Monday, February 2, 2015

Magic and Science in Urban Fantasy, 2015 February Movie Preview, What Are the Kargrandes, and Ninja News

Today I welcome author Dianne Salerni, who is celebrating the release of her latest book, The Inquisitor’s Mark.

Magic and Science in Urban Fantasy

When I started a book about a secret day of the week, I had to decide whether it would be fantasy or science fiction. Tying my story to Arthurian legends tipped me over to the fantasy side. But The Eighth Day was also going to have a modern setting, and since we live in a world of science, I had to account for that.

For example, I decided CPUs couldn’t detect the alternate timeline, and nothing with a CPU would work on that day. Then, I realized no time measuring device should cross the divide. When my MC Jax discovers that his late father’s Rolex stops at midnight every Wednedsay, his guardian, Riley, gives him a Timex to wind only on the secret day.

Riley’s watch ticked steadily until exactly twelve o’clock and then stopped.
The Rolex started.
Riley shrugged. “Every time-measuring device is affected by relativistic change, and a lot depends on the perspective of the observer.” When Jax’s mouth dropped open, Riley grinned. “Einstein’s theory of relativity.”

Between Book 1 and Book 2, I noticed a plot hole. If there’s a day the world doesn’t know about and electricity stops on that day, why doesn’t the food in our refrigerators go bad every week? So, I tackled the issue in The Inquisitor’s Mark. When my characters raid a McDonalds on the eighth day, Jax wonders why his hamburger is still hot.

“I keep telling you, Jax, it depends on the point of view of the observer. Time doesn’t pass for inanimate objects on the eighth day unless someone observes it passing. No observer, no effect on the object.”

What I learned about writing urban fantasy is that some of the weirder and bizarre aspects of science fit quite nicely in a fantasy world. Magic and theoretical physics will get an author out of almost any plot hole.

Find Dianne at her Blog and on Twitter
Find The Inquisitor’s Mark on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Kargrandes Update!

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? We’ve had some good guesses already. (And no, it has nothing to do with the Kardashians.) New clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Fourth clue up this week- http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

Solve the mystery–what are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ Dragon of the Stars–April 7 #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh


Ninja News

Signups continue for the A to Z Challenge - you don’t want to miss the biggest blogging event of the year!

Don’t forget this Wednesday is post day for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

New releases - 

Vanessa Morgan’s short film, Next To Her, was released on January 31.

Return of the Last Shaman by Roland Yeomans
Find it on Amazon

The Warrior and the Governor by Susan Gourley-Kelley
Find it on Amazon

Listen to Me by Patsy Collins

Love's Revenge, Means of Mercy #2 by Terri Rochenski
Sweet, Historical Romance




February movie preview

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

6 –

Jupiter Ascending
In a bright and colorful future, a young destitute caretaker gets targeted by a ruthless son of a powerful family that live on a planet in need of a new heir, so she travels with a genetically engineered warrior to the planet in order to stop his tyrant reign.
Directors: Andy Wachowski | Lana Wachowski
Stars: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, James D'Arcy
Always a good sign when your movie is delayed a year. Oh wait…

Seventh Son
Young Thomas is apprenticed to the local Spook to learn to fight evil spirits. His first great challenge comes when the powerful Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away.
Director: Sergey Bodrov
Stars: Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Alicia Vikander
Always a good sign when your movie is delayed a year. Wait, didn’t I just say that?



13 –

Kingsman: The Secret Service
A veteran secret agent takes a young upstart under his wing.
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson
A violent British film from the BBC. Not the British Broadcasting Company, but Blood, Boobs, and Carnage.




20 –

The Lazarus Effect
A group of medical students discover a way to bring dead patients back to life.
Director: David Gelb
Stars: Evan Peters, Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Sarah Bolger
Olivia Wilde can raise me from the dead anytime!




Think magic and science blend well? See some new books you want? Ready for IWSG on Wednesday? Any upcoming movies interest you? Any ideas yet about the Kargrandes?

136 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Congratulations to all those with new releases - and thank you for featuring Dianne. 'The Inquisitor’s Mark' sounds truly fascinating.

