Tara Bennett is the author of several movie and TV companion books including the upcoming “The Art of Epic“, as well as “The Art of 300”, and “The Art of Terminator Salvation”. She also contributed to the media tie-in books for ‘The Official Firefly Companions Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3’ and ‘Firefly: Celebration’. She has also done interviews and features for print and online publications, including The Walking Dead Magazine, Once Upon a Time Magazine, SCI FI Magazine, Blastr and many more. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Tara about her latest book and her love for pop culture.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get involved with your latest book “The Art of Epic”?
Tara Bennett: I’ve worked with Titan Books since 2005 when I contributed to their Making of Fantastic Four book. I’ve been blessed to continue working with them over the last decade contributing to their Firefly Companions. As an individual author, I wrote for them all four of the 24: Series Companions, The Art of Terminator Salvation and Terminator Salvation Movie Companion. Late last year, they contacted me about writing The Art of epic and I was thrilled. I’m a long-time animation nut and this was my first opportunity to write a concept to creation book for an animated film so I jumped at the opportunity.

MG: Where you able to see the film “Epic” before working on the companion book?
I had the special opportunity to go to the Blue Sky Studios in Connecticut last September, where I got to meet the entire epic team. While there, I had a fascinating three hour presentation from epic Art Director Mike Knapp, who walked me through the entire conceptual evolution of the film. I got to see all of the concept art featured in the book, watched animatics, partially completed scenes and completed scenes. Just this past February, I got to go back to Blue Sky as part of my coverage for Total Film Magazine and watch about 25 minutes of the completed film. They only locked the entire film around the first week of April so I’m excited to see the final film next week.

MG: After working on “The Art of 300” and “The Art of Terminator Salvation”; how does “The Art of Epic” compare?
The common thread when doing any “art of” book is getting to see the early ideas that are developed for each film. “Art of” books are about documenting the creative path a film takes before it becomes the finished product, so all three books afforded me the opportunity to see, and explain, the design and aesthetic evolution of each film. I graduated with a degree in TV/Radio and Film so behind the scenes stories about making films have always fascinated me and as a professional who worked in the business, I know every project has a very unique story. So that being said, it’s hard to compare those three books because they were all very different types of films. But I think the epic book is unique in showing off the wide array of artists who contributed their ideas for environments, characters looks, costuming and more, and then how their work was all distilled into the final design after a long span of trial and error. I think the book shows off their work beautifully and just how much each design phase inspired what would become the final film.

MG: How much research is required for you to do before authoring these books?
It varies on every project. I do my homework with the materials provided to me by my editor and publisher. Often, I get to do interviews with key members of the production where I really get into the history and the practical decisions surrounding every aspect of making the film. My background and general love of the film and television industry also means I’m already always reading about, or keeping up with, trends and technology so I know the right questions to ask when I get the opportunity. Honestly, it’s the fun part of the job for me.

MG: I am a huge “Firefly” fan, tell us about your work on “The Official Firefly Companions Vol. 1-3” & “Firefly: Celebration”?
Hello fellow Browncoat! Working on all of the Firefly Companions has been an absolute dream. It’s got an incredibly passionate fan base so from the start I knew I would get to write for the real hard core fans who want to know the tiniest details about every aspect of that show which was exciting. Those books are not for a watered-down, mainstream audience; those books are for the true believers and that means I got to geek out in my interviews and with my writing. Also that cast and crew is just such a special collection of people so getting to talk with them and reminisce officially about the show was incredible. It’s always thrilling to meet a new Firefly fan, of which we are legion now and always growing, so those books make me very proud.

MG: Tell us about your print and online work including The Walking Dead Magazine, SCI FI Magazine, Blastr etc?
I’ve been an entertainment journalist full time since 2003 when I transitioned out of television producing into writing full-time. Along with writing books, I also cover television, film and pop culture for an array of online and print outlets. For Titan Magazines, I’ve worked on just about all of their series and film-centric specialty magazines from 2003 to today including most recently The Walking Dead Magazine, Once Upon a Time Collector’s Magazines and Grimm Magazine. I am the east coast editor for SFX Magazine and contributor for Total Film Magazine. I write for SCI FI Magazine. Online, I write for Movies.com, FEARnet, Blaster and more. I keep myself as diversified as possible because this business is rough and I never know when an outlet might disappear or not need me. Having a lot of places to write for makes my freelancing life a little more stable…if possible.

MG: What is your current obsessions now in pop culture, whether TV, comics, film etc?
Good question. Currently, I’m in Game of Thrones mode. I really love this season and am a little more invested because two of my graduating students work on the series in the visual effects department so their names in the credits every week always makes me smile. The summer movie season is here so I’m excited about Star Trek Into Darkness, epic (obviously), The Wolverine, Elysium and more. I’m a huge The Hunger Games nerd so I’m excited about Catching Fire in the fall. And then the upcoming TV season has some exciting possibilities and I love covering new shows anticipating if any will become one of my new favorites.

MG: What do you have planned next? In terms of “Art of Books”?
The book writing world is extremely mercurial. I’m at the mercy of a publisher or editor knocking on my cyber door to see if I’m available, so nothing is currently on my calendar but I hope something pops up soon and I’ll be back in the trenches again.

