Monday, February 24, 2014

House of Cards Review, Game of Thrones in Legos, Mini-Alex, IWSG, Movie Trivia, and Ninja News!

The IWSG is all over today!

The wonderful Karen Lang asked several questions about the IWSG, and I am a guest on her blog today.

For those of you who want to know more about the IWSG and what it can offer to writers, I am also a guest of Lori’s at How to Write Shop. This site is one of the many great resources listed at the IWSG, so come for my guest post and stay for the valuable information Lori offers!

House of Cards – Season Two

The next season of the NetFlix original series is available now and it did not take me long to devour it.
Season two follow’s Kevin Spacey’s character, Francis Underwood, as he maneuvers his way through DC, crushing everything in his path.
Just when you don’t think the show can get any darker or more twisted, House of Cards finds new ways to unsettle you. It’s like a train wreck – fascinating to watch.
By the end of the second season, I had just one thought – the only way this will all ultimately make sense is if Underwood’s revealed to be the antichrist.
And I really hope and pray DC really doesn’t operate like this!

Mini-Alex

On the copier!

I wouldn’t let him use the clone machine, so he tried to improvise.

Didn’t really work though.



And now I have all these copies of his butt…




Real Alex News

I’m still making progress on my current manuscript, although not at the speed I would like. I really am a slow and lazy writer. Will take part of this week off to work on the story. I might actually finish the first draft by the first week of March!

I’ve also prepared almost all of my A to Z Challenge posts! I’ll continue to add to them, but the Challenge portion is ready. (When you see the first one, you’ll understand.) I always prepare them before the Challenge begins, but I’ve never been this far ahead of the game! (And if you haven’t signed up yet, please join us!)

Haven’t been to a movie in a while, but excited that Thor: The Dark World and Gravity come out on Tuesday. Both will be available in 3D Blu-ray, which is just awesome!

The Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway is just a few followers away from ending! If you’ve never clicked the Google Friends Connect, now is a great time to do so.

And sad to see the Olympics come to an end. Always a lot of fun to watch.


Ninja News

Available now - Confessions of a Sex Fiend: A View to Ecstasy by Rayven Godchild, a.k.a. Angela Brown.

Available now – Pale Moonlight by Tony Laplume, an epic vision of vampire literature.

Cover reveal – Bloodlust by Nicole Zoltack

Bloodlust is a NA epic fantasy with a hint of forbidden love when Barbarian-Princess Ivy makes an alliance with the despicable Lukor the goliath in a desperate attempt to save her race from extinction.

Cover reveal – Vampire Lies by RaShelle Workman

Eyes like violet sapphires. Wings of smoldering fire.
Consume your true love's blood.
Become the Eternal Vampire.

Cover reveal – Blood Crown by Ali Cross.


WormFest is in a couple weeks!



And for those of you who are fans of Game of Thrones – The Red Wedding in Legos, courtesy of MsMariah at A Space Blogyssey.
Don’t look if you haven’t seen this insane scene from season three yet!

(From the Huffington Post. )


Movie Trivia

Name the actor/actress who provides the voice!

1 – Title character from The Iron Giant, 1999

2 – Z from Antz, 1998

3 – Title character from Puss in Boots, 2011

4 – Moses from Prince of Egypt, 1998

5 – Sulley from Monsters, Inc., 2001

6 – Rocky from Chicken Run, 2000

7 – Fozzie Bear from Muppets From Space, 1999

8 – Emperor Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000

Answers next Monday!

Anyone else watching House of Cards? Working on a manuscript? (Hopefully writing faster than me!) Working on your A to Z Challenge posts? Ready for some new books? Know any of the trivia? And where should Mini-Alex go next…?

Be sure to visit Karen Lang today!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Ubuntu Bloghop and Humanity, Mini-Alex and Snow, Movie Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

Today I am visiting the lovely Julie Musil talking about the small publisher debate. Please join us and weigh in your thoughts.

Cherie Colyer has a Features and Spotlights she does every Friday, and this week it is on my series! Thanks, Cherie!

I finally let Mini-Alex out for a snow day and the scarf was very much needed!

Special thanks again to Elise for the creation of Mini-Alex and to Deniz for making his scarf!


Ninja News

The IWSG Website has a great guest today – the amazing Anne R. Allen!

