Insecure Writer’s Support Group, February Movie Preview, Movie Reviews, and More!

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 Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson

February 5 question - Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

Ironically, I covered this in my December IWSG post. (Double ironic because today’s question is mine!)

So rather than post the Frazetta image that inspired CassaStar again, I’ll go with another artistic inspiration.

Dragon on the Sea by Ayreon is about the Queen of England sending Sir Walter Drake out to meet the enemy. The lyrics gave me the idea of a dragon space ship and a man being sent on a quest. The result was my fourth book, a standalone novel, Dragon of the Stars.

Here is the YouTube video – most of the lyrics fit somewhere into the story:

Need a couple co-hosts for April and May. Leave a comment if you can help either month!

New release from an IWSG member and former Admin!
Wielder’s Curse by Elle Cardy (Lynda R. Young)
Her curse isn’t the only darkness waiting to break the world.
The second in the sweeping Wielder’s Storm fantasy series, this epic adventure is about a fierce young girl, out of control magic, terrifying secrets, and now dark visions and a sinister enemy on the hunt.
Find it on Amazon

Movie Reviews

The Good Dinosaur
While we still have Disney+, we decided to watch this Pixar film since we missed it in the theater.
The meteor misses earth, so dinosaurs don’t die out and evolve instead. The herbivores are farmers and the big carnivores are ranchers. Humans are just now evolving and still run around on all fours, barking and howling like dogs, and the main one’s name is Spot…
What the f***?!
This movie is what happens when writers drop acid. And then forget to edit sober. The film also handles some really adult and difficult themes that hopefully went over kids’ heads. Of course, the poor adults along for the ride were treated to a really juvenile story. And it should have been called The Clumsy Dinosaur – how he lived until the end I’ll never know.
It does have some stunning scenery animation. Very life-like. The dinosaurs – not so much.
It’s a train wreck, but at least it was watchable. Although I may never get the redneck Texan T-Rexes out of my head…
Not recommended

Parasite
An unemployed family slowly cons their way into working for a filthy rich family.
Since it’s up for Best Picture, we decided to watch it. I’m not sure what all the excitement is about though.
None of the characters are likeable, either the poor family or the rich. They aren’t all complete scumbags, but they are very screwed up and damaged characters. So it’s really hard to care what happens to any of them.
It is fascinating in a creepy kind of way how things start spiraling out of control for everyone. However, there are some plot holes and some characters/plot points that just don’t lead anywhere. Plus the film’s message seems to be that poor people are parasites. Maybe that works in South Korea, but not sure how well that goes over here.
I predict this will not win Best Picture.
Watch at your own risk.

February Movie Preview

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

7 –

Birds of Prey
After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.
Director: Cathy Yan
Stars: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell
Plausible? Who cares? I’m there!

14 –

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island
A horror adaptation of the popular '70s TV show about a magical island resort.
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Stars: Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday, Michael Peña
If I don’t get at least one “Da plane!” I will be bitterly disappointed.

21 –

The Call of the Wild
A sled dog struggles for survival in the wilds of the Yukon.
Director: Chris Sanders
Stars: Karen Gillan, Harrison Ford, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens
The dog is CGI. Why?????

28 – 

The Invisible Man
When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Director: Leigh Whannell
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid
I worry this will make us long for the Chevy Chase version…

Has art inspired your writing? Can you co-host in April or May? Seen either movie I reviewed? And what films catch your eye this month?

X-Files and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, #IWSGPit, Upcoming 2018 Films, Joe Satriani’s Latest, and Ninja News

X-Files and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams Reviews

X-Files
The new season kicked off with a big What The…???? The last season ended with Mulder dying and Scully on a bridge looking up at an alien ship and the new season opens up with (spoiler!!!!) it was all just a dream?
The first episode was a misfire all the way around. Plus the urgency of that episode is forgotten in the following episodes.
My wife and I decided to pretend that first one never happened.
The next two episodes were excellent. They’ve been very much in the style of X-Files and stand-alone episodes. There was great humor, creepy situations, and good chemistry between the two leads.
If the rest of the season is like the second and third episodes, it will be great.

Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams
On Amazon Prime, this is an anthology series loosely based on the work of Philip K. Dick.
It’s somewhat like the series Black Mirror but not as extreme. It’s still not a show for kids though. (The third episode had a sex scene.)
Each story stands alone. So far it’s provided consistently good acting (with some big name actors), directing, and story lines. Some episodes will really make you think.
If you enjoy science fiction anthologies, I recommend Electric Dreams.