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Author: Richard Castle
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: May 21, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Are you a fan of ABC’s “Castle” starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic? Well if you are then you should know that the literary work of author Richard Castle has a life outside the show. “Storm Front” is the latest novel from Richard Castle following “Heat Wave”, “Naked Heat”, “Heat Rises” and “Frozen Heat”, which follow the character Nikki Heat. If you see the trend in the titles, you will notice that this one differs. Last summer we were introduced to world of Derrick Storm with the following short-format eBooks, “A Brewing Storm”, “A Raging Storm” and “A Bloody Storm”. They were great but like I said short. So “Storm Front” is a great way to experience this character in a full length story. What I enjoy most about these books they are a real treat for any fan of “Castle”. But what makes them even better is that if you’ve never heard of “Castle” you are able to pick up this series like it is any other novel.

Official Premise: There’s a storm front coming! Four years after he was presumed dead, Derrick Storm–the man who made Richard Castle a perennial bestseller–is back in this rip-roaring, full-length thriller. From Tokyo, to London, to Johannesburg, high-level bankers are being gruesomely tortured and murdered. The killer, caught in a fleeting glimpse on a surveillance camera, has been described as a psychopath with an eye patch. And that means Gregor Volkov, Derrick Storm’s old nemesis, has returned. Desperate to figure out who Volkov is working for and why, the CIA calls on the one man who can match Volkov’s strength and cunning–Derrick Storm. With the help of a beautiful and mysterious foreign agent–with whom Storm is becoming romantically and professionally entangled–he discovers that Volkov’s treachery has embroiled a wealthy hedge-fund manager and a U.S. senator. In a heated race against time, Storm chases Volkov’s shadow from Paris, to the lair of a computer genius in Iowa, to the streets of Manhattan, then through a bullet-riddled car chase on the New Jersey Turnpike. In the process, Storm uncovers a plot that could destroy the global economy–unleashing untold chaos–which only he can stop.

“Storm Front” follows after the Derrick Storm trilogy, “A Brewing Storm”, “A Raging Storm” and “A Bloody Storm”. So there is some good continuity between the series. The plot is very clever like all novels from Castle and the writing is extremely top notch. Obviously, we know that Nathan Fillion is not writing these books and that is ok with me because he also does not write the scripts to the TV series either. So I think it is safe to say that the ghost writer behind Richard Castle is the show’s own writers. They bring the same wit and sharp dialogue right out of the TV show and you can literally watch the stories action play out like an epic episode of the show. The character of Derrick Storm, our ruggedly handsome agent, is just so sly and you can literally visualize Fillion in his shoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love Nikki Heat, she is amazing but who can so no to a little James Bond-esque espionage thriller. So those looking for more from Richard Castle, don’t worry next up is “Deadly Heat”, which is the fifth book in the Nikki Heat series. It is set to be released September 17th timed with the start of the sixth season of “Castle”.

Author: J. W. Rinzler
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Abrams
Release Date: May 14, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I don’t know any other way to start this review but noting that it has J. W. Rinzler behind it. Right away that is an instant score for me. He is the executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd. and the the author of many of my favorite “Star Wars” books including “The Making of Star Wars & “The Empire Strikes Back” and the recent “Star Wars: Blue Prints”. I know that the “Star Wars” universe will be well-represented if it is in his hands. That is definitely the case with “Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy”. I am not a super big fan of the prequel trilogy but I am huge fan of conceptual storyboards and artwork for films.

This book marks the first time that Lucasfilm has opened up the doors to its archives in order to present this collection of storyboards from Episodes I, II and III. The book itself includes the best-of storyboards from the three films complied into one volume and is accompanied with the scripts excerpts from the scenes shown. If you are a fan of “Star Wars”, this is a great way to really get a new perspective on these three films.  You will also really get a chance to see how these storyboards assisted in the creation of the Prequel Trilogy. Did I also mention that there were 1200 illustrations in the book spread out over the 350+ pages. Also I just want to through it out there since this book focuses on the Prequel Trilogy, I hope that there is a second volume in the works for Episode IV through VI.  Just sayin’ 😉

So if you are a hardcore “Star Wars” fan like myself, you are going to jump at the chance, fan of this trilogy or not, to see early takes on favorite scenes, alternate looks, unused approaches to character designs and environments and completely different approaches to key moments. When I first flipped through this book, I was “Alright cool, it is the prequels presented in storyboards”.  But upon a closer look there is so much more that will have you literally examining this book very closely to be sure not to miss a detail. Like I mentioned I am a fan of J. W. Rinzler’s works, so I will be awaiting the upcoming release of “The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”, this October very highly! Keep me coming J. W. and Lucasfilm!

Author: Tara Bennett
Hardcover: 143 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: April 23, 2013

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Titan Books is really on fire this year, after also recently releasing the impressive “The Art of The Croods”. “Epic” is the latest film from 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios, the creators of “Ice Age” and “Rio”. I haven’t heard much of this film before reading this like I did with “The Art of the Croods”, but this book makes me really want to see this movie right now!

“The Art of Epic” is really sharp art book with over 300 pieces of concept art, character sketches, storyboards and digital paintings spread out over the 140+ pages. Top that with some great interviews from the very talented animation talent that are behind the film and we’ve got a winner. The art is very detailed and very colorful. It really captures this world that was created for this film. I love the breakdown of each character and environment that we get introduced to throughout this film.

Official Premise: “Epic” tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world — and ours.

The film is director by Chris Wedge, (“Ice Age”) and stars the voices of Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, with Steven Tyler and Beyoncé Knowles. So there is no shortage of talent here for sure.

The author for this book, Tara Bennett, is no stranger to “The Art of” books. She has worked on several movie and TV companion books including “The Art of 300”, “The Art of Terminator Salvation” and “The Official Firefly Companions Vol. 1, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3”. She really knows how to give an inside look behind-the-scenes on a project and she does it very well here. She has me hook, line and sinker. I will be first in line for “Epic”. I look forward to future releases from both her and Titan Books.

