CLEARLAKE PARK – Literally reaching for the stars, Clearlake Park’s Mallard & Heron Books has released its debut novel, a science fiction story titled “Zeera” by Mary Dombach.

“Zeera is selling well,” said publisher Mark Bredt, who has realized a lifelong ambition to publish books after decades as a news journalist and editor.

“I have discovered that the production of a book is the easy part of publishing,” Bredt added. “The challenge comes with promoting, marketing and sales.”

Bredt has managed to place “Zeera” with all of the major online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders and more.

“But getting into bookstores is definitely the bigger challenge,” Bredt said.

Locally, Clearlake’s Wild About Books is carrying the title and several bookstores local to the author are carrying it, too.

“It’s a slow and methodical process of presenting and selling the title to bookstores,” said Bredt.

“Zeera” also debuts the writing talent of Pennsylvania resident Mary Dombach, who had planned to wait for retirement to write her first novel but the central character of the science fiction story had other plans. Perhaps Zeera exercised extraterrestrial talents to get her story told; whatever the case, Dombach couldn’t resist the story clamoring to be heard.

“Zeera” is a book for a wide audience, said Dombach. Obviously a science fiction/fantasy entry, there are enough wry observations on the human condition to appeal to literary readers and a quotient of romantic obstacles that will intrigue romance fans.

Zeera is a comely young woman from another planet, the Daughter of the Sable Knight. She is one of a dozen offspring of Argerian males and captive human women sent to Earth to become pregnant. Survival of the Argerian race depends on the mission’s success.

The plot involves its fair share of extraterrestrial powers and manipulative shenanigans by the Argerian elders, which creates a compelling line of suspense. But the story revolves around Zeera’s learning to understand human behavior and motivations.

She is entranced by Lilly and Walt, the elderly couple from whom she rents a room, and their devotion to each other; intrigued by the couple next door and their young daughter, and often startled by the simple things humans take for granted. Then, of course, there are the vagaries of her search for a suitable sperm donor and her surprising choice.

A review on her Web site, www.zeeraonline.com, notes that, “This is a gentle book, even as horrific violent events are disclosed, with a subtle humor and unexpected twists. In the midst of the otherworldly plotline, one is delighted by the author’s caring eye for the doubts and dilemmas wrestled by ordinary people dealing with everyday events.”

Zeera leaves us with plenty to think about. As Dombach writes in her preface: “Of the many lessons she would learn over the course of her travels, Zeera came to know that all races know evil; some even honor it. Perhaps the most important lesson was that there is no need to burden oneself with the debates of philosophy or even religion, because ultimately truth is determined by those in power. The most complex, and probably the most disturbing lesson of all, was that some things matter more than truth.”

Zeera is available for purchase online at www.zeeraonline.com, through most major online book retailers and locally at Wild About Books in Clearlake.

Zeera can be ordered through any local bookstore – ISBN # 978-0-9796989-0-3 / Trade paper back $14.95 / Mallard & Heron Books.

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A really boring Old English poem that no one, except musty professors, ever cared about is transformed into a reasonably entertaining and exciting action picture with the help of an animation feature that works best in the 3-D format.

We are talking about “Beowulf,” the circa seventh century epic poem, convoluted and arcane to the point of seeming unlikely source material for a stirring motion picture. The graphic brilliance of the animation procedure employed in “The Polar Express” is enhanced by the type of full-throttle action that infused “300” in order to arrive at a spectacularly immersive experience that transports the audience to the mythic age of heroes.

“Beowulf” employs a digital process that results in what is called “performance capture,” which appears to be a method that uses the human actors as a basis for their animated counterparts. In any event, this inventive cinematic technique permits stunning special effects that, in more graphic scenes, allow for very bloody violence and gruesome eviscerations and dismemberments.

For all its focus on the power of revenge, “Beowulf” is not so much a story of classic heroism and great feats as an excuse to tap into the modern fascination with the artificial video game mentality of extreme violence. This is definitely a movie for the “300” crowd, and not for the fanciers of English literature.

The story begins with an ancient Danish kingdom where King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and his beautiful young Queen Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn) celebrate the grand opening of a grand hall with great merriment.

The party noise awakens and disturbs the grotesquely deformed creature Grendel (Crispin Glover), the loathsome spawn of an evil cave-dwelling mother (Angelina Jolie) who has extraordinary seductive powers that ensnare mere mortals. On a vicious rampage, Grendel storms the King’s party and proceeds to dismember and kill many of his soldiers and subjects, leaving behind a horrifically gruesome scene of brutal destruction.

Arriving most fortuitously after the devastation of the Danish kingdom is the legendary Beowulf (Ray Winstone), a physically imposing Viking brimming with daring confidence and ambition. Proud of his physique, Beowulf wears little clothing, and sometimes none at all when he feels up to a challenge. In the modern age, this is a guy who would have a platoon of publicity agents churning out positive reviews of his exploits.

