Showing posts with label Catherine Constantine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catherine Constantine. Show all posts

Monday, October 26, 2015

Listing Hop: Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens! Plus Snow on Cinders and Global Disasters, Crimson Peak Review, Battle of the Banned – Halloween Style, and Ninja News

Today I welcome the wonderful Catherine Constantine! Her latest book is Snow on Cinders and she’s here to talk about preparing for global disaster.

I can’t thank Alex enough for hosting me today. If it wasn’t for him and the IWSG, I don’t know if I’d still be blogging. He’s quite an inspiration to us all.

My new release Snow on Cinders is the sequel to Tallas, but can be read as a stand alone. A family fleeing a tyrannical Management to save their son from a dangerous assignment sets the stage in these post-apocalyptic novels. After years of chemical warfare a metamorphous has taken shape on the planet, not only with vegetation, but animals and humans as well. Talk about diversity in books, you’ll become acquainted with mutants that only want to live in peace. A loving family and a band of misfits struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Think about a civilization without computers, cell phones, or landlines to communicate. I grew up without a cell phone or a computer. How’d we survive?

Lack of clean drinking water and medical supplies are dwindling in Snow on Cinders. Do you prepare for an emergency? Here in Buffalo, I always prepare to have on hand at least, if not more, three days of supplies due to the harsh winters.

I think about the strangest things. Like ~ toilet paper. Stock up on TP!

What would you want to hoard in case of a global disaster?

Find Catherina - Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon
Find Snow on Cinders at Amazon

Movie Review – Crimson Peak

Don’t be fooled by the ads – this is not a straight up horror film. It’s a gothic romance with ghosts, wrapped in a psychological mystery.
As an ode to the early 1970’s Hammer films, director del Toro has crafted a movie that unspools at a leisurely pace. It works, especially since the acting is so good and the production so amazing.
Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is Edith, the new bride troubled by what is happening in her new home. Tom Hiddleston is her husband, and he plays, well, he plays Tom Hiddleston. The dominating character is his sister, played perfectly by Jessica Chastain (The Martian, Interstellar.)
However, it is the house that steals almost every scene. It’s a character in its own right, decaying, dark, and alive.
There is some gore – the ghosts are ‘bloody’ and the head smashing scene is rather intense.
This movie is closer to The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth (less the devastating depression) than Hellboy or Pacific Rim.
While not his best work, it’s a great tribute to gothic romance movies. Recommended!


Ninja News

John Wiswell had a great week with a short story publication, another story being read on a podcast, and he’s contributing to SF Signal. Way to go, John!

Last week to enter the IWSG Anthology Contest! You have until Saturday, November 1. The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (blogging or Facebook) is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.


Make Me Wonder and the Minions team have paired up for a nationwide robotics competition for kids. The grand prize is a STEM field trip to California, where they'll be able to meet the artists who work on the Minions, present to engineers at Google, and learn about how games are made at EA. Deadline to enter is November 1.

New Releases!

Poltergeist’s Pleasure by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon, Kobo, and Goodreads

Boppity Blue and the Kangaroo That Stole His Shoe by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Under the Tuscan Moon by Denise Covey
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon AU

A Matter of Taste, From the Sweet to the Spicy, Romance for Every Palate
Featuring Queen of Diamonds by Sandra Cox
Find it on Amazon

Forever Lucky: Book Four by RaShelle Workman
This is the final instalment in her Lucky Clover Mystery Romance series.
Find it on Amazon

Veritas: Shadow of the Rose: Book Two by M. L. Chesley 
Find it at Amazon, iTunes, and Scribed







Battle of the Banned


Hosted by Shady Del Knight.

I’m also participating in X-Mas Dolly’s Monday’s Music Moves Me with this entry.

We’re running with a Halloween theme one final time.


First up – Dokken’s Dream Warriors from A Nightmare on Elm Street III:

Next, we have Lou Gramm’s Lost in the Shadows from The Lost Boys:

Halloween is creeping closer! Which song captures scares and thrills? You know the routine! Vote for your favorite.

The Listing Hop!

The brainchild of Bish Denham to celebrate eight years of blogging. I am helping co-host this blogfest – and it’s beyond simple!

The rules are:
Sign up, grab the banner and make a list.
Keep your list to between 5 and 25 items. You can list whatever you feel like (except for adult type content.)
Post on October 26 and visit fellow participants.

