Small Forgotten Moments, Movie and Show Reviews, and New Releases!

If you loved these films, you might like Small Forgotten Moments

It’s my husband’s bugbear that I rarely watch new films. Of course, I do, but not as many as him, so when Alex suggested I share the films which tie in with my latest novel, Small Forgotten Moments, I realised I’d be taking you on a small detour into the dark and murky past…

The Others
Intense and claustrophobic, this is a film where nothing is what it seems. Despite the peaceful, almost docile ambience, the viewer is left unsettled and, personally speaking, more than a little creeped out.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
A wonderful observation on the effect and importance of memories. Although Small Forgotten Moments had to follow a linear path, I love books and films which don’t, and this is an excellent example.

Memento
While Eternal Sunshine looks at giving up memories, Memento deals with those which are never made and the struggles Guy Pierce’s character endures – battling through the fog to discover the truth.

Vincent and the Doctor (Doctor Who, series 5, episode 10)
I’ve included this because it’s such a beautiful portrayal of the artistic mind – fragile yet resilient. And because I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who. I doubt there’s anything more poignant than Amy running back into the museum when she thinks they saved Vincent expecting to see brand ‘new’ work. And nothing more stunning for an artist/author/musician to hear what their work means to people so far into a future they’ll never know. Bill Nighy gives an excellent speech where he expresses how important van Gogh is to the world. I cried when I first saw it; I’ve shed a tear each time since.

Annalisa Crawford lives in Cornwall, UK, with a good supply of moorland and beaches to keep her inspired. She lives with her husband, two sons, and canine writing partner, Artoo. She is the author of four short story collections, and two novels.

Links: Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Movie & Show Reviews

The Suicide Squad
Definitely the best film I’ve seen all year!
James Gunn brought his A game as director and brings out the best in every character.
It’s funny on so many levels. Plus sleek and stylish. So many great characters and moments.
A superior follow up to Suicide Squad, this was well worth the movie theater tickets and the HBO Max viewings. (Many!)
My wife would like to mention that you really have to pay attention to Weasel.
Highly recommended!

F9: The Fast Saga
Another entertaining entry in the saga.
Not the best, but it brought back a lot of favorites and a few you thought were long gone.
Charlize Theron returns as Cipher and just as evil as ever.
Still missing Paul Walker, but as always, a special nod to him.
Recommended.

Black Widow
A side adventure with Natasha and a final farewell to the character.
David Harbour is hilarious although it is Florence Pugh as Natasha’s ‘sister’ that steals the show.
Not the best Marvel film, but a lot of fun.
Recommended.

RiffTrax: Hobgoblins
MST3K did this film years ago, so I’d seen it riffed before. However, probably 90% of the jokes were new, which was a lot of fun. After almost two years of nothing, it was a delight to see the guys again. They brought their A game (plenty of time to practice!) and it was hilarious.
Enjoy the screen shots.





 

Monsters of Man

A very low -budget film, it’s actually quite impressive. The robot-killers are Terminator-like and the special effects really good.
It’s a bit long, but the cast and crew really put forth an effort.
The last third is a bit tedious as the Millennials do what they do best – scream and don’t follow instructions. If this were A Quiet Place, they would all be dead!
Recommended.

Nobody
Starring Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) the movie starts out slow and depressing. This guy’s life really sucks! And then, something happens, and his past life comes out with a vengeance.
From that point, it is bat-crap crazy. Super violent fights. Super-spy type clever set-ups and twists. Odenkirk owns the role and plays it with gusto. Awesome ending!
Highly recommended

What If…?
An animated series exploring the ‘what ifs’ of the Marvel Universe. What if Peggy Carter became Captain America instead? What if T’Challa became Star Lord? The stories grew progressively better as the show went along.
While interesting and sporting many original voices (although not all) my interest waned.
Watch if you are curious.

Brand New Cherry Flavor
Naked Lunch meets Blue Velvet. Bat-crap crazy but not in a great way. Very disturbing, gross, and weird. Well shot and well acted though – high production values. This is a show for a very niche audience looking for something completely different and unsettling.
I can’t recommend it.

New Releases!

