End of Year Stuff... and 2017 Goals!

Sometimes you can't go Home for the Holidays again!

So, for the last 100 years or so I've been writing at least one annual holiday post for my blog. I do it because it gets me in the spirit and because it gives me an excuse to watch Petticoat Junction and Vega$. But, life as a social media mogul sometimes has to take a backseat when reality gets in the way... and like sands through the hourglass, so our the days of our lives.

In short, time got the best of me.

One day I'll stop posting pics of this... but it's so cool!

As you may have seen in one of my recent posts, my forthcoming book, Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium: 1964-1999 had its launch at Monster Fest in Melbourne, Australia. So, off I went to worlds down under to participate in a very fun panel about made for television movies. I made a ton of great friends, put some faces to a lot of people I've been talking to in the online world, and in general, I had a blast.

(Btw, Birth.Movies.Death gave the book an excellent review. I have no words, just a lot of gratitude and thanks.)

Here's a peek at what the giant theater screen behind the panelists look like!

My first thought when I returned was, "Hey, I am going to get some down time and can go back to blogging and maybe even sleeping!" But I forgot that the fine folks at the Hysteria Continues asked me to join them for their Christmas horror episode, so we could dish on the holiday slasher To All a Goodnight. Good times were had by all.

And, then I got a request to do an interview for my publisher, Headpress' website. That was a lot of fun as well and when I finished I thought, "OK, I have some time to decompress and maybe watch a TV movie and write about it!"

Around this time, I also got the news that my essay on the made for television movie Locusts has been published in the amazing nature-gone-crazy tome When Animals Attack! So, I spent some time perusing the material and it's absolutely fantastic! Editor Vanessa Morgan did an incredible job. Grab a copy! When I finished looking at the book, I let out a satisfied sigh of relief and declared: "Here's my chance... watch something, Amanda!"

Then, I found out that Kier-La Janisse, she of Monster Fest, was hoping to put together something about TV movies to help promote the book (and TV movies in general, cuz she's cool that way) at her Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in London, which I sort of volunteered for and which she was kind enough to accept! That event, titled Tele-terrors: The Real and Imagined Horrors Inside the Made for Television Movie will be held April 20th, 2017. If you are in the area, please mark your calendars and stop by for all kinds of small screen goodness!

This is essentially me pouting when I realized I was running out of  blogging time... if I were glamorous

And, before I knew it, it was late December and I hadn't had time to watch a single thing. I did, however, record a holiday-themed podcast with the usual crew, and returning guest, the wonderful Joanna Wilson of Christmas TV History. Finally, I decided to just make a list of links to all of my previous Christmas TVM/specials reviews and holiday-themed podcasts. If you haven't had a chance to check any of these out, and think they may get you in the holiday spirit, please clickity click click and/or download and enjoy!

Free stuff is fun.

Read my Very Merry MeTV Blogathon posts:

Kojak: How Cruel the Frost, How Bright the Stars
Father Dowling Mysteries: A Christmas Mystery

And check out my holday reviews:

A Mouse, a Mystery and Me
An American Christmas Carol
A Very Brady Christmas
Bernard and the Genie
Ebbie
Petticoat Junction: A Cannonball Christmas
Terror on the 40th Floor

Here's a guest review from Joanna Wilson of Christmas TV History:

The Gathering

I returned the favor with  a guest review for Joanna:

Nestor, The Long Eared Christmas Donkey
I also joined her for the 2014 Christmas TV Party!

Finally, The Made for TV Mayhem Show has recorded a total of three holiday podcasts. You can check them out on here:

Home for the Holidays and A Very Brady Christmas: website | iTunes
Bernard and the Genie: website | iTunes
The Christmas TV Movie Game Show: website | iTunes

Happy New Year?

So, what does all of this mean for 2017? Well, there should be a lot of good stuff happening outside of my blog during the first half of the year (or at least the first third), and I'm so excited about it. I can't even tell you how whirlwind and exciting the last few months have been. But, in the end I just really want those who are interested in TV movies to enjoy the book. The promotional end of things is definitely fun because I have been meeting a lot of telefilm fans, and just some genuinely awesome people. But I miss my blog.

I miss it so much.

Before I can jump back in though, I need a small break. I mean a real one. And I'm hoping the time between... uh... today and the beginning of 2017 will give me a chance to become one with the couch. If I don't gain 5 pounds, I've failed. As the cobwebs disintegrate I plan to get back on that horse and do a bit of blogging.

Not sure why it's so important to me, but it is and if I'm gonna make a resolution, it might as well be to do something I love anyway!

In short, everyone have an amazing holiday and see you in 2017!