Warning: Read with caution, as the post can be slightly spoilery when it comes to books and movies I love.
With In Blue Poppy Fields in hands of my proofreader Jade Crystal I have taken the liberty to… do nothing today. As long as going to the movies can be called nothing. I went to see Les Misérables, bought myself popcorn and some very unhealthy drink and nestled down to be carried away into another world.
And carried away I was. I haven’t read the book, so I had been only dimly aware of the plot when the movie started. It kept me on my toes from beginning to the end. The developments in the relationship between Jean Valjean and Javert were truly thrilling and what Javert did in the end… made me flinch. I hadn’t seen it coming. I wished for something else. I really did… but what happened will stick with me and the name Javert will not be forgotten.
Drawing of Capt. Wolf Larsen from The Sea Wolf, published by Century Company, NY, 1921
I love characters who I can’t forget. I love their stories that made me gasp, wince, and sometimes… cry. I want to watch and read tales where I don’t know from the start how it will all end. Give me a reason to worry about the protagonists. Make me angry at the end of the movie like in case of The Brave or Deux hommes dans la ville. Bring tears to my eyes for a romance that doesn’t have a happily ever after like in Brokeback Mountain. Let me meet King Arthur who is a Roman commander, and Lancelot who is not a knight in shiny armor. Prompt me to argue what is right and what is wrong like in Black Death. Entice me with a fantasy where the hero doesn’t want to save the world. Yes, there is one in Witcher series. Introduce me to a horrendous villain who I will want to spare like in Der Seewolf. In other words: give me an unpredictable story, please. Chances are high that I will love it no end.
My wonderful benefactors do it. (If you are coming to my blog for the first time, I mean my characters) They tell their tales to me as they unfolded in their lives. Both the good and bad events they share. We don’t shy away from any experience on the pages of our books. For life isn’t always great. Sometimes it hurts a lot. But without the lowest lows we might never recognize the highest heights which make a life worth living in the first place.
If you are not afraid to read such stories, welcome to our world. It is not a perfect one. In fact, it’s a rather dark one. And my men and women aren’t perfect either. But… they are perfectly capable to ensnare all your senses anyway 
If you are ready for a gay erotic paranormal fantasy that will make you long, gasp, wince, laugh and cry, hop over to the page with Guardian Demon Series books to check the blurbs.
And if you have a story that you can’t forget, share a tip in a comment, please. I’d really like to know your favorite ones.
New to your blog – love that you call your characters your benefactors. It’s awesome.
Welcome, I’m glad you found us. Yes, I’m their bard and scribe and love every minute of it. We hope you will like it here.
I haven’t seen Les Miserables. I heard it was really good, though.
I agree. I enjoy movies with unpredictable endings or ones that keep me guessing throughout. I also love movies that make you think.
I’ve seen way too many movies, but Braveheart is one of my all-time favorites. I thought it would have a Robin Hood ending, but I was sorely mistaken. But for the first time (7th or 8th grade), I realized a movie can have an ending that I hate, or disagree with, and yet I still love it for the sheer impact it made on me.
As for movies that make you think, well, I think The Matrix is probably a prime example. However, The Fountain with Hugh Jackman is probably my favorite. It is one of those movies that has multiple meanings, and so, it will mean different things to different people. I just love that.
I think because I’ve seen so many movies, I’m not a fan of the “happily ever after” ending. They are too predictable and I find that boring (uh, like almost all romantic comedies). I think my friends think I’m heartless since I don’t enjoy those types of movies, lol. But off the top of my head, I’d say 500 Days of Summer was one of those “romantic comedies” that surprised me.
In my writing, well, I think you know that I’m a huge fan of plot twists. I love keeping my readers on the edge of their seat. Recently, I re-read the ending to my book and actually shocked myself. I’d forgotten some of the twists I’d put in, lol.
Great blog! I will have to check out some of those movies you mentioned. I haven’t seen most of them and that’s saying a lot since I own probably close to 300 movies. In my defense, I used to work for Blockbuster so I got them at a discount, haha.
Oh Braveheart is one of the movies with a lasting impact. So is Fountain. I love that sad movie. Another one that comes to my mind where I hated the end but loved the story is The Mission with Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons. And The Libertine with Johnny Depp. That’s another unforgettable one.
I like happy endings, I do. I just don’t want to know from the beginning that there will be one. I want to be surprised and breathe out a genuine sigh of relief at the end. Like in Hidalgo.
As for my books, I don’t know if there are happy endings. I won’t know until the stories unfold fully. We will see what my men and women will tell me. I hope for the best but will not force anything onto them. It’s their story after all.
Well, I’m rooting for a happy ending for all your characters <3
You’re stronger than I am. I want to see a brutal fight to reach the goal, but I need to have the HEA.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Brit.
I think that we all wish for HEA for our favorites but sometimes it just doesn’t come and for me it doesn’t make their tales any less alluring.
Some of the best love stories I read actually didn’t have a happy end and still the love portrayed in them is immortal.