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 April 2 posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Lane, L Diane Wolfe, Jenni Enzor, and Natalie Aguirre!
April 2 question - What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?
Conan the Barbarian was always a fun drunk! Or Conan O’Brien. Either works.
The IWSG had a guest article at the My Story Doctor site! Quite the honor. We talk about dealing with negative, so please check it out.
We could also use one more co-host on May 7! Let me know if you can help.
Reuban Hayes
Alex asked for five movies similar to my new release. My picks: Big Jake, Silverado, Shane, Jeremiah Johnson and The Virginian. In all the movies the plots differ but the Western ethos or trope remains the same. A strong moral code, possessed by men and women of the old West. They did what was right. Regardless of risk. Regardless of consequence.
Reuben is no different.
Reuben is no different.
A young woman shows up at the Hayes’ ranch, bringing bad news and danger.
Sage Baylor is the daughter of the only woman Reuben ever loved. Now she’s on his doorstep, bringing with her the news her mother is dead. Shortly after her arrival, her father, the Honorable Senator James Baylor from Missouri, arrives. That’s when bullets start flying.
Both the senator and Sage are in danger from an unknown source. When the senator leaves, he tasks Reuben with keeping his daughter safe. Help comes from an unexpected source in the form of an engaging young gunslinger. Between the two men, and Reuben’s cranky ole cook, they’ll keep the Senator’s daughter safe. No matter the peril. No matter the cost.
Sage Baylor is the daughter of the only woman Reuben ever loved. Now she’s on his doorstep, bringing with her the news her mother is dead. Shortly after her arrival, her father, the Honorable Senator James Baylor from Missouri, arrives. That’s when bullets start flying.
Both the senator and Sage are in danger from an unknown source. When the senator leaves, he tasks Reuben with keeping his daughter safe. Help comes from an unexpected source in the form of an engaging young gunslinger. Between the two men, and Reuben’s cranky ole cook, they’ll keep the Senator’s daughter safe. No matter the peril. No matter the cost.
Behind the Catcher’s Mask
Behind the Catcher’s Mask features a sweet romance between a softball pitcher and baseball catcher. As an author of sports romance and a psychologist who works with athletes, I adore all things sports-related, including sports movies. Here are some of my favorites:
Hoosiers (1986). A tiny high school basketball team coached by Gene Hackman (RIP to a fantastic actor) dreams of a state championship. When I counsel athletes feeling anxious about the big game or taper swim meet, I show them this genius coaching lesson.
A League of Their Own (1992). With all the men off fighting WWII, Major League Baseball has to recruit women to fill the rosters. Shining moments include a compelling character arc for the coach played by Tom Hanks, an intense sibling rivalry, and the delights of female friendship.
Remember the Titans (2000). When a 1971 Virginia school board integrates all-Black and all-White high schools, football coach Denzel Washington has his work cut out for him. One of the best parts of sports is bringing people from disparate backgrounds together, and working toward a common goal may just be the unifier these students need.
Cutting Edge (1992). A rich, snobbish pairs figure skater needs a partner, so her Russian coach recruits an ice hockey player down on his luck. It’s an opposite-attracts romance with all the feels. Toe pick!
Honorable Mentions: The Karate Kid (fun Netflix series, too), Slap Shot (hysterical), Field of Dreams, The Way Back, Rudy, Breaking Away, Rocky IV, Miracle, and the TV show Ted Lasso.
Fast-pitch softball is Andie Wilson’s life. She’s a fierce pitcher hoping to score a college scholarship, and she hates the annoying distraction of cocky baseball players crashing her high-school charity game. But she doesn’t anticipate the impact of one baseball player: Colt Turner. As Colt stares at her through his catcher’s mask, his steadfast gaze may be just what she needs to guide her through a crisis. And Colt may need Andie, too—to cope with the secret hiding behind his mask.
Hoosiers (1986). A tiny high school basketball team coached by Gene Hackman (RIP to a fantastic actor) dreams of a state championship. When I counsel athletes feeling anxious about the big game or taper swim meet, I show them this genius coaching lesson.
