Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Ninja News, July Movie Preview, and Ninjas on Vacation!

Not to be confused with Ninjas on Ice.

Ninja News!

Special treat – I’ve interviewed my buddy Jamie Gibbs of Mithril Wisdom over at the A to Z Blog today! Every other Wednesday is a challenge participant feature and Jamie’s theme for the Challenge rocked!

Today is the launch day for Laura Eno’s next book, Wraith, Book Two of the Carriena Oracles!

Someone wants them dead. Another wants them captured. No one can be trusted. Secrets, lies, and revelations await Raven and Mikael as their search for Mikael's missing friend leads them to Wraith, a mysterious moon owned by Jeffrey Hamilton, cybernetics genius and Ben's creator. How much of the Oracle's technology does Hamilton possess and where did it come from?

Raven's nightmares from the past threaten her sanity, while Mikael's guilt slowly consumes him. Ben's in more danger than anyone as they race to find the answers to uncertain questions—questions which could lead to death for them all.

Available for only .99 on AmazonUS, AmazonUK, Nook, and Smashwords.
As a bonus you can download the first book, Raven, for free Wednesday only! CLICK HERE and enter the code PU65D.

Morgan Shamy, Cassie Mae, Leigh Covington, and Mark Koopmans are hosting the What If Fairy Tale Madness Blogfest in August! Visit any of their sites to sign up.

Cherie Reich’s new book, Women of Foxwick, is available now and for one week only, it’s just 99 cents. Congratulations, Cherie!

Carol Kilgore at Under the Tiki Hut is hosting another contest this week – are you Team Frozen or Team Rocks?

Thanks to everyone who Championed my buddy Andrew Leon last week in the Star Wars Blogathon – he won!!! Congratulations, Andrew.

Don’t forget that since the next posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group falls on the USA’s Fourth of July holiday, we will be posting on either Tuesday OR Wednesday of that week.

And starting Friday, I will be on vacation for four days! Yes, I gave up a chance to appear at Fandom Fest to spend time with my wife. I’ll be checking email and my blog, but otherwise I’ve promised her no Internet. I’ll return Tuesday with my post for the IWSG.

July Movies

Here are the upcoming releases for July. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

3 -

The Amazing Spider-Man
Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.
Director: Marc Webb
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen
Did we need a reboot this soon? Heck no! But it is getting good reviews…

6 -

Savages
Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.
Director: Oliver Stone
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta
Stone is hit or miss, but for Kitsch’s sake, hope this is a hit, or the dude may never act again.


13 -

Ice Age: Continental Drift
Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.
Directors: Steve Martino | Mike Thurmeier
Stars: Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Peter Dinklage
The third film is one of the top grossing films of all time. No idea why. But according to my wife, we are not missing this one. Stupid Scrat movie…

20 -

The Dark Knight Rises
Eight years after Batman took the fall for Two Face's crimes, a new terrorist leader, Bane overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that brands him an enemy.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine
After The Avengers this the next most anticipated film of the summer. Nolan can do no wrong – this movie will rock!

27 -

The Watch
Suburban dads who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Stars: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Billy Crudup
Could easily suck. I usually don’t like this type of film, but the previews were funny.

Any new books strike your fancy? Or blogfests? Ready for the next IWSG posting next Tuesday/Wednesday? Any movies strike your interest? Don’t forget to visit Jamie at the A to Z blog. And do you think I need a vacation?

167 comments:

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Enjoy the time with the wifey! Ice Age's movie is clearly for the cash. I mean it has no actual point, literally. Dark Knight Rises will shake tje planet. Shake it! Amazing Spider Man seems very good but it also reminds me that I won;t be seeing a new spiderman movie with Tobey McGuire (Spider Man) and his Mary Jane. *Tear*

Good post and I can't wait for IWSG.

Annalisa Crawford said...

I'm not sure about another Spiderman so soon either - but then I do watch the old ones on an almost weekly basis, due to my 8 year old son choosing early morning Saturday DVDs.

Have a great time with your wife - yes, you definitely deserve a vacation!

Kittie Howard said...

