Friday, May 31, 2013

Time Management Ninja Style; Movie News – Iron Man III, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and After Earth; Major Book Releases; Small Things; and the Ninja News!

Want to know how this Ninja manages his time? Then visit the awesome Rachna Chhabria at Rachna's Scriptorium today to learn a trick or two. (None of which involves clones, I promise!)


Ninja News

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Get Healthy Bloghop! There were some really good tips and ideas. Thanks to Stephen for inviting me and thanks to my fellow co-hosts, Diane and Michael.

Father Dragon Al gave me the Semper Fidelis Award. “I think Semper Fidelis is the motto of the navy in the US but also Mexican navy uses it. In my own life "Always faithful" means a lot to me. I'm faithful to my beliefs, my principles and to my friends.” In the interest of space (and being a rebel) I will just pass it on to last week’s YOU ROCK Award recipients, as I’ve already described why they are awesome friends.

MJ Joachim started the Blog Hopper Marathon this week. She tosses the challenges out and you have a small window of opportunity in which to respond. I won the first one: “Alex J. Cavanaugh for visiting and commenting on 25 blogs in 30 minutes in our very first Blog Hopper Marathon! Congratulations, Alex! Your prize includes being listed as the very first award recipient in our Blog Hopper Marathon Hall of Fame and being featured in a future post right here on this blog.”
Thanks, MJ! I think I hurt myself doing that…

Book Releases!!!!

Some awesome new books today and this past week:

Forged by Magic by Angela Orlowski Peart
Young Adult Fantasy
Available today!

“Forged by Magic: Origins is a collection of short stories, featuring the characters from the Forged series. This is the first of two prequels to the series. Each story is told from a different character’s point-of-view.
Find out how the Amulet and the Dasht-e Kavir have been created, and how the powers of the Universe opened the gates to other dimensions, inadvertently releasing unworldly supernatural creatures into the Human World.”

Immaterial Evidence by Milo James Fowler
Novella
Available today from Musa Publishing!

“A detective with a price on his head. An invisible criminal with nothing to lose...”

The vault door never opened. The bank went into lockdown in less than a minute. Yet the security footage was unmistakable: a hundred silver bars had simply vanished.

Ever since the city’s most dangerous crime boss put a price on his head, private investigator Charlie Madison has lived as an exile in Little Tokyo. But now an old friend and police sergeant has lured Madison back into the city to hunt down an invisible criminal—if he can.

As Madison makes his clandestine return, high-profile people start disappearing. And when federal agents swoop onto the scene to take matters into their own hands, they offer Madison a deal he can't refuse—as long as he agrees to work with them. With Japanese freedom fighters and refurbished killing machines threatening to take the world to the brink of nuclear holocaust, the United World government needs all the help it can get.

Embroiled in an unimaginable mystery, one private eye must rely on his wits to solve a case where the evidence is immaterial, and the odds are stacked high against him at every turn.

Moonsongs Anthology I by EJ Wesley

It collects the first three Moonsongs books (Blood Fugue, Witch's Nocturne, & Dark Prelude) in one volume.

Secondary Characters by Rachel Schieffelbein

“When Mabel's best friend, Amber, drags her along on a double date she finds herself falling for Lance, the obnoxious class clown whom she swore she'd have no interest in…”

Uprising (Children of the Gods #2) by Jessica Therrien

“The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom…”

And Jessica will be visiting the Ninja Army soon on her tour!

The Spirit of Nimue by Donna Hosie
Available today!

“Natasha Roth and her older brother, Arthur, have removed the magical darkness that had fallen over the land of Logres. But all actions have consequences…”

Going Home by Rusty Webb

The tale of one of the last human soldiers left after an alien invasion.

From Rusty:
“Every dime I make in book sales this month goes towards helping young Ben Wolverton, the teenage child of Author David Wolverton that had a skateboarding accident that left him with about $1,000,000 in medical bills.”

Celebrating the Small Things

VikLit’s “Celebrating the Small Things” is today. I’m celebrating a successful bloghop, nailing a recent band performance, and some time away from the Internet this week.

Movie News

Iron Man III is fifth on the All-Time World-Wide Box Office chart with 1.15 billion dollars. It’s supposed to surpass Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows II but not The Avengers.

There are now sixteen films that have made over a billion dollars.




From JoBlo’s Site, one of the first images of Sebastian Stan in his Winter Soldier costume:


Captain America: The Winter Soldier picks up where The Avengers left off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford, it hits theaters on April 4, 2014.