Music Review

Joe Satriani – What Happens Next
This is the best collection of songs from Joe since the album Crystal Planet. It’s good, fun rock ’n’ roll music all the way through the album.
Satriani’s a master and one of the best guitarists in the world. This album proudly displays the incredible talent of the Satch Man.
If you are a fan of guitar music (it’s all instrumentals) then this is a must-have.
He’s also on tour – G3 features Satriani along with John Petrucci of Dream Theater and Phil Collen of Def Leppard. A guitar enthusiast’s dream tour!

IWSG Twitter Pitch Party

Thanks to everyone who made it such a huge success – the participating writers, agents, and publishers, and the awesome IWSG Admin team who monitored the feed all day.

#IWSGPit was a trending topic on and off all day long and there were over 5100 Tweets! Double what we had last time.

The next one will be this July. Keep spreading the word to other writers and groups.

And let us know of your success stories! My publisher signed Sherry Ellis from a Twitter pitch from last year’s #IWSGPit – the next one could be you.

Ninja News

Toi Thomas recently posted her video of the best books of 2017 on YouTube.

I’m honored to say – Dragon of the Stars was her favorite read of the year!



The video begins right as Toi is going into her favorite book of the year, so you don’t have to fast forward or anything:

Thanks, Toi – you rock!

New release:
Don't Feed the Elephant! by Sherry Ellis
Picture book
People say you're not supposed to play with your food. But the adventurous little elephant in Don't Feed the Elephant never got the message!
Find it on Amazon

Upcoming 2018 Big Budget Films

Since January is such a void of movies, I thought I’d taunt you with a list of the upcoming big-budget/spectacle type films for 2018.

Black Panther - February 16 (Marvel will hit it out of the park again.)

Early Man – February 16 (The next film from the makers of Wallace and Gromit.)

Tomb Raider - March 16 (Could be a fun reboot.)

Pacific Rim: Uprising - March 23 (Again, what guy doesn’t like giant robots fighting giant monsters? Although it is a different director…)

Ready Player One - March 30 (Never read the book, but this will either be a hit or a misfire.)

Untitled Cloverfield Sequel - April 20 (Liked the first two although a little leery they haven’t named it.)

The Avengers: Infinity War -May 4 (The big movie event of the year. So many superheroes…)

Solo: A Star Wars Story - May 25 (Excited for another standalone although a May release means just that much longer until the next Star Wars movie.)

Deadpool 2 - May 18 (Is it wrong I am really looking forward to this one?)

The Incredibles 2 - June 15 (The first is one of my favorite Pixar films!)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - June 22 (Please let it be less stupid than the last one…)

Ant-Man and the Wasp - July 6 (First movie was hilarious, so looking forward to more.)

Alita: Battle Angel - July 20 (This film looks amazing and has been in the making for over twenty years.)

Mission: Impossible 6 - July 27 (I’ve enjoyed all the other ones – why not?)

Venom - October 5 (This one could be twisted and fun.)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix - November 2 – (More X-Men – yes, please.)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - November 16 (Wasn’t impressed with the first one but might give this a shot.)

Aquaman - December 21 (One of my favorite superheroes – very excited to see him in his own movie!)

Have you been watching X-Files or Electric Dreams? Fan of Joe Satriani? Participate in #IWSGPit? What was your favorite read of 2017? And what movies strike your fancy this year?

War for the Planet of the Apes and The Void Movie Reviews, #IWSGPit and IWSG Anthology, Monday’s Music, New Releases, and Ninja News

Want to know the steps for an author when it comes to audio book creation? Then visit Sandra Ulbrich Almazan today for my take on how it all goes down!

War for the Planet of the Apes Review

An army of humans led by the Colonel threatens the survival of the apes, setting Caesar on a path to avenge his kind.
First word – exhausting. Emotionally draining on every level. You will be put through the wringer watching this film.
However, the film is brilliant. So moving, so compelling. It’s a slow, purposeful pace, powerful in its intent. So many incredible moments along the journey. And such a terrible, tragic journey, but change one thing and it would’ve been worse. The apes are more human than the humans.
The special effects in this film are the best I have ever seen – bar none. You believe the apes are real. Minutes into the film, they are no longer CGI. And they aren’t – the expressions, the eyes – so real and amazing. You really see Andy Serkis as Caesar. He so deserves an Oscar nomination for this film. All of the apes – so incredibly real. Props go to all of the human actors behind the voices and the actual actions.
The cinematography is incredible. Again, Oscar worthy.
There are several nods to the original films, including a mute girl who takes the name Nova and Caesar’s youngest son, Cornelius.
Critics are calling it a great end to a trilogy. They could keep going with the stories if they wanted. But after seeing it, I understand why they are calling it that.
If you’ve seen the other two films, you cannot miss this haunting and powerful chapter in the series.
Highly recommended.

