Monday, June 26, 2017

RiffTrax: Live Summer Shorts Beach Party! IWSG Best Writer Site! Plus New Releases and Ninja News


Another fun show!

Mike, Kevin, and Bill kicked off the party with a short involving street safety with a raccoon that everyone kept calling a bear. This short was actually funded by the Department of Transportation. Scary!

Bridget and Mary Jo tackled one about a griper while Trace and Frank got one about office etiquette.

Special guest Paul F. Tompkins joined the guys for one about magic. No wait, it was about 1961 cars. No, it was about futuristic appliances. I still have no idea what it was about.

The street safety raccoon was outdone by a short on rhythmic ball skills featuring a group of kids. Drop-catch. Drop-catch. Drop-catch. Those poor kids were craving a history test after that ordeal.

The grand finale was with everyone and possibly the oddest short/story/thing they’ve ever done. It was about bags. A guy steals two burlap bags and throws them in his pickup only to have them come to life and run off. Or rather hop. Picture a bag race with the person completely inside the bag. He chases them all over town. Really! You’ll have to catch the hilarity when it’s available for purchase.

Not the funniest one I’ve seen, and Paul seemed a bit out of his element, but still a thousand times better than suffering through a Transformers movie.

Now for some pre-show screen shots: 








Don't miss RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors on August 17!


IWSG Best Website for Writers!

The big news today – the Insecure Writers Support Group site made the Writer’s Digest 19th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers!


This is huge – and it’s been my goal with the site ever since we launched it almost four years ago.


Big thanks to all of you who have supported the group and its site over the years. We couldn’t have done it without you!


New Book Releases

Purr Empire by Pat Hatt
Cassie, Orlin and their crazy human Pat are once again up to their eyeballs in scat. In the fifth go around, walking, talking animals are found. Duke Drazin does not think much of any of it. He's also back to throw a fit. Who's fault is it this time? Why are humans no longer in their prime? All that and answers you never want to know surely will show.
Find it at Amazon

A Glowworm by Tonja Drecker
This is a UBook. It plays out, sentence by sentence, on a video, while music, which has been composed specifically for the book, plays in the background to help create the right atmosphere.
Pick it up at Black and White Publishing Company.

Forbidden by Feather Stone
Suspense/thriller, mystery, terrorism
Gunfire echoes within the walls of a Middle East police compound...
Find it on Amazon



Ninja News

Brandon and Bryan, those guys from A Beer for the Shower, have their own comic channel. Each week, something new to make you laugh.
Check it out on Tapas.

The latest issue of Six Strings is out.
Featuring interviews with composer Paul E. Francis, actress Dawn Cody, Actress Biana Allaine, director Amarish Olson, and much, much more.
Download your free copy here.

Stephen Tremp is putting together a special project that will launch very soon.
It’s a three eight-lesson courses to help writers and entrepreneurs to launch or relaunch their product service or cause.
Find out more at The Launching Pad

LG Keltner is part of an upcoming anthology.
The 2018 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide is composed of 24 stories written for middle grade readers.
The publisher, Dreaming Robot Press, just launched a Kickstarter campaign to help with publication costs. One thing they aim to do is donate copies of the book to libraries, and the Kickstarter helps make that possible.
Learn more about the Kickstarter here.

Submissions are open for The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit. What are we looking for? Anything writing related – books, journalism, articles, whatever. What have you tried that was successful? What have you tried that didn’t result in sales or making money? We need to know what doesn’t work as well! Submissions are open to all IWSG members – monthly blog post members, Facebook, and Goodreads. Details here.

Finally, CassaStorm will be my publisher’s free audio giveaway book on Twitter from June 29 through July 5. Visit their Twitter and click the pinned Tweet to enter.





Anyone catch the RiffTrax shorts special? Do riffing Doctor Who sound more enticing? Picking up some new books? Following Brandon and Bryan on Tapas? Pick up Six Strings – it’s free. And are you working on your submission for the IWSG free guide? Do it!

See you next Wednesday, July 5, for IWSG post day!

100 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - well done on the IWSG website - that's great ... congratulations to you and all who help and continue to do so. The new books look good - as too I see Stephen Tremp's been creative again ... while Writing for Profit will make some informative reads ... Good luck to one and all and enjoy the summer - cheers Hilary

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, Alex!

