April Media Roundup

It's been a big TV watching month for some reason. I tend to float to one streaming service or another and ignore the others, but I've been as ADHD in my TV watching as I am in my daily life. In short, I've been all over the place, so I'll be naming a few favorites. 

Before we jump into those, though, C. Lee McKenzie contacted a few of us about sending our writing wishes for the year, and she collected these on the Insecure Writers Support Group blog: Author Wishes for 2022.

Here are some media I've enjoyed in the last month or so:

Books

Star Mother, by Charlie N. Holmberg

Star Mother, by Charlie N. Holmberg

This one was sent to me by a friend. It wasn't the sort of book I'd usually read, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. This is pure fantasy. A woman from a village volunteers when the Sun calls for a new Star Mother, knowing it means her death, but will bring honor to her family. But something strange happens. She delivers the star...and lives. Though the Sun is willing to keep her in his palace, she opts to go back home, only to find that things are not the way she left them.

This one had the tension of warring celestial gods, romance, the fickleness of humanity, and two people brought together to flee those hunting them. Creative and spellbinding.

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides

I saw the movie when it came out, and remember it being well done, but the book itself was gorgeously written, though flawed. It's told from the POV of several boys in a neighborhood, who find themselves fascinated by a household with five teenage girls. Ultimately, each girl will commit suicide. This isn't a secret. The entirety of the book is about the lead up to it and the boys (only one is the narrator) examining the why and what led to this choice.

On the one hand, the reader can't help but also be fascinated along with the boys. On the other, there's a taint of misogyny to the whole thing. What the boys are often thinking about, even after the tragedy, is how much they wanted in the girls' pants and what a shame it is to have wasted five beautiful girls. At the same time, the narrator never addresses the shallowness of the boys (or the men, when they grow up). If this were a true look back, a true attempt to analyze what went wrong, they should have also discovered it was their complete lack of viewing the humanity of the sisters instead of what they could possibly offer the boys in terms of bubble gum kisses and soft warmth. 

These girls are victims of everyone. Of the boys who watched through their windows with an erroneous sense of curiosity, but a lack of depth. Of their parents. Of their teachers. Of the people in the community. Of every single person who knew things were weird in that house and never did anything to help those girls. And I do feel the book intends to point this out. Above all else, these girls were failed. And the reader sees just how easily that can happen, how easily children's lives can go wrong when the "village" looks the other way. 

Each girl has a surface personality different from the others and beautifully rendered, which is why it took me a while to realize how shallow the narrative was. Of course these boys can't know the inner workings of the girls, so we see what they see when the girls are at school, or peering out a window, or running into the front yard to surround their ill Dutch elm and save it from the folks who've come to chop it down. We only get a slight taste of each character, because of the way the story is told. It's effective. Intriguing. And the city of Detroit is a character in itself.

Heartbreaking. Gorgeous. Whimsical. Problematic.

Crime & Passion: Three Short Stories, by Francelia Belton

This isn't novel length. It's a collection of three short stories (just as it says on the cover). They're all crime stories, not mysteries. In each, a woman deals with a crime, whether as the victim or the perpetrator. Each plot is interesting and well written, drawing the reader in to see what will happen. 

Movies

The Bubble, Netflix

The Bubble

This movie was exactly what I needed. Absolutely ridiculous. Hysterical. I knew from the cast that I had to watch it. It's rather pandemic-meta. The cast is brought back for a sequel to a cheesy creature feature, but the pandemic is on, which means they must deal with quarantine, then remain at this hotel in a "bubble" of safety so no one will bring the virus in and expose everyone else. But what happens when you trap an eclectic group of narcissists together and make them quarantine two weeks at a time in their rooms? The quarantine montages are hilarious. It gets even better when a lunatic is brought in to do security. Definitely worth a watch if for no other reason than to shut your brain off.

Siege, Shudder

Siege

This is a 1983 film, set during a police protest in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In fact, it contains real footage from the real police protest that occurred there in 1981! It's the kind of gritty, gun-filled movie you'd expect from the early 80s but what caught my attention was how severely it hit home in this day and age. Police are picketing, so a group of people intending to take over the power vacuum (calling themselves the New World Order, if I remember correctly), decide to use their newfound power to harass the folks in a gay bar. But it goes too far (of course it does) (Trigger warning for hate crimes), and the sole survivor of the slaughter escapes to a nearby apartment complex, where the residents hide him and prepare to fight back. 