The Void Review

After delivering a patient to a closing hospital, a police officer and the small staff start experiencing strange things involving hooded figures and more.
This is a throwback to classic 80’s horror films. There is very little CGI – it’s all realtime monster effects.
The filmmakers were also obviously fans of both early John Carpenter films and of H.P. Lovecraft. There are strong elements from both creators here.
The film has issues. But give the writing and directorial team credit for trying to make a respectable horror film in 2017. (Not a lot out there right now.) The director could’ve phoned it in, but he tried to do something of quality.
It’s gory, weird, and ramps up the tension level. The cinematography is also great.
If you are into gory creature features, especially with a throwback vibe, this is the film to watch.
Recommended

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Marie at Xmas Dolly.

I am the Spotlight Dancer today and I choose the theme European Favorites!

First up is Katatonia with Serein from their album The Fall of Hearts. This band began life as a screaming prog band but when the lead singer could no longer do it, the entire band changed their style to produce this beautiful album. They hail from Sweden.

Next is Harken with Earthrise from their album Affinity. They hail from London.

New Releases

Pat Hatt has three new Tarsier Man tales!

Tarsier Man: Thugs and Love Bugs
Find it on Amazon

Tarsier Man: Buyers and Liars
Find it on Amazon

Tarsier Man: A Plot By Polka Dot
Find it on Amazon

Young Seasons by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Find it on Amazon

Ninja News

The Cherished Blogfest is this October!

The IWSG Guide to Writing for Profit is open for submissions until the end of July!
What have you found that makes a profit?
What have you found that doesn’t?
Please share your experience! Guidelines here.
Deadline is July 31 – what are you waiting for?

The IWSG’s first Twitter pitch party, #IWSGPit, is July 27! We have a great list of publishers and agents who will be watching the hashtag with many more checking in.
If you have something ready to submit, you don’t want to miss this.

Have you seen War or The Void yet? What music moves you today? Participating in #IWSGPit or contributing to the anthology? Have some fun stuff planned for the remainder of summer?

Don’t forget to visit Sandra Ulbrich Almazan.

I’ll be offline next week but I will be on Twitter, especially Thursday, July 27 - #IWSGPit day! Good luck to all those who are Tweeting pitches.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Hero Lost Release, May Movie Preview, 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 Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!

May question - What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?

I kept hearing how important research was. So, for my fourth book, I decided to do some intensive research before I began to write. Sea kelp plays an integral role in Dragon of the Stars. It’s an energy source, a food, and a drug.

I did extensive research online, gathering pages upon pages of information.

And while it helped to shape the story, almost none of what I learned made it to the page.

If anyone wants to know more about sea kelp, please let me know.  I can hook you up...

The IWSG anthology is out now!

Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Print ISBN 9781939844361
eBook ISBN 9781939844378

Can a lost hero find redemption?
What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?
Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!

Find on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, and Goodreads

And visit Michelle Wallace today for a special feature with the authors of Hero Lost!

Ninja News

Special shout-out to Laura Brambrey! She featured CassaStar in a segment regarding non-romantic love stories. (If you’ve not read CassaStar, it follows two ‘brothers’ in a war.)
Laura says: The one that instantly springs to mind actually comes from a genre that sits outside of my usual comfort zone. Cassa Star by Alex J. Cavanaugh is pure sci-fi, but it’s a book that I have now re-read over half a dozen times for the central relationship - the friendship of the young pilot, Byron, and the older, more experienced navigator, Bassa. Cavanaugh crafts their story in such a way that, although they may be training and fighting in the far reaches of the galaxy, their friendship develops like a classic romance. And every single time I’ve read it, it has reduced me to an emotional, sobbing wreck.
I still feel bad I make her cry though.
Thanks, Laura!

