Monday, December 17, 2012

Ali Cross is Destined, Ninja News, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

Today I have the honor of hosting the Ninja Master herself, Ali Cross! She just released the third book in her Desolation series, Destined.

It's always a good day to visit Alex's blog but it's fan-freakin'-tastic when you get to hijack it! Thanks Alex for being such a softie and letting me take over for the day! I'm here because my third book just came out! It's the last in a trilogy and it's landed me in a weird place.

It's sort of like riding a see-saw. Sometimes I'm up. Sometimes I'm down.

Sometimes I think, "Yeah! I'm done writing Desi's story!"


And other times I think, "I'm totally gonna write another Desi book!"



But mostly I think, "I did it!"



Signing on for a multi-book deal (doesn't matter if you're independently or traditionally published) is a big commitment. I mean, who wants to let their readers down? You've got to finish the story. And sometimes it's no easy task ~ especially when you've got other stories beating down your mental door insisting that you write them.

If you're currently stuck in the muck, I don't have any magic words to help get you through. All I can say is, strap yourself in and get ready for the ride of your life (up, down, all around). And when you're done (because you will finish!) we can go for a ride together and get our rock on.



Don't mind me if I do a little head-banging while I'm waiting. No matter what Desi says,
I TOTALLY WIN!!

Check me (er, Desi) out! 
This is the last (huzzah!) book in the Desolation Trilogy (notice how I said TRILOGY, and not SERIES like I used to? Hey, I make no promises). You can learn more about the series by going to the site, to Goodreads, or to Amazon.

Thanks again for letting me hang out here today, Alex! You're the bestest!

Ali Cross is the sensei of the writer's dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles. 

Links: Blog Facebook | Twitter


Ninja News

I’m a guest of Laura Eno and Miss Snark! See how I respond to the strange questions and the stuff floating in Miss Snark’s punch.

Huntress at Spirit Called just signed with Musa Publishing, a small pub in Ohio, for her urban fantasy, The Magic Withheld. Congratulations, Huntress!

Chuck at Apocalypse Now and Shannon at The Warrior Muse are hosting a Choose Your Own Apocalypse Blogfest this Friday.

Losing Hope, the sequel to Losing Beauty by Johanna Garth, is available now, You can purchase it at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Congratulations, Johanna!

Jack Lewis Baillot of However Improbable just released her first book – Haphazardly Improbable. Congratulations, Miss Jack! Buy it now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Andrew Leon has several books available for free today! Visit Amazon for the full list.

Healing Summer by Elizabeth Seckman is now available!
Find the author and the book at her blog, on Amazon, and on Facebook.

Movie Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Directed by Peter Jackson, it’s another great entry in the Middle Earth series.
Don’t go into it thinking you’re going to see another LOTR film though. The Hobbit is a very different story and moves at a leisurely pace. The movie is lighter and more whimsical.
Visually it’s stunning. Since we’re now familiar with Middle Earth, some of the ‘wow’ factor is gone, but the scenery and action scenes are still amazing. There’s a bit of backstory in the beginning and Jackson draws upon the appendixes to flesh out other scenes. We get to see Gandalf do more magic as well.
Martin Freeman is perfect in the role of Bilbo, and Richard Armitage does a strong turn as Thorin.
Overall, the movie is a little too long, but I was never bored. (I would recommend avoiding the giant sized drink.)
When it shines though, the film really shines! Looking forward to the second movie next December.

Any questions for Ali? Do you follow her or the Dojo? Excited about the new releases? Ready to celebrate the apocalypse this Friday? And did anyone else see the Hobbit?

Be sure to visit Laura Eno and Miss Snark!

146 comments:

PK HREZO said...

Congrats to Ali! It's a great thing when you can continue a story for your characters!
Congrats to all the books releasing!
And I've always liked the story of The Hobbit better than LOTR but still a huge LOTR fan. Can't wait to see Hobbit this week.... wait, there's 2 installments??? Of course there is, that's the trend these days.

