New Movie Trailers, RiffTrax: Live, and Movie News; IWSG Anthology and Updates, CassaFire Giveaway, and Miles of Smiles

Movie News

First Black Panther teaser trailer is out!

New trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes that focuses on the girl, Nova:

Caught this on Blastr:
The clever folks at CineFix have chosen Michael Bay's lofty sci-fi spectacle to create a handcrafted, shot-for-shot remake of the main trailer using duct tape, cardboard boxes, twine, trash can lids, tissue paper, a filled bathtub, plastic army men and broccoli stalks:

There are now thirty films that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Three have even crossed the two billion mark – Star Wars: The Force Awakens @ $2,068.2, Titanic @ $2,186.8, and Avatar @ $2,788.0. So far two films have crossed that mark this year – Beauty and the Beast and The Fate of the Furious. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is closing in on that number.
Full list at Box Office Mojo.
How many of the thirty billion dollar films have you seen? (I’ve seen twenty-nine of them!)

Don’t forget - RiffTrax: Live is Thursday, June 15! It’s the Summer Shorts Beach Party:
Mike, Kevin and Bill return to the stage with RiffTrax regulars Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl, The MST3K Mads Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff and special guest Paul F. Tompkins, to take turns riffing shorts in various permutations. The live show will culminate in a RIFF-A-PALOOZA with everyone on stage at the same time!

Reviews were average at best for The Mummy, so we skipped it. Not looking good for the Dark Universe series the studio planned.
Since nothing else strikes my fancy until the end of the month, probably not many movie reviews until then.

Miles of Smiles Challenge

Hosted by Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore.

The idea behind it was for people to sign up and tell each other about the small things in their lives that always make them smile. You can use your blog, your Facebook, your Twitter or your Instagram to share your joys. #MilesofSmiles


What makes me smile?

A great practice session with a jamming song on my guitar.
A comment or email from someone who loves the IWSG or one of my books.
Mini-Alex and friends – the thoughtfulness of those who made them.
My wife’s smile.

What makes you smile?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Updates

Another great posting for the IWSG. The point of the group is to encourage others, so be sure to visit others on the list. Especially the new members – make those writers feel welcome. It’s sad when they only post once or twice and then give up because they receive next to no comments.

Many commented that they were looking forward to the IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit, but they didn’t feel they could contribute. Some mentioned being able to tell others what not to do. And that’s perfect! If you’ve tried something that didn’t result in sales or making money, write a short article about it and submit. We need to know what doesn’t work as well. Submissions are open to all IWSG members – monthly blog post members, Facebook, and Goodreads. Details here.

I’d also like to highlight two of our Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life authors who recently had book events. Way to go, ladies!

Yvonne Ventresca shows off her table here.

Jen Chandler poses with a book at her signing.

CassaFire Giveaway

My publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, is giving away an audio book every week. Through June 14, you can win a copy of CassaFire. You must retweet their pinned Tweet HERE to enter.

And the Penguins won the Stanley Cup last night!

What do you think of the trailers? Catching the RiffTrax show? How many of the billion dollar movies have you seen? What makes you smile? Submitting to the IWSG anthology?

I will be offline June 19-24 but still checking email and Twitter.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Wonder Woman Review, June Movie Preview, CassaFire Giveaway, and Ninja News

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. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

My awesome co-hosts today are JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!


The optional June 3 question – Did you ever say “I quit?” If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

I’ve never said I quit. I just never intended to say I’d keep writing. That’s what happens when you only plan one book. (But more keep happening.) And believe it or not, during my week off – I wrote something!

Today we are announcing another IWSG anthology opportunity for our members:

The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit

Guidelines:

The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit--This will be a non-fiction book like our Guide to Publishing and Beyond.

What to write: Share experiences about making a profit as an author, what it takes to become a successful writer, the many skills a writer needs to learn other than writing, share the experience going from hobby writer to published author (without making it a self-promotion piece), the fallacies behind writing for profit, the little known facts learned along the way, what you wished you knew when you first started writing, or marketing tips based on experience of what has worked and what hasn't. Please include a title, your name, and a link to one of your sites. Send as an attached Word file or pasted into the email.
If you have any questions, email us at admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Word limit: 500-1000 words.

