Insecure Writer’s Support Group! November Movie Preview, CassaSeries Giveaway, Movie Trivia Answers, 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 Joylene Novell Butler, Jen Chandler, Mary Aalgaard, Lisa Buie Collard, Tamara Narayan, Tyrean Martinson, and Christine Rains!

November Question – What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?
Connecting with others on every level - readers, fans, writers, friends.

The IWSG Anthology Contest has come to a close. There were some excellent entries this year! And a lot more than expected. We’ll be sending the best to the judges within a week or so. Big thanks to those who entered and helped spread the word. You guys rock!

It’s inspiring to read such a variety. It gave me an idea on how I might salvage my scrapped outline. I just need to go deeper and darker.

In the meantime, I was surprised to find out that in addition to my three Cassa books, the complete series is now available as an audio book and for a really great price.


Pick CassaSeries up at iTunes, Audible, and Audible.

And I have one copy to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit other IWSG participants!

Ninja News

RiffTrax: Live – Carnival of Souls was awesome! Review and more pre-show screen shots on Monday.







Many of you know Jean, the Bead Blogger Lady. She’s also a Vine Voice on Amazon and is back to reviewing on her blog, starting with a review of Big Flies

Stephen Hayes is giving away this beautiful painting! He’s an accomplished illustrator (and author) and this would be an incredible addition to anyone’s collection. For details, visit Stephen’s blog.

New releases:

Slient Whispers by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon

Phantasms by J.L. Campbell
Find it on Amazon

Native Shifter by Cindy Borgne
Native Shifter is a paranormal romance set in the mid 1770’s. It’s the first book in the Freedom Shifters Trilogy.
Find it on Amazon

Movie Trivia Answers

Mainstream Christian Movies –
1 – Jim Caviezel, crucifixion, 2004 - The Passion of the Christ
2 – Cecil B. DeMille, Jesus, 1927 - The King of Kings
3 – Books, Tilda Swinton, 2005 - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
4 – Moses, Yul Brynner, 1956 - The Ten Commandments
5 – Ralph Fiennes, plagues, 1998 - Prince of Egypt
6 – Animated, whale, 2002 - Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie
7 – Keisha Castle-Hughes, Joseph, 2006 - The Nativity Story

November Movie Preview

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

4 –

Doctor Strange
A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong
One part Iron Man, one part harry Potteresque mysticism and you’ve got… oh, what am I saying? This is going to be awesome!

Hacksaw Ridge
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Director: Mel Gibson
Stars: Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington
If you don’t have time for the two hour movie, just watch the two minute trailer and you’ve pretty much got it.



11 –

Arrival
A linguist is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Science fiction for those who want their brains engaged. Lasers, space battles, huge explosions, and Charlie Sheen not included.





18-

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz
One part Iron Man, one part harry Potteresque mysticism and you’ve got… crap, I said that already. Again, going to be awesome!

A Streetcat Named Bob
Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Stars: Bob, Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt
A sequel to the hugely popular Homeless Dog Name Larry and A Poor Ferret Named Earl.



25 –

Moana
A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
Directors: Ron Clements | John Musker | Don Hall | Chris Williams
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger
One of the few animated releases that doesn’t look like it was created on aisle five at Toys R Us.

Did you enter the IWSG Anthology Contest? What genre would you like to see next year? Feeling lucky? Get any of the movies right? What movies excite you for November? And who is participating in NaNo?

Monday I have a special guest, plus a full rundown of RiffTrax: Live – Carnival of Souls!

A to Z Challenge – Z – Cult Classics: Rob Zombie, Zap Gun, and More! Plus may Preview – San Andreas, Challenge Reflection Post, IWSG, and Ninja News

Last day of the Challenge – we did it!

A to Z Challenge– Cult Classics –Z

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

Movie –

Zardoz
This bizarre post-apocalyptic film was written, produced, and directed by John Boorman in 1974. It features star Sean Connery in the worst outfit ever.

Music –

Rob Zombie – Hellbilly Deluxe
His best-selling album to date, Rob’s first solo album away from White Zombie went Triple Platinum. Giving homage to horror films, the album featured such hits as Dragula and Living Dead Girl.

Science Fiction Book –

The Zap Gun by Philip K. Dick
This 1967 novel was originally published as a serial and was one of his earliest works.

Blogger –

PK Hrezo
Want to follow someone who is multi-talented in writing and in art? Follow someone with a genuine heart, compassion, and passion for what is right? Then you need to be following author PK!

