Randall Allen Dunn's Blog: Packing Action, page 2
June 14, 2024
12 Fun Father’s Day Films for Kids and Just For Adults
Father’s Day is this Sunday, and if you’re like me, that means relaxing with a great movie! There are plenty of great movies to celebrate dads, but these are my favorite Father’s Day movie pics, starting with ones for kids and ending with movies geared toward adults. Click the links for trailers! Enjoy!

Even clownfish Dads get overprotective, which can lead their kids to rebel. But Nemo’s dad will do whatever it takes to rescue his son, even if it means overcoming his own fears of calamity.

Not everyone wants to be a dad. Some men just want to steal the moon to boost their supervillain street cred. But when three little girls interrupt his life, he starts to make other plans.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines

When a dad feels he’s losing connection with his eldest daughter, he arranges a final road trip to drive her to her new college, not realizing his plan is driving them further apart. And then, as often happens in families … the machines attack.

When a man loses his job and his wife gets a new job first, he takes over her role of running the house, then struggles to figure out how she does it every day, Meanwhile, they both struggle with missing each other and adapting to their reversed roles.

What do you do when you’ve succeeded as a father of twelve kids and your dream career lands in your lap? Followed by your wife’s dream career landing in hers? Enjoy the chaos as the dad tries to run the family with almost no available time while the mom’s away from home on a book tour.
Return of the Jedi or Star Wars Episodes 4-6

In Episode 4, Luke Skywalker seeks to follow in his missing father’s footsteps, and in Episode 5, he learns his father has become his greatest enemy. You can watch the whole trilogy if you want, or just watch Luke’s efforts to redeem his father from evil in Episode 6, Return of the Jedi.

A personal favorite, of an alien father sending his son to Earth to escape his dying planet, to become the kindhearted superhero we all know and love. My favorite scene is the father-son moment when his adoptive father encourages him to hold out to discover his true purpose in life.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Fathers and sons don’t always see eye-to-eye, which becomes hazardous when Nazi soldiers keep shooting at both of them. Hilarious fun and adventure with a sweet family ending.

An embittered man gets a new lease on life when an orphaned toddler wanders into his life. Until her wealthy birth father suddenly decides to take her back in her teen years, and the man must fight to continue raising her.

A man puts his life on hold to help his elder father adjust after his mother is hospitalized, as he realizes that he now needs to take care of his dad.

A bullet in the head is all it takes to turn a callous attorney into a new husband and dad who learns to start life over on his own terms, with his family first.

Here’s where being an overprotective dad comes in handy, when an ex-spy does whatever it takes to save his daughter after she’s been captured by human traffickers in Europe.
December 24, 2023
Why You Matter
I read something in a devotional the other week that realy encouraged me. I’m hoping it will encourage you, too. Because you and I are unique. Yet somehow, it’s easy to forget that.
The devotional I was reading was geared toward writers. I’ve never read a “writer-focused” devotional before, but the truth that inspired me isn’t just for writers. It’s for anyone who’s trying to accomplish something, or who’s simply trying to get through life.

Here’s an excerpt from the devotional, called, Let There Be Writing by Holley Gerth.
At the time I’m writing this, over eight billion people inhabit the earth. Imagine all those fingerprints and eyelashes. No two people have the exact same laugh, the same sigh, the same freckles. No one else has your voice, either.
It’s easy to look at a world full of words and think yours aren’t needed. Hasn’t it all been said before? The themes we write about are as old as history itself. Every generation has something to say about love, heartbreak, healing, faith, and the journey of being human. But what’s new, what has never existed before, is you.
I often hear that all the stories that exist have already been written. We writers are only re-telling the same basic stories, with different details thrown in.
That’s true, but what’s different – and brand new – is that we’re telling that story to a new audience, living in a new environment with new questions and challenges in life.
And most of all, what’s different is us. The way we think and communicate is unique. I might write stories in a similar way as some other writers, but it won’t be exactly the same. My stories are not duplicates of any other writer’s stories. They’re brand new, coming from a brand new person behind the laptop.
My thoughts and feelings and the way I express them are as individual as a snowflake or a retinal eye pattern. No one else is like me.
And no one else is like you.