Will try again to comment. Enjoy your time with your wife! Kindle's charging now for Cherie's book.

Kyra Lennon said...

So pleased to hear you're planning a vacation! You totally deserve it!

Karen Baldwin said...

Anything with Benicio del Toro strikes my interest, among other things. I'm definitely going to see Savages...even if I have to endure subtitles (I live in Mexico)

Brinda said...

I'm a huge Ben Stiller fan, so I might be watching that movie.

Thanks for the info about the blogfest also. I'll go check it out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sheena, and the movies with McGuire are still so fresh in our head. And the Dark Knight Rises WILL shake the planet!

Annalisa, you could probably recite them!

Kittie, comment worked!

Leigh, subtitles are better than dubbing.

PR said...

Yes you need a vacation lol. Have a great time. Defending the earth from an alien invasion sounds like fun! :)

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Have a fun filled vacation. You deserve it and so does your wife.

T

Sean McLachlan said...

The summer movie season has started with a vengeance! Too bad I'm not a superhero fan. Never read many comics as a kid, I always preferred novels because I could get more hours of entertainment for my limited money!

kjmckendry said...

Congrats to Laura! Wraith sounds great!
I'm looking forward to Dark Knight.
Have a fabulous time on your vacation you deserve it!

kjmckendry said...

I'm a Ninja on Ice! :)

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Wonderful informative blog Alex. Will miss you while you;re taking a break.
Still you do work extremely hard in Blogsphere .

Take care.
Yvonne.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Enjoy your vacation Alex. We're going on vacation for a week next week and I won't be following blogs. I'll miss it but it will be a nice break.

Juliana Haygert said...

I'll definitely take the kiddo to watch Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Deserved rest! Hope you have a relaxing four days ;)

Robyn Campbell said...

Yippee for vacations!! I hope you have a super time, Alex! Enjoy that wife of yours. :-) (I think you deserve and need a vacation.)

Congrads to Cherie! And I was wondering how Andrew made out. Congrads Andrew! Woohoo!

I might go see The Watch. If I have time. But I'm definitely going to see The Dark Knight Rises. I cannot wait! I loove your wife. She loves the Ice Age movies. She's super duper cool with me! (Well, I do write picture books. It's research.) *ahem*

Have fun this weekend, Alex. *waving*

Laura Eno said...

Thanks so much for the shout out!
Enjoy your vacation and I think Ninjas on Ice would be a big hit. ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sean, not a comics book fan?

Kathy, bet you are more graceful than I!

Robyn, she does like those movies - and she's very cool.

Thanks, everyone. I will miss you!

A.J. Walker said...

Enjoy your vacation, you deserve it! I'm looking forward to reading your con report.

Old Kitty said...

Of course you need a vacation, Capn Ninja!!! Hope you enjoy uplugging - hooorah!!!

Dark Knight Rises is a must see!!! Yay! Take care
x

Unknown said...

Congrats, Laura!
Enjoy your vacation, Alex.
Now I'm off to check out those other links.

Anonymous said...

'grats to Andrew and his epic win. Props to Jamie on the interview. I (perhaps stupidly) signed up for the What If... blogfest. Oops. Of course The Dark Knight Rises.

Enjoy your time away.

Anonymous said...

Have a fabulous vacation! And good luck staying away from the internet ...

VikLit said...

Have a great vacation!

I am a sucker for Superhero movies so both Spidey and Batman are on my list. I do think it is close to the Tobey Maguire for a Spidey reboot though!

Luanne G. Smith said...

Ha! Yes, you need a vacation. It's summer and the beach is calling.

I should be back online next week for the IWSG post. Enjoy your time off with your wife. And stay offline so she doesn't chuck your ipad into the ocean. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to the new Batman movie.

Thanks for the links. I checked out a few and I'll check out more.

Have a fantastic vacation.

Cherie Reich said...

Thanks for the shout out!

Laura's book sounds really good.

I hope you have a fantastic vacation!

And I'm going to the midnight viewing of The Dark Knight Rises. Can't wait! The new Spiderman movie looks good too.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Have a great vacation!