BETRAYED : A Renaissance Vampire Romance - Vipunin (Book One) by Silver Tree/Denise Covey
Vampires have killed Vipunin’s family, now they’re coming for him!
Duke Vipunin de Castellina is his murdered father’s rightful heir.
To claim his inheritance, he rides from Florence to Castellina in Tuscany, where not all welcome him.
Vampires lie in wait in the forest. Vipunin and his army of de’ Medici knights battle for survival.
He calls on every one of his talents – his speed, his sword, his dagger, but is powerless against the vampire queen.
Is everything he gained - his beloved, his inheritance – lost? Lost to a betrayer? Or will revenge be bittersweet?
But to enact revenge he must become the very creature he despises.
Duke Vipunin de Castellina must embrace a wholly new life.
The life of a vampire.
And so the saga of Duke Vipunin de Castellina begins!
Betrayed, first in Denise Covey's series of Renaissance Paranormal Romance, follows the adventures of Duke Vipunin de Castellina. Come with her on a glittering trip through Florence, to Castellina in Tuscany where the action begins and never lets up.
Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, and Amazon AU

NIGHT SEASONS: An Occult Thriller of World War Two by Roland Yeomans
THE OCCULT MADNESS OF WORLD WAR II DID NOT DIE
BUT 4 SPIES MAY IF THEY ARE NOT LUCKIER THAN THEY FEEL
Existence has seasons.
The cruel winds of WWII destroyed with the Storm Season. A frigid dawn threatens with the Season of Treachery and its cold war of uneasy allies turned enemies.
Four former O.S.S. agents, one a Seraph Provocateur, are trying to survive the Night Season prior to that dawn.
It is an uncertain struggle:
Across dark waters aboard the ghost ship, SS Ourang Medan, spawned by WWII,
Fighting the gnomes of Zurich desperate to keep the spoils gained from that war,
Striving to keep “their tickets from being punched” aboard an occult train to Vienna filled with vengeful fellow passengers: gypsy witches, vampiric S.S. officers, and greedy human spies.
With pit stops in the past and in an eerie future yet to be.
It is a dark season, but it has its lights:
Friendship, Humor, Courage
But the greatest of these Lights is: Love
In the end, it is not if you survive the journey, but only if you traveled it well.
Find it on Amazon

Think you’d enjoy Small Forgotten Moments? Did you watch any of those films or shows in the past couple months? Picking up Betrayed or Night Seasons?
And who is ready for the next RiffTrax movie on October 26 - Amityville: The Evil Escapes?

Listing Hop: Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens! Plus Snow on Cinders and Global Disasters, Crimson Peak Review, Battle of the Banned – Halloween Style, and Ninja News

Today I welcome the wonderful Catherine Constantine! Her latest book is Snow on Cinders and she’s here to talk about preparing for global disaster.

I can’t thank Alex enough for hosting me today. If it wasn’t for him and the IWSG, I don’t know if I’d still be blogging. He’s quite an inspiration to us all.

My new release Snow on Cinders is the sequel to Tallas, but can be read as a stand alone. A family fleeing a tyrannical Management to save their son from a dangerous assignment sets the stage in these post-apocalyptic novels. After years of chemical warfare a metamorphous has taken shape on the planet, not only with vegetation, but animals and humans as well. Talk about diversity in books, you’ll become acquainted with mutants that only want to live in peace. A loving family and a band of misfits struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Think about a civilization without computers, cell phones, or landlines to communicate. I grew up without a cell phone or a computer. How’d we survive?

Lack of clean drinking water and medical supplies are dwindling in Snow on Cinders. Do you prepare for an emergency? Here in Buffalo, I always prepare to have on hand at least, if not more, three days of supplies due to the harsh winters.

I think about the strangest things. Like ~ toilet paper. Stock up on TP!

What would you want to hoard in case of a global disaster?

Find Catherina - Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon
Find Snow on Cinders at Amazon

Movie Review – Crimson Peak

Don’t be fooled by the ads – this is not a straight up horror film. It’s a gothic romance with ghosts, wrapped in a psychological mystery.
As an ode to the early 1970’s Hammer films, director del Toro has crafted a movie that unspools at a leisurely pace. It works, especially since the acting is so good and the production so amazing.
Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is Edith, the new bride troubled by what is happening in her new home. Tom Hiddleston is her husband, and he plays, well, he plays Tom Hiddleston. The dominating character is his sister, played perfectly by Jessica Chastain (The Martian, Interstellar.)
However, it is the house that steals almost every scene. It’s a character in its own right, decaying, dark, and alive.
There is some gore – the ghosts are ‘bloody’ and the head smashing scene is rather intense.
This movie is closer to The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth (less the devastating depression) than Hellboy or Pacific Rim.
While not his best work, it’s a great tribute to gothic romance movies. Recommended!

Ninja News

John Wiswell had a great week with a short story publication, another story being read on a podcast, and he’s contributing to SF Signal. Way to go, John!