Have a great week, Alex! And Ali!!

Sean McLachlan said...

Lovely cover!

Elsie Amata said...

Congrats to you, Ali, I'm sure it has been quite a journey! Don't forget, you can always do what King did and sneak in 2.5 - what a sneaky pete he was with his his Dark Tower series. I can only imagine what it's like to end a series you've been working on. Kudos!!

Alex - I plan on seeing The Hobbit but am nervous about just how long it is because, yeah, I'm buying the large Coke and I'm bringing my 13 year old. May have to change that plan. Not the Coke purchase...the 13 year old as a bring a long.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. Ali - well done on completing your trilogy, but leaving that door open for a series ... I wonder if Alex is thinking along those lines!?

Great to have your Ninja news .. guest posts, authors, books et al ..

I can see where you're coming from re The Hobbit - and it is a whimsical film .. I loved it - just quietly enjoyed all the scenery and animation, while following along to the dialogue ..

Cheers Hilary

Lisa said...

Congratulations Ali, Alex.

Now I feel like going to the movies.

Ciara said...

Great cover, Ali. I know what you mean about multi-book commitment. Congratulations on all your accomplishments. We are planning on seeing The Hobbit Friday.

Unknown said...

A Big Congrats Ali, great job!

Will be seeing the Hobbit after Christmas, looking forward to it!

Misha Gerrick said...

Congrats Ali and all the other authors with books coming out.

I really can't wait to see The Hobbit, but first, I'll be seeing Skyfall tomorrow at last. :-D

Anonymous said...

Yep, I follow Ali. I look forward to reading the trilogy.

CONGRATS to all the other book authors mentioned.

Mel Chesley said...

Congrats to Ali! And bring on the apocalypse, I' m totally ready, lol. Can' t wait to see the Hobbit. I' m such a Tolkien geek now. Took me long enough.

Old Kitty said...

Yay for Ninja Mistress Ali!! Oh ok Master Ninja Ali! Yay!

Awwwww I passed over your Hobbit review. I refuse to read any more Hobbit reviews until I see it!!

Take care
x

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Ali! That is quite a commitment.

I did not see The Hobbit but did rent LAWLESS, which I loved. Also saw SNOWWHITE & THE HUNTSMAN which was a bit of a disappointment. (I'm still playing movie catch-up!)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Congratulations to Ali...love the book's cover!

Haven't made it to the movies yet...stuff keeps coming up. Hoping to go soon. :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats Ali! It's a huge accomplishment to finish a trilogy. So excited for you.

And thanks for the review Alex. I hope The Hobbit is still playing here when I get back from China because I don't have time to see it before we leave the end of the week.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Congratulations to Ali, and good luck!

Gossip_Grl said...

Great posting and Congrats to Ali for her new book out! Also for sharing the great links to visit today! I almost forgot about the apocalypse blogfest today and I definitely want to read some of those! Happy Monday!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Congrats, Ali. The book cover is fantastic. Don't bang your head on the steering wheel when resorting to headbanging. Seems you've too much more writing to do. Congrats to Johanna and the others.

Be well, Alex.
xoRobyn

mooderino said...

Isn't the gathering of the ninjas one of the signs of the apocalypse?

Not all that excited about the Hobbit (although one of my fave books as a kid). Three parts seems excessive for what's quite a short story.

mood

Unknown said...

I can't wait to read your interview over at Miss Snark's! This oughta be great! See ya at Laura's tomorrow.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yay for Ali!! :) Thrilled to see her pub her 3rd!!

I'm still working on talking the hubby into seeing the Hobbit - maybe over the holidays :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Pk, I think you'll enjoy it.

Elsie, that's funny!

Hilary, I am wondering...

Liz, that one was a disappointment.

Natalie, I'm sure it will be.

Moody, possibly...

Candilynn, hope it measures up to the others!

Trisha said...

I had no idea there was going to be a 2nd movie! haha.

