New Bloggy Update 7/16/23

So, I joined Tik Tok.

No, don’t freak out on me! LOL. The only thing I’m doing on there is sharing 15 second videos of Monkey and Noodle. What I’m amazed about is the fact that I can post a little clip of a cat doing basically nothing and get over 200 views and over 40 likes all in the span of an hour (or less).

Is this what people are doing with most of their time? LOL. It’s fine. I was just shocked to see immediate responses for what really doesn’t add up to much. Hmm. Maybe I should start posting book stuff on it and see where that goes. Stay tuned for that bit of comedy…

Anyway, I was VERY honored to participate in an interview for the Horror Etc. Podcast recently. They interviewed two women who create in the horror/thriller genre:

July 2023: Queens of the Damned

On this month’s first episode, we wanted to shine a spotlight on – and celebrate! – some of the amazing women creating content on the independent horror scene. Included herein are two extended interviews with Corissa Grant (whose horror comic “Redemption” is about to be unleashed on the world in all it’s terrifying, violent glory), and Sue Rovens (a long-time listener who has just published her 5th full-length novel)… two very talented creators, keeping the flame of genre literature burning bright!

It was fun and scary! I don’t often do interviews over the computer (or phone for that matter), and I always think I come across as bumbling and incoherent. Given the chance to listen to it now that it’s out, I think I did okay. Still – I sound like I’m about 14 years old! LOL. Thank you, Tony and Ted for the opportunity!

I’ve sent a couple short stories/flash fiction to a few places but have heard nothing as of this typing. Sometimes, it can take months before you hear anything – good OR bad – so you just have to let it go and try not think about it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I did put Sanctum on NetGalley (through a program where it will be available for two months in the hope that they will post reviews and perhaps share them on Amazon/Goodreads) So far, I have 13 reviews on NetGalley and a few of them made it to the other sites. Is that a lot? Eh, I would guess average…but it’s still on there for a little over a month yet. It’s SO HARD to get people to leave a review, isn’t it?

So, what have I been watching?

David Crosby: Remember My Name (2019) – A documentary about the man and his music. I’m a fan of CSN and CSNY. As brash and snarky as David Crosby was, there was something about his bluntness and honesty that made me like him. I heard him on a Marc Maron podcast and trust me, he did NOT mince words nor thoughts. But that was the very reason that drew me in. He admitted to being “bad” and owned up to it. He said what he thought and didn’t try to reason away his aggressiveness (as in – drugs made me do it). During the film, you could see that he felt sad/sorry for the broken friendships he left in his wake. This was made four years before he passed. Outstanding film and extreme recommend. I gave it a 9.5.

The Days (2023) – Blamed by some, hailed as heroes by others, those involved with Fukushima Daiichi face a nuclear disaster, as the power plant accident unfolds over seven days (Google). I remember when this happened! I didn’t follow it in detail, but I certainly was aware, so I was pretty interested to see how it all played out. Well…maybe it was me, maybe it was a cultural difference (it was filmed in Japanese and dubbed in English), but I found each episode (okay, I skipped two) painfully s-l-o-w. There were minutes where the camera just hung on someone’s expression. There were multiple scenes where people are going back and forth to this tower or that platform and nothing comes of it. Maybe that DID happen, but I just found the show boring, (did I say slow?), draggy, and repetitious. I imagine there are other documentaries/films that tell the same/similar story in a better way. My recommendation? Find those.

Muscle and Mayhem: American Gladiators (2023) – If you were around in the early 90s, you might be familiar with this Reality Show! (one of the first ones of its kind) I was absolutely a fan of the TV show, although I didn’t pay too much attention to the particular gladiators/characters/athletes. I just enjoyed the games and thought it was cool. This five-part series goes deep – it’s a real look into the people who were the athletes, how difficult it was on them, both physically and mentally, and takes a look at how the show really came together. If this was a part of your life at any point, you might dig this.

Other shows we’re watching this summer:

The Weakest Link – Fun, trivia-minded game show led by Jane Lynch.

America’s Got Talent – No comment needed. Full disclosure – we don’t watch every single one, nor do we follow it/the contestants religiously.

The Chase – Cool game show with SERIOUS trivia questions.

Okay – that’s a wrap.

Reminder – if you know of any authors, musicians, or artists who would like to be on the blog, send them my way! Have them email me at srovens@yahoo.com. All are welcome.