The reviews are in for After Earth:

“Had the ad mentioned him, it probably would have said, ‘An M. Night Shyamalan film. Sorry.’” – Matt Pais, RedEye

“After Earth is no Titan AE.” – William Bibbiani, CraveOnline

“They set out to make a sci-fi film with the power to change the way you look at your fellow man. And they made one that just made me want to leave this planet that much sooner.” – Brian Tallerico, HollywoodChicago

Yeah, I think we’ll be skipping that one this weekend…

Did you gather some healthy tips on Wednesday? Picking up any of the new books this week? Excited for the next Captain America or contribute to Iron Man III’s box office? And are you watching a movie this weekend? (Presumably not After Earth…)

Don’t forget to visit Rachna's Scriptorium for time management Ninja tricks!

148 comments:

Brandon Ax said...

That is awesome about Iron man. I will be skipping AE myself. That is a renter for me. Can't wait for to see the Cap. again.

Congrats on the award

L.G. Keltner said...

Can't do a movie this weekend, since we went to see the new Star Trek movie last weekend. I'm not going to pay to see After Earth, that's for sure. I can rent it later for much cheaper.

Suzanne Furness said...

Enjoyed the 'healthy hop' this week, some great tips and advice from our fellow bloggers. 25 comments in 30 mins will be hard to beat! Don't think I'm watching any movies this weekend, the weather is looking good so want to make the most of it!

Unknown said...

Woah, that's a lot of money made off Iron Man. I definitely contributed a little to that. It's a super hero movie. what's not to like? And another Captain America? My sister and I have predicting one ever since the Avengers. Good to see we're not wrong. So excited for next year now.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I'm the first to comment over at Rachna's and I think my words will leave you glowing. I plan to see Star Trek (2) this weekend instead of Iron Man because it looks like it might soon be gone already from cinemas which is nuts. 2014 Captain America goodness. Poor Shylaman, he needs to take a break and rediscover being a good director. After Earth has such a great story, wish it had better reviews. Congrats on having a great Get Healthy Bloghop, getting the Semper Fidelis Award and getting into the Blog Hopper Marathon Hall of Fame. Hope you didn;t hurt yourself too bad. You're a true ninja Alex.

As far as new releases go Immaterial Evidence has my blood pumping. Congrats to all authors with new books this week including Rachel with Secondary Characters. Happy for you girl! Have a great weekend Alex and you have plenty to celebrate about. Oh and Iron Man III can do just about anything. Except make me breakfast. And wait, please check out my Faerie Prince Blogfest post from yesterday, I really want your opinion of it and I spent seven hours creating the crazy post. Longest time for one post ever. And at night. I think I nearly went comatose. So..enjoy your weekend. See you on Monday.

mooderino said...

AE was always going to be a hard sell with M Night at the helm and Jaden Smith as the star. I don't think he has the chops (or the charm) to be carrying a summer blockbuster type movie.

mood

Old Kitty said...

Now I totally want to see After Earth!! LOL!!!! Seriously!!

All the best to Milo, Donna, Rusty, Jessica, Rachel, EJ!!! Gorgeous ninjas all round!!

It's Friday!!! Take care
x

Rachna Chhabria said...

I enjoyed the Get Healthy Blog hop, it was fun and I learned how everybody tries to stay healthy.

Lots of amazing books to read. Good luck to all the authors.

Thanks for doing the guest post, Alex. Its always lovely to have you on my blog :)

Unknown said...

Iron Man III is a great movie!

Lots of book releases! I wish everyone of the authors the best!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Loved your guest post today. And the healthy living tips. Wish I didn't have anything else scheduled that day.

J.L. Murphey said...

I enjoyed the Get Healthy blog tour. The books I picked yp this week were Caged in Darkness by JD Stroube and Deadlocked by AR Wise. Both were an Amazon free download. They should both be good reads.

Brian Miller said...

well that sounds amazing about AE...ha, not...i will add to the total on iron man this weekend...hitting the drive in tonight...we are def looking forward to the next Cap movie as well...looks like some good books this week...

Yolanda Renée said...

Excellent interview on time management!


Enjoyed all you had to share there and here!


Have a wonderful weekend!

Ian Anderson said...

Iron Man looks great, I'm sorry I won't be going.

