Back To School Blog Hop and Giveaway!

Welcome to the Back to School Blog Hop, featuring Jenn Cooksey's amazing book, Shark Bait!

You may remember Jenn from our interview, or maybe from my review of Shark Bait!

For this stop in the hop, Jenn and I wanted to do something a bit different. We discovered while I was reading Shark Bait that we're both HUGE Buffy fans, so Jenn had the great idea of a Buffy post!

So, here she is--The incomparable Jenn Cooksey, with an amazing guest post about Buffy!

Take it away, Jenn!


So first I want to thank Christina for having me yet again on her wonderful blog! For those who don’t know, Christina was the chick who popped my “interview cherry” back in July of this year. I’d just published my debut novel, Shark Bait—the 1st in the 6-book Grab Your Pole series, and not only did she read it (YAY!!), but she also reviewed it and interviewed me. I hadn’t ever been interviewed before and I was all anxious and nervous about my first time, just like your typical virgin. She was kind and gentle, though, and when it was over she and I shared a virtual bottle of celebratory champagne.  

Flash forward two-ish months to deciding it’s time for me to get my feet wet in the blog hop pool...

Despite having been reviewed by several other bloggers and readers, being interviewed a good handful of times and even doing a guest post, I found myself feeling like a virgin again. I was trying to think of bloggers who would be interested in participating in a blog hop organized by a newbie featuring a book that was written by one as well. So of course I contacted Christina, because you know, a girl never forgets her first time or the person she shared the experience with. She was totally on board, but since she’d already reviewed Shark Bait and interviewed me, we decided to sort of switch things up a little, thus this Buffy-infused guest post.

Yep, you read that right. BUFFY. 

Although I do heart me a good Star Trek episode and I feel that the original Star Wars trilogy could’ve been left as is, I wouldn’t necessarily classify myself as a girl geek like Christina does. However, there’s one thing that bonds us together like no one’s business and that’s a deep and abiding love for the T.V. show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Christina had mentioned maybe I could talk about how Buffy influenced my writing (because I reference it quite a bit in this first book), but I just honestly can’t put that into words. Plus, I’m not terribly certain that Buffy actually influenced my writing per se, but the genius of Joss Whedon certainly had an impact on me and I’m sure probably went a long way in developing realistic characters for the Grab Your Pole series. Like the T.V. show, I try to portray my characters as strong, intelligent, and often times, snarky individuals who are just as flawed as a real-life person, because the fact of the matter is, no one is perfect—not even in make-believe-land.

Okay, so that’s all great...I write fictional reality about what teenagers do and say when they think no one’s watching, and I write believable characters, conversations and situations, yada yada yada. Let’s get to the good stuff...the Buffy stuff.

Even after writing Shark Bait, editing it, and reading it more times than I can count, I still find myself giggling at this one line that’s sandwiched within the following excerpt—I’ve underlined it here so that you all know what part I’m talking about...

“... You know, this whole thing really bites,” Jillian said, showing what I find to be the proper amount of attitude towards our really crappy lifestyle change.
“I know, especially today. It’s gonna be a huge suck-fest...like Buffy meets Twilight,“ I agreed.
For unto every generation a vampire phenomenon is born, one that girls and even some women will obsess over endlessly. For my mom it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I get the Cullens. Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoyed the books and everything, but just because they both have vampires, it does not make them the same. Buffy is just classic. It had everything...cute boys, mass drama, love stories, but best of all, it was freaking hysterical.

And it’s true!! Buffy had it ALL and it had it in spades. Unlike having to choose a favorite movie or song (God forbid), I never have any qualms about ranking Buffy the Vampire Slayer as my most favorite T.V. show ever. And, although the whole freaking series was phenomenal, I have a couple favorite episodes as well. But before we get to that, I’m going to actually try to rank the main characters (yeah, wish me luck...).

