Movie Reviews, Ninja News, and the A to Z Challenge!

How was everyone’s Christmas? Mine rocked – so many geek toys – and my wife was thrilled with her gifts. Score one for the Ninja…

I’m back in time to share my reflection post over at the A to Z Challenge blog. What’s the A to Z Challenge? Only the most awesome, largest blogfest of its kind! Started by Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out, the Challenge is blogging the Alphabet during the month of April – posting daily with Sundays off for good behavior. The first year we only had a hundred participants. This year, we had over twelve hundred. Next year – who knows?! Right now, Arlee is featuring reflection posts from this year’s Challenge and today is my post! I also have the honor of co-hosting again in 2012. Want to know more about the A to Z Challenge? Then check it out!

Now a recap, some news, and two movie reviews!

In case you missed my blogging tips for writers, they are now up at Daily Write. Thanks to those of you who came back for the link last week!

The Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors continues this week. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway HERE – win a copy of CassaStar and review copy of CassaFire!

Speaking of CassaFire, Edi’s Book Lighthouse posted the most amazing review I’ve ever read. The one authors dream of receiving. I read it thinking “Wow, I want to read that book. Oh crap, it’s MY book!” Read it and you’ll understand what I mean.

Thanks to all who voted! The Movie411 Awards were announced last week – I won Best Sci-Fi Blog second year in a row. Won’t be three though, as I’m withdrawing my blog to give others a chance. AND – I’m a judge next year! Thanks for the honor, Dempsey.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 
I’ve always enjoyed this series, and with this film, they achieved the perfect balance of action and humor. The inclusion of Simon Pegg ensures some laugh-worthy moments. There are some incredible action sequences and breathtaking locations. The scene involving the Burj Khalifa building is beyond tense. Incredible effects make you believe Cruise is really scaling the side of the world’s tallest building. (Or, maybe he was?) Another great installment in this franchise!

Warhorse 
Spielberg does a pretty good stupid horse film. Visually impressive and sentimental, it’s also very intense. And at two and a half hours, it’s a bit too long for the intensity. However, it’s an amazing journey this horse goes on, changing hands and sides many times, with a strong message of bravery.
 
Be sure to check out the A to Z Challenge blog today!

Have you already entered my contest? Read the blogging tips and review from Heaven? Seen either of those two movies? Watched Drew Brees break Dan Marino's passing record? Ready for Friday’s preview of upcoming January movies? That’s right - January 2012!! Are you ready for another year?!?!?!?!

Movie Reviews! Free books! Ninjas on Holiday!

Dogs and cats, living together – mass hysteria!

And this Ninja is going on holiday. (Rusty don’t panic when you don’t see my regular posts.) I won’t post again until after Christmas, although I will be lurking…

My guest post is now up at Daily Write, offering tips for writers who blog. Damyanti must think I know what I’m doing!

Today it’s my turn at the Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors! 

Before I dive into all that, I’ve got a couple movie reviews for you. Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Like the first film, this movie is a lot of fun and full of great humor. The action set pieces were solid and I enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between Holmes and Morarity. And of course, the interplay between Holmes and Watson is priceless. Another solid entry and I can’t wait for another Sherlock Holmes movie! Between this and Iron Man, Downey is set for life.

Arthur Christmas 
The perfect Christmas movie for the kids, old and young! It was cute and laugh out loud funny. Really sweet spirit and message about dedication to a belief and to family. From the creators of Flushed Away and featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, and Bill Nighy. I actually liked it better than The Muppets. Take the kids and go!

Now the main feature! The Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors is three weeks of giveaways – and today, I’m the highlight.

CassaStar 

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…
Few options remain for Byron, a talented young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude. Slated to train as a Cosbolt pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life. Much to his chagrin, Bassa, the toughest instructor in the fleet, takes notice of the young pilot. As war brews on the edge of space, Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive. Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

Available in all eBook forms and at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon UK.

If sucked into CassaStar… I’d be Byron. (I mean really, who else who I be?) If made into a movie, Byron would be played by Chris Pine.