I enjoyed those pre-show screen shots. I never thought Americans would be more gullible than they were at Halloween 1938 when Orson Welles' The War Of The Worlds radio play convinced them Martians were invading, causing mass panic. How wrong I was!

Have great week, good buddy Alex!

Elephant's Child said...

Welcome back. I hope your break was lovely.
Huge congratulations on the recognition for the ISWG.
And, as always, congratulations and thanks to those with new books being released.

Mason Canyon said...

A huge and well deserved congratulations on ISWG's recognition. That's awesome. Congrats to everyone with new releases.

The Cynical Sailor said...

That's such great news about IWSG making the Writers Digest list! Well deserved recognition of such a great group.

nashvillecats2 said...

Congrats on the success of the ISWG. You and your helpers must be so proud.
Pleased to see you back.

Yvonne.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Congrats on the IWSG website!

Regarding your comment on today's blog post: it's never too late to promote your books. I'd be happy to have a post on how your audiobooks came together. Feel free to e-mail me at ulbrichalmazanATsbcglobalDOTnet (primary) or, if that one doesn't work, smua70ATgmailDOTcom.

Natalie Aguirre said...

A huge congrats on being a 101 Best Website. You so deserve it. It's meant a lot to me to win that award too.

H. R. Sinclair said...

Congrats on making the Writer's Digest list!

Dean K Miller said...

Well deserved and congrats on the WD listing!
The movie quotes are great!

mshatch said...

I have picked up some new books as a matter of fact: Cress by Marissa Meyer {the third book in the Lunar Chronicles), and Nos4atu by Joe Hill.

Totally awesome that IWSG made it on the list!

Karen Lange said...

Congrats to IWSG for making the list! That's great news! Thanks as always, for the info and links, Alex. Have a great week!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Alex, Congratulations on IWSG making it to the Writer’s Digest 19th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers! Its really wonderful. Kudos to you and the entire team.

Truedessa said...

Congratulation on making it into Writer's Digest! I have not seen Brandon and Bryan on Tapas, I will have to check it out.

I am currently reading 'The Connective' by Pat. I am almost done so I will be looking for something new to read soon.

Welcome back you were missed!

Chemist Ken said...

Congratulations on the website award! I can't imagine how much time you have to put into it, even with all your helpers.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I love the one about Groot the fungus.

It's so exciting the site finally made the list.

Jo said...

Poor Groot, he's dead and he can't protest. I am Groot.

Yes, I've been to Tapas to read that zany pair.

I am delighted about the news of ISWG's listing, you have worked really hard for this and you deserve success.

Cindy said...

Congrats to ISWG. They sure have come a long way.

XmasDolly said...

Hi Alex, thank you for stopping by I always look forward to your visits! WOW I'm now looking forward to the War regarding the Planet of the Apes. It looks great. I had no idea they picked up on that movie! It was one of my favorites back in the day. One of the reason is I used to love, love, love Charlton Heston.... We still haven't gotten rid of this dark cloud over our home. So many bad things. Between all the ailments I have had there has also been 3 car accidents 2 of which happened to my granddaughter and last week Dave had one too. :( Also, his band hasn't had a gig since April. Now that sucks!!! Also, since I had been sick so much and away from my blog my head count has dropped drastically. I had a hard enough time with people stopping over and lately it's been a ghost town. Got any suggestions please????? BIG HUGS HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Congratulations for ISWG making the Writer's Digest list. That is BIG!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shady, sadly they have been more gullible since then many, many times...

Elephant's Child, it was!

Sandra, I will! Thanks.

Marie, hopefully things start looking up for you! Just ease back into blogging. The faithful will return.

Thanks, everyone!

Toi Thomas said...

So glad we finally made that WD list.
I like the premise of the Young Explorer's Kickstarter.

A Beer for the Shower said...

An average Rifftrax is still better than anything you'll see on primetime network TV with a laugh track attached to it.

War of the Worlds was once a barometer for how gullible Americans could be. Then it was those e-mail chain forwards. Now it's news articles on Facebook, the ones with headlines like, "New study shows (blank) cures cancer: big pharma does NOT want you to see this!" And it's something stupid like eating goji berries.