1) Buffy – Duh.
2) Angel – Probably because he’s the embodiment of what every one wants in a hero, and, I was madly in love with their love story.
3) Spike – Talk about comic relief buried under a thick skin of the ultimate bad boy...yikes!
4) Giles – Bad boy in his youth turned parental-type role model. What can I say, I can totally relate.
5) Oz – Seth Green. ‘Nough said. (And we’ll not be discussing my feelings on what went down in season 4...I mean Grr Argh indeed.)
6) Xander – He just played the sarcastic doofus so, so well...
7) Anya – She was such a freaking riot...all unemotional yet drowning in the teenage angst she found repulsive. And I thought it was hilarious that she’s petrified of bunnies.
8) Faith – She’s just so in your face about everything and takes a dark pleasure in dusting vamps...if Hollywood were to make a reality video called Slayers Gone Wild, she’d be the basis for it.
9) Cordelia – The bitch everyone loves to hate, but somehow is able to become totally loveable at the same time.
10) Willow – Yeah, I know she’s really far down on the list and while I like her, I just never really had that “connection” with her like I did with the other characters. She’s funny and smart, and she’s the perfect foil for Buffy, but for me there was always something missing.
11) Tara – Again, not a huge fan but she was sweet and loyal, and I appreciate those characteristics immensely.
12) Riley – He was always just meh for me...and honestly, in my eyes no one was ever going to be right for Buffy after season three.
13) Dawn & Kennedy – They’re tied for my least fave characters in the series. And because there’s so much about both that I dislike, I’m not gonna get into it here. ;-)

So there you have it! My ranking of the main characters in the best T.V. show the history of mankind has ever been blessed with! Now! On to a couple of my favorite episodes...

By far, my favorite episode is S3.E4—Beauty & the Beasts. This had everything I absolutely adored about the show, encapsulating the wit, drama, relationships, action, and romance all in one, wonderfully written, 45-minute episode. Here’s a look:

Next, we have S3.E10—Amends. Oh my God...this episode was just SO very emotional and did a phenomenal job underscoring the definition of hope. And yeah, I still bawl like a baby when I watch it...

(The clip is user-made, so please don’t blame me for the funky music and off-time dialogue...it’s just the best I could find for this episode.)

Alright, folks, that about wraps it up for me!! Again, thanks for playing along and if you have anything to add or ask, please post a comment!! And of course, one more HUGE thanks and cyber-champagne toast to Christina for going through another first with me! 

Oh, wait!! Before you go, don’t forget to enter Just a Girl Geek’s giveaway for your shot at an e-copy of Shark Bait, but for a chance at the grand prize, the Ultimate Shark Bait Swag Bag (see picture below), make sure you travel to every blog on the hop and jot down the highlighted letters and what blog you found them at in order to answer the scavenger hunt question which will be featured at the final stop of the hop over on my blog on September 21st!!! Grand prize details as well as the hop schedule can be found on my blog.

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Fan Expo 2012, In Pictures!

Day 1--Friday.

Steampunk Red Riding Hood

John Barrowman

Photo op #1-- James Marsters

Christoper Lloyd still looking great.

Dual autograph! Capt. John/Capt. Jack from Torchwood!
(James Marsters/John Barrowman)

Me and James Marsters

Day 2-- Saturday

Gender-bending Jayne Cobb

The InnerSPACE panel I waited 4 hours to get into.
Teddy is wearing the Jayne hat I made for him.

The Merlin script I won, signed by the cast. 

THIS is why I waiting 4 hours in line for the
InnerSPACE panel.
The first 80 people got to see an advanced
screening of the Series 7 Doctor Who premiere!

At the premiere.

Day 3-- Sunday

Donna Noble from Partners in Crime
(Doctor Who companion)

Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead
I missed him later that day when I wanted his auto.

Death!
(Julian Richings plays Death on Supernatural)
I got his autograph on a movie poster.

Darth Vader

Kate Mulgrew, Capt. Janeway on ST: Voyager.
What an elegant, graceful woman.

John Rhys-Davies, Gimli from LotR
(among many other roles)
He was literally the most charming man
I've ever met.

The gorgeous Cynthia Loyst (InnerSPACE host)

Alan Tudyk. (Wash from Firefly)
This is the pose you get when you
tell him he doesn't age.

John Barrowman
(Captain Jack Harkness, Doctor Who/Torchwood)
Unbelievably friendly, gorgeous and racy!