That neighbor who feels lonely might not feel accepted by anyone, until you befriend them with your unique sense of humor and your way of showing you care.
That problem at your workplace might not get fixed until you approach it with your fresh perspective and proactive methods.
That recipe, or engine job, or performance piece, might not really shine until you add your suggestion or finishing touch to the work.
You matter.
What you do matters.
Who you are matters.
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, it’s a time when many of us remember that God loved us enough to become one of us. God considers each of us worthwhile, and worth spending time with. So much so that he wanted to share our human condition, calling himself “Emmanuel”, which literally means, “God with us.”
You matter to God. And you matter to the people around you, even if they don’t always say it or recognize it. As we learned from the film, It’s a Wonderful Life:
“Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

I hope you have a great holiday season. And I hope you get some quiet time to relax and realize that you are valuable. In fact, you are vital to the people around you, and to the time and place you’re living in.
And I’m glad you’re here.
Merry Christmas!
Keep believing!
December 16, 2023
Sometimes You Just Need Tommy Boy
A thought struck me this week that I wanted to share with you. Sometimes we don’t need wise counselors or holy angels or a spiritual epiphany to find encouragement. Sometimes we just need Tommy Boy.
In the film, Tommy Boy, we meet Tommy Callahan, Jr., who has finally graduated college after seven years, passing his final class with a D. In the academic world, he’s not too impressive.

He returns home to greet his father, “Big Tom” Callahan, who runs the family business, selling brake pads. Big Tom is pushing hard to make a comeback during tough times, assuring the bank they just need a small loan so they can sell their brand new brake pads to ensure their company’s success. Now that Tommy Boy has a degree, Big Tom gives him his own office so he can start learning how to one day run the company himself.
Then Big Tom dies. Leaving Tommy Boy confused, with his life and future in question, not to mention his father’s company.
Tommy Boy hits the road with sales expert Richard to sell their new brake pads and get the company funded. But he knows nothing about sales, and he’s failing miserably. His life is a wreck, his skills are minimal, and everyone in his father’s company is depending on him to bring in money, but he hasn’t made even one sale.
Tommy Boy’s life stinks.

He and Richard stop at a restaurant for a bite to eat and he asks the waitress for some chicken wings, but the fryer’s already shut down. She’s not interested in doing anything extra to get Tommy Boy some wings. It’s clear from her face that she has her own daily problems to deal with.

So Tommy tells her about his horrible day, and his horrible situation. He explains what a horrible salesman he is, and how he fails at every turn. Then he tells her, “That’s when people like us have gotta forge ahead, Helen. Am I right?”
She decides to get the fryer turned back on to give him some wings. Why? Because Tommy Boy recognized her as a fellow worker, struggling through life just like he was. He saw her as a person of value, dealing with the same hardships he was facing. And Helen also recognized that they shared the same struggle, and decided to help out a fellow human being.
I read a great analysis of the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, identifying that it’s not a cheesy story about an angel helping a disappointed guy enjoy Christmas. It’s about a man, struggling through the worst aspects of life imaginable. A man who struggled to help others his whole life, only to end up in danger of being arrested and shamed, under false accusations of embezzlement.

In the film, George Bailey’s life is over. He can never pay what’s owed, and he can’t save or protect his family that he loves. He can’t even save himself. When he decides his life insurance policy is worth more to his family than he himself is, he prepares to commit suicide. To give up on life in order to escape his unsolvable problem and keep his family supported.
An angel appears to him and ends up showing him the true value of his life. He shows him how much others need him, despite the difficult struggles he suffers to help others. But the angel shows George that his struggles are worth it.
That’s what Christmas is about. God knew we could never measure up to him, since he did not sin, and we can’t stop sinning. So he came to Earth himself, making himself like us – a human baby named Jesus, also called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” He came to be one of us, to share in our human struggle. To show the way to connect with God, by believing in Jesus and accepting his sacrifice as full payment for our sins. We could never pay the debt for our sins, but Jesus could, and did.

