Reviews – Wild Robot, Black Bag, and The Bondsman; Fanfiction; plus New Releases

Surprise! I’m posting on a non-IWSG day. That’s because I had more reviews and new release announcements than room that day.

And, most importantly, I wanted to highlight something very special.

People write fanfiction all the time for Star Wars and Star Trek. They are huge franchises. But last week, someone wrote fanfiction for me! Truedessa posted part of a story that happens after the end of Dragon of the Stars.

So, please check it out. Truedessa, thank you. I feel like I’ve arrived as an author!

The Wild Robot

An AI service robot is stranded on an island and finds herself raising a baby goose with the help of a fox.
A bit of a clumsy beginning (literally, as Roz is the clumsiest robot ever) but once the orphaned goose and fox enter the picture, the movie shines. It’s about finding one’s place in the world, working together, and the meaning of love and family.
The animation is beautiful and the setting adds to the lushness. (Wild guess is the island is near/actually is Vancouver Island.)
There are some funny moments – when you have voice talents such as Bill Nighy, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill, no surprise there!
Recommended

Black Bag

An intelligence agent is giving a list of people and told to find the spy among them. The twist – his wife, also an intelligence agent, is on the list.
This is MI6 – a mix of Mission Impossible meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, it will keep you guessing. The dialogue is fun and the characters quirky.
And at ninety-three minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome!
Recommended

The Bondsman

Series streaming on Amazon. A bounty hunter is resurrected and told his new bounty targets are demons.
Stars Kevin Bacon and Beth Grant (who plays his mom) are the reason to watch this show. They are both excellent and funny, with Grant stealing nearly every scene she’s in.
The show is quirky and irreverent, but it also has a heart. It also takes dark subjects and makes them light and sometimes funny.
It is a twisted premise though so the show might not be for everyone.
Love the thirty-minute format though. Again, doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Season ends on a cliffhanger so there better be another one.
Recommended

New Releases

Dirtbag Satan Worshippers From Down by the Bay (Gale Harbour Book 3) by CD-Gallant-King

Niall O’Neil is wallowing in teenage angst, still getting over Harper Jeddore, his childhood crush who helped him save the sleepy town of Gale Harbour from otherworldly monsters. Twice. When he meets a new, less-complicated girl named Stacey, it seems his life might be turning a corner. But Niall is pulled back into his old world when people start disappearing around town again, seemingly abducted by Satan-worshipping rednecks.
Torn between his new existence of simple happiness and his messy feelings for his old flame, Niall must make a decision: Enjoy dating girls, experimenting with drinking and making new friends, or risk his life to save the town one more time?
The fate of the entire world may depend on the choices of a hormonal fourteen-year-old with a flair for the dramatic.
Join Niall, Harper, Pius, Keith and Skidmark as they band together for one last adventure…

Find it on Amazon

A Murder Down Memory Lane by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Reunions can be murder, especially when the past refuses to stay buried.
Myrtle is less than thrilled to receive an invitation to her high school reunion. Fond memories of her teenage years? Not quite. Besides, who throws a 67th reunion, anyway? But curiosity gets the better of her when she learns that several classmates are making the trek from far-flung places.
The reunion turns out to be a haphazard affair, with a sparse turnout. Things take a turn for the mysterious as the event unfolds. Who organized this affair? Who sent out the invitations? And what’s the real reason behind the oddly-timed gathering?
When a body is discovered, the reunion goes from awkward to alarming. It’s up to Myrtle and her trusty sidekick Miles to unravel the mystery before anyone else takes a fatal trip down memory lane.

Find it on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Badlands (Book 2 of Savage Land trilogy) by Jacqui Murray

In Badlands, Book Two of the trilogy, the tribes split up, each pursuing dangerous but necessary goals, all at the mercy of the Nature. How they collaborate despite their inborn distrust could end this journey before it starts or forge new relationships that will serve both groups well in the future.

Find it on Amazon Amazon

Have you seen either movie or the show? Which new release strikes your fancy?
Thanks for all the IWSG co-host offers! We are set through September. And the responses to this month’s question were touching.
Enjoy your May and see you next month!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, May Movie Preview, Series Influencer, Star One Answers, and Ninja News

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 May 4 posting of the IWSG are Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!

Big news today! We are welcoming a new IWSG Admin to the team - Sandra Cox!
She will take on the Publications/Conferences page.
Please stop by her site and thank her for donating her time to this awesome group!

May 4 question - It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

Writer highs include the first draft done, cruising through edits and hearing from readers who enjoyed my books. Lows are when I a out of story ideas or slogging through the first draft.

CassaDark tour continues! Today I am visiting Damyanti Biswas and Christine Rains
On May 11, I’m visiting Shannon Lawrence

A Series Influencer by Sandra Cox

I’ll watch nearly any series, any genre, if the characters pull me in. Three of my favorites that have strong characters are: Black List, Reacher and Longmire. All different but all with protagonists that stick around a long time after the television is flicked off. Since I write Westerns, Longmire particularly stuck with me. The two main characters, Walt Longmire performed by Robert Taylor and ‘Vic’ Moretti performed by Katie Sackhoff, played well off each other. Their amazing chemistry strengthened the acting of the other in this modern-day police thriller set in the wilds of Wyoming.

