Third Estate Sunday Review: KINDLE UNLIMITED (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)

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In 2018, community sites took turns covering a book every week. You can see "In 2018, we read books" to review that coverage. We didn't want to repeat ourselves in 2019 or 2020. So when Marcia came up with a way to cover books but with a twist, we were all for it. Marcia's idea was for us to digital books -- we're largely a printed text crowd -- and to use AMAZON's KINDLE UNLIMITED. So for 2021, we'll be trying to do a book a week and trying to just use KINDLE UNLIMITED. This week, we're speaking with Marcia about her "I'd say Robert Wagner murdered Natalie Wood."

Marcia, tell us about the book you read?

Marcia: Sure. I read Howard Johns' DROWNING SORROWS: A TRUE STORY OF LOVE, PASSION AND BETRAYAL which is about Natalie Wood, William Holden, Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner. In terms of conspiracy theories, one has popped up in the community that you two suspended the book coverage here because you didn't want to discuss this book. I've explained that's not the case. Do we want to talk about that?

Ava: I'll note that it gets old every week contributing to THIRD especially when it ends up only what we did. We'd love time off. We've had one week of in 16 years. The last time books were covered was November 1st and this was the content for that edition:

Ava (Con't): Look at that list. We, C.I. and I, wrote the TV piece, we wrote the Mort Sahl piece, we did interviews with Kat, Betty, Ann and Jim. It gets old. I've got a sick daughter. C.I. got her COVID booster on Friday and is sick to her stomach, has a headache and is dizzy. We're tired. We're damn tired, honestly. It's just too much. It seems like, after all this time, it should be easier to turn out an edition but that's not that case. And it gets old.

Marcia: And I get that and I've explained that. But everyone knows C.I. was friends with Natalie Wood.

C.I.: And that's the thing. I was friends with Natalie. I was not friends with Robert Wagner. I was around him often. I don't know him. No one does. He's always been a secretive person. With the way he has clearly lied to Natasha Gregerson -- his step-daughter, not his own daughter -- I don't feel the need to defend him. People worried about that can refer to "Natalie Wood: The lies that remain repeated (C.I.)." I would echo what Ava said regarding time and I would further note that she and I write a column for every community newsletter every week in addition to what we do here. And I'm writing daily at THE COMMON ILLS and she and I both post videos there daily as well. It's a lot to do and we're tired. If we really want to have this conversation?

Marcia: Me? Absolutely. Let's do it.

C.I.: As you know, Diana Ross got trashed here years ago, 2006, in a piece that outraged Betty and myself. The plan was to do more here to promote Diana in November and that didn't end up happening. But we did manage to note Diana every week -- including last week. It just doesn't feel like it ever ends. We -- Ava and I -- are always on the treadmill and we never catch up and we never get time off and we're exhausted.

Ava: We used to do fiction writing in our reviews. We'd pretend we were on the show or we'd create these scenarios where we'd review them in a certain context. And those were creative reviews. Around 2009, those were gone. We don't have that kind of time and we don't have that inspiration. We're on bare bones now. The well is dry and then some. But we thought it was bad in 2009 and it's only worse now. We need time off. Real time off. And it does get old. And I'm sure it gets old, Marcia, for you and the others because while C.I. and I work on our content, you are working with everybody else and sometimes nothing comes from it. That's so frustrating.

Marcia: It is. And one thing I'm glad about, a change you two have made, if at a certain point, other content isn't ready, you post what you two did. Because I'm not in the mood to get together on a Tuesday night or a Wednesday night to try to work on finishing an edition. It's just too much. And I get what you're saying about it never ending. At our own sites, in the community, we're all working on taking time for ourselves. We're trying to be less anal about "There must be a post.'' If we're tired, or sick, or have some personal things to take care of it, we can miss a day or two of blogging. I marvel at C.I. having four days off in 16 years -- OMG, just realized it's the 16th anniversary, or was last month, of THE COMMON ILLS. Anyway, four days -- and in a diabetic coma. That's how the four days came about. It is too much for both of you and I get that.

C.I.: We better get back to the book before another conspiracy theory develops. So you read the book and you feel Robert Wagner killed Natalie?

Marcia: Yes, I do. And I think he saw huge losses if Natalie left him. I think there was an ugly argument right before Natalie died. He either pushed her off the boat or he watched as she fell and then he distracted everyone to allow for enough time for her to drown.

Ava: Explain huge losses.

Marcia: He didn't have the money. He was a working actor whose TV salary covered expenses. It was the production profits -- of HART TO HART and CHARLIE'S ANGELS -- that allowed for big money and that production profit was split between him and Natalie. It came about because Spelling & Golberg wanted Natalie for a TV movie with Wagner but couldn't afford to pay her what she was worth and so they offered production profits on a future series -- CHARLIE'S ANGELS. He couldn't lose that money. He couldn't afford the lifestyle he was living as it was. Natalie paid for that with her millions. She got millions from her profit participation on BOB, CAROL, TED & ALICE alone. In addition, unlike Wagner, she wasn't broke and in debt when they married the second time. Natalie was a film star and was paid accordingly. She also invested her money and didn't waste it. Her big expense when she was a big star was therapy. She had millions and he had nothing. He couldn't afford that. He also couldn't afford people talking about his sexuality. He was bi-sexual or gay. A second divorce? That would have had everyone talking about how Natalie caught him in bed with another man and that's what ended the first marriage. He'd never been a movie star but he'd become popular on TV and that would have destroyed his TV image. He couldn't afford it. It was easier to kill her, for his career, it was easier.

You got this from the book?

Marcia: I think if you read with an open mind, things will add up and you're realize that the police are right to have designated Robert Wagner as a person of interest in the case and that they should have done that long ago.

You recommend the book?

Marcia: I do.

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