The Get Healthy Hop was fun - and yes, I did pick up some good advice: water and bananas are a must!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Brandon, I'll rent it just to see how bad it really is. And thanks.

Imogen, I'm looking forward to the next Captain America!

Sheena-kay, I saw your comment - thanks! Sorry I missed your post yesterday. I was out of the office most of the day. Will check it out.

Moody, agreed.

Rachna, thanks for the opportunity.

J.L. Campbell said...

Hi, Alex,
I read a couple of the 'healthy' post and got some great tips.

Lots of books out, but when isn't there? Really like the covers on Forged by Magic and Uprising. Those jumped out at me. Enjoy the weekend!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

next film "MAN OF STEEL" i wonder how DC might feel to be in Marvel's shoes... i don't know if it will make it to a billion... though at this rate Tony Stark will be an actual billionaire...

Happy Anniversary...

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Congrats on your reward!

My son's birthday party is tomorrow, and I'm nowhere near ready for it, so there's no time for movies this weekend.

Louise said...

I'm definitely looking forward to the next Captain America. That was my favorite out of all the individual Avengers superhero movies, and the sequel I'm most excited about! (Although I'm also dying to see the Ninth Doctor - er, I mean Christopher Eccleston - as a bad guy in the next Thor).

Think I won't lose any sleep over missing After Earth, though ...

The Angry Lurker said...

While I liked Iron Man 3 I found it just okay because after the Avengers movie why do I just want one of them in a movie when I had them all for the price and time of one movie!

Anonymous said...

Not interested in After Earth. Will definitely be checking out Captain America!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Man I'm disappointed in those reviews for After Earth. I was really wanting to see that. I still may though...I'll head over to Metacritic and see the score.

Shah Wharton said...

Well done on the bands success and enjoy yourself some time off! I'm going to Thailand for a week too, so I won't be around either. :)

http://bit.ly/115vOR8

Shah X

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Just read the time management interview and really enjoyed it. I like what you said about your wife :)

Juliana Haygert said...

So many great releases! Congrats, guys!

Oh, I can't wait to see Iron Man 3!
And Captain America: The Winter Soldier ... love, love, love these movies!

Uh-oh, I had such high hopes for After Earth :(

Laura Clipson said...

I loved Wednesday's bloghop, and I learnt a lot about being healthy :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeremy, very true!

Fran, I thought it was really good, but not a billion dollars good.

Optimistic, it was at fifteen percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Shah, that sounds like fun!

Thanks, Karen.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Congrats on the award, Alex.

FYI--Semper Fidelis is the Marine motto, and it doesn't matter if the Marines get their officers from the Naval Academy, they might consider the assertion that they're the same to be fighting words. ;)

I have to wait so long for the Cap'n? *sigh*

Jo said...

Looks like some good books to check into.

I will check your time management tips, knowing you they must be some good ones.

Congrats on the award.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Anonymous said...

Get Healthy was so much fun and very informative to. Congrats on your award, Alex. And thanks for the Marathon mention. Speaking of which,

Happening right now, 100 Meter Yard Dash...check it out and promote your fellow bloggers while you hop!

http://mjjoachim.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you all there.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

This was my favorite part of your interview - "My freedom to do so many things is a testimony to the strength of our relationship and good communication. (It also helps that my wife has the patience of a Saint.)" - I've got the same kind of relationship with my husband. :)

And that last comment/review of After Earth - ouch!

PK HREZO said...

Love all those great covers!! And yeah I had a feeling that Will SMith movie was gonna bomb. It's def the year of sci-fi in the box office which is fab, but nothing worse than being dissapointed.
Congrats on your awards, Alex!! Have a wonderful weekend! :D

Rusty Carl said...

Thanks for the mention! I did contribute to the Iron Man fund. Lots of books coming out and tons to read.

AE does not seem they great to me anyway. I'll wait on that one.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

OH MY GOODNESS, I can't wait to see After Earth.

Suze said...

1.15 billion dollars. Man, there is a lot of money in these blockbusters ...

Anonymous said...

I need some time management tips these days, Alex. I'm headed over now.

I think we'll see Star Trek this weekend. We've been waiting for the crowds to die down a bit. My inner geek is excited.

Jennie Bennett said...

A billion dollars? That's amazing! Iron Mon was worth the money :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Donna, Al will be interested to know that.

MJ, thank you!

Thanks, Madeline.

Rusty, you're welcome.

Elsie, best movie of the year!

RaShelle Workman said...