@Ali - congratulations again, and I have not read any of your seri...errr, trilogy ,but I very much look forward to doing so! :)

Laura Eno said...

Congrats to Ali and the other book releases!
Somehow I never seem to get around to going to the movies...
Mistress Snark is eagerly anticipating your visit to the parlor tomorrow (said the spider to the fly).

Liza said...

Congratulations Ali! Amazing accomplishment. Alex, thanks for the review on The Hobbit. We were wondering...

Creepy Query Girl said...

Congrats Ali! That cover is gorgeous too! And thanks for the Hobbit review. Planning on catching this one with the hubs soon!

Christine Rains said...

Congrats to Ali! Love her books. I've been hearing mixed reviews of The Hobbit. Nothing bad, but I think maybe some people's hopes were set too high. I watched Men In Black 3 on Friday night. It was a bit better than I expected!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the books and perseverance, Ali. Great cover. Good to see other books highlighted as well.

Luanne G. Smith said...

Congrats on completing the trilogy! Working on one myself, and I know it owns me. :P

Also can't wait to see The Hobbit (minus the initial crowds).

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Ali, sometimes we're compelled to just keep writing.

The Armchair Squid said...

A nice review. I guess I need to go dig through those appendices myself.

I enjoyed the pace. My 9-year-old was distraught when it was over. We're looking forward to the next installment.

Ruth said...

I am going to check out all the books.
I liked The Hobbit. They did a great job of making the same actors look a lot younger.
The story was good. I have never read the book so I can't compare.
I did buy it for my daughter for Christmas. I may have to borrow it.

Ali Cross said...

Thanks for hosting me today Alex! And thank you to everyone for your happy wishes!

We saw The Hobbit this weekend with our two 12-yo boys. We loved it! We went in expecting it to be a tad boring (we've all read The Hobbit so pretty much knew what to expect) and were pleasantly surprised. Yep, it's leisurely (good way to put it, Alex!), but we thought it was great. We thought the scene with Gollum was particularly well done. Loved seeing Gandalf do more magic, and a little of the "magic" between him and Galadriel, too. :)

Tess Julia said...

Congratulations to Ali for her book release! The cover looks amazing and I'll have to check it out.

Liesel K. Hill said...

So glad you liked The Hobbit movie. Haven't seen it yet but can't wait to! Re-read the book last week and it got me all hyped up. Totally want to check out the apocalypse blog fest. Happy Monday! :D

Ella said...

Congrats Ali and well done on hijacking the Ninja's blog~ ;D

Oh, congrats to all-so many great books! I'm in awe and know what I want for Christmas... ;D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Trisha, there will be three movies total.

Laura, I bet she is!

Christine, I think people wanted another LOTR and it's definitely not.

Squid, I wasn't ready for it to end.

Ali, you're welcome, and my thoughts exactly!

Karen Lange said...

It's nice to see Ali here. Wishing her the best! Hopping over to Laura's now.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Glad you enjoyed The Hobbit. I can't wait to see it, though I'll have to, because I won't be able to check it out until Wdnesday.

Andrew Leon said...

I wasn't as thrilled with The Hobbit, especially after I left the theater and could think about everything he got wrong. My review will be some time this week.

Thanks for the plug!

Jo said...

Can't persuade hubby to go to the movies and friend I often go with is away for the holidays so I will have to wait.

Congratulations to Ali on completing her trilogy.

Jay Noel said...

Great guest post, Ali - best wishes to you and your awesome book.

And what's up with all of these great writers coming out of Utah???

Going to see The Hobbit this week! I try to avoid the big drinks - especially for longer movies.

Al Diaz said...

I saw the Hobbit and I liked it very much. I can't help to wonder how are they going to make a trilogy out of such a small book but then again that's Hollywood. We'll find out.

Congratulations to Ali. :D

Julie Flanders said...

Congratulations to Ali!! What an accomplishment to finish a trilogy, woo-hoo!

Looking forward to your visit with Ms. Snark, Alex. I love Laura's blog. :)

cleemckenzie said...

