How to do a Successful Blog Tour. And John Carter! And Prize Package Winner!

Or maybe I should say how to survive a blog tour?

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments last Friday regarding FandomFest2012 Yes, it will be a bummer that my name won’t be listed on the program for FandomFest, but my wife is more important. Next year!

And special thanks to Chuck at Apocalypse Now for his amazing review of CassaFire. You the man, Chuck!

Cate Masters’ new book, Dancing With the Devil, is now available – congratulations, Cate!

John Carter – review and author revelation

One word – awesome!
This movie more than lived up to expectations for me. It was epic in scope, with a story that remained fairly faithful to Princess of Mars and featured believable special effects. It was adventurous, moving, and at times really funny. And hey, for all the guys, the princess played by Lynn Collins will keep your attention – close to the Frazetta interpretation and easy on the eyes. Shame it won’t do well in theaters as I would’ve enjoyed another John Carter movie.

And something dawned on me while watching the film. Several reviews of my books have stated they hearken back to the Golden Age of science fiction and adventure. While watching John Carter, I finally caught the connection – the innocent adventure portrayed in this type of story mirrored what I tried to capture in my own books. Now I am eager both to devour more stories like John Carter and to dive back into my third book. Not that I’ll create anything as classic or epic as what Burroughs wrote – but now I understand my voice and style. And I’m excited!

So, go see John Carter and enjoy the adventure!

CassaFire’s blog tour – what worked and what didn’t

Another heartfelt thank you to all of my hosts and everyone who posted for the Catch Fire Blog Party. The last two weeks were the most humbling I’ve ever experienced.

First let me tackle the Catch Fire Blog Party. WOW. I visited over two hundred and fifty blogs on February 28 and still missed a few I’m sure. It was overwhelming to see that banner featured everywhere. Will I ever do something like that again? Probably not. I spent over ten hours that day trying to visit every person who posted. And while it was cool to see my book cover everywhere, and many commented they were touched by the support for my book, I think it was too much. I’ll either spread it out or just let people post on their own next time.

Now for the tour itself. My hosts were awesome! Each guest spot was unique. My goal was for my post to generate more comments than normal for my hosts, and many of you visited every post – thank you for that! And the best hosts interacted with the comments, which was cool. There were ten official stops – next time, I might only do five. I don’t want to wear out my followers and I admit I was beat when it ended. Again, thanks to everyone who tagged along for the ride.

And I will need to make plans for a third tour, because this week I launch back into working on the third book, CassaStorm. After seeing John Carter, I am stoked!!!!

Now, for those of you still holding your breath, the winner of the awesome prize package is…

After random numbers generated for tour day and then comment…

Jeremy at Retro Zombie is the big winner!!! Congratulations, dude. And thanks for following my book tour.

Anyone else see John Carter? Share your thoughts on my blog tour? (I’m open to suggestions!) Think “Golden Age” is a good description of my books? Think I should write just one more book? Or are you just mad you didn’t get the CassaFire coffee cup?

And I will still be visiting blogs, but taking a break on posting Wednesday. Awesome guest on Friday though!!!!

CassaFire’s Release Day and Second Tour Stop!

CassaFire is officially available today!!!! Let the Catch Fire party begin.

I never thought I’d see the release of one book, let alone TWO. A big thanks to those of you who are participating in the Catch Fire! Blog Party. You guys are awesome. (And the five winners of a copy of CassaFire are listed below.)

Today’s tour stop is Edi’s Book Lighthouse!

I am very honored that Edi would host me on my release day. I found his blog a few months before CassaStar’s release and he gave my first book a positive and honest review. We’ve continued to visit each other’s blogs, and I consider him a special blogger buddy and supporter. Edi, I really appreciate you!

He has a very special party going on all day at his blog, including a giveaway of CassaFire and a most unusual interview – Byron, Athee, and Mevine interviewed ME. The results are amusing, so be sure to visit Edi’s site.

Don’t forget that everyone who comments here on my blog over the next two weeks will be entered to win this cool prize package from my publisher:

Today is the Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of CassaFire! The goal is to help CassaFire “catch fire” on the best seller charts and achieve the success of the first book, CassaStar.