Scott Gill, John Barrowman's long-time boyfriend
I was so happy I recognized him, and
even happier he agreed to take a pic with me!

Juliet Landau, James Marsters and me.
(Drusilla and Spike from Buffy/Angel)
Juliet was absolutely beautiful.
She admired my Buffy ink and pulled me close for a squeeze.

Not a bad weekend, eh? ;)

Until next year, Fan Expo!!

Whedonite For Life

Yep, these are my arms today, right after I had my new ink done!

I'm SO proud that I'm able to show my Whedon pride where the world can see it!

Next tat? The TARDIS! ;)

(By the way--I completely blame Nikki Stafford for my Buffy/Angel obsession. I also thank her from the bottom of my heart for it.) <3

I Wrote A Poem!

For a few weeks last month, those of you on my Facebook saw me talking about my 'sooper seekrit' poem.

It was recently posted on the blog it was written for and I wanted to share it here too, complete with the written poem.

It was written for Nikki Stafford's blog, Nik at Nite for the Great Buffy Rewatch...I've mentioned that here before.

But before I get to the video, let me answer a few FAQ's--

Yes, it was difficult to write. Putting together words that rhyme seems to come easy for me..especially when it's about people or TV shows...but there is still much swearing and rewriting that goes on. ;)

It took me about 3 days of straight writing to get it written the way you see it now. While I'm writing poems, I have a thesaurus, rhyming dictionary and regular dictionary open at all times.

Yes, I realize that some of my rhymes are a stretch. I don't care. :P

To get the video you see below took about 20 'takes'. I either flubbed lines too badly, got too emotional during "The Body' and 'Your shirt, Tara says..." lines, or at the end when I describe how difficult it will be to say goodbye. In some takes, I was actually sobbing too hard to speak. No one needs to see that! ;)

If you have any other questions, post below and I'll answer 'em!

So..here it is! The video and written poem below it!

The Great Buffy Rewatch
By Christina Boulard

Lost was over, The End had come.
Our hearts were reeling, our souls were numb.
And then, from the dark, a bright light shone through,
Our saviour, she cried, "We'll start something new!"

"A rewatch...or first watch!...for some, I suppose!
Of Buffy, you know, the best of all shows!
Three episodes a week, I'll post on my blog!"
We all felt such joy, coming out of our fog.

She gathered contributors, the best of the best,
She plotted, she planned...This would be quite a test!
A start date was chosen, the schedule was right,
And finally, the first post was on Nik at Nite!

Now, I could go on, tell you all about Nik,
About all the comments and viewers and wit,
But lets get to Buffy, the star of the show,
And her gang, called the 'Scoobies', who we've come to know.

Season One was the start, where we met one and all.
There was Willow and Xander and Cordy, the doll.
We met Giles, the Watcher, and Buffy herself,
And Angel the vampire, who made my heart melt.

The Big Bad for the season, The Master, that fool,
Tried to open the Hellmouth that's below the high school.
He killed our dear Buffy, after drinking her blood,
But Xander revived her, proving he's NOT a dud!

Season Two broke my heart, it's the best of the show.
It brought Oz, the werewolf, Willow's stoic new beau.
We met Spike and Drusilla, vamps we loved to hate!
We saw Giles with Jenny, it seemed it was fate.

We saw Cordy with Xander, and Angel with Buffy,
We met Kendra, the slayer ( she was kinda stuffy).
Willow started to dabble in watchcraft and spells,
If only we'd known! ...but we couldn't foretell. ;)

Then drastic results came out of the blue,
When Angel turned Angelus, and Jenny, he slew!
The tears, oh, they flowed, for our Watcher, Giles,
How could our Angel, be something so vile?!

But Buffy, as always, stood strong and severe,
She stood against Angelus, she showed him no fear!
She staked that bad vamp! Drove it right through his heart!
She sent him to hell...and then saw with a start...

That Angel was back, his soul had returned,
But it was too late, now in hell, he would burn.
And Buffy lost strength. Her heart wouldn't mend,
She left Sunnydale...Could this be the end?

But, no! Season Three, was next to arrive!
With Buffy now 'Anne', in LA to survive.
She quickly returned, to her proper home,
And thank God she did, the Slayer wasn't alone!

