2015 A to Z Challenge List Open, What Are the Kargrandes, Share Your Thoughts Bloghop, and Ninja News

If you are a self-published author, you need to check out a new site called Reedsy. They connect authors with professional editors, illustrators, etc. They also have a blog packed with tips and information, and today I am visiting that site as a guest of Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy. Please drop by!

Special thanks to those of you who took the time to listen to my guitar piece last week. You are greatly appreciated! If you missed it, I posted a snippet of me playing Marillion’s Easter.

Kargrandes Update!

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? Every Monday is a new piece of information about the Kargrandes from my upcoming book, Dragon of the Stars. Any ideas yet? Know how they are connected to the Dragon?

Sample Tweets for this week:

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

Can you solve the mystery – what are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

And in other book news, I’d like to thank Lily Eva Blake for her wonderful review of CassaFire!

Ninja News – New Releases

This Wednesday at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site is none other than author Medeia Sharif! Want to know how she went from parting from her agent to four books in one year? Check it out Wednesday and find out.


Ashes Burn Season 1: Ashes Away by Tyrean Martinson
Comes out January 28 and you can pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Fade Into Me by Charity Bradford
Charity will be a guest here on February 9.

Woven by David Powers King and Michael Jenson
Comes out January 27!
David will be a guest here on February 11.

The Seventh Man by Lisa-Buie Collard
And you can enter to win a free book!

Evening of the Dragonfly by Mary Montagues Sikes

Twice in a Blue Moon by Cate Masters

Share Your Thoughts Bloghop

Hosted by Jamie Ayres to celebrate the release of 18 Thoughts, the third installment in the My So-Called Afterlife trilogy.

Each person participating will post a thought (belief) that has defined their life, their way of thinking. Post up to 18 if you’re feeling adventurous and post any time between Jan. 21 and Jan. 28. I’ll pick 2-3 winners each day.

I’m going to give you the one belief I live my life by:

I believe God rules and God reigns, His son Jesus Christ died for my sins, and I live under the tenets of grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness.

(And on a lighter note, I also believe speed limit signs are merely suggestions!)

The 2015 A to Z Challenge List is Open!

Please read and follow the sign-up instructions outlined below so you sign onto the list correctly!

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day.

The A to Z Challenge is a great way to get into the blogging habit and make new friends. For more details and its history, go HERE

We recommend short posts, turn off Word Verification, and visit five blogs (or more) a day beginning with the one after yours on the list.

Blogs must be on an open platform – no Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. – and comments enabled.

To streamline legitimate blogs from advertisement blogs, the Co-Hosts will be visiting each blog on this list throughout the Challenge. Blogs on the list showing no activity once the Challenge starts or miss five days in a row will be removed.

Please note your blog name and number in all correspondences. Remember that as blogs are removed, your number will change.

There are categories for those looking for like-minded blogs. Select ONE category code and enter it after your blog’s title/name. The code applies to your blog, not your theme for the Challenge and is purely optional. See the first few blogs on the list for examples. However, if your blog has adult content, you MUST mark it (AC) or it will be removed from the list. Codes are as follows:

ANIMALS: (AN)
ART: (AR)
BOOKS/REVIEWS: (BO)
CRAFTS: (CR)
CULINARY: (CU)
EDUCATION: (ED)
FASHION: (FA)
FILM/MOVIES: (FM)
GAMING: (GA)
GARDENING: (GR)
HISTORY: (HI)
HUMOR: (HU)
LIFESTYLE: (LI )
MEMOIR: (ME)
MUSIC: (MU)
MYTHOLOGY: (MY)
PERSONAL: (PR)
PHOTOGRAPHY: (PH)
POLITICS: (PO)
SCIENCE: (SC)
SOCIAL MEDIA: (SO)
SPORTS: (SP)
TRAVEL: (TR)
WRITING/STORYTELLING: (WR)
ADULT CONTENT: (AC)

Be sure to grab the badge and display it in your sidebar so we know you are participating and link to the A to Z Challenge Blog.

