The Babadook Movie Review, Dragon of the Stars News, Movie Trivia Answers, Mini-Alex, Music, and Ninja News

Milo James Fowler asked me to discuss small press success at his site today! Please stop by.

Dragon of the Stars Update

First, the winner of my giveaway for those who cheered for me during the Realms Faire is - Michelle Wallace. Congratulations! You get a review copy of my upcoming release.

Dragon of the Stars is now on Goodread’s Most Anticipated Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror of 2015 list! If you’re looking forward to it, please hop over and vote for it.

There is also a Goodreads giveaway! (Feel free to share it.)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Dragon of the Stars

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Giveaway ends November 24, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

(And you can add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.)

The Babadook Movie Review

A single mother battles her son’s fear of a monster and her own pain.
This movie has been getting a lot of press, so I decided to check it out on Pay-Per-View.
The result is a mixed bag. It has great atmosphere and some really tense moments, but there is a lot of confusion. Starting with where does the Babadook’s book come from? What was up with the tooth? What did it all mean?
Just what is the Babadook? A real evil presence or all in her mind as she tries to deal with past trauma? I’m still not sure.
The kid was annoying as well. He needed a shrink or a bop upside the head. Preferably both.
However, should things not work out for the Babadook, he has a great career making children’s pop-up books ahead of him!
Dodgy.

Ninja News

Wednesday at the IWSG site is the amazing RaShelle Workman, who is closing in on a million books sold worldwide!

The 2014 Karen's World Blog Awards is now open for nominations! Visit A Peek at Karen’s World and let her know what are the best blogs of the year. Nominations open until November 22.

New release –
Jack the Ripper: Newly Discovered Tales of Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer

Suzanne Furness’ short story, From Byron to Shelley, is now in print. The story was short listed for the Yeovil Literary Prize in 2012 and now appears in their anthology. Find it at Amazon US and Amazon US

Don’t forget the Miss You Blogfest - those bloggers you miss and those you would miss the most. Coming November 24.

Robot Movie Trivia Answers

Hector (1980) – Saturn 3
Fembots (1997) – Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Johnny 5 (1986) – Short Circuit
Pris (1980) – Blade Runner
Dot Matrix (1987) – Spaceballs
Huey, Dewey, and Louie (1972) – Silent Running
EVE (2008) – WALL-E
V.I.N.C.E.N.T. (1980) – The Black Hole

Mini-Alex and the Turkey

Thanksgiving decorations are appearing at my house and Mini-Alex was conned into appearing with a turkey:

And for those of you who are new and wonder why I have a miniature version of myself, it was the creation of Elise Fallson two years ago. She made Mini-Alex, posted pictures of him for the Cheersfest, and then graciously sent him to me. Deniz Bevan then knitted a scarf and sent it to him. Thanks again, ladies!

Mini-Alex would still like a Mini-Kate someday.

And to give credit where credit is due, my wife comes up with most of the ideas for the photos.

Music Sample

Yes, many of you have told me you want to hear me play. I know I’ve drug my feet on this. I think I am more nervous about sharing my music than I am my writing. I’m such a perfectionist and I want to post something both amazing and flawless for you. I promise I will pick something soon and work on it until I am comfortable recording it. Might take a couple dozen recordings, so be patient! Never rush a perfectionist with a guitar…

Entering the giveaway on Goodreads? Has anyone else seen The Babadook? Nominating someone for Karen’s awards? Ready for Monday’s blogfest? Get any of the robot movies right? Ready for Thanksgiving? Anyone else care to hound me about my music?

I’m not posting on Wednesday (work promises to be hectic) but I will be back on Monday!

IWSG Thanks, Mini-Alex, Ninja News, From the Ashes Reveal, NFL Super Bowl Predictions, and the January Movie Preview

What a way to kick off 2013 than with an awesome round of Insecure Writer’s Support Group posts. So many positive, goal setting posts and so many new members. Special thanks to Tyrean Martinson and Jamie Gibbs for co-hosting this month. (My co-hosts for February 6 will be Stephen Tremp and Julie Flanders.)

And thank you for the encouraging comments (and emails) regarding my writing or music dilemma. I won’t rush into anything and I don’t plan to stop blogging either. God will show me the path where I can be the most effective.

Mini-Alex!

Yes, he arrived on Thursday and in one piece. Elise, thank you SO MUCH for sending him. Now that he’s here, I am really impressed by how much effort you put into making him look awesome. And he’s bigger than I thought!

