Monday, June 22, 2015

CassaSeries is Available! Plus Cherie Reich's Favorite Monsters, IWSG T-Shirt, Monster Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

CassaSeries releases today! But first…


I am visiting Beverly Stowe McClure at Story of a Writer with a short piece on the best and worst of writing.


And the super talented Cherie Reich joins us here today!


Cherie Reich’s 5 Favorite Horror Monsters/Villains

1. Pennywise from Stephen King’s It. A clown with very, very sharp teeth. Can we get any scarier?

2. Big Jim Rennie and Junior from Stephen King’s Under the Dome. I loathed them in the book, almost as much as Umbridge from Harry Potter. They were cruel, manipulative, and downright evil. I must admit I like them more in the TV series, although Big Jim is still quite manipulative and evil.

3. The aliens from M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs. These aliens are no E.T. or Alf. We may be their cattle, but at least we have water on our side. Strangely, I could have sworn I saw one in real life when I was a child (years before I watched the movie).

4. Michael Myers from John Carpenter’s Halloween series. My mom said she’d seen the movie while pregnant with me. I wonder what that says about us. Heh. I’m a big fan of the Halloween series, and my former housemate and I would spend hours discussing our theories about Michael Myers. No matter how slow he walks, he’s very persistent. Just be sure to cut off the right head, okay?

5. Jason from Friday the 13th series. A mother’s love can bring her creepy son back to life. Just be sure to stay away from lakes and cabins. And I have to admit seeing Jason beating one girl in a sleeping bag with another girl in a sleeping bag was the most memorable moment in Jason X.

What’s your favorite monster/villain from a horror book/movie?

A monster hunts us. After hibernating for a decade, it’s ravenous. We long to stop this nightmare, but the end of the road is far. There is no waking up once a legend sets its sights on you.

Purchase Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection by Cherie Reich at Amazon. From June 22-28, the collection is only $0.99!

Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction author and library assistant living in Virginia. Visit her website and blog for more information.


Ninja News

Nigel Mitchell posted about a Hemmingway app that can be used to improve your writing.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group t-shirt is available now! Designed by the very talented Jeremy Hawkins, members can now show their support and commitment to the group.

Purchase your IWSG shirt at the NeatOShop.








New Releases:

Summer Vacation Devotions by Tyrean Martinson includes fifteen devotions for families having fun on summer vacation and center around God's Word and activities like car trips, camping, building sandcastles and cooking s'mores. The author earnings will go to Peace Rehabilitation Center in Nepal to fight human trafficking.
Available as an eBook and paperback.

Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls and Gadgets
Featuring a story by Leandra Wallace
Find it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

A Faerie’s Secret by Rachel Morgan
Book Four in the Creepy Hollow Series
Find it at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords


Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Hellraiser 1997 - Cenobites
2 – Reign of Fire 2002 - Dragons
3 – Near Dark 1987 - Vampires
4 – Lake Placid 1999 – Giant Crocodile
5 – Battleship 2012 - Aliens
6 – Deep Blue Sea 1999 - Sharks

Available today!

CassaSeries
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
ISBN 9781939844118
Price - $5.99 eBook boxed set
Science fiction/adventure (FIC028010) and science fiction/space opera (FIC028030)

The Amazon Best-Selling Series!

CassaStar - Few options remain for Byron. Slated to train as a Cosbolt pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth to his instructor, Bassa. As war brews on the edge of space, Bassa must make a decision that could decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission destined to stretch their abilities to the limit?

CassaFire - Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters behind him, the detection of alien ruins sends him to the planet of Tgren. Forced to train a Tgren named Athee and deal with an eager young scientist, he feels invaded. Tensions mount as the ruins reveal a potential weapon, plunging him further into the chaos. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

CassaStorm - Commanding the base on Tgren, Byron watches as a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the planet. When the war hits Tgren, it triggers nightmares in his son. The ancient alien ship begins transmitting a deadly code and the probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago returns. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Find it at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Goodreads


What is your favorite monster? (Mine would be Godzilla.) See some cool new books? Picking up the IWSG t-shirt? Get any of the trivia right? And if you’ve never read the trilogy, CassaSeries is a great bargain!

Don’t forget to visit Beverly Stowe McClure!

168 comments:

kaykuala said...

Would be fun to get all 3 in one convenient package. Would make a bee-line for Beverly's. Useful to know the info in short story writing for a start. Thanks Alex!

Hank

Lan said...

IT is the reason why I don't want anything to do with clowns! I'm not keen on anything to do with ghosts. Took me forever to stop thinking about the sixth sense scariness! Can't believe there's a iwsg tshirt! Love it.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Monsters I love, most from the film NIGHTBREED... each with it's own personalities or Judge Doom from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, just because he is nuts. Much success to Cherie on the new read!

Wow I am excited for your books together, though I am only missing one... not sure how that happened. :)

Locked up the trivia, maybe missed one.

T-SHIRT, Yeah!

It's going to be a good day!

Jeremy

Rhonda Albom said...

Congrats on your series. I already have the individual books. As for the horror, Steven King's Salem's Lot gave me nightmares, so did Pet Cemetery, The Stand, and then I stopped reading them. Glad I missed IT, as I am not afraid of clowns. Congrats on your cool shirt design.

Blogoratti said...

Congrats and best wishes!

Cathrina Constantine said...

Cherie, after watching It, from Stephen King, I've hated clowns ever since. And this past American Horror Story had an even spookier clown that creeped me out!!!