Our good friend Roland Yeomans is undergoing surgery today for cancer. Please keep him in your prayers this week. Since Roland is also struggling with the funds for this surgery, Sean McLachlan suggested a Buy-A-Thon for his books. I’ve read several of Roland’s books and highly recommend following the adventures of one Victor Standish. Visit Roland’s author page on Amazon to see a complete listing of his eBooks and audio books. If you’ve never read any of Roland’s work, now is a great time to do so!

Did you catch Father Dragon Al’s Lord of the Clones Challenge Part 2? 



Sir Baldernot at his finest!




Patricia Stoltey signed a contract with Five Star/Cengage for her first standalone suspense novel, Dead Wrong. The book is scheduled for a November 2014 release.

Terri Rochenski announced that Roane Publishing offered her a contract for Love's Sorrow, the first book in my Means of Mercy series.

Cindy at Dreamer’s Perch has a poll going on - if you had to choose, what is your favorite kind of science fiction? Visit her site to vote for the poll in her sidebar.

In a brand new series, Donna Hosie revisits Logres with THE CHILDREN OF CAMELOT.

Two worlds, one thousand years apart. And those worlds are about to collide.

THE RING OF MORGANA will be released in ebook and paperback on the 15th June 2014.



The Ubuntu Bloghop

Michelle Wallace at Writer-in-Transit is celebrating her third blog anniversary with a bloghop!

What is ubuntu? "In Africa, there is a concept known as UBUNTU – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others." – Nelson Mandela.

When I signed up, I had no idea what I was going to post for this bloghop. I knew poetry was out of the question. (You should all be grateful for that.) I thought about posting a video or a Bible passage.

But the best example of humanity towards others came on Monday when so many rallied around Jeremy Hawkins and left comments of encouragement at his special tribute at the A to Z Blog. Over 160 people showed their support through the efforts of the A to Z Co-Hosts and DL Hammons’ Blog Blitz Team. You guys were awesome and really cheered up Jeremy!


Movie Trivia Answers

1 - Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Al Pacino – 1995 – Heat
2 - Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Karl Urban – 2010 – Red
3 - Joe Pantoloano, Carrie-Anne Moss, Guy Pearce – 2000 - Memento
4 - Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, Bruce Willis = 1990 – Die Hard II
5 - James McAvoy, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton – 2005 – Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Have you read one of Roland’s books yet? Excited about the new book deals? How would you define Ubuntu? Get any of the trivia right? And who wants to play in the snow with Mini-Alex?

Don’t forget to visit Julie Musil today and Cherie Colyer on Friday!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Jodorowsky’s Dune, Movie Posters for Noah and How to Train Your Dragon II, Movie Trivia, and Ninja News!

Genre Images and News


Blastr featured the trailer for a documentary about the Dune that never was.
“Back in the mid-'70s, famously eccentric cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) attempted to mount an incredibly ambitious version of Herbert's novel, which was thought by many to be unfilmable. But that didn't stop Jodorowsky, who brought legendary artists like H.R. Giger and Jean Moebius Giraud on board to design the creatures and sets while casting actors such as David Carradine, Orson Welles and Mick Jagger in key roles.
“Alas, Jodorowsky's vision simply proved too big and expensive, and the project fell apart before filming started.
“… filmmaker named Frank Pavich has created a documentary called Jodorowsky's Dune that recounts the history of the project…”

Blastr also proposed science fiction locations that would make great Winter Olympic venues, including the worlds of Narnia, Frozen, Empire’s Hoth, and Dr. Who’s Christmas town.

“Jotunheim from Thor: Sure, the locals might not be all that welcoming, but the extreme conditions and terrain would make for even greater competition. And as for those Frost Beasts...well, that just makes cross country skiing more interesting.”

And found a couple really cool posters for upcoming theatrical releases:

Ninja News

The A to Z Co-hosts have a special tribute for one of own (Jeremy Hawkins, who broke his ankle a week ago) at the A to Z Blog today – please stop by to read it.

The epic battle continues at Father Dragon’s between me and Lord Baldernot, Mark Koopmans! Prepare for - The Lord of the Clones - The Challenge Part 2

M Pax revealed the cover for her next Backworlds book, Worlds on Edge.

Milo James Fowler is part of an upcoming anthology due out in 2015, Wastelands 2. And he is sharing the limelight with such authors as George R.R. Martin and Hugh Howey! His contribution is a story called "Soulless in His Sight."

