Exclusive Interview with Cyn Balog (Author of Sleepless and Fairy Tale)

After reading Sleepless, we wanted to really wanted to find out more about the author! She was nice enough to stop by and answer some of our questions!!

RTR: If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would you pick and why?
Cyn: My answer to that will probably change from week to week, but today it’s Agatha Christie. I have really no idea how she thought up those mysteries. At times I’ve sat done intending to plot one out, and my head starts spinning after a few minutes. I love her books. I want to know what her secret was.

RTR: What is your guilty pleasure?
Cyn: Twix Bars. Actually anything with carmel and chocolate.

RTR: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Cyn: Oh, yes. I wrote “books” when I was 5 years old.

RTR: What is your favorite prehistoric animal?
Cyn: I’ve always had a thing for the stegosaurus, ever since I made one out of clay for a diarama in 1st grade.

RTR: How did you come up with the whole idea of Sandmen in Sleepless?
Cyn: I was just driving home from work, and I got the idea of this man sitting outside this woman’s window, waiting for her to turn off the lights so he could go inside and begin his “work,” which was seducing her to sleep. I gradually created the Sandman world and all the Sandman rules over a few drafts of the book. Originally it was a lot more complicated, but I found that it was so complicated it overshadowed the main story, which was the romance between Eron and Julia.

RTR: What character do you most relate to from any of your books?

Cyn: Well, the main character is always me, in some way. In Fairy Tale, Morgan is how I’d be if I had psychic abilities. Sure of herself, but the confidence is really only a facade. Julia, too, is unsure of herself after her traumatic past. In Starstruck, the main character, Dough, is also very unsure of herself. Can you tell I’m not very sure of myself? I wonder every day if the book I’m writing is going to be my last one!

RTR: Out of the characters in Sleepless, which do you believe is the most “evil” (or at least has the worst intentions)?
Cyn: I don’t think any of them are just downright evil! They all have their reasons!

RTR: Do you have any weird talents or hobbies?
Cyn: When I play Scrabble, I have to use all 7 letters at one time at least once in the game. I’m good at crosswords even though I never do them. I watch Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Survivor obsessively. I never go a day without eating a bowl of ice cream. I can say the 50 states in 20 seconds. And I am sure there are more weird things because I am weird.

RTR: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Cyn: Well, here’s the thing. Since I got the call, I’ve had about 4 gazillion people approach me and say, “Wow, I have this idea…” or something like that. Seriously, 99% of people out there think they can write a book.  About 1% of those people are actually willing to DO THE WORK.  Then 1% of those are actually willing to revise, learn the business, research markets, etc…. and persist at that long enough to get noticed. People told me it was impossible, and it’s those people who think I’m really lucky. But it’s not really a crapshoot or a game of luck. If you sit down to write the book, if you revise, if you learn the business, and if you keep at it, your chances are actually really, REALLY good.

RTR: Juiceboxes or Jukeboxes?
Cyn: I have young kids. Juiceboxes are my life.

Thanks so much for the interview, Cyn! We can’t wait to read your new book, Starstruck!

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Tron: Legacy – Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, and Olivia Wilde

The Gist

Tron
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Years ago, Sam Flynn’s father told him about the Grid. A digital frontier, a world of circuits and clusters of information in a computer. Kevin Flynn, creator of the popular video game, Tron, disappeared a few nights after he had perfected his world in the Grid. Sam waited for his father for years, but he was never found, and life had to go on. With his dad gone, Sam didn’t want to take over his father’s company. He let someone else take over the company for him, changing it in ways his father would never have allowed. But every year, Sam manages to pull a fantastic prank on the company, a sort of payback for how they’d distorted what his father had created. After Sam’s latest prank goes too far and they arrest him Sam goes back to his apartment discouraged. Then Sam’s Dad’s best friend Alan comes to tell Sam that he was paged. Paged from Sam’s Dad’s old office. No one had been in there for years, and suddenly, Alan was paged. Sam doesn’t even want to hear it. Despite telling Alan that his father is either dead or hiding out somewhere tropical, Sam’s curiosity gets the better of him. And he visits his dad’s old arcade and takes a look around his office. While there, he finds a secret room – that was probably meant for his father alone – and tries to figure out what his dad had been doing on his computers right before he disappeared. Suddenly Sam is sucked into the world of Tron. He’s throw into disc games against programs. When the programs discover that he’s not like them – a user instead of program – he’s taken to the leader of tron, leader of the games. There he discovers his dad hadn’t died. Hadn’t abandoned him. But had been stuck in the games for all those years. Sam sets out to find him and get both of them out.


