Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Enola Holmes Review, October Movie Preview, and New Releases

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.


The awesome co-hosts today are Jemima Pett, Beth Camp, Beverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner!


Need IWSG co-hosts for November! At least four, five is even better. (We have none at the moment.)
And two more for December and hosts for January. (Which is when we’ll announce the winners of the IWSG Anthology Contest.)
Leave a comment or email me if you can host any of those months.


October 7 question - When you think of the term working writer, what does that look like to you? What do you think it is supposed to look like? Do you see yourself as a working writer or aspiring or hobbyist, and if latter two, what does that look like?

Good question! I picture a working writer as someone who makes a good portion of their income from their writing. (It could mean a writer who is still working a job, but that doesn’t sound as fun.) As for me, unless I’m writing after retiring (which isn’t too far away), being an author will remain a side project.

Now, guitarist in a prog band – I can picture that!

Enola Holmes Review

From the IMDB:
When Enola Holmes-Sherlock's teen sister-discovers her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy around a mysterious young Lord.
Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter, and Louis Partridge
Based on a young adult book series.
This debuted on NetFlix last month and certainly rates as one of their best productions. If you enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr., you will enjoy this film. Definitely a lighter version, though – more family friendly. It’s a blend of Young Sherlock Holmes and the Guy Richie films.
It’s quirky, fun, and Enola breaks the fourth barrier several times. Brown is perfect in the role as Enola and very resourceful. Cavil’s reserved Sherlock is more true to the books, so don’t expect Robert Downey Jr. craziness.
The production values are excellent and you really feel like you are in Victorian England. This is top notch cinema from NetFlix.
Highly recommended.

New Releases!

Psycho Hose Beast From Outer Space by CD Gallant-King

Gale Harbour hasn’t seen any excitement since the military abandoned the base there thirty years ago, unless you count the Tuesday night 2-for-1 video rentals at Jerry's Video Shack. So when a dead body turns up floating in the town water supply, all evidence seems to point to a boring accident.

Find it on Amazon, Amazon CA, and Amazon UK

Frozen Crimes by Chrys Fey

Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn't get any better...until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages and unsettling items, but it isn't long before his menacing goes too far.

Find it at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Google Play

October Movie Releases

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for October. (And our theaters are open now – I can finally go see a movie again!) As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

9 –

Honest Thief
Wanting to lead an honest life, a notorious bank robber turns himself in, only to be double-crossed by two ruthless FBI agents.
Director: Mark Williams
Stars: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan
Neeson says ‘Give me back my son!’ while being attacked by wolves on a train…

16 –

Alone
When an outbreak hits, Aidan barricades himself inside his apartment and starts rationing food. His complex is overrun by infected Screamers, and with the world falling apart into chaos, he is left completely alone fighting for his life.
Director: Johnny Martin
Stars: Donald Sutherland, Tyler Posey, Robert Ri'chard, John Posey
Isn’t this plot the year we’ve just lived through?

23 –

Synchronic
Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.
Directors: Justin Benson | Aaron Moorhead
Stars: Jamie Dornan, Anthony Mackie, Katie Aselton, Ally Ioannides
I like a movie that scoops out my brain with a melon ball and plays with it.

What does a working writer look like to you? Seen Enola Holmes yet? Ready to hit the theater again? And who can co-host in the coming months?
 I’ll be back October 19 with a guest, movie reviews, and a review of Ayeron’s latest double concept album, Transitus. (Hint- it’s awesome!)

Mayan Adventure – Movies Filmed in Belize and Latin Flavors Blogfest! Plus Bill and Ted Face the Music, Project Power, and More

Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure!

Movies Filmed in Belize

Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure takes place in Belize. When Alex asked me to come up with a movie-related post, I thought it would be interesting to see if any movies had been filmed there. I knew from my own visit that it had a lot of cool places that would be perfect for filming beach and jungle scenes. Sure enough, I found six. Here they are:

1. Curse of Xtabai (2012). This 80-minute thriller is the first dramatic movie filmed entirely in Belize. When a sealed Mayan cave is blown open, the evil Xtabai is freed. She infects the inhabitants of a nearby village with a deadly virus and wreaks havoc on the world. Maybe she’s the one who caused the corona virus pandemic! 