Submission eligibility: All members of the IWSG Blog Hop, IWSG Facebook group and/or members of our IWSG Goodreads Book Club. It's free to join any of these groups and a great benefit to be a part of these communities.

Deadline: July 31, 2017

Send your piece to admin AT insecurewriterssupportgroup.com as an attached Word document and note which IWSG group you belong to. Please include your name, a one line bio, and one website link.

The one hundred best entries will be included in the book.

Wonder Woman Movie Review

The perfect superhero origins story. It will remind you of Captain America: The First Avenger but in a good way.
It’s a great blend of all the elements. It never gets too serious for long and there is an even mix of humor and lighter moments.
WWI is also a great setting. It adds unique elements to Diana’s integration into the world of man.
And Gal Gadot has found her role. She brings the perfect balance of wisdom, innocence, strength, determination, and devotion to the role. Diana sticks to her beliefs, and even when those are shaken to the core, she grows and adapts. Her evolution as a person is natural and captivating.
The action sequences are amazing. Diana’s run across No Man’s Land is spectacular. Her fighting moves – and those of all the Amazon women – are poetry in motion even as they are deadly. Perfect for 3D.
This is the DC superhero film I’d hoped for – strong, solid, passionate, and kick-ass. I think I enjoyed it even more than Guardians 2.
Highly recommended!

Ninja News

My publisher is doing a giveaway starting Thursday on Twitter for CassaFire on audio!
Tweet their Pinned Tweet to enter.

Toi Thomas announced the Reading Indie blog, featuring self-published and independent authors. They are looking for guests – contact her if interested.

Just released:
Chocolate Kisses by River Ford (aka – Charity Bradford)
Find it on Amazon

June Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for June! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

9 -

The Mummy
An ancient princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe
The beginning of a huge new project for Universal. If it sucks, then the end of a huge new project for Universal.

16 -

Cars 3
Lightning McQueen sets out to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world.
Director: Brian Fee
Stars: Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion
Still not sure why they dropped the subtitle – The Fiery Death of Lightning McQueen.

23 –

Transformers: The Last Knight
Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Laura Haddock, Mark Wahlberg, Gemma Chan, John Goodman
It’s call the Last Night because it will literally take an entire night to watch this overlong film…

30 – 

Despicable Me 3
Gru meets his twin brother Dru he never knew about.
Directors: Kyle Balda | Pierre Coffin | Eric Guillon
Stars: Jenny Slate, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Steve Carell
We know it’s just another consumer-driven cash-grab, but my goodness, aren’t those Minions adorable?

Baby Driver
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
Director: Edgar Wright
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx
Stupid title but great director – should be good.

Have you ever said you quit? Will you be contributing to the IWSG anthology? Did you catch Wonder Woman this past weekend? And what movies do you want to see in June?

Still Me and Aging, Turkish CassaFire, New Movie Trailers, Pete’s Dragon Review, and Ninja News

It’s a pleasure to be participating in the Blog Tour for STILL ME … AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: 24 Authors Reflect on Aging by Karen Helene Walker through MC Book Tours.

Thank you, Alex, for letting me guest post today. So grateful for all you do for this amazing community of writers.

I’m here to talk about a subject no one wants to think or talk about. Aging.

“Does this mean I’m officially old?” That’s one of the titles in my anthology, “Still Me…After All These Years.” The writer just turned 74. When my parents were still alive, that was considered “old.” As that writer said in her essay, 74 can’t be middle aged because no one lives to be 148, so I must be old. So I think, if I’m older than 65 and on Medicare, then I must be old, right? Satchel Paige said aging is mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Well, I’m not sure I agree. It does matter. But it is a lot about how we think about it.