What originally drew me was the ridiculous image (above). I thought it was going to be a comedic take on a siege in the city that would involve a bunch of yuppies. The photo is misleading, though, and the topics are much deeper than I imagined, even if they're presented in the wrapping of an 80s horror film. What happens if there are no police? Who will fill the power vacuum? Who will suffer the most? Who will stand up against those who abuse their power? In this case, it's on a very small scale, but I feel like it's an interesting commentary on some things that effect both political sides. And that's all I'll say about that.

Oh, and there was no one I would have classified as a yuppie in the cast of characters, so I'm still confused by the image.

Low budget and shot in 14 days in the apartment complex some of the filmmakers actually lived in, it's an interesting film. And I am, after all a child of the 80s and the gritty films of the day (cough, Dirty Harry, cough, Death Wish, cough), so I can appreciate the style.

TV Shows

House, Peacock

House

Yes, that's right. It took me this long to watch a show that originated in 2004. Everybody kept telling me how much I'd love it, so they annoyed me right away from it. Now that no one is pressuring me (hear that, Doctor Who fans??), I've finally given it a chance, and I quite enjoy it. Though as a walking, talking medical mystery myself, the whole of them repeatedly getting the diagnosis wrong and mistreating the patient before they finally arrive at the real issue is pretty stressful. The rest of the characters make up for House being such a jerk. It's like a crime drama, but medical instead. I wonder if I paid enough attention whether it would always be the third diagnosis that's correct, just like the crime show formula that shows us the third person accused is the real villain?

Killing It, Peacock

Killing It

We're not far in yet, as a new episode is released weekly, but this show's great for some dark humor. Unable to get a loan, the MC needs $20,000 to start his dream business. An ill-fated ride in an Uber shows him a way to make a quick buck AND possibly win a contest that will bring him...you guessed it...$20,000. Hunting pythons in the Florida swamps is good money, but it's not without its challenges.

The Glades, Hulu

The Glades

Yep, another old one. I just completely missed this one. Probably because I don't have cable, and haven't since the first season of "Fringe" came out. That's all I know. Another crime show, yes, but the main character is interesting and the crimes are different, so I'm in.

The Thing About Pam, Hulu

The Thing About Pam

Based on a true crime, this is done in such a fun way. A Dateline anchor is doing the voiceover, which makes it a tad different. But the real standout here is Renee Zellweger. She is amazing in the role of Pam, a woman who *may* have murdered her friend and manipulated everyone around her into thinking it was her friend's husband. She manages to manipulate the police and the murdered friend's family so everyone is on her side. Even the DA and the judge, who are besties in the small town. Zellweger is so amazing that I had to go look up the real crime, because I was so angry. I can't put into words how excellent her acting is in this role. The character is absolutely loathsome, a complete psychopath who pulls no punches and has no compunctions about hurting anyone in her path, even if it's just emotionally. I highly, highly recommend this one. Zellweger had better get nominated for an award. Entertaining, well-paced, emotional, and a stellar cast.

What are you watching or reading? Anything in the past month that you'd recommend? 

May you find your Muse.

Book Tour Ask & Media Catchup

Hi guys! Since I got behind on posting books I'd read recently, links, etc., I figured I'd do a post just for that, as well as the sign up for my book tour. I'll be releasing my holiday horror short story collection on my birthday, November 20! The first story is set on Thanksgiving, so it seems appropriate to release it the week before.

The sign up form is at the bottom of this post.

In the meantime, here's some recent media I've enjoyed!

BOOKS

Killer Chardonnay, by Kate Lansing

I read this for my Sisters in Crime book group. It's a cute cozy mystery about a woman who has just realized her dream by opening up a winery, only to have a murder occur in the restaurant on her very first day. A little light romance, interesting suspects, a troubled brother, some wine details, and plenty of intrigue. Also, Kate Lansing is adorable.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

I've been reading one or two chapters of a craft book each required writing day, and finally finished this one. It comes highly recommended for a reason. Deeply honest (sometimes to a questionable extent that made me wonder if I liked the author as a person), down-to-earth, and inspirational. I imagine her classes are effective. She discusses all things writing: the ups and downs that make up the roller coaster, the fears (some even realized), the criticisms, and the realities of publication. It's told in a relatable way, as if one's reading a really long personal essay.