Reedsy just posted a great article - Dynamic Character: How to write a compelling protagonist.
They have a lot of great articles and resources. If you’re not following the site or subscribed to their newsletter, then you need to check it out.

New release:

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks
A collection of short stories and poetry by writers from all walks of life.
Featuring stories from Annalisa Crawford, Clare Dugmore, Kyra Lennon, and more.

Ultimate Principle: A DCI Lane Rivers Novel by NJ Burggraf
The job is brutal. It sucks every ounce of life out of you.
Find on Amazon

May Movie Preview

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

5 –

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.
Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Now, repeat after me. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot!
Oh yeah – this is going to rock!



12 –

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Annabelle Wallis, Hermione Corfield
Sherlock Holmes meets Excalibur. With Guy Ritchie, you know it will be quirky.


19 –

Alien: Covenant
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, James Franco, Noomi Rapace
Hopefully the covenant is Thou Shall Not Suck as Bad as Prometheus…


26 -

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Captain Jack Sparrow searches for the trident of Poseidon.
Directors: Joachim Rønning | Espen Sandberg
Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom
One day, dead series will tell no more movies…

Baywatch
Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchanan butts heads with a brash new recruit. Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.
Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon Larracuente
Why do they keep turning all of our 80’s dramas into slapstick comedies?

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever researched? Picking up Hero Lost? What book made you cry? What movies are you looking forward to this month?

And we need IWSG co-hosts for June, July, and August! Let me know if you can co-host.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group. CassaDawn Release, Guardians Vol. 2 Trailer, Dragon on Audio, December Movies, New Releases, and Ninja News!

Plot twist! Since Lynda interviewed me her, I turned around and interviewed Lynda at her SITE! Please take time to visit her.

Visit the IWSG site for a chance to win a book on audio book production!

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 Jennifer Hawes, Jen Chandler, Nick Wilford, Juneta Key, JH Moncrieff, Diane Burton, and MJ Fifield!
 
December Question: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?
Seeing as I didn’t really plan the first five years… I’m just aiming for shorter stories to maintain and continued growth for the IWSG.

And today I can announce the release of one of those short stories!

CassaDawn by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science Fiction-Space Opera/Adventure/Military
eBook ISBN 9781939844354

The prequel to the Amazon best-selling Cassa series!

A pilot in training...
Fighting the odds, Byron is determined to complete Cosbolt training. Poised at the top of his class, only one situation holds him back–his inability to work with anyone in the cockpit. Byron’s excellent piloting skills won’t be enough without a good navigator…

Find it at: iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Amazon UK, and Goodreads

Dragon on Audio

Plus I have another release!

Dragon of the Stars
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure/Military

The ship of legends…

Find it on iTunes, Audible, and Amazon

And you can win a copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My short story, Dragon’s Destiny, is available for free to anyone who has read Dragon of the Stars! Just send me an email, tell me what happens to Aden at the end of Dragon of the Stars, and tell me if you want ePub or Mobi.

And Truedessa wrote the most amazing poem/story about Aden and Tamsin! You have to read it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Movie Trailer

Just in case you missed it!

Ninja News

T.S. Hendrik from The Non Review has started an online business with his mother and brother selling greeting cards. There are some really cool looking cards on the site, so check out Under a Tree Prints.

Patricia Lynne is doing a New Year New Reads special. For details or to join the fun, see her site.

New Releases

A Thousand Miles by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

Fifth Season by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Find your retailer here.

Wraith of Talera and Gods of Talera by Charles Gramlich
Find Wraith of Talera at Amazon
Find Gods of Talera at Amazon

December Movie Preview

Since I’m late with the upcoming releases for December, I’m just listing the ones that interest me. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

16 -

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
Director: Gareth Edwards
Stars: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn
It’s going to make a billion dollars. Haters, just shut up and go see it!




23 –

Sing
A koala named Buster Moon has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition.
Directors: Garth Jennings | Christophe Lourdelet
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson
The only thing more annoying than watching animated animals sing songs I dislike is watching the actual artists sing them. Actually, it looks fun.

Assassin’s Creed
When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.
Director: Justin Kurzel
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson
Hopefully their creed is thou shall not suck. If not for the cast, I’d write this off as another video game dumpster fire.

Do you have a five year plan? Picking up CassaDawn? Want to win a copy of Dragon on audio? Joining the New Year New Reads? And what movies do you want to see this month?