Last week to enter the IWSG Anthology Contest! You have until Saturday, November 1. The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (blogging or Facebook) is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

Make Me Wonder and the Minions team have paired up for a nationwide robotics competition for kids. The grand prize is a STEM field trip to California, where they'll be able to meet the artists who work on the Minions, present to engineers at Google, and learn about how games are made at EA. Deadline to enter is November 1.

New Releases!

Poltergeist’s Pleasure by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon, Kobo, and Goodreads

Boppity Blue and the Kangaroo That Stole His Shoe by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Under the Tuscan Moon by Denise Covey
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon AU

A Matter of Taste, From the Sweet to the Spicy, Romance for Every Palate
Featuring Queen of Diamonds by Sandra Cox
Find it on Amazon

Forever Lucky: Book Four by RaShelle Workman
This is the final instalment in her Lucky Clover Mystery Romance series.
Find it on Amazon

Veritas: Shadow of the Rose: Book Two by M. L. Chesley 
Find it at Amazon, iTunes, and Scribed

Battle of the Banned

Hosted by Shady Del Knight.

I’m also participating in X-Mas Dolly’s Monday’s Music Moves Me with this entry.

We’re running with a Halloween theme one final time.

First up – Dokken’s Dream Warriors from A Nightmare on Elm Street III:

Next, we have Lou Gramm’s Lost in the Shadows from The Lost Boys:

Halloween is creeping closer! Which song captures scares and thrills? You know the routine! Vote for your favorite.

The Listing Hop!

The brainchild of Bish Denham to celebrate eight years of blogging. I am helping co-host this blogfest – and it’s beyond simple!

The rules are:
Sign up, grab the banner and make a list.
Keep your list to between 5 and 25 items. You can list whatever you feel like (except for adult type content.)
Post on October 26 and visit fellow participants.

In celebration of the upcoming Star Wars film, I chose to do a list based on The Force Awakens.



Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens:

I wish Lucas had more involvement with this.

The villain was good, but not as terrifying as the trade federation from episode 1.

I was hoping for a two hour in depth explanation of midi-chlorians.

This film could use a healthy dose of Jar-Jar.

These character names are weird. Why couldn't they just use normal names like Dooku, Salacious Crumb, and Porkins?

Isn't this the same plot as the "Star Wars Holiday Special?”

How many Ewoks would I need to reupholster my couch? (Actually, somebody might say that).

I hope no one minds my Eau de freshly opened Tauntaun musk after shave.

I prefer my spaceship explosions to look like a Skittles factory just blew up.

So, which character is the love child of Han Solo and Chewbacca?

Visit other participants below:

What would you think of first in a global disaster? Have you seen Crimson Peak? Sent in your IWSG Anthology entry? Are your kids entered in the robotics competition? See some new books? Which song would you pick? And what is your list????

Defining Author Success, RiffTrax: Live, Sicario and San Andreas Reviews, Mini-Alex on Vacation, Ninja News and New Releases, BOTB Results, and Movie Trivia Answers

I’m at the IWSG today and my subject - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics. 

RiffTrax: Live!

RiffTrax Live #18: SANTA and The ICE CREAM BUNNY - December 3, 2015. Get tickets through Fathom Events. You can also see Mike, Kevin & Bill perform LIVE on stage in Nashville at The RiffTrax Theater (Belcourt) or as a simulcast in a theater near you. Plus, there is an encore presentation on December 15.

Movie Reviews

Sicario
IMDB - An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
This is a very intense and slow but well-paced film. The tension builds nicely and the soundtrack plays a big part in that. I liked the gritty realism of the film.
All performances are outstanding - Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin do a great job in their roles.
The audience experiences the film as Blunt experiences it – we don’t know things until she knows – which adds to the mystery.
This is definitely an adult film and not for kids.
Highly recommended and couldn’t be surprised if it was nominated for several Oscars.

San Andreas
IMDB - In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
This is a follow-by-numbers disaster film. No surprises, dumb, but enjoyable.
Dwayne Johnson is the star and everyone turns in a serviceable job of acting. The effects are also decent and what you would expect of a large-scale disaster film.
If you want to turn off your brain for two hours, this is your movie.
Worth a rental.

Mini-Alex on Vacation

I’m back from vacation and it was great! Involved family, which was fun. And yes, despite the odd looks from strangers (and some family members,) Mini-Alex went along (at my wife’s insistence.)