Congrats on your upcoming series Alex.

Just Keepin It Real, Folks! said...

Michael Myers and Jason both still scare the crap out of me. And I get sucked into those stupid Saw movies too. Congrats on the series. That is awesome!

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Congrats to everyone with releases!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats to Cherie on her new book and you on your boxed set. I'm not really into horror so don't have anything to add.

The Happy Whisk said...

Hope you sell bunches and bunches.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the release.

The aliens in Signs and Pennywise were horrifying. I can't recall the others too much.

The t-shirt looks great.

ELAdams said...

Congratulations on the release!

I'm not usually scared of clowns, but IT freaked me out the first time I read it!

Joanne said...

Stephen King's human monster - Annie from Misery - has to be one of the scariest. And there's always Hannibal Lector. Congrats on your launch - I've got you on my blog. Let's have a great week!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hank, the boxed set it also three dollars cheaper than buying them individually.

Jeremy, you did an awesome job on the t-shirt. And the Nightbreed monsters are cool.

Rhonda, Salem's Lot was creepy.

Joanne, thanks!

Thanks, everyone.

mshatch said...

Favorite Monster? I think I'd have to say Sullivan from Monsters, Inc. :)

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Congratulations on the box set, Alex!

Cujo, both in the book and in the movie, still terrifies me. I know it wasn't really his fault he turned but still.... Shudder!

A Beer for the Shower said...

Congrats on the compilation! That's so cool. I've already got the whole CassaSeries. I got them all CassaIndividually, and I CassaEnjoyed them all greatly.

(I'll show myself out)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Pennywise was the scariest!

I like the way this cover is designed, Alex. I just released 2 box sets, but *after* I'd done so, I heard an expert on a podcast explaining why 3D images aren't good on book retailer sites (think it was a mobile issue). So a smart design choice for this compilation.

Jo said...

I remember seeing a film many, many years ago called Them. It was about ants that had been affected by radiation (atom testing in the desert) and become giant monsters and were hunting people. It scared the sh*t out of me at the time and I still remember it pretty vividly. They made a certain noise - bit like cop cars I think - and hearing a similar noise brings it back even now.

Good luck for all the new books.

H. R. Sinclair said...

Congrats to all the authors on the new releases, and to you, Alex, for the series release. - Cool!

It - was a super scary monster.

TBM said...

Congrats on the series, Alex.

I wasn't afraid of clowns until I saw the mini-series It. That did it. I'm absolutely terrified.

Oooo....I love the shirt!

~Sia McKye~ said...

Alex, is the series all in one big book? That's the impression I'm getting from the pic. Pretty cool. I don't have a favorite monster because me and monsters have never gotten along and I spend very little time with imaginary monsters. When I was a kid, my brothers (who did like monsters) and I watched a lot of Chiller which showcased the Godzilla movies. They were a bit hokey and so much easier for me to watch. But I did like them.

Very cool Tyrean! I'll have to check that out. I already have Rachel's book. I like the premise of Girls and Gadgets. :-)

Sia McKye Over Coffee

Unknown said...

ooh, I'm not sure I have a fav monster (unless you count Elmo) but Jason from Fri. The 13th is definitely up there in the terror department! HUGE congrats on the Cassaseries!! wooo! So exciting :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brandon and Bryan, funny!

Elizabeth, I like the way it's designed as well!

Jo, you should watch it again. Bet it won't be as scary.

TBM, I've always thought clowns were creepy.

Sia, it's all three books in one!

Thanks, guys!

Cherdo said...

"IT" was one of those book that you couldn't put down (out of fear). Even the movie version of "IT" was ridiculously scary. How can I ever see Tim Curry in drag again ("Rocky Horror").

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - congratulations on the series - that looks a great 'box set of your Cassa e-series'. I will read books 2 and 3 shortly ...

I saw a murder play where the song leading up to the horror was the Titwillow song from the Mikado ... it's always given me the creeps, where the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, ever since! Funny how something heard when still vulnerable ... sticks with you ... even though it's a film or tv programme (it might have been) ... I don't like horrors!

Cheers and good luck with sales ... Hilary

L.G. Keltner said...

The IWSG shirt looks awesome! Congratulations on the boxed set!

Pat Hatt said...

I always enjoyed the Halloween movies, except the stupid remake. Liked 3 better than the stupid remake. Those aliens from signs I wouldn't want to mess with either. Congrats on the box set

Shell Flower said...

A lot of great book releases. And wow, that is quite a list of creepy characters. Jason and Michael were probably my first horror movie villains to fear. I was quite freaked out by Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elms Street. Good luck with the boxed set, Alex!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congrats on the boxed set.

Werewolves have always scared me.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Thanks for the link to my blog. You wrote a great post. I hope everyone reads it.
I don't care much for monsters. Frankenstein is about the scariest to me, but I haven't seen many spooky movies and seldom read scary books.
Think I need to buy a book and a t-shirt.
Have a wonderful week.

Chemist Ken said...

Once you have enough books to have a series, you know you're getting somewhere with your writing. Congratulations, Alex!

Charles Gramlich said...

My favorite monster is "The Thing"

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Congratulations, Alex. It looks fantastic!
Jason and Freddie Crougar still invade my nightmares. (Not really, but they would if I dared see those movies again).

M.J. Fifield said...

I don't know any of the monsters/villains from Cherie's list. But clowns are terrifying even when they don't have very sharp teeth, so considered me scared. Congrats to Cherie...