Available now – King Sized Beds and Happy Trails, Book One in the Beds Series, written by authors Cassie Mae and Theresa Paolo under the pen names Becca Ann and Tessa Marie.

Tyrean Martinson celebrated the one year anniversary of her book, Champion in the Darkness, with the release of Light Reflections. It’s a collage of everyday poetry, reflecting on life moments and you can purchase it HERE

Nigel Mitchell released Call Center of Doom, which is an expansion of his 100-word fiction story, Cold Call.

Toi Thomas’ new book, Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel, was released.

Last Monday the ladies of #TeamDamyanti, Anna Tan, Csenge Zalka, Guilie, Samantha Geary Jones, and Vidya Sury, *with technical support from Jemima Pett and Mary Wallace* kicked off the A to Z Theme Reveal Blogfest following the unofficial tradition Mina Lobo started last year for the A to Z Challenge. Though having a theme is absolutely optional, many A to Z bloggers do follow themes -- and if you're one of the AZers with a theme, go sign up for this blogfest HERE and be ready to reveal your theme to the world on March 21st, 2014. It'll be a bunch of fun with 77 bloggers already signed up.

Patricia Stoltey announced that Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers now has a Google+ community for members and non-members. Request to join HERE

West of Paradise by Marcy Hatch comes out March 14 – and here’s the cover!

Recently I featured Beyond the Binding, and it’s now available on Amazon and Smashwords.

Donna L. Martin is offering free author promotion at her booth at the Children's Festival of Reading in Knoxville, TN this May. It’s the biggest book event in the southeast with over 15,000 people attending. She will be handing out bookmarks and autographed books from other authors – contact her for details. View the festival’s press release HERE


Movie Trivia

Three actors/actresses – name the movie:

1 - Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Al Pacino – 1995

2 - Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Karl Urban – 2010

3 - Joe Pantoloano, Carrie-Anne Moss, Guy Pearce – 2000

4 - Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, Bruce Willis = 1990

5 - James McAvoy, Liam Neeson, Tilda Swinton – 2005

Answers on Wednesday!

What do you think of the Dune that never was? Any other fictional locations for the Olympics? Excited about all the new releases? Signed up for the A to Z Challenge Reveal? (Wait until you see mine – once again, it’s complicated.) Taking advantage of Donna’s offer to promote other’s books? And do you know any of the trivia…?

Thanks again to everyone who helped with CassaFire’s rise to the top of Amazon during the promotion – you guys rock!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Writing Tips from A Beer For The Shower, CassaFire Sale Results, and Ninja News!

You are in for a treat today! We have some expert writing advice from Brandon Meyers and Bryan Pedas, the genius minds behind A Beer For The Shower. They also have a new book out, Empirical Evidence: A Novelette. It’s there first venture into science fiction and it’s free today through Wednesday, February 12 on Amazon.

Take it away, Brandon and Bryan!

Hey all, we're Brandon and Bryan from A Beer for the Shower, and as co-authors of multiple novels that have been praised by people that are not our parents, we wanted to share some of our favorite writing tips for you today.

Forget what you heard about writing with your heart and crafting what you love. That's clearly nonsense. Here's what you really need to do to reach success as a writer.

1. Don't be afraid to give up

Did you know that success means hard work? Well, trying is hard. Really hard. So if your novel doesn't sell on the first try, you should probably give up and take on something more meaningful like crochet, or start a cat collection. Bryan's currently up to 8!


Doesn't this little glimpse of paradise look better than "trying"?

2. Criticism is for the weak

If someone tells you something like, "Your novel is good but it needs work in a few spots" what they're really saying is "I hate you and I spit in your face." Also, they're probably just jealous of your infallible talent. Rather than humbly accept their criticism and better your writing skills, you should probably hire street thugs to beat them into a coma. It's only fair for them having the downright audacity to offer you their honest criticism.

3. Write to fads

Writing a truly unique story that comes from the heart is fun and all, but it's no guarantee that your book will sell. But you know what will sell? Fads. Just find whatever's popular now, write a complete ripoff with one or two minor changes, and reap in the sweet, sweet benefits of selling out!





Cheers and stay classy, guys,
Bryan and Brandon

"I hate it when authors come to schools and tell the kids write from your heart. I don't think I've ever written a single word from my heart. I write to entertain the audience." - R.L. Stein, literary genius


Ninja News

Feeling a little anti-Valentine’s? Then you need to enter Robyn’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Giveaway! She’s giving away some high quality chocolate. Visit Life By Chocolate for details.