Ninja News

Alexia Chamberlynn is hosting a monthly fest.
The blog hop is called Taste of Magic, and it's the third Friday of every month, to share things literary and culinary!
Visit her BLOG for details.

Join Denise Covey, Yolanda Renée, and the enthusiastic writers at Write…Edit…Publish, (WEP) as they gather together around the campfire for their Halloween challenge this week -- October 21 - 23. You are invited to share a scary book, poem, movie, artwork etc for Part A and tell everybody why it's your favorite. The optional Part B is where you can post your own creepy story, non-fiction piece, poem, photo/s or artwork. So if you have a creepy gene, now is the time to exploit it. Oh, and there's a prize for the best entry, judged by Annalisa Crawford and a random prize just for entering. Click over to Write…Edit…Publish, for more information.

David Black is one of the authors involved in a Kickstarter campaign - Arts in Entertainment: A Series About Art Impacting Life. Reflections on how creative works shape lives and the way we view the world. A six-volume series by six accomplished authors.

Next week is the The Listing Hop, hosted by Bish Denham and myself. Join us for a list of good fun!

Just a two weeks remaining for the IWSG Anthology Contest. November 1 is the deadline! The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

New Releases!

The Gaijin Girl by E.E. Giorgi
Find it on Amazon

The Wishing Steps by Karen Helene Walker
Three Women and a Single Story That Unites Them Across the Millennia
Find it on Amazon
Be sure to visit Karen’s new Website.

Battle of the Banned Results

Hosted by Shady Del Knight, here is the vote tally. It was neck and neck until the very end, but even with my vote, the tie could not be broken. (I voted for Rob Zombie.)

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon – 15
Rob Zombie – Living Dead Girl – 15

New battle next week – continuing the Halloween theme!

Movie Trivia Answers – Submarine Movies

1 – Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen – 1995 – Crimson Tide
2 – Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider – 1996 – Down Periscope
3 – Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Donald Pleasance – 1966 – Fantastic Voyage
4 – Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Sam Neill – 1990 – The Hunt for Red October
5 – Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi – 2000 – U-571
6 – Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon – 1975 – The Land That Time Forgot

What Defines Author Success

My post last week garnered a lot of comments on the topic of Five Years or Five Books to Make it as an Author.

Many of you said it depended on the goals of the author. That author success cannot be measured by money earned or books sold.

So, what does define author success for you?

There is no wrong answer. Some of you aren’t published yet. Some of you have no desire to be authors. But your viewpoint still matters. And it might be something that published authors need to note.

Before I answer, I want to thank everyone who stated that I was already a success, between my books and contribution to the blogging world and the IWSG. I was very humbled by the response.

So, what defines success to me? The amount of people I have reached. And regardless of sales or royalties, when I boil it down to that one thing, I’ve reached over 100,000 people. Toss in all the friends I’ve made along the way and the IWSG, and it’s just mind blowing. I can’t think of anything else I could’ve done to touch so many lives.

Especially since I never wanted to be an author.

And today marks a special moment in my author career. Five years ago, CassaStar was published. My first book. The one that started it all. The book that would go on to hit number one in science fiction on Amazon almost a year after its release. The book that would spawn a series I never intended to write. The book that sat in a drawer for thirty years before I drug it out and decided to re-write it. Having that book picked up by a small press and published was a dream come true.

Which means all else is gravy. And more precious than any sales ranking.

Going to Rifftrax: Live? Seen either movie? Been on vacation lately? Participating in any fests or hops? BOTB results surprise you? Get any of the trivia correct? And what is your definition of author success…?

Don’t forget to visit the IWSG today - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics!

Teleportation with Tara Tyler and the Big CassaStorm Announcement! Plus The Conjuring Movie Review and Ninja News.

Please welcome the awesome Tara Tyler as she POPS in for a visit!

From Star Trek to Star Wars to CassaStar! Science Fiction has inspired some of the greatest inventions that technology gurus want to make reality (articles one & two). Teleportation is still yearned for, but not quite so far from use as you think! (Nova video)

Alex had a guest a month or two ago who talked about teleportation and cloning. Currently, most physicists believe teleportation will involve destroying particles in one location and duplicating them in another location. That is freaky!

Since I am nowhere close to being a physicist, I approached teleportation from another perspective. My theory is more like Wonka-vision. Collect all the particles and send them via a transmission to be received and put back together in another location. (In the book, I get much more technical) Sounds easy, right?