And congrats to you, Alex. A CassaBundle is pretty cool.

Sarah Ahiers said...

Jumior in Under the Dome didn't bother me as much because i knew he was the way he was because of the brain tumor

Holy Ghost Writer said...

Congrats on the bundle.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Already ordered my tee-shirt. Any monster that resembles a spider or insect is the best/worst for me. Already ordered my tee-shirt. I knew 2/5 of the trivia. I think on the curve, that is a passing grade.

Susan Says

shelly said...

Hi, Alex and everyone else! Creepy Jason and Michael Myers. What about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

Bish Denham said...

I don't have a favorite monster because I don't like monsters. Monsters are mean. Monsters are bad and/or evil. Monsters scare me. :)

Congratulations to you and all the others with new releases!

Carrie-Anne said...

I tend to prefer human-like monsters, like the Golem, Dracula, and Frankenstein's monster. They have glimmers of humanity, and aren't 100% otherworldly creatures.

Chrys Fey said...

Cherie, I never read Under the Dome but I watch the show and I always shout at the TV, "Kill him! Someone has to kill Big Jim!" I'm glad Michael Myers was your #4. He would definitely be at the top of my list too.

Alex, I'm glad IWSG has a T-shirt now! :D

Michelle Gregory said...

thanks for the heads-up about the t-shirt. it will be an interesting conversation starter, for sure.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherdo, that's one way to clock out that image.

Hilary, that's like the theme from Jaws. It will always be chilling.

Shell, Kruger was scary in the first movie.

Beverly, thanks for having me!

Ken, I guess so!

Charles, good one!

Susan, we'll give you a pass.

Bish, what about the monsters from Monsters Inc?

Thanks, everyone!

Unknown said...

My favourite monster is the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I remember seeing that when I was little and thinking how real it looked. I watched it again bout 2 years ago. Oh, it was so lame, but it's still my favourite.

I just bought the Cassa Box Set!

Misha Gerrick said...

I have to admit that I just don't do horror. I might be weird this way, but I've never seen a horror movie that scared me.

I think it's a combo of me going in mentally prepared for being scared, growing up in some scary real-life situations and having been exposed to how stories worked from a young age that meant that very few horrific "twists" actually meant anything to me.

So I guess my favorite "monsters" to watch and read for scary thrills are serial killers, stalkers or other events that show the dark side to humanity.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congrats on your boxed set! The cover is awesome!
Love the shirt by Jeremy!

Cherie - those aliens from Signs were definitely creepy. Nice guest post!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Alex!!!

And thank you, Sia, for your kind words!

M Pax said...

All success with the boxed set, Alex!

Does Jaws count as a villain? He was fun. I agree about Michael Meyers. Norman Bates... Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemeer (was it?) from Neverwhere.

Sherry Ellis said...

Congratulations on your series! Godzilla is a likeable monster. Does Sully from Monsters Inc. count? I like him, too.

Nicola said...

I'm not really scared by monsters but creepy looking eyes freak me out. I remember watching the Poltergeist when I was in my teens and the wicked man in that scared me so much I slept with the light on for months!! Decades later, I still cringe at the thought. Congratulations to you and Cherie!

Toi Thomas said...

So happy for your boxed set release and nice post with Beverly. I prefer the prep side of writing, the outlining and development.
There are too many monsters to choose a favorite, but I know that Clown better stay away from me.
I love the new group t-shirt. Great job Jeremey.

Sandra Cox said...

Mine would be King Kong though I really don't think of him as a monster.
Many congrats on the set release, Alex. So excited for you.

VR Barkowski said...

I’m a classicist, I guess. Gary Oldman’s Dracula would be my favorite, although Christopher Lee was no slouch either. Also, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster. Not a big fan of slasher flicks, reality is scarier. Charles Manson in Helter Skelter terrified me.

Congrats on the boxed set, Alex!

VR Barkowski

Anonymous said...

My favorite monster comes from Doctor Who. The weeping angels. They give me nightmares, but I love them to death.

I'm going to have to give your series bundle a shout out on the blog sometime soon. Congrats, Alex. =)

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congrats on CassaSeries! Not only does it look great as a boxed set, but now it's even easier to pack up for a summer getaway! I still shudder when I think about Hannibal Lecter.

Julie

Tonja Drecker said...

I avoid monsters, but just saw Patricia's comment and yes, the weeping angels are awesome.

Congrats to box release day! And I'm going to check out that Hemmingway app, as well as several of those books. Have a great week!

Andrew Leon said...

The monster on my bed? It's related to rabbits.

Birgit said...

Congrats to the series-this is wonderful. I know I got a couple of the trivia right. Now, as for my scare monster-I have to choose Dracula. Yes he has been done to death but to know this character is based on a real nut (Vlad the Impaler) and that he can be quite a charmer we, well, he is something i can sink my teeth into. Sorry I just had to:)

Susan Kane said...

I'll go with the Weeping Angels on Dr. Who. They truly scare me.

farawayeyes said...

That IWSG t-Shirt is G-R-E-A-T! I just may have to get me one of them. Favorite monsetrs...hummm I kind of like those big worms from 'Tremors'. If nothing else they were kind of stupid.

Suzanne Furness said...

I must admit I find clowns kind of scary!

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Congratulations on CassaSeries release, Alex! Tyrean's generosity is inspiring! Love the t-shirt. 'It' was one of my favorite movies!

Jenni said...

