My Thoughts On The Conjuring II

Hello, everyone!

I wanted to get back into writing blog posts, so I decided to write a bit of a movie review.  Well, of sorts....  This blog is really for my journey from project to publishing, but I thought I would change it up, especially since my projects have been slow going.

I grew up on a steady diet of horror movies.  While my mother was working, my older brothers watched us girls in the house.  We often played card games, heard music, and watched movies together.  We had more freedoms than most kids, but we handled it responsibly.  The worst thing we did was watch rated R movies.  At five, I remember watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre with my brother who is ten years older.  I wasn't frightened by any of the movies I saw.  I was intrigued, and I began to really love the genre.

As a teen and young adult, there was a big boom in shows concerning paranormal themes.  I ate them up, watching all of the ones that I could; Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Scariest Places on Earth, Most Haunted, etc.  Having my own supernatural experiences as a child and teen, these shows cemented my own experiences in my mind and gave me a type of validation of sorts.  None of these shows were ever as scary as the real thing for me, so I wasn't effected negatively by them, just intrigued.

The reason I mention these things is because some people cannot tolerate something even the slightest bit scary.  If you cannot, then the Conjuring II is not a movie for you.  It can be traumatic for people who are fearful to watch these types of movies.  I wasn't even born when The Exorcist was released, but I remember hearing stories that watching the movie made people sick.  Many had to run out of the movie theaters before it was over.  If one has such a raw reaction to this kind of content, it is better to miss it than to watch it and be tormented by the mental replay of its scenes in your mind.

However, if you are like me, this movie, which is based on reality, this movie can reaffirm one's beliefs in an afterlife.  I have been a fan of the Warrens since watching Paranormal State where Lorraine Warren was a regular consultant.  Although I wasn't fully in the Catholic Church back then, the show depicted how Catholics deal with the paranormal.  I found it so interesting, because again, these people who were tormented by spiritual warfare in their homes were reflections of my own experience, and there was a bit of a kinship as if those who have experienced these things are apart of a community.  I will add that some movies are even too much for me.  I still haven't seen The Exorcist.  I refuse to see it.

The Conjuring II was excellent in my humble opinion.  It was a great sequel that stands alone in and of itself.  Beside the usual jump scares, the plot was well developed and the characters really leave a lasting impression long after the film is over.  Most of us can relate to the overwhelmed single mom, the bullied child, the abandonment issues associated with a absentee father, etc.  The Catholic values of the Warrens' relationship was really depicted nicely throughout and quite endearing.

While the first Conjuring surrounded the family being tormented, this one gave Ed and Lorraine a larger role in the plot.  From my viewpoint, it really depicted the struggle to follow God's will.  The Warrens' found a mission in helping families tormented by demons.  They were two of the chosen few who were trusted to investigate cases for the Catholic Church which isn't a small feat.  The Church doesn't just trust anyone really to investigate such things, especially people who aren't clergy.  The subplot aside from the haunting really featured the struggle in following the will of God and the toll it takes on the family.  Remember, demons don't respect personal boundaries or aren't limited to one household.

Anyone can watch this film and be fully entertained.  However, there is more to this film than a scary movie.  It is based on real life events.  For a Catholic, this movie really affirms the power of the faith and puts spiritual warfare into perspective.

Scattered: KDP and Free Promotion!

So, I have been looking into removing Scattered from KDP's select program.  As apart of the publishing program, I have to keep that specific work exclusive to Amazon.  There is nothing wrong with exclusivity if you have a killer marketing team or great promotional skills.  However, I feel that exclusivity has its drawbacks.

For one, your work only appeals to those with Kindles or Kindle apps.  Now, I happen to know that the Kindle app is very popular among android users.  That is a plus, but I have found that I receive the most sales from Barnes and Noble, not Amazon.  While being enrolled in KDP Select is supposed to change that, giving you work more exposure, it hasn't for me.  I made it onto a list of highest downloaded shorts with a mere 24 downloads.  That is nothing compared to the readership on Barnes and Noble.

Another drawback is that on Amazon your work has to be sold at a price.  I prefer my short stories to be free, but in order to do that, I have to space promotions that last only 5 days over a few months.  My short stories allow readers to get to know my writing style and so they become promotional tools within themselves.  If people like my shorter works, they are more likely to buy my novels; however, if I can't give them away for free, it defeats the purpose.  I do like that if I post this particular short to other outlets, Amazon should have a price match, making it fee on their site permanently.

Looking into my arrangement with KDP Select, I can place Scattered on Smashwords and other outlets in August where it will be FREE!!!  Right now, I decided to use my five days of free promotion.  So, from 5/22/15 to 5/26/15 Scattered will be available to download for FREE on Amazon.com.  Please take advantage if you are interested in reading it.  Otherwise, the next time you will see it free is in August.  Click the link below tomorrow for a free download.

Link: SCATTERED on Amazon

Author Interview

Hello, readers!

So, I just found out yesterday that Sandra from Jeanz Book Read and Review Blog put of a series promotion for my Weeping Willow Series, but also an author interview.  Check it out here.

Being sick has taken a lot out of me, but I'm trying to get fully back into writing the new short for the paperback of Wicked Chemistry which is almost done.  Those on my mailing list will receive a free e-copy which will not be available at any online bookstore.  So, if you have read the Weeping Willow Short Stories and would like to see how the story continued before Wicked Magic, add yourself to my mailing list and find out for free.

Also, I haven't finished all of the updates on my video trailers.  It is going to take time, but hopefully, I can work on Scattered soon.  As soon as any are done, they will be posted on Youtube, my blog and my website.