Big Bang Theory and Sitcoms, Thy Geekdom Comes, Alex’s you Rock Awards, and Movie News

The Big Bang Theory Ends

The Big Bang Theory aired its final episode last week and it gave the series a great and heartfelt finish. It was consistently funny over twelve seasons and showed us the lives of many engaging and interesting (and geeky!) characters. We were sad the watch the finale and yet thankful it ended on a high note. (Unlike Game of Thrones, these writers liked their fans!)

Sitcoms come and go. It’s a rare one that can touch our hearts, make us laugh, and cause us to root for the characters as if they were real people.

So in honor of The Big Bang Theory, I decided to list some of the greatest sitcoms ever. It would definitely be in the top ten. Two of the entries are by people who did not one but two very successful sitcoms. In no particular order - except for number one:

M*A*S*H (best sitcom ever!)
The Office
The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart
WKRP in Cincinatti
Cheers
Hogan’s Heroes
Gilligan’s Island
The Goldbergs
Home Improvement/Last Man Standing
Happy Days
The Andy Griffith Show

Some noteables are missing just because they never jived with me – Friends, Frasier, etc.

What are some of your most favorite sitcoms?

Movie News

JoBlo posted about Mel Gibson’s Wild Bunch remake:
As this year's Cannes Film Festival continues to set up promising deals for some of Hollywood's most in-demand projects, the word around the circuit is that Mel Gibson is enaged in early talks with Michael Fassbender, Jamie Foxx and Peter Dinklage to star in the BRAVEHEART helmer's remake of THE WILD BUNCH. Billed as a contemporary take on director Sam Peckinpah's 1969 Western classic, the film centers on a group of aging outlaws fixin' to ride into the sunset after one last score.

JoBlo also posted the top ten cancelled television shows. I certainly agree with their listing of Firefly and Agent Carter.

Grumpy Cat passed away last week at the age of seven.

Coming May 31 on #DCUniverse - The Swamp Thing

And it’s not movie news, but maybe it could be one day…
New release - Leaves of Fall by Patricia Lynne
Armory was born into a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by war between man and nature. Trees are the enemy. But when she’s kidnapped by nomads and taken far from her home, a tree nymph is the one who comes to her rescue…
Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and Smashwords

Thy Geekdom Come

Available May 25!

Thy Geekdom Come: 42 Fandom-Inspired Devotionals

Do you dream of dragons, understand Klingon, or consider Pocky your favourite snack? Do you wish there was a book that mashed your faith and fandom together? Delving into the worlds of superheroes, science fiction, anime, fantasy, and video games, Thy Geekdom Come—written by a group of authors and pastors from a variety of Christian backgrounds—relates these tales to an almighty, loving God who is ever present in our beloved franchises. From Doctor Who to The Lord of the Rings, stories impact our lives and can point the way to what is holy if we dare to look.

I had the honor of reading this book before it was published, and it’s perfect for the Christian geek!

Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Alex’s You Rock Awards

Every year I do this, I think that next year will be easier. I’ve done it for years – surely I’ve given it to the people who matter? Then crap – I have double the number on my list. You guys are all my blogger buddies and deserve high accolades for sticking with me over the years. I hope next year making this decision isn’t as difficult.

First, here are the previous recipients of the award, some of whom no longer blog… Arlee, Yvonne, RaShelle, Hannah, Jeffrey, Gail, Rusty, Chuck, George, Jeremy, Matthew, Old Kitty, Ella, M Pax, Roland, Melissa, Robyn, Lynda, Michael, Heather, Stephen, Father Dragon Al, the late Tina, Damyanti, Edi, Karen, Elizabeth, Suze, Susan, Pat, Jo, Michelle, Brandon and Bryan, Christine, Truedessa, Rachna Chhabria, Fundy Blue, Hank Kaykuala, JH Moncrieff, Nilanjana Bos, Liza, Yolanda Renee, Spacer Guy, Elsie Amata, L. Diane Wolfe, Natalie Aguirre, Sandra Cox, and C. Lee McKenzie

And now, this year’s You Rock award winners are…

Elizabeth Seckman Elizabeth is an author and the mother of four boys. You know she is tough! And yet she’s the easiest person I know to get along with. An Insecure Writer’s Support Group admin and fellow Dragon Fellowship member, I’ve really come to know Elizabeth well during the past few years. We could definitely hang. Elizabeth, you rock!

