Stranger Things and Star Trek Beyond Reviews, Comic Con Trailers, God’s Dinner Party, and Ninja News

I’m back from vacation! Just a few days away, but so worth it.
Today we welcome C. Lee McKenzie.
But first…

Stranger Things Review

Set in the 80’s, the plot centers on the search for a missing boy and the appearance of a strange girl.
Without a doubt, this is my favorite NetFlix original show. It’s a love letter to the 80’s. Imagine putting the Goonies, Stand by Me, Firestarter, E.T., and poltergeist in a blender and you’ll start to get an idea of the direction of this show.
I really liked the eight episode pacing and the great blend of horror, suspense, science fiction, and comedy.
The cast was perfectly chosen. (I understand they interviewed over nine hundred kids just to find the right ones for the roles.) All of the characters became fleshed-out, real people.
I don’t want to give anything else away – just watch it.
Highly recommended!

Star Trek Beyond Movie Review

Another enjoyable Star Trek adventure!
This film marks fifty years of Trek. While I didn’t like it quite as much as Into Darkness, I still found myself grinning from start to finish at the action and comedy. Director Justin Lin handled the action well and there were so many funny lines.
The actors did a great job, sliding right back into the character dynamics. Idris Elba was good at the villain Krall, but Sofia Boutella as Jaylah really nailed it.
Some aspects of the film were confusing or didn’t quite make sense, but maybe a repeat viewing will clarify things.
It was bittersweet watching Anton Yelchin in his final film. They did slip in a nice homage to Leonard Nimoy though.
Overall, it was a tremendous amount of fun.
Recommended.

C. Lee McKenzie and God’s Dinner Party

Once a very long time ago, God gave a dinner party, and he invited animals. (Stay with me, okay?) He wanted them there to give them a very important duty. These animals were to become a part of the zodiac and guide mankind in daily living as well as provide insights into their unique character.

Here’s what I think that dinner party might have been like.

God’s Dinner Party

Rat smoothed his long tail across his lap, then tried to stare down Monkey who was showing off. “A bit of decorum during dinner would be appreciated,” Rat said. He was far wittier than Monkey, and he wanted a chance to say something and prove it.
Monkey turned solemn for one minute before cracking his next joke.
Rooster kept an observant eye on the antics for a while, and then noticed his wing feathers were in disarray and began preening them into a neater arrangement.
Goat, who sat at the far end of the table, glanced anxiously at Pig in hopes Pig would say something intelligent and stop that damned Monkey show- off.
But Pig, always well-mannered and tasteful, chose to ignore Goat and Monkey. He had a full plate of delicious corn, and he was going to focus on that.
Dog leaned over to Horse and reminded him how much he hoped Horse wouldn’t take off on that trip after the party. Dog needed him nearby.
That’s when Tiger asserted himself, and with one large paw, batted Monkey on top of the head.
“Owww!” Monkey yowled, and he jumped down from his chair and scampered to Dragon.
“There. There,” Dragon said, all compassion. “Come sit next to me and tell me your jokes.”
“Suck up!” screeched Rat.
“Hussssh,” Snake said, stretching across to Rat. “Don’t ruin the party.”
“Oh no. Never do that,” said Rabbit, rubbing his tiny paws together nervously.
Ox nodded at his friend Snake. “We should should play a game and each take a turn of some sort.”
“I have a game! I have a game!” Monkey said, and all eyes locked on him. “Let’s play, “Where’s the Cat?”
Rat became suddenly fascinated with his tail, arranging and re-arranging it just so.
“You start Rat,” Monkey said, and he jumped up and down on his chair.
“Cat’s not here,” Rat said, not looking up.
“And why not?” Tiger asked in his most authoritative voice.
Rat mumbled, “Dunno.”
“Liar. Liar. Pants on fire!” Monkey was being a real butt.
Then Dragon rose regally and slowly from his chair at the head of the table. “It seems Cat will not be here this night, then?”
Rat shook his head and tried to ignore Pig’s tasteful snort, Dog’s distrustful stare, Roster’s observant smile, Monkey’s total lack of self-control, Goat’s anxious expression, Horse’s impatient neigh, and Snake’s dangerous eye. Rabbit at least had some compassion in his face, and Tiger wasn’t paying any attention to Rat at all. Ox had retreated into himself and seemed to doze.
Dragon laid a calming claw on Monkey, then he picked up Rat by his sleek tail and held him aloft. “Do you want to explain Cat’s absence?”
Now was Rat’s chance to show how clever and quick-witted he could be. “A mistake really. I must have said the party was on the fifteenth, not the fifth.” Dangling upside down, he grinned at Dragon.
“I see.” Dragon returned Rat to upright and settled him onto the chair. “I hope you enjoyed your prank a great deal, Rat, because you’ve made a life-long enemy and will be paying for it forever.”
The End

Find Lee at her blog and website
Find Sign of the Green Dragon (releases August 3) at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords
Find your sign HERE.

