What is your book, Shadow Game, about?
Shadow Game focuses on the world of covert operations. It centers on a CIA field operative named Elle Anderson, who along with her small but elite team, deal with missions and targets that prove impossible for everyone else. In this debut, Elle and her team have been tasked to destroy the world’s most dangerous terrorist organization. Starting in Iraq, they start a chain of events that will go well beyond anything they could have anticipated. For Elle, the end justifies the means. And this is just the beginning.  

What inspired this story?  
While entirely fictional, Shadow Game and its characters are inspired by real life. My very active imagination drew from a myriad of experiences spanning almost 20 years in military intelligence, but in the end, it came down to one event. I was in a convoy in Iraq, and as it turned down a particularly dark and narrow street lined with what appeared to be abandoned buildings, all the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I gripped my M4 a little tighter, and felt my heart rate increase. Everything about our surroundings said “ambush.” Luckily, we made it through and to our final location without incident, but it made me wonder, “What if?” That simple question, combined with the feelings of the moment eventually became a scene in my head. Years later, that scene and the feeling from that night would be the inspiration that set me in motion to create the Elle Anderson series.

Tell us a little about you, who is A.M. Adair? 
I am an active duty Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Navy, and a happily married mother of 2.  I also love dogs and consider myself fluent in multiple dialects of nerd.  I will retire from the Navy in 2022.

How can we read Shadow Game and the rest of the “Elle Anderson Series”?
Both Shadow Game (Book 1), and The Deeper Shadow (Book 2) are available through Amazon.com in Paperback, Kindle, and Audible formats.  Shadow War (Book 3) should be out at the end of 2021.

Purchase Links:

• Shadow Game (Paperback, Amazon Kindle)
• The Deeper Shadow (Paperback, Amazon Kindle)

The Batman is coming and I couldn’t be more excited. Robert Pattinson will be taking the cowl in Matt Reeves’ more down to earth gritty version of the character. And with a new take on Bruce Wayne/Batman, that also means that we’ll get an all new supporting cast of characters. Some awesome actors were already announced and in the teaser trailer, including Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, but Batman has such a rich cast of supporting characters so I’,m hoping we will see a lot more familiar faces from the comics. And with rumors that The Batman is the first movie in a new trilogy, Reeves’ will have time to flesh out Gotham City and all of its supporting players.

It is time to see Vicky Vale again! She was portrayed memorably by Kim Basinger in Batman ’89, but sadly was underused when she didn’t return for any of the sequels. With Batman rumored to be in his second year, it would make sense for one of Gotham City’s best journalists to be on the case. I like the idea of Vale being older than Bruce, so Naomi Watts would add a new layer to the character while still being able to have a great chemistry and back and forth with Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne.

A gritty reinvention also offers the chance to bring new life into Dick Greyson/Robin/Nightwing. Zac Efron looks the part, and I’m shocked that he hasn’t been a superhero yet. Sure, Pattinson is only a year older than Efron, but I don’t think Bruce being a kid’s ward and endangering him by training him to be Robin works in a more realistic take on the characters. So why not make them partners? Both are forged by tragedy, but Wayne has the resources that Greyson needs. I really hope that we see some of the Batman Family in the new movies. 

And the same goes for Stephanie Brown. Emma Stone looks the part and showed in Cruella that she can hold her own. Carmine Falcone, portrayed by John Turturro, has been confirmed for The Batman, so we know the mob ties into whatever story is unfolding. So adding a vengeful Brown as Spoiler would fit right in. Is she a friend or a foe? Does she take things too far causing her to come face to face with Batman and/or Nightwing? 

Another way to expand the family would be to introduce Luke Fox, aka Batwing. Derek Luke looks the part and is a fantastic actor. I’m honestly tired of the same supporting casts and characters series to series, so I think I’d just replace Lucius Fox with Luke. Morgan Freeman was brilliant as Fox, so why rehash the character or arc. Luke Fox could be Bruce’s right hand at Wayne Corp, maybe he is in on Bruce’s secret and makes sure he is well equipped and has backup ready in the form of Batwing.  

With Andy Serkis as Alfred, maybe it is a good time to introduce his daughter, special agent Penny Pennyworth, and would would be better to portray her than Imogen Poots? This vibes well with a younger Batman Family and gives Alfred a little more to do. Not only is the man he loves as a son putting his life in danger every night, but his estranged daughter is as well.  

What supporting characters would you like to see in The Batman and it’s sequels?

There are so many horror flicks available on Tubi TV that it can be overwhelming. We’re going to take a look at 3 of the indie horror flicks that are available to watch right now from your computer or living room!