What We Think

Reviewed by Dream Catcher

Run Time: 125 Minutes
Rating: PG

Ugh that was the worst gist ever. Sorry. The movie was actually a LOT better than that. Maybe I’ll do a better job of convincing you here. SO. I hadn’t heard many good things about this movie.  And then there was rotten tomatoes which gave it 45%. Not good. But I still wanted to see it. However, that was mostly due to the fact that I thought the music in the trailer was the best thing since sliced bread. Very epic. After I saw the movie I actually bought the CD on itunes - but that’s another review for another time (great CD, though). Anyways. The movie was much better than I expected. The whole movie I kept waiting for it to get bad. But it never did. It was just a good movie. The plot – which I had the lowest expectations for – was actually pretty good. Poor kid searching for his lost father, finding himself in this amazing digital world with disc games and light up suits and all that. Pretty cool. What I liked most about it was the fact that I was never bored. Something was always happening. And the end wasn’t sappy. I was waiting for this emotional, I-love-you-just-the-way-you-are-son ending. Nope. Just a good ending. Cute but not too cute. Sad but not too sad. So the plot and the ending were really good. I might as well mention something about the script. It goes along with the plot, basically. But I say a few words. I thought the script was actually really good too. Except for this one REALLY CLICHE line. It romancey and way overused. Oh, well. Every movie has its pros and cons. I guess for this movie the cons included corny pick-up lines. It wasn’t that bad…and other than that I thought the script was really believable. So those aspects of the movie were really good.

I’m going to group characters and acting together. Because the way the actor acts makes the character who they are. Right? Yeah, I’m going to go with that. Okay. So first and foremost. Sam Flynn a.k.a. Garrett Hedlund. He played his part really well, thought. An average guy causing trouble and pretending he doesn’t care. He was a great character and Garrett Hedlund did a good job as Sam. I don’t know what other movies he’s been in, but I’d see another if it came out. One of the only girls in the movie was played by Olivia Wilde. Recognize her fromHouse? I did, and I didn’t expect her to be as good as she was. It’s one thing to be a basically emotionless doctor on a TV drama. Movie-acting is different. But I thought she was great. She played the smart, if a little naive, Quorra – apprentice to Kevin Flynn in the world of Tron. Her character was pretty quirky at times because she was completely oblivious to the outside world. And the way Olivia Wilde played the part made her character very likable. I would see another one of her movies, certainly. Kevin Flynn was played by Jeff Bridges. He played the loving, care-free father role well, and when his character changed to become almost wiser and beaten-down he changed, too. Overall I thought the cast was great, the acting was really great, and the characters were funny, likable and - when the opportunity arose – heart-felt. Awesome.

Special effects. Basically the whole thing was a huge, amazing special effect. The whole tron world was amazing. Lit up and futuristic-like.  The one complaint I have about the special effects was C.L.U. He was a special effect and it was kind of obvious. It wasn’t that bad, so it’s not a huge complaint. But I could see it. One of my friends even found it distracting. Eye of the beholder, I suppose. Another thing: costumes. They’re so cool and futuristic-looking. And the amazing part of them is that they have actual lights in them. They light up and that’s not a special effect. They actually glow and light up on their own! I thought that was really awesome.

Lastly: movie poster. I can’t really say anything about the name, because it’s not like they could change that (having it be legacy to the older tron movie). And I like the title anyways. The poster. I thought it was really good! Sam Flynn holding a disc in the air next to Quorra. It looks dramatic and just plain cool. Once you see the movie you’ll understand it more, too.

So overall, I thought it was a movie definitely worth seeing! I don’t understand why it got such bad reviews, but, hey, what can you do? If you haven’t seen it in theaters, I would recommend you watch it as soon as it comes out on DVD (because I think currently it’s in that awkward stage between theater and DVD). The music was epic, the story was interesting, the acting was great. What’s not to like? Great action and good characters. It certainly wasn’t the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it deserves better reviews than it got!  See it!