2. Alien Origin (2012) This action-packed movie features scenes of Belize’s cave system. The premise is that the origins of life on earth are revealed in these deep, dark caves.

3. The Dogs of War (1980) A mercenary on a job in Africa is tortured and deported. He comes back to lead a coup. This one features many well-known Belize landmarks. 

4. Mosquito Coast (1986): Starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. An inventor moves his family to the jungles of Central America to make a utopia. I wonder how that worked out! It features San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and Belize City. I’d like to see this one because these are all places I saw or stayed at on my trip to Belize.

5. Mega Piranha (2010): Action movie shot entirely in Belize about killer piranhas that threaten to destroy everything in their path. I’m sure glad I didn’t meet any of those when I went SCUBA diving there! 

6. The Cay (1974): Staring James Earl Jones. This one is about people wrecked on a tropical island following a WWII torpedo attack.

Have you seen or heard of any of these movies? Are there any you’d like to see?

Thanks for having me as a guest, Alex!

Latin Flavors Blogfest

Prompt: What is your favorite Latin-flavor recipe?

I have to go with my standby favorite – chicken fajita quesadilla!
Bell peppers, onions, chili powder, Mexican cheese blend, and chicken cooked and finished off in a tortilla sandwich. Easy and tasty!

An Ancient Mayan civilization!
That’s what Bubba and Squirt find when they travel through the mysterious vortex for another wild adventure. There they meet archeologists who are unearthing priceless artifacts.
But someone is stealing them. And an encounter with the Tate Duende awakens magic within Bubba. Throw in the mysterious Alux and a new discovery and things get sticky.
Will Bubba and Squirt solve the mystery, or will they be stuck forever in the jungles of Belize?

 

Find it at Amazon, iTunes Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Goodreads, Books A Million, Amazon UK, and Amazon CA

About the Author: Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis has previously published, Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China; Don’t Feed the Elephant; Ten Zany Birds; That Mama is a Grouch; and That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN. Ellis lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Find Sherry at her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon

Movie Reviews

Bill and Ted Face the Music

From the IMDB:
Once told they'd save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, 2 would-be rockers from San Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny.
The last Bill and Ted was in 1991 – their Bogus Journey. It ended with them returning after studying with the masters for two years with kids – Ted Jr. and Bill Jr.
Only, they weren’t boys! Nope, this movie kicks off approximately twenty years later with their teen daughters, who act just like them, trying to help their fathers create that perfect song that will save the world. (Special props to Brigette Lundy-Paine who plays Billie, Ted’s daughter – she is more Ted than Keanu Reeves.)
Where it works, it really works. We’ve missed Bill and Ted! But the film is a bit uneven. There is a lot happening and several groups of people time jumping through the phone booth and more. Plus one thing that is noticeably absent is the music soundtrack. There is no Extreme’s Play With Me or Winger’s Battle Stations. And William Sadler does show up as Death, but not until towards the end of the film.
This was supposed to be a big release this past summer. Now you can either rent it for twenty bucks or buy it for twenty-five. If you’re a fan, you might as well just buy it.
Despite the issues, we will be watching it again.
Recommended.

Project Power

From the IMDB:
When a pill that gives its users unpredictable superpowers for five minutes hits the streets of New Orleans, a teenage dealer and a local cop must team with an ex-soldier to take down the group responsible for its creation.
Starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback.
Had I gone to the theater, I would’ve been very disappointed. It’s not bad, but it’s not anything groundbreaking or new. A lot of average.
Probably the best part is the relationship between Foxx and Fishback. She was one sharp cookie. And Foxx is always entertaining.
Gordon-Levitt was a little bit lost in the film. Odd to hear him with a Louisiana accent, that’s for sure.
If you’re bored, there are worse ways to kill time.

Ninja News

Urgent! My friend Roland Yeomans is homeless due to Hurricane Laura. He lost almost everything and if he doesn’t find a place to stay by the end of the month, he will be homeless and lose his cat, Midnight.
You can help him by donating to his PayPal account - rxena77 @ yahoo.com

Author Jacqui Murray read and loved CassaStar. She featured it so please be sure to visit her!