Those two personas influenced two of my main characters in the Mateo series. One of the primary differences between Mateo and Walt: Mateo is a shifter. Somehow, I don’t see Walt Longmire shifting, do you? 😊

MATEO’S BLOOD BROTHER by Sandra Cox
Behind the amicable façade is a man who’s tough and determined. He’s Mateo’s Blood Brother.
They were friends, close as brothers. Then they weren’t.
Mateo and Jesse are cautiously working their way back to friendship when Jesse discovers the unthinkable. Delilah, the sultry shifter who’d had affairs with both men, is still alive. The tumble she took over a mountain ridge—a fall that nearly killed Mateo—should have finished her.
Now, there’s no choice but for the two men to work together to take down a she-devil straight from hell. As the stakes escalate and the hunt becomes more intense, another wolf appears on the scene. Always where Jesse’s at. Always when he’s in trouble. Jesse is divided between ending Delilah, a new love interest, discovering the identity of a certain brown wolf and staying alive.

Available at Amazon

A funky little giveaway:
Commenters names will go into the proverbial hat and one name will be drawn to win an I Heart Books stretch bracelet.

And happy to say I was the winner on another site and soon my wife will be enjoying the bracelet. Thanks, Sandra!

Ninja News

New release:

Revenge of the Space-Surfing Butt Monkeys (Gale Harbour Book Two) by C.D. Gallant-King
Newfoundland, Canada, 1993.
It's been a year since a handful of kids defeated the Psycho Hose Beast in the sleepy town of Gale Harbour, Newfoundland. Our heroes have entered into the era of rollerblades, Super Nintendo and oversized plaid shirts… unless you’re a goth, then it’s the era of Maybelline eyeliner, boots with too many buckles, and infected safety-pin piercings.
Thirteen-year-old Niall O'Neil is navigating a blossoming relationship with his crush, Harper Jeddore. Unfortunately, the power that allowed them to defeat the monster from the deep is still within them, and they are no closer to understanding or controlling it. When just touching your girlfriend can kill innocent bystanders, it complicates the already precarious practice of teenage dating.
But lurking in the backdrop of teenage romance, a sinister power is growing in Gale Harbour, and dangerous people are turning up in the small town with possibly deadly intentions.
Will the kids defeat this new threat? What did the US Air Force leave in the abandoned Hansen Air Force base? What is a space-surfing butt monkey? And most importantly—will anyone get to touch a boob?
Horror / Science fiction / Comedy
Print ISBN 9798542434674 $13.99 USD
eBook ASIN B09RKG6772 $3.99 USD
Find it on Amazon, Amazon CA, and Amazon UK

C.D. Gallant-King is a comic fantasy and horror writer currently based in Ottawa, Ontario, though he was born and raised in Newfoundland, in a town eerily similar to Gale Harbour. He has self-published four novels, including HELL COMES TO HOGTOWN, which was a semi-finalist in Mark Lawrence’s 2018 Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. His short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies by Mystery & Horror LLC and Dancing Lemur Press, as well as in The Weird and Whatnot magazine.
Find CD here - website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Goodreads

Star One Lyric Answers

Knowing no fear, feeling no pain
No grief, no compassion, no guilt and no shame
The Terminator, song title – Fate of Man.

He lost his aim, each day the same
He's had enough of this boring game
Groundhog Day, song title – Today is Yesterday.

May Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for May. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

6 –

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Stuhlbarg
Multiverse of Madness – sure it’s Dr. Strange and not Dr. Fauci?

13 –

Firestarter
A young girl tries to understand how she mysteriously gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.
Director: Keith Thomas
Stars: Zac Efron, Kurtwood Smith, Gloria Reuben, Ryan Kiera Armstrong
A remake because fire has come such a long way since 1984…

27 –

Top Gun: Maverick
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Stars: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Val Kilmer
Who does Maverick fight this time? His age.

What are your writer highs and lows? Your writing influences? Get the Star One songs right? And what movies interest you this month?
Be sure to visit Damyanti Biswas and Christine Rains!

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!)

IWSG, Solo and Annihilation Movie Reviews, IWSG Anthology Contest, Movie Trivia Answers, Retro Images, Write With Fey, 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 for the June 6 posting of the IWSG are Beverly Stowe McClure, Tyrean Martinson, Tonja Drecker, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

Please note - the July posting will be on July 3, a Tuesday, due to the US Fourth of July holiday.

Today’s optional question:
What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

Definitely titles! Characters are easy. Thirty minutes brainstorming simple alien sounding names and I’m done.
But titles? Forget it. My publisher had to name two of my books.
And people wonder why I don’t name my chapter titles…

Announcing the IWSG Anthology Contest genre and dates!