Ninja News

Today over at the IWSG site we welcome the awesome Anne R. Allen as she discusses a powerful marketing tool.

Don’t forget that Wednesday, August 3 is the next post day for the IWSG.

August’s question is - What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published? 

And have you seen the trailer for Wonder Woman, Justice League, or Kong Skull Island?

Anyone else blaze through the eight episodes of Stranger Things? See Star Trek Beyond this weekend? What do you think about God’s dinner party? And are you ready for Wonder Woman next year?

Since next week is IWSG post week, I won’t be posting on Monday, just Wednesday.

MST3K Reunion Show, Robot Movie Trivia, Top Grossing Films Ever, 2016 Music Roundup, and Ninja News

I had the honor of a guest post at Anne R. Allen’s Blog on Sunday, June 12!
She and Ruth Harris maintain a top notch site for writers – one of Writers Digest’s Top 101 Sites for Writers. If you’re a writer, you need to check it out.

MST3K Reunion Show

We are just two weeks away from the MST3K Reunion show!

Why is this such a big deal? Outside of a Con appearance or two, these guys have not been seen together for fifteen-twenty years.

The originator of the show, Joel Hodgeson, is in the middle of relaunching the series with new actors. He hopes to draw from the most popular MST3K episodes, which include a mix of Joel and Mike as hosts. The new host, Jonah Ray, will also be part of the reunion tour.

Writers since the first season or two and the ones to continue and complete the series - Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, Mary Jo Pehl, and Bridget Jones Nelson – have continued with the famous RiffTrax riffs, movies, and live shows.

Trace Beaulieu, and Frank Conniff, who played Dr. Clayton Forrester and the first Crow T. Robot and TV’s Frank respectively, have worked on other projects after the show.

Noticeably absent is Jim Mallon, producer and the one who played Gypsy.

But spanning the years, this is the core cast. No fringe members. (Such as Josh Weinstein who did a poor turn as Tom Servo in season one.) These are the ones who matter.

And for two hours, they will be trading off and on as they riff a selection of really bad shorts for millions across America. Pure MST3K joy!

Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 pm – don’t miss it! Get your tickets HERE - many theaters have already sold out.

The Semi-Annual Music Roundup

It's time for my Semi-Annual Music Roundup! (That I just started.) 2016 has been a great one for music, with enough rocking variety to blow your pants off. So without further ado...

Baroness – Purple: Already reviewed but still in heavy rotation. Early contender for album of the year?

Megadeth – Dystopia: Just when I think that Megadeth is swirling the drain, Dave Mustaine pulls out an amazing heavy record. Best stuff in over ten years.

Serenity - Codex Atlanticus: This really didn't click the first couple listens, but I really dig it now. It's a symphonic rock concept album about Leonardo Da Vinci. Cheesy....you bet, but also very catchy.

Dream Theater - The Astonishing: It is...astonishing. (Reviewed this one previously.)

Omnium Gatherum - Grey Heavens: While not as great as their last effort, the song Skyline is Scandinavian metal at its finest.

Redemption - The Art of Loss: Criminally underrated. This is such a great release. If you are a fan of heavy prog rock, give it a listen.

Amon Amarth – Jomsviking: Got to hand it to these guys, every album is about Viking mythology and culture. You'd think it would grow boring and stale, but this album rocks. Great music for working out. (Or looting and pillaging.)

Kvelertak – Nattesferd: These guys are all over the map musically and I dig it. Not as good as the debut but a step up from their sophomore release.

Ninja News

Today’s Themes That Rocked the Challenge feature at the A to Z Blog is J.A. Scott and his rocking theme of childhood television shows and commercials!

The WEP August Challenge is Gardens.
Post prose, poetry, images… up to a thousand words.
See the site for more details.

Steps Along My Shore by Elsie Amata
Elsie Amata shares her personal account of how she healed from the Relational Trauma caused by discovering her husband’s sex addiction.
Find it at Amazon
And through June 15, it’s free!

You. I. Us. by Annalisa Crawford
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Book Depository

Movie Trivia

Robot movies! Guess the movie from the robot’s name.

1 – V.I.N.C.E.N.T. and B.O.B., 1978
2 – Evil Robot Us-es and Good Robot Us-es, 1991
3 – Bishop, 1986
4 – Hector, 1980
5 – Gunslinger, 1973
6 – Dot Matrix, 1987
7 – Bubo, 1981
8 – Huey, Dewey, and Louie, 1972

Answers next week!

The Billion Dollar Money Makers – Are They Worthy?