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

“This sequel to Cavanaugh's first novel, CassaStar, delivers on the promise of its predecessor, combining military action sequences and political intrigue with strong, memorable characters. Reminiscent of the action-driven stories of Robert A. Heinlein's early fiction…” - Library Journal

Available today!
Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats
Available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Amazon Kindle

Trivia Answers

1 – Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell appeared in what 1989 action film? Tango and Cash
2 – Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his performance in what film? On the Waterfront and The Godfather
3 – What was the password used to break into the government’s computer system in 1983’s WarGames? Joshua
4 – Movie quote – name the film: “If you build it, he will come.” Field of Dreams

Catch Fire! Blog Party giveaway winners:
Charity Bradford
Stephen Tremp
EJ Wesley
Suze at Analog Breakfast
Chuck at Apocalypse Now

Congratulations and thanks for making today awesome!

News, random facts, and trivia will continue tomorrow. Remember to leave a comment to be entered for the prize package.


And a BIG thank you to everyone who has supported me these past two years and to all who pushed me to write a sequel. This Ninja is humbled and eternally grateful for your encouragement! Now, go visit Edi’s Book Lighthouse!

CassaFire Tour Day One, News, Trivia, and Contest

Day one of the party and tour – and today’s tour host is the lovely Ciara Knight!

I began following Ciara last summer, and the day after I found her blog, she began her “Did I Notice Your Book” series. Much to my amazement, her first book selection was CassaStar. Ciara is also an author with two amazing books to her name. She’s an awesome and special friend, so I hope you take the time to visit her.

Don’t forget that everyone who comments here on my blog over the next two weeks will be entered to win this cool prize package from my publisher:

Ninja News

Roland Yeomans, an amazing writer and author, posted a most incredible story involving me with a hangover and kidnapped by Mark Twain. Thank you, Roland for the incredible honor of appearing in one of your stories!

Someone in my BBTCafe Yahoo group posted this site for Twitter - WhoUnfollowedMe. Wonder who’s following or not following you? You’ll be amazed how many followed to get you to return the follow and then immediately unfollowed.

The Golden Eagle is hosting her Evil Genius Blogfest today.

We’re still hoping for a thousand A to Z Challenge participants by March 1. Details and sign up HERE

I only cared about one category last night - and thankfully, Rango did win Best Animated Film at the Oscars!

Random Ninja Fact

I hate to fly!

Trivia Time – Movies

1 – Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell appeared in what 1989 action film?

2 – Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his performance in what film?

3 – What was the password used to break into the government’s computer system in 1983’s WarGames?

4 – Movie quote – name the film: “If you build it, he will come.”

Answers tomorrow!

Let me know your best guesses. Even if you don’t know, comment for a chance to win the CassaFire prize package. Feel free to comment on last night's Oscars as well. And then go visit Ciara Knight!

The Final Countdown...

And no, I don’t mean that crappy 80’s song by Europe! The 80’s science fiction movie would be all right though.
Actually, it’s more like the countdown to Alex’s meltdown…

But I have a really cool surprise for you guys!!!

First, thanks to everyone who visited Ray Gun Revival for my interview this week. It didn’t go up until almost noon, so check it out if you missed it. Many thanks to author Bryan Thomas Schmidt for interviewing me and reviewing CassaFire!

Next, HUGE thanks to Jeremy at Retro-Zombie for the cool CassaFire banners! One at the top and there’s another at the bottom of my blog. If you need any stylish artwork, Jeremy is your dude. You can also win a Zombie Pencil Holder from Jeremy! Visit his SITE for details.

Lee has put out the call – a thousand participants signed up for the A to Z Challenge by March 1! If you haven’t signed up yet, you do NOT want to miss the biggest blog event of the year. Details and sign up HERE

Don’t forget February 28 is the Catch Fire! Blog Party! I sent out information earlier this week, so if you signed up but didn’t receive an email, let me know. There’s still time to sign up for a chance to win one of five copies of CassaFire:

Now, the surprise!

Next week kicks off my two-week/ten stops blog tour for CassaFire. I have some awesome guest stops planned, some with giveaways as well. But the party won’t go dark here! During those ten days, in addition to telling you where to find the Ninja that day, there will be:

Daily Ninja News
Pop Culture Trivia
Random Ninja Facts

And…

For everyone who comments here during my two-week tour, you will be entered to win this cool prize package from my publisher:

Is that not awesome? I want a CassaFire tote bag and mug! Not that I drink coffee. Or tea. But I do like hot chocolate.