You see, Faith followed Kendra, when that Slayer died,
So she joined the Scoobies, (and had a bit too much pride).
Then Angel returned, from the pits of hell!
But Buffy, she knew, what fate would befell.

So they stayed apart, as hard as it was,
And then we met Welsey, who created a buzz.
We also meet Anya, here in season 3,
Now most of our players are here, you will see.

The Big Bad, the Mayor, won over poor Faith,
Who's now full of anger and malice and hate.
She battled with Buffy, and our Slayer won,
In a coma, she's down for the count, Faith is done.

The Mayor ascends and Snyder is eaten,
The students assembled, the Big Snake was beaten!
The school is destroyed, Angel heads to LA,
And the Scoobies move on to college, hooray!

But, wait! Not so fast! Now we're in Season Four!
Yes, THAT dreaded season, which is mostly abhorred.
With its highs and its lows, like Hush and Beer Bad,
We meet Riley, the Initiative, and Oz leaves (so sad).

The Big Bad is Adam, and Spike gets his chip,
And Willow meets Tara, and they start their courtship.
Faith comes and goes, as Faith tends to do,
And Xander and Anya, start their courtship, too.

Adam is beaten, and Restless comes last,
Which foreshadows what will next come to pass.
And that's season four...Well, that's more than enough.
Now let us move on, Season Five! Oh, it's rough.

It's here that we meet Buffy's little sis, Dawn.
It is she who's at fault for the current goings-on.
As annoying as heck, but I guess she's the key,
And she's wanted by this season's baddie, Glory.

We must bid adieu to Riley, poor guy.
Flew off in a chopper, away into the sky.
Spike's shocked when he's hit in the face with a fact,
He's IN LOVE WITH BUFFY! Opposites DO attract!

The brilliance of Joss must be mentioned here.
The Body, it's excellence and genius is clear.
It's where we lose Joyce, and I sob without shame,
Joss knew how to write it,  he's felt that pain.

In the end, is The Gift, that our Slayer gives,
Sacrifices herself, so that Dawn may still live.
Our Buffy is gone, her friends are distraught.
On her headstone, the words, "She saved the world....a lot."

Season Six is up next, Buffy's brought back to life,
By her friends, meaning well, thinking hell wasn't nice.
See that's where they thought, she was suffering, alone.
But they pulled her from heaven...And they didn't know.

It's here that we see, my favourite of all.
It's Once More, With Feeling! Oh, how I bawl!
I know all the words, and sing along loudly!
My three year old requests it, "Mommy, Buppy, peese!" she says it so proudly.

Ahem...back to the show, where...? Season Six, yes, that's right!
Giles returns to England, Dawn's a thief, what a plight!
Buffy gets a job, she starts selling fast food,
She also starts seeing, um...Spike...in the nude.

The Troika's a threat, Warren, Jonathan, and...um...Whats-his-name?
And Xander leaves Anya at the alter, what a shame.
Anya returns, to her demon-y vengeance,
And Willow's addiction makes things very tense.

Spike attacks Buffy, then feels shame and remorse,
He leaves Sunnydale, to find his last resort.
Willow stops using, and Tara comes back,
And Buffy, she thwarts the Troika's attack.

But Warren returns, and he brings a gun!
He shoots our poor Slayer! The viewers are stunned!
And then, oh we see, a stray bullet has found....
"Your shirt...", Tara says, as she falls to the ground.

Our hearts, again broken, for Tara, held dear,
And Willow goes dark. It's the worst of our fears.
She tortures, then slays he who's at fault.
Then turns her attention to another assult.

But Giles returns, in the nick of time!
And battles with Willow, but she's in her prime!
Our Watcher is bested, our Slayer is trapped!
The world is in danger, Dark Willow has snapped!

But out of the darkness, our hero appears.
The heart of the Scoobies, he's known her for years.
How does he do it? What finally breaks through?
Just one yellow crayon, and the words, "I love you."

I almost forgot to mention that Spike,
Has been busy with passing some tests and the like.
And what does he get, at the end? What's his goal?
Oh, nothing of any import... JUST HIS SOUL!