It was another awesome posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Thanks to my co-hosts, Sheena-kay Graham, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres, and Mike Swift.

Don’t forget the Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway. Books for you, books for your library, t-shirts, and iTunes gift cards. Become a Google Friends Connect follower to enter.
Full details HERE. Just a few more to go!



CassaFire’s 99 Cents Promotion Results


Today, February 10, is the last day to grab my second book, CassaFire, for 99 cents on Amazon.

The sale started on February 4 and my publisher ran several ads.


The results?


Nancy Thompson caught it late Friday night while it was still rising the charts at #194! (That’s #194 out of ALL the books on Amazon!)

I caught it the following morning at #216:

I was also on several top 100 authors lists:

(Ahead of some dude name Asimov but behind some hack named Heinlein – the nerve!)

I didn’t catch it at its peak, but it was number 1, 2, or 3 in many categories, including Space Opera, and in the top ten for Science Fiction. CassaFire’s rise also bumped up sales of the other two, CassaStar and CassaStorm, placing them on several top 100 lists.

I was blown away!!!

Huge thanks to the hundreds who posted about it, sent out Tweets, mentioned it on Google+, and commented on Facebook. (I’m not even on Facebook – that is too wild!)

Mick from EBook Bargains UK caught the ad on BookBub, and since he’d seen my comments on Anne R. Allen’s blog many times, he grabbed it and added it to nine of their country listings as well. Thanks, Mick!

Once again, my heartfelt thanks. I am blessed to be a part of such an awesome community of writers and bloggers.

Final day Tweets:

“Top Gun Meets Battlestar Galactica” Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CassaFire on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr #scifi #99cents

Reminiscent of the action-driven stories of Robert A. Heinlein's early fiction - Library Journal. CassaFire only .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

Think Brandon and Bryan’s advice rocks? Ready to take up a cat collection? (Be sure to download their new book!) Feeling anti-Valentine’s? Enjoy last week’s IWSG? And anyone else experience great success with a book at a discounted price?

Working on my manuscript this week, so no Wednesday post. But the Ninja will be lurking…

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Plus CassaFire Special, Ninja News, and Special Announcments

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

My awesome co-hosts today are Sheena-kay Graham, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres, and Mike Swift! Please be sure to thank them for their time and effort to make all IWSG members feel welcome.

I’ve been working on another manuscript and after a rocky start, I have finally found my groove with the story and the main character. I’m also taking notes on things I will need to either adjust or add to the beginning.

And that’s really unusual for me. I didn’t make many changes to the last two books and the only thing I added was description. I don’t think I did much more than that with my first book, either. But with this story, I will be adding entire scenes. That will definitely stretch my writing skills.

At least it won’t mess up my chapters since dividing a manuscript into chapters is the last thing I do!

I do have a request for assistance today. I don’t ask for this kind of support often, but if you can help, I’d really appreciate it.

From February 4 – 10, CassaFire will be 99 cents at Amazon and my publisher’s site. This is the first time they have ever run a promotional special like this and have ads running at several sites, including BookBub. I’m the guinea pig, so hopefully the promotion rocks the house!
It’s also featured today at Kindle Books and Tips.

Below are some Tweets and the last one is for Facebook, blogging, or whatever. If you can help me spread the news, I would greatly appreciate it! And if you haven’t picked up CassaFire, this is a good week to do so. And bonus – CassaStorm was also reduced to $3.99!

Reminiscent of the action-driven stories of Robert A. Heinlein's early fiction - Library Journal. CassaFire only .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

This is a book of inner and outer journeys, of inner and outer adventures, mysteries and revelations. CassaFire .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

“Top Gun Meets Battlestar Galactica” Amazon Best Seller and Pinnacle Award Winner CassaFire on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

“CassaStaR is the cake. CassaFirE is the cherry.” Amazon Best Seller and Pinnacle Award Winner CassaFire on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

From the Amazon best-selling series - A Pinnacle Book Achievement Winner! CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

“Top Gun Meets Battlestar Galactica” Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CassaFire on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr #SF #99cents

“…delivers on the promise of its predecessor, combining military action sequences and political intrigue with strong, memorable characters. Reminiscent of the action-driven stories of Robert A. Heinlein's early fiction…” - Library Journal
Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CassaFire just .99 for a limited time!
Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

*And big thanks to all of you who spread the word - between your efforts and my publisher's advertising, CassaFire hit a confirmed #194 OVERALL ranking on Amazon early Saturday morning. Whoa!!!