Ali definitely wins! Three books down. Way to go, Ali.

I'm sure the Ms. Snark interview will be a stunner. I'll have to pop in and see how the Ninja does.

I'm going to see The Hobbit with my nieces this weekend. Middle Earth, here I come.

Happy Happy Dec and a Wowaful New Year, Alex.

Melissa said...

Congrats, Ali!!! Great post! What an awesome little hijacker you are. LOL

I'm a new follower of the Dojo. In fact, I plan to mention it as part of my Jan. IWSG post. :)

Julie Dao said...

Congratulations to Ali! I'm going to Goodreads to look up the trilogy!

Cate Masters said...

Wow, gorgeous cover, Ali - congrats!
Oh, didn't know Richard Armitage was in The Hobbit. Another reason to see it. :)

Unknown said...

Congrats to Ali on her third book! That's an awesome accomplishment. I hope I get the chance to see The Hobbit in theaters, maybe over the ling holiday weekend.

Huntress said...

WARNING to the followers of Alex C's most excellent blog: Don't drink coffee while reading.

Holy Fainting Cats, Alex, thank you for the shout out.

And to Ali Cross: What super, timely words for me personally. You might not call them 'magic' but I do.

Regarding Hobbit: No super-sized drink. Check.

Mark Means said...

As someone who's not a huge LOTR fan nor someone who liked reading "The Hobbit", I have to say that I really enjoyed the movie.

A lot.

It was very well done and, visually, awesome :)

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I pan to see The Hobbit this weekend so glad for the glowing review. I'm ashamed to say I have book one of Ali Cross's trilogy but haven't read it yet. I'll try to start reading before 2013. I have a bunch of books to read (including some awesome e-galleys) but I'll try to squeeze it in so I'll know if I want to check out the rest of the series. And yes Ali I know what it's like to try and write a series with other ideas trying to get in. Annoying yes, but when you're done with the series you already have new ideas waiting in line. That's the good news.

Yay for Elizabeth! I won an autograhped copy of her other book. I'll try to buy this one over the holidays. Congrats to all authors on today's post and will be checking out the guest post tomorrow Alex. Have a nice day.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Ali, your book cover is stunning. Somebody put a lot of heart and soul into it, and I'm betting it was because they thought the book was awesome. It's on my list. Congratulations! I'll read the first ones first, of course!

Anonymous said...

So many are writing about The Hobbit and how much they enjoyed it. This makes me very happy because I am a huge supporter of Peter Jackson.

Nancy Thompson said...

Congrats to Ali & everyone else in their big releases! Exciting stuff! I've heard the same thing about Tbe Hobbit. I'll wait until it comes out on DVD or even HBO. I received an invite to the Apocolypse from Chuck. Think I'll go over & sign up even though my week is already so blasted full.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

George, only two days!

Andrew, you're welcome.

Jay, I think that's where they breed.

Al, I think the third movie will be the war with the spiders.

Melissa, Ali will appreciate that.

Huntress, you're welcome, and that comment just made my morning!

Mark, it was!

Sheena-kay, I only just started reading Ali's first book, so don't feel bad.

Donna, we need more directors like him.

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Lots of good ninja news! Looking forward to reading some of those releases. :)
I'm looking forward to seeing The Hobbit, but I'm trying really hard to keep my expectations low.

Miranda Hardy said...

Ali is awesome and I wish her all the best. Can't wait to see what she'll work on next.

I was supposed to see the Hobbit this weekend, but it's been postponed.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

I really enjoyed the Hobbit on Friday night, despite the fact that I was in almost constant pain from a gout attack and had to hobble around on crutches.

Ali lives in Utah? There are so many people in the publishing industry (but not publishers or agents just writers and people doing writing related things) that hail from Utah. It's such a wonderful community for that. I'm going to look up Ali's books and start reading them.

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

Wow! Ali Cross's writing sure has a lot of punch! Congratulations on the new book.