Katherine’s Corner is hosting a Tell Me a Story series through September.
Every Tuesday is a new author and excerpt.
On September 8, she featured me and Dragon of the Stars!
Please visit her site for my Tell Me a Story feature.

New releases:

Zero Usage by Pat Hatt
Day by day. Meter by meter. That was my life for years. But then I came across a meter that read zero usage. If only I hadn't read that meter. If only smart meters had gotten in sooner. If only my fair-weather vehicle hadn't broken down. If only could be my life story. Instead, I have this story to tell.
Find it on Amazon

Tales from the Toxic World by Sean McLachlan
A scavenger with a wondrous artifact from the Old Times sets out to avenge his past …
Find it on Amazon


And finally – Wonder Woman 1984 has been pushed back to December! (I should get to see it in the theater by then.) Apparently the numbers for Tenet, expected to be sixty million but with theaters at one third the capacity, was only twenty million.
And yes, for those who asked if I would dare go out to a theater – I would! Goodness, I am in more danger at work than I would be at a theater. And life must go on. Mask, distance, and I am on it.

Have you seen any of those films filmed in Belize? What’s your Latin flavor? Seen Bill and Ted or Project Power? Visited either of those amazing features – what an honor for me!
Be back in two weeks with some music reviews and more!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Upcoming Movie Releases, New Book Releases, and More!

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.


The awesome co-hosts today are PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

September 2 question - If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

I’d want to go with someone who writes what I enjoy and who aspire to write like, so it would be either Timothy Zahn or Terry Brooks. Zahn’s Star Wars books are excellent and Sword of Shannara is the book that formed my love of fantasy.


Author Jacqui Murray read and loved CassaStar the feature is up now!. Please be sure to visit her!

Katherine’s Corner is hosting a Tell Me a Story series through September.

Every Tuesday is a new author and excerpt.

On September 8, she will be featuring me and Dragon of the Stars. And it's live now!

Please visit her site for my Tell Me a Story feature.

Don’t forget today, September 2, is the last day to enter the IWSG Anthology Contest!

Guidelines and rules:
Word count: 4500-6000
Genre: Science Fiction
Theme: Dark Matter
Submissions accepted: May 6 - September 2, 2020
How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (double-spaced, no footers or headers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your full contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. (MUST be a member to enter.)
Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.
Our judges: Dan Koboldt, Lynda R. Young, Colleen Oefelein, Damien Larkin, Ion Newcombe, Julie Gwinn, and David Powers King

The next #IWSGPit Twitter pitch event is January 20!
Will you be ready?

When’s the last time we had a blog hop outside of the IWSG? We need one!
Sherry Ellis is hosting the Latin Flavors blog hop September 14-18 in celebration of the release of her next book, Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure.
Join us!

New Releases

Love and Other Lies by MJ Fifield

For years, Lavinia Kelly has gone through the motions, content to let life pass her by…

Find it on Amazon

Wielder’s Storm trilogy by Lynda R. Young

The Wielder's Storm Trilogy is an action-packed epic fantasy that will sweep you across the high seas on a thrilling adventure full of exciting twists.
This complete box set contains Wielder’s Prize, Wielder’s Curse and Wielder’s Fire.

I’ve read the first book and it’s awesome!

Find it on Amazon

I Am a Quarantine Survivor by PJ Colando

All proceeds will be donated to a food bank that helps people survive despite the COVID-culture that surrounds us…

Find it on Amazon

Upcoming Movie Releases

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

September 3 -

Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki
Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
Yes, this comes out tomorrow. No, I will not be able to see it because our theaters are still closed!!! I hate my state.

September 25 –

Ava
Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.
Director: Tate Taylor
Stars: Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Common
If more theaters are open, this one might have a chance.

October 2 –

Wonder Woman 1984
Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
Director: Patty Jenkins
Stars: Gal Gadot, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine
Our theaters damn well better be open for this one! Or it’s road trip time.

