So my daughter is starting to like the same television shows and movies as me. She's always on the lookout for a new dark and creepy favorite which means sometimes we go back to older movies. While great in some ways, in others it makes me feel so old.

A perfect example would be Legend. She wanted something with unicorns that was live action and sort of dark. Well the only thing I could think of was Legend.

Well, she only made it through the first few minutes. Once Blix the goblin showed up she was done.  She said that was not a goblin, that goblins are dark and evil, but still good looking. Well that definately isn't Blix.  Damn David Bowie for corrupting the expectations for goblins everywhere.

Anyway, even without her, I watched it and it was a sad trip down memory lane to see how we had all aged over the years.

Plot Summary From Wikipedia:

"Once, long ago", Darkness (Tim Curry) laments his isolation. He senses the presence of two unicorns who safeguard the Power of Light, and bids his goblin servants to find and destroy them. They are to bring him the unicorns' horns, to create an eternal night of cold darkness, so he can roam the lands freely.

Meanwhile Princess Lili (Mia Sara) goes alone to the forest to meet her friend Jack (Tom Cruise), who is teaching her the languages of animals. He takes her to visit the unicorns when the hidden goblins attack with a poisoned blowpipe dart, hitting the stallion. The unicorns bolt, and Lili makes light of Jack's fears and sets him a challenge by throwing her ring into a pond, declaring she will marry whoever finds it. Jack dives in and the surface freezes, causing the world to turn to ice. Jack breaks through but Lili has gone. She hides from the rampaging goblins, but when she hears them crowing that her beauty "led the beasts to bay," she swears she will make it right and goes after them.

Jack cannot find Lili, but meets the elf Honeythorn Gump (David Bennent, voiced by Alice Playten), the fairy Oona (Annabelle Lanyon), and dwarves Brown Tom and Screwball (Cork Hubbert and Billy Barty). They believe Lili is to blame for the world turning to ice, but agree to search together for her. They find the fallen stallion instead and Jack tells them that its horn must be recovered for the world to return to normal. He is shocked when Gump tells him he must be their champion, and they leave Brown Tom to guard the unicorns while they get weapons for Jack.

Lili finds the unicorns, but the goblins attack again and she is captured along with the mare. When she awakens underground, Darkness is enchanted and begins to seduce her. He tells her that her sins make her a perfect match for him and she is disgusted. He tries to impress her with promises of immortality. Furious with herself and scornful of Darkness' arrogance, Lili pretends to be mesmerized by him. She is swept into a dance, transforming from innocent to wicked, as Darkness showers her with treasure. Darkness tells her there will never be another dawn because he will kill the unicorn by sunset as light harms him. She agrees to wed Darkness if only she can kill the mare. Darkness is thrilled by the prospect and agrees, unaware of Lili's true intention. Jack and his friends have found them and overhear, giving Jack the key to Darkness' demise. From the banquet preparations they take giant metal platters to design a heliotrope to reflect light before it sets, as Lili and Darkness prepare to sacrifice the mare. But Lili frees the unicorn instead (as she planned to do all along) and Jack attacks Darkness while the others relay the light of the setting sun. Darkness shouts as he is blasted away into space by light that he can never be destroyed because he is a part of all of them.

They emerge from the underworld under a starlit sky, but Lili is enchanted. Gump restores the horn to the stallion. As the world recovers, Jack dives once again into the pond. When he puts the ring on Lili's finger, she awakens and gives it back to him. Jack invites her to return and runs off into the sunrise as the others wave goodbye.

NOTE: The U.S. theatrical cut ends with Jack and Lili running off into the sunrise together. As Gump and his companions wave goodbye, the shot fades to Darkness laughing one last time.

So Tom Cruise plays Jack the hero....I don't think I really need to say anything.  The picture sums it up.  Seeing this it's hard to imagine him as an A list actor and much easier to see him as the out of control-Scientology spewing-couch jumping-crazy person the tabloids paint him to be.