At last, Season Seven, we've come to the end,
Potentials are dying, must learn to defend.
James Marsters as Spike is the best of the best,
When he asks, while I sob, "Can we rest now, Buffy? Can we rest?"

The highschool's rebuilt, in the exact same old spot,
And Buffy starts working, at the place she was taught.
Potentials move in, the Council is dead,
The First Evil is back, there's so much bloodshed.

It's hunting the Watchers, the Slayers, the Chosen,
If they go extinct, the balance is broken.
The Uber-Vamps, are tough to defeat,
The Bringers? A group of assassins, elite.

The son of a Slayer, Principal Wood,
Sculpted and trained, right from his boyhood,
To kill the vamp, who'd beaten and drained,
His mother...Wood learned, SPIKE was that vamps name.

Of course, his plan failed, but sadly it caused,
A rift between Buffy and Giles that was,
The start of the doubt and distrust in our Slayer,
As one,  all the Scoobies and Chosen betray her.

Willow brings Faith in to help with the fight,
Its to her they turn, leaving Buffy outright,
After a battle, gone horribly wrong,
They tried to beat Caleb, but he's terribly strong.

Xander loses an eye, Potentials are slain,
Is it possible the First, WILL have its reign?!
The townsfolk are fleeing, they're leaving their homes,
Our Slayer's dejected, defeated, alone.

With Spike's help, she snaps out of her despair,
She battles with Caleb, she knows that Faith erred!
Now wielding her scythe, she runs to the trap!
She helps them escape, from the bomb blast, holy crap!

The Scoobies all pledge, their loyalty again,
To Buffy, the Slayer, the Hero, amen!
She kills off bad Caleb, kisses Angel 'hello',
He gives her an amulet, to be worn by a vamp souled.

Buffy declines, Angel's offer of aid,
He backs into the shadows, as he did that first day.
Our Buff has a plan, the Potentials now Slayers,
The last battle comes, the earth needs a saviour.

The high school, the place, the last of their fights.
It's all come full circle, it only seems right.
A wonderful scene, as death and pain loom,
Our original four, and Giles, "The earth is definitely doomed."

The four become three, then two and then one,
On the front line? Buffy, Spike, Faith, the Chosen.
White Willow brings tears. THIS is our beloved!
We all saw her strength! Knew she'd rise above it!

As we watch the battle, it seems all is lost,
Buffy's down, Anya's dead, what a cost, WHAT A COST!
But Slayers all rally, Buffy stands and she fights!
And our least-likely hero, suddenly bathed in sunlight...

You see, Spike is ensouled, and so he is the key,
The amulet Angel brought, around Spike's neck, aptly.
It channels the sunlight, through dear William's soul,
And dusts all the Turok-Han, to hell they all go.

The ground starts to shake, the earth quakes and rumbles,
The Slayers all flee, Buffy stays, doesn't stumble.
She tries to bring Spike, he insists, he must stay,
"I love you.", "No, you don't, but thanks for sayin'."

Buffy runs and Spike laughs, "Wanna see how it ends!"
Our dear boy turns to dust as the Hellmouth descends.
The Scoobies escape, but they're not without loss,
Anya, Spike, many Slayers, so, so sad, such a cost.

Sunnydale was destroyed, and my tears were now flowing,
The last shot of Buffy, with a smile, clearly showing,
That they will live on, be okay, fight the fight,
Out there, somewhere close, with her stake, in the night.

As I snap from my thoughts of the Scoobies and Buff,
I realize this time for goodbyes will be tough.
My Tuesdays will lack, I'll feel lost and alone,
Nik at Nite and you all feel so much like home.

Marebabe and QM, Lisa, Colleen and Missy,
Page, Dusk, Quarks, Efthymia, Suzanne...oh, I'm being a sissy!
Nikki, let me just say, from the bottom of my heart,
THANK YOU, YOU'RE AMAZING, (which I knew from the start.)

Take a break and relax, take some time, you deserve it.
A few weeks, a few months, we all know you won't quit.
I'm here, at the end. It's my final goodbye....
So, what do you think, guys? Next rewatch, Firefly?!