Other heroes have previously failed to vanquish the evil Grendel, but Beowulf fears nothing. With the help of his trusty sidekick Wiglaf (Brendan Gleeson), Beowulf sets a trap to lure the beast back to the grand hall, after which ensues a pitched battle. Beowulf succeeds in ripping off the monster’s arm, and then Grendel slinks back to his cave and dies.

Naturally, Grendel’s mother desires revenge, but first there is a matter of celebration in the Danish kingdom, and Beowulf gains fame and fortune, earning the gratitude of King Hrothgar who decides to leave his throne and wife to the Viking warrior.

Not slinking away from a challenge, Beowulf ventures to the monster’s lair, confronting Grendel’s mother. She has the ability to shift shape easily from a gruesome creature to a seductive beauty that looks very much like Angelina Jolie. Indeed, Beowulf is smitten by her extraordinary loveliness and falls for the trap that has entangled lesser men.

In later years, an older Beowulf is now King, acquiring the spoils of the royal title, including Queen Wealthow. Taking advantage of his prerogatives, Beowulf also has an attractive young mistress, Ursula (Alison Lohman). The kingdom is peaceful and happy, but the tranquility is soon shattered by the arrival of a fire-breathing dragon bent on complete annihilation of the kingdom, and this time the confrontation is a vicious battle in which Beowulf makes the ultimate sacrifice.

An epic tale advanced through the magic of digitally enhanced live-action, “Beowulf” is an interesting film to watch, but for maximum viewing pleasure it would likely be most enjoyed in the IMAX 3-D format.

In fact, watching this film in 3-D may be the only way to go, as the regular two-dimensional viewing won’t bring the characters fully to life.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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Come start the season off by listening to community choirs, instrumentalists, vocalists and caroling.

Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located at 600 16th St. in Lakeport.

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A near-overflow crowd jammed Kelseyville High School's student center to hear conductor John Parkinson lead the Lake County Symphony in an all-Mozart program consisting of a mixture of full-orchestra numbers and selections targeting the talents of individual players.

The concert was presented by Clear Lake Performing Arts in collaboration with the Mendocino College Lake Center.

The opening number featured all 40-plus members of the orchestra in one of Mozart's most beloved works, the overture from Mozart's first – and arguably most successful – operas. “The Abduction from the Seraglio” tells the story of the kidnapping of a noble Spanish woman by Barbary pirates and her subsequent rescue by her beloved. Written in 1782 it was an instant smash hit, and continues to be so to this day, with the overture obviously being familiar to Sunday's audience.

This was followed by the “Sinfonia Concertante Quartet” with the orchestra headlined by a breakout group consisting of Beth Aiken, oboe; Nick Biondo, clarinet; Ann Hubbard, bassoon; and Randy Masselink, horn. The first three are all Lake County residents, while Masselink hails from Healdsburg.

The virtually flawless playing of the four soloists won enthusiastic acclaim from the audience as the soaring notes of Aiken's oboe meshed with the lilting swirl of Biondo's clarinet, and both instruments were first led, then answered, by the mellow tones of Hubbard's bassoon and Masselink's horn.

Between movements Parkinson dryly noted that one of the drawbacks of woodwind performances is the necessity to pause briefly from time to time to clean out valves, which Aiken did.

The next soloist was Darrin Michaels, whose history in playing the horn has included appearances throughout California with musical groups ranging from full orchestras to the popular Dora Street Brass Quintet. He played Mozart's “Horn Concerto No. 3” a particularly difficult piece the composer wrote originally for his lifelong friend Joseph Leutgeb, undoubtedly one of the premier horn players of his time.

Like Leutgeb, Michaels played with his right hand thrust into the bell of his instrument. Leutgeb did this because with the valveless horn of the time, he was able to change the music by as much as a full note.

In Michaels' case he said the same technique permits him to “mellow out” the sound, so it sounds less like a hunting horn and more like a musical instrument, and also to change intonation to stay in tune with the orchestra. These techniques, coupled with his absolute mastery of his instrument, resulted in a thunderous round of applause at the completion of his piece.

Following intermission, with complimentary cookies served by members of the Clear Lake Performing Arts Auxiliary, the orchestra took up Mozart's “Symphony No. 40 in G Minor” one of his latest and best-known works. This piece clearly demonstrates why Mozart continues to be so popular, with its musical brilliance and memorable themes.

The obviously knowledgeable audience properly withheld their applause until the conclusion of the final movement, at which point they were on their feet to give Parkinson and the orchestra a tremendous standing ovation.

Parkinson later noted that Lake County audiences were an asset when he recruits musicians from other places. “The out-of-town musicians always say they love to play with the Lake County Symphony because of the great reception they're given here,” he said.

The size and superior acoustics of the Kelseyville High School Student Center also gives more people the chance to attend these concerts. Paul Brewer, president of CLPA, said his group as well as the orchestra, are grateful to the Kelseyville Unified School District for making the facility available.