Magic Love Crow The first thing you notice with this young lady is her strength. And her creativity. She paints and draws and designs, and crows are a big part of it. They are her joy, and thus, our joy. I can always count on her for joyous uplifting. Magic Love Crow, you rock!

Birgit Birgit’s blog is BB Creations and she showcases her amazing handmade cards. Every Thursday, she posts her movie picks as per a set theme, and it’s clear she loves cinema. We met so many years ago, and it’s her enthusiasm that keeps me coming back. Birgit, you rock!

JE Oneil JE is the epitome of snark. From her etymology posts to her ‘from the spam files,’ she shows you humor with an attitude. Let’s not forget her Saturday stick figures! She may seem annoyed with the world, but JE is dedicated to her passions and her friends. JE, you rock!

LG Keltner LG is an author and mother of three. (Well, maybe four by the time this is posted!) She’s been a dedicated IWSG member for years and her stories have been the top winner for two of our four anthology contests. But I just like her genuine nature and willingness to give to others. It’s refreshing. LG, you rock!

Chemist Ken Ken is a Harry Potter fan and long suffering writer. He’s also quite proud of his ranking on the IWSG blog list. Ken’s been a dedicated friend for years and his insights into writing are so valuable. Ken, you rock!

Sherry Ellis Last but not least is author Sherri Ellis. She runs two blogs (the second is Gone Gardening) and she’s also an accomplished musician. But more than that, Sherry has heart and a great sense of humor. We need more people like her in the world! Sherry, you rock!

I had so many more on the list! You are all awesome to me.

Did you watch the final episode of The Big Bang Theory? What do you consider to be the greatest sitcoms ever? Ready for a new The Wild Bunch or The Swamp Thing? Picking up They Geekdom Come? And are you following this year’s Alex’s You Rock award recipients?

Next Monday is a holiday here (Memorial Day) and I will be offline all week. Catch you June fifth for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

Melissa Maygrove: Boxes and Lizards, Book Trailers Still Relevant, Movie Review, Symphony X Underworld Review, War Movie Trivia, IWSG Updates, and Ninja News

The wonderful Melissa Maygrove joins us today to discuss history, boxes, and lizards.

I’m grateful to Alex for offering to host me today, but I wasn’t sure what to write about. After pondering possible topics, I decided to give you a brief history lesson.

C’mon, c’mon. I promise it won’t be that bad. There’s even a giveaway!

The box social was the Match.com of our ancestors. Young ladies would each box up a homemade meal, and young men would bid on them. The winner got to share the meal with the lady who brought the box.

In Precious Atonement, the boxes contain desserts, and the men joke about hiding a lizard inside of one of them. That scene was the inspiration for this post.

Below are three boxes. One of them contains a lizard. (Humor me and engage your suspension of disbelief. *grin*) Leave a comment by midnight, central ‘Texas’ time Friday, August 14, saying which box you think it is. All visitors who have the correct answer will be entered in a drawing for a free e-book of Precious Atonement. The winner will be announced on Monday, August 17.

Who says history can’t be fun. :)

Find Melissa at her blog and website.

Find Precious Atonement at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Ninja News

Today’s Themes That Rocked the Challenge feature at the A to Z Blog is Jenn from Scribbles From Jenn. She dared to enter… The Twilight Zone!

Out now!

Black Magic and Mojitos: A Zyan Star Novelette by A.A. Chamberlynn

Find it on Amazon

Find Alexia: blog Twitter, and Amazon page.

