All Posts By

MidnightSocietyErica

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ACTOR INTERVIEW: Lotta Losten is the Goldilocks of antique popcorn bowls

Everyone, we're joined via Chat by none other than creative genius, actor, and one of my favorite humans, LOTTA LOSTEN! Good afternoon Lotta! Lotta Losten (LL): Hello!!! Thank you so much letting me drag you into this chat room. LL: It’s my pleasure! I have wanted to pick your brain ever since I showed your original Lights Out short film to my writing students. LL: I remember that you told us that you showed it to your students when all of that happened and it made us SO happy! Pick away! I'm honored. Yes! A few of them were struggling with brevity in thei[...]

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Everything I need to know about social distancing I learned from M. Night Shyamalan

Social distancing may not be everyone's personal favorite, but my entire life has led to this. Don't get me wrong. I am outgoing. I can be very loud. I even love hosting parties of somewhere between twelve to fourteen people. But I'm still very much an introvert. It just takes me thirteen thousand bajillion trillion times as long to decompress and recoup from things. However, I'm related by lots of blood to lots outgoing extroverts and have made them watch A LOT of movies with me. Mostly during one of my M. Night Shyamalan-a-thons. And I have learned SO MA[...]

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Pet Sematary opens tomorrow: An Essay

  Overview An adaptation of Stephen King's Pet Sematary opens in theaters tomorrow and nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Noooooope. Nope. Cast & Crew Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nopity nope nope nope. Nope.Nope nope nope nopity nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope...nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope. Nope nope nope. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. Nope. Adaptation Nope nope nope nope nope nope. Nope nope? Nope! Nope. Nope-nope.Nope nope nope nope nope nope. Nope.Nope. Nope. Nope nope n[...]

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Book Review: Suee and the Shadow by Ginger Ly & Molly Park

I recently came across Ginger Ly and Molly Park's debut graphic novel Suee and the Shadow and oh, my heart, where has this book been all my life? As some of you recall, I absolutely judge books by the cover. So let's talk about Suee and the Shadow's cover. The first thing I noticed was the white on shadow face. This shadow is up to NO GOOD AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY. Next is that chilling contrast of the blood red lettering against an indigo background. The trend of claw-like branches on middle grade covers is one I hope stays forever and ever and ever.[...]

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Illustrator Interview: Eric Orchard Can Eat a Metric Ton of JellyBellies

The Davis Girl (TDG): Everyone, I am overjoyed to welcome illustrator and author Eric Orchard. Hello, and good day sir.  Eric Orchard (EO): Good morning! TDG: Yes. Good morning. Are you ready for this, Eric Orchard? EO: Yep! TDG: First, who is the awesome cat in your profile picture? It has a pipe and there's a moon and it's awesome.  EO: Ohhhh! That’s a bat often mistaken for a cat! It’s Inky from Maddy Kettle. In the book he’s a bat who guides Maddy through the ancient bat kingdom under the Arizona desert to the Thimble Witch’s house on a Mesa[...]

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Book Review: THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE by Stephanie Perkins

First Impressions I have always judged books by their covers so it was no surprise to me that Stephanie Perkins's There's Someone Inside Your House was an instant YES. There's a lot I love about this cover, but my hearteyes were first sewn to three things: That hint-of-late-eighties neon pink projection lettering. How some of the words are broken across the stairs and railing (why do those creeps in the movies always go upstairs when they're alone? Constant disappointment. My fellow screenwriters could know better. You don't go upstairs. You wait for the[...]

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Author Interview: Tom Torre Loves D&D & Pizza & Whiskey

The Davis Girl (TDG): Everyone, I am joined via Google Hangouts by fellow snack-loving, D&D playing, Dungeon Master himself, author Tom Torre. Welcome Tom! TOM TORRE (TT): Pleasure to be chatting with ya! TDG: Fun fact, I might have screamed when I saw your tweet about "Dungeons And Drafting"  but what in the world *is* it and why does it sound so amazing? TT: Dungeons and Drafting is this bizarre concept I had been dabbling with for the last few years that has finally come to life! It's basically taking four awesome authors, throwing them together[...]

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TW: Grief (so I’m rearranging my bookshelves)

TW: Grief, death. TL, DR: Mom's still dead and books make me happy. It's coming up on a year since my mom died and I Am Doing Okay I Think™️. Of course there are bad days, like yesterday, when I was already worn out from last week's move, had some Prickly and Mysterious Sassiness, multiplied by a suspected gluten-trigger...when I reached for my cell to call Mom. If only we had that good of coverage. But then, Future Erica, who is much more adjusted than I am, reminded me of something my grief counselor (GC) told me: Nature abhors a vacuum (Aristotl[...]

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Book Cover Review: THE GIRL AND THE GROVE by Eric Smith

As a visual and tactile learner, I judge books by their cover. And fifty percent of the time it works. Every time. Eric Smith's The Girl and the Grove was no exception. Since filming, I am halfway through the story and am happy to report that Eric Smith delivers what Jake Nordby's cover design promises. Tenfold. The Girl and the Grove is earthy, honest, and mysterious. And even though the bullies give me the jibblies, I have a hunch they'll get their comeuppance or redemption as I go. Special thanks to Eric Smith and Flux Books for donating this gem to o[...]