Congrats on your award.

I loved the latest installment of Iron Man.

And it looks like some great books are out. Cool!!!

Michelle Wallace said...

Wow! So many new releases! Congrats to all the authors!

And congrats on your Blog Hopper Marathon Hall Of Fame Award. It's very fitting that you are the first recipient!
Enjoy your weekend Alex!

Writer In Transit

John Wiswell said...

Captain America 2 isn't what I wanted (either another sweet period-Superhero drama, or a buddy fish-out-of-water picture with Thor), but I'll give it a chance. I never expected to enjoy the original as much as I did.

Leovi said...

Alex congratulations for your prize of Blog Hopper Marathon!

Cherie Reich said...

Lots of great news out there! Heading over to Rachna's.

Arlee Bird said...

After Earth is getting smeared by the press. Will Will's career survive after After Earth?

Since I have a few seconds in my busy schedule let me pop over to read your time management tricks.

Lee
A Faraway View
An A to Z Co-host blog

Charles Gramlich said...

After Earth looks fairly intersting. I'll probably watch it eventually. and films have made more than a billion dollars? Wow.

Pat Hatt said...

Will Smith movies generally suck now a days, sad as he made some good ones. And the all time top box office thing is such a crock in a way, as with inflation none of the all time leaders are where they are supposed to be. Tons of books out and about too.

mshatch said...

Hoping to go see Iron Man this weekend. I saw Into Darkness last and LOVED it.

Congrats on your award and your win in the blog hopper marathon :)

ilima said...

So many great books!

And the reviews for After Earth have been TERRIBLE. Yikes. We might be braving it tonight, though. My kids want to see it so badly but I've read it's pretty violent...so it's looking like it needs a parent preview first. Wish me luck. ;)

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Congratulations on your award! I see Donna already let you know Semper Fidelis is actually the Marine Corps slogan. :) Being married to a former Marine we hear a lot of Semper Fi, and ooh rah!
Thanks so much for posting about Secondary Characters! Lots of great new releases, it's cool to see mine up there with so many awesome titles. :)

Anonymous said...

D'aww, is this an M.Night movie?! WON'T BE SEEING IT. lol Will survived Wild Wild West and that other bad one, so I think he'll be ok.

Congrats on the award!

jaybird said...

Congrats on your award. And my comment is just about identical to Rachels- being married to a jar head makes yelling Semper Fi and ooh ra kind of ingrained in the brain!

I still didn't have a chance to see Iron Man III yet! Ugh. Really want to see that, but life and keeping caught up with the schedules of three kids has kept me pretty busy these past few weeks!

Have an awesome weekend Alex!

Julie Dao said...

Congrats on the award, Alex! I think it describes you well. And I loved learning all of those healthy tips. I've picked up a couple of things that I might try myself!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congrats on your award!!! You rock!
And, yay for Iron Man 3 - loved that movie!
Our next family movie out might be Epic, but we're waiting until $5 Tuesday next week . . .it's hard switching up a movie night to mid-week, but it's worth the savings.
It's too bad that After Earth looks so bad . . . oh, well, plenty of other awesome movies to see.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy your break!

Maurice Mitchell said...

I'm off to Rachna Chhabria's blog!

Melissa said...

I'm definitely going to click through! I've been hoping you would write about your ninja time management skills. :)

Congrats on all the new releases. I'm so glad EJ decided to compile an anthology--Moonsongs is good stuff. And I can personally vouch for Rachel's 'Secondary Characters.' I read it at 3:00 am this morning when I couldn't sleep.

An invisible criminal on the loose? That sounds very intriguing. I'll have to check out Immaterial Evidence, too. Gah! My Kindle is going to explode! xD

Tyrean Martinson said...

Oh, and Huzzah for new books!!! Congrats to all the authors! (I'm currently reading old classics in an attempt to get ahead for teaching a British Lit class next year . . .so, I'm into Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and I'll have to add those for later)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks RaShelle and Michelle!

John, I really liked the first one and look forward to the sequel.

Thanks, Leovi!

Lee, Smith will survive, but the director may finally be finished.

Pat, the site I visit for that information does list the inflation-adjusted movies. I need to post that one next to the current one.

Marcy, isn't it awesome?

Ilima, hope you survive!

Rachel, you're welcome.

Debra, I think he'll live.

