Colleen Houck


“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer

Colleen's blog


  • 4th of July at Colleen Houck Residence

    July 23, 2015


    Happy belated 4th of July America!

      This summer has been a whirlwind of activities for Colleen from attending RT Book Convention in May, going to San Diego Comic Con, finishing edits for book two of the Egyptian series, working on the novella, prepping for the REAWAKENED book launch coming up in August and hosting  family for the week of Fourth of July.  I’d like to share some of our highlights these past weeks, some fun, others delicious, a couple exciting and yet tiring, and I’d be lying if there wasn’t a little insanity, but. . . mostly it has been crazy cool!   I begin at the doorstep of the Houck residence. . .

    Houck Residence Door Colleen and Brad worked and worked and worked like Christmas elves getting everything just perfect for our family coming to visit for the holidays. If you know anything about Colleen, you know that she ALWAYS gives 150% and goes way WAY above and beyond anyone’s expectations. So, needless to say, when my  family set foot across the threshold, we were transported to a magical world of stars, sparkles, and stripes, a place where we all feel like children on Christmas morning, a place Walt Disney himself would want to visit.

    Here are just a couple pictures of the decorations (keep in mind these pics do not do it justice):

    fourth of july4 table1

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    Colleen and Brad surprised us with goody baskets for each person perfectly presented on our guest beds. I didn’t think to take a picture but everything was themed (of course it was). The children were doted on and spoiled with sticker books, candy, head bands, hats, bubbles, Pez dispensers, toys, children’s books, beach buckets and beach towels, 4th of July outfits and pajamas, oh my goodness, the list goes on and on. Did I say spoiled with love? The adults were treated with tantalizing treats and goodies as well! (Our baskets were much better than this pic, but hey… you can use your imagination.)

    summer gift backets

    The beautiful sunrise in Salem greeted us on the morning of the fourth and we started the day with a run (a necessary preparation for the delicious food we would feast on later). Check out this breathtaking view! Yes, this is Colleen’s view from their very own backyard!

    IMG_3205

    After we showered and dressed in our patriotic garb, the festivities commenced with more family arriving to join in and celebrate. There was berry picking, bubbles, games, puzzles, prizes, playing outside with balls, barbequing, bubbly beverages, firecracker cookies and fireworks, sparklers and glow sticks, giggles and smiles, and brand new memories for all to cherish! Here are a couple snap shots,

    picking berries2

    Lex picking berries

    IMG_3230

    colleen and Lex fourth of July

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    Firecracker Snickerdoodles

    Firecracker Snickerdoodles

    IMG_3245 IMG_3244    IMG_3246

    The food was, as expected, over the top AND amazing! I didn’t get pics of everything but there were chicken and veggie skewers, stuffed burgers, corn on the cob, cherry pie and coconut pie, red-white-& blue beverages, and much much more. I didn’t have enough room to try everything. My eyes kept saying “oh yes” but my stomach was saying “for crying out loud woman, take a break”.

    The evening’s activities ended with the tradition of lighting and watching fireworks. The weather was cooler by evening and the falling skies held a light breeze that made the evening magical. Colleen, myself and several family members rocked back and forth on the front porch swing. We watched the children wave their sparklers like wizard’s wands while the light danced on their eyes. . We listened to their excitement as each firework lit up the sky. In that moment, warmth filled my heart and I was content.

    IMG_3238 IMG_3247 IMG_3265

               IMG_3257  IMG_3304 IMG_3299  IMG_3315


    Mom and dad weren’t there and so the holiday wasn’t the same. Dad taught us what it means to be a true patriot and was always a part of the pancake breakfast that took place each and every year at our church. He always wore a patriotic tie and tie tac on the Sunday before and cried when we would sing Star Spangled Banner or My Country Tis of Thee. He is greatly missed as is our mom who still teaches by example. Happy belated 4th of July everyone!

     

     

    This entry was posted in Holidays, Life Events.