Congrats on the CassaSeries release! Tyrean's book sounds intriguing, and I love that it supports such a good cause. I don't have a favorite monster. I think vilains, especially those who are seemingly good on the surface, are the scariest. Love the ISWG shirt!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations, Alex. Cherie: no love for the xenomorph from Alien?

Elephant's Child said...

Love that t-shirt. I am very sure that the group and its founder IS a shining light for many.
Monsters? Sadly humans trump anything else for scariness for me.
Congratulations as always to all the authors you featured.

Jemi Fraser said...

I read a bunch of Stephen King in high school - and I still have nightmares! :)
Congrats on the book, Alex!!

Huntress said...

All this info...and a T-shirt too?
Once again, you have overwhelmed me with Information.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Congrats on the set! Hannibal Lecter, and also a flesh-eating tree called Septopus in a Bengali horror story authored by Satyajit Ray, creepy.

Must say Jeremy Hawkins does the coolest tees!

Off to check out your tips directly.

Karen Peterson said...

My favorite horror monster?? Um...I think I'd have to go with the Shark from Jaws. I'm STILL afraid to go in the water.

Karen Peterson said...

My favorite horror monster?? Um...I think I'd have to go with the Shark from Jaws. I'm STILL afraid to go in the water.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats to Cherie and to everyone releasing new books! Great monster movie picks. The aliens in the Alien movie series are frightening. So wonderfully creepy! Once again, Alex, congratulations. :) Your Cassa series is fantastic!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Anne, thank you!

Misha, the real-life monsters are always the scariest.

Tyrean, you're welcome!

Mary, I think the shark counts.

Sherry, he does!

VR, I'm not a big fan either.

Thanks, Patricia!

Andrew, Bugs Bunny in particular?

Faraway, they did make for a fun movie.

Thanks, Elephant!

Huntress, that's my job. And to amuse.

Karen, I still won't go in the ocean.

Thanks, everyone!!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Stephen King knows how to make his monsters/villains! The raptors in Jurassic Park always spooked me, so intelligent and vicious. That is why I made the Soyoko, evolved raptors, in my novels. Congrats on the boxed set of Cassa-books!!

Cherie Reich said...

Alex, thank you so very much for hosting me on your blog! Congrats on the CassaSeries being published all in one ebook!

Lan, IT is why I don't care much for clowns either.

Jeremy Hawkins, I need to see Nightbreed. Thank you!

Rhonda Albom, when I read King's 'Salem's Lot, I was convinced vampires were in our neighborhood and after me.

Cathrina Constantine, I really do need to watch American Horror Story. Last season with the clowns/carnival looked particularly creepy.

Just Keepin It Real, Folks! - I think it'd be easy to get suck into the Saw movies. I've only seen the first two so far, though. I must remedy that.

Natalie Aguirre, thank you for the congratulations!

Medeia Sharif, the aliens in Signs still scare me.

Emma Adams, I think IT can make anyone afraid of a clown.

Joanne, ooo, Annie from Misery is a great villain! Love Hannibal Lector!

Stephanie Faris said...

I don't know if he qualifies as a monster but Randall Flagg from The Stand (and I believe he also appeared in the Watchtower series?) is just about the scariest fictional character I've read. Jamey Sheridan played him in the miniseries and there were rumors that Matthew McConaughey would play him in the feature film they're supposedly putting together.

J E Oneil said...

I'm a werido. Scary monsters aren't all that scary to me. Although the Alien from Alien came pretty close. And congratulations on the triple release!

Cherie Reich said...

Mshatch, Sullivan from Monsters, Inc. is a good favorite monster. :)

Madeline Mora-Summonte, Cujo can definitely be a frightening monster. I think knowing it wasn't his fault makes it even scarier sometimes.

Elizabeth Spann Craig, Pennywise is definitely scary. The ending monster was lame compared to him.

Jo, I think I've heard of that movie Them. Giant bugs are so scary. Then again, regularly bugs can be pretty scary too.

It was definitely scary, Southpaw HR Sinclair.

IT has a way to make anyone scared of clowns. I didn't care much for the alien spider either, TBM.

~Sia McKye~ Godzilla movies are a lot of fun. I like cheesy horror. :)

Jason is scary. His mother may even be scarier, Beth Ellyn Summer. :)

Cherdo, IT is very scary. I think we just have to watch more Rocky Horror to get Pennywise out of our minds.

Hilary Melton-Butcher, that murder play sounds really cool.

Pat Hatt, I hate the remakes of Halloween. Even #3 (Season of the Witch) that makes little sense with the series is better.

Liz A. said...

Fave monster... Well, since the Weeping Angels have been taken, I'll go with the Silence. Although both give me the creeps.

Congrats on the CassaSeries. I love a good book set.

Cherie Reich said...

Shell Flower, Freddy is a good one to fear.

L. Diane Wolfe, werewolves can be scary.

Karen Walker, monsters are terrifying.

Beverly Stowe McClure, I always found Frankenstein--the creator--much scarier than his monster.

Charles Gramlich, ooo, the Thing is a good favorite monster.

Rawknrobyn, I'm glad they don't really haunt your nightmares, especially Freddie Krueger.

Thank you, M.J. Fifield!

Sarah Ahiers, the brain tumor does explain some things about Junior. I like him a lot better in the TV version.

Susan Gourley/Kelley, I'm with you. Spiders/insects are so creepy!

Shelly, I did enjoy the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. People with chainsaws are scary.

Bish Denham - Well, favorite is more like the most scary villains, not favorite as in they're good. :)

Carrie-Anne, human-like monsters can be the scariest types.