Author: Ridley Pearson
Performed by: Christopher Lane, MacLeod Andrews
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD
Edition: Unabridged
Discs: 6, 10, 9, 11
Release Date: August 26, 2008, April 6, 2010; April 5, 2011; April 3, 2012
Running Time: 7 hours, 12 hours, 10 hours, 13 hours

Overall Series Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Flashback to November 2005 in Walt Disney World,  I am on my honeymoon with my beautiful newly wed wife. We are strolling around the Magic Kingdom shops and I come across a rather interesting book titled “Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark”.  And that was my first introduction to the world of Ridley Pearson.  I believe I finished the book before I even got home from the honeymoon and hungry for more.  I also went around and spreaded the word to my entire Disney family, who is also now hardcore fans of the series and Pearson’s work. “Kingdom Keepers II:” Disney at Dawn” arrived in 2008.  The book was a fantastic continuation of the series of Finn and his friends.  With the series on a hot streak the third installment as was up next “Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow” only two years later in 2010. Since the third book Ridley has been releasing a new episode every year with “Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play” in 2011 and “Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game” in 2012. This series not only gets better with each book it also reveals all new mysteries, adventures and villains that our heroes and their DHI’s have to face. A must have for an Disney fan!

The first “Kingdom Keepers” on audio book was performed by Gary Littman and the second book was performed Christopher Lane.  Both books were well performed don’t get me wrong
but he third book was is performed by MacLeod Andrews and easily became my favorite of all the performers. In fact MacLeod also has continued with the series straight through the latest fifth book in the series “Shell Game”. I like the fact of keeping it uniform especially when it comes to audio books.  When you listen to MacLeod you will understand what I mean.  He is very animated and really gives a voice to these characters. His performance also feels very theatrical, which I believe stems from his background of working on numerous stage production in New York. I believe that in order to deliver a convincing and also entertaining job for a book reading that you need to be able to get behind as well as into the characters. As the series also progress within the third book through the fifth book, it also get more epic and ambitious. This is where MacLeod really steps up and delivers the action, the comedy and the drama all mixed together very well.

Brilliance Audio has been behind this series since the first book and have delivered impressive productions throughout the series. “Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn” in book form is 384 pages, while the audio book is about 7 hours long. I have always loved the second book and Lane goes a good job with his performance. “Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow” in book form clocked in a 560 pages, which is a nice length especially of young adult book. The book is performed by Macleod in just over 12 hours over 10 compact discs.  The book edition of “Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play” closes out with 448 pages.  The audio book runs 10 hours over 9 compact discs. Lastly, “Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game” totals up 560 pages in the book edition, while the audio book runs the longest at 13 hours and 17 minutes and over 11 compact disc. Here are the packaging dimensions for each audio book: “Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn”, “Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow” and “Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play” are both: 7 x 5 x 1.5 inches, while “Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game” comes in a smaller and more concise packaging 5.5 x 5 x 0.5 inches. I have to say that I prefer the slimmer packaging since it stands better without the added Styrofoam. Also inside each of the three boxes are the same content, which are the varied number of discs in white paper sleeves, so you are not loosing anything due to the smaller packaging. Am I allowed to say “Brilliant job Brilliance Audio!” 😉 Can’t wait till the audio book of “Kingdom Keepers VI: Dark Passage” coming Fall 2013.

“Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn” Official Premise: It’s supposed to be a happy day at the Magic Kingdom – the teenage holographic hosts have returned. But things go very wrong when a sudden lightning storm disrupts the celebration, and Amanda’s mysterious sister, Jez, disappears. The only clue is the sighting of a wild monkey in the Magic Kingdom during the storm. The mystery deepens as Finn is contacted by Wayne, an old man he hasn’t heard from in months. Wayne tells Finn that there’s trouble at the Animal Kingdom: the evil Overtakers have gained control of one of the computer servers that will be used to operate Daylight Holographic Imaging there. That means if any of the holographic hosts fall asleep, they will go into comas – permanently. Filled with action and brimming with the same meticulous detail as The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark (also available in audio from Brilliance Audio), this second audiobook in the series – Disney at Dawn – is the result of hands-on research behind the scenes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Younger and older listeners alike will get a glimpse into a second Disney kingdom. The wild rides have only just begun, and the clock is ticking. How long can the teens keep themselves awake in their quest to find their friend – and what happens if they fail?

“Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow” Official Premise: When Disney Imagineers installed hologram guides for the Magic Kingdom using teenage models, they had no idea the technology might backfire. But backfire it did: some nights when the kids go to sleep, they wake up in one of the Disney parks as holograms. The five teens have twice thwarted evil plots masterminded by Maleficent; but now Finn, Philby, Willa, Charlene, and Maybeck have another problem: Wayne, their mentor and head Imagineer, has mysteriously gone missing. Concerned that Wayne has been abducted by the Overtakers, the kids pick up a major clue from a close friend, Jess, whose dreams (nightmares, really) often accurately predict the future. This time, the clues from Jess’s dream lead the kids into Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Each clue seems tied to the last, and with the stakes growing ever higher, what starts out as a puzzle ends up as a fight for their lives. As they quest for a sword, take rides on Soarin’ and Maelstrom, have life-and-death encounters with a giant snake, and attempt to stop Maleficent, the Kingdom Keepers not only begin to decipher deeper meanings in the clues, but discover new truths about themselves and their ever-growing friendships.

“Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play” Official Premise: Just when life for the five Kingdom Keepers is beginning to settle down, an intriguing video suddenly appears on Philby’s computer at school. It’s a call to action: it seems that the Overtakers, a group of Disney villains, are plotting to rescue their two captured leaders, who were hidden away by Disney Imagineers after a recent violent encounter at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A staged attack by some mysterious new Overtakers at DisneyQuest confirms the Keepers’ fears. One of their own, Charlene, has been behaving oddly. Has she tired of her role as a Keeper, or is there something more sinister at play? When she’s caught sneaking into Epcot as a hologram — which is strictly against the group’s rules — Finn and Philby know the Keepers must act. The Keepers have so many puzzles to solve: has the impossible occurred? Have the Overtakers created their own holograms? Have they found a way to “jump” from the Virtual Maintenance Network onto the Internet, and if so, what does that mean for the safety of the Parks, and the spread and reach of the Overtakers? Are they recruiting an army of kids for their evil purposes? Trouble looms as the Kingdom Keepers struggle to differentiate friend from foe and battle new and increasingly dangerous enemies, all the while knowing they may be nearing a point of no escape.

“Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game” Official Premise: As the five Kingdom Keepers enter high school, everything is about to change. The Maintenance Base that controls all four parks in Disney World is under attack by the Overtakers, a group determined to change Disney forever. Relationships between the Keepers are no longer as simple as they once were. In fact, nothing is as simple as it once was. An after-hours visit to Typhoon Lagoon is a game changer. The Keepers lose one of their most valuable supporters. But there’s work to do. . . . The Disney Dream leaves Port Canaveral on a historic cruise to Los Angeles with a special treat in store for guests: the Disney Host Interactive teenage guides are on board. Finn, Maybeck, Charlene, Willa, and Philby join celebrity guests as the DHI experience moves to one of the most advanced cruise ships in the world. But all is not right belowdecks. Strange things are happening. Unexplained phenomena. Only the Kingdom Keepers know the truth behind their invitation to be in attendance: nearly every Disney villain is aboard the ship, including Maleficent. The Overtakers have infiltrated the cast and crew. And no one knows what they have planned. The Dream sets sail filled with enthusiastic guests and crew. But not for long. Maleficent takes over a video screen and warns the guests of trouble to come. With the ship arriving at the beaches of Castaway Cay—its first of many exotic ports of call—the Kingdom Keepers are under attack; back home the Base is threatened and about to fall. The Overtakers have expanded in ways never foreseen, and it’s clear they intend to use this element of surprise to accomplish what has eluded them so far: victory. But not if Finn Whitman and friends have anything to say about it.

Jeffrey Brown the author of last years hit children’s book “Star Wars: Darth Vader and Son”. When this book was realized was a month before my daughter was born and I couldn’t help but ask where is the female version. Well my request was answered with the newly released sequel “Star Wars: Vader’s Little Princess”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Jeffrey about his books and what we can expect next. If you want to ask him your own questions be sure to check out the upcoming Virtual Chat between Jeffrey, Daniel Wallace and Jonathan Rinzler on May 1st, click here to submit questions.

Mike Gencarelli: Are you surprised by the success of “Star Wars: Darth Vader and Son”?
Jeffrey Brown: I am. I thought it would do well, on the basis of it being a Star Wars book if nothing else, but I didn’t anticipate the incredible response it got. I’m most surprised by how much kids love the book. I wrote it from and for the parents’ perspective, but kids really get a kick out of it.

MG: What has been your son’s reaction to the book?
He likes it, although I suspect spending a year watching me write and draw the book too some of the shine off it.  He doesn’t like it as much as my nephew who’s just about the same age.

MG: Where did get your inspiration for “Star Wars: Vader’s Little Princess”?
There wasn’t really enough space for Leia in the first book, so I knew I wanted to do more with her. At the same time, I felt like I’d used up most of the four-year-old jokes and situations, so making Leia a teenager seemed obvious, and provided a lot more potential material – especially being able to show her dating Han Solo.

MG: Did you find this follow-up more challenging?
I did – first, because I’d used up some key bits of dialogue and scenes from the movies, and second, I don’t have a teenage daughter. Fortunately, I have a few friends with teenage daughters, and was able to get some ideas from them as well as my editor at Lucasfilm, J.W. Rizler. who has daughters.

How much research did you do within the “Star Wars” universe to complete these books?
Even though I’ve seen the films countless times, I re-watched them repeatedly the whole time I was working on the book. I also used numerous books, issues of Star Wars Insider, looked at toys, and finally had a good reason to spend some time intensely studying my collection of Topps Star Wars cards.

MG: Have you ever heard a reaction from George Lucas on these books?
I heard that he asked for more copies of Darth Vader and son, which is extremely flattering. As much as I was having fun with the Star Wars universe, I wanted to be true to it, and so I feel like I did it right.

MG: Can you give us a sneak preview for “Star Wars: Jedi Academy”
Jedi Academy is the story of Roan Novachez, a young boy from Tatooine expecting to spend middle school at the Pilot Academy, but ends up at Jedi Academy instead. The story is told through Roan’s journal, comics, letters from family, notes from class, and even pages from the school newspaper. It’s very different from anything I’ve done before in many ways, and I hope kids have as much fun reading it as I had making it.

MG: You co-wrote last years’s “Save The Date”; do you expect to do more feature films?
I do, although it might be a while. I have a handful of ideas I’d like to work on, but I also have a ton of books I’d like to draw, and have more Star Wars books that I’m already working on. So for now I’m just letting the film ideas percolate in the back of my mind until it’s time to really get to work on them.