Be sure to visit Lynda Young and the IWSG site!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Plus Reviews of Kingsman, Night at the Museum III, and Muppets; The Listing Hop; 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 TB Markinson, Tamara Narayan, Shannon Lawrence, Stephanie Faris, and Eva E. Solar!

Don’t forget the IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1! The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging (must post for the IWSG at least once in September or October) or Facebook member. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.
If you write speculative fiction, you need to enter!

We are still trying to get the IWSG site listed as one of Writers’ Digest’s Top 100 Best Websites for Writers! Please email them at writersdigest@fwmedia.com, subject line 101 Websites, and suggest the IWSG - http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

Now, from the guy who thought he was done writing…

Last month, I wrote and edited not one, but two short stories for publication! And both are due at the end of this month.

One is for an anthology with the theme of ‘turning points.’ I decided going back to a point before CassaStar began would be a good place for a turning point. That one is over four thousand words and just came back from my critique partners this week.

The second one was an invite from Geekdom House. At their core, they aim to bring together Christians and geeks. This one was to be much shorter, under a thousand words, and involving Christmas. I decided on a contemporary theme with humor and it was a lot of fun to write. I’m polishing it now and will be bugging my critique partners soon.

After writing CassaFate and Dragon’s Destiny, I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t focus more on short stories. At least I can crank them out faster than my novels, which is about every eighteen months.

I’ve also been trying an experiment. Randi Lee posted about her success with images for her novel, and I decided to try something along those lines. Since I already had the thirteen graphics for my WhatAreTheKargrandes site, I used those to create images I could Tweet. I started almost two weeks ago and it has made a difference in sales.

Today is this one, if anyone cares to Tweet it for me!

http://www.whatarethekargrandes.com/ Find out in Dragon of the Stars! http://tinyurl.com/pel2mun #scifi #spaceopera

Reviews

Kingsman: The Secret Service
It plays like those old Matt Helm 60’s spy movies, except with gratuitous violence and language.
The whole movie is over the top, which makes it fun because you can’t take any of it seriously.
It is a bit dark and mean spirited, though. And it moved a little slow at times.
Worth a rental if you can stomach the extreme violence.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
The Tablet of Ahkmenrah is corroding, taking away the magic that brings the museum to life, and the group travels to London to stop it.
The third installment is probably the smallest of the stories, but it’s still a lot of fun.
In addition to the regulars (including Robin Williams in his last onscreen role), there are appearances from Ben Kingsley, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Hugh Jackman.
If you enjoyed the first two, you’ll enjoy this one. Worth a rental.

The Muppets
I think Jim Henson is rolling over in his grave right now.
The whole shtick of the Muppets was their wholesome, light-hearted family fun. This show has lost that innocence though. Let me give you some examples. I don’t remember much from the first episode outside of the fact it was dark and depressing. So, let’s look at last week’s episode. This is what you got:
Pot smoking Muppets.
Fozzie bear is a kleptomaniac.
Josh Grobin is sleeping with Miss Piggy. (Yeah, just try to get that one out of your head.)
One Muppet drew a penis on a card and then claimed he could make it a saxophone instead.
Gonzo has a mother. (He has no mother here on earth – he’s an alien, remember?)
The show is trying to be edgy and relative and it lost everything the Muppets stood for in my eyes. Remember, those are some of the same Muppets your kids watch on Sesame Street. Imagine how they will view them now?
This show is a big fail in my book.

Ninja News

Toi Thomas had the most amazing review of CassaStar – she loved it! And she got it. That’s so satisfying for an author.

Despite the rain lately, Dragon and Ninja remain best friends:

If you’ve been thinking about buying Dragon of the Stars but you’re not sure, you can take a sneak peek at the first chapter at Jessica Therrien’s site!

And thanks to everyone for checking in on me. My area received a lot of rain, but unfortunately I was further south due to a band commitment on Sunday. And was there ever flooding! They say this was a thousand year flood for most of South Carolina and I believe it. Prayers for those affected by the flooding.

New Releases:

I’m a Little Green Witch by Kelly Polark
Find it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Childhood Fears
Featuring the story The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave by J.H. Moncrieff

The Christmas Pets and Kisses Boxed Set
Featuring The Vet’s Christmas Pet by J.L. Campbell

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.
That’s it!

Sign up below:



What are your writer insecurities this month? Submitting to the Anthology Contest? Can you help us make the Best list? Seen either movie or the Muppets? And what list would you create for the Listing Hop?