I'll look for your interview tomorrow!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

I am Boycotting The Hobbit... details soon...

Ali [Right] Cross... you are amazing... you had me at the fifth element... congrats and all the worldly best of luck. I want to know are all your animals trained in the art of war... especially those turtles or may I say ninja... turtles, though you say they are zen...

The Hobbit... thank you for your solid review. I just have the issue of introduction of characters and it being three films... details coming.

Alex, you are the king of kings... like Elvis, Stephen, Larry, Nat, Martin, BB... then you.

Have a great day!
Jeremy

Sherry Ellis said...

Congratulations to Ali!
I definitely want to see the Hobbit. Maybe I'll take the kids during their winter break.

Samantha May said...

Oh Wayne's World. Always makes me laugh :D

Congratulations to Ali! That's awesome!

As for The Hobbit...I HAVE to see. Have to.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nancy, do it anyway - Chuck is awesome.

Rachel, good idea.

Michael, surprised you haven't met her.

Jeremy, thanks! Yeah, it will be interesting to see what they do with the third movie. Probably didn't need it, but hey.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Ali, you've made a huge accomplishment publishing the trilogy. Alex, thanks for hosting and I heard Hobbitt is a little long since it's based on a single book, but it's nice to hear that Jackson doesn't disappoint.

Charles Gramlich said...

Wishing great luck to Ali!

Juliana Haygert said...

Man, I so want to see The Hobbit!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I hope to see The Hobbit on Wednesday and will follow your advice about drink size. :D

klahanie said...

Yes indeed, it's me, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!

Ali Cross? Hope you are not too um 'cross' Ali. Seriously, all the very best, Ali.

I've said it several times. Character inspirations for the Hobbit came from the town of Leek, England. Yep, Tolkien got inspiration from the locals. I can sure see why :)

I shall be phoning the International Date Line to find out if the earth ends on December 21. Will keep you informed.

Pawsitive wishes, Penny...

Saumya said...

Congrats, Ali!! Will definitely be watching The Hobbit soon and your review made me more excited :)

Robin said...

Never thought about a trilogy in quite that way before. Congrats to you and Ali! So many stories in your head and what a big commitment to JUST ONE.

Johanna Garth said...

Thanks for the words of encouragement Ali! Congrats to you!! I have one more in my trilogy and then I will be D O N E done!!

And also thanks Alex for the nice shout out for Losing Hope! :)

Hannah said...

Ali, I love your upbeat attitude!! You do certainly win.

Alex, I can't wait to see The Hobbit!!eeeeeek!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Maurice, he didn't. And even after almost three hours, I didn't want it to end.

Penny, I need to visit Leek then! And yes, let us know if we need extra sunblock or zombie protection that day.

Johanna, you're welcome.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Such awesome publishing news for everyone!

Great post, sir.

Glad the Hobbit didn't let you down.

Heather

Leovi said...

Wonderfull Ali Cross.

jaybird said...

Wow- that's a lot of good news.

Can't wait to take my daughter to see The Hobbit, she and I are die hard fans. I saw that the movie was like 2hours and 45 minutes and I thought the same thing, MUST AVOID THE LARGE DRINK...LOL

randi lee said...

Great to hear a review of the Hobbit...looking forward to checking it out!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I haven't seen the Hobbit yet but my hubby and I laughed at your comment about not taking giant sized drinks in with you. ;)

Natasha Hanova said...

Looking forward to seeing the Hobbit.

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats to Johanna and others with new books!

See you with Mistress Snark tomorrow :)

Gwen Gardner said...

I am looking forward to The Hobbit movie. Just finished rereading the book and doing the blogfest, which was a lot of fun!

Congrats to Ali, Johanna, Huntress, Jack and Elizabeth!

Morgan said...

Ali is from UTAH? *dies* I didn't know that. We breed writers. Seriously.