Here is Mini-Alex between two of my guitars. Safe to say, he will not be playing those anytime soon. Doubt I will be able to top Paris, but I might have to take Mini-Alex on a road trip.See what kind of trouble we can get into...

Ninja News

Candilynn Fite has an agent! She is now represented by Ms. Kathleen Rushall from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Congratulations, Candilynn!

Melissa Maygrove had an awesome post on Wednesday listing ways we can motivate ourselves to write. Some good stuff, so check it out!

Cover Reveal!

From the Ashes by Jessica K. McKendry

“I'm not sure how it all went wrong…”

An insightful look at the good and bad that exist within us, McKendry's debut is a high-octane adventure that pushes the imagination to the limit as it lays bare the nature of self-reliance, self-confidence, and teamwork. Playing with the concepts of dark and light and how they affect our lives in multiple forms, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the heroine's journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you've been taught to believe.

Available next month – congratulations, Jessica!

NFL Super Bowl Predictions

With the final week of the regular season mathematically eliminating a dozen teams including my own (no I’m not naming them – they didn’t deserve to go anyway) and ending on a good note (anytime the Cowboys lose, it’s a good note) we slide into the playoffs this weekend. A couple teams are suspect and a couple could surprise us.

My predictions for who will go to the Super Bowl:

From the AFC – Either Broncos or the Patriots. Denver has played good all season but you can’t count out the Patriots.

From the NFC – Either the 49ers or Seahawks. The 49ers just might be for real, but of all the teams, the Seahawks are the most dangerous right now and on a roll.

And if my predictions were any bit accurate, you could take me to Vegas!

I wouldn’t pack my bags if I were you…

January 2013 Movies

Here are the upcoming movies for January! A quiet month, as it tends to be the dumping grounds for movies. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

11 -

Gangster Squad
A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Giovanni Ribisi
Sean Penn plays a jerk – big surprise! Could be good.


18 -

The Last Stand
The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.
Director: Jee-woon Kim
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eduardo Noriega, Forest Whitaker, John Patrick Amedori
Ridiculous and over the top. Schwarzenegger is way too old to do this anymore.

Broken City
An ex-cop trailing the wife of New York City's mayor finds himself immersed in a larger scandal.
Director: Allen Hughes
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kyle Chandler
Crowe plays a jerk – another big surprise! And this one could be good as well.


25 -

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters
In this dark spin on the fairy tale, siblings Hansel and Gretel are a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen
This movie will be either cheesy great or embarrassingly awful. Don’t think there will be an in-between.

John Dies at the End
A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return as no longer human. Can two college dropouts save humankind from this silent, otherworldly invasion?
Director: Don Coscarelli
Stars: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown
From the director of Bubba Ho-Tep and probably just as weird.

Were you encouraged by the IWSG posts this week? See some interesting announcements? Who do you predict will go to the Super Bowl? Any movies look enticing? And where on the east coast could Mini-Alex go?

Cindy Borgne Discusses Wormholes, Ninja News, Celebrating Small Things, Mini-Alex and his Peeps, Special Thanks, and Movie Quotes Trivia

Today I welcome fellow science fiction author, Cindy Borgne!

Wormholes:

In my first book “Seer of Mars”, the main reason for mankind coming to Mars is a long-term project to reach an Earth-like planet called Hinun in the Cancri fifty-five system, which is almost identical to our solar system. Someone told me that it sounded so Star Wars-ish like the Dagobah system.

However, Mars and Cancri 55 are real places, and for the sequel “Visionary of Peace”, I needed to answer a question. How do they plan to reach Hinun? Finally, I settled on using a wormhole for travel purposes - maybe because they’re more artistic.

Although a wormhole has never been created, they aren’t just something from science fiction. The theory for them is based in physics. This led to the challenge of my characters creating the first wormhole in the most difficult of circumstances. Early attempts were less than impressive. At first, my physicists ended up generating small, unpredictable wormholes only capable of lasting for a few seconds in a lab.

No such thing as a small wormhole you say? According to astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, “wormholes may exist in quantum foam, the smallest environment in the universe. Here, tiny tunnels constantly blink in and out of existence, momentarily linking separate places and time.”

Yet even small wormholes don’t run on thin air and need something to generate them. I needed exotic matter – another conceptual aspect of physics. Where could I get this stuff? When reading the definitions for exotic matter.