I see Dark Knight and Ice Age in my future...

Julie Dao said...

Mark headed over to my blog to tell me personally about that fairy tale fest! Sounds like it's right up my alley! Have a GREAT vacation with your wife!

Gossip_Grl said...

I am patiently waiting for Friday for Madea's Witness Protection, only two days. Shoot take a vacation. I know I am sometime this summer.

Jack said...

I hope you have fun on your holiday with your wife!

Thanks for the news about being able to download Raven, I'm going to read it, see what I think. Sounds like a cool book.

farawayeyes said...

I see Laura all over the blogosphere today. Great.

Movies - YIKES Ice Age will be a definite and Savages shows promise. Just say no to Spiderman. Batman probably.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

AJ, no Con report - I was invited but declined due to our vacation.

Joshua, you'll come up with something great for the blogfest.

LG, that would be bad! Hope you are back soon.

Cherie, you're welcome and lucky you!

Thanks, everyone!

msmariah said...

Alex- I'm glad you mentioned that the new Spidey movie is getting good reviews. I was worried about that one. I still don't understand why they did a reboot so soon.

I agree w/ you on Kitsch. If Savages goes down the tubes, then I worry for his career. He may have to go back to the basics and star in some indie flicks. Big budget films won't come near him.

I personally enjoyed John Carter, but someone should have told him not to do Battleship, John Carter, and Savages in the same year. Is his agent reading his scripts?

Now he's headlining Savages? Simply put Taylor just doesn't have the name recognition yet. He can't pull an audience in on his name alone. So why would they place him in that position?

When middle of the road movies like 'The Grey' and 'Safe House' came out, the studios poll the audience. Most of the audience goes to see those middle of the road movies based on name recognition (i.e Liam Neeson was in The Grey and Denzel Washington was in Safe House).

Taylor Kitsch is not Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington. One doesn't become a household name from 'Friday Night Lights.'

Anonymous said...

I'm still scratching my head (figuratively) over the Spiderman reboot, and from the trailers I've seen, it reminds me of an after-school special...

Anonymous said...

I'm still scratching my head (figuratively) over the Spiderman reboot, and from the trailers I've seen, it reminds me of an after-school special...

Bryan Russell said...

I'm looking forward to seeing the first four, though I agree that Stone is sort of hit or miss. I have a feeling this might be a miss, but as long as Benicio Del Toro is in it, it can't be all bad.

L.C. said...

Thanks for the roundup of news and the movie releases, Alex, as always! Excuse me while I hang my head in shame that I forgot the new Dark Knight was in July.

Sarah Ahiers said...

Can't wait for batman, natch, and will probably give Spiderman a shot. I love spiderman, but i'm with you, i don't know that we needed a reboot so soon.

Creepy Query Girl said...

I hope you guys have a fantastic vacation! Now that we're back in the US, we're taking the kids to see BRAVE, although ice age looks alright to.

Tasha Seegmiller said...

If you don't need a vacation, I don't know who does.

mooderino said...

I'm curious to see if Bane gets all CGI pumped up with muscles the way he does in the comics. No sign of it in the trailers.

mood

Rick Daley said...

I hope Nolan pulls it off. I'm looking forward to this one. I haven't seen The PRestige, but Insomnia, Memento, and Inception all showed great stroytelling skills (as well as the prior Batman films).

I'll take my kids to see Spider-Man, but I'm skeptical about how necessary the movie is. I haven't been wowed by what I've seen so far, but it doesn't look dismal, either...

Cassie Mae said...

Oh thanks for the shout out!!! And yay for Andrew taking the win. :D

Spiderman looks great, I'm super excited for that one!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Are you not a fan of the Ice Age movies? I love them. I think it's cause I like Dennis Leary and John Leguizamo (or however it is spelled).

Misha Gerrick said...

I'm still trying to catch up on blogs that I need to read and none of them are hosting blogfests, so I'm a bit out of it.

Yes, I'll be doing my IWSG post.

DYING to see The Dark Knight Rises.

Enjoy your time with your wife!

Nancy Thompson said...