Dragon of the Stars Term –

Zeal
Defined at ‘great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.’ While Aden’s pursuit of a command and the queen’s daughter is more dogged and methodical, Ensign Pavott’s pursuits are more heartfelt and passionate.

Dragon of the Stars is out now!
Check out the site What Are the Kargrandes? for clues as to how they tie into the story.

Ninja News

Next week will be the A to Z Challenge Reflections posts. Post your thoughts on this year’s Challenge anytime Monday-Friday and then add your direct link over at the A to Z Blog.

Don’t forget next Wednesday is Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day!


Reedsy is a great site for authors with tips and more, connecting writers with other industry professionals. They just started a new feature for authors to create a profile and integrate their social media, goodreads, amazon and blogging platform in one place. Get the details HERE.

Available today!
The Dragon Chronicles
Featuring a short story by Ted Cross - Dragon Play.


Cindy Borgne, who blogs at Dreamer’s Perch, has another blog called Good Book Alert. They are looking for indie authors to guest post, plus reviewers. If interested, see the site for details.

The Blood, Boobs, and Carnage Blogfest is May18 - movie/show/book that exemplifies the theme. (Or part of theme.) Hosted by me and Heather Gardner.

May Movie Preview

Here is the final upcoming theatrical release for May. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

May 29 -

San Andreas
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.
Director: Brad Peyton
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino, Colton Haynes
Fissures will open, buildings will crumble, and pecs will jiggle.

Have you suffered through Zardoz? Fan of Rob Zombie? Ready for the IWSG next week? Signed up for the blogfest? Going to see San Andreas? And how do you feel about the end of the Challenge…?

(I am BEAT! I’ll be taking Friday OFF and enjoying Avengers: Age of Ultron and some time with my wife. Catch up with comments on Saturday.)

And if you missed it, yesterday I visited Janice Hardy’s Fiction University and discussed the pros and cons of small presses.

Cindy Borgne Discusses Wormholes, Ninja News, Celebrating Small Things, Mini-Alex and his Peeps, Special Thanks, and Movie Quotes Trivia

Today I welcome fellow science fiction author, Cindy Borgne!

Wormholes:

In my first book “Seer of Mars”, the main reason for mankind coming to Mars is a long-term project to reach an Earth-like planet called Hinun in the Cancri fifty-five system, which is almost identical to our solar system. Someone told me that it sounded so Star Wars-ish like the Dagobah system.

However, Mars and Cancri 55 are real places, and for the sequel “Visionary of Peace”, I needed to answer a question. How do they plan to reach Hinun? Finally, I settled on using a wormhole for travel purposes - maybe because they’re more artistic.

Although a wormhole has never been created, they aren’t just something from science fiction. The theory for them is based in physics. This led to the challenge of my characters creating the first wormhole in the most difficult of circumstances. Early attempts were less than impressive. At first, my physicists ended up generating small, unpredictable wormholes only capable of lasting for a few seconds in a lab.

No such thing as a small wormhole you say? According to astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, “wormholes may exist in quantum foam, the smallest environment in the universe. Here, tiny tunnels constantly blink in and out of existence, momentarily linking separate places and time.”

Yet even small wormholes don’t run on thin air and need something to generate them. I needed exotic matter – another conceptual aspect of physics. Where could I get this stuff? When reading the definitions for exotic matter.

Exotic Matter: Any kind of matter that is not made up of baryons (protons and neutrons) and has both negative energy density and negative pressure or tension that exceeds the energy density.

How rambling is that?

However, the biggest problem with the small, short-term wormhole is that it has no use in reaching Hinun. Still, I couldn’t let the dream of reaching Hinun die for my long suffering characters. I needed something more and I found it.

Thanks for having me today, Alex.

Find Cindy - Blog, Website, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon
And her books - Visionary of Peace and Seer of Mars

Ninja News

Angela Brown’s book, Frailties of the Bond, is now available – congratulations, Angela!

Kelley Lynn’s book, Fraction of Stone, was released on Thursday! Congratulations, Kelley.
She’s on her blog tour right now and you can win a copy of her book. Check her site for details.


Misha Gericke announced the categories for this month’s Paying it Forward Awards:
Blogger Who Makes the Bloggosphere Amazing
Blogger With Unrivaled Determination
Blogger With Amazing Team Spirit
Blogger Who Brightens Every Day
Visit her blog to cast your nominations now!

And for VikLit’s “Celebrating the Small Things,” I have two things I'm celebrating!
First, this is post number 600. Whoa!
Second, I have over 1800 followers now. Double whoa!!