But it wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t first see us, acknowledge us, and share our struggles. He didn’t come in glory, with trumpets blaring and a red carpet laid out for his feet. He came as the lowest of the low, without even a comfortable place to be born.
Instead of being born in a royal palace, Jesus was born in a barn, in an animal trough. God didn’t come to us as he was – the King of the universe. He didn’t come as a leader, or a rock star, or a major influencer. He came as a nobody, and his arrival was barely noticed. He lived with his parents and learned to obey and honor them, not starting his ministry or miracles until he was thirty years old. He never married, never traveled far, never made a fortune, never published a book, and never ran a huge company.
But his simple, struggling life changed the world, and provided the way for us to connect to God.
People don’t always need a pastor, or a psychiatrist, or a professor. Sometimes people just need someone like you and me, sharing in their struggles, ready to connect with them and encourage them to keep going, because you see and share their same hardships.
When you see people who need encouragement, consider that you might be exactly the right person to encourage them, no matter what your professional skill set is.
Because sometimes what people really need is someone struggling through life, just like they are. Just like you and me.
Am I right, Helen?

December 14, 2023
EVE OF BOOK DEALS!
FREE BOOKS
on Dec. 24th – Christmas Eve
and Dec. 31st – New Year’s Eve!
The entire Island of Myste trilogy!
9-year old Yumiko Corr went searching for her birth mother but discovered another world … from which no one can escape !
Enter an incredible island filled with centaurs, mermaids, fairies, minotaurs, and more in an epic action-packed adventure! Like The Chronicles of Narnia meets Percy Jackson!

THE ISLAND OF MYSTE: Book 1 of the Island of Myste trilogy
Yumiko and her adoptive parents discover the Island of Myste, and the boy tyrant who rules its creatures with strange magic!

TERROR ON THE ISLAND OF MYSTE: Book 2 of the Island of Myste trilogy
Yumiko must risk everything to teach the creatures to work together, or they’ll never escape the island!

ESCAPE FROM THE ISLAND OF MYSTE: Book 3 of the Island of Myste trilogy
Yumiko must convince the Nephilim to forgive and trust one another or they’ll never escape the castle, let alone the island.

CHRISTMAS SPIRITS: 2 Tales of Fantasy
2 holiday fantasy short stories for fans of The Polar Express and The Snowman!

RED RIDER RISING: Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga
Learn how Helena became the Red Rider and started her war against the wolves.

She was grateful to get into Gameland. Now she’s desperate to get back out.
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.

HIGH ADVENTURE: THE SOLOMON RING OF KILIMANJARO
Crocodile-infested streams, d iabolical deathtraps, and d eadly warrior dwarves.
It’s shaping up to be another bad day for Jack Benjamin & Amanda Regent in WWI Africa!
November 14, 2023
BEAT BLACK FRIDAY Deals!
SO YOU JUST CAN’T WAIT?
Then collect your FREE fantasy and action thrillers BEFORE Black Friday!
November 22nd – November 23rd!
Pre-THANKSGIVING &THANKSGIVING DAY ONLY!

THE RED RIDER: Book 1 of the Red Rider Saga
Little Red Riding Hood isn’t little anymore.

RED RIDER RISING: Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga
“A hero’s just someone who stands up. Stand up and do something.”

She was graeful to get into Gameland. Now she’s desperate to get back out.

MAKING FICTION FUNNY: How to Create Story Humor
Easy-to-follow guide on how story humor actually works!

THE ISLAND OF MYSTE: Book 1 of the Island of Myste trilogy
She went searching for her birth mother but discovered another world …
… from which no one can escape!

HIGH ADVENTURE: THE SOLOMON RING OF KILIMANJARO
Crocodile-infested streams, d iabolical deathtraps, and d eadly warrior dwarves.
It’s shaping up to be another bad day.