Exotic Matter: Any kind of matter that is not made up of baryons (protons and neutrons) and has both negative energy density and negative pressure or tension that exceeds the energy density.

How rambling is that?

However, the biggest problem with the small, short-term wormhole is that it has no use in reaching Hinun. Still, I couldn’t let the dream of reaching Hinun die for my long suffering characters. I needed something more and I found it.

Thanks for having me today, Alex.

Find Cindy - Blog, Website, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon
And her books - Visionary of Peace and Seer of Mars

Ninja News

Angela Brown’s book, Frailties of the Bond, is now available – congratulations, Angela!

Kelley Lynn’s book, Fraction of Stone, was released on Thursday! Congratulations, Kelley.
She’s on her blog tour right now and you can win a copy of her book. Check her site for details.


Misha Gericke announced the categories for this month’s Paying it Forward Awards:
Blogger Who Makes the Bloggosphere Amazing
Blogger With Unrivaled Determination
Blogger With Amazing Team Spirit
Blogger Who Brightens Every Day
Visit her blog to cast your nominations now!

And for VikLit’s “Celebrating the Small Things,” I have two things I'm celebrating!
First, this is post number 600. Whoa!
Second, I have over 1800 followers now. Double whoa!!

Mini-Alex and His Peeps

Mini-Alex may not get out much, but he does have friends!

Here he is hanging with his peeps, admiring Robyn Alana Engel’s book, Just the Right Time!

And it’s really cold today, so he hopes his scarf arrives soon.

Special Peeps

I want to mention two special ladies.

As I’ve noted before, my guest post guidelines state that I only allow blogger buddies.

I get requests every week, and I’m polite when I explain my guidelines and why. Most I never hear from again. One guy unfollowed me immediately.

However, two ladies, once I explained how it works, decided to become my blogger buddies. Two out of hundreds.

Joylene Nowell Butler and Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, I want to thank you for taking that step. You two can guest post anytime you like!

Movie Trivia

Movie quotes today – all science fiction! Name the movie – and the actor/character if you can:

1 – “If this is foreplay, I’m a dead man.”

2 – “The Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, ‘We will not go quietly into the night…’”

3 – “His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking.”

4 – “Can I ask you a personal question? Have you ever retired a human by mistake?”

5 - “I just want to know that it’s really happening.”

Ready to read Cindy's books? Nominating someone for the Paying it Forward Awards? Ready to hang with Mini-Alex and his Peeps? And know any of the trivia answers?

Free Books on Amazon – Good or Bad? Plus IWSG Thoughts, Ninja News, Mini-Alex, and Celebrating the Small Things

IWSG Thoughts and Call for Help

Posts for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group were awesome this week! I so wish I could visit everyone, but the group is three hundred plus strong now. Even with clones, I can’t manage to visit everyone. Special thanks to Misha Gericke and Joylene Nowell Butler for their help as co-hosts.

The IWSG is on for April during the Challenge! If you can’t post, that’s fine. But we’ve never missed a month and some members aren’t participating in the Challenge. So April 3 is our next post date.

Co-hosts! I still have a list of volunteers to co-host, but I want to throw April open. I know it will be busy with the A to Z Challenge. If you can help co-host next month, please let me know. It involves visiting twenty to twenty-five blogs and I need two helpers. If you can do that, just leave a comment. Thanks!

Thanks to those who responded to my IWSG insecurity. (This comment in particular made me laugh: “I think you could post the phone book and you'd still get 1000 comments.” - Maurice Mitchell) From now on, more Ninja as requested! However, I will continue with the Ninja News and with announcements. Just smaller.

I want to extend a special thanks to four special ladies. Many of you have been with the IWSG for a long time, only missing a post or two. Four bloggers have posted with diligence since the very first month, September 2011, and not missed a beat – Marta Szemik, L. Diane Wolfe, Christine Danek, and Siv Ottem. Thank you for your dedication, ladies – you rock!

My small thing this week for VikLit’s “Celebrating the Small Things” is definitely the IWSG!

Ninja News

The winners of Misha Gericke’s Paying it Forward Awards for February were announced this week. I won Best Commenter and Most Supportive/Helpful Blogger – whoa!! Thanks to everyone who voted. Check out the other winners, as they rock as well.