Real Teen Rating~ A- : See it with some friends!

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Sara Bareilles- Little Voice

Real Teen Award
-Best Female Artist of 2010

Reviewed by ShoreWhisperer

Song Time: 49 Minutes and 1 second

Little Voice
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Love Song- 10/10- This song has been popular for awhile.  It came out on itunes in 2007 and only months later it was Billboards top hits as #100. In the following years it jumped up to #4 on the hit list and stayed there for a couple of weeks. The song in general is one of my favorites, I like her voice, the piano part and the lyrics. Her voice is different in a good way, it stands out from other people. She has a folky kind of voice but it can also sound like pop and at points even rock. She is an excellent musician and the piano part is just evidence of that. All of the musical arrangement is really clever and well thought out. The change from just a piano part to the guitars and drums and stuff is really cool and makes the song more upbeat but if you play this song  acoustically it still sounds really good. The lyrics seem really deep and meaningful to her but they are fun and recognizable which is really important. All over this song is just impressive and noticeable.


Vegas-8/10- This song is more jazzy and it’s alot different than Love Song so it’s not what we think about when we think of her. There is a noticeable piano part, it’s also very good musicianship because the balance between the piano and the drums and guitar it adds to the feeling of jazz and rock. This is a very unique song and I didn’t like at first but after to listening to it for a while it grew on me, the lyrics are really nice too.


Bottle It Up- 9/10- This song is nice. I like the lyrics and the lack of a prominent piano part is a different take on her music. I think that the song is just as good as the others so it shows that she can do both kinds of music and its still the same quality. Sometimes artists get attached with one instruments and can’t sound good with anything else. This is not the case here, her music is just as good without a piano than with it. The arrangement is still good and the song is enjoyable.


One Sweet Love- 10/10- I like the acoustic guitar paired with the piano, it gives the song a very folky rock kind of feel. My favorite part of the entire song is the lyrics. She is a poet. Lyrics are poetry, and she is a very good writer. Her songs might not make total sense, but poetry doesn’t have to make sense it just has to make you go “ahh”. The lyrics in this song make me do that. This song made me go back and listen to the rest of the songs and they all have lyrics that are really nice and the poetry is good. This song is also has really awesome harmonies scattered everywhere and its not to much but it has an really interesting effect on the song.


Come Round Soon-10/10- This song is a lot different than all the rest of her songs. I love this song, the first line catches you off guard “I could use another cigarette” is a little strange. Again this song shows off her writing skills. Her voice is also shown off really well, when she goes up to that high note its surprising because you don’t think that she could hit and she does. The orchestra part that she adds is a nice touch to the song, this song is put together well and the song is extremly impressive in every aspect.


Morningside- 10/10- This song is resemblant of the last song because of the more rock feel. The drum part in this song is really cool I hear bongos and a regular drum set and that’s accompanied by the piano which has a sweet part too. Not only that but there is some funk in the guitar like a seventies kind of sound and then the back up voices it makes the song have so many layers. It’s a very impressive arrangement. The lyrics are still amazing so nothing changes, the whole thing is really good and just how she delivers the song is emotional so it’s interesting to listen to her sing this song.


Between the Lines – 10/10- One thing to say: SWEET PIANO PART!!!! Actually there is more than one thing to say. . . the singing is amazing too. The three big parts of this song are 1) the piano part, which is very good, as I said before: sweet piano part. 2) the singing, nailed it, the emotion is evident and there is a nice tone and cool tone the whole time, pleasing to listen to. and 3) the lyrics, these are my second favorite lyrics on the cd. They are emotional and lyrical and go with everything else so perfectly, the song is really good.


Love on the Rocks-7/10- This song is the definition of funk, the drums, the piano and the guitar it’s awesome, it’s cool and funky. The lyrics again are nice and so is the harmonies, it’s altogether nice. The only thing that’s different about this song and the others is the funk that is in this song. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same deal as the other songs. I still like this song though, it’s just repetitive and I feel like I have been listening to the same things, but that isn’t a bad thing.


City- 8/10-So apparently this song has become a little more popular. I like this song, it’s got another great piano part and her voice sounds really nice on the song and it does stand out from the rest of the songs, the slowness and the soft rock kind of feel it’s nice. I like the lyrics because I think a lot of people can relate to them. There really is nothing else to say, except this is a good song.