Good for Andrew! I'd love to do the Madness blogfest but I fear I'm just not clever enough. Hmm, Savages looks like it might be good. My kind of flick. And no vacay for me anytime soon though God knows I need it. Have fun with your wife!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I'm really surprised that Ice Age 4 is one of the top grossing films of all time. Really? You never know what the public will go wild over, I guess.

Happy almost vacation to you and your wife, Alex. It's very well deserved.

xoRobyn

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Oops, I meant Ice Age 3, right? Same difference. =)

Nate Wilson said...

Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to the Batman. (You're right; Nolan can do no wrong. And neither can Bale, Gordon-Levitt, or Oldman.)

And everyone deserves a vacation. Especially ninjas. (Although announcing it was rather un-stealthy, don't you think?)

Donna K. Weaver said...

Didn't get to watch Brave last night--waiting for the granddaughter who's visiting to get back from a friend's house. *sigh*

I'm reading Elana's "Surrender" right now and loving it.

Charles Gramlich said...

Savages looks really good to me. Since I don't care for any of the actors in Watch I think I'll give it a pass.

Tara Tyler said...

excited for the authors!

not real excited about the movies...

Johanna Garth said...

Big Congrats to Andrew. The movie I want to see didn't make your list. It's the new Woody Allen one.

Nicki Elson said...

Oh duh, I wonder how long it would've taken me to connect that IWSG falls on the 4th. I'll post Tuesday.

Congrats to Laura, Cherie & Andrew!

~Sia McKye~ said...

I've been waiting for Dark Knight. LOL! I'm seeing a pattern in my movie watching, lol! I've always loved Batman but not always loved the various movies about it. This one looks great and I want to see Spiderman. I saw the trailers on that and marked on my list. I know hubs and son will watch Ben Stiller's movie.

Enjoy your time off. I'm also considering taking time off the first week of July. Hubs has plans for us before he takes off for the rest of the month for a training stint at Fort Levenworth. It's been a while since he's been gone so long.

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

nutschell said...

Hurray! A well deserved vacation! Enjoy! Hmm.. Definitely going to see Spiderman, Dark Knight and maybe Ice age. I don't know about the others though..
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

MsMariah, agree he doesn't have the pull yet. We'll see what happens.

Milo, that's funny!

LC, no!

Moody, we'll find out.

Rick, I don't see how he could fail.

Robyn, stuns me as well. Ice Age three is the third highest grossing animated film ever.

Ah, but Nate, will I really be on vacation...?

Charles, Stiller isn't one of my favorites.

Nicki, you would've remembered next Wednesday!

Sia, that's a long time.

Thanks everyone - looking forward to some time off.

Rusty Carl said...

My main man, Alastair Reynolds, has a book that just came out that I'm neck deep in. And I'm all about the new David Brin novel. Also stoked about the Pratchett/Baxter collaboration too. I've got way more to read than I know how to handle.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I, too, agree with you on Kitsch. I hope SAVAGES does well, though I will not see it since I believe the girlfriend becomes forcibly addicted. I hate that kind of storyline.

I know the Bane storyline, and I probably will not see this 3rd Batman film either.

I am looking forward to the reboot of SPIDERMAN. Good luck to Laura Eno!! Roland

Anonymous said...

I'm looking forward to the Spiderman movie. And we watched a beach scene of Savages being filmed. We saw Oliver Stone walking around. We were told to get out of the way. Darn, we almost got into the film as background people.

Carol Kilgore said...

Batman and Ben Stiller are on my list.

Thanks for the shout out!

Enjoy your vacation :)

Matthew MacNish said...

I've never seen that poster for Savages. Looks interesting.

Christine Rains said...

Yes, take a vacation! I need one too, but it might have to wait until September since my husband is very busy at work right now. I'm eager to see the new Batman.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Rusty, I hear you!

Roland, doubt I'll see Savages either.

Stephen, you mentioned that in a blogpost, didn't you?

Carol, you're welcome.

S. L. Hennessy said...

Those movies are all on my list as well. I cannot WAIT for Dark Knight Rises. I don't think it will be as amazing as The Dark Knight, but if it's even half as good it'll be terrific.