Chrys Fey, yes, we all await Big Jim's death. :)

Mary Aalgaard said...

I also hated Umbridge in H.P. (Read your review of Jurassic World. My boys liked it. I'll wait til it comes out on blueray.)

Stephen Tremp said...

Good luck Alex with the Box Set! Have you contacted Amazon Kindle to see if they can import some or all of the reviews from the individual books?

stephen Hayes said...

On Father's Day I was taken to see Jurassic World. It was fun, about what I expected. I'd give it a B-

Cherie Reich said...

Anne O'Leary, oh, the Creature from the Black Lagoon is a classic!

Misha Gericke, the dark side of humanity can be scary enough.

Tyrean Martinson, the aliens from Signs were creepy. No cute little E.T. there.

M Pax, Jaws definitely counts as a villain.

Sherry Ellis, I liked Godzilla. Sully definitely counts. :)

Nicola, eyes can be really creepy.

Toinette Thomas, I'm with you about that Clown. :)

Sandra Cox, I really like King Kong. He's such a monstrous size that he would be considered a monster.

VR Barkowski, Gary Oldman was awesome as Dracula. I find slasher flicks more fun to watch, not necessarily scary.

Patricia Lynne, I think weeping angels could be creepy.

Empty Nest Insider, Hannibal Lecter is deliciously creepy and scary.

(Almost quitting time, so I'll be back to check out the comments tomorrow. Thank you, everyone, for commenting!)

Yolanda Renée said...

Will have to get her latest! Excellent scary choices. I find it harder and harder to watch the stuff on TV, but still I manage to write it. Don't quite understand that.

Congrats again on CassaSeries! Awesome!

Truedessa said...

Hi Alex,

Congrats on the CassaSeries - a neat little bundle at a very good price. I already have all three. I am not into scary movies like Halloween or Jason. I do enjoy a little supernatural stuff. If I had to pick a monster it would be King Kong - I always felt bad for him as he fell for the girl and then he gets shot..so sad...they should have left him in his own surroundings.

I need to find some summer reading material. I guess I need to check out some blogs and see what people are offering.

Have a great week!

SpacerGuy said...

The lizard Gorn's character demonstrates a true warrior bred for fighting. This alien creature obviously means business! I mean watch how easily the lizard creature catapults that massive rock at Captain Kirk! So the Gorn's got my vote.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherie, you are welcome!

Stephanie, not sure how you could compact that into a movie.

Mary, yeah, I don't think it needs your theater dollar.

Stephen, I can ask my publisher.

Truedessa, you'll find a lot out there.

Thanks, everyone!

Karen Lange said...

Nice to see Cherie here. Thanks for the info and links. Heading over to your post now!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the series release, Alex, and congrats to all the new releases! I stay right away from horror. I don't like nightmares.

Helena said...

I'm not surprised that Cherie Reich may have once seen an alien. Me, I swear I once dated an alien--there was no other explanation for him. Cherie's monster book (we all know some monsters, don't we?) sounds good, so I'll check it out.

Now I'm hopping over to Beverly's blog to read about you, Alex.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Pennywise is the horror monster king. No one can beat that! But we can try.

Congratulations, Alex!

Leovi said...

Nice design Insecure shirt Writer's Support Group, nice guiding light!

Denise Covey said...

I must get over to Beverly Stowe McClure's to see what you have to say! An IWSG t-shirt. Wow. Congratulations on your series. Nice to see all your books together with their blurbs. :-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Helena, you need to write a story about the alien you dated.

Thanks, guys!

mail4rosey said...

Casper's Halloween (the friendly ghost "Casper") is as scary as I go. I'm a wimp, I already know... :)

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Happy release day, Alex!

Unknown said...

Cherie- I'm a huge fan of Freddy Crugar! Every since I was about 9 I have had a horror crush on him. LOL

Alex- Congrats on the series release! I've known you under two different names, before book 1 came out, and I'm so proud of how far you've come. You are amazing.

J.H. Moncrieff said...

Great interview! Got to love the clown from IT. I'm kind of sad they're remaking the mini-series, because how on earth are they going to do better than Tim Curry?

My favourite monster would have to be Kiefer Sutherland's vampire in The Lost Boys.

Sandra Cox said...

Congratulations to all the new releases.

Brave New Girls, looks like fun, Leandra.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Pennywise from Stephen King’s It probably inspired more nightmares than Jaws. Congrats on the box set Alex!

kimlajevardi.com said...

Pennywise is a pretty scary clown. I didn't get the whole fear of clown thing until him, but after seeing IT, I did. Congrats, Alex!

Jeffrey Scott said...

Those are some great choices for villains. Especially #1-3.
I remember reading IT and was horrified by Pennywise the Dancing Clown. (Everything floats down here). When I saw the TV movie I was very disappointed.

Big Jim is such an interesting character. He was written well. And just when you think he can't get any worse, he starts to change and you almost feel sorry for the guy, or think he's changed, then WHAM! He's trying to kill you. And the thing that makes it even worse, is he thinks he's doing it for the greater good.

As for the aliens, I loved them in the movie. It shows you don't have to have tons of CGI to have a creepy bad guy. Those things creeped me out long before I saw a single claw from them.

I don't know if I could come up with five. I don't watch a lot of horror movies so my favourite villains would mostly come from Sci.Fi. Darth Vader originally was a great character for that list but after seeing the first three movies, he just seems more like a pissed off child than anything. I'd pick the Emperor as one of my bad guys. He was definitely familiar with the long con.

