Because I Drive the Jurassic Park Jeep

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted a Wrangler. I have memories of my across-the-street neighbors having a red one for a short amount of time, and I loved riding in it and couldn’t wait until I was old enough to have my own. A Wrangler was the first vehicle I bought on my own, but it was only a two door, so I had to give it up when I found out I was having a kid.

I waited patiently until I could get another one, and that patience paid off. Unfortunately, life took a turn for the worse and I had to give up the Rubicon I had bought. Still, I knew that the Jeep drought wouldn’t last forever, and—again—my patience paid off.

For my birthday, my kids bought me decals so that I could make my newest Rubicon look like the Jurassic Park Jeep. I’m a huge fan of those movies, and this allows my vehicle to be personalized and all mine. I love how it looks, and I enjoy driving it around. It’s fun to watch people scrutinize the stickers and then see their faces light up when the realize what they say. 

Because I drive the Jurassic Park Jeep, when my spouse’s dealership had a Jeep show, I knew I had to do something fun. It wasn’t enough to have the Jeep parked on the lot with the stickers, so I created games (people had to shoot the blowup dinosaurs with a dart gun) and had a giveaway (people had the chance to register for a chance to win one of two plush dinosaurs). My boys even agreed to wear the blow up dinosaur costumes (not that it took a lot of convincing)—and they had a lot of fun. 

It’s a lot of fun driving the Jurassic Park Jeep, and I want others to see just how much I enjoy it.

There were a lot of other cool Jeeps at the show, and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. 

Happy Memorial Day!

For those of you who are celebrating Memorial Day, I hope you are having an amazing day. It’s a great time to thank those who sacrificed to give us the freedoms we enjoy here in the U.S.

I am honored to have grandfathers and a grandfather-in-law serve our country. Their sacrifices and the sacrifices of all service men and women won’t be forgotten.

My maternal grandfather, Bud Lewis.

My grandfather-in-law, Dale Robinson

I’ve been able to spend this weekend with my family and relax. It’s just what I needed/wanted! I’ve been able to catch up on a few movies I’ve wanted to see too. On Friday night, my boys and I watched The Great Wall. We all really enjoyed it. Of course, if you give me monsters and action, I’m pretty happy—and this movie had just that!

On Saturday night, I got to hang out with my sister and her husband, and we watched Alien: Covenant. I liked it. I know it’s not a “traditional” Alien movie, but it was still fun to watch. My boys really want to see it, but they’re going to have to wait a few years. There are some pretty scary parts, and a few of the alien creatures are creepy as hell. I feel like I need to watch this again (and I will!) to tease out the meaning behind it.

I also get to go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with my mom, my boys, and my niece and nephew. I’m really looking forward to that. My mom has already seen the film and says it’s good, so I can’t wait to form my own opinion. Plus, Baby Groot!

In addition to spending time with my family, I’ve also been able to get some editing done. I’m rereleasing my middle grade books under Pembroke Sinclair (they were previously released under J.D. Pooker), so I’ve been rereading them and making a few corrections. Next, they’ll get new covers and be ready for the world!

All in all, it’s been an amazing weekend. I’ve had the chance to chill out and enjoy my family. Have you done anything fun and exciting? What was your weekend like?

Terminator Genisys

On Monday, the spouse and I went to see the new Terminator movie. I’ve been intrigued to see it since I saw the trailer. I wasn’t disappointed.



First of all, my movie needs are pretty simple. I like good fights and explosions. Eye candy is a plus, but having Arnie in it puts it over the top (most of the time. We could name a few of his horrible movies, but we won’t right now). I love that man. I’ve loved that man since I was a kid and watched him in the Conan movies. Which, by the way, I’m anxiously awaiting that film to come out!

However, just because it’s “simple” doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a message. They focus on our fear of technology and how we are so afraid it’s going to get out of hand and kill us. In a way, these films are equivalent to zombie films. Seriously, think about it.

The cyborgs target and kill humans, just like zombies. They don’t eat them, but they still destroy them, and they do it relentlessly and without tiring.

They were both created by science and got out of hand.

They look just like us.

They are the cause of the apocalypse, and the survivors find themselves barely scraping by and constantly hiding from the threat. While the survivors can and do fight against the cyborgs, like zombies, the humans are vastly outnumbered and suffer heavy losses.

No wonder I like these films so much.

But I digress. I had a pretty good idea what to expect going into the film because I’d seen the trailer and read a few reviews. Plus, it’s Terminator. There are four in the franchise; there aren’t a lot of surprises in the plot.

I really enjoyed how they paid homage to the original two films and created an alternate time line. One of the best ways to reinvigorate a franchise is to stay true to its roots but introduce a new aspect to it to make it appeal to new audiences. The Star Trek reboot also did this very well.

The action in the film was amazing, the special effects fantastic. The plot was what you would expect—cyborgs from the future come back to kill Sarah Connor to keep John Connor from being born and save the human race—but there are a few twists along the way.

I will definitely be adding this movie to my collection when it comes out. I have a feeling even my boys will thoroughly enjoy this film, and I can’t wait to show it to them!

Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

Self-promotion Thursday

Yesterday, I visited my mentor and friend.  He has ALS, and it's unclear how much longer he has.  At this point, his voice has been affected so he can no longer talk.  I went to see him so we could talk about my book, Life Lessons from Slasher Films, which he had a huge influence on.  He was the committee chair on my thesis committee and encouraged me to write on the Friday the 13th films, which, in turn, was expanded into this book.  In honor of this fantastic man, I would like to encourage you to check out my nonfiction book.  I couldn't have written it without his guidance and encouragement!

And don't forget, the book has met many famous people!

Movie Review Monday

My latest blog tour started last week.  I talk about the process it took to write Death to the Undead and various other tidbits about zombies.  Check them out here, here, and here.  Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing to win fabulous prizes, including signed copies of both books!

Men In Black 3 (2012)

I am a big fan of these movies.  They are funny and well written.  Plus, most of the aliens are really cool.  How could I ask for anything more?  Not to mention, Josh Brolin is one of my favorite actors, so, really, this movie had everything!

The story was basically the same as all the others:  Agent K and Agent J are protecting the world from evil aliens.  The twist in this film is that the alien, Boris, travels back in time to kill Agent K.  J has to save him.  There are some questions answered in the film, such as why K is as grumpy as he is and what happened to J's dad.  All in all, it was a great story with nice insight.  As always, it had its moments of humor, which I greatly appreciate.

If you're a fan of the Men In Black films, I recommend checking out this movie.  It was well worth watching!