Many the Miles-10/10- This song sounds more like an Uncle Kraker song because it has the funk and country feel. I like the lyrics of this song they are meaningful, I guess. The piano part in this song sound more like southern jazz. The whole song is a little country, but that’s ok because this is a good cong. I like the a capella part with all the harmonies. This song shows off all of her talents, it’s really impressive.


Fairytale- 10/10-This song is fun and cynical all at the same time. The lyrics are the best part aside from the harmonies and singing. The lyrics are hilarious and they make a point. The harmonies that she incorporates into the song are really nice. I like the whole song it’s just really good in every aspect, nothing else to say about this song.


Gravity-11/10- They did a dance to this song on So You Think You Can Dance and this song had so much more meaning to me after that. The dance was about addiction, which the song sounds like its about. The lyrics are my favorite in the whole cd and they are some of my favorite lyrics period. This song is really touching with the strings and the piano and her voice. When they all come together and combine with the lyrics the song is really emotional and touching.


Real Teen Rating~ A: Worth Buying!!

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Thoroughly Modren Millie- Original Broadway Cast

This show is my dream show, if I could be in any show in the entire world (excluding Les Mis, because that show does not compare to any other show) I would want to be in this show, as Millie. The music is funny, and smart and pleasing. The show in general is quirky, the whole plot is funny and just goofy. The time period makes it even better. It’s based in 1922, in New York City. This is the time of a social renaissance. The flappers have gained power and have found their inner temptress. This show is all based around the conformity of the time and how it shaped people but in a funny upbeat way. It also centers around a sketchy apartment owner who is selling the girls that she houses into white slavery with the help of her asian minions. It’s a very strange show but the music is funny and really fun, so I hope you like it.

Thoroughly Modern Millie
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Reviewed by ShoreWhisperer
Song Time: 55 Minutes and 19 Seconds

Overture-8/10- This is an overture, there is nothing really to say about it. The arrangement is nice and as far as overtures go this is a really good one. The only problem is that it seems very long and all overtures do but that’s the only thing that bugs me. On the other hand it captures most of the big songs and also show off the seriousness and goofy and funny side of the show so it is a very good prelude the show, it did not disappoint me.


Not For The Life Of Me- 10/10- I LOVE this song…  actually, I love singing this song. My favorite part is when she rips the ticket after the slow part ends and the song starts up. It makes me laugh everytime. I like how the song shows the change in Millie perfectly, you see the very innocent side that goes out the window and she is no longer a country bumpkin and has changed into a city girl. The lyrics are seriously hilarious when listening to them I alway have to laugh. It’s definitly a good song by itself and in the context of the show.


Thoroughly Modern Millie- 9/10- I did a dance to this song in camp one year and I fell in love. It was so much to dance to. The song is upbeat and sultry and everything that is thought about the twenties and broadway. The orchestra part in the middle isn’t even boring because it is fun and upbeat. The middle of the song when it gets all jazzy and cool is so awesome because of the harmonies and gives you goosebumps (or it does to me). Very good song, especially because it is the title song of the show.


Not For the Life of Me (reprise)- 6/10- Ok as far as reprises go this one is good. The song just happened and so it fits, but it’s short and a little comical at the end but its just there, there is nothing special about it.


How the Other Half Lives- 7/10- This song is funny, Dorothy’s part is cute and the duet part is really pretty, I feel that it could be faster. The song is a little slower. The only thing that saves this song from being bad is the lyrics. They are goofy but it really sounds like the other songs, so it’s a little plain.


The Speed Test- 8/10- This song is really original, it’s really funny because Millie is in love with this guy and the manager has to be really talented. I haven’t heard song like this before and this song makes me laugh because it is funny just like the rest of the show. The speed that this song gets to is incredible and the tap part in the middle that makes the noises for her typewriter is so awesome, I think that this song would be better to watch than listen to though.


Not For the Life of Me- 4/10- I know if you are listening to this song for the first time and not seeing it on stage it’s a little strange. Yes they are speaking in another language but in the show you know what they are saying, and the words are really funny. On the cd it’s a little pointless but it is at parts funny, not really worth listening to.