What author would be your beta partner? Entering the IWSG Anthology Contest last minute? Joining the Latin Flavors Blog Hop? Picking up some new books? What movies will you miss in the theater over the next month?
Monday is Labor Day, so I will be offline. I will be back on September 14 with movie reviews (including Bill and Ted Face the Music) and more!

Movie Reviews – Bloodshot, My Spy, Greyhound, and more! Plus You Beneath Your Skin Movie, New Release Dates for Delayed Movies and New Book Releases

Movie Reviews

A slew of new movies (and one from last year) for you!

Bloodshot
From the IMDB:
Ray Garrison, a slain soldier, is re-animated with superpowers.
One of the last movies to hit theaters this year before they all closed, it stars Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce, and Eliza González.
The first twenty minutes are predictable and nothing new. Ray’s wife is murdered in front of him, he’s killed, re-animated with no memories, then starts to remember her murderer’s face. But after he pursues and kills the man, the movie takes a unique twist, elevating it above just average.
The effects are good and there are some tense action scenes. Diesel plays his standard tough-guy character, but he had fun doing it – and we have fun watching.
Definitely worth a rental – recommended.

My Spy
From the IMDB:
A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.
An Amazon original movie starring Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Kristen Schaal, and Ken Jeong.
This film has all the potential to be corny and childish, but thanks to a sharp script, it never goes there. The characters have depth and real motivation, and the humorous scenes are genuinely funny.
Coleman excels as the precocious and very smart little girl. She succeeds where no one else ever has – she gets Bautista to care about other people, including his under-appreciated stakeout partner, Schaal.
This was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be – definitely recommended.

Greyhound
From the IMDB:
Early in World War II, an inexperienced U.S. Navy captain must lead an Allied convoy being stalked by Nazi U-boat wolfpacks.
An Apple TV original film starring Tom Hanks, Elisabeth Shue, and Stephen Graham.
We get a few minutes of history, and then the action begins and never lets up. If you like sea battles, this movie is for you.
Tom Hanks is really good and believable in the role.
Some of the special effects are good, some not so much. It was a little hit or miss.
Overall it was really enjoyable though. Recommended.

The Old Guard
From the IMDB:
A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.
Based on a graphic novel series, it stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, and Matthias Schoenaerts.
The science fiction – superhero aspect prompted me to check out this film despite a title that’s a bit lame. It’s more action–thriller–war than anything else.
It doesn’t offer us anything we haven’t seen before. The best I can say is that it’s serviceable and watchable.
Theron now has this badass, tough as nails, humorless character she likes to play.
There’s nothing really wrong with the movie but there’s nothing really great about it either.
Watch if you’re bored.
Or maybe go check out the graphic novels instead.

Rambo: Last Blood
From the IMDB:
Rambo must confront his past and unearth his ruthless combat skills to exact revenge in a final mission.
Starring Sylvester Stallone, Paz Vega, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Wouldn’t call it a mission but hopefully it is the last.
The movie centers on a tough subject – human sex trafficking – which made parts of it a little uncomfortable.
Stallone’s in his seventies but still in shape and still able to do action-hero stuff. His character does make some dumb decisions, though. As do some of the other characters.
It really doesn’t seem like a Rambo film until the end. Then, you do get a spectacular sendoff.
If you’re a die-hard Rambo fan or just curious and have time to spare, worth a casual watch. 

You Beneath Your Skin as a Movie by Damyanti

My debut novel You Beneath Your Skin has been optioned for screens by Endemol Shine, and to mark the occasion, it is on Free Kindle promotions till 11th August. To approximate the kind of movie this book will be on screen, here are five movies that are similar to the book and deal with the topics it discusses: conflicted parenthood, acid attacks, family secrets and corrupt cops.

So here are five movies that have similarities to You Beneath Your Skin:

1. We Need to Talk About Kevin
Kevin's mother struggles to love her strange child, despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.

2. Chhapak
The trials and triumphs of Malti, an acid attack survivor. From the investigation of the attack to the court proceedings, the medical treatment to the emotional healing. Chhapaak is the story of the unquashable human spirit.