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Dianne Salerni's book(s) sound wonderful! I've read about it on a couple of sites, now.
Kargrandes - still clueless.
BOTB at my place, if you get a chance.
I appreciate all the visits to my joke blog. (smile)

Murees Dupè said...

Congratulations to all with new releases. Some great movies that I can't wait to see. Thank you for sharing and for visiting my blog.

kaykuala said...

Nothing on the Kargrandes, Alex! Great spread of new releases. Love spy thrillers. Kingsman's film should be added attraction given the comments!

Hank

Unknown said...

Lots of new releases, congrats to all the authors!Great list of movies to watch, I haven't seen any of those yet.

Brian Miller said...

oh i cant wait to see kingsman...

the eighth day sounds like a pretty cool premise...and an interesting way to plug that plot hole as well...i will check this one out...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Dixie, already voted yesterday! And enjoy your daily funnies.

Murees, thanks for visiting me!

Hank, Kingman should be a blast.

Huntress said...

Congrats to Dianne. Btw, plot holes are the bane of my magical world.

Love your snarky comments, Alex.

Cathrina Constantine said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cathrina Constantine said...

Inquisitor's Mark sounds intriguing. Love Diane's cover. So many good books!! Congrats to all. Kargrandes are a mystery to me.

Anonymous said...

Definitely feel science and fantasy blend if you do it right - thanks for the hints and good luck Dianne.

Added Return of the Last Shaman to my must read list a few days ago - not just because I share a name with a successful writer.

Cast of Kingsman: The Secret Service makes it worth watching, even with the BBC.

Christine Rains said...

Great guest post. I love urban fantasy! Congrats to Dianne and to all the authors releasing new books. I'm double ready for IWSG, and this month has some good movies coming out. Have a great week, Alex!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congrats to Dianne. That sounds like a fun series.

It sounds like a couple of those movies will be stinkers.

Sean McLachlan said...

Roland's got another one out already? Talk about productivity!

mshatch said...

Loved The Eighth Day and The Inquisitor's Mark - Yes, I got a an early peek at it :)

A Beer for the Shower said...

Magic and science blend perfectly. As The Simpsons said, when any plot holes ever develop the simple answer is always "a wizard did it."

Also, I just love that Jupiter Ascending was screened at the Sundance film festival. And booed. And walked out of. Uh, probably not your target demographic, guys...

Natalie Aguirre said...

So interesting how Dianne combined science and fantasy in her books, which are excellent.

And I'm looking forward to The Seventh Son.

Unknown said...

I still don't know what the Kargrandes are. Something big perhaps. Perhaps big cars... OMG, you're writing about transformers! ;)
Well, I'm looking forward to watching the Kingsman movie. Love that Colin Firth.
Will tweet your contest.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Carol!

Roland, you will dig his writing style.

Sean, he is a writing machine.

Brandon and Bryan, probably not. I don't have high hopes for the film.

Clarissa, that made me chuckle!

RaveAir said...

These movies are can be good. I hope they'll be good.

Kargrandes: Maybe it's some kind of money...

Jo said...

I always thought an earworm was just music, but all weekend I have had the question "What are the Kargrandes" buzzing around in my head. I am sick of it, especially as I know the answer.

Good luck to the authors with new books out. Wishing you lots of success.

Going to see Paddington tomorrow, looking forward to it.

shelly said...

Maybe magic and science are the same.

Pat Hatt said...

What? A year delay is a bad sign? lol

Oh magic and science blend great, if any plot hole pops up, poof, throw in another wrinkle and the plot hole is gone.

Bish Denham said...

None of those movies really pique my curiosity. And isn't science a kind of magic? So why not combine the two! Sounds perfectly logical to me.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Sounds like Dianne make magic and science work together. Sounds like a great, imaginative book!

Sheena-kay Graham said...

The Eight Day has it's own story and appeal. Now I'm worried Jupiter Ascending might suck. Wanted to see Mordecai but they are only showing at 8:30pm and I don't go to anything I can't leave by 10pm. Yup I am adult who actually likes to be home before midnight. I am NOT Cinderella. Speaking of which I'm looking forward to that in March. Kingsman: The Secret Service is on my list and I love when Samuel L. Jackson's character responds with 'Do I look like I give a f..' when the girl tells him a lot of people will die. Perfect Sam. I did hope Seventh Son wouldn't suck but I knew this one was delayed so...yeah. And Jeff B. was in that other movie last year that I refused to see...so...oh boy.