The Giveaway- (Because I’m not telling you all of this for nothing!)
Copy of CassaStar 
Review copy of CassaFire, due out February 28, 2011 – see five star reviews on Edi’s Book Lighthouse and Fantasy Nibbles!
Bookmarks, postcards, and stuff, courtesy of my publisher

To enter-
Leave a comment - must be a followers
Tweet this giveaway for a second entry (hashtag #CASSA)
Blog about this giveway for another entry (please let me know if you do!)

Open through December 31, 2011 – Winner announced on January 4, 2012

Even if you have a copy, it would make an awesome gift. (Or doorstop, although it’s not that big.)

Comment and don't forget my Ninja tips at Daily Write!

Everyone have a wonderful, blessed Christmas - however you celebrate the holidays!

Any one else see Sherlock Holmes? Following the Debutante Ball? In need of writer blogging tips? Catch the movie quote at the beginning of this post?

Deja Vu Blogfest - A SyFy Classic!

DL Hammons of Cruising Altitude fame, along with several others, is hosting the Déjà vu Blogfest today!

Before I jump into the blogfest, just a reminder – this is the last weekend to vote in the The Movie 411 Awards! I’m up for Best Sci-Fi Blog and Best Blog Post for The Worst Movies Ever Blogfest and I’m not above groveling. Need help with Best Post!!! Don’t forget to vote for my buddies Cinemarvellous! iZombie! Melissa’s Imaginarium and MsMariah’s Space Blog-yssey

I did tie for Best Writing Blog over at A Peek at Karen’s World. Tied with Jennifer Hillier! Damn, I should’ve lost by a landslide. Jennifer is just so amazing.  Thanks, Karen!

On a sad note, has anyone heard from Ellie Garrett? She was taking a short break to write, but Jeremy and I have both sent emails and she hasn’t responded!

The Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors continues with stops at Joseph Beekman December 16 and Pendragon Innmen December 17. Then on Monday, it’s my turn. Lots of cool things to win!
 

And now on to the blogfest!

When DL announced the Déjà vu Blogfest, I knew instantly which post I wanted to select. My older followers will remember I’ve done play-by-plays of some of SyFy’s more craptastic movies, but none beat this cinematic marvel:

I give you - Sharktopus – A Play By Play. Enjoy!

My thoughts while watching Sharktopus, recorded by the minute. 

3 min – The “ding” of the elevator sounds just like my microwave oven chime. 

7 min – They didn’t waste any time with pesky details like plot or exposition. 

10 min – Roger Corman must have pictures of Eric Roberts with a donkey or something. 

13 min – Roberts isn’t even trying. I think he’s cold-reading the script from cue cards. 

15 min – Hot woman on beach – the movie is getting better. 

16 min – Oh wait, Sharktopus killed her. Movie sucks again. 

19 min – Not so attractive woman goes bungee jumping. I’m okay with her dying. 

30 min – Various shots of sun-soaked, bikini-clad hotties flashes across the screen. This should be the centerpiece of the film. 

37 min – Sharktopus attacks sunbathers. The CGI is so bad I find myself growing nostalgic for a guy in a big rubber suit. 

42 min – A man tells Roberts there’s something on TV he has to see. I’m pretty sure it’s not Sharktopus. 

44 min – The lead actress’s voice keeps shifting from British to American. She must’ve studied at the Kevin Costner Robin Hood School of Acting. 

51 min - Is there enough alcohol in the house to get through this movie? 

62 min – Pretty sure Roberts is drunk. Lucky bastard. 

64 min – They should rename “SyFy Saturday Night” to “SyFy Saturday Craptacular.” 

73 min – The upside to being eaten by Sharktopus: you don’t have to sit through the rest of Sharktopus. 

80 min – A pirate radio DJ mocks Sharktopus and is devoured. This is a life lesson, people! 

83 min – Sharktopus just pantsed some guy. That was… awkward. 