Box Office Mojo now lists twenty-six movies that have crossed the billion dollar mark. Avatar is number one at approximately 2.8 billion and The Dark Knight is number twenty-six at one billion. Jurassic Park is the oldest film in the bunch – 1993, while Titanic was the first to cross one billion.

One thing that is interesting is the domestic to foreign dollar ratio. Most of the billion dollar movies are one third domestic (USA) and two thirds foreign. (Notable exceptions are the two Dark Knight movies and the two Star Wars films on the list.) In order to have a shot at a billion dollars, a film has to do well in foreign markets. Some do really well, making only a quarter of their profit in the USA.

But when you look at the list, you have to wonder how some of those films managed to do so well. Inflation means newer movies are more likely to cross the mark, and a strong foreign market can offset a low domestic take.

The results – films such as Transformers: Age of Extinction cross a billion dollars. (Which has the highest foreign percentage at 77.8%.) In fact, there are two Transformers movies on the list. In contrast, there is only one Harry Potter and one LOTR movie over a billion dollars. What!?

I don’t want to debate which movies deserve to be a billion dollar films based on personal opinion. (Because for one, I thought Alice in Wonderland was awful. It doesn’t surprise me its sequel is tanking.) But based on quality, appeal, and popularity, what films really should be in the billion dollar club?

Here are the films, from top to bottom:
Avatar, Titanic, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Marvel's The Avengers, Furious 7, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Frozen, Iron Man 3, Minions, Captain America: Civil War, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Skyfall, Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Dark Knight Rises, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Toy Story 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Zootopia, The Dark Knight

What do you think? Even if the quality was mediocre, was the subject matter appealing enough anyway? Are those all billion dollar films?

Going to the MST3K Reunion show? What are your favorite albums of the year so far? Posting for WEP in August? Know any of the robot movies? And what films should and shouldn’t be in the billion dollar club?

Don’t forget to visit Anne R. Allen!

Dawn of the Apes Movie Review, Sharknado 2, Traditional Publishing Defined, and Ninja News!

Movie Review

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Amazing!

First, I have to address the special effects. This film blows away all competition. I completely forgot I was watching CGI apes. Expressions, movement, eyes – all beyond real.

As for the story, it is one intense ride! Every scene adds a new layer of intensity. No, it’s not a feel-good film. There are moments of great sorrow and anger. You can see both sides clearly and there are mistakes made by both.

The film sets a good pace. It invites you to discover and explore the world of the apes. And the world of the humans. You won’t be rushed through the action, nor will you be bored by the personal moments. And you will come to realize all it takes is one misguided idiot on each side to send the situation into a nosedive.

Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar for his performance. Yes, Caesar is CGI, but Serkis provided all of the facial and physical movements. It’s incredible what he achieves and conveys through the character.

If you want smart science fiction, powerful drama, or just a great story, this is your film. Highly recommended!

And - finally saw Snowpiercer Sunday night! Review coming. Also recommended!

Traditional Publishing Defined by an Expert

Anne R. Allen had sent me some great stuff regarding traditional publishers. But rather than post it here, I am going to send you to her POST from yesterday. Here’s a sample:

But most people in today's real-world publishing industry—on both sides of the self-publishing fence—agree on the definition of traditional/legacy publishing.

Here's a version of that from Writer's Digest: "Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales."

She also has a warning every writer should read about the activities of some subsidy presses. Check it out HERE

Ninja News

I’m over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Site today - Nine Great Tools and Programs to Help You Edit

Today’s Themes that Rocked the Challenge features Chrys Fey. Check it out at the A to Z Blog.

Available now - Lazy Worm Goes on a Journey by Rachna Chhabria

Elizabeth Seckman is hosting a blog challenge from July 15-31:
Write something readers want to read. No word limit, no guidelines. Your only prompt is: The year was 1865....

Sean McLachlan’s second book in his Toxic World post-apocalyptic series is now out - Refugees from the Righteous Horde.

Kyra Lennon is putting together a charity cat anthology on September 5. See here site for details.



Leovi is an abstract photographer, and his photos are just incredible. If you’ve never visited his site, you are in for a treat. He posted this one last week – it would be so cool to write a story based on the image.

“I want to be the explorer of your universe”

Cover Reveals!

SOULLESS (Book 2 in the Maiden of Time trilogy)
By Crystal Collier
Coming October 13, 2014

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she's forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

Woven
By David Powers King and Michael Jensen
Coming January 27, 2015

Sharknado 2

Yes, the rumors are true – Sharknado 2 is coming soon!



Anyone else see Dawn of the Apes? Read Anne’s post yesterday? Excited about the new books? And who’s up for a play-by-play of Sharknado 2…?