Dead Stop, by Barbara Nickless

Barb's third book is next on my book group's list, but I'd only read the first one, so I decided to read them in order. Of course, then I read them in the wrong order, because after this one I read number 4 instead of number 3. Sigh. 

Anyway, Sydney Parnell is a train cop. A war veteran, she and her military-trained K9, Clyde, deal with the ghosts of their past while wandering the train yards at night. Only, bad things happen at the train yards sometimes. In this particular book, Sydney responds to a call from one of her engineers. He's hit a woman, who was standing on the tracks. But when she investigates, it's discovered the woman didn't commit suicide--she was bound with wire and left to die.

In the meantime, her boyfriend is investigating a brutal family slaying. A father and son have been found dead in their home. The father, a veteran, is suspected of murder suicide, possibly PTSD, but the wife and little girl are missing. What could he possibly have done with them?

Barb's books are definitely not cozies. Terrible things happen to good people. But Sydney and Clyde always make sure the guilty pay. Fast paced and incredibly well-written.

Gone to Darkness, by Barbara Nickless

As mentioned above, I messed up. Pretty sure this is book 4, not 3. (Picture taken from the front porch of my new cabin!!)

A man is found in a freezer train car. Clothed in a woman's dress, his body scarred with fresh writing, he was only found because a strange woman signaled to the train as it went by. But where's the woman? Why is Noah in a dress? Who tortured him to excessive levels before killing him? And who's next?

Sydney has a lot to prove in this one, and she aims to do it. But while she's stalking a killer, somebody's stalking her.

Just as with her preceding books, Barb brings it with this one. She'll break your heart after she makes it stutter.

Smitten with Ravioli, by Ellen Jacobson

A cute romance with travel abroad, this one features a disgraced graduate student who flees to Italy to escape a bad relationship and a scholarly humiliation. The last thing she wants is a romance. But we all know romance finds us on its own timeline. The problem is, Ginny's been lying since she met him, thinking it was a one-time run-in, so when it turns out they're stuck together in this little town, she has to dig deeper or come clean. 

Fender Lizards, by Joe R. Lansdale

Dot, a roller-skating waitress who lives in a trailer park in small-town Texas, finds herself involved with a roller derby. Her boss at the Dairy Bob offers to back it, and she ropes in her sister and fellow waitresses, with her mysterious uncle, who appeared out of nowhere years after her father disappeared on a cigarette run. The heroine in this has a lot of heart and a philosophical mind. She's honest and no-nonsense. Between taking care of her sister's abusive boyfriend (husband? I don't remember for sure), a new love interest, and life in general, Dot does the best she can to maneuver through her day to day and survive.

I *think* that catches me up with the books I've read since my last time posting them. The last two were e-book.

SCREENS

There's no way I'm going to remember everything I've watched movie/TV-wise, but I know I binge watched the show Pen15 after a friend recommended it.

Pen15

This one's hard to explain, but I really enjoyed it. The two main actresses are adults, but they're playing middle school versions of themselves. The rest of the actors in the show are legitimately kids. It's hilarious at times, rough at other times, and frighteningly accurate to middle school girl behavior. I can't say I've done everything they do in the show, but it still felt accurate (and horrifying). There were times when they made things so uncomfortable I had to cover my eyes and squirm in my seat. Blatantly honest.

It's the story of two friends battling their way through the middle school halls and grown up family problems. One of them earns the name Ugliest Girl in School at the very beginning. The other one tries to pretend she can't hear her parents fighting all the time. First dates, first thongs, so many firsts.

Danganronpa

This is pretty much my daughter's favorite thing ever right now. It's a game series that Cinnamon Toast Ken does walkthroughs of on YouTube. One version was also put into a movie form. I'm not going to pretend to understand it. It reminds me of the Japanese horror film Battle Royale. Each game finds a new class entering the Academy. They don't remember who they were before, and that evil little bear in the image above (Monokuma) tells them they have to kill each other to get out. Each time someone dies, a trial is held. The other characters must find out who killed that character. If they guess right, the killer gets punished (horribly, but creatively.) If they guess wrong, they'll all be punished. Ultimately, the survivors must find their way out.