For more information we recommend you follow the A to Z Challenge Blog and the hosts:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jeremy @ Hollywood Nuts
Nicole Ayers @ The Madlab Post
Author Stephen Tremp
Heather M. Gardner
AJ @ Naturally Sweet
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian
Matthew MacNish @ The QQQE
Zalka Csenge Virág @ The Multicolored Diary
S. L. Hennessy @ Pensuasion
C. Lee McKenzie @ The Write Game
Joy Campbell @ The Character Depot
Susan Gourley @ Susan Says
John Holton @The Sound of One Hand Typing
Lisa Buie-Collard, Author

We also have a Facebook Page
Email address is contactatozteam@gmail.com
Twitter hashtag is #AtoZChallenge and Twitter id is @AprilA2Z

Sign up at the A to Z Challenge Blog and join us for a month of alphabet fun!


Know What Are the Kargrandes? See some new books you want? What thought or believe do you live by? And are you joining us for the A to Z Challenge, the most awesome blogging event of the year? (Please do – it’s a lot of fun!)

Don’t forget to visit Reedsy’s blog.

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…?

Retro A to Z Challenge: J – John Carter 2012 (and new How to Train Your Dragon Trailer and George RR Martin Killing Characters)

John Carter – 2012

Loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Princess of Mars, this film was supposed to launch a new epic series. A perfect blend of space opera, Western, and pulp fiction, the movie follows Carter as he is transported to Mars (Barsoom) and thrust in the middle of a war. Despite Disney’s mishandling of the marketing, this is fun and adventurous romp that deserved better. Although the material is now almost a hundred years old, it still feels fresh.

2012 fun facts –
*Cost of new house - $263,000.
*Cost of a movie ticket - $8.20
*The Curiosity Rover landed on Mars
*Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France
*The LA Kings won their first Stanley Cup
*Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier in a free fall from space
*CassaFire was released!

Movies –
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
The Amazing Spiderman

Music –
Rush – Clockwork Angels
Kamelot – Silverthorn
Testament – Dark Roots of the Earth

Games –
Diablo III
Torchlight II

And why is 2012 so special?
It’s the year Laura at My Baffling Brain started writing – and she hasn’t stopped since!

Laura lives in England and has a Masters Degree in Creative writing. She’s fun, enthusiastic, and very appreciative of this online community. She’s also a real goal-setter and a sweet girl. She’ll go far! Laura blogs at My Baffling Brain

Ninja News

Available today – Meilin and the Challenger by Cate Masters! A futuristic fairy tale/urban fantasy with zombies.

Nigel Mitchell posted the funniest George R R Martin jokes yesterday. So if you like this one, head over to see the rest of them.

Justified

This series started a couple years ago and is based on books by Elmore Leonard.
It follows a US Marshal, played perfectly by Timothy Olyphant, who is reassigned to his Kentucky hometown. There he has to deal with feuding clans, white supremacists, and his old friend Boyd Crowder. (Who's definitely on the wrong side of the law.)
The show crackles with great writing, crazy characters, and a cool as heck hero. It’s in its final season, but you can catch the first four on NetFlix.
Highly recommended!

Latest Trailer

And for your enjoyment, the latest trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2:



Have you seen John Carter or read the Barsoom books? Following the delightful Laura? Need a good laugh? Fan of Justified? Excited for How to Train Your Dragon 2? And what do you remember best about 2012…?

Seeing Rio 2 (the stupid bird movie) tonight, so look for review tomorrow…

Pat and the Cat - Festivals for All! Plus Trivia, Ninja News, and National Wormhole Week - Wormfest!

Today I have for you a special treat
A funky rhyme that can’t be beat.
Because today Pat and his cat
Are here to amuse at my mat!

Please welcome Pat Hatt of It’s Rhyme Time, who will show you a proper rhyme.

Festival Time In Rhyme!

So since the cat is all done the A to Z he figured he'd fill some time with a guest post for the ninja wannabe. But what could he do? Why give festivals to visit for all of you.

Frozen Dead Guy Days.
Catch some sunny rays,
In dead guy land.
Wouldn't that be grand?

Tomato Fight Festival should be on your list.
Then just make sure you are good and pissed.
Take a tomato and whack one in the head.
They could join the above if they turn out good and dead.

Monkey Buffet Festival sounds yummy.
Don't you want monkeys in your tummy?
Could get a neat disease,
Or maybe just fleas.

