Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Yes, I like movies.  I live on AMC and Turner Classic Movies. I will stop in the middle of what I’m doing to watch a movie.  Like “sit down” watch, not run in and out of the room.

There’s something about a wonderfully crafted movie that makes you sit up and pay attention.  Yes, I already know the ending of the movie, but that doesn’t matter.  It seems that when you watch a great movie, one that really comes together with the actors, the director, cinematographer, then it is really movie magic.

Following this great build up, I now present to you  my top movies, in no particular order, with a select quotation from each.

1.  The Godfather I – “All right. This one time I’ll let you ask me about my affairs.”
2.  The Godfather II – “I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!”
3.  Goodfellas- Now go home and get your fuckin’ shinebox.”
4.  Gone with the Wind – “With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.”
5.  Alien – “Come on, Cat.”
6.  Aliens – “Not bad for a human.”
7. Star Wars –“Aren’t you  a little short for a stormtrooper?”
8.  The Empire Strikes Back – “Do or do not.  There is no try.”
9.  Raiders of the Lost Ark – “Asps… very dangerous. You go first.”
10. All About Eve – “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”
11. Body Heat –  “You aren’t too smart, are you? I like that in a man.”
12. Mildred Pierce – “You know, you keep on refusing me, and one of these days I’m going to start thinking you’re stubborn.”
13. The Shawshank Redemption – “Andy Dufresne – who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.”
14. Double Indemnity – “That’s a honey of an anklet you’re wearing, Mrs. Dietrichson.”
15. The Postman Always Rings Twice (Original) – “With my brains and your looks, we could go places.”
16. Chinatown – “You’re dumber than you think I think you are.”
17. Jaws – “You’re going to need a bigger boat.”
18. The Incredibles – “Well, I am sure I don’t know, darling. Luck favors the prepared.”
19. Cool Hand Luke -“What we’ve got here is… failure to communicate.”
20. Fargo – “I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.”
21. Goldfinger – “No, Mr. Bond.  I expect you to die!”
22. A Room with a View – “I don’t care what I see outside. My vision is within! Here is where the birds sing! Here is where the sky is blue!”
23. The Night of the Hunter – “A husband’s one piece of store goods you never know ’til you get it home and take the paper off.”
24. Psycho – “A boy’s best friend is his mother.”
25.  Magnum Force – “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
26. The Silence of the Lambs – “All good things to those who wait.”
27. The Shining -“Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life. I’m not gonna hurt ya. You didn’t let me finish my sentence. I said, I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’m just going to bash your brains in.”
28.  Unforgiven – “He should have armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.”
29. Dirty Harry – “Well I’m all broken up about that man’s rights.”

 

Yes, it’s an odd list – I didn’t include many of them and it does stop at 29.  If I didn’t stop there, you’d be looking at my top 50 movies.  As it stands, enjoy!

 

D

What a great start to the weekend!  My first ebook has been released today:

Kitty Wishes

An excerpt:

The letter was written on what seemed like regular copy paper that had been burned around the edges, probably to give it a more mysterious look. Sakaria Thorpe unfolded it cautiously, wondering what on earth it could be. The scent of charred paper tickled her nose as she scanned the badly written words with a growing feeling of bemusement.

Warning to the reeder of this note. Prepare yourself. You have been cursed. You will turn into a cat a dais after Halloween. Be warned. W.K.

Sakaria tossed the letter on to the blond wood of the sideboard in the dining room, and laughed out loud. Far too sensible to believe in curses, spells or witchcraft she strolled into her cozy yellow kitchen, shaking her head, her socks making no sound on the polished hardwood floor. The morning sun shone brightly through the white lace curtains, further dispelling her belief in the curse. How could she be cursed when the sun beamed so beautifully? She peeked out of her kitchen window, momentarily calmed by the view of the colorful autumn woods.

She gave an exasperated sigh as she reached for the refrigerator handle, suddenly realizing exactly who WK was. One date with the guy, one lousy, horrible date, and now this? An absurd and rambling letter? Besides, it was already four “dais” after Halloween and she wasn’t a cat yet. Apparently, the dude had trouble with time. She sighed again. He had trouble with a lot of things.