A League of Their Own (1992). With all the men off fighting WWII, Major League Baseball has to recruit women to fill the rosters. Shining moments include a compelling character arc for the coach played by Tom Hanks, an intense sibling rivalry, and the delights of female friendship.
Remember the Titans (2000). When a 1971 Virginia school board integrates all-Black and all-White high schools, football coach Denzel Washington has his work cut out for him. One of the best parts of sports is bringing people from disparate backgrounds together, and working toward a common goal may just be the unifier these students need.
Cutting Edge (1992). A rich, snobbish pairs figure skater needs a partner, so her Russian coach recruits an ice hockey player down on his luck. It’s an opposite-attracts romance with all the feels. Toe pick!
Honorable Mentions: The Karate Kid (fun Netflix series, too), Slap Shot (hysterical), Field of Dreams, The Way Back, Rudy, Breaking Away, Rocky IV, Miracle, and the TV show Ted Lasso.
Fast-pitch softball is Andie Wilson’s life. She’s a fierce pitcher hoping to score a college scholarship, and she hates the annoying distraction of cocky baseball players crashing her high-school charity game. But she doesn’t anticipate the impact of one baseball player: Colt Turner. As Colt stares at her through his catcher’s mask, his steadfast gaze may be just what she needs to guide her through a crisis. And Colt may need Andie, too—to cope with the secret hiding behind his mask.
Universal Book Link or Amazon
Author Jennifer Lane - Psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane invites you to her world of sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist!
Author Jennifer Lane - Psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane invites you to her world of sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist!
April Movie Preview
Here are the theatrical releases for April. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.
4 –
Minecraft
Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter.
Director - Jared Hess
Stars - Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers
In the game, you make crap. In the movie, they hopefully avoid making crap.
11 –
The King of Kings
The story of our Lord Jesus Christ as told by Charles Dickens and seen through the innocent eyes of a child.
Director - Seong-ho Jang
Stars - Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac
Dickens telling the story of Jesus – sounds odd, but it looks inspirational.
18 –
Sinners
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Director - Ryan Coogler
Stars - Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Michael B. Jordan
It’s about vampires, so we certainly hope it sucks!
The Accountant 2
Christian Wolff applies his brilliant mind and illegal methods to reconstruct the unsolved puzzle of a Treasury chief's murder.
Director - Gavin O'Connor
Stars - Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Never in the history of cinema has filling out a 1040 tax form been so dangerous!
Until Dawn
A group of friends trapped in a time loop, where mysterious foes are chasing and killing them in gruesome ways, must survive until dawn to escape it.
Director - David F. Sandberg
Stars - Ella Rubin, Odessa A'zion, Michael Cimino
Unlike Sinners, I really hope this one doesn’t suck!
Who would you like to go on a quest with? Can you co-host next month? Into Westerns? How about sports films? And what movie do you want to watch this month?
You crazy A to Z Challenge people have fun this month!
59 comments:
Congratulations (yet again) to Sandra.
Reuben Hayes; hmm sounds like a John Wayne movie I saw fifty years ago. Thanks for the info. And, now, since Reuben is my favorite sandwich, I need to find a 24 hr Arby's at 2:25 am. Blessings
Great post. Happy IWSG day. I'm doing the #atozchallenge bloghop this month too. 🙂 I hope you have a great April.
The Accountant 2 poster isn't showing right. 🤷🏽♂️
Have fun drinking with a Conan. 😉🤣🍻
Until Dawn sounds fun :-)
Ronel visiting for IWSG day Focusing on Self-Care
Until Dawn looks cool, but nothing like the game it's based on.
Minecraft looks... vaguely like the game it's based on.
Fun fact. Conan O'Brien is my second cousin. His grandfather and my grandmother were siblings. I haven't met him (though I met both his parents growing up, plus his siblings at a family reunion). Like you, I'd love to have a beer with him.
Hi,
Congratulations to Sandra!
I can do May 7.
Have a lovely Easter.
Shalom shalom
That's a fun fact that Liza is a cousin of Conan O'Brien. Congrats to Jennifer and Sandra on their books.
