The Trail Narrowed ...

This is my favorite walking trail. 

While meandering along, I work out solutions to problems in my plots and in my life.

Isn't that what a walking trail is all about?

The trail narrowed and the sky grew overcast. The day slipped into night...

Giveaways - Should I Feel Flattered or Furious?

I choose furious.  Actually, I don't choose it, I just let it wash over me and move on.  But first, I want to share with you the reason why.  You see, it appears that most, if not all, of the print versions of Stutter Creek which I gave away on Goodreads, actually wound up for sale--as new--on Amazon.  One even touts a book mark signed by the author.

Helloooo, I don't recall signing any bookmarks so ummm, what gives?  Oh, you mean those rack cards my pub had made with the Ann Swann signature design?  Not really an author sig, sorry.

Nevertheless, after seeing those books pop up on Amazon barely a week after the giveway ended and the books were mailed out, I was at first dumbfounded, then furious.  Oh, not because the "readers" were trying to sell them--I don't really care what happens to them if the person buys the book, I'm just furious that these were my author copies from my publisher.  The resellers did not purchase them.  They got them for FREE as a promotional giveaway.  Now they're trying to make a buck (or $22.95 in one case) off my good nature.  Hmph!  Not cool.  Yes, yes, I know that once something is given away, it becomes the property of the "givee."  Still, it isn't right.  Entering Goodreads giveaways just to try and make a buck is just downright smarmy.

And now that I know how that game is played, I will not be gifting any more print versions of any of my books.  Digital either for that matter.  The bloom, as they say, is off the rose.  Or perhaps I've just removed my rose-colored glasses.

Afterthought:  Rant over.  Next time, I'll be back to normal, sharing a snippet from one of the books.  Maybe Crybaby Bridge, maybe Stutter Creek . . . I can't decide.  But it will be one of them, that much is certain.  Then, I'm itching to do another movie review.  Yes, Dude is finally better and we were able to spend a couple of evenings at the Drive-In. Whoohoo, life is good great!

Gangster Squad Review

DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN AND ENTER THE BOOKS-A-FIRE GIVEAWAY!  15 CHANCES TO WIN ~ JUST FOLLOW THE LINKS AND ENTER FROM EACH BLOG!


Hello folks,
As you know by now, I am not a professional reviewer, I'm just a frequent movie-goer.  Dude and I love the drive-in movies.  We go almost weekly, and this past week we only had two new movies to choose from, and they were billed as a double feature.

The first one was Gangster Squad starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, and Emma Stone.  It is supposedly based on an actual event in the Chicago mob history of Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn).

I was prepared to hate this movie.  I'm not a fan of mobster films at all.  In fact, I'd gone so far as to tell a couple of friends that I would NOT be going to see this one because of all the real violence our world had seen the last few weeks. But you know what Charles Dickens said, "Never say never!"

And since I like all the named actors, and since Dude and I were needing our drive-in movie fix (and a chihuahua and a char burger), I was willing to give it a try.  Besides, if you have read very many of my reviews, you know I always take my pillow and blankie so that if I don't like the movie, I can catch up on my sleep . . . can we say Skyfall?

Anyhow, surprise, surprise, I didn't even get my pillow out of the backseat!  I do not like to give spoilers, so just suffice it to say that it was sooo not what I expected.  Yes, there was violence, and yes, there was foul language, but it was obviously there to show how evil Mickey Cohen was; neither the violence nor the language seemed designed just to titillate or shock--it actually had a purpose.

I think what I really liked was the fact that even the good guys fell into a gray area once or twice.  They used whatever means they deemed necessary to try to get Cohen.  Isn't that really sort of relevant to today's culture-dilemma of whether the ends always justify the means?  I thought so.

I liked it.  I would give it ❤❤❤❤.  


The second feature was This is 40 starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann.  I think there were some other big names in the movie, but I didn't see them.  No, I didn't get out my pillow and blankie . . . after about two minutes, Dude and I looked at each other, made gagging noises that, after decades of marriage we both know means, blech, let's get the heck out of here and go watch NCIS reruns on TV, so that is what we did.  We did not let the proverbial doorknob hit us where the good Lord split us.

I don't think we missed a thing.  Maybe we're old prudes. . . I mean, this is humor?  How?  I don't get it.  We loved Rocky Horror Picture show and it was kind of vulgar, but it was creepy and fun, too.  This one just took vulgarity to new heights, I mean, lows.  (I downloaded a pic to include here, but I guess the Mac was in agreement with my assessment because it refused to cough it up!)

No spoiler here, either (I couldn't if I wanted to, I have no idea what happened, didn't even watch it in the rearview as we pulled away), just suffice it to say, I give it this many hearts: 

And no, that isn't a typo.

Afterthought:
Hopefully, next time, I will be reviewing one of the umpteen books I'm reading ~ or the movie Silver Linings Playbook.  It's at the walk-in movie.  They don't have chihuahuas or char burgers, and it costs three times as much as the drive-in.  But hey, it could happen . . .