MG: Tell us about your upcoming book “A Matter of Life”?
I’ve had the idea of writing some stories about my experiences with religion for a while, and A Matter Of Life started out as that book. My dad is a minister, and I’m a father now myself, so at some point the book became about fatherhood as much as anything else. It’s more meditative and thoughtful than the other work I’ve been doing lately, and is probably my most personal autobiographical book yet.

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Author: Diane Franlin
Paperback: 134 pages
Publisher: Diane Franklin
Release Date: August 2, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

If you grew up in the 80’s and watched movies then you know who Diane Franklin is. If you were a teen guy (or a girl) you most likely had a crush on her. Her first film role was “The Last American Virgin”, which started her career as an 80’s icon. From there she took on roles in film like “Amityville II: The Possession”, “Better Off Dead”, “TerrorVision” and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”. These films were a big part of my life growing up. They are also all pinnacle films of the 80’s. This book is a real treat for anyone that is a fan of these films and are looking for an inside look into Diane’s career and life. When I recently spoke with Diane about her book, read here, she told me that she wanted to do this in a way to preserve her experiences and stories on these films for herself, her family and also her fans. It is great reflection of not only her films but also her life outside film.

“Diane Franklin: The Excellent Adventures of the Last American, French-Exchange Babe of the 80s” was self-publishing by Diane herself and is currently available for sale only on Amazon.com and for download to your Kindle devices, click here to purchase. This book is very personal and reads like a friendly conversation. It goes into a lot of Diane’s personal experiences. She includes a lot of great personal photos as well. My favorite part of the book though is how accessible it is. I am a big fan of “Better Off Dead”, so instead of searching through the whole book for what she wrote on that film in particularly, she has set up the book with chapters based on each film. So there are chapters on her films like “Last American Virgin”, “Bill & Ted”, “Better off Dead” etc. This is a very smart idea and a great selling point for the book. Maybe you don’t give a crap about “Amityville II” but you love her in another film. People can go directly to that movie and still enjoy the book.

Speaking of “Amityville II”, we all know Diane’s role in that film is a bit risqué. She goes into a lot of depth about that film as well in the book and fans of the film are going to LOVE IT! But speaking of risqué, Diane has actually rated each chapter dealing with her films, so some are rated PG-13 or rated R etc. So if you are a parent it will inform you on how mature each chapter of the book would be for your kids. It is not very graphic but the subject matter is more mature in the rated R chapters. This is a very unique book and one of the most interesting memoirs that I have ever read. Diane really goes back in time and relives these events and brings these wonderful stories for us to enjoy. What I also love is that the stories don’t stop with her 80’s films it goes into her early life as well and her life before and after she became an 80’s icon. It is very honest and engaging. If you are looking for a very quick, easy and fun read…then be sure to pick this up!

Kevin J. Anderson is the known best for his work in the “Dune” universe working with co-author Brian Herbert. He also co-authored the book “Clockwork Angels: The Novel” with Neil Peart from the band Rush. He is releasing his latest novel, “Hellhole Awakening” this month and working on the next “Dune” novel, “Mentats of Dune”, due next year. Kevin took out some to time to chat with Media Mikes before he hits the road to promote his new novels discuss them and also what else he has in the cards for 2013.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your latest novel “Hellhole Awakening”?
Kevin J. Anderson: Brian Herbert and I have written about a dozen other books together in Frank Herbert’s “Dune” universe. They are all international best sellers and we love diving into that universe. But after doing all those books together we decided to take a crack at our own universe. It is trilogy. “Hellhole” is the first one, which came out two years ago. And now “Hellhole Awakening” is part two and comes out at the end of March. Hellhole is a planet that is struck by an asteroid. Due to that, there are volcanoes, earthquakes, storms and most of the native life forms are extinct. Then you have a bunch of misfits that are trying to colonize it, led by an exiled rebel general. So, these desperate colonists are trying to make a new life for themselves on a very hellish place. We have a lot of various storylines with aliens, disasters, terrific space battles and some other really cool stuff. We are very excited about the trilogy. It is really epic. The story just keeps building after what the first book has set up. (I know I should have a good one-liner to describe it—HELLHOLE is about a colony trying to survive in a place where nobody would want to live.

MG: Tell us about how this collaboration with Brian Herbert compares than your other books?
KJA:  We have been doing this since the mid-1990’s and every single year we have a new book out. We have spent most of the time in the “Dune” universe, and we really know how the other person thinks. We play upon each other’s strengths and are able to describe things and tell a story we find engaging. The “Hellhole” books gave us a chance to strut our own stuff instead of using what Frank Herbert developed in the “Dune” universe. It is nice to play with your own toys sometimes.

MG: Also with Brian, How is your progress coming along for “Mentats of Dune”?
KJA:  MENTATS is the second book (after SISTERHOOD OF DUNE) in a new trilogy set about 10,000 years before the original novel “Dune”. It is about the formation of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and the Mentats School. “Mentats of Dune” will be out next spring. Actually when the phone rang for this interview, I was editing page 100 out of page 651. Brian and I are in our fifth draft, and we will probably go through ten drafts or so until we get it all finalized. We do a book every year, kind of like clockwork… which leads me into my other recent book “Clockwork Angels,” the steampunk fantasy adventure based on the new Rush concept album.