What does old mean anyway? Antiques are old. And they get more valuable the older they get. But not people. We finish older peoples’ sentences, help them out of the car when they haven’t asked for that and maybe don’t need it.We leave them out of conversations that flow too fast for them to follow. That reminds me. The other night my husband and I were both on a phone call with someone and I had to repeatedly ask, “What?” but my husband heard every word the other person said. I’d been deluding myself that I needed to go for a hearing test.

How can I be old, I ask myself, when I still love rock n’ roll? How can I be old when I can still dance the night away. Now I won’t tell you how my body feels after that happens, but that’s a whole other issue. How fair is it when the body cannot do what the mind still craves. Or can do it, but maybe shouldn’t.

Do you feel old yet? I only feel old when I look in the mirror and see a white-haired lady with some wrinkles and sags. Or when I try something at the gym and go home with a back ache. It still surprises me when I see a bunch of old people at a rock concert and wonder what they’re doing there, forgetting I’m one of them. I’ve decided I want to be old like Yoda. Don’t ya just love Yoda. Except I don’t think I want to get to be 900 years old. I don’t even want to be 100.

Want to know about aging? Within the pages of “Still Me…After All These Years,” you’ll find stories from folks ranging in age from 60 to 90, from all walks of life and professions, and hopefully, a kernel of wisdom to fortify you as you walk this journey of life towards aging.

STILL ME…AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: 24 Authors Reflect on Aging
By Karen Helene Walker
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
This is a charming, funny, and enlightening collection of essays about aging. In addition, Karen is offering a tour-wide giveaway featuring two (2) print copies (U.S. entries only) of STILL ME and two (2) eBook copies of STILL ME (International entries).
Find Still Me at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and Goodreads.

CassaFire in Turkish!

I received my copy of CassaFire in Turkish last week.

Still just blows my mind my book is in another language.

Mini-Alex was rather proud of the book and had to pose with both.
(At my wife's insistence, of course.)

New Movie Trailers

In case you missed them…

The Deapool II trailer debuted with Logan. Looks just as funny and wrong as the first film:

Here’s the third trailer for Wonder Woman and shows more of her background:

Aardman and Nick Parks, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, are back with a new movie – Early Man:

And of course, the latest Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer from a couple weeks ago, because it just doesn’t get old:

Movie Review

Pete’s Dragon
Caught this on NetFlix – live action remake of the cartoon classic. (Seems to be a Disney trend right now.)
The cast is good – Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban – and the special effects really good. The movie is of high quality and I had no problem with a fuzzy dragon who appears part cat.
Unfortunately, those are the only good things I can say about it – I really, really disliked this movie.
It’s way too dark for kids. The beginning sets the tone – Pete is in a terrifying car accident that kills his parents, then wolves threaten to kill him before Elliot the dragon intervenes. Cheery, right? Wait, it gets darker…
This film is so heavy, with very few light moments to bring it out of the pit of despair. There are abandonment issues, the dragon is hunted (and his capture very intense), environmental issues, social services gets involved… It’s just so intense and depressing. It’s like watching your pet die over and over and over…
And the message I got from the movie? If you love something, people will try to take it away from you and kill it.
Not recommended for kids, people who are depressed, those who love animals, or anyone who doesn’t want their day ruined by a downer film.

Ninja News

Into the Badlands, season two, kicked off on Sunday, March 19! Get the inside scoop at Blastr.

Faceoff still has a few more episodes left in this season’s all-star edition. Who will win? Cig and George or Emily and Tyler?

The A to Z Challenge theme reveal is today. See the site for participants.

Don’t forget to join the IWSG Goodreads Group and spread the word about the #IWSGPit! If you are a published author, please contact your publisher or agent and invite them to participate – and let us know, so we can add them to the growing list of publishers and agents on the site. And if you’re an author, you don’t want to miss the date –July 27.

What does old mean to you? Do you feel old? (Some days I don’t, some I do.) Enjoy the new movie trailers? Have the misfortune of seeing the Pete’s Dragon remake? Who’s going to win Faceoff? Ready for #IWSGPit? And are you ready for April…?