The technology has changed, but most Americans will just always be gullible, I guess.

Oh, and thanks for the shout out!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Alex,

THANK YOU... and a whole hearty congrats on you and the IWSG, that is really cool... great stuff as always here.

THANK YOU... THANK YOU for the shout out on the "Six Strings Magazine", it's been a journey for sure.

THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU for everything...

Jeremy

Pat Hatt said...

lol at the war of the worlds one. Yeah, most anything beats suffering through a Transformers movie. Thanks for the shout too. Awesome on making the list too.

Erika Beebe said...

Exciting news about fulfilling the goal!

cleemckenzie said...

Yay for #IWSG! I see a lot of new books here. Loved the movie quotes.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brandon and Bryan, you're welcome.
Now it's people believing everything the news says.

Jeremy, you're welcome!

Pat, you're welcome.

Chrys Fey said...

I did know about Deliverance and War of the Worlds. For the first time, I knew movie facts! lol

Andrew Leon said...

Oh, I haven't seen The Five Doctors in forever.
But, then, I still haven't seen the latest season of the show, either.

Katherines Corner said...

Congratulations my friend! This post really had me giggling, I always learn a little something when I stop by ( wink). Will it be your voice on the audio book ( I still call them books on tape...)? Hoping your week is as sweet as you are hugs!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Bryan and Brandon are unstoppable.
Have a great week, Alex.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

No thanks big raccoon. All the best Michael.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Congrats on the IWSG website. Well earned. I don't think I'll be able to participate in July. We'll be at the lake, and internet is sketchy, plus I'll be with family. Thanks for all your hard work and support.

Cherie Reich said...

That's awesome about the IWSG website! Congrats!

Juneta key said...

Congrats Alex on Writer's Digest. Funny quotes enjoyed. Definitely going to check out Stephen's new site. Cool.
' Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

F. Stone said...

Thank you, Alex, for introducing Forbidden to your followers. I'm so grateful for all the support I've received from bloggers and reviewers. People are just amazing. Forbidden is doing very well at Amazon:
#39 (top 100!) in ... > Thrillers & Suspense > Spies & Politics > Terrorism
#47 (top 100!) in ... > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers > Terrorism
#94 (top 100!) in ... > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

J E Oneil said...

That's great about the ISWG. What a thrill that must be :). I never heard about a Ubook before. Sounds interesting.

Sarah Foster said...

Those pre-show screen shots were too funny.
Congrats on the IWSG making the list! That's awesome!

Sandra Cox said...

Woo Hoo on the website....and rightly so. Alex, to you and everyone who puts in so much time and effort on it, thank you.

Carrie-Anne said...

Congratulations on the IWSG website making Writer's DIgest! Once I finally have access to a desk again and can do substantial amounts of writing, I'll start working on my submission for the guide.

Heather R. Holden said...

Chuckled too much at that Bunnicula adaptation screen shot... XD

And many congrats to the IWSG! A Writer's Digest shout-out is beyond amazing, for sure...

Birgit said...

Before I forget...love those movie quotes and such. You know, the one with poor Ned Beatty made me laugh because the way the man is holding his surfboard made me think he has a really. Big schlong( squeal like a pig). On another note, you must have been jumping for joy for your IWSG which clearly deserves it

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Andrew, I haven't seen any of them.

Katherine, no! A narrator by the name of Michael Burnette did my books. He did an amazing job.

Mary, no worries!

Feather, that is awesome!!!

Carrie-Anne, please!

Heather, that was a good one.

Thanks, everyone!

kaykuala said...


Wonderful that ISWG made it to the Writer's Digest list! I see Pat Hatt has the pride of place in the new releases. Welcome back Alex!

Hank

SpacerGuy said...


Once you get a title like 19th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers it becomes a responsibility to hold on to. Live long and prosper!

Liz A. said...

Congrats on Writer's Digest. That's huge.

I guess it doesn't really matter what they riff on, because talking back to anything is the whole point of RiffTrax, right?

Al Penwasser said...

Groot must be proud.

Ann Bennett said...

Not surprised at all about IWSG being listed as one of the best. It is.