Haunting stories that stay with you long after the last page.
Mark your calendar to download your free books BEFORE Black Friday!
October 14, 2023
FREE FRIGHT DAYS
OCTOBER 22-31!
for THE RED RIDER SAGA and DEN!
Hunting for scary, edge-of-your-seat adventures?
You can grab FREE copies of action-packed thrillers starting next week!
FREE FRIGHT DAYS CALENDAR
FREE ebook downloads on the following dates!
October 22-23

THE RED RIDER: Book 1 of the Red Rider Saga
Little Red Riding Hood isn’t little anymore.

She was grateful to get into Gameland. Now she’s desperate to get back out.
October 24-25

RED RIDER RISING: Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga
“A hero’s just someone who stands up. Stand up and do something.”
October 26-27

RED RIDER REDEMPTION: Book 3 of the Red Rider Saga
Never invite her to a royal ball.
October 28-29

RED RIDER REVILED: Book 4 of the Red Rider Saga
She saved them all. Now who will save her?
October 30-31

RED RIDER REVOLUTION: Book 5 of the Red Rider Saga
Weaponless and abandoned … Time to break out!
And don’t forget the always FREE epic fan fiction crossover, REMNANT: Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Batman and the Red Rider, is available through my website’s Fan Fiction link. It’s an epic, laugh-filled, action-packed Buffy the Vampire Slayer adventure, teaming her and the Scoobies up with Batman and the Red Rider! If you’re a Buffy fan, this is a story you won’t want to miss, with virtually every character from Buffy Season 2 and big secrets revealed about Giles’ past with Ethan Rayne, and lots of other awesome scenes that lead to Buffy’s Season 2 climax!

REMNANT: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MEETS BATMAN AND THE RED RIDER!
IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH “BUFFY!”
You can link to the story through my website’s Fan Fiction page!
You’ll also find links to fun pics and excerpts on my
Remnant: Buffy Pinterest board and
the Remnant: Buffy soundtrack playlist (used for Wattpad)!
FAN FICTION
April 2, 2023
The Party’s Already Started at the Buffy / Batman / Red Rider Slayerfest!
Saturday April 15th, 5-10pm CST
Join several awesome authors for fun discussions and giveaways of Amazon gift cards and bookish prizes!
All to celebrate the launch of the epic fan fiction crossover serial,
REMNANT: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MEETS BATMAN AND THE RED RIDER
by D.A. Randall!
The final chapters will be posted the day of the launch party!
Early access to the party available now for fun clips and videos of Buffy and Batman, plus excerpts from the Buffy/Batman/Red Rider crossover serial! Read the excerpts to find answers to questions during the event – the first person to post the correct answer will win a prize! (You can only win once for these 5 questions but you can still win other prizes from guest authors!)

Join the event, meet new authors, get a chance to win prizes, and start reading
REMNANT: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MEETS BATMAN AND THE RED RIDER,
an epic 62-chapter adventure packed with action, thrills, revelations, humor, and nearly every supporting character from Buffy, Season 2! With answers to big questions, including:

How did Principal Snyder learn about the Hellmouth and the Mayor?
Why does Giles keep a cage in the library?
How did Spike heal his legs after he was in a wheelchair?
What does Cordelia really think of Xander?
What does Batman really think of Mystery, Inc. and Scooby Doo?

Find the answers to these questions and much more in REMNANT: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER MEETS BATMAN AND THE RED RIDER!
IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU WATCH “BUFFY!”
November 23, 2022
EXTENDED BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Nov. 24th-28th! Thanksgiving & Black Friday through Cyber Monday!
N o v . 2 4 t h – 2 8 t h !
Thanksgiving & Black Friday through Cyber Monday!
EXTENDED BLACK FRIDAY SALE!