CassaFire in Turkish, Secret Behind Disaster Films, Disaster Movie Trivia, Haken-Affinity Review, and New Releases

CassaFire in Turkey!

Now available – CassaFire in Turkish!


The title translates to Shotgun Fire, which is funny. I guess in the story, Byron isn’t a Cassan, he’s a Shotgonian.


Find it at Gurer Publishing.

The Secret Behind Disaster Films

Please welcome my Dragon Fellowship buddy and author, Carrie Butler!


Do you want to know the secret behind disaster movies? We enjoy them for all the wrong reasons.

Experts believe that the worse things get in “real life,” the more we take comfort in situations bleaker than our own. We flock to theaters to watch entire cities get wiped off the earth, our hearts pounding in time with those of the main characters, and it’s all from the safety of our sticky seats. Talk about a rush!

The thing is, unlike other film genres, we’re not exactly there for the storyline. Without the special effects and resounding booms, most disaster flicks would fold in on themselves. Why? Because there’s no reason to spin an intricate plot when you can just dust off a formula from the 1970’s. Right, Hollywood? Nudge, nudge...

Okay, truth be told, most of us don’t mind the lack of outside draw. In some cases, it’s all part of the cheesy allure. But the one thing that will always baffle me is the industry’s blatant disregard for science. Entertainment requires some liberties to be taken, but how can a studio with money and resources get things so horribly wrong? Case in point, San Andreas (2015). Having spent the better half of the past two years studying earthquakes and tsunamis—I just released an action/adventure centering around a catastrophic seismic event in the Pacific Northwest—I could not hold my tongue during certain scenes.

THE SAN ANDREAS IS NOT A SUBDUCTION ZONE!

Ahem. Needless to say, the next time you catch a disaster movie, I want you enjoy it—just don’t count on it to prepare you for a real life situation. You know, like the next time you have to saw your way out of a shark. ;)

Thanks for having me, Alex!

Carrie Butler is an award-winning author and the owner of Forward Authority full-service studio.

Find As We Know It at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Haken – Affinity

Here’s a band flying under the musical radar that deserves serious attention from prog fans. Simply put, the album is amazing.
In each song, you’ll hear many difference influences from prog rock giants. (Such as Yes and Porcupine Tree.) They all blend together to give Hakan a very distinct voice. The music is complex. The arrangements are tricky. These guys are serious musicians.
It’s prog, so don’t expect instant gratification. However, the patient listener will be rewarded with an album they’ll enjoy for years.

New Releases

Shattered Spirit (Totem #4) by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon

Teapots and Treachery by Donna K. Weaver
Find it on Amazon

FreeFall, Backworlds Book 7 by M. Pax
Find it on Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble

Movie Trivia

In honor of Carrie’s story, today’s trivia centers around natural disaster movies. Name the movie from the tagline.

1 – Heads up
2 – It’s five miles wide…it’s coming at 30,000 mph…and there’s no place on Earth to hide
3 – We were warned
4 – Where will you be?
5 – The pressure is building. Whatever you do, don’t look back
6 – Oceans rise. Cities fall. Hope survives.
7 – The only way out is in
8 – The coast is toast

Answers on Monday!

Are you a fan of disaster films? Ever heard of Haken? Picking up some new books? Know any of the trivia? And have you ever been through a major natural disaster?

Fifty Years of Star Trek, Underworld Blood Wars Trailer, IWSG Updates, New Releases, and CassFire Audio Book Winners

Fifty Years of Star Trek

On September 8, 1966, the first Star Trek show debuted. And life has never been the same.

Wikipedia had an entire page dedicated to the influence of Star Trek, stating Star Trek is one of the most culturally-influential television shows, and is often regarded as the most influential science fiction TV series in history. Many astronauts claim Trek influenced their career decision and George Lucas has stated that Trek was a big factor in the creation of Star Wars.

While I was a tad too young to watch the original series during its run, I spent many hours watching the reruns in syndication. The show broke through so many barriers, showing us a bigger and better world. I was captivated by the possibility of what existed beyond our solar system. It was the beginning of my love for science fiction, which would eventually lead to me writing in that genre.