Nice of you to feature so many authors as always Al and I sent a promo tweet for you my friend. Plus you are not the only ones sharing clues today on upcoming projects. IWSG is back and I'm excited. Enjoy your week Alex and friendly kisses and hugs.

Elana Johnson said...

Magic really can get any author out of a plot hole. Love that! Congrats, Diane!

Chemist Ken said...

"Magic and theoretical physics will get an author out of almost any plot hole"

That's why I always like to incorporate magic into my stories. It lets me get away with all sorts of things. :)

Unknown said...

I wish I wrote magic or sci-fi! They blend beautifully and I think it can help with any plot...contemp is killing me these days!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sorry, Jo!

Sheena-kay, I don't stay out later. Thanks and can't wait to read your post on Wednesday.

Elise Fallson said...

Congrats Dianne! I just got back from her blog. As for movies, I have high hopes for Jupitor Ascending....maybe too high. IWSG this wednesday? Crap! Thanks for the reminder. :)

Kirsten said...

Magic and theoretical physics will get an author out of any plot hole ... love it! :) Thanks for the heads up on Dianne's new release!
I've got my post for Wed. already written--no shortage of insecurity here!

Ash-Matic said...

A secret day of the week??

What an utterly bonkers concept. I love it.

Shell Flower said...

Diane's books sound really cool. Science and magic definitely go hand-in-hand. I love your BBC acronym :) And I'm starting to wonder if the Kargrandes are some sort of space bugs?

Mina Burrows said...

Go Dianne! The Inquisitor’s Mark sounds fantastic! Awesome work. :)

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Thanks for featuring me here today, Alex! For those writers venturing into the urban fantasy field, I think theoretical physics might be even weirder than magic ...

Jupiter Ascending was booed out of Sundance? That is REALLY not a good sign. Yikes ...

Chrys Fey said...

A secret day of the week? Now that sounds interesting! How come I didn't know about the 8th day before now? Where has it been? :P

Dean K Miller said...

UUUgh! I've been living IWSG all month! Stuck, Stuck, Stuck. Time to release the Kargrandes!

Fundy Blue said...

What a fascinating idea, Dianne! I still struggle with trying to wrap my mind around Einstein, but I haven't given up. Good luck with your book!

Fundy Blue said...

No clue yet about Kargrandes, Alex! Sednargrak ~ Writing it backwards didn't help either. I'm waiting for Jurassic Park!!!! Dinosaurs are the best! Have a good one!

Arlee Bird said...

I sure could use a secret day of the week when I could catch up with things and sleep late--though I don't think that latter one would ever happen for me. I seem to wake up early no matter what.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out

Angela Brown said...

Three cheers to all those releasing new novels and stories!

I really enjoyed The Eighth Day and The Inquisitor's Mark. Both were captivating. If there is a next-in-series, I look forward to reading it as well.

As for the movies, I was hoping Jupiter Rising was going to be good but I saw an internet headline mentioning people walking out disgusting during a pre-screening or something. Not a good sign.

I'm going to probably take my chances with The Seventh Son and Kingsman: Secret Service, going in with a mind for the action and CG. Any story that I get will be extra lol!

Going to share more tweets!

Sarah Ahiers said...

We're probably seeing Jupiter Ascending this weekend so I'm hoping it will be good

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elise, don't miss it!

Shell, came up with that one a while back and it stuck. And good guess.

Dianne, you're welcome, and that's a really bad sign.

Dean, sounds like you're ready for it then.

Fundy, it's funny backwards.

Angela, thanks, and I think Kingsman looks good.

Robyn Campbell said...

Dianne's book sounds great. I have come to expect that from her. So glad you had her over, Captain. And who doesn't need that secret day of the week.

We probably won't see any movies this month due to hospital visits with Christopher. Looks like I won't miss much! (Bring on more snarky comments.) ;-)

Pats on the back to all those with books and film out.

Alex, off to tweet. :-)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for the shout out for my book. Don't know if I'd go to the theater for any of those movies. Redbox maybe.

Anonymous said...