MG: I was just going to ask actually, tell us about the “Clockwork Angels: The Watchmaker’s Edition”?
KJA:  The Watchmakers Edition is the audiobook version of the novel. Not your typical audio book. It is unabridged and read by Neil Peart (the drummer from Rush, with whom I cowrote the novel). Neil has a gorgeous voice and he wanted to do this. This novel is very close to him and me as well. And what could be better than having Neil Peart read it himself? The novel and the audiobook itself were released last September. “The Watchmaker’s Edition” is a very snazzy special edition, with a modeled clock tower with a working clock inside. It has beautiful artwork all around it by Hugh Syme, the cover and album artist. (He’s done all of the artwork for Rush’s albums dating the way back to “2112”. ) It also has a nice poster inside with a timeline for the “Clockwork Angels” project for Rush and my work as well. Any die-hard Rush fan should have this.

MG: Let’s go back, tell us about origin about how this collaboration came about with Rush’s Neil Peart?
KJA:  “Clockwork Angels” is Rush’s latest concept album, like Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” or The Beatles’ “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”. It is a steampunk fantasy adventure about a Big Brother figure called The Watchmaker and a crazy anarchist who wants to destroy everything—who meet up with a naive dreamer, someone who grew up in a small town. He wants to visit the big city where the Clockwork Angels are. The world has zeppelins, pirates, steampunk carnivals, and the lost seven cities of gold. Neil and I have known each other for about 25 years. He’s already read my books and I have always been a Rush fan. We’ve worked together a few times. Before CLOCKWORK ANGELS, we did a short story called “Drumbeats.” and Neil wrote an introduction to a collection of short stories I did. When he was developing the story for the”Clockwork Angels” album, I started brainstorming with him just because it was fun. At some point along the way, Neil suggested that this could be a novel also. This novel is something I’ve been waiting my entire career to do. Rush’s music has inspired many of my stories. During their “Time Machine” tour, they came to Colorado (where I live) and on a day off, Neil and I climbed a 14,000 foot mountain—because what else do you do on your day off? During the hike up, we plotted the story and came up with the characters. So while Rush was writing the album, I was putting together the story in my head. I was able to put in little references to Rush lyrics—not just “Clockwork Angels” but the entire library of songs. If you are a die-hard Rush fan, you will catch them, but otherwise the story flows just fine.

MG:What/when can we expect from the third Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. novel, “Hair Raising”?
KJA: HAIR RAISING is the third installment after DEATH WARMED OVER and UNNATURAL ACTS, and will be out in May. I’ve also done an original story, “Stakeout at the Vampire Circus” (available in all eBook formats), and I’ll have another new one, “Road Kill,” out in about a month. This series is a humorous horror series which follows Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., set in a world where all the monsters come back and live in a part of the city called the “Unnatural Quarter”. In HAIR RAISING, somebody is stalking werewolves and scalping them.
If you can’t tell, I have so much fun with my job. I love telling these stories. I don’t have enough time in the day to put down all the words in my head

MG: Tell us about your upcoming tour to support these?
KJA: I am about to start a US tour for HELLHOLE AWAKENING (San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, Dayton, Richmond VA, and Colorado Springs)—full tour schedule at http://kjablog.com. Unlike a rock concert tour, I will be there meeting with the fans face to face, give a little talk about working with Brian and Neil, and there’ll be a Q&A, door prizes, lots of cool stuff. I look forward to getting out there and meeting the fans.

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Author: Ridley Pearson
Age Range: 10 and up
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Even since the first “Kingdom Keepers” back in 2005, I have been in love with this series. There was something interesting about what happens when Disney goes dark. This series has developed so well since it began its adventure exploring from park to park with some really great plot twists and fun characters. I love the fact that Maleficent gets center stage as she is one of my favorites. In “Dark Passage”, we hit the seas on the Disney Cruise Line and various Caribbean islands. Since Disney is so vast, there is no shortage of where we can go with this series. I feel that this sixth book in the series is the most ambitious and has yet to disappoint. So don’t worry this series is not running low on steam and continues to grow strong.

Official Synopsis: The five Kingdom Keepers and their core friends have uncovered a startling truth: Maleficent and the Overtakers (Disney villains) are plotting a catastrophic event that could have repercussions far beyond the world of Disney. Aboard the Disney Cruise Line’s inaugural passage through the new Panama Canal, the Keepers and their holograms uncover a puzzle hidden within the pages of a stolen journal. The point of that puzzle will reveal itself in the caves of Aruba, the zip lines of Costa Rica, and the jungles of Mexico. A destructive force, dormant for decades, is about to be unleashed. The five Kingdom Keepers are to be its first victims.

Ridley Pearson really knows how to speak to his audience.  The book is aimed at the “Young Adult” audience but it doesn’t talk down to them.  He treats his fans like they are adults and that is why I feel that this series also draws in an older audience as well, like myself.  Plus who doesn’t like to read about a different side of Disney with new and our favorite character. Ridley Pearson has stated before that this series will contain seven books, which means that we are getting close to the end to the “Kingdom Keepers” series. I still would like to see this series transform into a TV series or feature film.  Maybe one day. I feel that there is a major audience for this. Either way, I will be on the edge of my seat to see what Pearson has planned next.

Author: Paul Ruditis
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: DK CHILDREN
Release Date: March 18, 2013

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Are you a fan of the “Star Trek” franchise? Or just becoming a fan? Either way there is something here for you in the “Star Trek: The Visual Dictionary”. Obviously this book is aimed for the younger audience but it is still delivers. It covers the everything “Star Trek” including the live-action TV series and films. The book is only 96 pages, so it is a little crammed but there is a lot of great content included in this book. Fans of the “Star Trek” universe take a look at the characters, aliens, starships, and technology from this incredibly vast franchise. I highly recommend for all Trekkies.