There are a ton of events happening this month and hundreds of articles online celebrating fifty years of Star Trek. The LA Times has a ton of articles and you can find more news at Blastr.

Picking one favorite Trek would be impossible. I’m digging the reboot movies even as I still love the movies First Contact and Wrath of Khan. The closest I can come to a favorite is the series Deep Space Nine. There have been a few missteps (Star Trek V, the search for God?) but otherwise I’ve enjoyed them all.

What is your favorite Star Trek? And does anyone else own a bat'leth? Great for home defense!

Underworld Blood Wars

That’s right! Kate is back for another Underworld movie.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Thanks to everyone for another awesome IWSG post day.

I try to get to as many as possible, but I hope everyone understands I can’t visit everyone. (That’s why we have co-hosts.) I’m making an effort to visit those I haven’t seen in a while though. Plus the newbies. I appreciate every single person who posts.

If you’ve missed posts in the past, make sure you’re still on the list. I visited several who were posting but they’d missed two in a row at some point and were no longer on the list.

And special thanks to all of the volunteers. Co-hosts are booked through next January now!

Don’t forget the IWSG Anthology Contest is now open! We have some great judges, an awesome theme, and we’re looking forward to reading the entries. You have until November 1, so get cracking.

New Releases

Baby Moo's Great Escape by Julie Flanders

Baby Moo has a dream. He wants to travel the world and sing on the stage of the Sydney Opera House!

Julie Flanders will donate $1 to Sunrise Sanctuary, home to Baby Moo and numerous other rescued animals, for each copy sold in September.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Desolate Mantle (Street Games Book 2) by LK Hill

Walking the Slip Mire nightly, dressed in her disguise and trying to infiltrate a homicidal gang, Kyra Roberts sees plenty of things she can’t explain, and begins to think a serial killer may be on the prowl...

Find it on Amazon

Winners of CassaFire on Audio

And the winners are…

Michael Di Gesu

and

Kathy McKendry

Congratulations!

Are you a Star Trek fan? What’s your favorite show/movie? Ready for more Underworld? (I really need to get that outfit for my wife.) Enjoy the IWSG last week? Picking up some new books? Are your books on audio?

Last Friday I was a guest at Rebecca Bradley’s site for her First Draft series of interviews.

I’ll also be gone all day Friday for training, so I’ll catch Friday posters this weekend.

New RiffTrax, Dinosaur Movie Trivia, Are You a Genre Purist, CassaFire Translation, and Ninja News

I’m visiting EE Georgi’s at Chimeras today, discussing the path of my books and what it took to start over with a new universe in Dragon of the Stars. (*It's live now!)

And if you missed it, I talked about the secret to marketing at Patricia Stoltey’s last Thursday.

New From RiffTrax!

Remember the travesty that was Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare?

RiffTrax describes it as hair metal meets hideous puppets!

Go HERE to download or stream.

Ninja News

Today at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group we have none other than the amazing Elizabeth S. Craig, discussing audio books for independent authors.

And at the A to Z Blog, the Themes That Rocked the Challenge guest is Hank Kaykuala. He highlighted his friend, Yusuf Hashim, who takes people on photo adventures around the world. Be sure to stop by!

Out Now –

Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story by Vanessa Morgan

Find it on Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, and Amazon FR, Amazon NL

And visit her site this month for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed book of Avalon, a cat collar, and a pack of cat toys!

Available June 9!

Jophiel: Path of Angels by Patricia Lynne

They must fight to stay on the path…

Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Find Patricia: Website-Blog, Twitter, Wattpad, and Goodreads





Battle of the Band results –

The song was Shock the Monkey and despite early votes one direction, favor swung later on. The voting tally, counting mine for Coal Chamber:

Suburban Tribe - 15

Coal Chamber - 22

CassaFire Translation Details

Appreciated all of the congratulations last Wednesday!

Several of you had questions regarding the translation of CassaFire into Turkish, which I will do my best to answer here.

