Bloggy Update 5/20/21

May I present to you…the cover of my fourth (upcoming) suspense novel, Rage!

A HUGE, JUICY thank you to Tami Boyce who created the cover (and is doing the interior layout as well). I’ve worked with her before when I did Buried and have nothing but great things to say! She is FAST, pays attention to suggestions/details/concepts right out of the gate, and is an all around superb illustrator as well. https://tamiboyce.com/

I’m currently going through the manuscript itself, catching any last minute wayward commas or extra words that might have weaseled their way onto the pages. I’ll be sending Tami my “round of edits” after that. Just one step closer to this book actually coming to life. If I can stay on course, I actually see this becoming available by August, maybe even late July.

With both of us having had our shots (and waiting the appropriate amount of time afterwards), we are planning a mini-vacation for the first time in about a year and a half. I’ve been following the Cincinnati Zoo website, watching Fiona the hippo and Rico the porcupine grow up and we are going to see them in person! We’re also going to be doing other cool stuff (there’s a SIGN museum! OMG. I collect old signs, so I’m kind of beside myself here!), but that’s the plan – Cincinnati, Ohio!

The Peoria Bookfest that was supposed to take place in late June has been cancelled. No reason was given – only that they were sending back all the vendors their application money. I imagine it might have had something to do with Covid on some level, but that’s just me projecting. I really don’t know why.

So, my first book event of the year will be in Bishop Hill on Saturday, July 24. I’ve never been to their author event (it was cancelled last year, for obvious reasons), so I’m really looking forward to this one. When it gets closer, I’ll post more about it in the Events/Promotions Section.

We’ve been watching a movie almost every night. Here’s the latest:

Greener Grass (2019) – I hated this movie with the passion of a thousand suns. Charlie loved it. I gave it a .02. I’m guessing the absurdity of it didn’t sit well with me.

The Standard (2020) – More of a documentary about a military-style boot camp/competition. I found it interesting, but if I missed seeing it, I think I’d still consider myself having had a full life. I gave it a 6.8 but maybe that’s a little too high.

The Automatic Hate (2015) – Great. A fairly complicated plot surrounding two families, but really well done and easy to “follow”. Almost borderlines on thriller.

The Omega Man (1971) – Uh…I like the retro-ness of this, but it didn’t hold up for me on any level. Watch Soylent Green – it’s much better.

Bliss (2021) – Another love/hate for us. Film followed two main characters that connect on a “different plane of existence”…sort of. It’s possible that I just didn’t care for the actors, but I simply didn’t buy in. Charlie loved this one. Guess where I fell on the spectrum? LOL.

The Woman in the Window (2021) – Decent, albeit somewhat tropey, predictable movie, Rear Window-esque. Recommend, but not a rush out to see it type of thing.

The Fabulous Stains (1982) – Pure early 80’s – follows a group of teens doing their best to ride the punk music wave scene. It was pretty good, although I’m a little biased. In 1982, I was neck-deep into Sha-Na-Na, preferring the music of the 50s/60s over anything else.

Now, I’m going to go and eat inside a restaurant with a friend who I haven’t seen in a long time. I can’t wait. 🙂