Written by Erica Rose Jackson You can already get my latest release in paperback or hardcover, but I'm saving the eBook for Halloween. Please, enjoy the first chapter from Danger Lies in the Dark. Chapter 1 The Assignment A news report flashed across the screen and the anchor shared: “The world came to a sudden halt today in the small town of Amsterdam, New York where a giant hole appeared from Main St to Front St spanning across Voorhees to John St. Onlookers reported that a team of five went down into the hole to investigate, but hours have passed and no one has returned to the surface. We’ll give you more information on this once it becomes available to us. Remember, we only share the facts.” Adira ‘Addy’ turned off the broadcast just as her phone rang, “Krajewski?” she answered.
“Addy, this is Sophie,” her boss began, “I’m sure you’ve already heard about the incident in Amsterdam,” she paused for a reaction from Addy. “Yes ma’am,” Addy replied, “I just watched the news report.” Sophie went on, “I’ve gotten you assigned to this one since its your hometown. You are to report to the old Amerstdam Mall tomorrow morning to meet with the research team. Any questions?” “Who’s the lead scientist on the case?” Addy responded, hoping her boss would say any name but the one flashing through her mind. Sophie inhaled before she gave Addy her answer, “It’s Dr. Paul Owens.” “Understood,” Addy said as she ended the call and sat back, her thoughts racing back to one of the million memories she shared with Dr. Paul Owens. “Are you enjoying the game, Addy?” Owens asked as the Yankees entered the seventh inning stretch with a significant lead on the Red Sox. She turned to face him, wearing a large smile across her lips, “Of course I am. We’re kicking their butts!” she exclaimed as she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his lips, running one hand into the grey curls on the back of his neck. “I’m glad,” he replied, his subtle NY accent slipping through, one of the things Addy loved most about him. She caught something in his blue/grey eyes she hadn’t ever seen before, an emotion she couldn’t place, “What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours?” she asked. She and Paul had been seeing each other for the past two years and she never imagined she could love someone as much as she loved him. He gestured for her to look at the jumbotron where it read, “Adira Krajewski, will you be my wife?” The words were replaced by the image of her and Paul. When she turned back to face him, he was down on one knee offering a ring. “What do you say, beautiful?” he inquired, wearing the largest grin she’d ever seen on his face. Addy was overwhelmed, she wasn’t sure they were ready for this step but they were surrounded by so many people. Her heart was racing as she looked down at her older boyfriend who was waiting, very patiently, for an answer. “Yes,” she finally gasped causing him to get back up and slide the ring onto her finger while the stadium erupted into cheers. Owens leaned forward and placed his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her as the camera left the couple and focused back on the game. That was the moment where things between them started to go wrong, but neither knew it at that moment.
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Written by Erica Rose Jackson The original Halloween is my all-time favorite scary movie and I’ve watched every installment this franchise has to offer. Halloween H2O and Halloween: Resurrection are two of my favorites since the original...until Halloween 2018 and Halloween Kills surfaced anyway. Before you discredit my review because of my love for Resurrection, it’s important that you know, the only reason I enjoyed that film was for the scene where Busta Rhymes tells of Michael and Michael just leaves. It gets me, every time. Enough about the other Halloween films, though, we’re here to discuss Kills. The 2018 film really brought the series back to what made it so special in the original and I had very high hopes for its sequel. As the release date grew closer and reviews from people I respect started to come in, my hype level went through the roof. Needless to say, I watched Halloween Kills the day it premiered and I loved every minute.