This one I'd avoid,
Of them the cat is paranoid.
Although Crying Baby Festival may be for you,
Especially if you have one or two.

And if that isn't your cup of tea,
You can grab your baby and flee.
Going to the Baby Jumping Festival around the corner.
Just don't step on little Jack Horner.

I bet some could pass this test.
They have such zest.
They would prove they are the best,
By winning the National Hollerin Contest.

Don't come near my OCD, bud.
I do not want any mud.
But Boryeong Mud Festival could be fun,
If you like that type of thing under your sun.

This one will be all the craze.
You will get there and gaze,
Maybe even graze.
Soaking up Mike The Headless Chicken Days.

I'll skip the Festival of Near Death Experiences this year.
Although I have been there I fear,
The dress code is rather strict.
Bring your own coffin the rules depict.

Ewww ewww ewww.
But that is all the more for you, 
As you go to the Testicle Festival event,
Joining 10,000 people eating 4,000 pounds of bull testicles under a tent.

See, there are lots of other fun things to do, and surprisingly, none of these were made up at my zoo. So if you ever need a good festival at your sea, you can now find one thanks to me. On most though I would pass, especially the last one, as it scares my little rhyming ass.

Enjoy your winter, smash a printer.

Pat is the author of over twenty books and his latest is Fight for the Light, available on Amazon.

He also had a little fun with his IWSG post last week!

(Sorry, it’s not real!)

Trivia Time!

And in honor of Pat and his cat, today’s trivia is all about cats.

1 – How fast can a housecat run?

2 – True or false – cats can drink seawater.

3 – What’s the technical term for a hairball?

4 – How many different sounds do cats make?

5 – Which pet is more popular in North America – the dog or the cat?

Answers on Wednesday!

Ninja News

Thanks everyone for another amazing Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day. I wish I could visit every person on the list, but I do give it my best effort to reach as many as possible.

Bish Denham released her first book last week, Anansi and Company. Congratulations, Bish!!

Cate Masters’ latest is out now, A Wedding at the Blue Moon Café. Congratulations, Cate!

Angela Orlowski-Peart revealed the cover for her next book, Almost Broken Up. Looks great, Angela!

Chasing Anya by JL Campbell

Available today!

Been there. Done that.

Feisty and independent, Anya Davies lives by her own rules. The one thing she’s hell-bent on avoiding is a conventional relationship.

Enter Christophe Mondesir…

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material. Find her: Website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Amazon.

Michael di Gesu is hosting the Coffee Hop this Friday!

Visit him for details and your chance to win Columbian coffee.

Wormfest! 

That’s right, it’s back – National Wormhole Week, March 10-16!

Hosted by Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Kicking off Wormfest week will be the release of Stephen’s third book in the Chase Manhattan trilogy, Escalation.

2014 National Wormhole Week: Name one thing where science advances mankind, and one where technology will go too far and set us back. They can be the same thing or different.

Example:
De-extinction or bringing back extinction species through backbreeding, genetic engineering, and cloning.
With all the breakthrough discoveries mankind is on the cusp of, are we playing God?

Where do you see science moving us forward and where do you see it moving us back? Feel free to quote a movie. (Jurassic Park is a great example.)

Join us below for Wormfest!



Follower of Pat and his rhyming cat? Know any of the cat trivia? Excited about the new releases? And who’s up for Wormfest?

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D! Plus October Movie Preview, Ninja News, Christy Dorrity’s The Awakening, and a Farscape Character That Nearly Bit the Dust

I am flying high today and set for Cruising Altitude 2.0! That’s right, I am visiting DL Hammons today, the mastermind behind Write Club and the Blog Blitz. I’m talking about the Pros and Cons of Writing a Book Series, so check it out.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

For those of you who missed it, the season premier was awesome! Directed by Joss Whedon himself, it had everything you enjoyed about the Avengers. Entertainment Weekly has already viewed the next few episodes, and while not directed by Whedon, they are just as good.

The show’s strong point is its humor and more shows could learn from its example. S.H.I.E.L.D. proved you could have drama and action AND humor. It’s the perfect balance. Shows like Stargate Universe fail because they are too damn depressing. A little humor and hope goes a long way.