I'll have to check some of the items here. A Beer for the Shower looks like they are a bit of fun.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Congratulations on making the 101 Best Website lists in Writers Digest. I saw it in the magazine. Yay!
Congratulations to authors of all the new books.
A lot of good things are happening.

stephen Hayes said...

Congratulations on the Writer's Digest award. Quite a feather in your cap. Well done!

Arlee Bird said...

Definitely cool to get that Writer's Digest listing.

Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

L.G. Keltner said...

I'm glad that the IWSG is getting the recognition it deserves. It's been a privilege to be a part of such a wonderful group and getting to see it grow into what it's become. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Thank you also for giving the 2018 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide a shout out!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Spacer Guy, yes it does.

Liz, as long as it's funny, yes.

LG, you're welcome, and thanks!

Stephen Tremp said...

Alex, thanks for the shout out! And good luck with CassaStorm free audio giveaway.

Nicola said...

So happy about Writer's Digest. Congrats to all the new releases.

Charles Gramlich said...

I was rolling on the floor with those "movie quotes"

Loni Townsend said...

Those pre-show screen shots are hilarious!
Woot for IWSG making the list!! That's AWESOME!

Nilanjana Bose said...

Big fat congratulations for the ISWG! That is beyond fabulous! So thrilled for you and all the others I know there. So very well deserved, and best wishes for more successes.

Mark said...

Congrats on the Writer's Digest mention! So cool:) I also liked the "Did you know?" posters:)

Fundy Blue said...

Well rats!!! Google just vanished my big comment! I've been busy chasing my tail and trying to catch up on important things, so I was probably doing something too fast. I hope all is well with you, Alex, and I hope that you enjoyed your mini-break. I didn't realize until I read your reply to my comment on your last post that you weren't aware that the IWSG made Writer's Digest's top 101 websites. Or maybe you were teasing me. I already have a physical copy of Pat's "Purr Empire." I've been listening to Ayreon's "The Source" over and over, although I haven't sat down and followed with the script yet. And I finally got to see "Wonder Woman." Loved it ~ my kind of gal! I'll probably never get to RiffTrax, but I did get a big laugh out of the idea of a sparkly Bunnicula! Enjoy summer with your wife! Take care, my friend!

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats to Pat, Tonja and Feather on their new releases.
Have a great one, Alex.

Suzanne Furness said...

Thanks for all your hard work on the IWSG site. I will have to check out some of those sites.

Stephanie Faris said...

YAY! Congrats to IWSG. Very much deserved. There aren't any communities as strong as this one in the writing world, from what I've seen.

Joanne said...

ISWG site rocks. Glad it was recognized. Congrats. Quite a plethora of stuff on this post. Thank goodness there is a new Pat Hatt book. I was afraid he'd lost momentum. Ha. And Groot should not be a fungus. What would that make baby Groot? Have a super safe and fun July 4th weekend.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on making the writers digest list!

Helena said...

Congratulations on IWSG! So well deserved, and I'm glad your hard work and generosity is being recognized.

I've never been able to watch a Transformer movie. I tried a couple times when one was on TV but I couldn't get past 10 minutes of the bad dialogue.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Well done and many congratulations on the Writer's Digest listing! You're right, that is HUGE. The one fact up there I did know was the Orson Welles one about proving how gullible Americans are by what they hear on the media. Has that changed at all? I'm not sure!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congrats on the Writer's Digest listing. I was going to see Riff Trax here in my hometown of SLC but it got canceled because of something. They are refunding tickets. Ah well.

Tonja Drecker said...

I took a short pause from blogging...and I see you gave me a shout-out. Thanks so much!!! Congratulations to the IWSG. They deserve it because they are more than awesome.

M Pax said...

I want to see more Saul. Riff Trax sounds fun. lol I'd like to see the bags coming to life.

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats to LG on another anthology:)

'Lo, Alex:)

Rhonda Albom said...

Big Congratulations for getting on the top 100 list! That is such a great compliment to all you and the team do. I still have not seen Dr. Who, but my daughter just became addicted to it, catching up on Netflix. As for the new books, I love the cover of Forbidden. That's the one I am sure I will read.

kimlajevardi.com said...