Special Announcements!

Charlie's Scribes is a new, FREE service featuring the angelic smiles of Mark Koopmans, Elizabeth Seckman, and Tammy Theriault

Our motto is “You Snooze, We Muse.” To begin, our free services will focus on guest posting for people on vacation or anyone needing a bloggy break.

Charlie’s Scribes have only one goal: To fight writer's block, writer’s overload, and the need for some vacay time by filling empty post slots throughout the blogosphere with our charm, wit, and Mark’s Hula skills. You’ll be amazed – or your next post is free!


From Samantha Redstreake Geary - cover reveal for "Beyond the Binding", the Composers for Relief Companion Collection to raise funds for the Philippines relief effort.

Embark on an exciting journey “Beyond the Binding” of the imagination with 29 authors from across the globe, in a groundbreaking collaboration where music meets fiction. Surrender to soaring compositions as they surge through the veins of every story, capturing the triumphant pulse of the notes in heart pounding sci fi, enchanting fantasy and gripping slices of realism.

All proceeds of the Composers for Relief album and Companion Collection ebook will go to Gawad Kalinga (“give care”) and GVSP (Gualandi Volunteer Service Programme), to support the relief efforts for victims of the deadliest natural disaster in Philippines’ history, Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

Ebook available from Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes, B&N, Kobo, Sony, Diesel & Smashwords.
Composers for Relief album available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and Spotify


Swoon Romance is having a cover contest for Rachel Schieffelbein’s upcoming YA novel, DON'T FALL!
Here's the deal: You create a cover for DON'T FALL and email it to Rachel by March 5th. You can enter as many designs as you want. The covers will be posted during a blog blitz and people can vote for their favorites! Voting will be open for two weeks, at the end of which Swoon will choose a winner. Winner will have their design used for DON'T FALL, and will receive and ecopy of the book AND a $100 Amazon gif card!


Ninja News

Terry Lynn Johnson’s Ice Dogs is now out! Congratulations, Terry.

The tour for Shah Wharton’s Finding Esta is off and rocking! Check out the stops and giveaways.





One more month until the release of Liz Fichera’s Played – but you can watch the book trailer now!


Jai Joshi has a new book – How to Write a Love Letter – and it’s free on Wednesday! Congratulations, Jai.

Sheri Larsen is hosting the It’s All About Gratitude Blog Hop on March 3-5. Join the fun!



Sign-ups are open for the A to Z Challenge! You don’t want to miss it.

The Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway continues! Books for you, books for your library, t-shirts, and iTunes gift cards. Become a Google Friends Connect follower to enter. Full details HERE. Getting closer to 2000!



Ready to call on Charlie’s Scribes? Want to design a cover? Excited about the new releases? What is your writing insecurity today? And can you help with CassaFire this week?

Monday, February 3, 2014

Naked in the Apocalypse, February Movie Preview, Cassa Updates, Movie Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

A lot happening today! We kick it off with a visit from author and traveler, Sean McLachlan, whose book Radio Hope just came out.

People won’t be naked in the Apocalypse

I’ve noticed something strange about post-apocalyptic books and movies—everyone is dressed in rags. While that adds to the atmosphere, it’s not very realistic. The fall of civilization is actually going to make everyone better dressed!

There are two types of apocalypses—the fast and the slow. The fast apocalypse is what you see in books like The Road. It’s not clear what happened to destroy the world literally overnight. Judging from the effects I’m thinking it was a comet or an asteroid. Whatever it was, a large percentage of the population got wiped out and all industry and government ground to a halt.

What an opportunity for a wardrobe makeover! Think about it. In your closet you probably have enough clothes to last for at least a couple of years if you’re more concerned about avoiding the roving packs of cannibals than buying the latest designer duds. But even with the cannibals on the prowl you still can dress for success. If 95% of the population just keeled over, you can hunt through their closets for whatever you want. Don’t like what you see? Head over to the shopping mall. The security guards have all been eaten! Just don’t get trapped by zombies like in Dawn of the Dead.