And love seeing all of the awesome names I recognize up there. It's such a neat thing to see so many people living their dream.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

THE HOBBIT was a children's tale and that should be taken into consideration when seeing the moive. I saw it today (minus the crowds) and was enchanted by it. Of course, I fell in love with Cate Blanchett in the first LOTR, and I could not miss her in THE HOBBIT, short though her time in it was. :-)

SC Author said...

Congrats Ali! AND I WATCHED E HOBBIT TWO DAYS AGO! It was fantastic; I just loved being back in Middle Earth the most :)

Carrie Butler said...

Congratulations to Ali, Huntress, Johanna, Jack, and Elizabeth! Whew. The list gets longer every week, and I love it. :)

Here's to even more reason to congratulation each other in 2013!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jaybird, just say no!!

Lynda, you have been warned...

Gwen, I meant to reread the book...

Morgan, just think if all of you got together. You could form your own country.

Roland, it's been a long time since I read it, but I still don't remember it being for kids. Oh well.

SC, it's familiar territory.

Arlee Bird said...

I wish Ali much success. I'm signed up for the Apocalypse--Blogfest, that is.

I'll wait for the Hobbit on DVD I guess, but I'd like to see the fast frame version on the big screen.

Lee
Tossing It Out

mshatch said...

I am SO happy for Huntress! And looking forward to seeing the Hobbit next weekend, I hope - glad you liked it :)

Rusty Carl said...

Congrats to Huntress!

I saw the Hobbit this weekend too. I loved it. I wrote a review that I think is going up tomorrow. Bottom line though, I don't get all the critical hate that's been floating around - it's a really good movie.

Julie Musil said...

Congratulations, Ali! The cover is gorgeous. And you know what? I'm totally impressed with writers who belt out a trilogy. Awesome.

Jeff Hargett said...

Odd, the movie didn't strike me as too long at all. Loved Ali's post (and awesome bio too.) And major congrats to all those with new releases!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, we didn't see that version, but our 3D TV has the same effect. It's really cool.

Rusty, yeah! It will be in my top movies for the year.

Jeff, it was a little long, but at the same time, when it ended, I was bummed.

LisaAnn said...

Nice to meet you, Ali, and thanks for all the good book news, Alex! Also, I'm so glad to hear your take on THE HOBBIT. I can't wait to see this one, and I agree that Martin Freeman was perfectly cast for this one!

Unspoken said...

Thanks for the introduction :).

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I was waiting for you Hobbit review. I'll be seeing it soon.
My son and his friends are having an end of the world party on Friday, but not until after work.

Leigh Covington said...

Love Ali's new cover! Amazing!
And I can't wait to see the Hobbit! I'm making my husband take me for my birthday!

DMS said...

Congrats Ali! Great guest post. :) The Hobbit sounds good- I bet it is visually amazing!
~Stephanie

Chuck said...

Alex that's a lot of book promoting...my head is spinning but a couple I do want to check out. You are the best when it comes to this work.

Thanks for the blogfest promo! Sorry you can't make it.

Def seeing the Hobbit after the holiday vacay. And the giant drink thing??? That's what I always tell my wife...does she listen...NOOO!

Sabrina A. Fish said...

I love being introduced to a new trilogy after all of them are out! Woot! Will def check out Ali's books. As for the Hobbit, I haven't seen it yet, but hope to this coming weekend.

farawayeyes said...

Cograts to Ali and everyone else. Looks like a big finish for 3012 for a lot of folks.

You almost have me talked into seeing The Hobbit. I would call the book a tad bit slower than leisurely.

farawayeyes said...

Ah, that should be 2012. Sorry about that my time machine slipped for a minute there.

Helena said...

I'm so happy for Ali's trilogy success, and congrats to all the other writers' for their exciting books. My TBR list just keeps gettin' longer.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I want to see The Hobbit, but haven't yet. I always preferred it in book form vs. the LOTR books. My mom looked at me aghast when I told her that yesterday.

It's so hard to resist characters and continuing story lines. I can see why so many series go for so long. Readers and writers both get attached to the characters.

Thanks for mentioning the Choose Your Own Apocalypse Blogfest!