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    Linda

    I’m Linda Louise, one of the bloggers on this website and Colleen’s little sister. I’m just a girl in her mid-thirties who feels thirteen when I play outside with my boys, fifteen when I sing my heart out listening to tunes while driving by myself, and sixty five when I go out past ten at night. I have a thing for junior mints, Mt. Dew, shrimp and kale (though not all at once) and I have a crush on Superman. I still get girlish butterflies when I read Twilight, cry when I read These is My Words, and smile from ear to ear when I read Anne of Green Gables. I have nightmares about aliens on a regular basis and I have a bad habit of midnight snacking. I love everything sports, except golf (although can that honestly be considered a sport??), and I hate anything that slithers, hisses, or stings. I have a problem with giggling at inappropriate moments and I sometimes wish life was a musical. I love science, hate math, love Dr. Seuss, and hate olives. My family is my world and my joys come from their happiness. I’ve learned I don’t know much about anything and I live for a good adventure, naps, cuddles, stories, exceptional food and The Shire.

  • Movie Review: Jurassic World

    July 23, 2015


    Jurassic World

    Colleen’s Movie Review

    I always give spoilers so consider yourself warned. =)


    Romance
    :
    For me the romance between the two main characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard was half-baked at best. The one kiss they shared was so ill-timed that it just felt wrong and I didn’t buy for a second that these two once dated. They were so dissimilar I can’t see him going for a girl like that at all. She’s way too…prissy for him.

    Special Effects: You would expect the special effects to be amazing and they were. The dinosaurs were my favorite part of this movie. I loved the motorcycle scene with the raptors and all the high tech enclosures as well as the park itself.


    What I Liked:
     The special effects, the dinosaurs, the park, the music, the nostalgia of it, and the trained raptors. By the end of the movie, who you ultimately cared about was the dinosaurs, not the people. The T-Rex and the raptors were the only ones with their heads screwed on straight.

    What I’d Change:

    • All the characters except Chris Pratt. Still how is he the animal trainer guy and he has no idea they have a brand new, fully grown hybrid on the island?
    • The script. There was nothing in it that made me relate to or empathize with the characters in any way. Those that weren’t extremely annoying were just idiots. I was actually rooting for the dinosaurs to eat them.
    • Everyone seemed extremely unaware of how dangerous the animals are. Even the kid who was supposed to be cute just did dumb things and he was the smartest one there.
    • From the first scene when mom and dad put their young sons on a plane to another country, by themselves, to go to a park with dangerous dinosaurs, I found it completely nonsensical.
    • The theme was dumb. Supposedly the film makers were trying to teach us all a lesson about excess and the mindless pursuit of entertainment at any cost…do they not sense the irony? The money spent on toys at a theme park is no different than the money spent on dinosaur toys for a movie. The real theme should have been humans are stupid.

     

    The Tagline: The park is open.

    The tagline should have been

    Still milking it.

    With a sub-header that says, “Super expensive thrills-r-us. We know you all will go see anything with over the top special effects and/or dinosaurs so our plan is to do this over and over again until we have enough money to actually open one of these parks.” Reference-Godzilla.

    Hunky Hero: Chris Pratt is the hunky boy-next-door kind of hero. The one who was your faithful, nerdy, best-friend-in-high-school-who-turned-out-to-be-extremely-good-looking-as-a-grown-up-and-if-you-were-smart-you-would-have-dated-him-back-then, kind of guy. I loved him in Guardians of the Galaxy, I loved him in this, I’d love him as Indiana Jones, heck, I’d love him in pretty much anything. In a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse…you get the idea.

    The Villain: The villain in this film is the newly manufactured hybrid dinosaur they invented called Indominous Rex. I actually felt sorry for it.

    Best Line: 

    Masrani: You created a monster!

    Henry Wu: Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We’re just used to being the cat.

    Best Scene: The raptor training was my favorite part. That and the dino battle at the end. It was predictable but I loved the ocean dinosaur as well as the raptors switching sides.

    Recommended for YA Fans: Sure, why not. Go and root for the dinosaurs.

    Compared to the Book: If you haven’t read Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, it’s really a fun read.

    Trailer:

     

     


    A Kid’s Perspective

      Gingerbread making

    Aidan’s Review: (Age 11)  

    Q. Who is your favorite character and why?

    A. Owen because he is cool and trains dinosaurs.

    Q. Who is your least favorite character and why?

    A. Vic Hoskins because he’s pretty stupid. He tried to use the raptors as weapons and you can’t do that.

    Q. What did you like about the movie?

    A. The battle at the end between the In Dominus Rex and the T-Rex.

    Q. What did you not like about the movie?

    A. When people got eaten and Vic Hoskins.

    Q. What did you think about the story?

    A. “Delicious” (mom demanded an explanation of this answer). “The dinosaurs feasted a lot on humans. My answer is of course sarcastic mom.”