Be sure to check out my post at the IWSG site and the post at Anne R. Allen’s!

Sidelined with Kyra Lennon! Plus Summer Songs Blogfest, Ninja News, and Traditional Update

Sidelined - The Soundtrack

Sidelined is probably the first book I’ve ever written that I didn’t have a soundtrack in mind for when I started. Possibly because a lot of the time, books I write come to me within the lyrics of a song!

Sidelined wasn’t that way for me. Sidelined was born because of the characters I’d already written, and even when I got to the end of the story, I still found it difficult to nail down a playlist. But then I heard this song:.


 If you happen to read Sidelined, you’ll know exactly at which point to press “play” on this song, and why it so perfectly sums up the entire story. I challenge you to read the book, listen to the song, and not bawl your eyes out – I still can’t do it, and I know what’s coming! I actually think this song really sums up the whole of the Game On Series – because love is what it’s all about.

 Thanks for having me over, Alex!

 
At the age of twenty-one, Bree Collinson has more than she ever dreamed of. A handsome husband, a fancy house, and more shoes than Carrie Bradshaw and Imelda Marcos combined. But having everything handed to her isn’t the way Bree wants to live the rest of her life. When an idea to better herself pops into her head, she doesn’t expect her husband to question her, and keep her tied by her apron strings to the kitchen...

Buy Links: Amazon UK/ Amazon US/B&N/iBookstore

Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.

Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go.

Find Kyra online: Website/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Goodreads/Join My Mailing List

Ninja News

Thanks for all the critique partner offers! You guys are so generous. In addition to Rusty (who is not only the best, but the funniest critique partner on the planet) I am honored to have the awesome Lynda Young and Misha Gericke helping me!

Cate Masters’ Goddess Awakened is out today!

Nigel Mitchell’s latest is out - The New Adventures of Couch Potato! Find it on Amazon


Mark Noce just signed a contract with Rena Tossner of the Deborah Harris Literary Agency for his novel, Between Two Fires!

I got my copy of PHENOMENA last week, autographed by the composer! (Plus some other awesome gifts from Samantha Redstreake Geary.) After listening to the music again, I know I couldn’t have picked a better song, Drakon’s Empire, for my HEROES OF PHENOMENA story, CassaFate.
And there was a formatting issue with the dialogue in my story (which has since been fixed) so if you downloaded HEROES early, let me know and I’ll email you a PDF of the correct version of CassaFate.

Thanks to everyone who has voted for CassaStorm at the eFestival of Words Awards. I forgot to mention that you have to register with the site to vote first. Sorry for the confusion!

Traditional Publisher Definition

Thanks to everyone who got involved in the discussion last week. Most were familiar with the definition I’d posted from several different sources.

GB Miller, who has been on all three sides of the equation, said there was traditional, self-published indie, and subsidy.

Cynthia wins for funniest comment:
I strongly disagree with the assessment that you need to be with one of the big fives to be considered traditionally published. That's like saying that you must own one of the top five brands of cars to be considered a driver.

And of course, ultimately, do readers really care?

However, publishing industry guru Anne R. Allen read the post and comments and sent me another expert source to back up the definitions. In the interest of space, I will post that next Monday.

Songs of Summer Blogfest

Hosted by Armchair Squid, Suze, and Cygnus
On Friday July 11, post your top five favorite summer songs – and why.

I don’t tend to associate seasons with songs, in part because I can never remember when they were released. So instead, I’ve posted my favorite songs with Summer in the title. (And sorry, I could only think of four.)

Y&T – Summertime Girls
Cheesy 80’s metal, but what guy doesn’t appreciate the video?


Type O Negative – Summer Breeze
If Seals and Croft were dead, this remake would cause them to roll over in their graves.


Joe Satriani – Summer Song
Classic instrumental from the Satch Man!


King’s X – Summerland
Another great song from a talented band.


Picking up Kyra’s new book or any of the others? Do you have great critique partners? Picked up PHENOMENA? And what are your favorite songs of summer…?

Escalation and National Wormhole Week! Plus 300: Rise of an Empire Review, Wormfest, and Ninja News

I am triple posting today! (Not to be confused with triple dipping.) At the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, I posted Where to Advertise Your E-Books – Discounted, Free, and Otherwise and at the A to Z Challenge Blog, I posted A to Z Tips – Making Friends and Building Relationships.

Escalation!

Today is the day! Stephen Tremp is kicking off his Escalation Blog Tour right here. And we’re celebrating with a potluck for the entire population of Blogdom.

Bring a dish cleverly named as a pun. Example. Stephen Tremp is binging Square pies (pi) and Interstellar Cookies. They’re out of this world. You can choose a food inspired by science, sci-fi, a book, movie, or music. But it’s open to any and all food puns. You can leave the food you’re bringing in my comments.