The publisher is Gürer Yayıncılık Publishing, LTD and CassaFire will be the beginning of their science fiction line. (Yes, they picked my book first! No idea why…)

The translation won’t be available until next year. I’ll keep you posted on the release date.

I hope to get a copy of the book (they are doing a print run as well as eBooks) but it depends on how many copies they send to my publisher.

No, I can’t read the Turkish language! But if I get a copy, it will be really cool to see my book in another language.

My titles are available worldwide, but this will be the first translation.


And in other news, Andrew Leon gave CassaStorm a really in-depth and thoughtful review last Friday. I even managed to surprise him! Double Ninja Score.

Movie Trivia

With Jurassic World coming out this Friday, I thought it was time for a little dinosaur trivia. Name the dinosaur movie from the clues. Answers on Monday!

1 - This 1975 movie with Doug McClure took place during WWI and involved a German sub finding a place called Caprona.
2 – This 1969 film was half Western and involved a T-Rex.
3 – This 1988 animated film spawned many, many sequels.
4 – This 1997 movie involved two groups of people with different agendas on an island with dinosaurs.
5 – This 1993 film was produced by Roger Corman, spawned two sequels, and starred Diane Ladd.

Genre Selective or Purist?

I’m going to throw this question out for you – are you a genre purist when it comes to books? Do you read several genres or stick to one main genre? If you are a writer, do you primarily read in your genre or do you explore others?

They say to read other books in your genre to get a feel for it and keep up to date. And I know authors who read almost exclusively in their genre. But they also say to expand your literary horizons and read a variety.

I may write science fiction, but I probably read more fantasy than anything else. I also read a variety, especially as I have author friends who write a in variety of genres. (I’ve read paranormal romance, memoirs, chick lit, poetry, and all sorts of books I wouldn’t have read otherwise.)

What about you? Do you stick to your genre and rarely venture further? Or do you read a wide variety?

Going to check out RiffTrax’s Rock and Roll Nightmare? Picking up some new books? Know any of the trivia? Seeing Jurrasic World this weekend? And do you read mostly your genre or do you read a variety?

Don’t forget to visit EE Georgi’s Chimeras!

I'll be on vacation this week from Thursday through Sunday with limited Internet. I will be checking my email though. If I miss your visit, I will catch you next week.

Riff Trax Live – Anaconda! Plus the Trick-or-Treat Bloghop, Living Dead Girl, Alex the Author, and Ninja News

Riff Trax!

This Thursday, October 30 2014 is the next RiffTrax Live - the guys from MST3K strike at 1997's ANACONDA!
You can visit their site for a theater showing the broadcast, and if you live near Durham, NC, you can see it live. That’s right – time to hit the road north! I’m very stoked to see Mike, Kevin, and Bill do the show in person. I’ll give you a full review of the experience on Monday.

A Little Halloween Tune

Since it’s almost Halloween, if you’d like a little scary music while you read the rest of this post, just click play and enjoy Rob Zombie’s Living Dead Girl:

Ninja News

We are VERY honored to have million-copy NYTimes bestselling author, Ruth Harris, at the IWSG Site today!

The IWSG has also expanded with a second group on Facebook – the IWSG Critique Circle.

The aim of that group is to put writers who want to exchange critiques and find beta readers in touch with each other. And of course, there's the support and encouragement with the WiPs. So check it out!

Jeff Chapman’s Give Me Your Teeth: A Fae Tale comes out this Friday on Halloween!

Like most children, ten-year old Jimmy wonders where the Tooth Fairy keeps all those teeth.

He learns there's more to his mother than he ever imagined, and the Tooth Fairy isn't so harmless.

You can pre-order it now on Amazon.

Cindy is looking for guest reviewers for Good Book Alert. In return for a review, the guest reviewer will receive one guest post on the site. In both posts, your book/bio information will be posted as well. Visit Good Book Alert for details.

Sylvia Ney is holding a NaNo contest and giveaway – visit her site for details!