Another bad guys I'd have to choose is the Master from Doctor Who. Mostly because if I didn't pick something from Doctor Who, I'd be a very poor fan. The Master is a crazy, insane, megalomaniac. His ambitions are grand and his plans are diabolical. He only wants to control all of space and time. Is that too much to ask?

The third person I'd probably choose as a favourite villain is Benjamin Linus from Lost. Another cold, manipulative character. He was always one step ahead of you and on the rare chance you got the upper hand, it turns all he planned it that way. You never knew what to expect from him. And that makes a great evil-doer.

Cherie Reich said...

T. Drecker, I still haven't come across the weeping angels, but I've only seen a couple episodes of the old Dr. Who. *sighs*

Andrew Leon, there is a monster on your bed? ;)

Birgit, Dracula is a great classic monster. Quite charming too. :)

Susan Kane, I really need to see those weeping angels on Dr. Who.

Big worms are kinda creepy, even if they seemed a bit silly too, farawayeyes.

Suzanne Furness, clowns are a bit creepy in general. Add big, sharp teeth like what Pennywise has, and then they're downright terrifying.

It was a great movie, Dixie@dcrelief.

Those types of villains are particularly scary because you don't know they're the villain until it's too late, Jenni Enzor.

Michael Offutt, I know this is probably going to get me into trouble, but I haven't actually seen Alien before or any of the Alien series. I know of it from culture, but I haven't had the honor of watching it.

Humans can be pretty scary, Elephant's Child.

Stephen King is good at giving people nightmares, Jemi Fraser.

Nilanjana Bose, I haven't heard of the flesh-eating tree before. That sounds really scary and creepy!

Jaws was a great villain, Karen Peterson, although I think real sharks are more neat than scary. :)

Thank you, Christine Rains! I still need to watch the Alien movies.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kane, thanks! I'm still the same person.

JH, Curry is a master at all he does.

Jeffrey, the Aliens were just incredible. I could probably come up with twenty since I have watched a ton of horror films over the year. I've not watched Lost though.

Cherie Reich said...

Roland D. Yeomans, with the raptors' portrayal in Jurassic World, I've really grown to love them.

Stephanie Faris, I would count Randall Flagg as a monster/villain.

J E Oneil, those aliens from Alien are pretty freaky looking.

Liz A., okay, now I'm wondering what the Silence is. Unless it's just, you know, silence. Heh.

Oh, Mary Aalgaard, I hate Umbridge with a passion. She's my favorite villain I love to hate.

Thank you, Yolanda Renee! :)

I always felt bad for King Kong too, Truedessa.

Gorn is definitely a good choice, Spacerguy!

Thank you, Karen Lange!

Horror isn't for everyone, lorimaclaughlin.com.

Thank you, Helena! There are some people we come across that we hope are alien, aren't there?

I think you may be right about Pennywise, Shannon Lawrence!

Aww, Casper was such a cute ghost, mail4rosey!

Freddy does have a way of invading people's dreams, Decadent Kane. ;)

J.H. Moncrieff, I know what you mean about the mini-series. A part of me would like to see it because I really enjoyed the movie and book, but another part of me knows they can't find anyone better than Tim Curry for Pennywise. Mmm, Kiefer Sutherland was an awesome vampire villain in The Lost Boys.

Maurice Mitchell, Pennywise can definitely give people nightmares.

I was the same way, Kim Lajevardi. I completely get the fear of clowns now.

Big Jim was definitely well written, especially since people go back and forth with him during the book. I think they couldn't have gotten a better Big Jim in the TV series than Dean Norris. Wonderful villains to add to the list, Jeffrey Scott!

msmariah said...

Alex congrats on Cassa Series being available. I love your list of monster/villains. I wish I had known about this blogfest! I think my favorite horror book is The Passage. That book truly terrified me...during one particular scene. I remember reading it at night and I had to put it down.

Julie Flanders said...

Congrats on the series! How exciting. And the IWSG t-shirt is awesome.
You made me laugh about your mom seeing Halloween while pregnant with you, Cherie. :D Good luck with your tour and collection release!

Arlee Bird said...

Wishing you big sales with your book set.

I'm a fan of Freddy Krueger. He's so dreamy.

Lee
Wrote By Rote

Unknown said...

Yeep... the Once Upon a Nightmare summary is scary. And I am so excited for A Faerie's Secret.

Rachna Chhabria said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachna Chhabria said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachna Chhabria said...

Would be nice to get all 3 books in one convenient pack. My favourite monster would be Godzilla.

Scribbles From Jenn said...

Tyrean's Summer Devotions looks interesting. I don't like monsters or aliens, but if I have to pick one, I pick Misery. Since sometimes the real monsters are worse than the fake ones.

Patricia Stoltey said...

My favorite monster/villain is the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz.

Cherie Reich said...

Thank you, msmariah! The Passage sounds like a really good horror read.

Thank you, Julie Flanders! I sometimes think my mom wonders how that movie affected me. ;)

LOL, Arlee Bird!

Thanks, Emilyann Girdner!

Godzilla is a great monster, Rachna Chhabria!

Misery is a really good pick, Scribbles From Jenn!

Ah, the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz is a classic, although she's just misunderstood, if you believe Wicked, Patricia Stoltey. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Julie, that movie probably influenced her big time!

Lee, that made me laugh!

Rachna, you rock!

Jenn, very true.

