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Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Horror Movie Review – Grave Encounters (2011)

Title:  Grave Encounters
Genre:  Horror, Found Footage
Director:  The Vicious Brothers
Writers:  The Vicious Brothers

NO SPOILERS

Plot Summary: (from imdb) For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted – and it might prove to be all too true.

How do much do I love watching “found footage” horror movies? I don’t know why…it’s a strange addiction indeed. Something about the first person perspective, the shaky cam and the odd angles appeal to me.

As a huge fan of those ghost hunter shows – I’m looking at you Ghost Adventures and Ghost Brothers – I was especially eager to see this film. Cynical “ghost hunters” who will pay people to say they’ve seen a ghost? Check. “Haunted” insane asylum? Check. Found footage? Whooo, baby! We got ourselves a movie!

Do not come to this movie expecting high art, a never-before seen twist or some other movie technique that will blow you out of the water. This movie is a horror movie, designed to scare you. It’s like those live haunted house experiences. You know something is going to jump out at you, it’s just a matter of when and how gross it’s going to look.

The plot is basic. Ghost hunters lock themselves in overnight to experience all that a haunted asylum has to offer. And boy, do they so get what they think they’re looking for. The movie begins with a producer explaining the found footage and how it mysteriously appeared, blah blah. You know the whole set up….now let’s get to the haunting!!

Don’t expect much from film angles and the like. This is found footage and surveillance camera footage. Most of it is in glowy black and white and shaky cam. However, when I compare it to other found footage movies, it’s pretty good! The jump scares aren’t over-done and there’s some serious creepy stuff going on.

For a good fright, watch this with the lights off and with no distractions. Being a scaredy-cat, I had to watch it in the morning, but I was still scared.

Don’t think too much about the how and why of the movie. Just let go and enjoy the ride!

I am not posting the trailer as I usually do, because it gives far too much of the movie away. Just watch it!


Filed Under: Blogtoberfest, Horror Movie Reviews, Movies--Books--Music--Television Tagged: black girl nerds, blerd, blogtoberfest, dahlia dewinters, found footage, ghost adventures, ghost hunting, grave encounters, haunted asylum, horror movie review, horror movies, movie review, scary movies

3 Vacation Horror Movies

Vacation! Hurray, right? Who doesn’t love going on vacation? it’s a time to relax, have a good time, and drink fruity drinks on the beach or beside the pool. Traveling to a different country, a different atmosphere, it’s enough to give anyone peace of mind, right?

But….things can go horribly wrong, even on a wonderful vacation. You only have to check out these films to see what could possibly happen.

Aftershock:

A film starring Eli Roth, the mastermind behind the wonderfully gross Cabin Fever. Here, he and his friends take a vacation to Chile, where of course they want to party and drink. All the fun goes to hell, however, when there’s an earthquake and the physical infrastructure of the city falls apart around them.

Not a great movie, but it’s a different enough disaster film to keep you interested. I was brought up on disaster movies like Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, and the (original) Poseidon Adventure that I was able to enjoy this effort with “the young folks”. Get some popcorn and have some fun.

Turistas:

I’ve seen this film titled also as Turistas: Go Home, so don’t be put off if you see either title. Again, a group of young people go on vacation to Brazil on what was supposed be a fun vacation. Instead a bus accident maroons them somewhere and well, bad things happen. Again, the premise is interesting, the setting of the jungles of Brazil is lush and beautiful, and of course some of those friends on vacation don’t make it out alive.

Fun fact: The director of this movie, John Stockwell, played the “best friend” in the movie “Christine” based on a Stephen King novel.

The Ruins:

Ah, The Ruins. One of the creepiest, crawliest movies I’ve ever seen. I might be extra squeamish, but I really can’t watch every scene of the film: some of the sequences are too much for me. Take from that what you will. However, this film, which is based on a book by Scott Smith (who also wrote the book A Simple Plan), centers around, you guessed it, a group of friends on vacation. They leave a perfectly good resort to go into some jungle to see some Mayan ruins. And, well, they got ruined.