Looking at this picture it makes me sort of wonder about the eighties...I mean he's supposed to be the hero of the story, but he's sort of...Well... without pants and crouching in a forest. It doesn't really fit when you think about it.

I think the best part of the movie is Tim curry.  I mean for the eighties, this is some pretty amazing make-up.  I used to always wonder how long it took him to get in make-up and how much those horns weighed.  Also...do you think that's his real body?

I mean WOW!

For fans of the special effects show Face Off, to see something like this done just with make-up and prosthetics should be impressive.

For a real make up treat, check out Blix (the reason my daughter quit watching).  I so wanted to do this for Halloween one year, but back then it was just impossible.  Sort of makes me think this might be a great idea for next year....

Anyway, all in all Legend is what it is. A fantasy fairy tale that lacks the fluffy bunnies and good cheer that usually makes up a fairy tale.  It was a nice little creepy treat to visit again.

Do you believe in fate? It is something that I've been thinking about lately with the release of Possessed.

With Possessed, everything was centered around Alastor and his belief that Becca was his fate. Nothing, not even death, could convince him that she was not his destiny. 

Fate was a big theme running through the entire Spiritus Series and now that it is over, I'm not sure where I stand on the issue. Could it be possible that we all have a destiny and throughout our entire lives we are moving toward it?  

Today I'm pleased to reveal the cover for The Virginia Templeton stories by Marsha Casper Cook!


Synopsis:
Virginia’s  marriage of ten years to Slater Templeton, a ruthless corporate titan, has  provided her with all of the comforts she could ever imagine, but still  something is missing. He is all about wealth and accumulating power and has been successful far beyond all expectations, but she has her own agenda and is obsessed with the power she leverages through her undeniable sexuality.
  Together they are a force to be reckoned with. Slater is the demon and Virginia his temptress. In this loveless relationship, their only connection is the power they share while the diva within her needs more. Will her unquenchable desires lead her to keep dark secrets and to create a life for herself that will take her where most others fear to
tread?

chapter  one


 Virginia Templeton arrived at her psychiatrist’s office, ten minutes  late as usual. She was always late, as she rather enjoyed a grand entrance.  Virginia was beautiful and knew it, tall and graceful, with hips tapering into  long, slender legs. A body to die for,  as they say. All heads turned when Virginia entered a  room; women wanted to be her, and men just wanted her. 
 
She was just as sexy dressed as she was undressed, as she absolutely loved fashion. Her favorite expression was “shop until you drop,” and she did just that. Virginia loved expensive clothes and shoes — oh, how she loved shoes
— and accessorized every outfit. She didn’t look at price tags and,  luckily, she didn’t need to. 

Virginia’s image  didn’t allow her to be all smiles or say nice things, as she preferred to play the misunderstood diva and use her good looks for favors. People didn’t cross the line with Virginia often and, when they did, her wrath was like nobody else’s. 

Nicholas Waters, her  psychiatrist, sat behind his desk, waiting for Virginia to make the first move. Sometimes she didn’t speak during her sessions, instead just walking back and forth, angered that she was wasting her time in sessions that she loathed. The only reason she had even agreed to see a doctor was because her deceitful
husband made that a provision in their ongoing divorce proceedings. She wanted  every last dime she felt she had earned in their ten-year marriage. She had smiled when she had to, and undressed when her husband wanted her. A small price to pay for getting anything and everything she  wanted.

 Virginia thought  that Nicholas wasn’t paying attention to her, which really pissed her off. Even though he was just her psychiatrist, it was still important to her that he pay attention. Little did Virginia know that Nicholas couldn’t concentrate on anything else when she was near him.

 Nicholas Waters was bound by an ethical code to avoid involving himself with his patients. But in
his mind, they were just fantasies. Desiring a woman and actually acting upon
his desire were two different things, and his fantasies usually went away after
a visit or two. Virginia Templeton was a different case. He knew it, she knew
it, and so did anyone who had ever come in contact with
her.