Congrats Sandra!
I'm scratching my head on the Minecraft movie. They really went there?
King of Kings looks good.
I loved the movie Rudy. I got to hear him speak at a conference once. He was quite the character.
Congrats to both authors. I like time loops as such, that might be fun.
Congratulations to Sandra! Thank you for featuring my post on sports movies, Alex! I love Conan O'Brien.
Feather, Reubens are awesome!
J, I will fix that.
Liza, that is amazing!!
Pat, thanks!
Holly, yes they did...
Diane, that's cool.
Jennifer, you're welcome!
I haven't even heard of those movies you previewed! I better get cracking on my new/newer movie watching....
I would love to see The Accountant 2. Ben Affleck aside, it looks entertaining.
BTW, I would love to share a drink with Tyrion Lannister.
Hi, Alex!
Regarding the Question of the Month, I'd like to jello wrestle Jenna Ortega dressed as Wednesday Addams (her... not me). The two films that interest me most are Until Dawn, because I'm a sucker for the familiar "group of friends trapped" plot, and Accountant 2 because I kinda like Ben Affleck.
Have a great April, good buddy Alex!
Both Conans are a good choice!
Like everyone else I too look forward to watch UNTIL DAWN. Really hoping it doesn't disappoint all of us.
Have a great day!
Okay, if they're doing a Minecraft movie, then when are my Thunder Cats or Captain Planet adaptation movie coming?
Thanks for another great hop! I will totally check out My Story Doctor. I remember watching westerns with my dad. Sometimes, I still do for nostalgia. Thanks for sharing Reuban Hayes by S. Cox and Hehind the Catcher's Mask by Jennifer Lane.
I wanted to be excited about Minecraft, but I'm not. I hadn't heard about King of Kings, so thanks for that. No real thoughts on the rest.
I'm always alert for your movie picks and pans for guidance. Since tax day approaches, Accountant 2 tops our list.
I'd be pleased to co-host next month - something to look forward to!
I'm not a huge sports fan, but I like a good sports movie. I think what they capture is the spirit of the game, the relationships, and the shared goal - which is not just a sports theme!
Lots of new books from members! Congratulations. And Conan? Seriously?
https://substack.com/@cleemckenzie
Congrats to the authors and good luck on their books. Fave western - Silverado, Fave sports flick - Bull Durham. Fantasy adventure - I'd like to hang with Katniss, but I couldn't survive any hunger games.
Bonus - your snark is way way better than any of those movies descriptions. Happy April Alex - no foolin'
Congratulations on being included in the My Story Doctor site. Talking about dealing with the negative, especially for new writers is an important topic.
Conan the Barbarian sounds pretty cool! Good One. I loved mostly all of Gene Hackman's movies. So sad how he died. Congrats to the authors and their new releases!
Great article about dealing with negativity. Alas, there is always someone who criticizes everyone.
Love the western, Sandra. Great premise. Great cover. All the luck with this new release.
I need to check out the Story Doctor, Alex. Thanks! I can help in May, if you still need someone. Thanks for all you do to assist writers. Happy IWSG day!
Conan the barbarian? LOL. Didn't expect that one. I can't wait for the Accountant 2. I hope it's as good as the first one.
You always have such great guests, Alex! And you always manage to fatten up my TBR pile - in a healthy way.
Definitely wouldn't have thought of Conan the Barbarian.
Shady, your answer made me laugh out loud!
Lidy, maybe Thundercats are too old?
PJ, thanks!
Joanne, sadly I think you might be right...
Thanks, Victoria!
Two Conans. That made me smile.
I love playing Minecraft with the grands and even the ones in Hawaii. We all get on Discord and chat while we build in the same world.
The accountant and Sinners both look really good.
Congratulations.
As for the question, I would say Raymond Reddington from The Blacklist, to go on a quest with. He was always getting into sometimes hilarious trouble.
Now I know why I've been seeing so many ads about Minecraft lately. I didn't pay much attention to them other than knowing the brand.
You can have your Conans. I'll take Conan the Cob.
