Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: "Cursed" with a deformity on her face, Princess Philonoe is sent away to be raised by goatherders but is eventually called back when her parents want to marry her off to Prince Vasilios to strengthen an alliance. When she learns she and her sisters are victims of another curse, one that will likely cause her to betray her husband, Philonoe, desperate not to disappoint her parents, goes on three quests given to her by Aphrodite with help from another goddess, Artemis. Along the way, she learns more about the second curse and about herself. Review: I've never been a graphic novel person. I have no issues with that form of media or the people who enjoy them (which includes my daughters), it was just never my thing. However, after coming across  The Lost Daughter of Sparta and seeing it was written by Felicia Day, who played one of my favorite characters on Supernatural , I decided to check out a copy from the library and give it a try. I can honestly say I enjoy...

Synopsis: After killing one of the three masked assailants who killed her boyfriend, Maya remains on the run while her sister, Debbie, arrives with armed reinforcements in search of her. Eventually, Maya learns the Scarecrow no longer wants her dead and instead wants to recruit her. Who's in it? The movie stars Madelaine Petsch , Gabriel Basso , Richard Brake , Ema Horvath and Krystal Ellsworth. Review: Movie sequels are a tricky thing. While they are rarely as good as the original, many do at least still manage to carry on the story and still be entertaining. However, there is a limitation to that and, in the case of The Strangers: Chapter 3 , the franchise reached it. When my wife and I decided to watch this movie last night, my hope was it would bring a dramatic conclusion to Maya's (Petsch) story, especially since she inflicted her first kill and the remaining masked killers had a reason to step up their game. Instead, it ended up being a mix of dull and predictable. On...

Synopsis: After locking herself inside a booby-trapped home, anticipating Ghostface's return, Cindy Campbell and her friends are drawn back into action when her daughter, Tuesday, is attacked and her other daughter, Sara, returns shows up at her door with her boyfriend, Jack, to ask for help. Who's in it? The movie stars Anna Faris , Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Regina Hall , Kenan Thompson , Olivia Rose Keegan and Savannah Lee Nassif. Review: I'm not really a big nostalgia person. However, the original Scary Movie came out around the time my wife and I first started dating and ended up being the film we watched on our first movie date. As a result, it is a franchise I have paid attention to, even when there was a noticeable decline after the Wayan Brothers stopped being involved. As a result, when I saw they were making a new movie, with the Wayans returning, I decided to take my wife on another movie date. After seeing it last night, I can honestly say I didn't h...

Synopsis: After having her passport lost or stolen while on tour in a British West African colony, American singer Nora Brooks is stranded at a hotel while waiting for replacement documentation that will allow her to return to the United States. When a fight breaks out during one of her performances, leaving a man dead, Nora runs into the jungle and eventually takes refuge in a camp run by paleontologist Larry Mason. What she doesn't know is the deceased bar patron was carrying documents exposing a Nazi spy ring and those papers were stashed in her jacket before she fled, painting a target on her back. Who's in it? The movie stars Arline Judge , John "Dusty" King, Mantan Moreland , Arthur O'Connell and Laurence Criner. Review: I came across Law of the Jungle last night and since it sounded somewhat interesting, added it to my movie library. I decided to watch the film right away this morning and unfortunately, while the premise was decent, the execution was la...

I managed to get a walk in yesterday morning, before the bad weather hit. It was humid enough outside though to both make it hazy and to cause my camera lens to fog up multiple times, making it very difficult for me to get much in terms of photos. However, I did manage to get a couple decent photos of a pair of rabbits I came across on my walk, one older and one that looks like it was born not that long ago. Here they are. ______________________________________________________________________ Here are some other nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/13/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (6/1/2026) Front Yard Bird Photos Lunchtime Walk Photos (4/30/2025)

Synopsis: Coming to Los Angeles in the 1940s after serving in World War II, Fred Otash first joined the Los Angeles Police Department but after clashes with his new boss, quit to become a private detective. Using his connections with the police and relationships he built with many of Hollywood's elite, Otash first worked for a gossip magazine before becoming a sought-after fixer, someone who could keep celebrity indiscretions out of the press and protect both their careers and the studios investing money in them. This biography tells his story along with stories about Hollywood's dark side.   Review: I had a bit of a Hollywood history theme the last time I checked out books from the library and, as part of that, ended up selecting The Fixer simply because it sounded interesting. While I didn't know who Fred Otash was before reading the book, I was familiar with the concept of Hollywood "fixers" and what they did for the studios and figured it would be entertainin...