Hello ,
If you're new to my newsletter, welcome! If you're a long-term subscriber, thank you for your continued support!
In this edition:
- My Musings
- Mechhaven Missives
- Featured Promotions
- Featured Authors
My Musings
Welcome to 2024!
I hope everyone successfully navigated the holidays and had some time to relax and have a little fun. Now we are staring at the open expanse of opportunities a brand new year brings. I'm not one to do resolutions at the start of the year as I try to make and achieve goals throughout the year, but like many, I hope to get back on track with several from last year. Do you have any new resolutions or goals for the coming year?
A couple of newsletters back I mentioned I was going to watch Godzilla Minus One. I went to the theater expecting a good Godzilla movie, but what I witnessed was the best overall movie I saw in 2023. The acting and storytelling were impressive considering they filmed it on what I've read was a really minimal budget. I don't put a lot of stock on movie awards, but this would should win something!
Over the last couple of weeks, I caught up on a couple of other movies. Here are my quick takes (minor-ish spoilers):
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny-This was better than I expected and not as bad as I had heard. My wife and I enjoyed watching it. While it had some good Indiana Jones moments, for me, some of the actions sequences went on a little long. Overall, better than Crystal Skull, but not better than the original three.
Rebel Moon-I've read that this was originally written to be a Star Wars movie, but when Lucasfilm rejected it, Zach Snyder retooled it to be its own thing. I could definitely see some Akira Kurosawa/Seven Samurai influence and other elements that made it "Star Wars-y". Like many Zach Snyder films, it looked great, had some cool action, but the story was a little weak. For readers of Mechhaven, I really enjoyed the character Jimmy. I'm sure you'll understand why! Overall, I think it's worth a watch for the action and visuals, but I'd probably wait until Part II comes out in April so you can get the full story.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off-If you are a fan of the original movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, it's worth a watch. It has some interesting twists to the original story and dives deeper into the backstory of Ramona and her evil Exes. Most of the characters were voiced by the same actors that played them in the movie. Some of the episodes are very entertaining.
What If...? (Season 2)--This is a Marvel series on Disney+. Each episode is mostly stand-alone that focused on sometimes minor, sometimes major changes to the existing Marvel timeline. For the most part I enjoyed season 2, your mileage may vary. Some of the episodes have loose threads between them and they all come together in the finale. For me, the best part of Season 2 was that they released one episode per day over eight days. Since it was the holidays, this worked for me and I really enjoyed how that worked out.
Mechhaven Missives
- I was back at the day job this week, but I'm steadily adding words to Mechhaven Book 5. I've set some weekly and monthly goals to keep me progressing forward. So far, this weekend is shaping up to give me some quality writing time.
- I will be at Pasadena Comic-Con on Sunday, January 28th, at the Pasadena Convention Center. It opens at 9:00AM. If you live close by, come check it out, get your books signed, or buy some more books!
- Pax Machina Audiobook Update-My audiobook narrator hit a rough patch with his health, which prevented him from recording for quite a while. He's finally on the mend and trying to bet back to recording as soon as possible. I'll keep you posted as we get closer to releasing.
Featured Promotions
The authors in these promotions help promote each other's work. Please take a look. Who knows, maybe you'll discover your next favorite author!
A Plethora of Stars (Kindle Unlimited)
Heroic Sci-Fi in Kindle Unlimited (Kindle Unlimited)
Featured Authors
This week's feature authors are Sarah Ovvens, Jesse L. Watson, and Brian Mendonca.
The Legend Of Dana Jasper Book 1
by
Sarah Ovvens
In the aftermath of a devastating bomb blast in Afghanistan, young Dana Jasper's life is forever altered. As an autistic boy, he had always felt like an outsider, finding comfort in his own bubble. But when the tragic loss of his parents forces him to move to the bustling city of Chicago, little does he know that this pivotal moment will unleash a remarkable transformation.
by
Jesse L. Watson
High in the mountains of Colorado, veteran FBI agent Gene Wyke is tasked with locating ten-year-old Marigold Riley, an assignment he hopes will be the last of his career. But the investigation goes sideways when Marigold’s twin sister Katie vanishes as well. Literally.
by
Brian Mendonca
What starts as a fairy tale rescue spirals into an intricate web of dark fantasy laced with intrigue and magic. After the downtrodden merchant Kaine saves the runaway Princess Lydia from an unexpected monster, he feels inexplicably drawn to her. Lydia’s uncanny knowledge of his deepest secrets looms over him, suggesting she knows more about him than he has revealed.
Until next time, have fun and read a lot of books!
Greg Sorber
0 comments