New Bloggy Update 12/11/22

Sixteen chapters to go!

It’s getting there. Draft 5 of Sanctum, my newest novel, is close to being done. My goal is to have it finished by next weekend and then send it off to the Beta Readers to get their take on it. I usually give them about 6 weeks to get through it (although my books aren’t that long – on average, they run about 50,000 words, give or take 1,000).

I’ve also finished up all the events for 2022! A decent year and decent sales. This year welcomed in the Plump Toad Mugs and new Toad Bags. It also was a year of some NEW events and NEW readers. I also want to take a moment to welcome new BLOG FOLLOWERS as well! Hello and welcome aboard!

This might be a good time to remind folks that I interview musicians and artists, too! Yes, authors are the bulk of my interviews, but all people in the arts are welcome here. If you know of any, send them my way so they can be part of the blog (either in the Spotlight Section, for artists, OR the Flipside Section, for musicians).

If you haven’t had the chance, take a little time and wander over to the All Business area. I’ve written some articles that relate to writing/marketing/authorship. I’m also open to others submitting their OWN articles as well. If you’re interested, let me know (srovens@yahoo.com).

Okay, what have we been watching?

1899 (TV series) – I loved the first 3 – 4 episodes. I was all in. The tone, the setting. It reminded me of that other series, The Terror (which I thought was incredible). I was SO hoping it would go down a similar path. Without spoiling anything, let me just leave you with this thought – by the time I finished the 8th and final episode of this season, I was frustrated, annoyed, and a wee bit angry. Oh, and I lost count of my eye rolls. You might see it differently, but I’m not going into Season Two willingly.

The Watcher (TV series) – To be fair, I saw a number of reviews that slammed this show. I actually found it to be pretty darn good. It’s a little creepy, a bit unsettling, and it does NOT wrap up things at the end. If you know that going in, it might ease you into the next season. (I think there will be one, but I’m not 100% sure). The story is loosely based on REAL events, so it’s easy to look it up and decide for yourself. I didn’t read much about it beforehand and went in “blind”. Not sure if that helped or hindered, but I liked it.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Yes, I saw this…I watched as I was putting up decorations. It was an interesting take on the life of Tammy Faye Bakker (and Jim as well), the couple who were famous for their TV preaching (PTL Club). I don’t know how realistic it was, but I was interested enough to see it though. I’m glad I saw it, but if I hadn’t, my life wouldn’t have changed much.

Moonage Daydream (2022) – The most current documentary about David Bowie. I mostly went because Charlie really wanted to see it. I like some of Bowie’s songs, but I was never “into” him or his music. The film was basically clips of his concerts, scenes from some interviews, and various montages. I’m glad to have seen it as I learned more about him and what he did. I’m pretty positive Charlie liked it better than I did, so if you ARE a fan, I would recommend it.

Crimes of the Future (2022) – OMG. I could not deal with this at all. And NOT because of the “body horror” (which, in my opinion, wasn’t really bad at all). It’s mainly because the characters were boring, monotone, and pointless. One hundred and seven minutes that dragged on…and on…and on. I felt like the film started “in the middle” of a story that we were supposed to understand and followed characters that had no backstory or reason for being there. I’d give this a hard pass (as I graded it at a 2.1), but if you must, go in knowing you could be in for quite a slog.

Seconds (1966) – This is an old school classic. The premise: Banker Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) gets a call one day from a friend he thought was dead. It turns out that the friend is not a ghost, but was simply faking all along, and was placed into a new existence by a company who can give you a completely new face and life. Hamilton decides to undergo the procedure himself and becomes Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson), an artist who lives in Malibu. He is given a manservant to help him adjust but soon finds that adjusting will be the least of his worries (from Google). Wikipedia claims that this is a “psychological horror science fiction film”. I take exception to that as I didn’t find this movie to be horrific nor science fiction-ish. I saw it more as a study of a man having a mid-life crisis. Yes, he goes to “extreme lengths”, but ultimately, it’s like a long Twilight Zone episode. It’s good and it’s very 60s, so I have to give it a decent recommendation.

Lou (2022) – A young girl is kidnapped during a powerful storm. Her mother joins forces with her mysterious neighbor to set off in pursuit of the kidnapper. Their journey will test their limits and expose the dark secrets of their past (from Google) There won’t be any surprises when watching this movie. It’s a by-the-numbers story with strong female leads. Yeah, it was okay. If you’re looking for something that sways “righteous”, this would work. Otherwise, you might look elsewhere for your revenge entertainment.

Troll (2022) – A silly romp in Norwegian territory. Yes, there’s a troll. Yes, the military (and others) are brought in to fight it. Yes, there are nods to nerds, sci-fi tropes, and fantasy storytelling. We fell asleep during bits and pieces and to be honest, didn’t miss much. It might be good for the younger set.

The Arena (1973) – Don’t, people. Just don’t. This is a black/sexploitation film that would absolutely not fly by today’s standards. I gave it a 1.5 and Charlie gave it a 3.9 (and he was only swayed because of the nudity – lol). If you do want to give it a go, be ready for scenes that push MANY boundaries (implied though they are). We watched it so you don’t have to.

And there we have it.

Thanks for reading. Hey, speaking of which, if you’re looking for gift ideas, I have four novels and two collections of short stories (suspense/thrillers) that would love a home. You can find ALL my books on Amazon (in paperback OR Kindle).

And don’t forget ALL the other authors, artists, and musicians that have interviews on the blog! They have merch as well! Please consider purchasing from them.

Thanks and have a Very Groovy Holiday Season. I’ll probably post one more Bloggy Update this year!

Sue 🙂