Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest, Ninja News, and Are You A Depressed Writer?

Today is the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

But before we dive into all the great new reads…

Ninja News

Today’s Special Challenge Participant Feature at the A to Z Blog is one of my very best friends on the Internet, the incredibly talented writer and artist – Rusty Webb! He posted a new illustration every day for the Challenge. Be sure to check out his awesome work and learn more about the man behind the insanity of an illustration a day…

Jeremy Bates is hosting the Halloween Hop Blogfest October 28-31. See his site for details and to sign up.

Kyra Lennon just revealed the cover for her next book, Blindsided!


Great news for Roland Yeomans! Second Avenue Second Hand Shop Anthology accepted his short story, PICTURE IMPERFECT and Open Doors 2 Anthology accepted his short story, THREE GOLDILOCKS AND A BEAR.

From Jeremy at Retro Zombie:

Howlin' Wolf Records & Jason Comerford present a 3rd season of 13 CHILLS: Commentary, PRIZES, and good ole October Mayhem. Leave a comment, read a little something interesting and win some prizes!

Lynn Rush’s new novel came out this week!

Violet Midnight, by Lynn Rush

New Adult Paranormal Romance

Let the Hunt begin…

Find it on Amazon Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.


Congratulations, Lynn!

The Depressed Writer

Elise Fallson had an interesting post on Tuesday – “Writing: A Vocation of Unhappiness.” She asked “Do you think it's possible to become a good writer without enduring the bouts of internal turmoil and depression?”

I supposed authors are always portrayed as tortured souls, but are they all miserable? I won’t ever claim to be a really good writer, but I’ve enjoyed a pretty good life. I’ve always been even-keeled and right now I’m at peace with every aspect of my world. I don’t have high highs or low lows, so I’ve never sunk to the depths of depression. I’ll grumble through a first draft (as that’s my least favorite aspect) but nothing about my writing makes me miserable.

Am I the only one? Does that make me really odd? Or just really blessed? (Or is it a sign I really should pursue music instead? Wait, those people are supposed to be tortured as well. Crap.)

Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Post about a book you’ve noticed. You can choose a book that you’ve read, something you saw on a blog or social media site, Goodreads, or a sales website. Anything that caught your eye because of a great cover, blurb or reviews, but DON’T tell the author that their book has been noticed. Instead, shout out on social media sites, and encourage others to do the same, until the author finds his/her book.

Leave a blog comment at Ninja Captain Alex’s BLOG or Ciara Knight’s BLOG when the author finds their book.

Only two rules:
1) You can’t post about your own book.
2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list.
This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

Since I’m always checking Amazon rankings (especially Amazon UK, as both of my books have been bouncing around the top one hundred of science fiction for six months now) I decided to check out the books my readers have also purchased. That’s when I found this book:

Ep.#1 - "Aurora: CV-01" (The Frontiers Saga) by Ryk Brown

Description:

Episode 1

A world recovering from a devastating plague…
A brutal enemy threatening invasion…
A young man seeking to escape the shadow of his father…
A ship manned by a crew of fresh academy graduates…
A top-secret experimental propulsion system…
A questionable alliance with a mysterious green-eyed woman…

What destiny has in store for the crew of the UES Aurora, is far greater than any of them could ever imagine. And this is only the beginning…

All of the episodes have a four star rating and sound like great reads. The book can also be found at Amazon and Goodreads.

I noticed your book, Ryk! Now, will you notice that I noticed…?

Don’t forget to visit others participating in the blogfest:



Some great new books, news, and contests – anything strike your fancy? Are you a depressed or happy writer? (And if I’m the only happy writer then we need to throw a party or something!) Have you discovered any great books lately? Don’t forget – if the author notices that you posted about his book, leave a comment and let us know!

And don’t forget to visit Rusty at the A to Z Blog!

And come back on Friday for a very special HUGE party and celebration!

Interview, 90’s Blogfest, Ninja News, Ninja Organizational Secrets, Movie Review – Argo, and Trivia Answers

I was honored this weekend with an interview by Juliana Haygert. My answers are short and to the point! Like that surprises anyone…

Today is the Nineties Blogfest, sponsored by Dave Wrote This.
“Post a favourite something for each year 1990-1999, and tell us what you love about each of them.”
Here's my movie and music highlights:


1990 – Not a bad year for movies – Ghost, Total Recall, Die Hard:2. My favorite would be The Hunt For Red October. Alec Baldwin was the best Jack Ryan. And Extreme’s Pornograffitti came out – excellent CD!

1991 – I still remember it for the year of Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the T2 made of liquid metal. It’s also the year I discovered MST3K – greatest show ever.

1992 - Reservoir Dogs, Unforgiven, Dracula, and The Last of the Mohicans. In music, Dream Theater’s Images and Words came out.

1993 – Tombstone and Groundhog Day. But the big one was Jurassic Park, which still looks amazing today. In music, we had Rush’s Counterparts.