Example: Stephen’s bringing Square Pies (Pi) and Interstellar Cookies. They’re out of this world.

Other examples could be:
Harry Potter jelly beans
Motley Crutons
Souper Salad
You should get married if you cantaloupe
A salt and battery Fish and Chips
Tequila Mockingbird
Locks Stocks and Bagels
Lettuce enjoy this salad
Iggy Popsicles

Use your imagination or Google food puns, then stop by my blog Monday March 10th and leave what you bring in the comments.

Stephen Tremp is the author of the Breakthrough series. Together, Breakthrough, Opening, and Escalation follow the lives of the unlikely participants from innocence to a coming of age through sacrifice, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, and hope. Escalation will appeal to fans of modern-day science fiction, action, horror, and even romance.

Stop by Stephen’s Blog for more information on the Breakthrough series.

To download Escalation: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan CLICK HERE.

Movie Review

300: Rise of an Empire
Blood, boobs, and carnage! And all in the first minute of the movie.
This film overlaps the first one, following Themistokles as he defends Greece against the Persian navy, led by Artemisia.
The first battle, which sets the stage for the Persian invasion later, is very cool. Visually it’s stunning (and best viewed in 3D) but we’ve seen it before. The characters aren’t as compelling, and while there is nothing wrong with the film, it won’t leave much of an impact. (It does feature the angriest sex scene you’ll ever witness.) It will appeal to young men looking for some bloody carnage. (And boobs – don’t forget those.)
Recommended as a rental, although you’ll miss the 3D.

Ninja News

Last week my March preview movie theme was blood, boobs, and carnage. I like to say a special thank you to Heather Gardner for making that the title of her IWSG post! Thank you for the laugh, Heather.

Thanks to everyone who offered to co-host the IWSG in April! I was overwhelmed with offers, so many of them I will save for future months. You guys are so supportive and awesome.

Worlds on Edge, Backworlds 5 by M. Pax is now available! Pick it up here - Amazon US Amazon UK Smashwords


Are you a slow writer? That’s actually a good thing according to Anne R. Allen. (She also had me explain why I’m a slow writer. She says I have a real life!) EJ Wesley quoted her and went over some other good points. Check out their informative posts!

Confessions of a Sex Fiend: Retreat Bound by Rayven Godchild is now available. (a.k.a. Angela Brown )

Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway!

Crossed 2000 GFC followers this weekend! Thanks to everyone who spread the word. This week I will compile all the entries and announce the winners on March 17.

Wormfest!

Today is the Wormfest blogfest, hosted by Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, and Alex J. Cavanaugh. (Yes Mark, I just hyperlinked myself.)

The rules:
Name one thing where science advances mankind, and one where technology with unforeseen consequences will go too far and set mankind back. (And they can be the same thing.) Example: De-Extinction, or bringing back extinction species through back breeding, genetic engineering, and cloning. With all the breakthrough discoveries mankind is on the cusp of, are we playing God?

My choice – the cell phone. In particular, the smart phone.

Yes, smart phones are a huge advancement. We can do so much on them – play games, watch movies, listen to music, take photos, and even talk to people. (Yeah, imagine that?) We are always connected and much safer.

However, it sets us back because we are losing the ability to communicate with others. Everyone is too busy looking at their phones to talk to the real people around them. (Adults as well as kids.) And no one needs a brain anymore – the answer is just a Google away on the cell phone.

Am I right or what?

Visit others participating in Wormfest!



What dish are you bringing today? Picking up Escalation? Did you see 300? Are you a slow writer? And what would you say advances and/or sets back mankind?

Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and the A to Z Challenge Blog!

CassaStorm Launch Week! Awesome Tour Stops and Prizes! Plus Cassa Facts, Cassa Trivia, and Ninja News

I was incredibly honored when Natalie asked to be part of my tour. Literary Rambles is a HUGE site, focusing on children’s and young adult books. Today’s stop is an interview at Literary Rambles, focusing on my books and blogging tips. Natalie, really appreciate it!


For those who don’t blog on the weekend, I was also honored with a guest post at a Writer’s Digest Best Site - Anne R Allen’s Blog - where I outlined how to create an online community. Anne often features New York Times best-selling authors, so it was an incredible privilege to contribute to her site. Thanks, Anne!!


And CassaStorm’s release week kicks off with prizes every day! Comment between September 16 and 20 to enter. (Ends 6:00 pm EST Sunday, September 22.)
Prizes include:
Cassa mousepad
Cassa Universe poster
Cassa magnet
Cassa mug
Autographed copy of CassaStorm
One person will be randomly selected each day and the five names will be drawn from a hat – first person gets first choice and so on.