SK Anthony said...

So cool! Yay for the series in one little nifty package! :D
And monster... I have to agree with you: Godzilla it is!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Hope the Cassa Series does well, Alex. Reading Cherie's list reminds me how much I hate horror :-)

Anonymous said...

My fave monster? Maaan, I don't know. I'm not a huge horror movie buff. My monsters are the more human variety. Umbridge, Nurse Ratched, basically anyone who makes me rage over the injustice of it all.

Cherie Reich said...

Godzilla is an awesome monster, S.K. Anthony.

Horror isn't for everyone, Annalisa Crawford.

I hate Umbridge. She's definitely a great yet very much despised villain, Madilyn Quinn.

Heather M. Gardner said...

ALEX!!!

Missed you! Sorry. It's been a crazy week already!

I love your series set! Best of luck with it!

I hate the guy from IT. I've never liked clowns since that book.

An #IWSG t-shirt! That's amazing! Great idea.

Have a good one!

Heather

Leslie S. Rose said...

The animated wolves from Disney's Three Little Pigs and Peter and the Wolf were the stuff of my nightmares.

Robin said...

Congrats on the release of the CassaSeries! That's a big step:)

And the IWSG has a T-shirt. We've come a long way, baby...

Fundy Blue said...

Hey Alex ~ great news on the ebook Cassa collection!
I enjoyed your review of Jurassic Wolrd. I agree with what you said. The characters seemed to be stereotyped more than original. I did enjoy the tie-ins they did with the first Jurassic Park (which is hard to beat). But that Indominusrex just can't compare with good old T-rex! The bigger park is definitely not better, and the beginning could have been a little peppier. But I definitely had fun at it.
Pennywise was hard to top as a monster/villain! Most of Cherie's picks were a little intense for me! I can handle Stephen King in a book, but a movie is harder.
On the road again. Have a good one!

Ella said...

Hi Alex-Congrats on the Cassa goodness~

Hi Cherie-I love all your picks! I am a huge Stephen King fan. My mom's name is Shirley Jackson and shares her birthday with Stephen King-kinda cool. Yes, the book The Lottery comes to mind~


I hope you, Captain you are keeping cool~ Cherie I will come visit you~
I have missed blogging. I had to put my house on a diet and clear the clutter~ The attic still haunts me.


ATB

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

Good luck with the Cassa series. Great idea!

Love Jeremy's beautiful lighthouse design!

Leovi said...

Thank you very much! And good luck with his trilogy!

Liz Blocker said...

Congrats, Cherie!

I've always had a soft place in my heart for Maleficent. The original one, from the old Disney cartoon - not the newer version.

DMS said...

I love seeing Cherie's posts! I am learning so much about her on her tour. I agree that Michael Meyers is very persistent! Slow and steady I guess. Yikes! Wishing her all the best. :)
~Jess

Sandra Cox said...

Hope the series sells well. I'm sure it will:)

Powdered Toast Man said...

I still haven't read CassaFire or CassaStorm. I am waiting for the movies to come out. Did you have a raffle for the IWSG t-shirt yet?

Powdered Toast Man said...

What if I am a cyborg can I click the 'I am not a robot' button?

Kimberly said...

Congrats on the release of your boxed set - so cool!

Those are such scary movies - I loved watching those. :)

Michelle Wallace said...

I'm sure your boxed Cassa trilogy will be a hit, Alex! Congrats once again!
Love, love the T-shirt!

Kittie Howard said...

Congratulations, Alex, on the release of your boxed set. Hope the sales rock the charts. And congrats to the others mentioned. Monsters - no way! Tooooo scary for this wimp!

Cherie Reich said...

Pennywise could make anyone hate clowns, Heather M. Gardner.

Wolves can be a bit scary, Leslie S. Rose. I think it's the whole pack thing. There's always more than one coming after you.

Fundy Blue, I usually jump more while watching horror movies. It is sometimes easier to read them than watch them.

Thank you, Ella! That's cool that your mom shares Stephen King's birthday.

Thank you, Liz Blocker! I think there is more to Maleficent than meets the eye.

Some days I think we need to be Michael Myers, Jess (DMS). Not in a murder way, but in a writing way. Sometimes slow and steady is the only way we can make progress.

Horror movies can be a lot of fun to watch, Kimberly.

Horror's not for everyone, Kittie Howard. :)

Unknown said...

Yay for the release of Cassa Series!!

Congrats to Tyrean, Leandra, and Rachel.

My favorite monster is a three-way tie between Jaws' "Bruce the Shark," Alien, and the alien creature from The Thing. Mighty scary!

Cherie Reich said...

Lexa Cain, those are great monsters! Ooo, I remember the creature from The Thing. Definitely scary!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SK, you rock!

Heather!!! I thought clowns were creepy even before It.

Robin, yes we have.

Fundy, they did do a lot of tie-ins with the first one. That was cool to see.

Ella! Good to hear from you. Attics have a way of doing that.

PTM, movies would be cool. And yes, you may press the button.

Lexa, those are good ones!

Thanks, everyone!

Mason T. Matchak said...

Hmm... It was never scary to me because it was a clown, but because of what It really was. I read the book a few years back, and I loved how this horrific creature from outside our universe disguised itself as all those things, how it still terrified people over a decade later and could still get into their heads and make them see things that weren't there, and how It was actually laying eggs on our world. *That* is scary to me. ^_^

Not sure if I have a favorite monster, but I've always been a fan of the aliens from the 'Alien' movies.