Lee
I will probably be seeing Minecraft this week as my son's really looking forward to it. I hadn't heard of King of Kings, but now I'm intrigued especially because it's by Dickens.
My husband has met Conan O'Brien! Although it was a meet and greet that he had to pay for...
Congrats to both authors on their new books!
You don't cry in baseball! Love the baseball movies, had seen them all. we don't go to movies much any more. I would love to see The Accountant 2, love jon bernthal. King of Kings sounds interesting.
Fun drunks can be great for a laugh. Happy April!
I do love a good sports film (and Ted Lasso! Yay!). Congrats to Jennifer and Sandra. A time loop movie? I'm not sure whether to be happy about this or not.
I'd love to hang out with Conan O'Brien. He was a great host for the Academy Awards.
Love,
Janie
I'd like to have a glass of wine with Claire n Jamie Fraser. :) I had no idea that Dickens had written a book on Jesus. Makes me want to know more.
Mary, fun choice.
Jenni, that's probably the only film we'll see this month.
Nila, I don't think he did, I think they just based the movie on him telling this story to his kids.
A belated happy IWSG day! And I'd be happy to host on May 7. I'll be off work that week, so I'll finally have time.
All of these--oddly enough--look pretty good. I'm a Minecraft fan (thanks to my students) so I may check that one out.
I'm not really into westerns when it comes to reading. Although the publishing world can use more in that genre and S. Cox's novel sounds like it has a good plot.
That depiction of Jesus on the "King of Kings" promo poster looks just a little too caricature even for animation. Thers also another movie based on the life of Christ coming out or maybe it's already out, called "The Last Supper". I'm not sure how good it is, I just heard about it on a commercial on Spotify.
"Sinners" and "Until Dawn" sound like they can be good. I'll have to look into those two more.
Congrats to Sandra and Jennifer on their new releases!!
Congrats Sandra and Jennifer! I have seen some previews for the Accountant 2. I did enjoy the first one. I just might venture out to see it. Who would I go on a quest with? That is a difficult question so many possibilities. I would like to go with Aden and travel to some far off galaxy. haha...well, you did ask.
Oh, oh. It looks like Blogger ate my comment. So I'll just say I hope you had lots of fun yesterday. And congrats to Sandra and Jennifer!
Oh my goodness! Conan would be a great drinking companion! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
I'm amused how the Minecraft blurb says they have to go on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter and yet the poster shows Jack Black. Isn't he supposed to be said unexpected, expert crafter? LOL
Congrats to Sandra.
A drink with either Conan would be awesome. LOL Great choice!
Great choices! Well, actually, I don't know much about the Conans, but the movies sound fascinating. Congrats to Sandra and Jennifer!
I’d like to do everything with the fairies…hmmm… that doesn’t sound quite right. You know what I mean…still doesn’t sound right. Some of these movies sound good like The Accountant 2. The Jesus flick..I don’t know but I like the actors. I love the films you watched..poor Gene Hackman, not a nice way to go. Love Slapshot!! My brother met those brothers…hahahaaa.
I'm definitely reading Sandra's new release - but they all sound terrific ;-) The Accountant sounds terrifying - I'll have to see it. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane; Cutting Edge, Field of Dreams, Slap Shot. R.I.P Mr. (and Mrs.) Hackman.
Thanks for IWSG, Captain!
Sage is finding help in the most unusual of places, for sure! If the Senator felt she was safe there, and that's where she gravitated towards to find help, chances are high they're on to something when it comes to finding the right place to be. :)
My youngest would have LOVED a Minecraft movie years ago. Not sure I could get him to go now. ;). The animated King of Kings seems familiar. Maybe I have it to pre-view in my inbox. You have me curious to go see. :)
Hey.... The Accountant 2.... Somehow that one slipped right under my movie radar. That's great news, Alex. Something tells me it's better than that woke=broke Snow White remake.
A fantasy character I'd want to meet? Nope. I've learned that I like being BEHIND the scenes, not having to deal with the confrontation. Even my own characters. I don't think they'd like everything I put them through.
Conan the Barbarian would be a trip to hang with!
I saw The Hoosiers. It's a great movie!
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