Final Frame: What would you fix if you knew you couldn't finish?

by Sean Platt

He sacrificed his family for ambition — but now they’re all he has left. Cameron Parrish became Hollywood’s #1 action director by refusing to use AI-assist technology. Every film is a box office success, but neither fame nor fortune makes up for the fact that Cameron’s dying to make real cinema — an Oscar-worthy movie that will show the world he’s an auteur, not the clever hack that the critics make him out to be. But mere hours after being greenlit for the film he knows he was born to shoot, director Cameron Parrish is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. There’s no treatment, and if he’s lucky, he might make it another year, but more likely, he’s got a few months left. As word gets out about his illness, Cameron realizes he has no true friends. No real family either: his obsession with finding perfection behind the camera lens has long since alienated his ex-wife and his adult son. Desperate to make his final days matter, he signs up for an experimental program that promises to help him discover the meaning of his life — and his death. Accompanied by an artificial intelligence named Sofia, Cameron embarks on a bucket list journey — from the Maldives and Bhutan to Toledo and Morocco — designed to round out his unbalanced life and help him make peace with his impending death. But what if it’s too late for Cameron to see the world through a new lens? Eat, Pray, Love meets The Bucket List in this vibrant but poignant story exploring the possibility of second chances and the unexpected beauty of an imperfect life.

Genres: Ebooks, Fiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2023

About the author

Sean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.

Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.

With Collective Inkwell
Yesterday's Gone: Post Apocalyptic - LOST by way of The Stand
WhiteSpace: Paranoid thriller on fictitious Hamilton Island
ForNevermore: YA horror that reads nothing like YA Horror
Available Darkness: A new breed of vampire thriller
Dark Crossings: Short stories, killer endings

With 47North
Z 2134: The Walking Dead meets The Hunger Games
Monstrous: Beauty and the Beast meets The Punisher

With Realm & Sands
Unicorn Western: The best story to ever come from a stupid idea
The Beam: Smart sci-fi to make you wonder exactly who we are
Namaste: A revenge thriller like nothing you've ever read
Robot Proletariat: The revolution starts here
Cursed: The old werewolf legend turned upside down
Greens: Retail noir comedy
Space Shuttle: Over the top comedy with all your favorite sci-fi characters
Everyone Gets Divorced: Like "Always Sunny" and "How I Met Your Mother" had a baby on your Kindle

Sean lives in Austin, TX with his wife, daughter, and son.
Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/seanplatt
 (say hi so he can follow you back!)

Reviews

[Constantine]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary

Cameron Parrish is a very famous Hollywood director. He is considered the No. 1 director of action films. He needed to make many sacrifices to reach such a status, including his relationship with his family. Just when he decides to work on something meaningful for himself and an Oscar-caliber movie, he gets diagnosed with a terminal illness: brain cancer!

Being totally devastated and having very little time, Cameron decides to create a bucket list and fulfill all the things that he has never done. Also, it is time for him to correct all his wrongdoings toward his family, be it his ex-wife Natalie or his son Colin. Cameron then signs up for a program in which an artificial intelligence called Sofia accompanies him at all times. Sofia will play a big role in helping the man live his final days to the fullest.

The Final Frame has such a captivating concept. Following a film director’s life sounded fascinating, but what's even more interesting is following a man who knows he is going to die and wants to live his remaining days to the fullest. I quite liked the dynamics between the AI and the director. I felt that enriched the story. The idea of having a bucket list and traveling to all the different places was fascinating as well. However, I wish the author had worked a little more on the atmosphere. Even though the character went to a lot of different places, it wasn't clear how each one was different. Cameron’s journey was interesting but not the kind I would call life-changing. The book will give you a mixed feeling of melancholy and contentment due to the subjects it tackles. It was a decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an early copy of this book to read.

[Stanley McShane]

Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

Cameron Parrish is the premier director of films in Hollywood. Beyond the best in his own mind, he looked down his nose at anyone attempting to emulate him. After all, he had two Oscar-winning films to his credit. Everyone wanted to meet him and be involved in his next project.

But all of the fame in the world cannot overcome life’s cruel journey. Cameron is diagnosed with a very rampant stage 3 cancer that has no known cure. Yes, there are cures in the works but only signing up for experimental drugs may give him an opportunity for continued living. His doctor warns that the drug may cause side effects that will make his life worse than the disease itself. Cameron decides to forego the drug.