1994 – Good year for movies – True Lies, Pulp Fiction, and The Crow. And another great Pantera album, Far Beyond Driven. (You’ve probably already detected a pattern in my music and movie tastes.)

1995 - Anthrax (band not disease) released one of their best albums, Stomp 442. For movies, there was Braveheart and the underrated Nobody’s Fool with Paul Newman.

1996 – Year of the big movie budgets – Independence Day, Twister, Mission: Impossible, and Broken Arrow. My favorite – Star Trek: First Contact. I also discovered the awesome In Flames and their album The Jester Race.

1997 – Movies included The Lost World, L.A. Confidential, The Fifth Element, and of course, Titanic. Memorable album would be the Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape.

1998 – This is the year the started the awesome Blade series and gave us the first X-Files movie. (I just pretend the second one never happened.) The talented Jerry Cantrell (from Alice in Chains) released a solo album, Boggy Depot.

1999 – Awesome movies included The Matrix, The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hallow, and of course, Galaxy Quest! Now hooked on In Flames, I rejoice when their album Colony is released.

This concludes our trip down the 90’s Memory Lane!

Ninja News

Andrew Leon’s Shadow Spinner parts 1-5 are free today on Amazon!

Budd at Scifi Media is hosting the Scare Me Blogfest on October 31, Halloween!

Steven Symes’ children’s book, Gracie the Ghost Eater, is free today through Wednesday on Amazon!

Don’t forget – this Wednesday is the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Ninja Organizational Secrets Revealed!

Last Friday, Michael asked how I keep up with the news, blogfests, and everything else that happens in the blogging world. Here’s how I do it:

1 – Every time I come upon some news (blogfest, book release, contest, accomplishment, etc.) I copy the web address and paste it in a word document labeled with the next blog post date, along with what is happening, and if applicable, I copy the image. Then when I’m ready to put together the blog post, all of the information is right there. (Because otherwise, no way I’d remember!)

2 – I keep a master calendar in a binder by my desk and note blogfest, guest posts, and major events. That keeps me from over-booking or double booking. Or missing my own blogfest!

3 – I keep a master list of everyone who participates in the IWSG. I try to keep track of who’s posting and whom I haven’t visited in a while.

4 – Clones may or may not be involved in any of the above!

Movie Review

Argo
Based on a true story - during the Iran hostage situation, the CIA comes up with a plan involving a fake movie called “Argo” to free six Americans hiding at the home of a Canadian ambassador.
It was refreshing to see a film geared towards adults and the attention to detail was amazing. This movie is intense and gripping, but offset with humor. Goodman and Arkin play well off each other and Cranston as the CIA Chief is hilarious. Affleck, who also directed, did great in a very understated performance. You know the outcome but it’s still an intense ride.
It’s 94% at Rotten Tomatoes and rumored to be an Oscar contender. Highly recommended!

Movie Directors Trivia Answers

1 – The Frighteners – Peter Jackson
2 – Mimic – Guillermo del Toro
3 – Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Francis Ford Coppola
4 – The Serpent and the Rainbow – Wes Craven
5 – The Keep – Michael Mann

What do you remember from the 90’s? See any exciting news? Ready for the blogfest on Wednesday? Any organization tricks you want to steal or suggest? Did you get any directors correct? And did anyone else see Argo?

Don’t forget to visit Juliana Haygert!

Ode to Sharktopus, Ninja News, CassaStorm Update, and October Movie Preview!

Two years ago, Sharktopus escaped the deluded minds at the SyFy Channel and attacked the viewing public with a vengeance. I braved this Saturday night Craptastic film and brought to you a play-by-play of the disaster. To celebrate this most auspicious occasion, I am guest posting at Lee’s blog, Tossing it Out, with a tribute called Sharktopus: A Love Story, as well as the original play-by-play in its entirety. If you’re in need of a good laugh today, go pay Tossing it Out a visit!

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone who visited Karen at Write Now earlier this week for my take on what makes a blog successful. Really appreciated the awesome comments!

Jeffrey Beesler is hosting a giveaway for his latest book, Speed Demons, through September 27 – visit his site for details!

In case you missed it, Ciara Knight and I are hosting the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest on October 17. Join us in highlighting a special book you’ve noticed lately.

Special cover reaveal!

The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson Coming in October 2012

Ceara’s desperate for love; Seb’s desperate to get laid. Two strangers, both moving from small country towns to Brisbane for uni. Will they survive life in the big smoke or crumble under the pressure?

Find the book on Goodreads

And find Cally at: Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

CassaStorm Progress!

Monday night I finished revisions and sent CassaStorm off to my awesome critique partners, Rusty, Jeffrey, and Cassie Mae! I let one of my test readers (who rocks with dialogue) attack it first and he also had some good suggestions for slight plot changes. So four months to create the outline, two months to write the first draft, and two months of editing and mutilating. At the moment it’s clocking in at 82,000 words, which is a record for me. Now it’s in my critique partners’ hands. Let the carnage begin…

October Movie Preview!