    Q. What part made you feel emotional or awkward?

    A. When the dinos were feasting.

    Q. What would you say to your friend about this movie?

    A. It was funny, crazy, and is full of small human-like reptile snacks.

    I give this movie 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

    Lex’s Review: (Age 8) 

    Q. Who is your favorite character and why?

    A. Owen because he is really good with raptors and smart. He’s the only one who actually tells everyone to leave when the In Dominus Rex escapes. Plus, he’s the “Star Lord” from Guardians of the Galaxy which is my favorite.

    Q. Who is your least favorite character and why?

    A. Vic Hoskins because he’s extremely idiotic!

    Q. What did you like about the movie?

    A. Nothing too much. I liked when Owen was training the raptors.

    Q. What did you not like about the movie?

    A. Practically everything. I just didn’t like the story.

    Q. What did you think about the story?

    A. Only 1.5 out of 5 stars. Here’s three reasons why: first, the two boys are lame. They don’t listen when they are told to go back when they are riding the glass vehicle. Second, the story was way unrealistic. And third, there are too many stupid people who think they can just have dinosaurs around them and not get eaten.

    Q. What part made you feel emotional or awkward?

    A. Nothing did. Well, except when the boy kisses his girlfriend and the beginning. That was awkward.

    Q. What would you say to your friend about this movie?

    A. It was horrible!

     A Guy’s Perspective

    2014-02-01 22.54.02

    Brad’s Bio: I’m Colleen’s husband, Brad. I’m the youngest of four kids. I’ve been Deaf since I was five so I watch every movie with caption glasses. I love sports and reading (I’ll admit I’ve read Twilight but prefer thrillers like Jack Reacher). My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I’ll never turn down a taco. I write poetry. My man credentials include: a high school career in wrestling, watching sports every time my wife is too busy to notice, a receding hairline, two repaired ACL’s, and a stockpile of Axe body wash.

    Brad’s Review: 

    Jurrasic World

    Following the typical formula of Jurassic plots, this film was the most predictable film I’ve seen in the last ten years, but of course, that was not necessarily a bad thing. You know the formula—a family goes to a Dinosaur park, some people get lost, something goes horribly wrong and all chaos—and dinosaurs—breaks loose; family members and scientists venture out to rescue the lost sheep while trying to avoid getting chomped (well, not entirely), but the chaos is unresolved to pave the way for future blockbusters.

    To counter this predictability, filmmakers surged the electricity with more human deaths than the previous Jurassic films, and with monstrous dinosaurs thrashing each other, creating a cinematic visual-and-sound effects-infested experience like no other.  For me, a Deaf movie buff, the effects were pretty thrilling. I was overwhelmed with vibrations assaulting me from every angle–through my seat, my soda cup, the bucket of popcorn, and even the hairs on my chest. It came really close to my 4-D experience at Universal Studios in the T-Rex vs. King Kong ride.

    There’s not much else to say. The actors/actresses were fine, though the script was a bit vapid. Even the attempt to infuse some romance was laughable. I loved the horde of raptors (What exactly do you call a group of velociraptors…?). But if you want a movie with believable drama and a real plot, look elsewhere. 

    I give this film 7 out of 10 Hulk Smash Fists.

     

    This entry was posted in A Guy's Perspective, Kid's Perspective, Movie Review.

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    Colleen Houck

    New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

  • San Diego Comic Con 2015 Report

    July 21, 2015


    So it has long been a dream of mine to attend San Diego Comic Con and that dream was finally realized this year when my generous publisher chose me as one of the few authors they invited to be a part of the 2015 team.