Filed Under: Blogtoberfest, Uncategorized Tagged: blogtoberfest, dahlia dewinters, film review, horror, horror movie review, vacation horror movies

Five Fail-Proof Ways to Counter Criticism

Criticism is part of our daily lives. Whether it’s about what we wear, what we watch, what we look like—there is someone out there to point fingers and offer unsolicited advice. Even on the advertisements we see, especially on Facebook, people have taken it upon themselves to let the model exactly how they feel about (usually) her appearance and what she looks like. In an atmosphere like this, its nearly impossible to avoid the harsh words of others. So, the aim is not to avoid it, but how to address it?

As a writer with entertainment words “out there” for all to see, criticism is a daily part of our lives. Amazon, Goodreads, and book review blogs are there to tell us what we’ve done right and what we’ve done wrong. To be honest, it is difficult to read how someone doesn’t like a story or a character near and dear to our hearts, but over my career as an author, I’ve picked up quite a few tips relevant for both the “author life” and real life. Read on to see how I cope with criticism.

Words which tell us our efforts are either not good enough or not appreciated are difficult to hear. However, the first thing to do what we perceive as harsh words is to do the following:

1. Listen and Analyze – Before shutting down in the face of words we might not want to hear, really listen to what the speaker is saying. Is the critique relevant? Finding little nuggets of advice in what may seem to be a personal attack is difficult, but often if we listen calmly and think about what is being said, we can see the validity behind it.

2. Don’t take it personally – Yes, it hurts. We created this project, whether it be an outfit, a story, or even a cake, and it is our little creation. Of course, it’s going to sting when someone points out something wrong with it. However, bite the bullet, swallow the pride and do #3.

3. Ask Questions – If the criticism is coming from a place of caring, i.e. the person delivering the message is doing so in a sincere effort to make us look better, then we should take the time to breathe and ask the person to elaborate. Perhaps the words seemed harsh at first glance, but when we give the person time to explain, we may see the value of their opinions.

4. Consider the Source – I touched on this a bit in #3. If the critique is coming from someone we could care less about, brush it off. Don’t let the harsh words of others who are not invested in your well-being to dampen your creative spirit.

5. Manage your reaction – This probably should have been both first and last because it’s so important. Many of us tend to beat ourselves up for past mistakes, past missteps, and things we simply can’t change. The same with criticism. Criticism is hurtful, let’s be real. No matter how hard we work, there will be something wrong with what we’ve done—we are not perfect. Therefore, if someone offers us some helpful hints on our work, take them. We shouldn’t apply them to what we’ve already done: we can’t change that, but we should use it going forward.

Above all, and this should be the greatest takeaway: don’t stop creating. Keep on keeping on. Criticism will not kill you, thus do not allow it to kill the creative spark and/or the drive to “do” within you. Remember, every single person walking this lovely Earth has a different way of looking at things. We, as artists, and as human beings, need to seek out people who will support us as well as gently help us to go in the right direction. This is how you thrive as an artist as well as a person!

Tell me, what are some ways you counter criticism?  Do you ignore the person? Snap back? Does it have an effect on how you perceive yourself, or do you just brush it off and go?  Let me know in the comments!

 

 

D


Filed Under: Blogging, Uncategorized Tagged: black creatives, criticism, dahlia dewinters

Meet the Author: Dahlia DeWinters

Hey all!

I had an interview with Harper Miller sometime last year, and I wanted to share it with you on the blog.  Enjoy!

1.  If you had an evil doppelganger, what detail would they enjoy revealing about you to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?

First of all, if my doppelganger is really evil, then folks better watch out. The first she would say, the evil thing, is that I read Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier fan-fiction. Not sure if that’s super questionable, but, yeah.

2. How important is word of mouth (online and IRL) when it comes to supporting women-led small businesses?

It’s very important, and I think, more important than paid advertisement. Word of mouth is true endorsement. Nothing sells a product or a service better than the testimonial of a person who has actually used the product or service.

3. Do you have a writing mentor?

Yes, I do have a writing mentor/accountability partner. Although we just “met” a few months ago, she has changed my writing life for the absolute better.

4. What’s the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind that makes it difficult to grasp the reality that the event occurred?