This week I will be featuring my tour, unique Cassa facts, trivia, and prizes every day. Plus others are announcing CassaStorm’s release, and almost every post features a unique interview question. List of participants on the CassaStorm Page. So join the fun!

And tomorrow night is the RUSHED Twitter party! Between 8:00 and 9:00 pm EST, follow the hashtag #RUSHED for an hour of fun, questions, answers, treasure hunts, and giveaways. Hosted by the awesome Lynn Rush and featuring giveaways from both of us. It’s my first ever Twitter party, so I hope someone shows up!

Ninja News

Writers4Writers is today! Visit Cherie Reich and Helen Ginger for their suggested Tweets and Facebook posts.

Roland Yeomans is hosting the HAPPY HALLOWEEN BLOGFEST. “From now until Halloween describe the book that scared you the most and what you think of my LUCIFER'S ORPHAN serial monthly trilogy.” Winner receives an autographed Brad Pitt photo. See Roland’s site for details.

Great opportunity! Lynn Kelley posted this: “Attention teachers and librarians! The Emblazoner’s New Catalog – filled with great middle grade and tween titles your students and patrons will love – is coming soon! To celebrate, we’re holding a giveaway of stuff you can use: gift cards to add books to your collection and swag to hand out to your students and patrons. The giveaway is from September 16th – 23rd!”

Jackie at Bouquet of Books and Dani at Entertaining Interests are hosting Spooktoberfest the last week of October. See their sites for details.

RaShelle Workman’s latest is out - Volume 2 in the Cindy Chronicles - Witch Land. Congratulations, RaShelle – you rock!

Cassa Facts

One of the influences on my first book was the original Battlestar Galactica series. (As Bob so aptly nailed in his review.)

When I rewrote the story several years ago, I still envisioned the Galactica’s fighters when describing the Cassan’s Cosbolts. In the first round of edits with my publisher, they suggested I alter the ships and make them more unique. While I didn’t picture them exactly as the cover artist depicted, they still came out rather cool.

And I still got to use that basic design for the smaller Dartens!

Battlestar Galactica’s fighters weren’t the only idea I used. In the series, Apollo had a sister, Athena. I shortened the name and came up with Athee. (So, for those of you still wondering how to pronounce Athee, it’s Athena without the ‘na.’)

Cassa Trivia!

Since it was an early influence, here is some original Battlestar Galactica trivia for you!


1 – What was the name of the Galactica’s fighters?

2 – Boxey had a mechanical daggit for a pet – what was its name?

3 – Who played Starbuck?

4 – Four pilots were in almost every episode – Captain Apollo, Lt. Starbuck, Lt. Boomer, and Flight Sgt. ____

5 – Who played Serina, Boxey’s mother, in the first three episodes?

6 – At the time, it was the most expensive television show ever. How much did each episode cost to make?

7 – Who was the head writer and executive producer of the series?

One more day! Don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. Big thanks to all who are announcing this week.

See any good blogfests or opportunities? Anyone else watch the original Battlestar Galactica? Know any of the trivia? Placing bets on whether I sleep tonight or not…?

Please be sure to visit Literary Rambles! And Anne R Allen’s Blog if you missed it yesterday.

Anne R. Allen Takes on Martha Stewart! Man of Steel Movie Review and Ninja News

It is my great honor to welcome the amazing Anne R. Allen today!

Blues for Martha Stewart

By Anne R. Allen

People always ask writers where they get their ideas. Most writers don’t know how to answer that, because the answer is pretty much “everywhere.”

It’s funny what can plant the first seeds of a novel in your subconscious. For my comic mystery, No Place Like Home, it was an odd news story about how Martha Stewart had learned to play the blues while serving her prison time for insider trading.

It put this hilarious picture of Martha in my head: I saw her with stringy hair, all grungy, sitting by a hobo’s campfire playing the blues on a beat-up guitar.

It turned out the story was totally untrue, but it stuck with me.

A few years later, I heard a story on NPR about a wealthy New York magazine editor who lost everything to Bernie Madoff.

I thought, oh, my: what if Martha Stewart had lost everything to Bernie Madoff, and instead of going to jail, she’d ended up homeless. Would she have bounced back so elegantly?

When I started to write that day—working on a whole different story—in walked a Martha-like home decorating maven named Doria Windsor, editor of Home magazine, married to a Bernie Madoff-type named Harry Sharkov, recently deceased.

So I burned her house down and left her penniless and on the lam as a suspect in her husband’s death (authors can be so mean.)

I changed the book’s working title to Blues for Martha Stewart.

Doria managed to find herself a trio of intrepid homeless friends named Lucky and Bucky and Joe—and an ugly little dog named Toto. Then she got a job working for Camilla Randall, my always-polite reluctant sleuth—who was supposed to be the heroine of the story. (Sorry Camilla)

I even got them all sitting around a campfire, singing to the strumming of a beat-up guitar.

