knocks everyone from their feet.

From the streets of DC to the hills of Tuscany, from death to the utmost joy – Join Brooke for the final chapter in the Fallen Angel series and witness the birth of a new crime dynasty.

This is a story of discovery, of finding a past, of heartache and the greatest of love.

‘I’ve seen death and I’ve faced my worst fears – I survived.’

Author Bio:
Tracie Podger currently lives in Kent, UK with her husband and a rather obnoxious cat called George.  She’s a Padi Scuba Diving Instructor with a passion for writing.  Tracie has been fortunate to have dived some of the wonderful oceans of the world where she can indulge in another hobby, underwater photography. She likes getting up close and personal with sharks.

Tracie has self published the Amazon bestselling Fallen Angel series, and the last release, Travis  became available at all major ebook retailers in March 2015. There are currently three more releases scheduled for 2015.

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