We start off with a wonderful forward from John de Lancie (who played Q in “TNG”). I have had the priveldge of chatting with John and he is such a cool guy.  He contributed so much to this show throughout his few episodes and remains of my favorite characters. Each of the series gets its own sections to showcase their ship, captain, and crew. We also get to explore the various races in the series inclduing the Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, Borg, Dominion, and Cardassians. If you know “Star Trek” then you know what a vast universe this is. So does this book cover everything? No. But it is enough to showcase the most important parts of the show and will easily assist with any new fans young and old.

For a long-time fan like myself, I was still able to learn new specific details about various characters and many obscure facts like costume or weapon background info. The images are extremely high quality and very detailed as well. You can tell that there is no shortage to the level of attention given to this book. The author, Paul Ruditis, worked in full collaboration with CBS Consumer Products on this, so you know everything is accurate and valid. With the new “Star Trek” movie just around the corner and the recent celebration of the 25th anniversary of “TNG”, “Star Trek” has never been more popular and this is a great way to get your fix.

Author: Noela Hueso
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: March 26, 2013

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Croods” is the newest CG animated films from Dreamworks Animation.  They are the studio behind recent films like “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Rise of the Guardians”.  After “Guardians”, the studio really needs a hit.  To be honest, I was not interested at all in seeing “The Croods”…that is until I read this book.  I recently had the chance to check out “The Art of Oz The Great and Powerful” and I was hoping for something special there but was really let down.  This book here is what I expect when I want to read an “art of” book.

The book is split into three main sections. The first section, “Finding The Croods”, looks into our cast including Grug, Eep, Guy, and Belt. We get glimpses of early sketches, digital paint images and CG models.  I love getting to see different variations of the characters in order to see their evolution and in this case since they are pre-historic that work holds more of a meaning. The second part is “An Evolving World” looks at the creatures and landscapes that make up The Crood’s world.  We look into the various sets into the caves, jungles, tundras and gorges.  The last section looks into the “Anatomy of a Scene”.  This looks into the production from the story to the effects and how they are blended together into the final product.

“The Art of The Croods” clocks in with over 400 pieces of concept art, character sketches, storyboards and digital paintings. Like with all of Titan Books releases, this is yet another high quality book and has some very colorful and sharp images.  Along side the great art there are also interviews with the key animation talent. There is a foreword by Nicolas Cage, which I have to admit is one of the worse that I have ever read.  Sorry Nic Cage, I am usually a fan but this is foreword is about a paragraph long. This is author’s Noela Hueso first book, so with that in mind this is a great first go at it. Previously she had worked at the The Hollywood Reporter for 16 years, so she definitely has the necessary knowledge of the business.

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Author: Hollis Wilder
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
Release Date: April 9, 2013

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Living in the Orlando, FL area and being a fan of cupcakes, it is hard not to know who Hollis Wilder is. Who is Hollis Wilder? Besides owning her chain of cupcake stores, Sweet! By Holly. She is also the first two-time champion of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars”. My family makes frequent trips to her store in order to get our fill of amazing cupcakes. “Savory Bites: Meals You Can Make in Your Cupcake Pan” is a next natural step forward for her career. Since she is know for her work with a cupcake pan, she brings forward ideas for other exciting mini meals to be made the same way. I can easily see Hollis with her own shot on Food Network in the next few years…mark my words.

When I took a flip through the book, at first glace there were tons of recipe titles that immediately had more drooling. But one thing that really bothered me was the lack of photos. There was a lot of white space with snazzy designs that could have easily been replaced with Tina Rupp’s amazing photography. Since these recipes are a little more custom than the typical meals, I think it is almost necessary to get an idea of what the final product should look like. Also in general, I am just a visual person. I was easily drawn to the recipes that had photos and passed over others that didn’t at first glance. This doesn’t just come from me though, my wife even took the book for a spin and said the exact same thing. But still, there are 100 very unique and some basic recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am surprised to see nothing in the dessert department, I do not mean cupcakes but something to satisfy that sweet tooth after dinner.

I liked the idea behind these recipes. Hollis wanted to find a way to assist in avoiding overeating. We had a chance to chat with Hollis and she said referred to this technique of cooking as “living life in portions”. Here is our full interview, check it here. These meals are also easy and perfect to make ahead of time and freeze for the week. This comes in handy for my wife and I. We have a 10 month old daughter and don’t always have time to make elaborate meals each night. Some of our favorite recipes and must-eats are the following Wafflinis; Savory Apple Tarts; Mexican Breakfast Rolls; Beef Stroganoff; Turkey, Apple & Sweet Potato Pies (my favorite so far); Chicken Apple Hand Pies; and “Chicken Enchiladas with Andouille Sausage. So to wrap up, I believe that Hollis has developed some really sharp and delicious recipes here. The book itself is missing the visual punch that I was hoping for but it is still recommended to pick up, especially if you are hungry and feeling creative. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! Now if you excuse me I have some cooking to do.

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Author: Grant Curtis
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Disney Editions
Release Date: March 5, 2013

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

When you watch “Oz: The Great and Powerful”, you literally drool at what a visual marvel this film is.  There is no denying why this film cost over $200 million dollars. So once watching it I knew that Disney would have to make an equally amazing “art of” book like they have so well done with their releases in the past. “The Art of Oz The Great and Powerful” though is a bit underwhelming. The first thing that I thought when I opened it is that is plays out more like a visual companion or “making of” book than it does an “art of” book. In terms of visual, it is quite impressive but in terms of art it falls a bit short overall.