But I never could get my “Martha” to play the blues. Somehow she never looked right with that guitar, no matter how I many times I tried to put it in the scene.

Eventually, Camilla re-asserted herself as the primary heroine by threatening to become homeless too. She set out to find out if Harry “the Shark” Sharkov was a murderer as well as the Ponzi schemer who stole her landlord’s fortune, and both she and Doria finally got homes and found a little romance along the way.

Little Toto made his way home, too.

Anne R. Allen is a former actress and stage director who lives on the Central Coast of California. She’s the author of six romantic-comedy mysteries. Her latest is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. She has written a guidebook for authors with Catherine Ryan Hyde (author of the iconic novel Pay it Forward.) HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE…AND KEEP YOUR E-SANITY! She shares an award-winning blog with NYT bestselling author Ruth Harris at Anne R. Allen’s Blog…with Ruth Harris, named one of the Best 101 Sites for Writers by Writers Digest.

Ninja News

Jack Lewis Baillot just released A Stretch of Loyalty, Book One in the Loyalty Trilogy. Congratulations, Jack!!

Pat Hatt made some awesome wanted posters for his blogger buddies. Check out mine! Thanks, Pat.

Sean McLachlan’s latest book just came out from Osprey Publishing - Tombstone - Wyatt Earp, the O.K. Corral, and the Vendetta Ride 1881-82. Congratulations, Sean!


And don’t forget the Wednesday Movie Quote – animal films!

Cover Reveal

Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories by Ellie Garratt 
Release date – July 15, 2013

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help.

Movie Review

Man of Steel
Caught the 3D showing early on Friday and yes, it was awesome!
The actors did a great job – they picked the right people for the roles. Henry Cavill was perfectly cast as Superman. (I would like to see Laurence Fishburne more in the next film though.)
The special effects were excellent (as expected) and it had a solid plot. Purists might note some changes, but the film was patterned after the New 52 DC comics, and I had no problem with it.
Like The Dark Knight, this is a serious Superman. It’s heavy handed – almost too much at times – but that’s better than a cheesy adaptation.
I’m a huge fan of fight scenes, but even I thought “enough already” at the ending.
The only other problems included odd editing and a bit of a distant feel to the film.
However, it’s a great start to what will hopefully be a long running series – made $125 million this weekend. Recommended!
Now, where’s my Justice League of America movie?

Any odd news spark your creativity? Following Anne’s awesome site? Excited about all the new books? And did anyone else see Man of Steel this weekend?

A to Z Challenge – Galaxy Quest and Get the Funk Out, Plus Ninja News and Awesome Challenge Themes

My theme for the A to Z Challenge is Favorite Movies, Bloggers, and Music! I’ll name a favorite movie that corresponds with the letter, and then select a character from the film. I will then name a favorite blogger who reminds me of that character, and then dedicate a song to him. (Also corresponding with the alphabet.) I’ll wrap it all up with trivia and/or fun facts about the movie, the blogger, or the music!

In addition, two lucky commenters this month will receive a review copy of CassaStorm! One comment per day and each is worth one entry except – the first and one hundredth comments on each day will receive ten entries!

Galaxy Quest

The perfect sendoff of Star Trek and Trek conventions. It’s hilarious and filled with so many great lines. (Oh! That’s not right!) It has an outstanding cast and Sigourney Weaver is super smoking hot as a blond – and just wait until her uniform is ripped!

Alexander Dane is the serious character actor, caught forever in his Galaxy Quest role. He’s trying to rise about the rag-tag company he keeps and get at least some credit for his efforts. When it comes down to it though, he’s devoted to those around him.

Who is Alexander? (Besides me?)

Fran the Angry Lurker!

(Ray, stop laughing.)

He’s serious about the figures he paints and the games he plays. He’s constantly badgered and hindered by the other “Rejects.” But they are his people and he’d do anything for them. (Smile optional.) Fran is just as polished and cool as he thinks!

Fran is a tabletop gamer and painter who enjoys movies and lives in the UK.

To you I dedicate Get the Funk Out by Extreme. (Title links to YouTube video.)

“You’re all invited to the party, You know you didn’t have to come, No rotten apple is gonna spoil my fun, If you don’t like what you see here, Get the funk out…”

Trivia and Facts:

Get the Funk Out was from Extreme’s Pornograffitti. Name the number one hit from that album. (And believe me, most of you have heard it!)

F’s trivia answers – LG lives in Colorado and “Force Ten” by Rush first appeared on Hold Your Fire.