Thanks Jaybird and Julie.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Oh no, so After Earth is terrible. Eep. I think I'll skip it too then. I was so hoping it would be really good.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

So many wonderful books coming out!! I did get a lot of good tips from the healthy fest...but I am giving Michael Di Gesu's tip first try. I bought a whole bunch of bananas and I'm snacking on those instead of candy. (I also liked yours, but I'm already a big water drinker...my mom accuses me of being a diabetic...I just like to be hydrated!)

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I'm touched by Ben Woverine's story. Thanks to Rusty and you for helping with the cause; I've done a little now too.

Thanks also for the Semper Fidelis award, Alex. You are too kind.

xoRobyn

Summer Ross said...

I recently finished Fringe on netflix- but as far as actual move- no plans really.
Have a great day, Alex.
~Summer

Al Diaz said...

My friends are all rebels, just like me. Good! I'm still waiting to see Fast and Furious but it seems it will be until next week. Patience, dragon, patience.

Sarah Ahiers said...

LOVED Iron Man III, really looking forward to Cap'n. And i knew After Earth was Shymalan and he's dead to me since he destroyed the last airbender

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Alex! I knew AE looked bad from the previews -- now I know why. What the heck happened to that guy?

Laura Eno said...

Hah! The reviews for After Earth cracked me up. :)
Wow - so many good-looking book releases. There goes all the money I was saving...
The Get Healthy bloghop had a lot of very cool ideas. Mark Means at Left and Write even pointed me in a juicing direction. My juicer arrives today!

SK Anthony said...

Those are funny reviews for After Earth, I'm not going to lie though. I'm curious to see it BUT that will be when its on HBO or one of those.

The healthy hop was a fun one, yay for all those new releases, and I'm glad you had some time away for the Internet. We need to step away once in a while :)

Susan Kane said...

We will probably go see Epic this wkend, and maybe the Will Smith movie anyway.

Have you ever heard of "LEXX", a movie from the 1980s? What did/do you think of it?

Carrie-Anne said...

I may finally be seeing a movie in theatres this weekend when I'm in Florida. If I do, it'll probably be the first time in about 4-5 years!

randi lee said...

Congrats on the win, Alex! And I finally got around to seeing Iron Man III a little while ago...completely understand why it's made so much $$!!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tyrean, there are plenty of good films out there right now.

Melissa, Rachel will be happy to hear that!

Michael, with the director's track record, I knew it would stink.

Robyn, you deserve it!

Sarah, he blew it with The Village for me.

Milo, you're welcome! And he's certainly fallen.

Laura, that's cool!

SK, I'll watch it on NetFlix just to see how bad it really is.

Susan, you mean the four cable movies? I've seen those. Thought they were very original. Didn't like the series though.

M Pax said...

Wow, a lot of books came out. Congrats to all the authors! That's awesome.

Glad you nailed your band performance.

Guess they didn't enjoy AE then. Husband Unit wants to see Superman in 3D.

Unknown said...

Yay on the performance, and spending time away from the internet sounds like a GREAT idea! Have a great weekend, Alex!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. I don't think my machine works that quickly - certainly my brain doesn't .. oh well!!

I've enjoyed reading about Milo's Immaterial Evidence .. I want to read how that turns out ..

There were lots of good healthy tips and I still need to read and comment on some of them .. such is life!

Enjoy the weekend - cheers Hilary

Bevimus said...

Wednesday's blog hop was so much fun! I had a blast sharing my passion with everybody and learning a bunch of really simple tips that can esily fit into my day. Thanks again for hosting!

And what a great round-up of books. I will have to check out a bunch of those titles.

And congrats on you band gig! That's so cool!

Andrew Leon said...

I'm really at a loss at this point as to why anyone is still willing to back an M. Night movie. Didn't he hit rock bottom with that Airbender movie? Even my kids wanted to quit watching that one.

Nigel G Mitchell said...

My favorite "After Earth" review:

"After Earth merits comparison with 2000′s Battlefield Earth, John Travolta’s godawful film tribute to the sci-fi novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Yes, it’s that bad."

I have a bit of schadenfreude, because I'm sick of Will Smith pushing his kids down our throats. If they didn't have famous parents, they would have no showbiz careers.

Congratulations to all the authors listed: Fowler, Wesley, Schieffelbeing, Therrien, Hosie, and Webb

SC Author said...

NOOO!!! DON'T BEAT DEATHLY HALLOWS II! *sad* *so sad*

Congrats on the award, and Forged by Magic's cover looks AMAZING.