She had been looking
at him from the moment she arrived, but didn’t say a word. Nicholas sometimes
wondered if she knew how much he wanted her. He would imagine himself lying next
to her, consuming every inch of her sensuous body. Kissing her, touching her
breasts, wondering how he could make her happy. She was filled with desire―and,
sometimes, quite a bit of rage―but
  that didn’t stop Nicholas from having tight control of his mind every time she
  came for a visit. He was her psychiatrist, and that was the way it had to stay
… for now.


He was also a
married man and, regardless of his unhappiness, he had remained married to the
same woman for more than twenty years. When Nicholas met Carmella, he was a
struggling medical student with loans, minutes away from personal bankruptcy.
She was beautiful, with vibrant red hair and a sweet smile that usually
presented her in a glamorous, but guarded, light. Love never entered the
picture. Her family was very wealthy and highly visible. He knew she was the
solution to his financial problems.


Carmella’s main flaw
was that she usually had a drink in her hand at eight in the morning and
continued drinking until very late at night. She never wanted sex with him. That
didn’t mean she didn’t like sex; she just didn’t like sex with her husband. For
his part, Nicholas didn’t care about love or sex until he met
Virginia.


From the very moment
Virginia Templeton walked into his office, attitude and all, he was hooked. He
had never felt such a strong, passionate connection to anyone. Actually, he
never questioned his life as much as he did once Virginia Templeton became his
patient.


A friend of his had
referred her, and Nicholas reluctantly took her on as a patient because he felt
doing otherwise might put her on the edge of doing something horrible. She came
in with a lot of hatred and, whether she admitted it or not, he sometimes
thought they made a breakthrough. A patient who didn’t want help never got
better, but he felt she could make progress by increasing her visits to his
office.


Nicholas watched
Virginia, waiting until she was ready to start. It always took her a little bit,
as she prepared to start the sessions in her own way.



After strutting
around the office, Virginia kicked off her leopard, four-inch Stuart Weitzman
pumps and sat her ass right smack in the middle of Nicholas’s desk. She was
wearing a very tight, black leather skirt, and a see-through, white lace shirt.
Because she was all leg when she crossed them, which she liked to do, Nicholas
could see her black lace panties and the tiny rose tattoo on her upper right
thigh.


“So, Nick, where
shall I begin today?” Nicholas didn’t answer, and that angered her more than he
knew. “What the fuck? Help me out here, Doc. I need some
answers.”


For months,
everything Nicholas had tried had completely pissed her off. At that moment, he
felt she might be ready for a breakthrough, and quietly let her
continue.


“Okay, let me tell
you what happened last night,” she went on. “Slater, my loving, sweet jerk of a
husband was out of town. I got in my car, went right back to my old stomping
grounds, drank too much, and fucked a whole lot of times. Since you didn’t ask
who I was with, let me tell you. Two men were in my bed last night. One was very
tall, with dark curly hair. The other was very short with a long blonde
ponytail, kind of a freaky looking guy. One was on my right and one was on my
left. Blondie had one finger in my ass and the other dark, sexy guy, who looked
a lot like you, was in my cunt. What do you think about
that?”


Nicholas began to
write notes. All thoughts of him having a conversation with his patient were off
the board for now. He was so busy picturing the details that he couldn’t really
concentrate. He was so far away from where he should be ethically that he
stopped himself, took a breath, and then continued with his
notes.


Virginia took full
advantage of the moment, as she quickly scooted off his desk and proceeded to
strut around the office. “Wow, Doc, when did you get that picture-perfect
plant?” She didn’t actually give a shit about the plant on the floor; she just
wanted Nicholas to enjoy the view as she leaned down to touch it. “Follow me,
Doc.” Bending down even lower, she spread her legs, once again exposing her
lace-covered bottom. Then, just as quickly as she had lowered herself, she stood
up, turned around, and smiled
beautifully.