Gotta admit, I was skeptical about the new Spider Man, but the previews do look pretty awesome.

Theresa Milstein said...

The Watch: Got Protection? That looks like it has potential to be pretty funny.

Morgan said...

Er... I think you need a vacation more than anyone else on the planet... ;)

Laura's book sounds fabulous. Huge congrats to her. And when I'm in writing mode, I ignore books, tv, movies, etc. Everything except my tri-weekly dose of ninja goodness.

And thanks for the shout out for the blogfest! <3

M Pax said...

You and your wife enjoy the time off. I hope you have a wonderful four days.

Congrats to Laura and Cherie. Woot! Will have to check out the blogfest.

Batman probably interests me most of the July movies. I want to see ALVH

Kelly Polark said...

From the trailer, I think I like Andrew Garfield better than Tobey as Spidey.
And one of my all time faves, C. Thomas Howell, has a small part in the film. So I'll probably see this Spidey movie sooner than later!

Unknown said...

Wise man, lucky wife. Have a fantastic vacation! We will all be here when you return.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SL, yeah the previews do look good.

Morgan, you're welcome!

Thanks, everyone!

Maurice Mitchell said...

Alex, this is a great month for comic book heroes. Congrats to Laura and Cherie!

Mark Koopmans said...

Mahalo for the Shout Out, Alex, and have fun with Mrs. C... you deserve a break and I'm sure she does, too ;)

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Like your side comments on the movies, Alex! Thanks.

Monti
Mary Montague Sikes

Jo said...

OK I now have the two new books by Laura Eno. Thanks for mentioning them. I too will definitely be seeing the next Ice Age movie, love those characters.

Have a good time on your day's off. Rest and relax are good words when you have a chance.

Arlee Bird said...

Have a great little vacation. I'm sure you could use it. I'll be leaving on mine on July 15 or 16 and staying gone for nearly 3 weeks. My wife's paying all the expenses, but I'll be doing most of the driving. Yes, driving from L.A. to Orlando and back with a few stops in the middle.
Yikes!


Lee
Tossing It Out

Heather M. Gardner said...

Have a great vacation!

I thought the trailer for Hit & Run looked pretty funny too!

Heather

Ciara said...

Enjoy the vacation. I hope you are going some place exotic. We are headed to humid Florida to visit family in a week.
Lots of movies headed our way. I agree with your wife, Ice Age is a must see. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Maurice, yes it is! And time for DC fans to enjoy the ride.

Mark, you're welcome!

Lee, not a chance in hell! I'd kill someone by day two.

Ciara, that just sounds hot.

ediFanoB said...

Enjoy your vacation AND PAMPER YOUR WIFE.
She deserve it more than you think!

Helena said...

Have a spectacular vacation, Alex. And have fun at the movies.

Leovi said...

Yes, Oliver Stone gives "a bad carrot and good", hopefully this time is that good.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

woo hoo! Have a brilliant time on your vacation!

I'm looking forward to seeing the Dark Knight Rising. The trailers make it look awesome.

mshatch said...

Like Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises is on my must see list - in fact, I think I'll call my brother right now to remind him: we must see this!

Denise Covey said...

Hi Alex. I've already prescheduled my IWSG post for July 4 as I'll be on hols in Fiji by then, woo hoo. Not 4 days, 6 weeks! D.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Edi, I know, I know!!!!

Leovi, it needs to be good.

Lynda, it should end the series on a bang.

MsHatch, you don't want to miss it.

Denise, you are going to have the time of your life.

alexia said...

Yay, I'll check out Jamie's interview. And, I totally want to see Spiderman and Batman. Spiderman 3 was so sucky they need to make up for it - so, naturally, a foxy new actor. Cool with me :)

Heather Murphy said...

Enjoy your time off!

Unknown said...

I champion Alex... the ninja needs a vacation. I am looking forward to spiderman... not! give my the dark night and I will be happy until the hobbit.

DL Hammons said...

I really can't believe they're rebooting Spiderman so soon. I'd be upset if I were Tobey McGuire!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Alexia, whatever works!