Pesky plot holes eh? What you came up with sounds plausible. It's all wibblywobbly and timey whimey. ;)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

The Inquisitor's Mark has got me intrigued, and I'm looking forward to Jupiter's Ascending. I think I'd rather go see that than your typical Valentine's Day fare.

DMS said...

I always love seeing the new releases. Congrats to all the authors (and film makers) on the list. :)

I loved hearing more about The Eighth Day and The Inquisitor's Mark. I am planning to start reading them this month! They sound fascinating!
~Jess

Donna K. Weaver said...

Aren't Dianne's books awesome looking, both the covers and the premise. I really hope they'll make it to audiobook someday soon.

stephen Hayes said...

Jupiter Ascending sounds interesting, but I'll probably wait until it comes out on Netflix.

The Happy Whisk said...

Much luck to your friend. Happy Monday and boogie boogie.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Oh, thank goodness it has nothing to do with the Kardashians. I'm sorry my brain went there, Alex. I REALLY am. Smiles.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Robyn, thanks, and no, you won't miss much.

Susan, you're welcome.

Robyn, no worries!!

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Two movies, good... two movies bad... I am laying low until the Avengers II comes out. Great new books coming out from great writers, congrats to them...

What are the Kargrandes? I am thinking some-type of space Smurfs... :)

Jeremy

Maurice Mitchell said...

Not having computers work across time is a clever idea Dianne! Kind of like Y2K. I'll probably see Jupiter Ascending but I'm on the fence.

Hart Johnson said...

I love all the time-bendy stuff. The Eighth Day sounds fascinating. The movies have all been ones that intrigue me, too--it has been a while since there were several movies I was sort of excited about at once.

Jennifer Hawes said...

It was great for you to feature a UF author today! I just finished my first one and can't imagine writing anything else from now on. Just signed up for the A to Z challenge. Now to get started early this year. :)

Sherry Ellis said...

It was good that Dianne noticed the plot hole. Those things can happen easily when you mix science and magic.

Suzanne Furness said...

I don't know about a secret day of the week but sometimes it feels like we could do with an extra day! I love the premise of the book.

I want to see Jupiter Ascending soon. We went to see Kingsmen at the weekend. I really didn't know anything about it till I got there, but I enjoyed it. Who doesn't like Colin Firth!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Dianne Salerni's books sound truly intriguing. Jim Butcher (THE DRESDEN FILES) has fans point out plot holes for him -- and some of his more interesting books have arisen from his "correcting" them!

Those "Delayed A Year" Movies always seem to sink when released. I am surprised "Seventh Son" wasn't routed directly to DVD. Sad. Both films have great actors in them.

Thanks for mentioning my new book.

Thanks for trying to help. :-)

What are the Kargrandes? My guess is Cosmic IRS auditors!

David P. King said...

The whole premise of my blog is a coexistence of science and magic. Congrats on your new book, Dianne! :)

Patricia Stoltey said...

Kingman sounds like my kind of movie.

Today I posted about blogging at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers blog and mentioned the A to Z challenge. I hope it brings a few new participants.

Birgit said...

If we look back over 100 years ago, things we take for granted today would be considered fantasy. I do believe they work well together. Heck, people from NASA visited the Star Trek set in the 60's and got ideas! As for the films....ehh. The first 2 just sound like the same thing and I love Colin Firth but I don't get why he did this film...he's better than that

Mark said...

Arthurian meets sci fi is always intriguing idea for a book:) As for the Jupiter Rising film, hmm...I'm not so sure abotu that one, but we'll see.

Empty Nest Insider said...

I've heard wonderful things about Dianne's book, and congrats to all the other authors! Thanks for the reviews, Alex! I especially enjoyed your review of Kingsman!

Julie

Carrie-Anne said...

The Seventh Son seems like a big departure for Sergey Bodrov, Sr., since his other films have been Russian-language and often historical. I loved his actor son, Sergey Bodrov, Jr., who was sadly killed by an avalanche while filming his latest movie in 2002.

mail4rosey said...

Congrats to Dianne on her new release! Sent out your Tweets. Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

I'm a little surprised you didn't include 50 Shades of Grey in your movie previews, as I hear about it almost every time I turn on the t.v. Not sure if I want to take the time to see it myself, but it sure is getting a lot of publicity.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeremy, funny guess!