Milo James Fowler’s Unseen Things, a collection of seven weird tales, launches today. Congratulations, Milo!


Sandra Almazan’s Twinned Universes, Book Two of the Catalyst Chronicles series, is now available as an eBook! Print book to follow. Congratulations, Sandra!

Jess McKendry’s book launches today – as does her blogfest - From The Ashes. Congratulations, Jess!

Mini-Alex

Mini-Alex doesn’t get out much, but he does possess good fashion sense. Here he is admiring the t-shirt created in his likeness. (Made by the awesome Retro-Zombie Jeremy.)

And does anyone notice something new about my blog header...?

Free Books on Amazon – Good or Bad?

Some authors and publishers offer select books for free on Amazon. Is this a good or bad thing?

I’ve heard some say it devalues the work. (I can certainly understand that since I know how much effort goes into writing a book.) And that a high ranking due to free downloads doesn’t mean anything and can lead to a lot of bad reviews.

I’ve heard the opposing view that offering one book for free entices readers to buy other books by the author, thus spurring sales. I can understand that as well.

And there are all sorts of things to consider in between – authors with only one book, allowing only Amazon to offer the book, etc.

So what do you guys think? Is free good or bad? Or does it depend?

Did you enjoy Wednesday’s IWSG posts? Can you co-host next month? Excited about the new books? Think Mini-Alex should get out more? Think free books on Amazon is a good or bad thing? And anyone else going to see Oz tonight?

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!

The State of Sci-Fi Shows, Ant-Man Review, Movie News, Mini-Alex, and Reading Ambitions

I’m back from vacation! And it was awesome…
I’m also over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with guest blogging tips.

Movie News

Ant-Man Review
I’m happy to say the state of the Marvel Universe is alive and well!
Ant-Man is a quirky superhero and the film could’ve gone many directions. (Most of them wrong.) But in very capable hands, it turned out to be a great time at the theater.
Paul Rudd is the lead with Michael Douglas guiding him into the role of Ant-Man. They both do a fine job with their characters.
The film is full of humor and many laugh out loud moments. Rudd brings the right amount of comedic behavior to his character, and some of the side characters have hilarious lines.
The special effects are great and they took full advantage of Ant-Man’s ability to change sizes. This also worked amazing in the action sequences.
Typical Marvel, you get two extra snippets at the end. So stay until the VERY end for the best one.
This film was the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a while and in my top three of the year.
Highly recommended!

Expendables 3 Review
I dig good action movies, but something about this series hadn’t clicked with me yet. The first one was ‘all right’ and the second one stretched even my ability to suspend disbelief. So I went into this one with low expectations.
And I have to say, I really enjoyed it. (Third time’s a charm I guess.) This one was more of what I thought the series should be like with all of those action stars. And it was a lot of fun.
To give you an idea of the cast – Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson (who plays the bad guy), Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Antonio Banderas (as a really quirky character), Kelsey Grammer, and more.
Recommended as a NetFlix watch.

World Wide Box Office

Just to give you an update on some movies released this year –

#4 – Jurassic World - $1,513.5 million
#5 – Furious 7 - $1,511.7
#6 – Avengers: Age of Ultron - $1.393.5
#91 – Minions - $625.8
#144 – Inside Out - $490.2
#166 – San Andreas - $459.8
#246 – Mad Max: Fury Road - $366.6

I’m still stunned Jurassic World is doing so well. I enjoyed it once, but it’s really not that good. Not $1.5 billion dollar good.
Minions has already soared ahead of Inside Out and will likely be the biggest animated film this year.
And while Fury Road deserves more than that, it was enough to green-light the sequel. Awesome! Bring on the bat-crap insanity.

Mini-Alex

Mini-Alex would like to remind everyone to pick up their Insecure Writer’s Support Group t-shirt!

Designed by the very talented Jeremy Hawkins, it’s available at the NeatOShop.
 
(And sorry, Mini-Alex did not go on vacation with me, so no photos of him being carried off into the woods by bears.)

Reading Ambitions

I’m a slow reader, which really sucks as I have so many books I want to read, including those by blogger buddies. So my goal for the rest of the year is to get to at least one book by every one of you. I doubt I’ll make it, but I’d like to read at least ONE book by each of you. Yes, it will probably be the shortest one, but that’s better than none!

Wish I could teach my clones to read…

The State of Science Fiction Television Shows

This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

As I was recently watching an episode of Killjoys, I was left wondering what happened to the good science fiction shows of my younger years.