Contamination

I watched the Joe Bob Briggs Last Drive-in version of this 1980 film. It's a blatant 80s ripoff of Alien, complete with aliens and exploding chests. A piece of the trivia was that there were multiple languages being spoken by the various actors, and it was ultimately dubbed in English. Pretty goofy and about to leave Shudder. I probably wouldn't watch it again.

Books of Blood

I'm actually currently reading the Books of Blood, all three volumes, and I only recognized one of the stories in this. Not sure if that means I haven't gotten to the others or they changed them. Not terrible, not great. The first story is the best. The second one is the most memorable. I've already forgotten what the third one was.

Holliston

This one's available on Shudder. It has the feel of a sitcom, but with cheesy horror goodness thrown in. Two men live and work together at a TV station making low budget commercials. Their real dream is to be horror film makers. They also host a TV show where they show old horror films. One's girlfriend is an artist, a cutesy girl who creates bizarre and freaky art. The other's ex shows up, and she's a doctor or a nurse (I don't remember since it's not actually a big part of the storyline.) There's an imaginary friend who shows up to give bad advice, who also happens to wear fishnets and leather. Dee Snyder plays their boss and a guy in a cover band. Obviously low budget, but lots of fun. There have been several great horror icons doing cameos, including Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, and Danielle Harris. Seth Green plays a goofy special effects guy with multiple personalities.

Scare Me

This is an entertaining indie horror flick on Shudder. Two authors stowaway at cabins in the woods and decide to scare each other with stories. The stories within the story are fun. One of them is a published and known author, the other a newbie. In the end you'll have to ask yourself if the author who won really won at all.

Now for some links. Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions

Haunts and Hellions. Gothic romance anthology from horroraddicts.com. This one's coming up fast, but they're great to work with, so it's worth a try. 2000-5000 words. Pays $10. Deadline October 31.

Slashertorte is an anthology of cake horror. Up to 2000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline November 1.

Metastellar is seeking speculative flash fiction. Up to 1000 words. Pays $.08/word. Deadline November 1.

Off Limits Press is seeking adventure horror stories for Far From Home. 2000-8000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline November 1.

Thuggish Itch is seeking horror stories about birds with teeth. 1000-5000 words. Pays AUS $5-$10, depending upon length. Deadline November 15.

Finally, if you'd like to sign up to help launch my holiday horror tales, you can click this LINK or fill out the form below. THANK YOU!

Read any of these books or watched any of the shows? Have you heard of Danganronpa or played the game? Any of these links of interest? What have you been reading? Found any good new (or old) shows? Any media you'd recommend?

May you find your Muse.

IWSG - Determination

I swear, it was just the first Wednesday of June last week. Gah!

But since it's the first Wednesday of July now (one week later...for real), it's time again for the Insecure Writer's Support Group!

Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG serves to give us insecure writers a place to post about our insecurities and/or to encourage other insecure writers. Anyone can join. Simply click on Alex's name and add your blog to the linky list.

The co-hosts this month are:

Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox! Be sure to stop by and say hi.

This month is all about determination.

I am determined to get more writing done.

I am determined to get more submissions out there.

I am determined to get all pending stories edited.

I am determined to get podcast plans finalized.

I am determined to complete pending research.

I am determined to update all my social media/websites.

I am determined to make some life changes.

I am determined to flip this frown upside down.

I am determined.

***

Submission stats for the month of June:

1 submission

1 acceptance

3 rejections (all with a request to send something else in the future)

6 currently on submission

***

Media I've Enjoyed This Week

A Bad Day for Sunshine, by Darynda Jones

A witty mystery with some well written and intriguing characters. Small town life isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's hard to keep secrets, especially when teenagers are involved. There's mystery, romance, intrigue, and laughs (real, genuine, out loud ones). There's also heartbreak and disjointed memories that make me eager for the October 2020 release of book 2.

Hannibal (Netflix)

I don't know why I didn't watch when it first came on, but I think it was after we'd cancelled cable, but before we had Netflix. I'm watching the first season now. Dark, gritty, and a mental labyrinth. The mood is oddly calm, yet tense. There's so much going on. Hannibal is fascinating and misleading.