Livia Peterson said...

I am seeing AFTER EARTH tonight. I know it will be a disappointed, but I just need to see it for myself. I'll email you to let you know it is, Alex.

Congratulations to my bloggy friends who released their books! Woohoo!

Anonymous said...

A million thanks for the mention, Alex

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats to all those with new books!
Especially to Angela, Milo, and EJ ... because I know them.

Now I'm off to Rachna's!

Mel Chesley said...

Holy cow! Lots of books to check out. Congrats to all the authors! I'll be sneaking over to see how you manage your time. Any tips from the Master are always useful. ;)

Unknown said...

Oh my! So many good books. Congrats to everyone. :D

Nancy Thompson said...

Semper fi is from the Marines, which technically is the Navy. Just don't say that in front of a Marine! So many books, so little time! That's the problem when all your friends are writers. Ugh!

Mark Means said...

I'm really looking forward to the next Captain America film and just saw Star Trek yesterday...that was another must-see, imo.

As for AE, I had figured it was one of those 'message' films, so I'll skip it. Maybe a rental...maybe not..

Anonymous said...

I see there are plenty of good books going around. I would like to thank you and the other hosts for the Get Healthy Blog hop, I had my highest amount of comments ever.

Yvonne.

JJ said...

And I have still not seen Ironman!

Cathy Keaton said...

Iron Man III is high on my to-watch list. I love the Iron Man movies! I've never even heard of After Earth so, don't worry. I won't go see it. ;)

Have a great weekend, Alex!

Mark said...

I see that you've got Milo's post up as well, very cool:)

klahanie said...

Well done on your good self receiving that award from Al Diaz. As you might know I struggle with receiving awards. However, this one does personify the ideals that you hold so dear.

One moment please. Uggggghhhh! Blog hops! Thank you.

I've skimmed through the rest of your links on here. I'm honest like that.

A good weekend to you, Alex.

Gary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mary, I'd wait for Man of Steel and see that instead of After Earth!

Hilary, I didn't think my fingers worked that fast.

Andrew, someone needs to cut him off.

Nigel, they wouldn't be making movies at all. And saw that quote - very funny!

Livia, you must tell me if it's really that bad!

Donna, you're welcome.

Nancy, I'm not saying anything...

Mark, Star Trek was a much wiser choice.

Gary, appreciate the honesty! And Al's award was indeed special.

Kittie Howard said...

I, er, hate to be, ahem, a stickler for details. But Semper Fidelis is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, NOT the U. S. Navy.

The USMC is in the Department of the Navy. However, they are two separate services.

Marines (and those within their arena) commonly sign off on mail with "S/F" for Semper Fi (Semper Fidelis).

Hmmm!

Heather M. Gardner said...

Hi Alex! Sorry I'm so late! Today was a total bust!

Congrats on the award (and thanks for sharing it)!

You have the awesome scoop on the new CapA movie! So cool! Black Widow is sure getting around in all these movies. (Hate Her) (Said in my best Vally Girl accent).

I would love to see IM3 but I just saw ST2 and I can't justify another movie yet. Especially with all these new book releases!!!

Great news about your band performance. Any chance we will ever get to hear some home made live recordings?

Have a great weekend!
HMG

Chuck said...

Lotta stuff there Alex. Congrats on the new award (its the U.S. Marines who use that)


Lots of books out. I need Milo's on Kindle but only out for Nook and Android...bummer.

M. Night is an acquired taste and not everyone's cup of tea. I am sure I will see this movie on DVD and I have watched (and enjoyed) all the previous movies he has made.

Chuck at Apocalypse Now

Leigh Covington said...

Lots of great book releases right now!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

THE NEW YORK TIMES had a scathing review of AFTER EARTH. Sometimes fame and power destroys the stars they touch.

I am hoping CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER does well. I really enjoyed the first one. Pundits say that THOR II will indicate if every Marvel movie will have an AVENGERS-like draw. Have a healing weekend.

Ella said...

Congrats you rock and blog like a ninja
Wow so many great books
Thank you for sharing
I will never ever have a shortage of birthday ideas ; )
Happy weekend to you and Mrs AC

Ella said...

Congrats you rock and blog like a ninja
Wow so many great books
Thank you for sharing
I will never ever have a shortage of birthday ideas ; )
Happy weekend to you and Mrs AC

LynNerdKelley said...

Wow, 25 blogs in 30 minutes! You truly do have super powers, Alex!