    Colleen Houck SDCC15

    Here’s how my Comic Con experience went…

    July 9th-Thursday (Miles walked 7)

    We flew in to San Diego and weren’t able to check in until 5:30 or so. Because of that, we left our luggage at the hotel, picked up a Land of the traveler map, and made our way to the conference to register. We were told it was a ten minute walk to the convention center from our hotel. It was over an hour before we finally found the right place to pick up our badges. Mostly we just walked the convention and looked for the Random House booth where I’d sign on Saturday. There are a lot of cool things to see. Here are some. (Giant Iron Man, Hobbit Dwarf, Walking Dead Zombie)

    Iron Man at SDCC15The Hobbit Dwarf CosplayWalking Dead Display

    san diego photo booth rentals 858-375-4111 (19)-MRandom House Party HaulWe got a text that our room was ready so we headed back, unpacked, and then were off to a local library for the Random House Author party. I was able to cart off as many books as I could carry as well as meet other Random House authors. There was also a photo booth where we could take pictures with staff. I hopped in there with my husband to take some fun pictures.

    Colleen Houck & Kim Liggett

    Colleen Houck & Kim Liggett

    Colleen Houck & Diana Gabaldon

    Colleen Houck & Diana Gabaldon

    Colleen Houck & Sabaa Tahir

    Colleen Houck & Sabaa Tahir

    Colleen Houck & Renee Ahdieh

    Colleen Houck & Renee Ahdieh


    Random House Book Giveaways

    July 10th-Friday (Miles walked 5)

    Despite the protesting of my feet, we headed back to the convention center on Friday even though it was technically my off day. I was searching for a Dr. Who shirt and we really wanted to try to get into Hall H to see the cast of The Walking Dead. We quickly figured out that I had no VIP status and trying to get into a panel a mere two hours early showed what kind of amateurs we were. My husband had a disability sticker since he’s Deaf and though he scheduled an interpreter to go, there was still no getting in.

    Turns out people camp out overnight just to get a bracelet so they can be first in line and even if the panel they want to see is later in the day, they will park themselves in the room all day just so they have a guaranteed spot for the one they want. Not an effective way to organize things if you ask me. Any type of event that requires me to spend hours of waiting in line without a bathroom break is just not my cup of tea. We stuck around in line until the panel actually started and then came to the conclusion that we would have a better seat at home watching it on YouTube.

    There were lines stretching everywhere and when I asked what the lines were for it was either for some Anime thing I’ve never heard of or for Mattel, Lego, BBC, etc. The short of it is, if you want to buy something cute and fun you still have to wait in line and get pushed and shoved by various overenthusiastic people as you do so. Personally, I’d much rather buy things online. We still saw some cool stuff and we did get my husband a Star Trek shirt and me a set of Star Trek cookie cutters. The women’s shirts (I hate crew neck men’s shirts) only went up to size XL which as we know really means small so I didn’t get a shirt at all though I did consider a men’s Labyrinth shirt. (What man is going to wear that?)

    Here are some cool things we saw. (Lego Dr. Who, Life-Sized R2-D2, Yoda, Giant Lego Hulk and Iron Man, Thor and Loki Replicas)

    Lego Dr. WhoR2-D2YodaGiant Lego Hulk vs Iron ManLoki and Thor

    The weirdest thing to me about the conference is that there’s really not much to do other than waiting in lines. Most of the panels were very comic booky. I sat in one that was like the silver age of comic book font. Wow. Not something that would rivet the layman.

    Also, there is so much more shopping to do at the smaller conferences. I suspect the big guys make deals that the smaller vendors can’t sell their product at this one.  Between that and the T-shirt problem, I wasn’t a happy buyer.

    Also there was a strange lack of food options. In a convention center this size, I’d expect more than Mrs. Fields. I lived on soft pretzels at the convention since there weren’t really any other options. Most people seemed to be wandering around outside. They were probably looking for food or a place to sit down or maybe a private place to adjust their super underoos. Speaking of which…

    Holy Moly people! On the one hand, I think Cosplay is fun.

    It’s cool to dress up in a costume you worked all year on and parade around in front of strangers who ooh and ahh at your sewing/glue gunning prowess while sweat trickles down your body in all the wrong places and you get a cramp in your wrist from wielding your club/broadsword/ax/Battleth/staff/lightsaber/bow.

    I mean, it’s pretty amazing when you think about applying and reapplying makeup all day as your sweltering cape/leather leggings slowly bake you from the outside in while constantly adjusting your wig, or, in some cases, thong.

    At least it gives the people in line and second string reporters who can’t get into any of the cool things something to do/gape at as they wait endlessly for someone to save them from the bad decision they made to attend the event/store making them stand in line for hours. And they can take a picture with you which proves they were there since the opportunity to take pictures with any real celebrities doesn’t happen, at least not with anyone famous within the last two decades.

