Too Scary, Didn't Watch + Runaway Princesses + Jeopardy!
May I recommend
As discussed previously, I am a scaredy cat, but also a curious cat, which means when I hear about a horror movie I immediately head to Wikipedia to read the summary because I will never watch it, but I do NEED TO KNOW whether the children are actually ghosts, the source of the mummy’s curse and what happens to the Babadook.
Imagine my delight when I discovered a few weeks ago that there is a podcast created for people just like me— people who are Too Scared and therefore Didn’t Watch… I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised. There is a podcast for people who really love pens; another devoted to bats — flying mammal, not baseball — and one investigating whatever happened to McDonalds pizza — that one has 290 episodes and still hasn’t cracked the case!
Anyway, TSDW as us insiders call it, is a delightful podcast where three friends talk about scary movies, except only one friend (Sammy, who is brave ) has actually watched the movies. Her two baby-lala pals then spend about an hour listening to her give a blow by blow account of every significant scene in the movie, while they react to what they’re hearing. Listen, when I tell you that this is exactly what I want in a podcast, I am not joking. Sammy gives detailed recaps, with Henley or Emily interrupting to get more info when they — and often I — need it — “How old was that child?” —“Was it a knife, or more of a scythe?” etc. Sometimes, at particularly tense scenes, one of the listeners will say “No, no, no, don’t go in there,” as a character is about to investigate the noise in the basement/creepy thicket/rural Sweden at midsummer.
There is a bit of chitchat at the beginning of the recap, which I find charming, but can be skipped. Sometimes they have guests to help them, but often it’s just my three para-social friends, telling me about their battles with bees, weddings and other adventures. Then they jump into the recap.
Now listen, I am a terrible, frightened wimp, and sometimes the recaps are too scary for me… I started listening to the one about “It” and had to stop - evil sewer clowns attacking bullied children was a bridge too far. I skipped The Strangers, because watching the trailer many years ago gave me nightmares… Speaking of nightmares, I have also had to impose a strict “Only listen before noon,” rule because I have discovered if I listen later in the day, like Freddy Kruger himself, the podcast invades my sleep and can give me nightmares.
If you’re intrigued, I’d recommend starting with the episode The Lodge. I was so taken with that one, that I spent an entire dinner giving my husband and child the full recap of the recap I had just heard. They started out making fun of me for being so obsessed, and when, half way through telling them everything about the movie (which, to be clear, I have never seen) I asked them if I should stop. “Go on!” They yelled. I had them hooked — just like “The Grinder” got Dan Stevens in The Apostle — or so I hear…
Runaway princesses
The Fugitive Princesses of Dubai
A fascinating, real life story of kidnapping and escape with heartbreaking results.
Far out on the Arabian Sea one night in February, 2018, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, the fugitive daughter of Dubai’s ruling emir, marvelled at the stars. The voyage had been rough. Since setting out by dinghy and Jet Ski a few days before, she had been swamped by powerful waves, soaking the belongings she’d stowed in her backpack; after clambering aboard the yacht she’d secured for her escape, she’d spent days racked with nausea as it pitched on the swell. But tonight the sea was calmer, and she felt the stirring of an unfamiliar sensation. She was free.
Jeopardy Mystery
The Search for the Missing Jeopardy! Tapes is Over
This is a juicy story and brings in — you know I love it — a lost archive finally revealing the truth.
In 1986, Barbara Lowe Vollick won five games of ‘Jeopardy!’ in a row. Her episodes were then taken out of circulation. What followed was a nearly 40-year hunt for the missing tapes—and a quest to find out what really happened between the show and its most enigmatic champion
Real life ghost story
The Elusive Maddening Mystery of the Bell Witch
Maybe this is Too Scary, Didn’t Read, but it’s an interesting story about a series of hauntings.
According to Ingram, a mysterious series of events began to befall a prosperous farmer named John Bell in 1817. The Bell homestead was in Red River, Tennessee, an hour north of Nashville, near the Kentucky border in what is now the town of Adams. John and his wife Lucy had six children, including a daughter named Betsy who was 12 years old when the troubles began. One night in fall 1817, John Bell was walking through his corn field when he came across a strange animal, unlike any he’d ever seen. Assuming it was some kind of dog, he shot at it and it fled. Other disquieting events followed: His son Drew saw a strange bird soon thereafter, and Betsy reported seeing the body of a young girl in a green dress hanging from the trees in the forest nearby.
Book Stuff
Awards
Absolutely THRILLED that THE FOULEST THINGS was short-listed for the Crime Writers of Canada Howard Engel Award for Best Crime Novel Set in Canada.
I’m up against some great books, so if you’ve read The Foulest Things and are looking for other murder mysteries, why not scope out my competition?
A. J. Devlin, Five Moves of Doom, NeWest Press
S. M. Freedman, Blood Atonement, Dundurn Press
Joanne Jackson, A Snake in the Raspberry Patch, Stonehouse Publishing
Maureen Jennings, Cold Snap, Cormorant Books
Events
Had a busy few weeks, including an extremely fun interview with my favourite book podcast, Strong Sense of Place at the Newburyport Literary Festival, a great time at the wonderful Rural Roots: Small Branches Library Conference in Arnprior and a bustling book signing at my local bookstore, The Spaniel’s Tale to celebrate Independent Book Store Day.
Book Clubs
I do ‘em and am happy to show up or Zoom in to talk about any of my three books with your book club. I usually like to allot about an hour and normally I show up about 45 minutes into the book club so that everyone can get caught up on the gossip and have a good chat before I arrive. It’s fun. I have lots of things to talk about if you are shy. Send me an email if you want to set something up!
Buy my books!
TikTok
Niche Canadian content
Do you want to talk about Thanksgiving
There will be religious undertones
I am very happy for the UK (I guess?) but I don’t want Charles on my Canadian money!
This parrot is a weirdo
Granola Grandma Summer
He got there
Talk dirty to me
Happy cow content
Early at the airport girlies
Savage hunters
What was it???
Could a plant identify a murderer?
I love this German mother
Their Latvian general
Hiding it pretty well
Why is this so funny?
This child did not come to play
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