2020 Realm Makers Award Finalist – Paranormal
Little Red Riding Hood isn’t little anymore …
And she’s never backing down again.
My name is Helena Basque. When I was seven years old, I was attacked by a savage wolf that killed my Grand’Mere and left me with triple scars across my face. It also left me with endless nightmares of the wolf that stood upright and spoke to me.
I’m sixteen now, and I know it was no wolf. Nor was it alone. A pack of those creatures now threaten my family and everyone else here in La Rue Sauvage. Since no one will stand up to defend our province, I will hunt down the wolves myself. To stop them, I must do things I never planned to do, and become something I never planned to become.
For several years, I’ve trained myself to hunt and to fight and to show no fear. I have donned a red hood and cloak like the one I was forbidden to wear in childhood, to show them that at least one person is fighting back. I’ve armed myself with a repeating crossbow and other assorted weapons, and I refuse to stop or slow down until I destroy every last one of those wolves … whatever they actually are.
Come along for the ride.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C4KY31J2 TALES gift ebooks!
F R E E Thanksgiving & Black Friday!
Haunting stories that stay with you long after the last page.
Choose from suspense short story books, Devil in the Details orSuspicious. or delve into holiday fantasy in Christmas Spirits, which includes the award-winning story, Santa’s Chair.
$1.00 off all Paperbacks!
* * * * *
KINDLE COUNTDOWN
starting at .99 cents
for Red Rider Saga books
and Island of Myste books!
RED RIDER REDEMPTION: BOOK 3 OF THE RED RIDER SAGA
RED RIDER REVILED: BOOK 4 OF THE RED RIDER SAGA
RED RIDER REVOLUTION: BOOK 5 OF THE RED RIDER SAGA
ESCAPE FROM THE ISLAND OF MYSTE
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$1.00 off all displayed Paperbacks!
HIGH ADVENTURE: THE SOLOMON RING OF KILIMANJARO
November 22, 2022
Holiday Stress
In The Santa Clause III: The Escape Clause, former ordinary guy Scott Calvin has become firmly established as the new Santa Claus. But the holiday stress has become too much for him. Between managing his high-pressure job and assisting his wife, Carol, with her first pregnancy, he’s got way too much to handle.
Especially when his job includes mentoring the dangerous saboteur, Jack Frost, and helping Carol means inviting her critical parents up to the North Pole for the holidays. At the same time, Santa and his elves must pretend he’s a toymaker in Canada, to keep the secret of Santa Claus safe from outsiders like Carol’s parents.

Chaos ensues, and Santa doesn’t realize that Jack Frost is behind a lot of it, still sabotaging Christmas instead of mending his ways. Before long, Santa’s busy schedule and multiple problems in his workshop make it nearly impossible for him to spend any time with his family. And his in-laws make certain he knows it.
In despair, Santa admits privately to Frost that sometimes he wishes he had never become Santa. Then he gets his wish. He goes back to being plain old Scott Calvin, a self-absorbed, callous businessman who has completely cut himself off from his family. He becomes the very thing his in-laws believed him to be.

Scott makes his way to the North Pole, which Jack Frost – as the new Santa – has turned into an expensive commercial theme park. There he urges children and their parents to spend big or go home, convincing customers that Christmas is all about the spirit of getting, not giving.
Fortunately, Scott manages to trick Frost into surrendering his claim as Santa, sending them both back to the North Pole. Resuming his rightful role as Santa, Scott returns to Carol and her parents to restore their family time together. He explains that they simply ticked each other off, like many people do over the holidays. But they can still enjoy spending time together by remembering they’re a family.

To demonstrate this, he reveals the secret they’ve been keeping from Carol’s parents: that he is, in fact, Santa Claus, and wants to include them as part of his extended family.
Maybe you’ve felt that same stress at holiday get-togethers. Maybe you’re dreading the next one.
But here’s something I’ve learned: it’s not about the salt. At family reunions, when someone asks their sister to pass the salt, but she doesn’t hear him and keeps talking to their mother, he asks for it again, twice. Then he suddenly explodes at her for refusing to pass the salt, because she’s too self-absorbed, like always.
It’s not actually about the salt. It’s about all the things that have happened over the years that have built up anger and resentment. All that tension is finally unleashed in an extreme reaction to someone not passing the salt.