The election of our current presidentm #45. ‘Nuff said.

5. What was your mindset back in high school?

Honestly, my mindset was to try to be everyone’s friend. A real people pleaser. Now? Not so much. In fact, not at all.

6. When was the last time you embraced your kid like wonder and went exploring?

Because I have children, this makes it easy to do. I took them down to the “brook” where I used to go as a child. They, of course, were a little unimpressed, but I was glad I went, and hopefully, they’ll remember it!

7. If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I would believe in my writing more. Instead of dismissing it as “a fad” I would have finished a story and sent it off somewhere. Right now, I feel like I’m playing catch-up!

8. What was the last five-star Romance you read?

Wow. The last five-star romance I read? I can’t choose! I do enjoy historical romance, books by Lisa Kleypas and Mary Balogh.

9. If you could have your own reality TV show, what would it be?

Shirtless men in a piano-playing competition. Categories: Classical, Jazz, and mid-20th century American Songbook. Tie breaking Category: 80s music.

10. If you were immortal for a day, what would you do?

Probably try that DeathWish coffee and three espresso shots.

Bonus: Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?

Yes. Now, if I were a top or bottom, that’s a story for another day. 😉

***************************************************
Bio:
Dahlia DeWinters was born to run, but she’s too tired for all of that now. Instead of debating the politics of dancing, she writes multi-genre stories that celebrate the Black woman in all her diverse beauty. Her work ranges from sentimental romances to dark zombie epics. Whatever the story, there will always be a unique heroine in the eye of the storm. Sometimes she will be the storm. Coffee, music, and movies keep her motivated, along with the occasional purchase of mascara and lipstick. In her spare time, she enjoys digital graphic design, crocheting and of course, reading.

For more information about upcoming books, visit her website at dahliadewinters.com.

Newsletter sign-up: news.dahliadewinters.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/854283651419880/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dahliadwrites/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DahliaDeWinters

 


Filed Under: Blogging Tagged: author interview, dahlia dewinters, romance author

Old Characters Made New

nile / Pixabay

Sometimes it’s okay to look back. I’m doing an author’s challenge on Instagram, and day 12 asked me about my protagonist. Now, I’m currently working on three stories, editing and updating them for publication. Not such bad work, especially since I’ve been living with these characters for a while. I do best with writing when I’m the most familiar with my characters, at least for a few months. I guess I’ll never be that writer who can pump out a new book every month, and I’m okay with that. I’m working with characters I’ve “known” since 2011-2012

For those of you who have read Second Chance Christmas, know that Naomi and Zach had a story before their Christmas story. Yep. They were the very first story that I submitted for publication. Unfortunately, it was rejected. I then wrote Kitty Wishes, and I never went back to the story. However, I ran upon it on my vast Google Drive, dusted it off, and decided to try to publish it. I mean, why not? It was over 90 pages of Naomi/Zach that I didn’t want to go to waste.

The story shows how bubbly and rather scatterbrained Naomi is, and I think that lends a fun aspect to their relationship. Plus it was fun to write and I’m having fun revisiting it.

Because I’ve been revising this story so intensely, I started to think a little more about Naomi, what makes her tick and how she and

Zach got together. So, as I said,as part of this author’s challenge, I created a mood board that represent what Naomi is all about. Check it out:

I always thought of Naomi as a poor little rich girl. Her parents gave her everything she wanted except attention. She went to the best schools, but never got a direction in which she wanted to go. She suffers from depression, and if you’ve read Second Chance Christmas, you know what that resulted in. If you haven’t read the story, it will be made clear in the new book.

I really enjoy working with Naomi. She’s young, kinda gullible, but always ready to look on the bright side of things. She’s sweet, empathetic, and always willing to help out. On the other hand, she is prone to depression and while she might wish for a companion, she doesn’t want to burden anyone with her problems. I’m sure there is a little of Naomi in all of us at on time or another.

I look forward to putting out the new and revised story sometime next month.


Filed Under: Blogging, Tuesdays Tagged: author, dahlia dewinters, geek girl, multicultural romance, writer, writing

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