Monday, July 9, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp Review, Movie and IWSG News, Devil’s Rock Review, and New Releases

Movie Reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp
Very entertaining!
Two years after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott is finishing up his house arrest when a quest to find Hope’s mother (lost in the beginning of the first film) brings the two of them and Hank together again.
It’s light-hearted, funny, and the perfect popcorn movie. It’s breezy and fun – in line with the first Ant-Man film. You never feel anyone is in mortal danger, but that’s all right. It’s not that kind of a film.
There’s no central villain. It’s more of a caper as everyone is after the research lab. (Which conveniently shrinks to a rolling suitcase.)
Scott, Luis, and friends have also started a security system company, which is ironic since they were all once thieves. Luis also had some of the funniest lines again.
One of the strongest aspects is Scott’s relationship with his daughter. It’s very sweet and natural.
As always, stay through the credits for two bonus scenes. (They tie the film in with Infinity War.) Highly recommended!

The Devil’s Rock
From the IMDB: Set in the Channel Islands on the eve of D Day, two Kiwi commandos, sent to destroy German gun emplacements to distract Hitler's forces away from Normandy, discover a Nazi occult plot to unleash demonic forces to win the war.
This New Zealand film came out in 2011 and we caught it on Amazon Prime.
This is a quiet, atmospheric horror film. The giant bunker is dimly lit and strange sounds and screams carry eerily down the corridors. It’s as unnerving as it is gory. (And when it’s gory – wow!)
Basically there are only four people in the film, but they do a fine job of carrying it. You never know who to trust. Sometimes the accent is heavy, so you have to listen close.
If you can handle the gore, this creepy little film is definitely worth a watch.


New Releases

Landscape Love by River Ford (Charity Bradford)
Nathaniel Pierce ran away from home and the painful memories of his past. He's recreated himself in Eureka Springs. No longer a veterinarian, he's Nate the landscaper. When old Lilly Connor dies, the whole town turns to him to watch out for her granddaughter.
Find it on Amazon

Bluebonnet Ballerina by Carol Kilgore
Gracie Hofner returns, and chaos reigns—including a couple of ghosts trying to save their granddaughter.
Find it on Amazon

Movie News

JoBlo reported on Friday that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom had crossed the billion dollar mark worldwide.

An article on JoBlo states that production on Birds of Prey should begin January 2019. Actress Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) says this Suicide Squad spin-off featuring an all girl gang should be rated R.


July DVD releases:
July 10 - A Quiet Place
July 17 - Rampage
July 24 - Ready Player One



IWSG News

IWSG Co-Hosts!
We need one more co-host for August 1.
We also need co-hosts for September 5 (the day we announce the genre and guidelines for the next IWSG Anthology Contest), October 3, November 7, and December 5.
If you can help any of those days, leave a comment or shoot me an email.
Thanks!

#IWSGPit happens Thursday, July 19!

You don’t want to miss this event.

Visit the IWSG site for the rules, time, and hashtags. The IWSG Admins will be monitoring the feed and encouraging participants.

Good luck to everyone pitching!


Today at the IWSG site we have a special guest - Mary Kole, founder of the award-winning Kid Lit site. She’s discussing editing and more, so check it out.


The next WEP – (Write...Edit...Publish) challenge in August has been announced – Change of Heart.
Sign-ups begin August 1.
How does this tie in with the IWSG? You’ll soon find out…




I will be gone for a few days next week, so I’ve made the decision to take the rest of July off. I’ll pop in now and then, and be active on Twitter, but it’s a chance for me to catch up on some IWSG stuff and work on my story.


Catch the new Ant-Man movie? Ever see The Devil’s Rock? Participating in #IWSGPit? Picking up some DVDs or books? And who can co-host the IWSG?
Have a great July!

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, #IWSGPit, July 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 for the July 3 posting of the IWSG are Nicki Elson, Juneta Key, Tamara Narayan, and Patricia Lynne!

Today’s optional question - What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

Well, in the beginning I just wanted to write one book. When I realized I would be writing more, my goal was to finish the series. Then it was to write a story completely separate from that series. Now I’m back to working on that series. So I guess you could say my ultimate goal is always just the next book. One foot in front of the other…

And yes, I am writing. Working on Bassan’s story a little bit at a time.

I have been working on two upcoming events for the IWSG – the anthology contest (lining up judges) and #IWSGPit (sending out invites). And not we have over a thousand agents and publishers invited to watch the feed on July 19 for #IWSGPit!
So get those pitches ready. Over five thousand tweets last January and we were a trending topic – plus several authors have now found homes for their books. Don’t miss out!
Details at the IWSG site.


New Releases!

Boyfriend Material (The Man Catalog #2) by Megan Morgan
Need a date? Or a temporary boyfriend? How about a husband in a hurry? The professionals at SASS—Singles Arrangement Service Specialists—are here to help.
Find it on Evernight Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, and Kobo

Book Two of the Family Relics Series by Tanya Miranda
Jasmyn blames herself for her baby sister's death, and she's confident her family blames her too. Instead of returning home, Jasmyn joins her coven to focus on developing her grandmother's magic.
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Google Play, Smahwords and Kobo

Heart Seeker - The Fire Heart Chronicles Book 1 by Juliana Haygert
"For over twenty years, I've been lied to--magic burns within my veins, and I'm unable to resist its call."
Find it on Amazon, and Goodreads







July Movie Preview

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

6 –

Ant-Man and the Wasp
As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins
Supervillains beware – you’ll need both crawling and flying insect spray. Pest control is so pricy…

13 –

Skyscraper
FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he's been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who are trapped inside the building...above the fire line.
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Pablo Schreiber, Noah Taylor
Just refer to the RiffTrax: Live slide from last week:

The Nun
A priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
Director: Corin Hardy
Stars: Bonnie Aarons, Taissa Farmiga, Charlotte Hope, Demián Bichir
A ghost nun? Our knuckles will never be safe again!

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 
Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else's vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac's Pack cannot resist going along. But once they leave port, romance arises when Dracula meets the mysterious ship Captain, Ericka. Now it's Mavis' turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his "too good to be true" love interest is actually a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Stars: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks
Thank goodness they greenlit this – so many unanswered questions from the second film.

20 –

The Equalizer 2
Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Stars: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo
Denzel is back playing…well, playing Denzel. But he does it so well…

27 –

Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill, Vanessa Kirby
Cruise in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? Wait, don’t confuse this with Fallout the video game…


Have your writing goals changed over time? Participating in #IWSGPit? Picking up some new books? And what July movie catches your eye?