Jennifer, glad you're on board!

Suzanne, nice to hear the movie is good.

Roland, you're welcome. And funny guess.

Patricia, thanks!

Birgit, very true.

Carrie-Anne, that is sad.

Thanks, Rosie!

MJ, that movie will get no press from me.

Loni Townsend said...

Congrats to Dianne!

Wow, two movies delayed a year. I hadn't heard of either. Hmmm...

Leovi said...

I think I'll see Kingsman: The Secret Service only by the appearance of Michael Caine!

Andrew Leon said...

I think I'd like to see Kingsman, but there's not really a lot coming out that looks any good before May.

Sarah Foster said...

Dianne's books sound really interesting! I think it's kind of fun to discover a plot hole because then you get to figure out how to fix it. But maybe I'm just weird...

Gwen Gardner said...

Very interesting, Dianne. Your new book sounds fun. Congrats to everyone on your new releases!

Hi Alex! Off to tweet now.

cleemckenzie said...

I love it when there's a blend of the unexpected. Very exciting and it makes me see things from a different perspective.

Have Diane's book on that list of mine.

Has anyone come up with the Kargrandes answer? I'm still thinking, but guess I'll read the book and find out.

ediFanoB said...

My wife and I want to see "Jupiter Ascending". We hope it will be a good one.

If you have the right setting science and fantasy will work together very well.

Jenni said...

I really enjoyed Dianne's guest post, especially how she solved her plot hole. Looking forward to ISWG on Wednesday!

Unknown said...

I'm looking forward to seeing Kingsman - it's been delayed a fair bit so I'm hoping it lives up to the hype.

Karen Lange said...

It's nice to see Dianne here! Wishing her all the best. Thanks for all the news, Alex!

Patsy said...

Thanks for the mention, Alex! I wasn't expecting that.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love Dianne's solution - very creative!

Nick Wilford said...

Well, theoretical physics, you could say anything because it's theoretical, so that's bound to be good to get you out of a hole, just like magic. Yep!

Lisa said...

I have no idea what the Kargrandes are!!! All I know is the name of the book has "dragon" in it, so maybe something to do with that? Have Return of the Last Shaman on my TBR list on Goodreads!!! Thanks for the movie reviews. I wasn't sure about Jupiter Ascending... Now I am. It could have been so good...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Gwen!

Lee, that might be the only way anyone gets it right...

Jamie, February must be delay month.

Patsy, you're welcome!

Cherie Reich said...

Your books sound awesome, Dianne!

I still would like to see Jupiter Ascending. And is it sad I still think of Olivia Wilde as 13 from House?

Truedessa said...

Hi Alex,

I think science and magic work well together. I will probably go see Jupiter Ascending even though it has had some bad reviews.

Kargrandes - still pondering, perhaps some sort of mystic beings from another realm with supreme powers. I guess I'll have to read the book to find the answer.

Leandra Wallace said...

Haha, I love Olivia Wilde! And it's hard for me to get past Channing Tatum in eyeliner... Also, the smarts Dianne's displays in her books is amazing.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Dianne's book sounds interesting; I'll have to check it out.

Thanks for the reminder for Wednesday! Still have to think of a topic.

Julie Flanders said...

Wow I totally missed that Vanessa had a short film released. How awesome! Will have to go congratulate her.
And congratulations to Dianne, her premise sounds so intriguing.
You made me laugh about the Kardashians, Alex. Thank God it's not about them. :D

Helena said...

Love your definition of the BBC. I never thought Colin Firth could be an action hero, but he looks good in the trailers.

The books here all look so good, and I'm happy to say I've already read Roland's Return of the Last Shaman.

Holy Ghost Writer said...

Think I'll skip Jupiter. Magic can get any story out of a jam

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

I think magic and science can work together. That's what writing is all about. Creating a world. The Inquisitor's Mark sounds great. Congratulations to Dianne.
Still haven't a clue about the Kargrandes.
Congrats to all the new releases.
Not ready for Wednesday.

mooderino said...