The next and final symphony concert of the year will take place on Dec. 16 at the same venue. It will be the perennially popular Christmas Celebration and this year will spotlight well-known jazz vocalist Paula Samonte, as well as youthful local musicians Laura and Darin Smith playing fiddle and cello duets, with John Parkinson conducting the orchestra.

The concert will start at 3 p.m., with admission still pegged at $10 for CLPA members, $15 for the general public and youngsters under 18 admitted free.

For more information call 707-277-7076 or visit www.clearlakeperformingarts.org.

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The concert will take place at 3 p.m. at the Kelseyville High School Student Center.

CLPA members admission is $10, non-members is $15, and youth and children under 18 admitted free.

Kelseyville High School is located at 5480 Main St.

For more information call 279-0877.

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It’s still too early for the Christmas spirit. I can tell, because even my goofy neighbor hasn’t put up a string of multi-colored lights around his porch.

But that’s not stopping Warner Bros from stuffing “Fred Claus” in our cinematic stocking. While it’s better than a lump of coal, “Fred Claus” fails to match the level of holiday cheer realized from those goofy Tim Allen comedies about jolly Saint Nick.

Still, a comedy with Vince Vaughn has plenty of redeeming values, especially when the fast-talking actor retains his borderline surly, cantankerous persona for subversive comic effect. More to the point, “Fred Claus” draws laughs from the unlikely situation of Santa Claus having to deal with sibling rivalry.

Vince Vaughn’s Fred Claus is the firstborn in the Claus family (Kathy Bates and Trevor Peacock as the parents). Sibling rivalry develops when his younger brother Nicholas (Paul Giamatti in the adult role) is born and starts showing signs of saintly behavior. Of course, Fred grows up being jealous of his younger sibling, and as the years pass, he becomes distant from Nicholas.

As an adult, Fred resents being in the shadow of his famous brother who lives at the North Pole and makes the children of the world happy. Fred is a fast-talking Chicago repo man who thinks nothing of repossessing a child’s plasma TV during the holiday season. He also gets into serious trouble running a charity scam, and ends up having to call on Santa Claus to post bail. On top of that, he’s scheming to open up a betting parlor across from the stock exchange.

Over the objections of his concerned wife Annette (Miranda Richardson), Nicholas gets Fred out of jail on the condition that he work off the loan by going to the North Pole and earning the money as a helper in Santa’s workshop. The trouble is that Fred isn’t exactly elf material, and with Christmas fast approaching, he could jeopardize the entire holiday.

He’s also jeopardizing his relationship with girlfriend Wanda (Rachel Weisz), an attractive meter maid who has grown weary of Fred’s irresponsible behavior and tendency to forget special occasions, to say nothing of his commitment avoidance.

Up at the North Pole, things are not going smoothly for Santa. We learn that Santa is overweight because he eats too much due to stress, and his wife constantly fusses about many things, in addition to being displeased about Santa’s soft touch in terms of helping the reckless Fred.

Even worse than a meddling spouse, more problems for Santa arrive in the form of cold-hearted efficiency expert Clyde Northcutt (Kevin Spacey), who has been sent to scrutinize Santa’s operation and to determine whether the whole North Pole gig should be outsourced to a more productive outfit.

Moreover, the well-intentioned Fred has a few quirks that upend the precision of the elves workshop. For one thing, he flips out when the workshop DJ Donnie (Ludacris) refuses to stop playing “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” over and over again.

Taking control of the airwaves, Fred gets the elves hooked on rock 'n' roll. He also starts to loosen up the head elf Willie (John Michael Higgins), giving him encouragement to work up the nerve to do something more than just pine away for the statuesque Charlene (Elizabeth Banks).

It’s rather curious that Santa’s chief of operations is a hot chick who wears a low-cut costume. She may be an attractive bean counter, but Santa is an upstanding family man even if he has to put up with nagging from his wife and mother. For a Christmas movie, it is a curiosity that so many of the characters have a dark side that would seem out of place in a movie that seeks family reconciliation.

Nevertheless, “Fred Claus” has its pleasures and joys in its numerous gags and comic situations, eliciting enough laughs to make the film enjoyable if not memorable.

Despite Vince Vaughn’s comic ability to get some mileage out of even the most predictable circumstances, “Fred Claus” is likely in the end to have a shelf life shorter than the holiday season.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

The coming holiday season seems the right time for the release of “A Dennis the Menace Christmas,” which combines “A Christmas Carol” with the live action version of one of America’s most widely recognizable, chaos-wreaking comic strip characters.

Film and television star Robert Wagner takes on the role of Mr. Wilson, while Louise Fletcher is Mrs. Wilson and newcomer Maxwell Perry Cotton, in the role of Dennis, becomes his tormentor.

Dennis faces his greatest challenge to deliver Mr. Wilson the “Holiday Spirit” and secure Santa’s delivery of his ultimate present, the Raleigh Mite-Y-Max bike.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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