Rhonda Albom said...

Gotta be quick around here, I am already comment number 95! Loved your blogfest, got lots of great tips. Congrats on all your awards and your marathon speed. You are awesome.

Unknown said...

Wow, there were a lot of book releases this week! Congratulations everyone! And sixteen films have made over a BILLION dollars?? Flip. That's a lot of money!

Author A.O. Peart said...

Congrats on your award! Amazing - 25 blogs in only half hour? Wow!

I'm looking forward to watching Iron Man III, and I also want to see After Earth, despite the reviews. Will Smith is my favorite.

Thank you for including Forged by Magic in the list of new releases today! I really appreciate this a lot :-) And congratulations to all fellow authors on their now books.

Fe said...

I enjoyed Iron Man III but not as much as I thought I would and, Alex, thanks for the heads-up. AE will not be taking up much of my earth-time...

Anonymous said...

Congrats to each author for their new release... how very exciting:)

DWei said...

I was supposed to go see Iron Man 3 with a friend but he ended up going with his girlfriend instead. :\

Cynthia said...

I'm not surprised at all that you'd win a blog visit/comment challenge! I see your presence everywhere!

Annalisa Crawford said...

So many fantastic blogger's books out this week!

It seems odd that Will Smith could have made such a bad film, I'm used to him being brilliant. But I saw the trailer this week, and I wasn't inspired to see the film.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kittie, go ahead and stickler!

Heather, maybe someday! Still don't think I play well enough for world exposure.

Roland, I know I will be giving my money to both of those movies.

Lynn, that's not a pace I could maintain though!

Angela, you're welcome!

DWei, go by yourself!

Annalisa, I guess everyone makes a bad call now and then. He did make Wild Wild West as well.

The Words Crafter said...

Congrats on the Hall of Fame and Semper Fi awards. You certainly deserve them. The books look very interesting and a few are on my 'to buy' list. I can't wait for the new Captain America!!!

Gonna head over and look at the time management tips. I need them!

Have a great weekend :)

Doralynn Kennedy said...

25 blogs in 30 minutes! I'm lucky if I get 2 in in 25 minutes! I've got to start drinking caffeine.

Krista McLaughlin said...

That's great about Iron Man 3! I've seen in twice - once in digital and once in 3d. I liked it better in digital. Though, then I saw "Star Trek: Into Darkness" and I loved it! I liked it better than Iron Man 3, but only slightly. :) But I am definitely excited for Captain America 2! He's my favorite. :)

I don't think I'll be seeing After Earth.

D.G. Hudson said...

I usually disregard 'critics' reviews and judge by the cast and storyline what I see.

Will Smith doesn't have many 'bad' movies. The father/son pairing gives it another layer of appeal.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

No movies for us this weekend. I already contributed to I-3 and Star Trek 2.
Going to check out some Time Management.

Martina Boone said...

I loved lurking on the Healthy bloghop. It actually inspired me through a hard week of dieting. I've been doing the 7 minute workout, too, trying to get rid of the butt-in-chair spread.

And thanks for the reminder to go see Iron Man III. Need to do that soon.

James Garcia Jr said...

Poor M. Night. I thought the movie trailer looked dull and had no idea it was his film. I love him, too. It's too bad what's happened to such a promising career...
I saw Iron Man 3 last weekend and thought it was good. I'm ready to see Star Trek again. I need to take my dad. Star Trek II is still my favorite, so I'm still unsure just what I think of this one in terms of how it relates... Perhaps I just need to let it go, huh?
Congrats to everyone who has new books coming out.

-Jimmy

Shell Flower said...

Whoa, lots of books released lately. Congrats on your award, visiting 25 blogs in 30 minutes is a real accomplishment. Definitely heading over for the time management tips...

Leovi said...

Yes, the book promises to thrill: Secondary Characters by Rachel Schieffelbein. Greetings.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Alex. I enjoyed participating in the Get Healthy Blog Hop. Everyone shared really great tips.

CONGRATS on your award! Visiting 25 blogs in 30 minutes? Wow!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

lol, I might avoid After Earth now... ;)
Lovely new covers some of those books have.

Popping over to Rachna's

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Doralynn, or some really powerful energy drinks.

Krista, I liked Star Trek better than Iron Man as well.

DG, there was Wild, Wild West...

James, Star Trek is the best one this year. M Night has really crashed and burned.

Lynda, I'd avoid it...