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Unknown said...

Funny you should mention the giant sized drink - when I went to see it in the cinema there was a group of 4 people towards the end of my row who got up to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. It was crazy!

Jamie

Anonymous said...

I've heard very similar things about the Hobbit... gotta wait till Boxing Day till it comes out here in Australia.

YVONNE'S POETRY CORNER said...

Thanks for a wonderful post Alex, always something of interest going on in your world.

Yvonne.

Sabrina A. Fish said...

Hey Alex, I now know what you look like! Loved seeing all the places you visited in Paris on Elise Fallson's blog...hehehe!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, sounds like fun!

Leigh, excellent birthday present.

Chuck, you're welcome, and your wife will regret it...

Faraway, thought you were commenting from the future!

Shannon, you're welcome.

Sabrina, I need to check that out!

Brinda said...

I loved Ali's post and I'll check out her book. Of course, I'd have to start with #1.

Congrats to all the authors with new releases!

Unknown said...

Congrats to everyone on all the good news!

Ali, you rock! It's awesome that you made it through a trilogy and I wish you every success with this last installment. :)

Alex, Hobbit was the BEST! I didn't notice how long it was and I made it all the way through without a pitstop! Oh and I got to the bathroom first after it ended. Must have been the birthday magic at work LOL.

Writer Pat Newcombe said...

I just love the little cartoon characters Alex! And I am definitely looking forward to seeing the HOBBIT!

Sangu Mandanna said...

Wheee I'm excited to go see the Hobbit. Have to admit it sounds absurdly long given PJ has managed to stretch into three films AND the book was so short!

Susan Fields said...

Congrats to Ali on finishing her trilogy/series (or not?) And I haven't seen the Hobbit yet, but I hope to soon!

A.J. Walker said...

I sympathize with Ali Cross on this one. I'm working on sequels to two different series. It's a hell of a commitment but it's a whole lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

I'm commenting to say I saw most of this post, but I'm avoiding all Hobbit-related posts, so all I can really say right now is that I love "The Fifth Element" and that animated GIF made my morning.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Thanks for the shout out Alex! You're da man.
Ali, a teeter totter is a perfect analogy...best of luck on your new book.
The Hobbit was good. It was so visually stunning I told my husband, ""I want to live in a Hobbit hole!" And unfortunately, I didn't skip the large drink, but I survived!

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations, Ali!
Just saw the movie yesterday. I liked it, but... I always like the books better :-)

RaShelle Workman said...

Alex - Remember when movies were 85-90 minutes??? A giant sized drink was no biggie.

Anyone can "hold it" for 30/45 minutes.

But these movies lately- 2.5 hours - sheesh!!. While I love staying "in the story longer," they aren't good on the bladder.

Ali - congrats on your release. Love the pics, the Desi/Ali seesaw, and I know the book is AWESOME!!!

Theresa Milstein said...

Alex, nice to see Ali here.

I believe I'd be worried about letting readers down in a trilogy too. Many of the Book 2s out there don't live up to Book 1. I've written a book, which I plan to make into a trilogy, so if can sell it, I'll be in the same boat!

Mary Aalgaard said...

The boys saw The Hobbit without me this weekend. I think I'll go to it with The Chef this coming weekend. I like this story.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Ali Rocks!!!! (and wins!) Congratulations Ali - I look forward to reading more of the stories that insistently ask for your attention.

And you know I saw The Hobbit and enjoyed it!

Jack said...

Thank you for mentioning my book!

I enjoyed the Hobbit as well. It was amazing, and I loved the Dwarves hall....before Smaug broke in.
Also, Martin Freeman makes a wonderful Hobbit. So much better then I first thought he would be.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Dang giant sized drink! You made me laugh with that one. Hubby and I hope to see it tomorrow.

And Ali just rocks.

Isis Rushdan said...

Great cover, Ali! Congratulations.

I plan to save the Hobbit for DVD.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Melissa, good, because you didn't want to miss any of it!