LOL: Last One Laughing - Australia (Amazon)

You know what's funny? A room full of stand up comedians, locked together and being monitored by Rebel Wilson, while they try to make the others laugh and try not to laugh themselves, so they can be the last comic standing. That's right. They're not allowed to laugh. But they have to make everyone else in the room laugh in they want to win. This one is ongoing, so if you don't want to wait for the next episode, wait until the season's over to start watching it. I'd forgotten how hard it was to wait for the next episode of something!

What media have you been enjoying this week? What are your current goals? What are you determined to do this month? What are your insecurities? Have you submitted this month?

May you find your Muse.

You're More Qualified Than You Think

An intersection occurred yesterday that I wanted to address. I finished the book "Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get Out There When You'd Rather Stay Home," by Morra Aarons-Mele. While it's applicable to any introvert, it's mostly addressing women in business who aren't big on rubbing elbows and would rather do anything than try to court customers or other business people.

The other item was a post by a local podcaster, who has discovered that the female experts he contacts for his podcast tend to feel they're not qualified to speak on the subject and often refer him to someone else who they feel can speak more accurately on the issue (4 of the last 6). The majority of males invited accepted his invitation, and as far as I know, none of the ones who turned him down did so because they felt they weren't qualified.

This is reflected in the aforementioned book, and I've seen it myself when inviting women to speak for Pikes Peak Writers.

Women tend to diminish themselves and doubt their abilities, while men will put forward confidence even if they don't feel it. Basically, they embrace where they want to be in order to get there, and women hold themselves back out of fear of looking bad or failing and letting someone down.

I'm not going to summarize the book, but I highly recommend it for those who struggle with getting themselves out there. She has helpful tips to help you not only look at what you need to do from different angles, but also how to be successful while still holding true to yourself, which is something I don't often see in these recommendations. Usually, it's all about how to act like a man, make deals like a man, etc. But as Aarons-Mele points out, being someone other than yourself isn't going to help you progress in life. Instead, it's going to cause you additional stress.

I decided awhile ago that I would say yes to things that scared me (courtesy of Shonda Rhimes "Year of Yes," which I also recommend.) I've since done it many times, including accepting teaching opportunities, a job, and anthology invitations outside my normal realm of experience. So far, I haven't regretted it once (though I've repeatedly feared it would be shown just how underqualified I was, so believe me, the fears exist in me.) What I have regretted are the missed opportunities that spun away from me for various reasons over the years.

If someone invites you to do something, to speak or submit, it's likely because they feel you're qualified for the thing they've invited you to do. Consider saying "yes" and figuring out how to make it happen, no matter how scared you are.

Media I've Enjoyed Lately

Truth and Lies: Jonestown, Paradise Lost

"Enjoy" is a weird word to use when talking about a documentary that examines the Jonestown cult deaths, but I did learn some things I wasn't aware of, and having actual survivors talk about their experiences is powerful. I feel like it could have gone more in-depth on some of the stories, but it was still a fascinating documentary.

What We Do in the Shadows

I liked the movie okay when it came out, but wasn't blown away, so I hadn't bothered watching the TV show version of it. I finally did, because it came up as a recommendation, and now I'm hooked. I'm finding the show more entertaining than the movie. The actors are hysterical, and their foibles are endearing and ridiculous. The cast of the movie make an appearance, along with several other surprising and amusing guests (Wesley Snipes as the Day Walker--familiar to fans of Blade) in one episode. One of the vampires is familiar to me from IT Crowd, and I've found him funny in everything I've seen him in.

Key & Peele

In the history of great comedy skit shows, this is one of the best. They're both genuinely good actors, and hints of Jordan Peele's dark side reveal themselves in some of the comedy skits. Their Halloween shows are the best, with hints of horror. I'm rewatching the series on Hulu right now. My favorite skits tend to involve classrooms with Key as a teacher and ones where Peele takes on a female persona. And don't forget Obama and his anger translator! I laughed myself into tears last night at one episode involving a flight attendant arguing with a passenger that really wants to use the bathroom. Of course, as any good comedy does, modern issues are addressed in some of the skits in a humorous way, and it shows a clear repetition of issues taking the spotlight right now.