The slow apocalypse is a bit tougher. In the century leading up to the story in my novel Radio Hope, there are wars, plagues, nuclear exchanges, and huge amounts of toxic emissions. At the very least that’s going to cause a bad hair day. But as civilization disintegrates, people will start making more things themselves. While the Biowars took out the horses and cows, it spared the sheep, so there’s plenty of wool. People also grow cotton and hemp. Well, this is a family blog so let’s not dwell on why the traumatized survivors of World Wars III-VI might want to grow hemp.

In any case, people will be well dressed in the apocalypse. The great thing about the fall of civilization is that we will no longer have mass media telling us to dress like Miley Cyrus! Long live the apocalypse!

Sean McLachlan is an archaeologist turned writer who is the author of several books of fiction and history. Check him out on his blogs Midlist Writer and Civil War Horror.
Purchase Radio Hope at Amazon.

Cassa and Ninja Captain Updates


From February 4 – 10, CassaFire will be 99 cents at Amazon and my publisher’s site. This is the first time they have ever run a promotional special like this and have ads running at several sites, including BookBub. If you can help me spread the news, starting Tuesday, I would greatly appreciate it. I will have some promotional Tweets and snippets posted on Wednesday. I’m the guinea pig, so hopefully the promotion rocks the house!

A wonderful and eloquent review of CassaStorm was posted on Amazon last week. I don’t usually post snippets of reviews, but I had to share:
This tale is basically a story of the struggle of a family pulled and wrenched in many ways by the frantic circumstances which are thrown in their path. They alone have the key to saving the universe from destruction. It is at once terrifying and uplifting.
It is a space story at its best. Through the fascinating plot, we are poised at a point which is critical to the safety of the galaxy. It is a great study of bravery and love.

Today, an epic battle ensues at Father Dragon’s between me and Lord Baldernot, Mark Koopmans. Who will come out on top?


I won the caption contest at The Geek Twins last week.

And here is the official A to Z Challenge Ninja Minion Army -
Joy Campbell, Michelle Wallace, Susan Gourley/Kelley, S. L. Hennessy, Rhonda Albom, Madeline Mora-Summonte, LG Keltner, Cathy Olliffe-Webster, Diane Riggins, and Melanie Schulz.


Ninja News

Today at the A to Z Blog is an interview with the awesome Challenge co-host, Tina from Life is Good. Tina is the glue that holds the A to Z Team together and if you missed her posts last year about a Swede’s first year in America, you missed something awesome.

Cathrina Constantine’s Tallas is now available! Visit her site to win some awesome stuff including gift cards.

And Cherie Reich revealed another stunning book cover last week!


Movie Trivia Answers

Name the town. (And sorry, I had the title of number four messed up at first.)

1 – Rango 2011 - Dirt
2 – Tremors 1990 – Perfection, Nevada
3 – Ocean’s Eleven 2001 – Las Vegas
4 – Doc Hollywood 1991 – Grady, South Carolina
5 – Ghostbusters 1984 – New York City
6 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986 - Chicago
7 – Ratatouille 2007 – Paris

February Movie Preview

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

7 –

The Monuments Men
An unlikely World War II platoon are tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.
Director: George Clooney
Stars: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Bill Murray
Huge cast but getting mixed reviews. Bummer.

The LEGO Movie
An ordinary LEGO minifigure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil LEGO tyrant from gluing the universe together.
Directors: Phil Lord | Christopher Miller
Stars: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman
This will do well, although sadly I’m not excited. Those are not the Lego figures I remember.

14 –

Winter’s Tale
A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. When he learns that he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her.
Director: Akiva Goldsman
Stars: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, Will Smith
Based on the book and with a great cast. I actually want to see this one.

Robocop
In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop - is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.
Director: José Padilha
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Douglas Urbanski, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman
Yes, the original was cheesy. Yes, this looks better. Yes, I am sick of remakes
.
21 –

Pompeii
A slave turned gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Stars: Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
I think we all know how it ends…

28 –

Non-Stop
An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong'o, Anson Mount
Neeson is really cranking out the action roles these days.


Whoa! How will you dress for the apocalypse? Get any of the trivia right? Excited about any of February’s movies? Ready for Wednesday’s IWSG? And can you help with CassaFire’s promotion this week? I am willing to grovel…

Now, go see me take down the bald one at Father Dragon’s blog.