January and February tend to be the dumping ground for movies that no one wants to see so I'm not feeling very optimistic about this crop. You never know though, maybe Michael Caine and Samuel Jackson will hit it off. I see a buddy cop movie in their future...

Robin said...

I love Dianne's series. Really excellent. I need to write my review of the new book... aaaccchhh.

Carol Kilgore said...

Now you're just messing with my head with all the time stuff. Maybe you're really Sheldon, of the Big Bang Theory :)

Sandra Cox said...

Dianne, your book sounds fascinating. Congrats to all the authors with new releases.

farawayeyes said...

Those movies all sound kind of...awful! Delayed a year...YIKES!

almost ready for the IWSG. February already! Double YIKES!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherie, no - that's the first place I saw her.

Truedessa, getting closer. Although reading the book might be the only way to know for sure.

Julie, not a chance!

Moody, hoping at least one of those films is decent.

Liz A. said...

"Magic and theoretical physics will get an author out of almost any plot hole."

True. What is the saying? Magic is only unknown science. I think both science fiction and fantasy play well together. They blend well given the right setting.

Li said...

There are so many new developments in science which seem "magical" - and fodder for sci-fi or futuristic stories and novels. For instance, 3D printers are really taking off, from printing custom weapons to tissues and skin (and one day, probably organs). Plans to bring back extinct species are also on the board.

I'm looking forward to seeing Kingsman. Just the thing to celebrate Valentine's Day! :)

Mason Canyon said...

Congrats to all those with new releases. Great looking covers. Thanks for the introduction to Diane.

Unknown said...

That sounds like a really great idea for a book! And I like how the plot hole was covered up ;)

Liesel K. Hill said...

Both of Diane's books sound intriguing. Might have to check them out. Totally heading over to check out that whole Kargrandes thing. :D

Rhonda Albom said...

Dianna, I would like an extra day, even if the fridge didn't work :) Actually, it's like I just lost 4, (having a neurological problem and I am now sleeping 32 more hours a week than I used too). As for the movies, the last one caught my eye.

T.F. Walsh said...

Love seeing new cool books to check out on your blog...oh and movies..:)

Anonymous said...

That's good to know about the plot holes. I've only recently been writing speculative fiction and want to stretch myself further, and I've worried about those issues.

Yay, new books to read.

Anonymous said...

Love the idea of an Eighth Day - great premise.

I won't be in the A-Z Challenge this year. Maybe next year? Can't believe how fast it's approaching!

Sadly, I'm not interested in any of the movies you listed. I'm still wanting to see American Sniper. One of these days we'll get there.

Oh, and I'm doing the IWSG a day early this month. Scheduled? Who needs stinking schedules? :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lisa, yeah - perfect Valentine's Day movie.

Rhonda, I'm sorry.

Elsie. a day early is fine!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

February already! Great covers. Makes a writer's heart feel good.

Vanessa Morgan said...

Thanks so much for featuring Next To Her. I had no idea. So kind of you :-)

~Sia McKye~ said...

Enjoyed Dianne's article and I chuckled over her thought that magic and theoretical physics will help an author out of plot holes. Makes sense that it would since urban fantasy and such are based on the weird and bizare anyway. :-)

I enjoy a good spy thriller films. Kingsman looks promising.

Congratulations to those with releases this month!

StratPlayerCJF said...

Lots of great releases!

But if there's magic -- it ain't science. Science would explain the magic and turn it into some measurable, repeatable phenomenon. It's a force, a measurable form of energy transference, or some sort of natural aspect of the matter around us.

Magic is fantasy -- the touch of a dragon's scale, a capture of a unicorn's breath, runes with special power, rings and amulets with badass mojo, or a potion made from the tears of a faerie. All fun stuff and vastly entertaining, but not explainable through the interaction of real energy or matter.

Really looking forward to the Kargrandes reveal!

Heather M. Gardner said...

I don't get it. I posted my comment last night and its not here. This has been happening to me on multiple blogs recently. It's like Blogger eats them!

Let me see if I can recreate it.

Dianne - Sounds very interesting. Best of luck.

ALEX!!!!

Some great sounding books on the list, but the movies? Not so much.

I don't get Channing T. and I like him less and less w/ each movie he does. Same goes for Jeff Bridges the older he gets. He's just getting SO weird.