So there you have it! Ready for two weeks of Ninja partying? Ready to test your pop culture knowledge? Ready to place bets as to whether I sleep or not next week? Ready to watch the meltdown…? (Cleanup on aisle three!) 

*And as a side note, I'm sick! I get sick once every five years and today I came home feeling like crap. Was supposed to do a book festival on Saturday, but doubt that will happen now. Better feel goo by Tuesday!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

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 insecurity today stems from a date that is approaching fast –
February 28, 2012.

The release date for CassaFire, my second book.

What’s going to happen that day?

I’m throwing a big Catch Fire! Blog Party that day and participants have a chance to win one of five copies of CassaFire.

But you know how the saying goes – what if you threw a party and no one attended?

I’m not a big name author and I’m uncomfortable with promotions. So it’s likely to be a small party.


In fact, I never even planned on a second book, let alone a party for it.

Some days, I still have no idea what I am doing. All of my efforts might be for nothing. And that’s a scary feeling.

I appreciate all of my blogger friends and hope I’ve been able to return the support you’ve shown to me.This stuff isn't easy and some days we wonder if our voice will even be heard.

So, I will extend the invitation to join the party one more time. (Full details HERE.)

Are you ready for your big release day? Ever throw a party and no one showed up? Maybe if I served Hot Tamales…?

Please visit other members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group today-

The Naked Ninja and Other Random Facts

I wonder what that title will do to search engines?

Let’s start with some interesting random rumors and facts.

NiNoCon, an online writer’s conference, is being hosted by Dojo Ninja Master herself, Ali Cross. The conference is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, so hop on over to Ali’s site for the details.

This week, Stephen Tremp unveiled the cover for his next book, Opening. Looks awesome, Stephen!


The iPad 3 does not have an official release date yet, but the rumors are it will be sometime in February. Will I be buying an iPad 3? Heck yes! And I’ll probably get the iPad 4 when it comes out as well. (Rumored for October.) Pretty soon I’ll have an iPad for every room in the house.

Also rumored coming out soon is Diablo III – finally! Diablo II came out in 2000. The wait between Starcraft and Starcraft II was ten years – the wait for Diablo III is going on twelve years now. Come on, people! I’m dying here.

They are working on a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Yes, you read that correctly. Pirates of the Caribbean: We Want Another Billion Dollars.

Most of you probably heard about the Bronco’s miracle win over the Steelers this past weekend. Here’s something you may not have heard though. Tim Tebow used to wear John 3:16 on his person when he played for the Gators. Now, I don’t think God really cares either way about football. But Sunday night, Tebow threw for 316 yards, averaging 31.6 yards per pass, and the viewer index for the end of that game was 31.6%. Pretty wild, huh?

Now for some naked Ninja. Not really, though. I’d scare myself!

Earlier this week, Elana Johnson asked how everyone was doing with their timelines. It suddenly dawned on me that my timeline ended October of 2010. My goal was to see CassaStar published and that was it. Now I have a second book coming out soon and I’m working on a third. How the heck did that happen??? I’m so not ready for all of this…

Many people have commented that I sound really young. Fooled you – I wish! I’ve still a little ways to go, but the next big milestone in my life is the big five-zero. Getting old sucks…

I look at the list of those who’ve signed up for my Catch Fire! Blog Party and I’m just in awe. I don’t even recognize some of the names! It won’t be on the same scope as Talli’s launch party, but hopefully enough people will participate to make a difference. (And if you want to sign up, go HERE for details – the party includes a giveaway of five copies of CassaFire.)


And finally, do you ever stop and wonder what would’ve happened had you never started writing? Or never started blogging? I would’ve missed a whole world of amazing friends who have changed my life.

What would you have missed?

Anniversary, Award, Challenge Book, and oh Crap...

I'll get to the oh crap part in a minute...

I received an award from Maurice at The Geek Twins - The Pied Piper Award. (And I’m the first recipient – too cool!)

Here are the rules:
List three of your favorite followers and why. 
Pass the award onto three bloggers you feel deserve their followers the most. 

