New Bloggy Update 6/6/22

The second draft of Sanctum is done!

It’s coming together, really starting to be a story with relatable (although not all likeable) characters. The groundwork is there and the plot is set. If someone were to read it RIGHT NOW, they’d “get” the story, but it’s still very much in the clunky stage. The earlier chapters need “more”. The latter chapters need tightening. Still a work in progress. I plan to start Draft Three in early July. At that time, I’ll be solidifying each chapter, fleshing it out, and cleaning up dialogue.

The Steampunk festival (Cogs and Corsets) was great! My sign and typewriter (the heavy monstrosity that I bring to most events) made the local paper and local news! My stuff is famous! LOL. The back of Charlie also made The Pantagraph (local paper). We’re really on our way now. 🙂 In all seriousness, it was a fantastic event and I want to thank all the folks who came out to see me. I also had a chance to meet some NEW fans and NEW readers. THANK YOU for giving my work a chance. Truly.

I’ve ordered some NEW products which should arrive before my next event (Dark History and Horror Convention on August 20 in Champaign, Illinois). I needed to order new Toad Bags, so I took a bit of a flyer and am trying out a new bag design:

What do you think? I’ve ordered 50 (which is my normal run of products/swag), so we’ll see. And yes, these will be at the same price as the others – $5!

I’ve also ordered a limited run on a NEW product – MUGS!

I’m selling these delights for $10. I’ve only ordered 10 because it’s kind of a test to see if folks want them. I mean, they ARE adorable, but I’m not ready to commit in case they don’t “move”. So, new things. New promotional products. Trial and error. That’s what you have to do when marketing/promoting. Come to think of it, I should have put my blog on the back of the mug. Oh, well. Next time. 🙂

I’ll be posting a NEW Spotlight later this week – keep an eyeball out for that. AND, I need more author interviews! Send writers my way (srovens@yahoo.com).

We haven’t watched too many movies as of late, but we did see:

Good Behavior (2016-2018) – Apparently, this was based on a book (I didn’t know). “Based on the Letty Dobesh books by Blake Crouch, the seductive thriller “Good Behavior” centers on con artist Letty Raines and her inability — despite good intentions — to consistently live a clean life.” It was a decent two season show that held my attention. For the most part, I liked all the other characters EXCEPT Letty. She kept reverting back to drugs/stealing (which, I know, is the main theme of the show…lol), but I didn’t like her cavalier attitude. It’s kind of funny because many of the character I write in my OWN books are unlikable, so, karma? Well, either way, it’s a good dramatic show that I would recommend.

Operation Finale (2018) – Ben Kingsley plays Adolph Eichmann (a big change from his Schindler’s List role for sure!) in this historical drama which tells of how Eichmann was brought to justice. “Fifteen years after the end of World War II, a team of top-secret Israeli agents travels to Argentina to track down Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi officer who masterminded the transportation logistics that brought millions of innocent Jews to their deaths in concentration camps.” It’s not all action, so if you’re looking for “guns a’blazing” and people like The Rock coming in to save the day, you’ll be disappointed. It’s still intense and incredibly well acted. High recommend if you’re looking for quality over theatrics and CGI.

Okay – that’s the lay of this week’s land. Let me know how things are going for YOU! 🙂

Sue