If I have to point the finger at one culprit, it appears the tipping point began with the latest incarnation of Battlestar Galactica. It was a show that featured a fractured team, full of backstabbing, deceit, and treachery.

And apparently this has become the template for current science fiction shows. From Stargate: Universe to Defiance, Dark Matter, and Killjoys.

It’s sad this dark, nihilistic attitude has seeped in from real life and permeated our entertainment. What happened to optimistic science fiction shows? Like SG1 and Star Trek? Gone now are the days of likeable characters you could root for and teams who stuck together to solve problems.

I just hope that this attitude doesn’t creep into great franchises like the Marvel movies. If it does, I’ll just stop watching those as well.

What do you think about this shift in attitude and do you like it? Is it really a good message for people to hear - that there's no hope? What happened to the joy of watching and the fun?

Who else saw Ant-Man this past weekend? Willing to give Expendables 3 a shot? Do the box office figures surprise you? What are your reading ambitions for the rest of the year? And what do think about the nihilistic attitude of shows these days?

Don’t forget to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

And if I have new followers that I haven’t yet followed back in return, please leave a comment! The Google Friends Connect widget is being a pain and I can’t find blogs through it right now.

A to Z Challenge – F – Cult Classics. And Dragon of the Stars is Available Today!!!

Today’s tour stop for Dragon of the Stars (which releases today!) is Edi’s Book Lighthouse - An Unusual Science Fiction Theme – The Power of Love

A to Z Challenge – Cult Classics – F

Movies-Music-Sci-fi Book-Bloggers-Dragon Term

Movies –

The Final Countdown
This alternate history film was met with moderate success upon its release and has since gained cult status. Released in 1980, it starred Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen.

Flash Gordon
This cheesy British film, directed by Dino De Laurentis (no surprise!), featured a soundtrack entirely by Queen. It was a box office success in the UK and has gained popularity over the years.

Music –

Faith No More – Angel Dust
The Real Thing placed them on everyone’s radar, but this follow-up album in 1992 proved even more solid and became their biggest seller.

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
Their best-selling album, this was their first as an official group. Released in 1997, it featured some of their biggest hits, including My Hero, Monkey Wrench, and Everlong.

Science Fiction Books –

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
One of his most successful books, it was adapted into film several times and won multiple awards, including one of the only ‘Retro Hugo Awards.’

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
One of the greatest novels ever, it is regarded as the first true science fiction book and has spawned numerous films and inspired tales of horror.

From the Earth to the Moon – Jules Verne
Written shortly after the end of the Civil War, the calculations in this classic novel are surprisingly close to reality. It also inspired the first science fiction film, A Trip to the Moon.

Blogger –

Farawayeyes
Want the viewpoint of someone well-travelled? Someone who is deep and genuine? Someone who takes the Battle of the Bands seriously? Then Faraway is your girl!

Dragon of the Stars Term –

Frent –
It’s the measure of distance for the Hyrathians. Far greater than miles or meters, it reflects their ability to traverse the universe at a speed far greater than we can imagine.

Dragon of the Stars is out Today!!!

Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military

Print ISBN 9781939844064 EBook ISBN 9781939844057

Dancing Lemur Press LLC

What Are the Kargrandes?

The ship of legends…

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour?

One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

Purchase:
Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Kobo, iTunes, Amazon print, Overdrive, Amazon UK, Chapters, and add at Goodreads

And to celebrate the release, there is a scavenger hunt! And it’s all about the Mini-Alex.

At the blogs listed below is a unique photo of Mini-Alex. Leave a comment at every one you visit and state – where is Mini-Alex? Make a guess, any kind of guess! The one who guesses at the most sites wins. (In the event of a tie, it will be a random drawing.)

Winner receives–autographed copy of Dragon of the Stars, bookmarks and swag, and $20.00 in iTunes gift cards.

You have until Saturday, April 11 to comment. Winner announced here on April 13.

Now, what are you waiting for? The hunt is on!!!! (And all links go directly to the post.)

Melissa Maygrove * Eva Solar * Father Dragon Al * Suzanne Furness * Karen Walker * Dianne Salerni * Christine Rains * Nick Wilford * EE Giorgi * Murees Dupe * L Diane Wolfe * Helena * Tyrean Martinson * Robin * Heather Gardner * Jo * Lynda Young * SL Hennessy * Toi Thomas * Lori MacLaughlin * Jess at Author Tracker, * Truedessa, * Annalisa Crawford, * Patricia Lynne, * Lisa at Flash Fiction, * Julie Flanders, * Julie Kemp Pick, * Nicki Elson, * Mark Koopmans, * Sydney Aaliyah!