Last we saw of the famed slasher Michael Myers, he was burning beneath Laurie Strode’s home. Well, Laurie’s plan didn’t work out and the first responders freed Myers from his smoky grave before he proceeded to murder all of them. Michael has some fighting skills in this installment like we’ve never seen from him before, and I am very much here for it. Michael is killing with a vengeance in Kills, hence the name and his kills offer more gore than we’re used to. Not as much as Rob Zombie's offerings, but more than your run-of-the-mill Halloween film. Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), Karen (Judy Greer), and Allyson (Andi Matichak) head to the hospital for Laurie’s stab wound thinking they’ve taken out Myers. This film introduces us to many characters from the 1978 original and they’re all ready to take Myers out, for once and for all. Unfortunately, whether Michael is pure evil or something supernatural, there’s no stopping him. I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll just touch on a few of my favorite pieces of Halloween Kills. The introduction is phenomenal! We even get some Loomis (Donald Pleasence), who was always my favorite in the original films. Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) survived and there is a lot more to his story. Michael Myers is a literal killing machine and I loved everything (well, almost) he did in this film. Halloween Kills is an excellent follow-up to the original and the 2018 film. I streamed it on Peacock but I fully plan to see it again on the big screen because it feels like a must see in the movies type of feature. Go watch it, y’all You will not regret it. Written by Erica Rose Jackson Apple TV+ has officially dropped every episode of season two of Ted Lasso, and, if you’re like me, you’ve already watched all of them. The second season has been a whirlwind of emotions from beginning to end as the show has dealt with many difficult subjects from one episode to the next. The writers behind Ted Lasso are absolutely brilliant because they’ve handled each topic with grace and humor, always finding a silver lining. Join me as I review the latest season...I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. We’ll adventure through the episodes by touching on some of the character’s journeys. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) Ted had an emotional first season which gave us a glimpse into the bigger issues going on inside our beloved coach, but things were turned up a notch this year. Coach Lasso is a lovable man welling with endless positivity making us all strive to try and be more like him in our day to day lives. He confronts some real demons this season and is making strides to overcome them with the help of Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (played brilliantly by Sarah Niles). Ted Lasso does a phenomenal job dealing with mental health and the human condition. Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) Rebecca grew so much during the show’s freshman season. Her relationship with Ted is one of my favorite aspects of the series. She was able to move past her anger at her ex-husband and start to live her life once again. We get to see her thriving this time around, minus a few speed bumps, as she continues to learn more about herself. I always shipped Rebecca and Ted but I’m definitely on team Rebecca and Sam now, thanks writers. Rebecca is an outstanding character and, like Keeley, an amazing role model for girls and women. Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) Sam was more of a background character during the first round (still one of my favorites), but this year, he is a major player. We got to learn a lot about his character and his family life while he navigated through being a famous football player and holding true to his morals. He faced some real challenges this season and he overcame them with grace and poise. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sam! Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) & Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) This couple caused me so many FEELS this over the past few weeks! Roy and Keeley were the pairing I knew was going to happen back in season one even when she was with Jamie. I loved watching these two grow individually and as a couple with each new episode. They are literal relationship goals! Roy and Keeley both navigated their new career roles and balanced those with their relationship and their friendships. I am and will always be rooting for these two! All of the characters went through big changes during this season and I’d be writing a book if I went into all of them. Plus, I’m trying to keep you away from spoilers. We had characters we loved become those we hate and vice versa. This was a true rollercoaster but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I can’t wait for season three! Honorable mention goes to Trent Crimm (James Lance) who I love but couldn’t mention because there are far too many spoilers where he’s concerned. Written by Erica Rose Jackson