Ninja News

Cheers to everyone in the Challenge who was out commenting this weekend!! You didn't post and run - you were out in force. Awesome!

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words on Saturday after reading what goes into my Challenge posts! The hours were worth it.

Nigel Mitchell’s Book 2 of his TOONS series, In the Zone, is available now. Congratulations, Nigel!

JukePop publishes serialized novelettes, novellas, and novels one chapter at a time, and readers vote to keep the episodes coming. Milo James Fowler had the first episode of his future noir novelette The BackTracker accepted. Congratulations, Milo! You can read and vote for it HERE

When is it all right to blog your book? Anne R. Allen talks about why you shouldn’t blog your fiction but blogging a memoir is good. She also talks about the costs of the author who has a non-fiction book published by the big five and a slew of other great stuff.

And BIG thanks to Yvonne for her Guitar Man poem!!!

Some Awesome Challenge Themes

So many are blogging a theme for the Challenge, and some of those are amazing. Here are a few outstanding ones:

Michael Di Gesu is posting his amazing introductions to books.

Christine Rains is posting another awesome paranormal story in snippets.

Heather Gardner is posting Stormy the Weather Gnome’s bucket list.

Mary at Play Off the Page is posting about Millie and Willie the sock puppets – and their exchanges are funny!

Michelle at Writer-in-Transit is posting words and inviting us to make up the definition – a prize is involved!

More cool themes to come!

Fan of the awesome Galaxy Quest? Following the classy Angry Lurker? (No really, Ray, stop laughing!) Remember Extreme? Know the trivia answer? Still having fun with the Challenge? And what cool themes have you seen?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Ninja News, and Two BIG Surprises!

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. (This month we are posting on Tuesday as well.) I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

By the time you read this, I will be a page or two away from finishing the first draft of CassaStorm. I’ll celebrate by playing Diablo all weekend. Hey, I’ve only killed him five times! One more and he’ll really be dead.

This story won’t be as simple as the other two. There are many subplots, some of which emerged as I wrote, so I need to go back and insert some scenes. (Yes, while everyone else uses a compacter on their manuscript, I use a tire pump.) It’s a little darker than the others as well. I’ll need to lighten things up here and there, maybe add more snark. (I don’t want a Dark Knight Rises, thanks!)

What is similar? It’s still all about the characters. The messages are simple and clear. (I’m not very subtle – you won’t miss them.) It’s still a space opera, low on tech. And its purpose is just to entertain and wrap up this series.

Someone else recently discussed finding our niche as writers, and I’ve definitely found mine. I write science fiction space opera that is very accessible. And I’m happy with that. Science fiction tends to turn people away because some of it is so high tech or hardcore. But I know so many people who’ve never read a science fiction book who read mine because it was accessible. That alone is far more than I ever hoped to accomplish!

Ultimately, I just hope you enjoy the third and final book of the series.

Just don’t ask me how a teleporter works, because I have no idea!

Please visit other members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! We have many new members. And remember, some people are on summer vacation.

Ninja News!

Medeia Sharif is holding a giveaway to mark her blog’s anniversary and the milestone of a hundred books read this year – visit her site for details.

You can get a free copy of chapter one of Shadow Spinner: "Part One: The Tunnel" by Andrew Leon from Amazon right now! "Part Two: The Kitchen Table" will be coming soon.

Stephen Tremp’s Blurbfest is Wednesday August 15 – check out his site for details!

For those of you with iPads, are you watching the Olympics as they happen? You can download the NBC London 2012 Live Extra app for free and see many of the events you won’t see on TV. (Like even more women’s beach volleyball!)

Two Big Surprises

Two things that surprised me this week. (Stunned, shocked - something along those lines!)

First, Sylvia Ney interviewed me a couple months ago and she just sent confirmation that it will appear in the November issue of Southern Writers. Whoa! I’ll be in a magazine. Yes, this Ninja is stunned…

Second big surprise! Someone posted about this great book she was reading about writing, publishing, and social media. And she said my name was mentioned! So I grabbed my iPad to check and sure enough – there I was in chapter three of How to be a Writer in the E-Age...and keep your e-sanity by Anne R. Allen, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Saffina Desforges:

1) Focus on your genre or subgenre (unless you’re still experimenting with different genres.) You can discuss movies, videogames, TV shows, even jewelry and costumes – as long as they relate to your niche. A great example is SciFi writer Alex J. Cavanaugh’s super-popular blog that specializes in all things SciFi.

Double whoa! I had no idea. Thank you, Anne. Crap, need to inject some more science fiction into this blog now…

(And you can buy it HERE on Amazon!)

What’s your insecurity or accomplishment today? Watching the Olympics? Stunned I’m in a book and soon a magazine? (Humor me and say yes!)

Be sure to visit other members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!