They Don’t Know- 7/10- Singing is the sketchy apartment owner I was talking about, she is really creepy and when I saw this there was a tall man playing this, and he was dressed as a women.This song isn’t really that great. I think that it is ok but I wouldn’t listen to this just because. I would most likely skip this on my MP3, the lyrics are goofy but it isn’t really that great it’s creepy and scary. Musically this song is good though.


Nutty Cracker Suite – 8/10- This song is a remake of the Nutcrakcer Suite from The Nutcracker Ballet. This song is fully orchestration but it’s fun to listen to. It’s a full dance scene in a speakeasy, but it’s funny to watch so you don’t get the full effect of the song from just the song but in general the song is really jazzy and the orchestration is really good, I love listening to it, I get goosebumps at points and the sultry jazz is really good.


What Do I Need With Love-9/10-This song is interesting, it’s the first time we hear Jimmy sing and it really characterizes him, just like Millie’s first song does. I like this song, Jimmy is a really good character and if it’s played this song can be amazing. It goes through so many different tempo changes I think that it would be a pretty difficult song to sing. It’s original and it’s fun to listen to because it is really funny, he is the ultimate definition of a player, I like this song and it’s good in the show and by itself.


Only in New York- 7/10-This is the first time that we meet Muzzy, her songs are cool and jazzy, this one imparticular. I forgot about this song, this is a good song though. It sounds like a song that would be sung in the times and that is what its supposed to be. So, it sounds good in and out of context of the show. It’s not my favorite but I like it.


Jimmy- 10/10- This song is more serious than the others but it is still goofy. I like this song, the beginning of it is the best part, there is really good musical writing, the whole song is really good. I think that this is one of the best songs in the show. It’s classic musical writing so it’s good but I love listening to it.


Back at Work- 3/10- This song is pointless, there is no reason to have it on the cd it’s just a prelude to the next song. It’s stupid, why not just put it into the other song? I really just don’t understand the point of this song.


Forget About the Boy-10/10- I love this song, just like the rest of these songs. This song is goofy and the tap part is really cool. It is kind of the definition of what you do when your angry on broadway: we dance! Yeah it’s pretty funny and not only is the song funny but the musicality of is really nice, the backup ensemble that becomes a emsemble song and the harmonies are all very nice and pulls the song together into a nice ten out of ten.


Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life/I’m Falling in Love With Someone- 7/10- This song is really weird, the characters are weird so this song is just bizarre and it’s like this song is picking fun at classic broadway love songs. I wouldn’t listen to this just because I want to, it’s definitly not my favorite but it is a good song, I guess. It’s different from all the other songs though so it does stand out.


I Turned the Corner/ I’m Falling in Love With Someone- 9/10- This song is cute, in the show they are sitting on a window sill of her workplace. They are looking down at the city. They start dancing on it too, it’s just a touching song and scene alot better than the last song and when the two couples come in and sing together its just amazing because of the orchestration, I love listening to this song.


Muqin- 8/10- This song is funny and strange. The musical part is really good and the lyrics made the song funny. This song is fun to listen to but you can’t understand part of it. That’s always a problem but the upbeat feeling is always nice and the song is funny, there really isn’t anything else about this song.


Long as I’m Here With You- 9/10- The guy part at the beginning is really nice, I love listening to guys sing there’s something that I like about the sound of there voices. This song itself is really good. I like the song in general because it’s jazzy and basic twenties so it’s fun. The musicality of the song, like the rest of them, is really nice and the orchestration is really awesome, especially the trumpets.


Gimme Gimme- 11/10- This song is my favorite song in this show. Listening to Sutton Foster sing is it is amazing in itself because she is amazing, but the song is really good. It is one of the best songs from a musical that I know. The tempo changes and the lyrics all contribute to the song and make it amazing. It really helps show Millie’s change of mind and her goofiness as a character is amazing. The end of this song is a showstopper, it gives me goosebumps, if you haven’t listened to this song then you should listen to it NOW!!!!


Finale- 8/10- This isn’t a great way to end the show. The ensemble parts are really nice and tie up the show. Jimmy’s part is adorable and makes me so happy, there isn’t really anything else to say, it’s just a nice way to end the show.

Real Teen Ratings~ A: Worth Buying!!

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