This season, let it just be about the salt. Don’t treat little annoyances as big excuses to fight with each other. Shrug off the past hurts and offenses, just for a few hours. And maybe focus on the things you enjoy about one another instead.
It could make the holidays go a lot smoother, as well as any time you spend together afterward. It might even be the first step toward healing some of those broken relationships.
Have safe holidays and keep believing!
October 22, 2022
FREE Kindle Pre-Halloween Thriller Sale! Oct. 26th-30th!
Wed Oct. 26th – Sun Oct. 30th!
Just in time for Halloween! Grab 2 intense action thriller reads!
F R E E on Kindle ebook!
T H E R E D R I D E R
by D. A. RANDALL
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD ISN’T LITTLE ANYMORE.My name is Helena Basque. I’m sixteen years old.
As a child, I was attacked by a savage wolf that killed my Grand’Mere and left me with triple scars across my face. That wolf belonged to the Lycanthru, a secret cult of men who transform into wolves to attack the innocent here in La Rue Sauvage. No one will stand up to them, so I now hunt the wolves myself with weapons that destroy them, wearing my red hood and cloak that the wolves have come to fear.
Except for one, a new Lycanthru named Grenault. Bigger, stronger, more cunning than the other wolves, and not the least bit afraid of me. I need to stop him fast, before he takes over the Lycanthru to kill me and everyone I love.
But he’s too smart and too strong. He sees me for the little girl I am, scared and defenseless without my special weapons.
And I have no idea how to stop him.
GET READY TO BATTLE THE BEAST.D E N
by RANDALL ALLEN DUNN
SHE WAS GRATEFUL TO GET INTO GAMELAND.
NOW SHE’S DESPERATE TO GET BACK OUT.
Amy Raven insists that she’s innocent. She never saw the steroids until the U of I basketball coach found them in Amy’s locker. Expelled and friendless, she takes a dead end job at Grater Gameland, an abandoned theme park that’s preparing to make a comeback.
But Gunther Grater’s not interested in re-opening his father’s park. He only wants to use it to trap Amy for himself. And he’s enlisted nine other gamers to compete in a deadly hunt to track her down.
Given a pair of night vision goggles and a hunting knife, Amy finds herself fighting to escape an onslaught of predators, each with their own deranged plans for Amy. To survive and escape, she must outwit, outmaneuver, and outrun each one of them, while dodging their uniquely chosen weapons.
But how can she win her freedom when even Gameland’s rides are rigged against her?
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH.
And don’t forget! You can also grab this collection of spooky but inspiring stories of light overcoming darkness in
W H A T D A R K N E S S F E A R S
edited by ANNE J. HILL and LARA E. MADDEN

LIGHT DAWNS IN DARKNESS
Even in the darkest night, there is hope. This collection of stories and poems portrays light in the darkness. Multiple authors in various genres take you on a journey from shadow to sunrise, from despair to hope.
Within these pages, you’ll discover a ghost wandering the woodlands, a young man on an adventure choosing the worst sort of companion, a writer facing her own phantasmic characters, a bickering couple beset by a dubious hitchhiker in the middle of the desert, a woman fighting an ominous monster on the high seas, a Headless Henwoman carrying souls to their afterlife, the god of mischief visiting the underworld, and other tales to stir your spirit. So, keep the light on if you wish, but these stories are sure to shine bright enough on their own.
Full Author List:
Anne J. Hill
Lara E. Madden
Elaine Wells
Emily Barnett
D.A. Randall
Maseeha Seedat
Beka Gremikova
L.A. Thornhill
Kristiana Sfirlea
Savannah Jezowski
Effie Joe Stock
AJ Skelly
Natalie Noel Truitt
Crystal Grant
Denica McCall
Kat Heckenbach
Laurel Jean
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