His final journey takes him to the far east where he makes the most out of every day he has left. His situation offers no future for any female unlucky enough to fall under his spell. The book is engaging and one cannot help but be sympathetic towards this total narcissist. Read and enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lili]

Cameron Parrish never thought about death - how many of us do, until a certain age? If he would have, he would have seen it as something distant into the future, and the only item on his currently non-existing bucket list would have been "The Fountain", a film wowing the world with his talent.
He prided himself with not using the latest AI in the field of directing movies, “Because everyone always talks about how great technology is and how it saves us all of this time. But what are we actually doing with that time?"
And then he finds out that death is imminent and, out of utter despair, grudgingly embarks on a trip of self-discovery, in which his only friend is Sophia - an AI designed to bring him closure. And that is how he discovers his human side, and his only initial regret of not having time for producing his masterpiece becomes a sea of regrets about what really matters in life.

A well written book, touching on all aspects of life and making me wonder: what if this happened to me? I would certainly have all his questions about life, love and the afterlife, his conclusion of which is:
"He’d spent his entire existence trying to capture the world’s magnificence with a camera. But a camera could never love the sight of true beauty, not like a person could. If I want to see it, Cameron thought. I must be the lens."

Poignant and well written, interesting and clever, this book was an eye-opening experience and a work of art for me.

[Huda]

"The Final Frame" by Harmony Reed is a poignant and thought-provoking novel about one man's search for meaning and redemption in the face of his own mortality. Cameron Parrish, a successful Hollywood action director, is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer just as he is given the green light for his dream project - an Oscar-worthy movie that will showcase his true talent. With his family estranged and no true friends to lean on, Cameron embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of an experimental AI program and a virtual assistant named Sofia. The story takes readers on a beautiful and heart-wrenching journey through some of the world's most picturesque locations, as Cameron confronts his past and comes to terms with his uncertain future. The Final Frame is a beautiful exploration of life, love, and legacy that will leave readers with a renewed appreciation for the preciousness of each day.

[Britta]

I'd seen it compared to Eat, Pray, Love and it really is the same sort of book: get bad news and go looking for answers to life's meaning. This time it's directed (lol) by AI. There was a bit of disconnect there, because our protagonist so railed against it and yet completely gave in. Grumbling, threatening to quit, but always following along.
It was fine for what it is - predictable in storyline and life lessons. The AI input was just a part of it -no real commentary on its impact in our lives, so it was an interesting tool to include. My favorite part was the travelogue aspect - nice descriptions of locations. (Though again, back to eat pray love. While this was more: career, family, self - there was definitely still aspects of eating (much paella) and praying (visiting the temple in Bhutan))

[Mia C.]

I must start by saying that the art in the cover is just great and one that will attract any reader’s attention. The Final Frame, written by author Harmony Reed, is a very engaging story. This book made me travel together with the protagonist and experience his adventures.
I liked the addition of AI because it was not included in the common way. I think this story is different from others and this is what I liked the most. I didn’t find it similar to others or repetitive. The author has great talent for storytelling. I enjoyed it a lot.

[Weiping Yin]

A Fine Writing and Fun Reading

The author showed her talent in writing this story. The plot is not unusual, the last days of a famous film director who was dying. The author cleverly spiced the story by adding a chatGPT like virtual character. The film director was an arrogant and a selfish sick man who was not likable. However, his last days of living were full of unexpected adventures, nostalgia occasions, from annoying to appreciating toward his virtual assistant of AI. The reality mixed with imagination makes it such a fun reading.

[Sherry C]

This book was an interesting read. The film director knows he’s dying and despite his personal reservations he agrees to have an AI implant inserted to help manage his last days with experiences to help gain closure before death.

The beginning of the book is a bit raw but this helped to show the progression throughout the process. There are some pockets in the book that skip ahead quickly without much transition but you understand what is happening.

I received this book as a Prime free read; and it was a nice preview of the writer’s style.

[Cindy Bonner]

I was dubious about this book at the beginning, seemed like a man's book, lots of sex, language, etc. but then I looked up the author and nope, not a man. By the second chapter I was hooked. I'll bet there's already a screenplay and a movie deal. This one is completely cinematic from the outset. Reed does a great job of living inside the skin of her deeply flawed male protagonist. She is also adept at descriptions of place, time, and some of her passages are quite lovely and memorable. Highly recommended.

[Eloi Hizon]

Like A Fictional Memoir

Thank you for writing this. Having a story mixed with somewhat memoir, sci-fi, family, and a tour at some great places on earth is a very nice touch.

I didnt expect it to be this good and it got me thinking what is important in life.

Visit https://eloihizon.wordpress.com to read my latest blog.

[Sandra]

I did not like the way the book started and almost put it down. However, the fact that it is set in the future and deals with how to spend one’s final days was intriguing. The book improved. Sofia, his AI assistant, is a very clever addition to the story. It is thought provoking and worth reading.

[Carol]

Surprised

I don't usually read about angry, selfish people, but I did here. Don't let the self centered beginning take the end away. It's a story about endings and completion. I learned some new words which surprised me. I love the guide/cricket character.

[Hannah May]

DNF

Not what I thought the book was about. I couldn’t get into the characters and I just wasn’t interested