Seen either of the films? Like the bands? Read the books? Following the awesome Faraway Eyes? Eager to pick up Dragon of the Stars and finally figure out who are the Kargrandes? Now – Scavenger Hunt time! Go find all of the Mini-Alexes… (You know you want to!)

Most important, don’t forget to visit Edi’s Book Lighthouse! 

Christine Overcomes Challenges, Frostbite, CassaStorm and Mini-Alex, Wednesday Movie Quote, and the April Movie Preview

Overcoming Challenges – Christine’s Odyssey

Howdy. I’m glad you’ve stopped in. My name is Christine and although I’m only eleven, I’m what some adults might call precocious. A lot has happened in my life, some of it bad, but like my dad used to say, good things can result from the bad stuff that happens to us.

To help me celebrate overcoming my challenges, a great gang of authors have teamed up and will be giving away copies of their books. Sweet, yes?

For a chance to win a pair of the books listed, you can do anything included on the Rafflecopter on Joy’s SITE site or on Facebook. However, for those who’d like to win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Voucher, hop on over to the Jamaican Kid Lit Blog to enter for that. And you can find Christine's Odyssey on Amazon US

Anyway, I tend to talk a lot, so before I carried away, here’s my story:

Raised in a hotbed of arguments and fights, eleven-year-old Christine Simms is the victim of her mother's cruelty. A domestic dispute ends in tragedy, sending the family into a tailspin.

A shocking discovery sends Christine on a quest to find the stranger who left her behind in Jamaica. Determined to unravel the mystery of her birth, Christine uses every tool at her disposal and treads with courage where no child should.

Thanks so much for dropping in! I hope you win the novels of your choice. I should tell you that you get to choose books based on how the Rafflecopter does the drawing of the winners. So, if your name comes up first, you get to say which pack you want.

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material.She writes romantic suspense, women's fiction and young adult novels. She is the also the author of Contraband, Dissolution, Distraction, Don't Get Mad...Get Even, Giving up the Dream, Retribution and Hardware (written under the pen name Jayda McTyson.)

Cover Reveal!

And this is so cool because it comes out the same day as CassaStorm!

Frostbite (Touch of Frost #1) by Lynn Rush
Date of Release: September 17th, 2013

Amanda gives a whole new meaning to cool…

Driven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources – Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush – since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rush’s books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake, and a portion of the proceeds benefits cancer research and awareness.
Find Lynn and Frostbite - Website, Goodreads, and Amazon.

The Storm Has Hit!

And Mini-Alex is excited!

You just don’t know how amazing it is to hold all three books and realize they are mine. I never intended to write more than one book. I never intended to be an author! That the first two books are Amazon Best Sellers just blows me away. I really hope CassaStorm sends the series out with a bang.

Big thanks to all of you who’ve added it to Goodreads!

And very special thanks to Robyn for her post on looking for a few good men. Mini-Alex was stoked!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Today’s genre – horror.

So many great horror lines. I decided to go with a couple classics from Evil Dead II:

“Who’s laughing now?”

“Groovy!”

The Wednesday Movie Quote will be on hiatus through the A to Z Challenge.

April Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming movies for April! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

5 –

Evil Dead
Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival.
Director: Fede Alvarez
Stars: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci
The first one isn’t a classic like the second, but did we really need a remake?

Jurassic Park 3D
During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
How can it possibly look more awesome???



12 –

Oblivion
A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko
Fingers crossed, this looks like the winner for April.

42
The life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey.
Director: Brian Helgeland
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Alan Tudyk, Ryan Merriman
Such a powerful story…



26 –

Pain and Gain
A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Mindy Robinson
Over-the-top Michael Bay and The Rock? I think you can see where this one is going…

Picking up Christine’s Odyssey? Looking forward to Frostbite? Marked CassaStorm “To Read” on Goodreads? (Mini-Alex would be so happy!) What’s your favorite horror movie quote? And what movies are you planning to see in April?

Friday will be last minute A to Z Challenge tips and the big reveal of my theme. Just might be my most ambitious one yet…