What has made you laugh lately? What entertainment have you most enjoyed? Have you said yes to something that frightened you lately? Have you said no to an opportunity because you thought you weren't qualified enough?

May you find your Muse.

**Buddy Frightened Clip Art, clker.com, OCAL
**Yes Button Clip Art, clker.com, Chris

Fundraising Thanks & An Oasis of My Own

I wanted to send out a quick thank you to everyone who purchased a copy of Bruised Souls & Other Torments during the memorial fundraiser in my dad's memory! And to everyone who helped to share the word. I'll be donating $50 each to Team Gleason and the ALSA in my dad's name!

Speaking of the fundraiser, a sweet friend purchased a copy of the paperback and asked me to send it to a front line worker. Does anyone have suggestions for a front line worker that might appreciate horror short stories? Or a way to hunt someone down for that? Thanks in advance!

My husband has created an oasis on our back porch, and we've been relaxing and unwinding back there every evening possible as the weather has warmed. This being Colorado, a portion of the state saw snow in a sudden cool down yesterday, but the temperature's already climbing back up, and we'll be back out there this evening. It's helped significantly with our mental health. When I was a teenager, I made myself a bit of an oasis in my bedroom that involved a space heater, a sleeping bag, a reading lamp, a stack of books, pillows, and my pet dobie, Jeddah. With four younger siblings, a space I could call my own was important. These days it's not so much people I'm trying to escape (well, sort of), but the stresses of life and the world, in general. I highly recommend figuring out your own little oasis that allows you to escape as thoroughly as possible.

We reopened to dine in (limited) at the restaurant where I work. We were all really stressed about it, but it's been mostly a positive experience. A lot of people are relieved to be able to get out to a restaurant, and ours is small enough that we only have three tables available inside right now with social distancing rules. Our patio has four tables. There have been stresses with people refusing to follow some of the rules and trying to coax us into breaking them, but we expected those things. The overall happiness of customers has improved the mood of anxiety and fear that has permeated a lot of essential jobs lately.

I had something I wanted to talk about today, and I've completely forgotten it. Oy.

Moving on, here's some of the media I've enjoyed over the past two weeks:

Books

The House Without a Summer, by DeAnna Knippling

One reviewer described this as a regency gothic horror. Well written, it involves a creeping red fungus destroying the way of life of a community. Or so we see on the surface. Beneath the surface, the fungus involves a lot more than the ruining of food and water. People are not what they seem. Nor is time. Despite being released this year, the book feels like it was written long ago.

The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

It was purely coincidental that I'd started this book just before recent events, but it was the perfect read during this time. Gorgeously written. Coates grew up about 18 miles from me, and appears to be just a couple years older than me, which drew me into the story thoroughly. There was a lot familiar to me, but also significant differences, the most obvious of which being that I grew up in the same general area as a white girl and he grew up as a black boy. While his story felt somewhat familiar to me, his father's story was fascinating: Vietnam veteran, Black Panther, small press publisher. Coates' struggle to grow up and find himself in Baltimore in the 80s (I grew up in Columbia) tells a tale of growth, struggle, and identity.

Movies

Death Proof

A Tarantino film that was part of a grindhouse double feature, I don't remember liking this the first time I watched it, yet I loved it this time. The ending is deeply satisfying. As for the rest of it, there are scenes of insane violence, but also a twenty minute car chase with Zoe Bell playing herself and doing her own stunts in the film (she was Uma Thurman's stunt double in the Kill Bill films). The film was physically scratched to make it look retro. An insane stunt man uses set cars (made death proof for the stunt people) to stalk and murder women. This is a horror film. A Tarantino horror film. So be warned if that isn't your type of thing.

TV Shows

The  Great

A completely irreverent and sometimes inappropriate (both sexually and via language) show, it's a humorous look at Peter III and Catherine (ultimately "the Great")'s marriage while he was emperor of Russia. As Catherine gathers people from the court in attempted coups, Peter's idiocy and selfishness makes for great comedic moments. Catherine, played by Elle Fanning, is extremely intelligent and educated, but still naive and inexperienced in the world of politics. The actors play their roles well.

What media have you been enjoying? Anything you'd recommend? Do you have an oasis of your own? How are you doing right now?

May you find your Muse.