J E Oneil alerted me to this freaky story –

The ghastly Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, is a salt lake—meaning that water flows in, but doesn’t flow out, so it can only escape by evaporation. Over time, as water evaporates, it leaves behind high concentrations of salt and other minerals, like at the Dead Sea and Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

Unlike those other lakes, though, Lake Natron is extremely alkaline, due to high amounts of the chemical natron (a mix of sodium carbonate and baking soda) in the water. The water’s pH has been measured as high as 10.5—nearly as high as ammonia.

You have to see the stunning images of birds turned to stone by the water at the Smithsonian Mag! In black and white, they are haunting.

And thanks to everyone who weighed in on Monday’s post - Are Authors Killing Blogging? There were some really detailed and thoughtful comments weighing in on promotion overload. If you missed it, go back and check it out.

Trick-or-Treat Book Bloghop!

Hosted by Patricia Lynne

The theme is EBooks are the Candy. We’re giving away books to one or more lucky commenters.

Hashtag #trickortreatreads

My treat for one lucky commenter is your choice:

EBook copies of all three of my books or

One print copy of your choice (CassaStar, CassaFire, or CassaStorm) with swag or

One print review copy of Dragon of the Stars (when available)

Just say Trick-or-Treat in comments to enter – winner will be announced Monday.

Alex the Author

Since I’m trying to put more of me here, I thought I’d give a unique run-down of what I’ve written. Some of you might not know what I write. Yes, it is mostly science fiction, but of the lighter space opera variety. (Think Star Wars.)

Sometimes it's wild to look back and think Holy crap, did I do that? This journey wasn't planned. I mean, how do you predict all of this - the blog, the books, the IWSG, the friendships? I'm grateful for the opportunity though.

CassaStar
The original version was written in the 70’s when I was a teen. Thirty years later, I rewrote it, and the story will always have a special place in my heart. Yes, this book started it all. I wouldn't be here otherwise.

CassaFire
Readers wanted a sequel. And a female character. (Crap!) Fortunately, I had a short story I could rewrite and I knew the main character well now. I wrote this during NaNo 2010. So if you’re participating in NaNo this year, if I can do it, you can do it!

CassaStorm
This story came from scratch and took me a long time to pull together. I’m proudest of this one, especially the fact I was able to write a convincing ten-year-old boy. (And I don’t even have kids!)

Heroes of PHENOMENA
I was invited to contribute to an anthology that tied in with a CD. I chose the song Drakon’s Empire and wrote a short story called CassaFate. I actually had to cut words to hit the 1500 word limit. (That has never happened before. Trust me!)

Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle
I was also asked to contribute to this anthology. I wrote a piece about the power of networking and having an online presence. (I sure as heck wasn’t going to offer any writing tips. I wanted to help not hinder.)

How I Found the Write Path: A Compilation of Letters
My letter was Prepare for Changes. Yeah, big time!

Overcoming Adversity
This book was a fund raiser for Andrew, who sadly passed away. My contribution was My Friends, My Heroes

Coming soon -

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond
Available this December, this book features over a hundred articles on writing, publishing, and marketing. So much good information! Ironically the word count is higher than any of my books…



Dragon of the Stars
Available next spring, this story is separate from the Cassan universe. I took the story idea of the song Dragon on the Sea by Ayeron and wrote my own. (I don’t recommend doing that, as a book is much longer than a seven minute song…)

Crap, that’s a lot! And I didn’t even want to be a writer. I’m just a dude with many guitars. And even more clones…

Anyone else seeing Riff Trax? Ready for Halloween? (Any other Halloween songs you’d like to suggest?) Did you go look at the Lake Natron photos? Did you say Trick-or-Treat? And are you as stunned as I am that a man of few words actually wrote all that…?

Don’t forget next Wednesday is IWSG post day!

Writing Tips from A Beer For The Shower, CassaFire Sale Results, and Ninja News!

You are in for a treat today! We have some expert writing advice from Brandon Meyers and Bryan Pedas, the genius minds behind A Beer For The Shower. They also have a new book out, Empirical Evidence: A Novelette. It’s there first venture into science fiction and it’s free today through Wednesday, February 12 on Amazon.