In my research, I found articles telling why teleportation is impossible, while others give it a slim chance. In science fiction, we just need that slim chance and plausibility. We don't have to prove anything, we just need to make it sound good, giving enough real information to make it believable. I have no idea how television or air travel work, they just do - doesn't science seem like magic anyway?

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. --Arthur C. Clarke (from Brainy Quotes)


So let's inspire the technology and scientific communities. They can make our dreams come true!

Cooper thought he could get through
life without having to pop...

Pop Travel - a tale of deception and teleportation

When a crazy client enters J.L. Cooper's small town detective agency, babbling about a pop travel cover up, he takes the case. Cooper never liked pop travel and blames it indirectly for his wife's death. He'd love to expose a glitch in it.

But the glitch turns out to be disintegrating travelers. And now, his client is dead, his secretary is missing, and a hitman is stalking him. Plus there's all the webcams watching his every move. So, Cooper has to find a way to expose the deadly flaw, while using pop travel to escape the maniacs covering it up, not to mention save a couple of tag-alongs he's not sure he can trust. No problem.

Pop Travel, techno-thriller

by Tara Tyler

Available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Goodreads   Trailer   FB Author Page

Ninja News

Mark Means at Left and Write is this month’s Challenge participant feature! His theme was obscure comic book superheroes – check it out at the A to Z Blog.

Denise Covey has begun a new permanent monthly bloghop at Write...Edit...Publish to replace RomanticFridayWriters. Post to a monthly theme in any genre - flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction, drama, art or photography - Adult Fiction, YA or MG. Sign up is now open for August - theme - VACATION. Post on Wednesday 21 - Friday 23 August. So here for more info and to sign up.

V. Moody at Moody Writing had her very first short story published in Silverthoughs. Congratulations, Moody!

Michelle Gregory is still accepting inspirational writing quotes for her IWSG post.

My last post was accepted by the science fiction site Suvudu! They’d asked me to join the community, expressing interest in one of my posts, and now they have published three of my posts on their front page. If you’d like to pop over and ‘like’ my post, I’d be happy!

The administrators behind the Authors For Oklahoma initiative are extending the deadline to Friday, August 9th, 2013. Make a ten dollar donation to the Red Cross and you get to choose from the books being offered. Check it out.

Ella just had an article and photo published in GreenCraft magazine. Congratulations, Ella! Most creative person I know.


Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Issue 17, has just published a story by Charles Gramlich called A Whisper in Ashes. Congratulations, Charles!

The next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is Wednesday! My awesome co-hosts will be M. Pax, Karen Walker, and Melissa Maygrove.

Movie Review

The Conjuring
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate a terrifying presence haunting the Perron family. Based on a true story.
I normally only see movies opening weekend, but after two weeks of great reviews and word of mouth, I decided to check out this film.
It’s effectively creepy and doesn’t rely on special effects. It’s a mixture of haunting and demon possession, and neither are done over the top.
The acting is good and you can feel the fear of the family, along with the genuine concern of the Warrens.
If you enjoy a classic ‘ghost’ story full of jump moments but no gore, then this is your film. (My wife missed at least ten minutes of the movie because her eyes were closed.)
The only downside is this type of film has been done a lot.
Best part – SPOILER ALERT – it has a happy ending!
I also liked the quote from Ed Warren at the end – “The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as a people, our very destiny hinges on which one we decide to follow.”
Recommended!

Special Announcement!

With the final book set to launch next month, my series needs a big sendoff! And I’m calling on my blogger friends to help me. Because really, without you guys, I wouldn’t have a third book. (I wouldn’t have had a second one, either.) Now it’s time for the storm to break…

Rather than a single day announcement with the same information, this event will be spread out over a week, involve different images and details, and each post will feature a unique interview question.

That’s right – unique! Because everyone who signs up can ask a question in the Linky List below. (Or if you’d rather not or can’t think of one right now, just put your name down.)

And of course, there is a prize! One person who posts that week will receive:
• Cassa Mouse Pad (image pictured)
• Cassa Coffee Mug
• $25 iTunes or Amazon Gift Card
• Cool Cassa Bookmarks and Postcards

To recap:
Sign up and ask your question. (Or just enter your name.)
I’ll answer the question and send you information a week prior to release.
Post about CassaStorm’s release between September 15 and 21.(On your blog, Facebook, Pinterest - whatever!)
On September 23, I announce the winner!

Sign up below!



Have you purchased Pop Travel? Did you follow Mark’s Superhero series last April? Ready to do some reading? Ready for the IWSG? Anyone else see The Conjuring? And can you help me with the release announcement for my last book…?