Young adult romance is the genre.
The theme will be revealed on September 5, along with the judges and other details.
Our previous anthologies were Parallels: Felix Was Here, Hero Lost: The Mysteries of Death and Life, and Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime.
Your short story might be included in the fourth anthology!

The next #IWSGPit is Thursday, July 19, 2018, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
Over a thousand agents and publishers have been invited to tune in that day.
Polish your story and your Twitter pitch and be ready!

Movie Reviews

Solo
I caught it opening night and to my surprise, it was more enjoyable than expected. Solo takes place ten years before Rogue One and A New Hope and follows Solo’s quest to get his own ship.
The beginning seemed a bit off. It was similar in tone to Rogue One but not in a good way and perhaps a bit generic. However, by the train heist scene, it all started to change. I started to care about the characters and the action picked up. (Perhaps that is where director Ron Howard took over.) The movie grew on me from that point.
It was fun to see everything fall into place – Chewbacca, Lando, the Millennium Falcon, the rebellion… Of course, this meant less suspense wince you knew the key characters survived and how it would end. (As opposed to Rogue One where you didn’t know the fate of the characters, only the final outcome.)
It is a fun adventure ride. A science fiction Western like Firefly, although not on the same level as Firefly and Serenity. And not as memorable, either. It might end up being the first Star Wars failure. But the cast does their part well and gives you everything they can. It was a fun movie.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s worth it to see this film on the big screen. Recommended.

Annihilation
Came out earlier this year – rental.
I give it credit for being very unique. If you need all the answers in a film, this one will frustrate you. Much is left to interpretation, including the conclusion. And I don’t think there are any wrong answers.
It starts with a feeling of unease that never lets up. It has a similar odd tone as the movie 2001, plus many what-the-heck moments.
I wasn’t invested in the main character (either in the movie or my attempt to read the book) despite the brief flashbacks filling in her past. Or maybe it was because of those?
However, it’s a fascinating and intriguing piece of science fiction. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I was hooked on the eerie and unique storyline. It’s a really distinctive take on alien invasion.
Be warned it is rated R and there are some very disturbing and gory scenes. However, they won’t be what you’d normally expect.
I’d recommend it to someone looking for something really different in science fiction.

Ninja News

My buddy Jeremy Hawkins has started a new business.
He’s offering mini 8x10 files from non-copy-written images from films, ads, etc. [prior 1931] but instead of selling prints, the customer gets the file .pdf/jpeg. Then they can print the images for themselves.
He’s done all the work finding these images and cleaning them up. Now, Jeremy has thousands of them!
Images are just $3.00 each.
Jeremy has gone through a rough year, mentally and emotionally, and is struggling. Please check out his Being Retro shop on Etsy and pick out a cool image that speaks to you.

The next Strangely Funny anthology was released.
It features a story by CD Gallant-King - The New Job.
Pick it up on Amazon







Released this week:
Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication by Chrys Fey
Catch the sparks you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book!
Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication offers an abundance of data in one handy book. From writing your novel to prepping for publication and beyond, you’ll find sparks on every page, including 100 bonus marketing tips. You’ll also discover how to write specific scenes and characters, adding depth to your work.
Find it at Amazon US, Amazon CA, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes
GIVEAWAY! Open to all from June 4th 2018 – July 6th 2018. Click HERE to enter.

The WEP – (Write...Edit...Publish) team, consisting of those much-loved bloggers, Denise Covey, Yolanda Renée, Nilanjana Bose and Olga Godim, are open for submissions for their June 1 challenge – UNRAVELED YARN.
We’re not necessarily talking knitting and crochet, but if that's what you want, fine! A yarn is a long and rambling, often improbable, story. But we’re not talking long and improbable - a crisp and convincing flash or non-fiction, or poem, or photo essay, whatever genre you choose, is what we’re after.
Serenity, meet Disaster. A lie found out, the unpicking of a tall tale. A crime taking an unexpected turn. A bad-hair day. An ordinary walk spiraling into a crisis. A romantic encounter ending in chaos. Take your pick with the unpicking!
The Top Three entries receive prizes!
Give us your yarn! Let your imagination unravel!

Movie Trivia Answers

The trivia was about R-rated films that made a ton of money.


1 – This is the second-highest grossing superhero film behind Deadpool. (At the moment.) Logan
2 – When he said ‘I’ll be back,’ he wasn’t kidding and the movie made over half a billion dollars. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
3 – Based on a book, this is the highest-ever grossing horror film. It
4 – This is the highest-grossing R film based on faith. The Passion of the Christ
5 – Director Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing movie. Django Unchained
6 – This Oscar winner is the highest-grossing war film. Saving Private Ryan
7 – George Miller’s highest-grossing movie. Mad Max: Fury Road

What’s easier for you – titles or names? Excited about the anthology contest and #IWSGPit? Did you catch Solo? Picking up some books or trying your hand at WEP? And did you get the trivia right?

Be sure to explore Jeremy’s Being Retro shop on Etsy and hopefully buy an image. You’ll make his day!