Yes, I am hooked and can’t wait until next week’s show!

Ninja News

Anne at O’Leary Minatures is holding her Double Triple Secret Give Away! This give away is being sponsored in part by author Patrick Hatt at It’s Rhyme Time. You can find Mr. Hatt's Amazon Writers Page HERE. Lots of cool prizes including a $50.00 Amazon gift card. Winners will be announced October 1.

Rusty Webb released a book recently – and didn’t tell anyone! My Killbot Buddy is now available – ‘An Epic Tale of an Old Man and His Killer Robot.’ The dude is an awesome writer, so pick it up!

Jennifer Lane’s latest was released this week - On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3) Congratulations, Jennifer!


Sarah Allen posted something for inspiration - What Movies You Should Watch features random movie trailers all the time. Awesome!

Kelly Polark’s Rockabet: Classic Edition came out this week. Kelly is one rockin’ chick!


Julie Dao posted some awesome writing and publishing tips from Wool author, Hugh Howey.

Cate Masters’ Sweet Revenge is out today! Congratulations, Cate.

Don’t forget the The Norse Gods Blogfest.is October 9! I’m co-hosting with the awesome Siv in celebration of her book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, and her birthday. Sign up HERE

My awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG will be Julie Luek, Rachna Chabria, Beverly Fox, and Ilima Todd! And there will be a major announcement next Wednesday – stay tuned!

Special Release

Awakening: Book One of The Geis by Christy Dorrity

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Find Awakening - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.
Find Christy - Blog, Facebook, and Twitter

October Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming movies for October! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

4 –

Gravity
A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen
Already a big Oscar buzz for Bullock – a must see!



11 –

Captain Phillips
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed
Another film with Oscar buzz.

Machete Kills
The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Danny Trejo, Alexa Vega, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba
I won’t go see it, but I will check it out on NetFlix – just because!



15 –

DVD – Pacific Rim
Giant robots versus giant monsters at home in 3D – oh yeah!

22 –

DVD – The Conjuring
If you missed it in theaters, be sure to check it out!

The Final Word…

Blastr listed eleven TV characters who were going to die until fans fell in love with them. One of them was Chiana from Farscape. She was only to last a couple episodes, but fans and the writers liked her quirkiness and she stuck around for the entire series. (Did I mention she was also sexy?)

Did you watch S.H.I.E.L.D? See some good books to pick up? Ready for the IWSG next month? Any of the October movies excite you? And what if Chiana hadn’t survived…?

Be sure to visit DL at Cruising Altitude 2.0!

Murder and Madness but no Flirting! Plus Starship Troopers via Rifftrax, Spaceship Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

Today we have a little Murder, Madness, & Love from Yolanda Renee!

NO FLIRTING ALLOWED!

Thank you, Alex, for allowing me to guest post on your awesome blog. As some of you know my first novel Murder, Madness & Love was self-published in 2008, and this year picked up by Curiosity Quills Press and today is the re-release date, which makes it super exciting to be here on Alex's Blog to celebrate!

What the re-release means, is that I've already held a book launch and have attended a number of books signings. I thought some of you might like to hear a few of my experiences – sort of a do's and don'ts when selling your books, and since Alex likes humorous posts, I hope you see the humor in what happened to me.

First, the do's – talk to the people, even those that don't walk directly over to your table. Make eye contact, and smile. Many readers are shy, just as shy if not more so than the writer is, so catch their eye and start a conversation. It helps if you have a flyer to hand out, if you have something to greet them with, something to get their attention. Many of them will take it and walk away, but if it peaks their interest, they will come back – and if there is ordering information – you may hear from them later!

Many of my sales happened at flea markets and craft fairs and always with another author. Together we brought the folks to the table and 8 times out of 10, both of us sold a book. We always had a decorative table, giveaways, and free candy—free candy always helps!

The don'ts – Don't express political opinions. I made the mistake of agreeing with one customer's expressed opinion on a candidate and another customer walked away, but not before letting me know my opinion was vastly different from hers. So be careful, and be neutral – you never want to lose a customer because of politics.