Here are the upcoming releases for October. Not a great selection, but I did the best I could with the list. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

5 -

Taken 2
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Rade Serbedzija
The only that could make this better if it was called Taken 2: Electric Boogaloo!

Frankenweenie
Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Christopher Lee
Didn’t we already see this?




12 -

Sinister
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Vincent D'Onofrio
The preview isn’t scary, but every reviewer says this is terrifying. Not sure who to believe…


19 -

Alex Cross
A detective is told that a member of his family has been murdered. He vows to track down the killer.
Director: Rob Cohen
Stars: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns
Terry Perry IS Alex Ninja! Wait, that’s not right…




26 –

Cloud Atlas
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer | Andy Wachowski | Lana Wachowski
Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Directed by the former Wachowski Brothers. Now the Wachowski Brother and Sister. Don’t make me explain…

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
When her father disappears, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.
Director: Michael J. Bassett
Stars: Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kit Harington
First one had great atmosphere and creepy visuals. Let’s hope this one also has a good story.


Ready for a good laugh this morning? (Hopefully not from my critique partners – that would be bad.) Excited about the news and new books? Signed up for the blogfest? Did you pick up The Avengers on Tuesday? I got my 3D copy! And what movies are you excited about next month?

Don’t forget to visit Tossing it Out for my sendoff to Sharktopus!

And the Ninja will be gone this weekend, so no post on Friday. Wife and I are both playing hooky. I will be lurking…

What is Blogging Success, Ninja News, Dredd Movie Review, Music Trivia Answers, and the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest!

Today I have a guest post with the wonderful Karen Lange at Write Now. I answer the question – what is blogging success? Please visit Karen today for my take on success in the blogging world.

Ninja News

Christine Rains is holding a birthday bash and giveaway on October 5 – you don’t want to miss it.

Laura Barnes got an agent – congratulations, Laura! AND she got a request from a publisher that she was able to forward to her new agent. How cool is that/?

The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, edited by Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius, is now available on Goodreads!

Jeremy at Retro-Zombie is nearing 1500 posts and 500 followers and he’s hosting a giveaway to celebrate! Visit Jeremy’s site for details.

EJ Wesley is celebrating the release of his book, Blood Fugue, with the Bury the Hatchet Blogfest. Lots of amazing prizes! Runs until October 19. Congratulations on the new book, EJ.

Laura Eno’s new book, Wish, comes out next month. If you would like to help with her book launch, see her site for details. Congratulations, Laura!

Movie Review

Dredd

Forget that awful Stallone version! This film matches the feel of the comic book – it’s gritty, dark, violent, and bloody.
Dredd takes on a rookie with psychic abilities and their first assignment finds them trapped in a massive housing unit and at the mercy of gang leader Ma-Ma. (And they managed to make the lovely Lena Headey look skanky and vile.)
The visuals are very unique – colorful, in depth, and with lots of slow motion action.
The director pulls no punches with the violence. You will witness people die in a truly unique manner.
This movie isn’t for everyone. But if you enjoy the comic Dredd or science fiction shoot-em-ups and great special effects, then Dredd is your film.

Music Trivia Answers

Remakes – name the song:
1 – In 1995 Dream Theater remade this song by Elton John – Love Lies Bleeding
2 – In 1998 Orgy remade this song by New Order – Blue Monday
3 – 2002 by Shadows Fall, 2012 by Arjen Lucassen, and 2007 by Queesnryche saw the remake of this Pink Floyd song – Welcome to the Machine
4 – In 1999 Coal Chamber remade this song by Peter Gabriel – Shock the Monkey
5 – In 1996 White Zombie remade this song by KC and the Sunshine Band – I’m Your Boogieman

Did I Notice Your Book?

The brain child of one awesome Ciara Knight! (With the Ninja along for the ride as co-host.) Based on her weekly feature that began last year. (And CassaStar was the first book!)

The Ninjas and Knights are joining forces!

Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest, October 17, 2012
Post about a book you’ve noticed.

You can choose a book that you’ve read, something you saw on a blog or social media site, Goodreads, or a sales website. Anything that caught your eye because of a great cover, blurb or reviews, but DON’T tell the author that their book has been noticed. Instead, shout out on social media sites, and encourage others to do the same, until the author finds his/her book.

Leave a blog comment at Ninja Captain Alex or Ciara Knight when the author finds their book.

Only two rules:
1) You can’t post about your own book.
2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list. This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

Let’s blow up the blogsphere with great new reads!

Sign up below!



Excited about the contests and news? Anyone else see Dredd? Get any of the trivia right? (Kathleen got all of them!) And are you signing up for the awesome new blogfest?

Don’t forget to visit Karen for my take on blogging success!