Insecure Writers Support Group, Deadpool and Wolverine Review, August Movie Releases, and New Books!

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 August 7 posting of the IWSG are Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

I have never used AI for anything that I know of. I do my own research. (So, I guess if Google is AI…?) I don’t use Grammarly. But ultimately, true AI doesn’t exist for the general public. The AI we have access to has restraints. It’s not true AI. (Real AI is a bit scary.)

We need two more co-hosts for September and then four co-hosts each month for the remainder of the year. Leave a comment or send me an email if you can help. If you have never co-hosted – it is a blast! Ask our regular co-hosts. You will get a ton of visitors and meet some new friends. Go ahead – give it a try!
And don’t take my word for it – this is what first-time co-host JS Pailly had to say last month:
I wanted to thank you for letting me co-host IWSG last week. I wasn't 100% sure what I was getting myself into, but it turned out to be way more fun than I expected.

Movie Review – Deadpool and Wolverine

It was a lot of fun to watch. I laughed a lot. Tons of funny lines, most of which I can’t remember now.
Tying it in with all the other Marvel properties was smart. And obviously the pairing of the two leads was brilliant. Wolverine is an A-list Marvel character and he really brought in the crowds to see the film.
The cameos and Easter eggs are overflowing.
Also the bloodiest Deadpool movie to date.
However, they broke the fourth wall so many times with references to 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Marvel that it kept reminding me it was just a movie and that pulled me out a lot. There might have been some plot holes as well. Nothing that ruined the movie though.
If you enjoyed the other two, you will enjoy this one.

New Releases!

Deep Curse: A Mermaid Romance (Cursed Waters Book 1) by Patricia Josephine
A thousand year curse.
A mythical creature of the deep.
Is true love enough to save a cursed mermaid?
Find it on Amazon

Because No One Noticed by C. Lee McKenzie
Five juniors at Las Animas High have a long history together. They love, dislike, or tolerate each other depending on the day. Occupied with class assignments, career choices, family disharmony, and the usual teen turbulence, none of them thinks seriously of the danger lurking in their near future or how fragile and temporary life is.
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Laya’s Vacation by Jean Davis
Short-tempered from the summer heat, Laya takes a vacation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, far away from her family and friends. She travels to Paradise, Whitefish Point, and Tahquamenon Falls to see what animals and sights exist beyond the chicken yard.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

The Trespassers by Steven Arellano Rose, Jr.
After crash-landing on a desert planet, astronaut and forensic anthropologist Gav Torres becomes separated from the rest of his expedition. He soon enough reunites with everybody except one person: his fiancé, Shelley Wu. Gav’s persistence to find Shelley will soon reveal to him the alien terror from beyond death that may be responsible for her disappearance, the previous expeditions’ disappearances and the likely annihilation of himself and the rest of the current expedition.
Find it here

August Movie Preview

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

8 –

RiffTrax Live – Point Break
The guys are riffing Point Break, the early nineties flick starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.
The only bummer is this isn’t actually live, as they have already recorded it and will broadcast it on August 8 and 13.

9 –

Borderlands
Director: Eli Roth
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Haley Bennett, Gina Gershon
Based on the best-selling videogame, this all-star action-adventure follows a ragtag team of misfits on a mission to save a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power.
Do the video game to movie adaptations that suck also end up in the landfill with ET?

16 –

Alien: Romulus
Director: Fede Alverez
Stars: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Stop me if you’ve heard this – a group of people go on a ship and encounter an alien…

23 –

The Crow
Director: Rupert Sanders
Stars: Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs, Danny Huston
When soulmates Eric and Shelly are brutally murdered, Eric is given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself and sets out to seek revenge, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.
This is a cash grab! Skip it and watch the original brilliant and haunting version with Brandon Lee.

Do you use AI? Have you seen Deadpool and Wolverine? Picking up some new books? What movies catch your eye for August? And can you co-host the IWSG any month this year?

Writers and AI #IWSG, Movie Reviews, and Evergrey Album Review

Surprise! A mid-month post. That’s because I had too many reviews for the next IWSG post and I have a post at the IWSG site today. I have compiled some information on writers, AI, ethics, programs, copyright, and more at the IWSG site, so check it out!

Movie Reviews

Despicable Me 4
Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.
It was entertaining.
Nothing against Gru and his family, but bring on the Minions! The family dynamics are sweet and nice, but at this point, more interested in Minion shenanigans. Fortunately, there are plenty.
I’d say the second half worked best, once the girl next door got involved. And the honey badger.
The animation is stunning, as there are close up moments that look so real, like Gru’s hands near the end when he’s holding on for dear life.
Recommended. Unless you didn’t like the other five movies. This one won’t change your mind.

Plane
A pilot finds himself caught in a war zone after he's forced to land his commercial aircraft during a terrible storm.
Starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter, it’s a surprisingly good film with a terrible title.
Shot on a very modest budget, the director makes the best of the locations and his two stars. He delivers an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller. It also had an 80’s-90’s vibe to it.
Recommended

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter's life is threatened and works with old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy.
It’s actually a super fun movie. While not as good as the first two, it delivers a lot of good laughs and crazy action scenes. It’s almost an apology for the third film.
Eddie Murphy doesn’t look like he’s aged. Certainly not forty years from the first movie!
It’s a definitely throwback to the 80’s films. Same vibe, style of music, and makes one smile.
Recommended

Music Review – Evergrey – Theories of Emptiness

Released last month, their seventeenth album has quickly grown to be one of my favorites.
From Sweden, this is a prog band that focuses on shorter tracks with great hooks and catchy choruses.
Falling From the Sun is the perfect way to lead off an album. It’s an earworm with a melody you won’t soon forget.
The rest of the album is just as impressive. Standout tracks include Say (the video hinted at the departure of their drummer and it was indeed announced a week or so later – the video is a nice sendoff), We Are the North, and Cold Dreams (featuring Jonas Renkse, lead singer from Katatonia.)
This album is a must-have for those who love metal/rock with clean vocals.
Highly recommended!