This release is also a recent first for Disney to publish in paperback only.  The book though runs much cheaper at around $15 dollars but I still would prefer to pay a bit more and get a nice hardcover.  When I think of “Art of” book, I think of a high quality hardcover collectible. After a wonderful film like “Oz” was, I  feel like it really deserved a hardcover binding a little more more TLC, just sayin’. In terms of content though this book is in the right hands.  It is written by Grant Curtis, who is also the film’s executive producer and has worked with Raimi before on numerous other projects. He also authored “The Spider-Man Chronicles”, which was a very sharp book as well (despite how bad “Spider-Man 3” was).  I feel that he does a good job here with delivered interesting content and images but the book suffers from a general lack of love.

“The Art of Oz The Great and Powerful” focuses mostly on the production of the film and features some never-before-seen film stills, a little bit of concept art, all tied up with some nice interviews with the cast and crew. The artwork included was very environmental including the sets and locations.  Since the film is basically all CGI, I would have expected to be a very large plethora of art created by Disney’s talented artists in order to bring their visions to life.  I am sure there was but it is not represented here to the extent that I was hoping for. If you are looking for a look more into the filming process, then this might be the ticket to explore the wonderful land of Oz. I just felt like it was missing a bit of the magic that the film was filled with.

Author: Daniel Falconer
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Harper Design
Release Date: April 9, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Last year when I reviewed Harper’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles – Art & Design”, I was blown away.  It was easily one of the best film companion book I had the privilege checking out last year. Click here to see our review. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles II: Creatures and Characters” is another amazing book from WETA Workshop designer Daniel Falconer. My wife’s response was “Another one?” but from the moment I picked up the book, I was unable to put it down. There is so much amazing content in here that I can spend hours and hours looking it over. If you are a fan of “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of the Rings” series, this book is really a dream come true.

The first “Chronicles” focused broadly on the “Art & Design” from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” with over 1,000 images of every aspect of the production from concept artwork to photographs and development paintings.  “Chronicles II” hones in a little bit and focuses specifically on the aspects of the “Creatures and Characters”.  Easily there is no stretching of content here there is enough to fill two books on these topics.  Here we get an additional 500+ previously unpublished photographs, behind-the-scenes photographs, digital renders and film stills, which are absolutely breathtaking. We get a chance to go through “The Hobbit” species by species and character by character. If you like the Hobbit’s then you will enjoy the sections on everything from their accents to their feet to their ears were created.  Literally, every aspect is covered in this book. We don’t get stop as the Hobbit’s though, we get chapters on the Wizards, Dwarves, Trolls, Elves, Stone Giants, Goblins, Orcs, Beasts and of course we can’t forget Gollum.  Along with that we have exclusive interviews with the designers, cast and crew to accompany and describe these beautiful photos. 

I should also point out that “Chronicles II”, comes with a great send off from Andy Serkis.  He is so extremely talented and his work on this series, should be awarded. By the time you get to the end of the book and you think you are done…there is still more goodies including a special fold-out Character Size Chart. This chart takes a look at all the major creatures and characters of the film ranging from Radagast’s hedgehog friend to the towering Stone Giants! Like in the first “Chronicles”, Weta Workshop designer Daniel Falconer has access to these wonderful collection of images and really leave you just starring at the pages. You really get an inside look at how much work and hard labor really went into this film. It makes you have a new appreciation for the talented people involved. Harper really delivered these images in the highest possible quality as well as complete book presentation. I hope that they are planning the same thing for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again”, because I will be first in line.

Author: Rex Brown w/ Mark Eglinton
Hardcover: 259 pages
Publisher: DaCapo
Release Date: March 12^th, 2013

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Have you ever wanted to hear the real truth about your favorite band from the people who were really there? Sure there have been other books that have tried to bring in elements of truth while skirting around the stuff fans and people on the outside really wanted to know. Well here is your chance to get whole truth and nothing but. Rex Brown former bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum selling heavy metal group Pantera has just released “Official Truth, 101 Proof The Inside Story of Pantera”. The memoir is a tell all book that not only tells Rex’s side of things but also incorporates stories from Rex’s friends and family that were present while one of the biggest bands to come out of the 90’s slowly began to break apart at the seams.

Candid, brutally honest, and at times shocking Rex Brown touches on everything and pulls no punches while doing so. Very rarely do you get the true grit out of a memoir however this one is the exception. Not only do you get the inside track on one of the biggest metal acts of all time you get to hear it from multiple sources that were there and can confirm what is being said. I found this book to be a breath of fresh air in a market that is saturated with half hearted  tell all’s that do nothing more than restate the facts the most people already know. Brown’s prologue alone made the book great as it wastes no time delving in to the murder of Pantera guitarist/friend Dimebag Darrell and his feelings related to all the events leading up to and after that awful December evening in Columbus, OH. Nothing is off limits or taboo. From drugs and alcohol to troubles with other band mates Brown tackles these subjects head on and at full speed. Co-Author Mark Eglinton does a remarkable job capturing all of Brown’s emotion and dedication which until now have remained mostly unseen due to Brown’s tendency to shy away from the media.

From start to finish a great read. “Official Truth, 101 Proof The Inside Story of Pantera” is one of those books that you either can’t or don’t want to put down. Each chapter does a great job leading in to the next while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. The book also contains some really great photos from Rex’s personal collection that for me was the icing on the cake. Even if you aren’t a fan of Pantera, Down or Rex’s current group Kill Devil Hill you will want to check this book out as the story alone is one of triumph, tragedy and moving on.

Be sure to check out Media Mikes exclusive interview with Rex Brown, here.