“You know, Nick,
you’re such a bore. You just sit there and write and write and write. Come on.
Say something. Do you ever answer your patients, or do you like to totally piss
them off? If that was your intention, it worked. You win. I’m totally pissed
off.”


Nicholas could sense
her anger boiling over, and watched in anticipation that Virginia might actually
be feeling something. She was just about to explode; he knew it, but chose not
to stop it from happening. Sometimes that was all a patient needed to break
through the barriers they’d surrounded themselves with. He also had to keep
reminding himself of what was ethical. He was in danger of crossing the line,
and he knew it. He hoped his feelings weren’t transparent to Virginia.



“I hate boring men,”
she continued, as she paraded around the room. “My father was boring. He rarely
talked, and he never smiled. You can write that in your little notebook. My
father was a piece of shit―a
  mean, selfish asshole. He never talked to me or treated me like his daughter.
  He had no love in him; that’s what my mother used to say. He had no soul, and I
  didn’t even cry when he killed himself. It was no loss to anyone. There are two
  things I hate in men. A man who doesn’t smile, and a man who acts like he’s
  better than me.”


Nicholas glanced
down at his watch, realizing that Virginia was getting more agitated. There was
usually a moment during her treatments that pushed her to the top. The moment
varied, but the pattern always repeated.



“Is my time up?” she
asked. “Even if it’s not, it’s time for me to go. We’re getting nowhere today.
As a matter of fact, I think today will be my last visit. I don’t need to be
here. Time is money. Face it, Nick, you can’t help me. No one
can.”


Nicholas decided it
was now or never. “Virginia, sit down and stop pacing. Let’s go with what you
just said. You do want me to help you, don’t
you?”


“No, I don’t think
so. How would you feel if you were seven years old and your father pulled out a
gun and pointed it at your mother? Then shot her, took the same damn gun and
shot himself in the head while his daughter watched? I watched that! What kind
of a person does that to his child?” She was quite proud of herself for once
again coming up with a good story. “What makes it worse was my phony foster
parents stuck me in the attic with ten other kids. Sometimes I looked around the
attic and wondered how my life could ever be anything but dreadful and
confusing. There were days when I didn’t even feel human.” Oh, she was so good
at this.


“Okay, Virginia. Now
that you have told me what happened to you, and you think I bought it, let’s
begin all over again. Every time you come here, you tell me a different story.
This time, tell me the truth. Then maybe, just maybe, I can help you.”



“Fuck you, Nick!”
she growled. “That was the truth.”


“Okay, then. Tell me
how and why you married a man you didn’t
love.”


Virginia began to
laugh. “You don’t really think I come here for your advice. Do you? I come here
because my asshole husband makes me come here. He won’t give me my fair share in
the divorce unless I agree to have some therapy. He wants to ease his
conscience. He’s afraid he’ll look bad if I go off the deep end, and he doesn’t
want any headlines. A man like Slater puts himself before
anyone.”


Nicholas returned to
his desk, which served as his safety net. He could sense Virginia was getting
quite angry, and wasn’t sure if he should push during this session. Usually,
that only infuriated her more, causing her to tell more lies.



“Okay, Nick. Since
we’re having this nice little chat, let me tell you what I think. My husband
wants to fix me and set me free. Women like me don’t get fixed. We like men,
sex, and booze. We drink for fun and fuck like crazy. What’s so wrong with that?
If it feels good, why not? I hate to think that being in love is enough for
anyone.”


After thinking for a
moment, Nick figured it was time to talk. “Believe it or not, love is enough for
many people. One day, you will be in love, and maybe that will be enough for you
too.”


“Oh, really? Are you
in love with your wife? Do you even have a wife? I don’t know anything about
you, other than I want to fuck you. And I think you want to fuck me. I don’t do
normal, and I don’t think you do either. Or let me put it another way. You might
do normal, but you don’t really like normal.”



Nicholas was on his
way to understanding her convoluted view of what she was all about. He didn’t
soften just yet, but he was on his way. He didn’t want to compromise, but he was
a man. Virginia had gotten to him even with all his armor; she knew how to dig
deep. He was very close to giving in to his fantasy, and she knew she had
finally penetrated into his soul. It was, she thought, her
moment.