In celebration of the upcoming Star Wars film, I chose to do a list based on The Force Awakens.



Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens:

I wish Lucas had more involvement with this.

The villain was good, but not as terrifying as the trade federation from episode 1.

I was hoping for a two hour in depth explanation of midi-chlorians.

This film could use a healthy dose of Jar-Jar.

These character names are weird. Why couldn't they just use normal names like Dooku, Salacious Crumb, and Porkins?

Isn't this the same plot as the "Star Wars Holiday Special?”

How many Ewoks would I need to reupholster my couch? (Actually, somebody might say that).

I hope no one minds my Eau de freshly opened Tauntaun musk after shave.

I prefer my spaceship explosions to look like a Skittles factory just blew up.

So, which character is the love child of Han Solo and Chewbacca?

Visit other participants below:




What would you think of first in a global disaster? Have you seen Crimson Peak? Sent in your IWSG Anthology entry? Are your kids entered in the robotics competition? See some new books? Which song would you pick? And what is your list????


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, plus Dragon of the Stars Cover, November Movie Preview, Dragon and Ninja, 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 LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard and SL Hennessy! Be sure to thank them for their efforts.

We are a month away from the release of the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. So much effort has gone into this book, and I’m proud of the IWSG Admins for their efforts. And I’m very proud of the contributors – the book is packed with awesome information and tips!

I’m not insecure about that book.

However, I am nervous about the next step in my personal author journey.

April 7, 2015 is the official release date for my next (and last) book, Dragon of the Stars. (Yes, right in the middle of the A to Z Challenge. I may have a meltdown that month.)

However, I am not nervous about the cover art, which I finally got to see Monday afternoon:


One more time – can I do it?

My Dear Dragon Friend

The Dragon and Ninja, created by the amazing and talented Father Dragon Al, arrived last week.


Thank you, Al. You are one of the best friends I’ve ever had and an amazing person.


Ninja News

Leandra Wallace and many others have started an awesome new blog. Across the Board is a group blog featuring writers from all different genres, kidlit to adult, posting on Mondays and Thursdays. They love to have visitors stop by!

The Realms Faire is coming next week! And guess what – I am one of the jousting Knights. My joust is Monday and you can cheer for me then and throughout the week. Tons of prizes, from books to gift cards. Don’t miss it!






New Releases -

Wickedly They Dream by Catherine Constantine
After Seeley is possessed by an evil wraith, Jordan must dig deeper into the Satanic realm. Against Markus's direct orders she offers herself, body and should in a blood covenant to rescue Seeley from the clutches of hell. Jordan assumes her guardian angel will not leave her to fight along. But there's trouble in paradise, and Markus has been reassigned. Can Jordan defeat both her internal and external demons to win him back? Or is he gone for good this time?
Find it on Amazon

Max Blizzard and The Gem of Camelot by Pat Hatt

Yakuza Territory by Milo James Fowler

Guide to Hot Water Bath Canning by MJ Joachim





November Movie Preview

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

7 –

Interstellar
A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy
Nolan is an amazing director – feels like I’ve been waiting years for this one.

Big Hero 6
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Directors: Don Hall | Chris Williams
Stars: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, T.J. Miller
Marvel’s foray into kid friendly heroes – and the previews are pretty darn funny.




21 –

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
I’m looking forward to part ten where Katniss is eligible for social security benefits…

Extraterrestrial
A group of friends on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods find themselves terrorized by alien visitors.
Director: Colin Minihan
Stars: Brittany Allen, Freddie Stroma, Melanie Papalia, Jesse Moss
Part horror, part science fiction, all probing!





28 –

Penguins of Madagascar
Super spy teams aren't born...they're hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, from destroying the world as we know it.
Directors: Eric Darnell | Simon J. Smith
Stars: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch
Ninety-nine percent sure my wife will drag me to this one…

The Babadook 
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Director: Jennifer Kent
Stars: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Tim Purcell, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
Heard great things about this film, but doubt it will be playing anywhere in the Carolinas. (Thus I will be dragged to see Penguin movie above.)



What are your writing insecurities today? Picking up some new books? What do you think of Mini-Alex’s new friends? What movie catches your eye this month? Think I can survive another book release? And what do you think of the cover art…?