Pungo – A Witch’s Tale
Director: Philip J. Cook
Starring: Mark Hyde, Matthew Sharpe, Cathryn Benson, Conor Marsh, Morgan Flanagan.
Description: A burned-out ex-Navy SEAL and an emotionally damaged firefighter work together as handymen in rural Virginia. Things turn surreal when a renovation job becomes a journey to another world to rescue their client from a witch bent on revenge. (Source: Philip J Cook)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

The Killing Death
Director: Ian Russell
Starring: Jeremy Dangerfield, Tyhr Trubiak, Neil Reimer, Stephen Washen, Veronica Ternopolski, Darren Felbel, Caley Gibson, David Annandale, Jay Van Deventer, Christine Leong.
Description: Chicago Phil travels through his past relations butchering them in horrific ways. Frank, a veteran cop leads Jimmy through his first case trying to piece together the seemingly unrelated crimes. The two paths converge in hilarious fashion through inept bungling on both sides. (Source: Zellco Entertainment)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

They Live Inside Us
Director: Michael Ballif
Starring: James Morris, Hailey Nebeker, Stevie Dutson, Emily Broschinsky, Jack Beck, Thomas Morris, Shelby Thomas, Emily Ashby, Jake Watters
Description: Follows the story of Jake, a man consumed with writer’s block after the recent loss of his wife. In hope of finding inspiration for his next project, he takes his daughter Dani to spend Halloween night in the notoriously haunted Booth House- a legendary place, shrouded in mystery, which has laid vacant for years. Jake soon discovers there is something sinister lurking inside, and that he is now being consumed by his own horror story. (Source: Gravitas Ventures)
Click here to watch on Tubi TV

What horror movies have you been watching on Tubi TV? Share your recommendations/links in the comments and with us on Twitter!

What is your book, A Season To Avenge, about?
Fans of Harry Bosh, Death Wish, The Equalizer or Dirty Harry will love this book! It is an intense and emotional crime fiction thriller about a retired detective turned vigilante who will stop at nothing to hunt down the killer of his best friend’s son.

Jack Wilson is a retired detective in California with extensive experience as an investigator. He has a perfect life until his best friend’s son is murdered while inadvertently interrupting a home burglary. The police investigate the case, but find no obvious leads and the case subsequently stalls. Jack is compelled to start looking into the case and is immediately warned by the lead homicide investigator stop or face criminal charges. Jack now has to decide if he is willing to forfeit the ethical and legal principles he has followed his entire career and risk the likely consequences.
 
The search leads him to a career criminal and his protégé who are on a vicious drug fueled crime spree that is spiraling out of control. Working alone, Jack must not only try to outmaneuver the lead detective whose intuition tells her Jack is running a parallel investigation, but also attempt to catch the killer. Through the use of unfamiliar and unconventional methods, Jack undertakes a relentless journey attempting to find and bring the killer to his own version of justice.

What inspired A Season To Avenge?
The story came to me years ago and once I started writing, the book wrote itself. The content of my writing draws directly from my imagination, coupled with experiences during my 35-year law enforcement career. I spent the majority of that time as a detective and as a detective supervisor. Mark Twain once said, “Write what you know.” I happen to take that quote literally, and this is a world I know extremely well. My book is entertaining and engaging. It’s infused with incredible detail that bring the reader into the fascinating world of crime, policing, and the criminal justice system in a unique way.

Tell us a little about you. Who is Russ J. Taylor?
I grew up in Southern California and enjoy the beaches, mountains, and the extraordinary climate. I write books simply out of pure enjoyment and I do not benefit financially in any way. I donate 100% of the proceeds from all of my books to the Los Angeles Mission, an organization I have supported for decades. This wonderful charity provides help, hope, and opportunity to men, women, and children in need.

How can we read A Season To Avenge?
My novel is currently on sale in an e-book/Kindle format for only 0.99 cents  It’s available on Amazon. My second novel, Return To Avenge, will be available on Amazon in just a few days, on September 1, 2021. While it’s the second book in the series, it’s a standalone book. 

Purchase Links:

• Amazon (Kindle)
• Amazon (Paperback)

It is almost Halloween season again! In anticipation of the scariest time of the year, lets present three independent movies that you can watch online for free! Last month we looked at 3 crime movies and in June we looked at 3 documentaries.

The Stalker
Official Description: The man only known as the Stalker, is looking for the Hamilton’s, and is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. Embark on this horror, mystery, thrill ride, that takes you back to the classic films of the genre. (IMDB)
Watch Online

Creature From Cannibal Creek
Official Description: A group of cold-blooded cannibals keep people in cages until they’re ready to be butchered. One of the captives escapes, but dies in the surrounding forest. Nature soon takes a hand, reviving the former captive and turning him into a marauding beast. (IMDB)
Watch Online

Frances Stein
Official Description: Frances Stein is a brilliant scientist gone mad for all the right reasons — she’s lost her marriage, her job, and her reputation. Now she has plans for her ex-husband and his new wife that will mess with their minds. Literally. (IMDB)
Watch Online

What type of movies that you can watch online for free do you want us to spotlight here?