Cherie Reich said...

Ah, that's true about It. The book makes the entire thing scary, although I thought the creature at the end (the one in the sewers) was lame looking in the movie. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Mason T. Matchak!

Sandra Cox said...

The t shirts are an awesome idea.

Mark said...

Neat interview:) But to see an actual alien like in Signs? Now that's creepy.

klahanie said...

*Twiddles thumbs* Okay, Alex, you can stop twiddling your thumbs. I have arrived at the idiotic time of two in the morning.

Ah Cherie, and here's me thinking that Michael Myers was some Canadian actor :)

Great news on your release, um great news on the release of you CassaSeries, Alex.

Goodnight...I'm outta' here....Gary...........

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the release Alex!

Re the monsters, I have to admit I'm terrible with horror. I read Stephen King because he's an amazing writer, but I get the most terrible and vivid nightmares every time I do so I'm making my way very slowly through his works... Pennywise the clown is definitely up there with the scariest creatures I've ever come across, even in my limited experience!

Elizabeth said...

I was just thinking I needed some more books for my Kindle, I might get your CassaSeries :) I like the IWSG shirt design, great job Jeremy!

Lux G. said...

Wow! A series! I haven't even written a single novel yet. :P
Good on you. Congrats!

Lux G. said...

Wow! A series! I haven't even written a single novel yet. :P
Good on you. Congrats!

Shah Wharton said...

Great post on a splendid tour, Cherie. You horror faves mirror mine.

Congrats to all with releases, and to you Alex, on being uber successful. :) X

shahwharton.com

mail4rosey said...

I can't watch 'em. Not a one of 'em. I'm the world's biggest biggest chicken.

Cherie Reich said...

I know, Mark Noce! It completely freaked me out, especially since I caught a glimpse of the alien--or something--over ten years before the movie Signs came out.

LOL, Gary (klahanie)! Canadian actor by day. Homicidal monster at night. :)

Pennywise can give anyone nightmares, Celine Jeanjean.

Thank you, Shah Wharton! That's cool our horror faves mirror each other.

That's okay, mail4rosey! :)

Jeff Chapman said...

Best of luck with your boxed set, Alex. I started Cherie's book yesterday. An awesome read. Didn't want to stop but everyone needs sleep.

Cherie Reich said...

You can sleep after you finish reading, Jeff Chapman. ;) Glad to hear you're enjoying the collection so far!

Cathy Keaton said...

I'm not a really big fan of scary movies. Never seen any of these and that's a good thing! I'm fine with non-violent horror and gothic creepiness. Do I even have a favorite monster? Maybe I like dragons?

Katherines Corner said...

your scary movie fav's are great choices.Hubby and I were disappointed in the twist of Under the Dome this week. Looking forward to seeing where it goes though. Not sure who my favorite monster is but I love any kind of sci fi "B movie" bring on the mecha shark verses Megashark, Godzilla, sharknado, giant mutant ants, etc, Love them all the cornier the better. xo

Al Penwasser said...

The Emperor in Star Wars.
And Dr.Evil.

Mark Koopmans said...

I STILL read IT about once every year or two (15th time this year!)

(And I recently told my boys not to put their hands into an open sewer... they *did* look at me strangely when I told them there was a scary clown down there...)

Best wishes for your boxed set - hope it's selling like hot cakes :)

Leovi said...

In my childhood the "invisible monsters" were the most disturbed me!

Blue Grumpster said...

My favorite monster/villain from a horror book/movie...? Well, let's see... That would have to be Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, both the book and the movie. You should read that book, Alex, and pretend the other ones don't exist. It scared the shit outta me, I tell you. And as for my favorite monster, well, that would be this one: click! even if the one in the movie didn't have teeth...

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations on release week!
I agree with Cherie's #1 and 2.
Ooh, an IWSG shirt? Cool!

Intangible Hearts said...

I hate monsters but can imagine a Fae Rae moment with King Kong. LOL

alexia said...

Hmmm, fave monster. I probably prefer cute ones. I like dragons a lot, but don't consider them monsters.

DL Kennedy said...

Pennywise is my son's favorite too... which is surprising cause it gave him so many nightmares as a child.

So pleased at all the success of your CassaSeries.

Catherine Stine said...

So much good news. Congrats on your newest release.

Unknown said...

The Xenomorph from Alien. I find the idea of a "perfect killing machine" very cool.

T.F. Walsh said...

Congrats on the series... must feel amazing:)

I've got Cherie's book... got to read it... I love monsters.

Cherie Reich said...

Non-violent horror and gothic creepiness can be fun to watch and read. Dragons are great monsters/creature, Cathy Keaton.

Shh, I haven't watched the newest episode of Under the Dome yet, Katherine's Corner. *winks* I do like the show, but I am a disappointed they've gone so far off script (i.e. the book). Those sci fi "B movies" have awesome monsters!

Great choices, Al Penwasser!

Wow! That's dedication, Mark Koopmans, to read IT so much. As I child, I used to play in the sewers. I wouldn't dream of doing that now.

Invisible monsters are the scariest, Leovi!

Lecter is an awesome villain, Blue Grumpster!

Thank you, Deniz Bevan!

Cute monsters work too, Alexia! And dragons can be monsters if they're the village-destroying type. :)

That's interesting, DL Kennedy! Sometimes what scares us leaves the biggest impact.

A wonderful choice, Michael G D'Agostino!

I hope you enjoy the collection, T.F. Walsh! :)