But watch the flirting – I had a man stop by and yes, he flirted, and I was amused. My partner (the other author) had stepped away from the table and this guy sat down in the chair beside me to look at my book. During the conversation, it was clear he was more interested in me, than the book, despite the fact that he talked about buying it for his wife. However, he was all talk and didn't buy the book. His wife soon found him, and she was not happy. She did a cursory flip of the pages, gave me the evil eye, and quickly walked away with him in tow. I lost another customer.

My partner got a real kick out of it, which isn't fair because he flirted constantly, and never lost a sale. He was amazing.

Never, ever, just sit behind a table and ignore the folks around you – they want to know that you want to talk to them, so have fun, just remember no politics and no flirting, well, unless it really works for you!

So writers what do you think – is flirting fair? Or is it all fair when it comes to selling books?

After a gritty detective becomes involved with a beautiful widow suspected of murder, rumor and obsession obstruct his quest for justice.

Visite Yolanda Renée at her BLOG and find her book at Curiosity Quills Press.

Ninja News

Michelle Wallace just experienced her first e-Zine publication! Her flash fiction piece, Blast From The Past, is in Pure Slush. Read it HERE.
Congratulations, Michelle! You are the flash fiction master.

Summer Ross signed a contract with Breathless Press for her series The Trouble with Elves, Book 1, Ribbon of Darkness. Because it’s erotica, she’s chosen to go with a pen name, and you can find her on Facebook under Decadent Kane. Congratulaions, Summer!

Donna Weaver and her publisher are offering a chance to win A Change of Plans in audiobook. See her site for details.

Cheers to the ladies with new book releases:

Laura Pauling’s latest is now available – Heist!

Cate Masters’ latest was just released, a historical romance novella from Decadent Publishing – Betting it All!

Juliana Haygert’s new NA contemporary romance was released last week – Breaking the Reins!



For laughs:

John Wiswell posted 7 Ways Writing a Book is Not Like Raising a Child.

Fran at The Angry Lurker posted another classic – If Facebook Existed During the American Revoluion.

And my POST last week that kicked off with the Star Trek movies made top story over at Suvudu!

Spaceship Trivia Answers!

Several of you named the movie, but what we were after was the spaceship – here are the answers:
Movies:
1 - Alex Durant, Harry Booth, V.I.N.C.E.N.T. - Palomino
2 - Captain Dallas, Warrant Officer Ripley, Science Officer Ash - Nostromo
3 - Pres. Skroob, Dark Helmet, Col. Sandurz - Spaceball One
Television:
4 - Fry, Bender, Leela, Amy - Planet Express Ship
5 - Mal Reynolds, Zoe Washburne, Simon Tam - Serenity
6 - Don West, John Robinson, Dr. Zachary Smith - Jupiter 2
Literature:
7 - Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox - Heart of Gold
8 - Charlie Bucket, Grandma Josephine, Willy Wonka - Great Glass Elevator
Real:
9 - Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert - Apollo 13

Riffed Movie Review

Any of you familiar with Mystery Science Theater 3000 know that not long after the show was cancelled (damn you SyFy!) Mike, Kevin, and Bill formed Rifftrax. You can purchase and download a riff track for just about any movie. And on occasion, they do a live riff track in front of a movie theater audience and it’s broadcast across the nation to other theaters. Thus last week, I got to enjoy a Rifftrax screening of Starship Troopers.

Funded by a Kickstarter project and with the blessings of the cast, it was one of the first times they’d riffed a recent R rated film. Starship Troopers is cheesy, dated, and poorly acted, so it was an easy target. (Denise Richards in particular.) Yes, 80% of the film was epic ship scenes, mass bug shootings, and the word ‘Move!’ (In its defense, the bug effects hold up well. Everything else – not so much.) All in all, it was hilarious.

Before the film begins, they warm up the audience with a humorous slide show. I thought I’d share some my wife caught on her cell phone:

Is flirting fair when selling books? (Do you remember how to flirt? Because it’s been so long, I don’t!) See some new books you want? Find something amusing? Get any of the spaceships right? And has anyone else ever downloaded Rifftraxs or gone to a live event?

My next post will be on Thursday instead of Wednesday, and I’ll have another awesome guest, plus some cool CassaStorm news.