93 min – No really, Roberts is hammered. The guy was on a three-day bender shooting this film. 

98 min – The movie just morphed into a Puerto Vallarta travelogue. Or a bad Bollywood film. Not sure which. 

107 min – Roberts is killed by Sharktopus and there was much rejoicing. 

110 min – Our hero now intends to run over Sharktopus with a minivan. Hope he’s insured. 

122 min – Sharktopus is arrested on tax evasion charges. Movie over. 

Now you don't have to waste two hours of your life! You can thank me later... 

Visit Cruising Altitude for the list of participants.

Anyone else suffer through this craptastic film? Following the Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors? Want to know what you can win here on Monday? Going to see Sherlock Holmes this weekend? Still wondering what the hell is a Sharktopus…?

Major Ninja News!

No, the Ninja Captain has not changed rank – I just have a lot of cool stuff for you guys today.

First, I have the honor of a guest post at Melissa’s Imaginarium! Melissa is awesome in every way possible, so please visit her. And Thursday is her birthday!

The Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors continues! December 13 was Regan Guerra, December 14 is Melissa Pearl, and December 15 is Joseph Beekman. Lots of cool things to win!

Our very own Talli Roland has a new book out – Build A Man! Yeah, I know you ladies would rather do that then deal with us… Talli is the most supportive and cutest English-Canadian you will ever meet, so go say hey!

One of my most favorite blogger buddies, Yvonne Lewis at Welcome to My World of Poetry, has a new book -“Written From the Heart” Yvonne has worked SO hard on her second book and so many things went wrong in the process. Please stop by and congratulate her and check out her book!!!

Voting is still open for The Movie 411 Awards.

The most successful author I know is Milo James Fowler at In Media Res. He’s sold dozens of short stories this year, and that is due in part to his participation in Write1Sub1:

Once upon a time, Ray Bradbury was a struggling young writer in love with the craft. He wrote a short story every week, polished it up, and submitted it to a magazine. Rejection letters flooded in, mainly due to his prolific number of submissions, but there were also acceptances along the way, and they inspired Bradbury to keep doing what he loved: telling stories as only he could.

This year, over 150 writers decided to follow in Mr. Bradbury’s footsteps by joining Write1Sub1. Some have written and submitted a new story or poem every week, and some have done so every month. So far, more than 40 participants have had their work accepted by over 100 different markets—from Twitter fiction to pro-paying, SFWA-qualifying short story markets—and we've cheered each other on every step of the way. But we've also been there to commiserate with disappointments and rejections, because that’s what Write1Sub1 is all about: community. We're dedicated to creating high-quality written works, and we're determined to submit them until they find good homes.

It's never too late to join as either a weekly or monthly participant, and Write1Sub1 RELOADED is only a few weeks away: 1/1/2012!

David Powers King co-founded Ink Pageant, a parade of blog posts for writers!

We want to help writers improve their craft and reach their goals.
We're not alone. There are scads of authors and aspiring writers out there willing to help each other, and they're willing to share advice through their blogs. We want to help bring it to you and make it easy to find.
Ink Pageant has a few other purposes. You can share recommended reading or sell your books through your profile page; announce book signings, conferences, and other events; and share movie or book reviews. Most importantly, posts you submit can be put in front of an interested audience, benefitting them and bringing your blog a little extra traffic.
Right now their December giveaway is an in-depth 10 page critique from Eschler Editing – check it out HERE

See some good books? Ready to tackle Write1Sub1? Join Ink Pageant? Head about to explode from all the news? Now, go visit Melissa’s Imaginarium!

The Ease of Making a Book Trailer - NOT!!!

Today I have something that will rock your world – an awesome author and the premier of a brand new trailer. Ciara Knight is here to share her experience of creating a book trailer. (And after reading it, I’m really glad my publisher does all the work!) If you’ve created your own trailer, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, well I hope this doesn’t scare you into a quivering pile of goo…

I’m so excited and nervous about this book trailer. I mean, maybe if it’s good enough I’ll be accepted into Alex’s Ninja Army! Hey, I can dream, right?