Thanks, Jeremy. Yes, the next big movie after this is The Hobbit.

DL, I'm sure his bank account is happy though.

Powdered Toast Man said...

I will stalk Christopher Nolan if he ruins this last Batman flick. I have been waiting too long for this movie.

Jemi Fraser said...

The Batman one looks the most intriguing to me :)

Unknown said...

Enjoy your vacation! You absolutely deserve the time away. :)

I'm really anticipating TDKR. Spidey just don't cut it for me. I don't think he's going to be nearly as appealing as The Avengers or Nolan's final Batman. He should have waited a year.

Will definitely be checking out Jamie's interview and and congrats to Laura! So many awesome links to visit. I'm never leaving my computer. ;)

SC Author said...

Oooh, the Dark Knight Rises :) I think I'm excited for that because it's coming out a week and a day after my birthday :) WOO! ANNNND, last year, HARRY POTTER DH2 came out 3 days (2 days for the midnight show) after my birthday! That was my best birthday ever :)

Leigh Covington said...

Enjoy your vacation time! Lucky YOU! That will be nice! And thanks for the shout out about our blog fest! You're awesome!

LisaAnn said...

Always love your snarky comments! And I totally agree about The Watch. Could totally--and will probably--suck. I still bet it will make a killing.

Nicole said...

Wraith looks great! Enjoy the time away and thanks for volunteering for my Olympic Blog Relay. :)

Gina Gao said...

These movies look great. Great post, like always.

www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Will be seeing Spiderman definitely. One of my brothers loves superhero movies, and guess who gets to keep him company? Haha, I don't mind, it looks like it's going to be fun to watch.

Yes, you need a holiday Ninja Captain! Take a good break! And enjoy yourself

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see batman and spiderman... hubby is a huge fan of the last spiderman series, so he's a bit dubious about this one...

Tonja said...

I don't understand why we need another spiderman movie. Other superheroes, yes, but no more spiderman. Enough already. It's been done.

The worst thing about my vacation was my husband's phone.

Suze said...

Congratulations to Andrew!

Enjoy your weekend, Al, thoroughly! We'll see you with IWSG on Tuesday.

Unknown said...

I can't wait to see The Dark Knight Rises. Hope you have a fun and relaxing vacation! :)

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hey, Alex,

Thanks for all the news. Taking a vacation? Good for you! Enjoy! If anyone deserves a bit of time off from the internet is certainly is you.

Have an awesome time!

Thanks for the reminder for IWSG... I will post on time this month... LOL. Not sure what it will be, but ti will be positive as always.

Ella said...

Wow, lots going on! Dark Knight Rises does look really good~

Yes, all Ninjas, especially Captains need time away! Hope you and the Mrs. enJOY! You will be missed...

Where did June go?! ;D

Rek Sesh said...

I think I'll check out all the movies given the chance except the Savages.
Enjoy your vacation time.
Congrats to Andrew.
I'll keep my comment short and sweet today. :)
I'll see a freshly tanned(?) Ninja captain next week.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

PTM, I hear you!

Melissa, waiting a year might've been a better idea.

SC, your birthday must be July 13.

Leigh, you're welcome.

LisaAnn, probably.

Imogen, you're a good sport.

Tonja, it kept ringing?

Ella, I don't know!

Thanks, everyone!

Cate Masters said...

Again, so much wonderful news! Congrats to all.
Ahh, a vacation sounds wonderful.

Karen Lange said...

As always, thanks for all your news and notes. Heading over to your interview now. Have a great break!

LynnRush said...

I'm super excited for Spiderman. I hope it lives up to my hopes...LOL!!! It looks a bit more dark, which I love, by the way. :)

Enjoy your time away with your family. Family first! :)

Jack said...

You're right, I think Chewy was a walking carpet. If I remember, it's been awhile since I've seen them sadly, Han even called him one. His life must have been awkward as a child.

Maryannwrites said...

Enjoy your vacation. I'm sure your wife will appreciate having more of your attention. I know my hubby is always thrilled when I disconnect for a few days and we do more together.