Mini-Alex and His Peeps

Mini-Alex may not get out much, but he does have friends!

Here he is hanging with his peeps, admiring Robyn Alana Engel’s book, Just the Right Time!

And it’s really cold today, so he hopes his scarf arrives soon.

Special Peeps

I want to mention two special ladies.

As I’ve noted before, my guest post guidelines state that I only allow blogger buddies.

I get requests every week, and I’m polite when I explain my guidelines and why. Most I never hear from again. One guy unfollowed me immediately.

However, two ladies, once I explained how it works, decided to become my blogger buddies. Two out of hundreds.

Joylene Nowell Butler and Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, I want to thank you for taking that step. You two can guest post anytime you like!

Movie Trivia

Movie quotes today – all science fiction! Name the movie – and the actor/character if you can:

1 – “If this is foreplay, I’m a dead man.”

2 – “The Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, ‘We will not go quietly into the night…’”

3 – “His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking.”

4 – “Can I ask you a personal question? Have you ever retired a human by mistake?”

5 - “I just want to know that it’s really happening.”

Ready to read Cindy's books? Nominating someone for the Paying it Forward Awards? Ready to hang with Mini-Alex and his Peeps? And know any of the trivia answers?

Ninja News, 1304-The Harbinger, Blogfest Overload, and Movie Trivia!

Ninja News

The second book in the Vallar series by Cindy Borgne is available now. Congratulations, Cindy!

Purchase the book here at Amazon. And the first book is currently ninety-nine cents at Amazon.

Ali Cross’ latest, a middle grade sci fi adventure titled JUMP BOYS: SOS, is out now. (And I’d like to add that she chose an awesome pen name.)


Don't forget the Wednesday Movie Quote returns with one from a romantic comedy!

Cover Reveal

1304 – The Harbinger (The 13th Floor series, #4)
By Christine Rains
Genre: paranormal romance
Release date: March 13th, 2013

Meira Harper loves both her jobs: talking about beautiful shoes and fetching souls for Zeus. But the Thunder God threatens the harpy's loyalty to her job when she receives the call to bring the soul of gorgeous Sam Wright. Meira pleads with her boss to let him live. Zeus agrees, but Sam must fight for his life. If Sam can win three challenges, he can keep his soul.
The gods never play fairly, though, so Meira needs to find ways to help Sam with the challenges. She cannot outwardly cross her master, but she refuses to let the man she loves lose his soul. They haven't even had a chance to start a life together.
Sam's soul is on the line. Meira's will be too if she's caught, but that's a risk she's willing to take.

Find Christine Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blogfest Overload?

There are a lot of upcoming blogfests. Is it overload? Have we saturated the novelty of a blogfest?

I think we’re seeing a lot right now because people are trying to host one before the A to Z Challenge begins. (Blogfests, book tours, etc. are difficult to do during the Challenge since so many are focused on the Challenge itself.)

Too many? Perhaps, but I enjoy the sense of community and involvement. Besides, most are just fun!

And if you’ve missed some of the announcements, here’s a list:

Today and February 20 - Elise Fallson and Michelle at Writer In Transit are hosting the She Said What Blogfest.

February 20 - Jamie at Mithril Wisdom and Allison at Geek Banter are hosting the Level Up! Blogfest.

March 1 – M Pax, Suze, and Nicki Elson are hosting the Back From the Future Blogfest.

March 1 - Clare Dugmore and Kyra Lennon are hosting the Bloghop of Joy.

March 14 - Stephen Tremp, Laura Eno, LG Smith are hosting the National Wormhole Day Blogfest.

March 15 - Mark Koopmans is hosting his annual Got Green Blog O’ Hop.

March 18 is my Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest.

All of April – the A to Z Challenge.

Ongoing –

First Wednesday of every month - Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Every Friday - Celebrate the Small Things, hosted by VikLit.

Once a month is Writers4Writers

And this Friday only, my CassaStorm Cover Reveal! Big thanks to those who’ve signed up to help with the reveal on February 22.
(I finally saw my cover last Friday afternoon – it rocks!)

Movie Trivia

Name the science fiction (ish) movie featuring these actors:

1 – Kurt Russell and James Spader, 1994

2 – Peter Weller and Nancy Allen, 1987

3 – Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, 1995

4 – Ron Pearlman and John Hurt, 2004

5 – Lori Petty and Ice-T, 1995

6 – Keanu Reeves and George Carlin, 1989

See some cool new books you need to pick up? Think we've hit blogfest overload? How many have you signed up for before the A to Z Challenge begins? (Did I miss any?) And do you know any of the trivia answers?