Sakaria paused, her hand on the fridge handle. Maybe she should call the police, but for what? A stupid half-burned letter that declared in a rather roundabout way she was going to turn into a cat? It was weird, but not very threatening. Best to just forget about it.

By the time she had finished breakfast and made her way to the café, she had pushed the odd letter to the back of her mind. Friday was inventory and cash reconciliation, their busiest day, and she didn’t have any time to think any further about it.

It was only when she was brushing her teeth Friday evening that the whole weird incident came rushing back to her as she met her own eyes in the mirror. Could it actually be true? No way, if it were true I’d be a damn cat by now. Stop thinking about it. People can’t cast spells on other people. Forget it! She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and finished cleaning her teeth. As a distraction, she occupied herself with a few meaningless tasks. Straightening throw pillows, rinsing dishes and scrubbing the toilet bowl. When she finally lay on her pillow, she had pushed the entire incident out of her mind.

* * * *

When Sakaria awoke the next morning she stretched lavishly, getting the sleep-kinks out of her body before opening her eyes. Somehow, that didn’t help the itchy and restless feeling that remained, even after two deep breaths. Her heart seemed to be beating unusually fast and, when she finally opened her eyes she realized that something was wrong. She was under her bed…

She blinked once and then again. Was she losing her mind? Could the tea she drank last night be a bad batch, bringing on odd behavior? Hallucinations?

Things were definitely not quite right. She didn’t seem as big as she should be. Her joints; knees, shoulders, elbows, even fingers and toes either seemed to be in the wrong place or simply non-existent. Out of the corners of her eyes she saw what looked like… guitar strings… sticking out of her face. She sneezed and the sneeze sounded muffled and small. It sounded squeaky. And somehow she could smell the raw chicken parts she’d thrown into the garbage the night before. How could that be when the garbage was in the kitchen, two rooms away?

Something was very, very wrong. She started to crawl from under the bed when she looked at her hand.

It was a chocolate-colored, furry paw.

Purchase here @ 15% off until October 31:

 

 

Yes, I’ve got the inside scoop on how to break that writer’s block. It doesn’t include sitting at the computer, banging one’s head against the keyboard, nor does it mean surf the web for other writer’s blog so you can sit and lament to yourself how much better they are than you. No, no, no. While it may feel right at the time, it does nothing to loosen up that Muse.

Don’t curse the Muse. Love the Muse and they might..MIGHT…love you back. There’s always hope, I suppose.

First things first. In order for the Muse to create, you have to bore them. I repeat. YOU.MUST.BORE.THEM.

You see , as a mother and a teacher, I’ve found that the children get into the most mischief when they have nothing to do. Treat your muse like a child. Bore them.

Get up from the computer. Leave it behind. Never mind that you’ve allotted these two hours to work. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure or you’ll kill that Muse. They’ll sit there, with a half-grin on their face and appraise you. However, they won’t give you anything you need.

Take a walk, do some dishes, vacuum the rug. Stare at a wall. Sort the mail. I bet somewhere in these boring task not only will you find something to give you that spark, but you will also bore your Muse so much, they’ll be spewing out creatively wonderful prose faster than your fingers can type.

Boredom loosens up the Muse.They can’t take the fact you aren’t gnashing your teeth in frustration and wringing your hands helplessly at their intractability.

And loosen up the Muse you must in order to write the prose that sings, that communicates everything you want to your reader. Here, you must remember that you are telling a story above all else. Enjoy the story you tell. Don’t beat yourself up to get it.

In honor of National Writing Day, I’d like to list ten reasons why I write.

1. I can make the ending suit me.
2. I enjoy creating characters and worlds for said characters.
3. It beats watching bad television.
4. It’s exercise for your brain.
5. Keeps me sharp and creative.
6. I love the written word.
7. Egoism.
8. I am a storyteller.
9. Writing challenges me – no matter how much I do it, it is still a process.
10. It is both a pleasure and a struggle.

Why do you write?   Leave your reason in the comments.  Happy National Writing Day!  🙂

Want to continue the chain?  List your own ten reasons and link back via the comment section.