Ben Barnes was very intense in Sons of Liberty on the History Channel. I liked his performance very much and he's WAY hot!

BBC? FREAKIN' AWESOME! I will watch anything with BBC! (Just you wait. I will make this happen) :)

Didn't they do the Lazarus Effect w/ Julia Roberts and Keifer Sutherland as med students back in the 80's?

Later!
HMG

Nicki Elson said...

A secret day of the week - I LOVE that.

I can't imagine Jupiter Ascending is any kind of good. I enjoy Mila, but that role just does not look like a good fit for her.

See ya tomorrow at IWSG!

JJ said...

Dianne is a terrific writer and I am very impressed with the cover on her latest book. I also do enjoy Sci Fi movies and "Jupiter Ascending" is on my list.

Leovi said...

Seventh Son learn to fight evil spirits!

Stephen Tremp said...

I love a good blend of magic and science. Magic is simply the power of words manipulating scientific laws. It all comes down to authority and how much the person speaking yields.

Zan Marie said...

Hi, Alex! Thanks for the blitz comment. ;-)

Intangible Hearts said...

I just finished reading a bizarre fantasy book called Gryffon Master-Curse of the Lich King. Several authors and a great story. Lots of magic and interesting characters. Have you heard of it?

Michelle Wallace said...

When Dianne Salerni released her first book, The Caged Graves, that caught my attention. I just haven't read any of her stuff yet.
A secret day of the week - awesome concept!!
Lots of new releases as per usual - congrats to the authors!

Stephanie Faris said...

I have such admiration for those of you who write fantasy. Creating entire worlds sounds SO intense! I love the covers on DIanne's books, too. They jump out at you!

Allison Barron said...

Hmmm I suspect I will not be enticed to the movie theater until the new Star Wars comes out. Or the new Avengers. Whichever's first.

You wrote a new novel, Alex? Last time I was here you were debating about whether to continue writing anything after CassaStorm. Congrats! I look forward to reading it :)

Sandra Cox said...

Happy Tuesday, Alex.

Cherie Colyer said...

It's funny the tiny details that come up when writing fantasy. I haven't written sci-fi, but I imagine there are a lot of things to consider when doing so.

I'm looking forward to the Seventh Son. I usually enjoy this time of lore.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Vanessa, you're welcome. And so awesome I know a filmmaker.

Heather, I'm sorry! Bridges has always been a little weird. Knew you'd like BBC. And yes, it was called Flatliners.

Hearts, no I haven't.

Thanks, Allison! Yes, I wrote another one.

Happy Tuesday, Sandra!

H. R. Sinclair said...

Congratulations again Dianne! How crazy to find a plot hole, but be able to make it right in the next book.

L.G. Keltner said...

I'm behind on my movie viewing. I only just got around to seeing Interstellar last week, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe I can get caught up sometime soon. You're right about movies being delayed a year not being the best of signs. That doesn't typically bode well.

Shah Wharton said...

Congrats to all! The year going great guns for you guys :) X

Toi Thomas said...

Great guest post. I think science and magic blend very well if you really want it to. There are so many cool lokking books this week and the screen play sounds cool too.

Is it just me or when Julia Roberts did it, it was call Flatliners? Maybe I should see a preview and give Olivia a little credit.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Tweeted.
And yep, I'm a little worried about Jupiter Ascending, but I'll still watch it. There's always hope...

Tyrean Martinson said...

Wow! Congrats to all those new releases!!! And yes, I think sci-fi and fantasy mix well! I'm ready for IWSG, and I'm thankful that the kargrandes are not kardashians!

I would really like to see Jupiter Ascending and Kingsmen, but my kids wanted to see the Kingsman and now that I've realized it's R . . . it looks like a hubs and me movie.

Morgan said...

Oh man… not the Kardashians?!?!? ;-)

And oh dear… good luck tomorrow with IWSG… epic…

Hope you're doing fabulous, Alex. :)

Rachna Chhabria said...

Yes, magic and science blend well. Alex, some people must be disappointed that Kargrandes have no connection with the Kardashians!

Tammy Theriault said...

I can't wait to see kingsmen!!!

Melissa said...

Wow! Lots of good news.
Congrats to all! :)