In the past we have spotlighted the indie horror flick Char Man from producer/director Kipp Tribble. Recently, we got the chance to exchange messages about the new horror film he produced and co-wrote titled The Stay.

Who?
Myself and Scott Hamm wrote and produced the film, with Scott making his directorial debut. Charles Huddleston was our other producer as well as our cinematographer. Scott and I both also star in the film, alongside Nija Okoro, Rob Mayes, and Michele Martin. We also had a fantastic crew and would like to put a spotlight on Robert Felsted, Jr., Ezequiel Garcia Lopez, Ryan Bounphasaysol, and Jaclyn Lopez. They were rockstars during production and we couldn’t have done this without them. In the end, we were happy to receive several offers for distribution, and ultimately assigned North American rights to Gravitas Ventures. Distribution for the rest of the world is being handled by Cardinal XD.

What?
Here is the short synopsis… When Hayden (Scott Hamm) realizes his marriage to Misha (Michele Martin) is slowly falling apart, he organizes a secluded couples’ weekend with best friend, Chris (Rob Mayes), and his wife, Nora (Nija Okoro). Though it starts off as a relaxing getaway, they soon encounter an odd caretaker named Bo-Lee (Kipp Tribble) on the property. The vacationing group become increasingly suspicious of Bo-Lee and his possible sinister motives, all while a dangerous secret begins to surface.

Where?
About 90% of the film takes place at a secluded Airbnb style rental. It is surrounded by hiking trails and open property, all tended to by the caretaker, Bo-Lee. In reality, we actually filmed at three different locations. The main house was in Aqua Dulce, California, a bit north of Los Angeles, and that had the house, barn, trailer, and horses you see in the movie. The hiking scenes were filmed on a different property not too far from that location. And the scenes set at Hayden’s house and Chris’ garage/backyard, were both filmed at Scott’s mom’s house a few miles south of Los Angeles.

When?
We filmed the movie in early 2020… as in the first day of filming was on January 2nd! There was a very tight window for when everyone would be available, so we braved the cold temperatures and went to work, finishing up near the end of the second week of January. Thankfully we got the film in the can and into post production before the world shut down in March of 2020, but the pandemic did delay our post process a bit. The film was released for rent or purchase in North America on March 16, 2021, and just became available on Amazon Prime on June 18th. Our international release is coming soon.

Why?
The original idea for the story started because Scott had rented an Airbnb, and thought the process was so easy that you could just rent a property and pretty much do anything in it without prying eyes. Scott and I had worked on a couple of films previously and were looking to do another one together, particularly in the thriller genre. So he came to me with this idea and an outline of characters that are like people most of us know or have in our lives. They were relatable and so were some of the issues they were dealing with… whether it be relationship trouble, unsuccessful attempts at becoming parents, general insecurities, jealousy, or even dealing with an inappropriate weirdo. We set about building a script based on those initial ideas, while leaning into the thriller aspects.

How?
People can find The Stay for rent through most cable VOD services, as well as streaming services such as Prime, FandangoNow, Vudu, iTunes/AppleTV, GooglePlay, YouTube Movies, Hoopla, Microsoft Xbox, Vimeo, and more. It is also available on DVD through online stores such as Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.

Rent/Purchase Online:

• Amazon Prime
• Fandango
• Google Play
• iTunes
• Vimeo
• YouTube

Purchase on DVD/Blu-ray:

• Best Buy
• Amazon

Last month we spotlighted three documentaries from Indie Rights Movies that you can watch online for free, but the indie film distribution company has a lot more genres of movies to watch for free. Today let’s take a look at three of their crime flicks.

May I Kill U?
Official Description: A Banksy-style vigilante cycles round London killing scumbags. In their last moments, filmed and posted on social media, they agree to die: WTF! Is this a hoaxer? Hero? Or psycho? (YouTube)
Watch Online

S’ids Lake
Official Description: After appearing to kill a teenage girl, Sid, a scarred up boy since birth, creates an alter ego of a handsome confident boy to protect himself from accusations. (YouTube)
Watch Online

The Cain Complex
Official Description: Mateo suffers from PTSD and is prone to hallucinations. He is alone when his home is invaded by four heavily-armed, masked men. With his wife and children due back within hours, this all makes for one hellish night of mental and physical combat. (YouTube)
Watch Online