I'm not much into the sci-fi or action movies, although I will go see "The Dark Knight Rises" with my hubby, who loves all these kinds of films. In return, he will go see "The Odd Life of Timothy Green".

Bish Denham said...

I'll wait for all the movies to come out on Netflix. Guess I'm just not a big movie goer.

And yes, everyone, (even you!) deserves/needs a vacation else we become ornery monsters hiding in dark corners afraid of the light.

Lydia Kang said...

It is weird that they're redoing Spiderman so soon, but hey. Rules were meant to be broken, right?

Unknown said...

Enjoy your vacation. :)) And, can't wait for Ice Age 4. I love me some Sid! "What? Doesn't anybody love me?"

Allison said...

Despite the fact that this was really soon to reboot Spiderman, I think it is awesome and am going to see it!

Allison (Geek Banter)

Mark said...

Can't wait to see the new Batman film:) Thanks for the tip on the Mithril blog, very cool:)

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congrats to Andrew! Have a wonderful much needed vacation! I'll check out your interview later! Julie

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Miss Jack, very awkward!

Bish, I don't want to be an ornery monster.

Candy, no one loves Sid.

Allison, I'll probably go see it as well.

Patricia Stoltey said...

New book for sure...the one I'm enjoying now is The Last Kind Words by Tom Piccirilli.

Lisa Regan said...

I just read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and it was so good it gave me nightmares! LOL.

Leovi said...

Christopher Nolan never disappoints.

LD Masterson said...

If it has to be Spidy or Batman (limited movie time), I think I'll try Spidy. Even if it is a little too soon.

Congrats to Andrew.

Enjoy your couple's vacation.

LynNerdKelley said...

Hey, that's great that Andrew Leon won. Yay for him!

Yes, I think you deserve a vacation. Have a wonderful time.

Summer Ross said...

I hope you have a great time with your wife! Good for you. I'm looking forward to seeing Batman.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks everyone! One more day...

Sabrina A. Fish said...

I am looking forward to participating in the What if? fairytale blogfest.

I've never been a big Spiderman fan, though I did like the one with the skinny kid...Toby Maguire? Not sure I'll make time to see this one.

I really want Savages to be a good movie. I suppose we'll see.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Batman and always make sure to see each new version. I am looking forward to this one...the previews have me super excited!

As for books? I am just now getting through the rest of George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series. Sad, I know. Writing my own has really made my reading list grow out of control.

Enjoy the vacation, your wife deserves your undivided attention.

Julie Musil said...

Alex, I hope you and your wife have a wonderful vacation! You deserve it.

As for movies, my family just saw Brave yesterday. It was ok, but different than what I thought. I wasn't expecting a whole bear thing to happen. I could've waited until DVD, but my kids were happy, and that's what matters :)

Anonymous said...

You for sure need a vacay! Yay to spending time w/ your wife:)I'm participating in the Buccaneer blog fest on Sharon Bayliss's site the whole month of July to help writers build platform and create connections--should be fun!

Mary Aalgaard said...

Enjoy your Vacay! You DO deserve it. I'll check out the A to Z post, and perhaps catch a movie one of these days.

Golden Eagle said...

Everyone seems to be releasing new books these days!

I hope you have a wonderful vacation. :)

Off to read your interview of Jamie.

Callie Leuck said...

"Jamie’s theme for the Challenge rocked!"

Oh Alex, you slay me.

Hildie McQueen said...

I will probably see Ice Age, none of the others. I will be ready for IWSG, because insecurities about as we speak. I have to drink some sweet tea and take a breath then begin edits again. Bleh!

James Anderson said...

Have a great vacation. No Internet!?! That is harder to stick to than it sounds. (It is such a first world problem.) I am looking forward to see the Dark Knight Rises. Just need to get the babysitter in place. I guess Ice Age is following in the footsteps of Land Before Time. 10 years from now Ice Age 24 will hit the direct to download scene on iTunes.

Unknown said...