Game on! She was
euphoric. “I bet if you let me get you in the sack, we would be born again as
one. If you allowed me to slowly undress you, button by button, and then gently
massage every morsel of your being. My lips would embrace that cock of yours and
you, my dear doctor, would never be the same. I promise you that! I can take you
on a journey that will totally overwhelm you, and you will be mine forever, or
for as long as I want you.” A sultry smile spread across her
face.


Virginia found
herself moving as close to Nicholas as she possibly could. She could barely
breathe. Her breasts pressed against his chest, she could feel his hardness
against her. He didn’t feel like other men. He was distant and completely
disconnected from her. To her surprise, he showed no reaction. He just stared at
her in silence.


Being this close to
a man who seemed to feel nothing was quite disturbing to her ego. Every man she
knew would have reacted quite differently. Although, she was excited by the
challenge he presented. She straightened her shoulders, not allowing herself to
be weak.


Nicholas wanted to
forget that he was her doctor and instead take her in his arms. He was uncertain
how long he could resist, but he knew there would be no turning back once he
gave in. He stepped back, putting some distance between
them.


His rejection
angered Virginia. “You’re not the right doctor for me. Tell me why you took my
case. Your practice was full, but you added me to your patient load. Did you
really think you could help me?”


“Yes, of course I
thought I could help you.”


“Then why the fuck
aren’t you helping me?” she spat.


“Because you don’t
want help. You have repeatedly told me one lie after another. I can’t perform
miracles.”


“Screw you, Nick.
Screw you. I don’t like to waste time and today, as usual, I am wasting my time.
The only thing left is for us to go to bed together. I know you want me, I can
tell. But you can’t do it if you’re my
  doctor.”


“Virginia, sit your
ass down. I’m your doctor, not your lover. Why would you think that I want to go
to bed with you?” His patience was wearing
thin.


“Because every man
wants me,” she purred, again closing the distance between them. Reaching for his
belt, she began to slowly lower his zipper. “You want me and I know
it.”


“Virginia, you need
to leave. Now. As of this very moment, my services as a doctor are
over.”


Virginia backed off.
“You don’t mean that.”


“Oh, but I do. Watch
this.”


Nicholas wrote on
his notepad, “Virginia Templeton’s sessions have ended as of July 9.” He signed
the paperwork to make it official, then pointed to the door.



“You need to leave
right now.”


Virginia strolled
out of the office, not looking back. She refused to let Nicholas see the tears
in her eyes. He had won, and she hated that.



Nicholas took
several deep breaths, relieved to have resisted her very tempting offer. Their
sessions had ended, and only time would tell if he would miss her. If he was
honest with himself at that moment, though, he was disappointed at the thought
of never seeing her again.


 

Author Bio:
Marsha Casper Cook is the author of 10 published books and 11
feature-length screenplays. Her published works include LOVE
CHANGES, a contemporary romance novel, and TO
LIFE, a non-fiction biography about being a teenager and surviving the
Holocaust. She has also written four books for young children, SNACK
ATTACK ,THE MAGICAL LEAPING
LIZARD POTION and the poetry collection THE
BUSY BUS. Her book NO CLUES NO
SHOES  is the first of the Emelina Hewitt and her dog Stanley
series. Marsha's latest work and her first in a romance collection, VIRGINIA
TEMPLETON STORIES   has just been released in
  paperback and she is currently working on LEO
LOVES GRACIE characters taken from her screenplay Prince Charming which
will be out after the first of the year.

Since early 2010, Marsha has
hosted radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. She and Virginia Grenier,the other half
of World Of Ink Network Blog Talk Radio, have been doing shows for almost four
years. Her show "A Good Story Is A Good Story" is about writing.Marsha does
discuss many subjects on her radio shows but her love of writing draws her to
talk to other authors and marketing experts.