    Having said that, could you at least cover your protruding parts? Seriously, there are children at the convention. Wow. I looked up at the second floor window and was treated to a full naked backside from a level down and let’s just say the view wasn’t pretty. I’m assuming there was a scrap of fabric in there somewhere but honestly there are some things you can’t unsee.

    I looked up the cosplay policy and there isn’t a ban of any kind on clothing, just on weapons. Perhaps the players go just a wee bit far. There are some things better left to the imagination or, at least, until the sun sets and the glare doesn’t burn the corneas of the hundred thousand plus attendees.

    I don’t have any pictures of the cosplay people because I feel a bit like taking a picture with them or of them is akin to feeding bears in the wild. It’s just a bad idea and encourages them to come closer and engage in behaviors I’d rather not see. Sure the little ones are cute but the little ones get bigger. 😉 Sigh. It’s always a few people who have to go and ruin it. It’s like dress down Friday. Someone always takes it too far and gets everyone in trouble.

    We were invited out to dinner Friday night with other authors and Random House staff and had a great time getting to know everyone. We went to Bottega Americano which had great pizza. Not sure why we don’t have any pictures of the group. Thought we took some.

    July 11th-Saturday (Miles walked 4)

    The reason I only walked four miles Saturday instead of five or six is because my feet were pretty raw and swollen. I actually threw away my shoes and bought a new pair while I was there. The hubby wanted to walk but I forced him to take a taxi with me so it would save me a mile or so of walking. 

    Random House Author BoothSaturday was my big signing day. I signed 50 copies of Reawakened in the Random House booth, grabbed another pretzel, and headed up to my panel. If you’d like to see it, you can watch the entire thing on YouTube. Kim Liggett was our moderator and she did a fantastic job. On the panel with me are Rachel Caine, Jenny Martin, Rachel Hartman, & Thomas E. Sniegoski. Oh and the weird thing with my hair in the picture is because I told the stylist I wanted to go Egyptian and he did a faux bang where he look my hair and wrapped it up and gave me bangs. Not a fan of the look. Won’t be doing that one again. 

    Colleen Houck, Brad Houck, and Raffi KryszekAfter the panel we signed books and I was able to give away another 50 copies of Reawakened. I was also able to meet up with my movie producer, Raffi Kryszek, of Ineffable Pictures and got an update on the progress of the film. He is just an awesome guy and hung out with me as I met with fans, asking them what they’d like to see happen in the movie. He called the director, Shekhar Kapur, and we spoke on the phone for the first time. I can’t give you much of an update except to say that the movie is in good hands and we are at the casting phase which is a very exciting time! 

    Colleen Houck, Brad Houck, and Richard HatchWhen the signing was done, we headed over to the section of the conference known as autograph alley, aka, You’re-All-Washed-Up-And-We’re-Going-To-Make-You-Sit-Here-In-A-Pathetic-And-Needy-Way row. This part was not handled well at all. The celebrities have to hang out there for hours, even if nobody wants to talk to them. Salt Lake City Comic Con handles this much better and in a dignified way with a professional photographer. Once the line is gone they can leave. It’s awkward to approach a celebrity and ask them to quote a price for a photo. There were no handlers or staff around to help them out. It felt weird and just wrong. Still we took a photo with the original Apollo from Battlestar Galactica, Richard Hatch, who was a very nice guy.

    July 12th-Sunday (Miles walked 1.5)

    Grimm CastThe coolest thing celebrity-wise that happened for us was the plane ride home. We are big fans of the television show Grimm. It’s actually shot in Portland, OR and the whole cast was headed home from the convention on the same flight we were. My husband is braver than I am so he got up and introduced himself to the actors who were waiting in the terminal with us and then proceeded to paparazzi photo stalk them after that. They were all there, Monroe, Nick, Hank, Wu, Rosalee, and Adalind. They were only missing Captain Renard and Juliette.

    Me & Brad Fly HomeWell, that’s it! Hoped you liked my report. I’m planning on attending the Portland Con in the spring and I would absolutely attend Salt Lake again. Have you gone to any Comic Con conventions you really loved? Let me know about them! 

    This entry was posted in Conferences, Events.

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    Categories
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    Colleen Houck

    New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.