AJ, now that my trilogy is done, I have no idea what to write.

Elizabeth, you're welcome. And ouch!

RaShelle, much easier to watch at home where you can pause.

Theresa, at least you planned for a trilogy.

Jack, he really fit the part.

Donna, just say no.

Leovi said...

The Hobbit interesting and fun, I like. Greetings.

Emily R. King said...

Thanks for the Hobbit review. I heard there's a lot of walking, but it couldn't be more than all the running in The Hunger Games. :)

Merry Christmas, Alex!

Jai Joshi said...

Ali, I love this post! You have a great sense of rock (I'm head-banging right now) and I wish you best on Destined!

Jai

Anonymous said...

It definitely had its lull periods. lol One "battle" scene in particular was completely unexpected, though, and it was awesome! Don't linger on the mountain. ;)

Cherie Reich said...

Congrats to Ali!! Can't wait to read the end of the trilogy!

I'm hoping to see The Hobbit later this week.

M Pax said...

You'd think movies about hobbits should be short, but they never are. :)

Your tea at Laura's was fun. Congrats to Ali! Woot!

David P. King said...

The Hobbit and Ali in the same post ='s epic awesomeness! Glad you enjoyed The Hobbit as much as I did! :)

kjmckendry said...

Congrats to Ali! It must be hard to be done after you've spent so much time with certain characters.

Haven't seen Hobbit yet, but looking forward to it.

Intangible Hearts said...

It's like a variety show. You have great posts Alex. Only here could I hear about Zen turtles and whether a large drink might be too much for The Hobbit. Thanks for all the smiles.

Tamara said...

First off, Congrats to Ali~finishing must feel amazing (and a little sad I'm sure)

My sister told me the Hobbit was too violent for her nine year old. I'd be interested to know if anyone else thought the film was too violent for kids?

I'm still looking forward to seeing it, but I'll have to wait till it comes out on DVD since Christmas is eating up all my money. haha

Mina Burrows said...

Loved Ali's post. The GIF's rocked. I'm supposed to see The Hobbit tomorrow so hopefully its good. :)

Anonymous said...

December sure is ending with a bang! I'll see the Hobbit soon on m own. Wifey and the daughters just don;t want to see it.

Good luck to Ali Cross and Johanna Garth and their new releases!

Seeing those knuckleheads banging their heads to Queen in a Gremlin is still funny after all these years! I used to know so many people like that in high school. I think I took a few rides with them from time to time.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Emily, far better!

Debra, that's right.

Mary, that's hilarious!!!

David, it was great!

Desert, I aim to please.

Tamara, I didn't think it was too violent, but I guess it depends on the kid.

Stephen, just go by yourself - it's worth it.

Anonymous said...

I read the first book in Ali's series. I need to get to the other two.

Can you believe that I haven't seen a LOTR movie yet?

Wanda said...

Congrats Ali and the rest of the crew of has books releasing.

SpacerGuy said...

The Hobbit was a good laugh. Sure glad I didn't have too much to drink!

Allison said...

Glad The Hobbit is a hit. Wasn't sure how I felt about Martin Freeman as Bilbo... so I'm pleased he turned out to be good!

Allison (Geek Banter)

The Happy Whisk said...

Wow, and four zen turtles, to boot. That's one busy chickie. Good luck to you Ali and Happy Writing.

Unknown said...

I haven't see the Hobbit yet. it doesn't come out here until Boxing Day I don't think. And I won't have a chance to see it until mid January. If it's still in the cinemas then. I shall be most grumpy if I miss it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Medeia, you need to fix that!

Allison, he was great.

Imogen, I hope you don't miss it.

Cally Jackson said...

The cover of Destined is gorgeous. Congrats on *finishing* the trilogy, Ali! ;-)

Alex, The Hobbit doesn't come out till 1 Jan here in Aus. Shall definitely take your advice re avoiding the super-sized drink. My bladder is struggling as it is what with being 37 weeks pregnant!! :-)