I have to admit, designing and creating my first book trailer was an interesting experience. You see, I’m always full of crazy ideas, it’s the execution I struggle with.

First off, I thought I’d contact a local art school to see if one of the students would be interested in creating a book trailer for me. I ended up with a few responses and even met someone for lunch to discuss it, but even the students wanted a LOT of money to create what I wanted. I came home to Mr. Knight and told him about what I’d have to pay for a book trailer and he laughed for about five minutes. Okay, so first brilliant idea squashed.

I did some research and came up with my second brilliant idea, I’ll do it myself. Hey, my heroine in The Curse of Gremdon, Arianna, isn’t scared of anything. I decided to channel my inner Arianna and go for it. Why not? I mean, I can figure it out. I’ll buy a book or something. What could be so difficult? We already had Adobe Premiere Pro, so I was set.

After about eighteen hours of watching You Tube instructional videos I knew how to create a new project, import, and use some of the special effects. Great! I was set. I grabbed my husband’s HD video camera and headed for a hike near our home. Oh, did I mention my knee and foot were swollen. No worries, if Arianna can battle hideous creatures with nothing more than a dagger, I could make it through a hike. I gimped for a mile using the monopod as a walking aid (don’t tell Mr. Knight about that) and set up for some great footage. Of course, I had to choose a day that every hiker in the southeast was out. Finally, I take the PERFECT video, hobble all the way back to my car, and return home for a couple of ice packs.

My husband pulls the video in and we discover the monopod did absolutely no good. It looked like I’d been on a caffeine high when I took the video. Hope is not lost because Mr. Knight says that he might be able to stabilize the video in Adobe, so I get to work creating my awesome book trailer. Ten hours later, I’ve got my video in there, I’ve learned how to make it look like the woods are changing to fall, then make it go dark. I’ve pulled in images. Hey, it’s looking pretty good.

Mr. Knight arrives home and says, “The video needed to be stabilized first.” Um…seriously? Geesh, maybe this entire book trailer thing wasn’t such a great idea. No, I’m not going to give up. Arianna would never give up so easy. I wait for hubby to stabilize the video for me, because he knew how and I didn’t have eighteen more hours to watch You Tube instructional videos.

The next day I pull up his video and it looks great. I spend all day, while my little monsters are at school, working on the trailer. Mr. Knight arrives home that evening and takes a look. “Well, I think we need to start over.” At this point I realize I’m not Arianna and it’s probably a good thing, because if I had her dagger in my hand I might have harmed my husband.

The next day Mr. Knight started over and spent all of his day off working on it for me. At that point I realized I’m nothing like Arianna, but we did have one thing in common. A great hero to watch our back.

I hope you like the trailer my awesome husband helped create. Although, I still think I’ll be able to do the next book trailer without his help. Seriously.


Now that I think about it, Mr. Knight might be the one accepted into Alex’s Ninja Army.

Author bio: Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including: Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Biopunk. Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.
Follow Ciara here: Website and blog Facebook Twitter Goodreades

Questions for Ciara? Or her Ninja husband? Have you created a book trailer? Are you terrified to try now…?  

Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors kicks off today – twenty days of prizes! I’m participating next week and today it begins with Elizabeth Mueller.

Yvonne Lewis at Welcome to My World of Poetry has a new book coming out today! More on “Written From the Heart” on Wednesday. Congratulations, Yvonne!!

The Movie 411 Awards I’m up for two awards, Best Science Fiction Blog and Best Post for the Worst Movies Blogfest. (And it’s a close race for the Best Blogpost.) Don’t forget to vote for my fellow blogger buddies: Cinemarvellous! nominated for Best Design, Best Gossip, and the Gold Award. iZombie! nominated for Best Horror. Melissa at Melissa’s Imaginarium nominated for Sexiest Female. MsMariah’s Space Blog-yssey nominated for Best Newcomer.

You are now free to comment and move about the blog!