Available now!

The Rat Killer and other Weird War Tales by Sean McLachlan

Find it on Amazon and Smashwords

And sorry, no Fantastic Four review. Did you see the reviews? It’s 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and the reviews have been less than kind:
Much of Josh Trank's abysmal "Fantastic Four" is set in a barren place called Planet Zero - and you may feel stranded there yourself for all 100 minutes of this plodding, joyless and stillborn Marvel reboot. - Lou Lumenick
Fantastic Four feels like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens. – Todd McCarthy
A movie so dull and awkwardly structured that you wonder why anyone would dare telegraph a sequel at the end. – Kurt Loder
Yes, a sequel is scheduled, but I doubt it will happen now. Fox, just sell it to Disney. Three strikes and you’re out.

And the results of last week’s Battle of the Banned, hosted by Shady Del Knight, featuring covers of Ballroom Blitz by The Sweet:
Krokus – fourteen votes (including mine)
The Offspring – six
Nuclear Assault - eight

IWSG

Thanks again for another awesome posting day for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

There were so many awesome posts and my co-hosts rocked.

Those of you who’ve never co-hosted before don’t know what you are missing. It’s ten times better on the host side. Here are some of the comments I received from my co-hosts this month:

I had a fabulous time visiting the sites and was amazed by the outpouring of comments on my blog.

I have been having a blast co-hosting the #IWSG, thank you for the opportunity.

I was surprised by the variety of posts, from humorous to thoughtful to very personal and tried to leave thoughtful and/or helpful comments.

It was fun and I got the most comments ever!

I’ll be looking for co-hosts for the last three months of the year soon. Plus, we are announcing the most awesome contest and opportunity ever on September 2. You don’t want to miss it.

I cull the list every month, removing as many non-participants as possible. I feel bad removing people, but it’s not fair to those who are posting and looking for other IWSG posts on the list. If you are cut, you can always sign back up when you’re ready.

Chemist Ken posted about perseverance last Wednesday and used Melissa Maygrove’s climb up the IWSG list as an example – and it’s hilarious!

Especially the graph.

You have to check it out.


Finally, this was something I created for Karen Lange. It was one of my guest posts for my Dragon of the Stars tour, and she asked if I could create a graphic that highlighted each point I covered. Karen shared it recently, and now I am sharing it with you.

Are Book Trailers Still Relevant?

I haven’t noticed as many book trailers being released lately, which is a bit of a bummer. I know they require money and time (my publisher created trailers for my first three books, but didn’t have time to produce one for Dragon of the Stars) but I’ve always enjoyed watching them.

What do you think? Book trailers still cool? Require too much effort? Do you enjoy them?

And since I have a lot of new followers who may not have seen any of my trailers, here is the very first one for CassaStar:

Movie Review

From The Dark
This Irish film finds a couple stranded in the countryside after a farmer has awakened a vampire-like creature.
This was a simple film that certainly had promise. But that was utterly destroyed by the use of every bad horror cliché known to man – characters splitting up, car stuck, cell phones don’t work, flashlight dies, etc. Not to mention the characters do some of the dumbest things throughout the film. (Example – the creature is afraid of light, yet the woman walks around with a box of matches, lighting them one by one. My wife spent the final third of the film screaming at the woman, ‘Light something on fire. Anything!’)
The one thing the film had going for it was atmosphere. Too bad it’s not enough to save the film.
Not recommended.

Music Review

Symphony X – Underworld

I am a long-time fan of the band, and this is one of their most accomplished albums yet. Conceptually, the album deals with Dante’s Inferno. (Or, what would you go to hell and back for?)
As a fan of hard rock and metal, this is some of the craziest guitar work I’ve ever heard. (Yes, this novice is in total awe.)
If you like progressive rock and want to hear some of the greatest shreddings ever, don’t hesitate to pick up this album.

Movie Trivia!