3. Mystic River
As the investigation of the death of a young woman tightens around three old friends, and ominous story unfolds that revolves around friendship, family and innocence lost too soon.

4. Night Falls in Manhattan
A newly elected District Attorney finds himself in the middle of a police corruption investigation that may involve his father and his partner.

5. Training Day
A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.

Damyanti's short fiction has been published or is forthcoming at Ambit, Litro, Griffith Review Australia, Pembroke magazine, Atticus Review, and other journals in the USA and UK. She serves as one of the editors of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her debut literary crime novel You Beneath Your Skin was published by Simon & Schuster in autumn 2019, and optioned for screen adaptation by Endemol Shine.
All the author proceeds from You Beneath Your Skin will support the education and empowerment of women at Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks.
Find it on Amazon

Delayed Movies

The virus has thrown the movie and theater industry into chaos. With so many theaters closed (and many will never reopen), the studios needed to shuffle their release dates, sending a ripple into the next three years.

Here is a selection of films that have been bumped:

Avatar – moved from December 17, 2021 to December 16, 2022
A Quiet Place Part II – moved from March 8, 2020 to April 23, 2021
Black Widow – moved from May 11 to November 6, 2020
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – moved from May 7, 2021 to March 25, 2022
The Flash - moved from July 1, 2021, to June 3, 2022
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - moved from July 10, 2020, to March 5, 2021
Godzilla vs. Kong - moved from November 20, 2020, to May 21, 2021
The Matrix 4 - moved from May 21, 2021, to April 1, 2022
Minions: Rise of Gru - moved from July 3, 2020, to July 2, 2021
Morbius - moved from July 31, 2020, to March 19, 2021
Mulan - moved from March 27 to August 21 and then taken completely off the calendar
The New Mutants - moved from April 3 to August 28, 2020
No Time to Die - moved from April 10 to November 20, 2020
Shazam! 2 - moved from April 1, 2022, to November 4, 2022
Tenet - moved from July 17 to Labor Day weekend 2020
Wonder Woman 1984 - moved from June 5 to October 2, 2020

For a full list of movie releases affected, visit Vulture.

New Releases!

Mask of Ghosts by JH Moncrieff
No good deed goes unpunished.
Roxi thought the Balinese mask would make the perfect gift for her brother Jackson and his girlfriend Kate. Unbeknownst to her, a deadly curse was part of the package. A young woman slaughtered during a massacre haunts the mask. Her spirit wants revenge, and she's determined Roxi is the only one who can get it for her.
To free his sister from the mask's curse, Jackson must travel to Bali with Kate to solve the mystery behind the woman's murder. They've tangled with their share of angry ghosts in the past, but this one will pose the greatest threat yet.
Can they save Roxi from the vengeful spirit before more blood is spilled and Jackson's sister is lost forever?
This fifth installment of the award-winning GhostWriters series exposes the shadow lurking behind all that Balinese sunshine.
Find it at Amazon

Marly in Pieces by Cathrina Constantine
Marly refuses to believe her friend, Rae, committed suicide. Even though her wrists were slit, Marly knows her beautiful, vibrant bestie would never do that.
Even though the two had drifted apart, Marly and Rae made a blood promise long ago. Even in death, Marly intends to honor that vow.
Determined to find Rae’s killer, Marly faces a long list of potential suspects. It seems everyone has secrets or lies that they are covering up... including the boy she loves. Can Marly uncover the murderer’s identity before she becomes the next victim?
Find it at Amazon

The Happy War by Eve Gaal
After a successful blind date, Linda and Eric want to change the world.
Find it on Amazon

Molly Unplanned by Nicki Elson
Molly had a plan. But when her almost-fiance opts for a surprise Plan B, she’s left with no boyfriend, no money, and nowhere to live.
Find it on Amazon

And finally, this book is on sale! I read it last year and it is bat-crap crazy good.

Big Red On sale Aug. 10-14 for $2.99 Amazon eBook US,UK,CA, and AU


Have you seen any of those films? Picked up Damy's book? Bummed by the delay in releases? See any good books to pick up?

Quick update - I will see you all September 2 for the next IWSG post.