Take it away, Brandon and Bryan!

Hey all, we're Brandon and Bryan from A Beer for the Shower, and as co-authors of multiple novels that have been praised by people that are not our parents, we wanted to share some of our favorite writing tips for you today.

Forget what you heard about writing with your heart and crafting what you love. That's clearly nonsense. Here's what you really need to do to reach success as a writer.

1. Don't be afraid to give up

Did you know that success means hard work? Well, trying is hard. Really hard. So if your novel doesn't sell on the first try, you should probably give up and take on something more meaningful like crochet, or start a cat collection. Bryan's currently up to 8!

Doesn't this little glimpse of paradise look better than "trying"?

2. Criticism is for the weak

If someone tells you something like, "Your novel is good but it needs work in a few spots" what they're really saying is "I hate you and I spit in your face." Also, they're probably just jealous of your infallible talent. Rather than humbly accept their criticism and better your writing skills, you should probably hire street thugs to beat them into a coma. It's only fair for them having the downright audacity to offer you their honest criticism.

3. Write to fads

Writing a truly unique story that comes from the heart is fun and all, but it's no guarantee that your book will sell. But you know what will sell? Fads. Just find whatever's popular now, write a complete ripoff with one or two minor changes, and reap in the sweet, sweet benefits of selling out!

Cheers and stay classy, guys,
Bryan and Brandon

"I hate it when authors come to schools and tell the kids write from your heart. I don't think I've ever written a single word from my heart. I write to entertain the audience." - R.L. Stein, literary genius

Ninja News

Feeling a little anti-Valentine’s? Then you need to enter Robyn’s Anti-Valentine’s Day Giveaway! She’s giving away some high quality chocolate. Visit Life By Chocolate for details.

It was another awesome posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Thanks to my co-hosts, Sheena-kay Graham, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres, and Mike Swift.

Don’t forget the Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway. Books for you, books for your library, t-shirts, and iTunes gift cards. Become a Google Friends Connect follower to enter.
Full details HERE. Just a few more to go!

CassaFire’s 99 Cents Promotion Results

Today, February 10, is the last day to grab my second book, CassaFire, for 99 cents on Amazon.

The sale started on February 4 and my publisher ran several ads.


The results?


Nancy Thompson caught it late Friday night while it was still rising the charts at #194! (That’s #194 out of ALL the books on Amazon!)

I caught it the following morning at #216:

I was also on several top 100 authors lists:

(Ahead of some dude name Asimov but behind some hack named Heinlein – the nerve!)

I didn’t catch it at its peak, but it was number 1, 2, or 3 in many categories, including Space Opera, and in the top ten for Science Fiction. CassaFire’s rise also bumped up sales of the other two, CassaStar and CassaStorm, placing them on several top 100 lists.

I was blown away!!!

Huge thanks to the hundreds who posted about it, sent out Tweets, mentioned it on Google+, and commented on Facebook. (I’m not even on Facebook – that is too wild!)

Mick from EBook Bargains UK caught the ad on BookBub, and since he’d seen my comments on Anne R. Allen’s blog many times, he grabbed it and added it to nine of their country listings as well. Thanks, Mick!

Once again, my heartfelt thanks. I am blessed to be a part of such an awesome community of writers and bloggers.

Final day Tweets:

“Top Gun Meets Battlestar Galactica” Alex J. Cavanaugh’s CassaFire on sale .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr #scifi #99cents

Reminiscent of the action-driven stories of Robert A. Heinlein's early fiction - Library Journal. CassaFire only .99 http://tinyurl.com/qaz7kxr

Think Brandon and Bryan’s advice rocks? Ready to take up a cat collection? (Be sure to download their new book!) Feeling anti-Valentine’s? Enjoy last week’s IWSG? And anyone else experience great success with a book at a discounted price?

Working on my manuscript this week, so no Wednesday post. But the Ninja will be lurking…