It’s been a while! The theme is war movies or those that take place during a war. Name the movie from the actors listed:

1 – Hugo Weaving, Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones 2011

2 – Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland 1967

3 – Jude Law, Joseph Finnes, Rachel Weisz 2001

4 – Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan 1995

5 – Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender 2009

Answers next Monday!

Which box holds the lizard? Anyone have the misfortune of seeing Fantastic Four? Or From the Dark? Enjoy last week’s IWSG? If you’ve been a co-host, would you agree it was even more fun than just posting? Fan of Symphony X or prog rock? What’s your opinion on book trailers? And can you get any of the trivia right?

A to Z Challenge – C – Cult Classics: The Crow, Cheap Trick, Childhood’s End, and More!

Today my tour stop is with the delightful C. Lee McKenzie at The Write Game. My topic - Curious About the Kargrandes? Want to know what real-life creature inspired the Kargrandes? Hop over and check it out!

A to Z Challenge – Cult Classics – C

Movies-Music-Sci-fi Book-Bloggers-Dragon Term

Movies –

The Crow
Brandon Lee’s last film, the movie carried a sad and haunting touch that could never be duplicated. Both the movie and the soundtrack did well, with the music winning several awards.

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Quirky and twisted, this film features a most unusual dish. Originally unrated due to nudity and graphic scenes, it starred Helen Mirren as the wife.

Music Album –

Cheap Trick – Dream Police
They were already popular in Japan, but this album put them on the map in the USA and became their best seller in 1979.

Science Fiction Book –

Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clark
Released in 1953, the story depicts a peaceful alien invasion. It’s been slated for film adaptation many times, including the SyFy Channel’s planned mini-series this year, but nothing has come to pass yet.

Bloggers –

Chemist Ken at My Hogwart’s Sabbatical
Are you a fan of Harry Potter and fantasy? Want to journey along with a writer finding his way? Want some great writing links every Friday? Then you need to follow this awesome dude!

Constantine
Want to meet a talented writer with a genuine heart? One who gives far more than she receives? Someone who’s dedicated and involved? The you need to visit Constantine!

Susan at The Contemplative Cat
Enjoy short fiction and poetry from one who excels at challenges? Like posts with a very human touch? Then you can do no wrong following this woman of faith and honor!

Dragon of the Stars Term –

Ceteroll –
The planet of Hyrath ‘s oceans cover more mass than that of earth, and the result is a wide variety of sea kelp that is used for food and fuel. It’s also used to make the drug of choice – Ceteroll. Used as a pain killer in medicine, it’s also a pleasure drug used for relaxing. The green liquid can be added to any drink and many of Hyrath’s royalty use it on a daily basis.

Dragon of the Stars comes out April 7, 2015
Check out the site What Are the Kargrandes? for clues as to how they tie into the story.

And just a couple days left to join the Thunderclap campagin for the book!

To prepare for the launch of Dragon of the Stars next week, my publisher has dropped the price of CassaStorm to .99 cents at Amazon. (If you prefer ePub, it’s also on sale at Dancing Lemur Press.) CassaStorm is my highest rated book, winner of the Pinnacle Achievement Book Award, and was an eFestival of Books 2014 Winner.

If anyone would like to Tweet about the sale, I would appreciate it:
Award-winning & best-selling CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh on sale for .99! http://tinyurl.com/q8dq3se @alexjcavanaugh #99cents #scifi

Ninja News

Available today!
Over the Garden Fence by Patsy Collins
Find it on Amazon






And look at the really awesome mug I won from Elizabeth Seckman! (I was top commenter on her blog tour for Defying Reason.) Is that not perfect? Elizabeth rocks!

Watched either of those movies? (And if you’ve seen the second one, what did you think of the ending?) Fan of Cheap Trick or Clarke? Following those awesome bloggers? Picked up your copy of CassaStorm yet? And who could use a good dose of Ceteroll right now…?

Don’t forget to visit C. Lee McKenzie!