Congrats on the Writing Digest notice. Very exciting!

Leovi said...

Excellent 19th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers!

C.D. Gallant-King said...

The Writers Digest thing is pretty cool. God knows there are a plethora of writer sites out there, so to be listed in the top 100 is amazing.

I have not seen the RiffTrax show, but those fake movie quotes are hilarious. I really want to see/read Stefanie Meyer's Bunnicula now.

Sandra Cox said...

Very exciting about Cassa, Alex. I'll be interested to hear how audio sales go.

Sherry Ellis said...

That's great news about the IWSG website. It's really informative. You guys have done a great some with it.

Didn't know that about "Groot." It's kind of funny, actually!

I've submitted my article for the anthology. Hope you get a lot of good submissions!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Stephen, you're welcome!

Charles, that's always a highlight of the show.

Fundy, your comment tipped me off - thank you! We might've missed it until the badge showed up in a few weeks.

Stephanie, that's good to hear.

Joanne, a baby fungus?

Helena, smart woman.

Michael, bummer!

Tonja, you're welcome.

Hey, Sandra!

CD, it is amazing.

Sherry, just got it!

Lynda Dietz said...

There's so much to get excited about in this post. But most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS on the IWSG mention! That is super cool for the IWSG only being four years old. I must have started stalking you guys when you were just brand new.

The book recommendations sound like fun, and I'm keeping an eye on the Beer guys as their cartoons gain more followers. But seriously, the thing that made me laugh out loud was the "Did you know?" about Ned Beatty and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. OH, my goodness.

Magic Love Crow said...

Congrats on the Writer's Digest! Fantastic! Thanks for all the facts! It's so much fun coming to your blog! Congrats to everyone on their new releases!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations on the IWSG website hitting the top 101! That's awesome!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on IWSG hitting the top 101. I'm glad to be a part of it and it has helped me immensely.

Anonymous said...

Hooray for the IWSG!

Those Did You Know cards are great. Paul F. Tompkins is so funny and quick witted. I loved when he was on @Midnight. Always a fun episode to watch.

Blue Grumpster said...

I thought Deliverance was originally titled "The Pigs and the river". No?

J Lenni Dorner said...

Way to go on the Writer's Digest recognition for IWSG!
Thanks for the cool fact images. That Groot one was cool.
Looks like some interesting books.

H.R. Bennett said...

Yaaaaay! Congratulations to IWSG! You guys deserve it.

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

Fantastic news about the IWSG website. Congratulations!

Michelle Wallace said...

The IWSG is growing from strength to strength!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lynda, thanks! And yeah, that one is hilarious.

Elsie, glad it made you chuckle.

Blue, really close!

Thanks, everyone!

Trisha said...

Bunnicula?? Really? This is the first I've heard of it! (just had to Google it)

Big congrats on IWSG making it onto the Writer's Digest list - that's an awesome achievement! Not surprising, though, since IWSG is such a phenomenon. Glad it's getting more exposure. :)

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

This was a crazy, fun post, Alex! Congrats to the IWSG! Hope I don't miss Stephen on the Launch pad.
Visit me @ Life & Faith in Caneyhead. 😉

Jennifer Lane said...

Tweeted! Bunnicula? LOL!

J.Q. Rose said...

Doin' a happy dance with you. Congratulations on making the 101 Best Website lists in Writers Digest! FANtastic. Also congrats on the audio for Cassa. Good job, Captain!!
JQ Rose

Sandra Cox said...

Stephen Tremp's project sounds both helpful and intriguing.

Have a great evening, Alex.

Murees Dupè said...

Congratulations one making the Writer's Digest site! That is fantastic!! IWSG is a great group and so deserving and a true help to fellow writers.

J.H. Moncrieff said...

Congrats on making Writer's Digest! That's huge. And so, so well deserved.

Happy 4th of July!

Yolanda Renée said...

Congratulations on the website accomplishment! That is so awesome and so well deserved!

Enjoy your summer!

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

Wonderful to have made the Writer's Digest list. Congratulations!
The Planet of the Apes movie sound interesting!

Deniz Bevan said...

Ha ha, I like the Saul line!
Bunnicula as a movie? I'll have to dig up my old copy and reread it...