Ethan Parke Author Blog

Suzanne Collins latest prequel to The Hunger Games centered on Haymitch Abernathy, and how he won the Second Quarter Quell, and what led to his alcoholic depression. He started off well meaning, only wanting to support his family, especially his brother, Sid, and only wound up in the Games because a kid that was reaped during the games was killed trying to escape. Because there were twice as many Tributes that year, Haymitch feared he would have to kill his allies, and instead tried to defy the Capital, which Coriolanus Snow monitored, and punished after the Games ended. Because he was the only living Victor from District 12, Snow did whatever he could to make Haymitch depressed, and fear there was nothing he could do when he mentored the Tributes from his District. It explains his connection with Katniss Everdeen, having been friends with her father, Burdock Everdeen, and his connection with Plutarch Heavensbee, and how with Katniss and Peeta's victory in the first novel, they sta...

  The consensus among critics and general movie goers is The Accountant 2 was a worthy sequel, and I agree. The action did not pick up until near the end, but as it went it kept your interest showing Ben Affleck's character show his mathematical knowledge, and bond with his brother. I especially like the part when they were at the bar and taking request and Affleck requested one of my favorite songs, Metallica Enter Sandman.  It looks like a lot of filmmakers now are working on pictures that show effort and passion, where the story and characters come first, and that means the chances of finding readers interested in my novels are increasing, and if you are one of them, you can click on the link to not only find my work, but the work of many other independent authors.  Smaswhords.com  

The new movie, Sinners, started slow, establishing characters but picked up halfway through when the vampires attacked the bar. The performances, particularly from Michael B. Jordan and Hailee Steinfeld, were spectacular. When they started fighting the monsters it was exciting, and it was fun seeing Buddy Guy near the end. We have not seen movies where stories like that happen, in which you get to know the characters before the action starts, because sometimes the director has the notion that since we already know the characters, there is no need to get to know them. I always put that level of effort in my books, and if you would like to read them, and the work from various independent authors, click on the link provided.  Smashwords.com  

 Sometimes you see a movie trailer that looks action packed but it really isn't and that is the case with The Amateur. It had a premise that could have had a lot of action, but the story was the same avenging a dead wife story we have seen too many times to count, and there were a few action scenes, but there was a lot of talking before they happened. The best thing in it was Rami Malek in the lead role, which was the only thing that prevented me from hating it. By the look of things movie producers are starting to allow filmmakers to put real effort and passion into their work and movies that are more about telling compelling stories and making the characters likable are coming back, but it will be a while. If you are interested in reading the books I write that also have effort and passion in them, you can click on the link.  Smashwords.com

 I never played Minecraft, but I know a lot of people now see it as nostalgia, and my best friend's son was a big fan of it. As for my thoughts on the movie, the world building and action scenes were very creative, because nobody watched it for the story. I will say it had a good sense of humor, and if I played it when I was a kid, I might have enjoyed it more. Even so, nostalgia plays a big part in The Covert Militia Campaigns, and if you would like to read them, click on the link.  Smashword.com  

 Seeing the trailer for A Working Man, I could tell it would be similar to the Beekeeper, and I was not wrong. There were, however, a few differences, most notably Jason Statham's character was a former Royal Marine, suffering PTSD from the wars he fought in. He wanted to spend more time with his daughter, and had a former father-in-law who did not trust him, blaming him for his daughter's death. He had a prosperous career working for a construction company, and when the owner's daughter was kidnapped by the Mafia, he utilized his skills to get her back and show his wife's father, he was not a monster. It was otherwise typical to any other Jason Statham action movie, which is always fun, and I admire the effort and passion that was put into it. It is the same effort and passion I put into my books, and if you would like to read them, click on the link here.  Smashwords.com