Have you seen any of those movies? Heard of Everygrey? Doing anything fun this summer?
Be sure to visit the IWSG site to get information on AI and writing.
After this week, I’ll see you again for the August posting of the IWSG!

#IWSG day! 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 JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre!

Don't forget to add your link over on our IWSG Facebook page - it helps people find those who have posted.

The July 3 question: What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

Despite all of the tools and software out there, I really only use Word. I know, there are all these neat programs like Grammerly and AI software, but I’m happy to just use Word and its features. Simple but it works.

Thanks for all of the suggestions from last month’s question! We pulled together some of the top requests and are trying to work them into the system. We’ll keep you posted.

And please welcome the newest IWSG Admin, M. Louise Barbour!
She is taking over for Sandra Cox.
Sandra, thanks for helping us and being a part of the Admin team.
Louise, welcome to the rocking IWSG Admins!
Now, everyone go tell her she’s awesome.

New Releases!

Ghostly Protector by Stacy McKitrick

He finally found his long-lost love, but will he have to arrest her for murder?

Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, Google, and Smashwords

Out of Circulation by Elizabeth Spann Craig

In the sun-kissed haven of Charleston, Ann and Grayson race to solve a deadly puzzle before more than just books are out of circulation.

Buy links for every platform are here.

July Movie Preview

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

3 –

Despicable Me 4
Directors: Chris Renaud and Patrick Delage
Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Joey King
Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.
Um…Banana!!!!

12 –

Longlegs
Director: Oz Perkins
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Maika Monroe
FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.
Nicolas Cage, bat-crap crazy. Take one thousand!

19 –

Twisters
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Stars: Glen Powell, Katy O’Brian, Kiernan Shipka
An update to the 1996 film 'Twister', which centered on a pair of storm chasers who risk their lives in an attempt to test an experimental weather alert system.
Different movie. Or is it the same cow?

26 –

Deadpool and Wolverine
Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy.
The Reese's Peanut Butter cup of movies. Two great things that (we hope) go great together.

What software do you use for writing? Picking up either new release? What movies catch your eye this month?

I'll be gone for a while this month, so catch you guys here and there.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Furiosa and Shōgun Reviews, and June Movie Preview

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 5 posting of the IWSG are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

The June 5 question - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

This is where you need to let us know what you want – what would help you as a writer? We are no longer doing anthology contests and our #IWSGPit is on hold. However, we still have:
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group website with weekly tips and a huge database of information. Plus we are partnered with Reedsy, Medium, Mary Kole, the Ninja Writers Club, and we have a monthly newsletter.
Our Facebook group with prompts, tips, and connection opportunities.
Our Twitter/X account with tips and shares.
We’re also on Instagram with prompts and writing tips.
So, what else can we offer you?

Reviews

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Beginning with Furiosa’ abduction from the Green Place, she ends up under the control of Chris Hemsworth’s character, Dr. Dementus. From there, she ends up in the Citadel with Immortan Joe, hiding out as one of the War Boy workers and eventually part of the team driving the big rig.
First off, there is no way to beat Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s the perfect action film. Once this gets going, it’s got some amazing sequences and strong characters.
The beginning is a little frustrating (your mother said run from danger) but once at the Citadel, it takes off.
Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth are excellent in their roles. So is Tom Burke as the driver who helps her learn the ropes.
There is a chase scene involving a car flipping over onto the hood of the semi that is amazing.
Like most movies these days, it’s too long. A little less action means more scenes that should’ve been trimmed. Plus you know Furiosa and Immortan Joe will make it as they are in Fury Road.
However, it was an entertaining film and I would recommend it.

Shōgun

When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales of power and devastate his enemies. Series on hulu and FX. Based on book by James Clavell.
This is a great historical (fictional) drama. It felt very authentic and genuine. No agenda other than telling a grand story. The acting, production values, settings, etc. – everything top notch.
I loved that most of it was in Japanese with subtitles. That’s a turn off for some, but don’t let it stop you from watching this incredible show.
Highly recommended!

June Movie Preview

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

7 –

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Directors: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Stars: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens
This Summer, the world's favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami's finest are now on the run.
How far into the film before Smith slaps Lawrence?

14 –

Watchers
Director: Ishana Shyamalan
Stars: Dakota Fanning, Olwen Fouéré, Georgina Campbell
A young artist gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
Trapped in a glass house with people outside who want to kill them – must be how mimes feel.

28 –

A Quiet Place: Day One
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Stars: Joseph, Djimon Hounsou, Alex Wolff
Experience the day the world went quiet.
Technically, it probably wasn’t very quiet – lots of screaming, gunfire, explosions, etc.

What do you think the IWSG should offer its members? Have you watched Furiosa or Shōgun? What movies will you see in the theater this month?
Enjoy your June!