‘World of Sunshine *intro*’ - JoJo gets this EP rolling with a haunting hummed melody completely setting the mood for the rest of the songs. This intro builds into almost an acapella group style performance where her vocals shine, as always. The lyrics are so hopeful while the melody is a mix between heartbreak and hope. We get started with sheer brilliance. ‘Anxiety (Burlinda’s Theme)’ - Things move into a sound you’d expect on a JoJo album. However, the lyrics are a relatable description of anxiety that any of us have experienced and, i’m sure, we all share the same sentiment of wishing we could live without it. ‘Dissolve’ - JoJo’s vocals shine on the third track of ‘trying not to think about it’. She has an amazing voice whether she’s singing a simple melody or belting out those high notes and, on this song, she shows off all of it. The lyrics are haunting but that appears to be the theme on this one and I’m here for it. ‘Good Enough *interlude*’ - This interlude feels like a complete song and not just an interlude. To be honest, none of the interludes or even the intro feel like a brief moment. Each track on this EP is a full serving of JoJo greatness. You’d be foolish to skip around. ‘B.I.D.’ - Bringing it Down is the focus of this song and it succeeds. Things calm down but they do not stall out. JoJo sings her heart out as she explains herself in this new relationship throughout the lyrics. ‘Feel Alright’ - This is my favorite track, without a doubt. I feel these lyrics deep in my soul and the vocals are out of this world. If you haven’t felt this song on a personal level, I’m honestly surprised. “Do I love you this much or is this just something to do?” ‘Fresh New Sheets’ - ‘Fresh New Sheets’ is a close second for me behind ‘Feel Alright’. They are both filled with so much pain and potential desperation that they speak to so many of us. “Please don’t come over, my heart’s just too weak,” is the lyric that gets to me most when I listen to this one. ‘Sugar and Carbs *interlude*’ - As someone who has eaten more than her fair share of cookies, this interlude speaks to my soul. It’s only two lines, maybe. And yet, it’s packed full of relatable content. JoJo gets us, y’all! ‘Spiral SZN’ - JoJo brings the most upbeat sound with this one. Once again, the lyrics are so, so, so relatable. Why is it that we can be so positive about everyone around us but bullies to ourselves? Spiral season is such a truth and I know I’m not the only one who gets it. Can y’all chill? ‘Nikki’s Sound Bath *interlude*’ - This is the only true interlude on the album since the others feel so much like full tracks. However, it’s still powerful with the only lyrics included, “It’ll be alright.” ‘Worst (I Assume)’ - JoJo is channeling Britney Spears’ ‘Unusual You’ on ‘Worse (I Assume)’. It’s hard to believe in something real and good when everything that’s come before has broken our hearts. Once the walls go up, it’s extremely hard to break them down again. ‘Lift’ - In another relatable track, JoJo sings ‘Lift’. We’ve all had those moments where we just want to go somewhere else because anywhere else has to be better. This track closes the EP in a beautiful way, continuing the haunting melody but ending with positivity. “I got myself help. So, if you’re feeling low, don’t be hard on yourself,” are the closing lyrics. Buy this album and listen to it on repeat, you will not regret it. JoJo never disappoints and ‘trying not to think about it’ is no different. It’s a masterpiece from beginning to end. Go along on this vocal journey with JoJo and the rest of who are already enjoying it. Written by Erica Rose Jackson I thought it would be fun to share some of the pieces that go into my creative process so I recorded a video (which I've included here) and some steps. The first step is the initial idea and those don't all make from beginning to book, if you know what I mean. All my first thoughts go in to a notebook, a Google Sheet, or the notes feature on my phone. If the idea gets serious enough, I'll start getting into the setting and saving those images for referene later. Visualization is very important to me, as a writer. I need to be able to see what I'm writing and I can describe it better if I have it in front of me. Once the writing process starts and I get two to four chapters in, the idea and all things included move into the binder above. The first sections are for the artwork like the cover and visuals I mentioned above. Next is any research I've done for the story. For example, my recent work Stranded dealt with a Great White Sharke Cage Diving expedition so I read up on what to expect on a trip like that. After those aspects comes the brainstorming, which starts with whatever item I started my thoughts in and then expands into the blank pages included in my binder. Most of the time, I like to layout a full chapter outline of the story so I can enjoy the achievement of checking things off as I go. This also helps to make sure I don't skip any details I wanted to include. Next comes the manuscript. Like I said earlier, once I've written out two to four chapters, I print that and put it in the appropriate section of my binder. I print more and more as I write and I use those printouts for editing. This is where I fix grammar and spelling errors, but it's also where I decide on changes to the story. These can be small changes to big changes. That all depends on what I feel as I read back through the work. After the entire book is published, all the work included in the process gets moved back to the completed section. If you'd like a littte bit more detail into my work flow, please check out this video I recorded. I hope you guys enjoyed this glimpse into my mind and, maybe, you even found it a little bit helpful. |
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