You are all my favorite! All right, just three awesome bloggers…
Bossy Betty
Karen at Coming Down the Mountain
L.G. at Bards and Prophets

The Campaigner Challenges 2011 book is now available! And one of my stories is included. (You remember the one about the twitching little freaks?) The book is on sale for $2.99USD, and all proceeds will be donated to "Help Harry Help Others," a fund-raising organization of eleven year old Harry who recently died of his inoperable brain tumor. Full details on Rachael’s BLOG Purchase it on Amazon or Smashwords



In other news…

My book is still bouncing around in the top science fiction titles on Amazon. It’s mind-boggling to think how many people have downloaded my book! Several new reviews have appeared as well. And of course, it was bound to happen – someone zapped CassaStar with a lame two-star review. (This is the oh crap part.) So a big thanks to those of you who’ve posted four and five star reviews to balance it all out!

Don’t forget my Catch Fire Blog Party on February 28, 2012! Many thanks to those who’ve already signed up. Full details HERE

Finally…

I totally missed the two-year anniversary of this blog! It was November 9. Can’t believe I’ve been doing this for two years now. Never envisioned I’d be where I’m at now, but I’m really grateful for all of you and to be a part of this community. You guys rock!

Any other news? Ordering the Campaign book? Thoughts on crappy reviews? Hit any milestones? Wonder why on earth you’re still following me…?

Hot News, Dark Spells, and on Fire!

News first! No time to explain, let me sum up.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s next post is THIS Wednesday!!!

Jen Daiker will be published in a collection of romantic stories next year – way to go, Jen!

I won Laura B. Writer’s 200 followers contest – an eBook copy of Kristen Lamb's Are You There Blog? It's Me, Author! Thank you, Laura.

Saw Puss in Boots – great animation and solid story. Think adventure rather than comedy. And not for real little kids, as they simply won’t follow the storyline.

Madeleine Scribble and Edit gave me the Friendly blogger award. Thank you, Madeleine!

And appreciate all the words of congratulations on CassaStar cracking Amazon’s Top Ten in science fiction – and special thanks to Rusty for catching a screen shot of it at number eight. I still can’t believe it…

Darkspell's Launch Spookfesta

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller – available today!
Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . .until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.
As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magic?
Purchase Darkspell on Amazon and visit Elizabeth at her BLOG or WEBSITE

Spookfesta question - "If I had all the magic in the world, I'd . . ."
Return the earth to its original state – as Heaven. (Of course, I couldn’t really do that – but fortunately, God can!)

On Fire!

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for CassaFire’s Catch Fire! blog party on February 28, 2012! If you haven’t, visit HERE (see also tabbed page under my header) to join the fun and a chance to win a copy of CassaFire.

And thanks to those who’ve spread the word about this blog party. My official tour is now set and CassaFire is already on Goodreads with a four star review.

Happy Halloween! Anyone else have a wild week or weekend? Participating in Elizabeth’s fest? See a movie? About to panic because NaNo starts soon…?

One Year Ago Today…

So, what’s so special about today?

It marks one year since the release of my first novel, CassaStar.

So, for all of you who have been such awesome supporters, and the new friends I’ve acquired since then, I wanted to share a little bit about that day and the changes since then.

If I tried to thank all of those who helped me that day, this would be a really long post. (And I’d probably leave out someone.) But almost a hundred blogs posted about my release. (I hope the Catch Fire! blog party is even bigger.) Seeing my book’s cover everywhere I looked was truly humbling. I also had a blog tour during that time with nineteen stops. (Overly ambitious - I don’t recommend that many!) At some point that week, I hit four hundred followers.

That day was big because I thought I was witnessing the release of the only book I’d ever write. And I was overwhelmed by the generosity and support of my blogger friends. But what has happened since that day has been incredible.

It feels like such a rush trying to get to that one moment, to the release day, but it’s not a single point in time that really matters. It’s the entire journey:

The wonderful reviews from friends, fans, and readers.

The creation of a second book I didn’t know I had in me – CassaFire.

The messages from those who are buying my book even now.

Hit that ever mysterious and elusive 1000 followers.

The amazing amount of friends I have made, more than I ever thought possible.

My increased involvement in this community through various blogfests, the A to Z Challenge, and the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

The joy of watching my friends achieve their dreams and doing what I can to support them.

The journey hasn’t been without its missteps, but I hope you understand this Ninja Captain is always trying.

For those about to embark on this journey or hoping to one day, remember to savor all of the moments.

A year ago, I was a newbie author.

Today, thanks to all of you, I’m still here, still growing, still changing, and heading for a new adventure. What motivates me now is you.

All I can say is thanks!