VikLit said...

Nailing a band performance :) YAY for that! Semper Fidelis sounds well deserved.

Leovi said...

Apparently the special effects of Iron Man III are very good!

Tina said...

Wow, still chewing on that post...loved the snarky reviews of After Earth. Also skipping it.
Had two blogfests this week...I'm tired from all the hopping. Think I tore my knee...
Tina @ Life is Good

Brian Miller said...

i really hope that man of steel is as good as it seems...hope you had a good weekend alex...been nice and relaxing here...

Morgan said...

Sad with the After Earth reviews! I was looking forward to that! :/

Nick Wilford said...

What a lot of books out from great authors. Amazing! And 25 blogs in 30 minutes? You must have bionic speed reading skills.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I can comment on that many blogs that fast. I would have to have many tabs open and go for it. Hmmm...

This post is full of awesome book news.

Sandra Cox said...

Hi Ninja Captain Alex:) The healthy blog hop was a great idea. Kudos to all who participated.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tina, no blog related injuries now!

Brian, it has been great!

Nick, I moved with a purpose. Normally I am much slower...

Tara Tyler said...

where has the time gone!

look at all those new books!! awesome!
i am still visiting folks from the healthy blogfest.

and love your movie news, reviews & previews. i get most of my info from you. thanks!!

Tara Tyler said...

and rock on!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Wow, quite a lineup of book releases! Congrats and good luck to all!

Congrats on your awards!

Yeah, I've not heard ONE good thing about "After Earth." Yikes. I have no interest in seeing it. Iron Man III, on the other hand, I'll see as soon as I can.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Sherry Ellis said...

I saw you got into the blog hopper hall of fame. You certainly deserve it! Very cool about Milo's book, too!

Jemi Fraser said...

I've had a completely wacky week so I missed a ton of stuff!! Thanks for the catch up :)

I finally dragged hubby to see Star Trek and it was AWESOME! :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tara, rocking on!

Shannon, I'd just avoid After Earth.

Thanks, Sherry.

Jemi, best movie of the year so far!

Dafeenah said...

Thanks for your comments as always. Even though i've been beyond horrible the last few months with visiting everyone. My june resolution is to visit at least 1-2 a day.

Tonja said...

I saw Epic with my younger kids. It wasn't bad. I am going to try to see Gatsby and Star Trek this week. Sometimes I love movies the critics trash. I'll probably see After Earth if my kids want to go.

David T List said...

I have to admit: I'm a bit saddened by After Earth's poor reception. I like parallel worlds and sci fi settings. Oh well. I bet another will be made (Oblivion, Riddick, Gravity, Pacific Rim, Elysium...)

Unknown said...

Great to be back on your blog-- I'll read a few of your posts, Alex, and it would be as if I were never gone.

Thanks for checking on me these past weeks.

Unknown said...

Great to be back on your blog-- I'll read a few of your posts, Alex, and it would be as if I were never gone.

Thanks for checking on me these past weeks.

Misha Gerrick said...

25 comments in 30 minutes?! That's impressive. Well done!

I STILL haven't watched Iron Man 3. :-(

Carrie Butler said...

Whew! What a busy week. Congratulations to Rebecca, TF, Doralynn, and Shelly! :)

I'm off to visit MJ's blog!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm so disappointed to see the reviews on "After Earth" as that was high on my list (because I love the whole Smith family). Darn.

Unknown said...

Hey Alex! Sorry I've been so quiet, but things are just chaos at the moment. Loved your post at the Scriptorium.

Loved IM 3 and can't wait for more Avengers films. Capt. America even sounds interesting and you know how much I could not stand the first one. :)

Pat Tillett said...

Semper Fidelis is the motto of the Marine Corps. I'm really back and forth with After Earth. I would probably see it, but even watching the previews I feel like I'm getting Will Smith's son crammed down my throat. To me it seems like they are making a product out of him. Reminds me of Justin Bieber.

Natasha Hanova said...

Finally going to see Iron Man 3 today!

Unknown said...

I'm glad they're giving Black Widow more of a role - her and Hawkeye are still bit players in the grand scheme of things.

The Happy Whisk said...

I'm buying another photography book on Amazon, but no fiction books.

Jai Joshi said...

I think the Semper Fidelis award is just right for you. You are a true and loyal friend.

I'm looking forward to the second Captain America film. I enjoyed the first one immensely and hope this one is just as good.

Jai