I saw the shorts for The Dark Knight Rises, it looks interesting! I heard that The Amazing Spider-Man is being released so that the story will link up with the second Avengers Movie! Don't know if that is the truth or not!

Unknown said...

PS Enjoy your short break Alex!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the shout out, Alex! I'm really looking forward to The Watch, mainly for Richard Ayoade - he's hilarious.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I love Scrat! Have a great vacation.

Anonymous said...

Have a great vacation (and I hope you're not reading this!) ;-)

Mina Burrows said...

I agree about Spiderman. I'm not sure if I'll get to it.

Have an awesome vacation. You totally deserve it!

Talli Roland said...

Happy vacation, Alex! You certainly deserve it.

Unknown said...

I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises. (Christian Bale ---> *Swoon*) haha I'm not a huge fan of Anne Hathaway, but I know the movie will be amazing anyway.
Have fun on your vacation. See you next week.

Jessica Salyer said...

Have a great vacation. That new movie coming out with Channing Tatum looks good. :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Wraith sounds like a great book. I would love to read it.

I am sure you need a vacation. But knowing you Alex, you will power through it with a lot of your work. So it will be more like a working vacation.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. Happy holiday - and enjoy that time with your wife.

Great reviews and I'd love to read Laura's book Wraith .. and yours .. after the Kindle gets purchased ..

Cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sabrina, Batman is one of my favorites.

Julie, I might end up waiting on that one.

Callie, it did!

James, you're probably right about Ice Age.

CM, not sure if it is or not.

Liz, I read it!

Rachna, I've been writing some today already.

Hilary, thank you.

Thanks everyone! Enjoying vacation even thought it is hot.

SpacerGuy said...

Enjoy your vacation Alex, Ice Age sounds neat. At the moment I'm reading The Medusa Effect at the Tomorrow News Network. Its real good!

Sherry Ellis said...

That's great news about Andrew!

My family and I will be seeing the new Ice Age movie. I'm sure it will be good for a laugh.

Have a great vacation. Yes, you need one. Everybody does!

Liza said...

Have a terrific vacation!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the news! Hope you have fun on your vacation! :D

Anonymous said...

Have fun on your vacation! :D

Shannon Lawrence said...

Congratulations to Andrew! I don't think there was any doubt he was going to win. Also, Jamie's theme quite literally rocked. The Watch does look funny, but I'm afraid all the funny parts were in the preview, as that seems to happen quite frequently these days. As far as Spiderman, I'm sick of reboots. And this one is definitely too soon. At this time, I have absolutely no interest in seeing it. That may change. I do have a little boy who might want to see it. Sigh.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Have an awesome vacation with your wife!!!

Donna Shields said...

Can't wait to see all those movies. Have a brest mini vacation.

Martha said...

Just popping in for a little catch up and to say hello. Hope you have a wonderful vacation! :)

Rick said...

Can't wait to see Dark Knight Rises.

And, by the way, the interview with you is up at White Cat Magazine now.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yes, I am enjoying my vacation, although I miss everyone!

Shannon, it is getting good reviews...

Andrew Leon said...

Thanks to everyone who helped out. It was awesome!

Michelle Wallace said...

I hope you had an awesome break, Alex! Glad you took the time-out... you definitely need it every so now and then...
I actually took a few days as well...

Jay Noel said...

I'm so looking forward to Batman and Spiderman. More superhero-goodness!

Pat Tillett said...

Savages has got my interest! That is a for sure see for me.
Enjoy your time away Alex! If anybody deserves a break from the blog world, it is you...

cleemckenzie said...

Unplug and kick back. See you after you recharge. Have to to see The Watch. I've go to see how they organize.

The Happy Whisk said...

Hope you have a wonderful time being on holiday with your wife.

Cheers and boogie boogie :-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks Rick - will go check it out.

Jay - yeah!

I am back and ready to go for the IWSG tomorrow!

Jeremy Bates said...

Welcome back, Alex! Glad you had a little time to get away with your "better half." lol

Hey, "The Watch" is the one I want to see this month. I heard 'ol Spidy was just a remake but in 3D. B.O.R.I.N.G.

Take care and see ya around, buddy!