She will be adding
different shows this year with her partner at World Of Ink Network, Virginia
Grenier. Marsha is also is doing Radio Book Launches with Marnie McNiff and
Virginia Grenier with Michigan Avenue Media.Inc. specializing in Children's
Books, Romance and Thrillers.
   



Join Marsha at Blog Talk Radio where she does her WORLD OF INK
NETWORK radio shows.  http://www.worldofinknetwork.com.

Author
Links:

Website
- http://www.michiganavenuemedia.com/the-virginia-templeton-stories-.html
                 
http://michiganavenuemedia.com/marsha-casper-cook.html
Radio Shows
http://www.worldofinknetwork.com/meet-the-hosts.html
Blogs
http://www.virginiatempleton.blogspot.com/
Social  network
https://twitter.com/mba3308

Okay, I'm going to take a break from talking about the release of Possessed (a great book by the way...lol) to talk about my favorite book boyfriend!

We all have them, those fictitious men that we dream about, and mine is Lasher from Anne Rice's Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels.  Lasher is seductive, romantic, and mysterious. Throw in the fact that he has dark hair (always have been a sucker for dark hair) and I am hooked.

I always pictured him as looking a little like Michael Praed. Yes, that is that male that I judge all other men by, but this time it actually makes sense because he is described as being tall and thin with dark hair.

Anyway, Lasher is the main character in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels, which includes:

Possessed is now available!

"Do you believe that love can last centuries? Revenge? Guilt? Well,
take your pick and read this book!" ~ Love and Live to
Read

The Spiritus Series captured the imagination of readers with the hauntingly romantic tale of a love that refused to die. Now experience the story  from the other side!

Every story has two sides...

Alastor truly believed that his life was over the night his wife Becca shot and killed him over a century ago, but now he has returned as a spirit to  haunt the reincarnation of his traitorous, murdering wife. Why now? Why  Becca after all this time?

When Becca moves into her  ancestral home in Corydon, Indiana, her life takes a puzzling and  thrilling turn when she meets the ghost haunting the halls. As the seductive spirit lures her closer and closer, she learns about her own  past and starts to understand that some mistakes are meant to last.

To Becca, Alastor is a seductive spirit that seems to see straight into  her soul. To Alastor, Becca is what he has waited a century for--A  second chance. But a second chance at what? Love...Or revenge?

How far will each of them go to rectify the wrongs of the past?


More Praise of the Spiritus Series:

"With a spoon full of romance and a dash of suspense, Spiritus is a wonderful treat."-Jaskirat, See It Or Read
It

"If you like romantic and haunting novels, with characters and a plot that completely draws you in, then I would definitely recommend that you  pick up Spiritus." ~ Ink Puddle

"The romantic tension,  the tenderness, the bittersweet moments...These are all the things that  really caught my attention." ~ Alexa Loves Books

"The  writing is beautiful, the scenery is gorgeous.  The emotions in the  book...They are heartfelt and sometimes just heart wrenching." ~  Fictional Candy

Find it on:
  Amazon  | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo |  Smashwords


For a look into the real world of Spiritus, check out the
 Spiritus (Spiritus Series Book #1) Pinterest  Board. 

Interested to learn more about the characters and their world? Visit the Spiritus Extras Page.

I've long been a fan of Anne Rice's work. Through her gothic tales, I fell in love with my first vampire, had my first taste of a romantic spirit, and now she's made werewolves sexy and poetic at the same time.

To me, Anne Rice is one of those authors that create stories that live in your mind so long after you've finished reading that last page. When I'm reading her books, I find myself going back and reading certain passages again and again, like I'm trying to actually absorb the words or something and I can't wait to dive into the next one.

Like so many of us, life tends to get in the way when it comes to reading. Well, thanks to a nasty sinus infection, I managed to squeeze in a few sleepless nights that gave me the opportunity to catch up on my neglected TBR list. I knew right away which book had to be the very first to be savored...The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice.