Insecure Writer’s Support Group! A to Z Challenge – Ether-wall, Force Field, Genetic Engineering, and Hive Mind

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 Megan Morgan, Chris Votey, Viola Fury, Christine Rains, Madeline Mora-Summonte, L.G. Keltner, Rachna Chhabria, and Patricia Lynne!

They say write every day. Since we are in the middle of the Challenge, I really hope blog comments count. I know a lot of writing and research went into my Challenge posts. Plus my posts at the IWSG site and A to Z Blog this month.

Once April has ended, my plans are to work more on my next story outline and write another article for Area of Effect. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve written for Geekdom House and would like to continue.

And since we’re in the middle of the Challenge, I’m keeping this short! Be sure to visit other Insecure Writer’s Support Group members!

My A to Z Challenge theme - Origins of Science Fiction Terms and More! The term, its meaning (definitions from Technovelgy), and first book appearance / a movie that features this term / a blogger buddy who reminds me of that term.

I’m also the guinea pig for an experiment – A to Z Lite. I get between 100-170 comments per post in April during the Challenge. And it has just become too much to return that many every day, six days a week. The other A to Z Admins agreed to an A to Z Lite trial run. A to Z Lite means I will just be posting a handful of times this month and multiple letters at a time. I also won’t be visiting every single person every single day, although I will return all comments. Hope everyone understands.

Ether-Wall
An invisibility field.

First appeared in E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith’s Triplanetary, which appeared in Amazing Stories in 1934

One of the funniest examples of an invisibility field is found in Erik the Viking. Princess Aud gives Erik a tiny cloak of invisibility, but it only seems to work on her father. Obviously, he thinks it works all the time. Released in 1989, it stars Tim Robbins, Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt, Terry Jones, Imogen Stubbs, and John Cleese.

Kim at This Writer’s Growing might be a bit invisible to most of the blogging community. But she’s there and in the thick of it. For some really interesting news about the world around us, check out her weekly posts.

Force Field
A barrier to objects, created by projected forces.

Believe it or not, the term first appeared in a 1920 report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In science fiction, it appeared in John W. Campbell’s book Islands of Space in 1931.

One of the many examples of a force field can be found in the movie Independence Day. When our ships attack the alien vessel, they meet a force field they cannot penetrate. Starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirch, Randy Quaid, and Adam Baldwin.

Another force to be reckoned with is The Blue Grumpster. He’ll come at you full force, with truths and nonsense all the way, and you’ll never know what hit you!

Genetic Engineering
Direct manipulation of genetic material.

First appeared in Jack Williamson’s novel, Dragon’s Island in 1951.

You can’t mention genetic engineering without thinking of Jurassic Park! Released in 1993, it stunned us with the most realistic dinosaurs we’d ever seen. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sir Richard Attenborough, and Samuel L. Jackson – who has been in almost every huge movie since!

EE Giorgi at CHIMERAS is on top of this subject. She’s a scientist! If you want facts not fluff from your authors, you need to tune into her posts.

Hive Mind
A collective alien intelligence.

The term first appeared in James H. Schmitz’s short story Second Night of Summer in 1950.

The perfect example of a hive mind is the Borg in Star Trek First Contact. Released in 1996, the seventh installment of the Star Trek series starred Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, and Alice Krige.

The Amazing Elizabeth Spann Craig hosts a site that is definitely a collective – the Writer’s Knowledge Base.
Even more eerie – its web address is hiveworld.com…

What’s your writer insecurity this month? Saving your writing time for May? Where have you seen an invisibility field used? If you’ve seen Independence Day, are you ready for the sequel? Know of any genetic manipulation gone wild? Fan of the Borg? Following those excellent bloggers?

And do you think I’ll survive this IWSG/Challenge overlap…?

Defining Author Success, RiffTrax: Live, Sicario and San Andreas Reviews, Mini-Alex on Vacation, Ninja News and New Releases, BOTB Results, and Movie Trivia Answers

I’m at the IWSG today and my subject - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics. 

RiffTrax: Live!

RiffTrax Live #18: SANTA and The ICE CREAM BUNNY - December 3, 2015. Get tickets through Fathom Events. You can also see Mike, Kevin & Bill perform LIVE on stage in Nashville at The RiffTrax Theater (Belcourt) or as a simulcast in a theater near you. Plus, there is an encore presentation on December 15.

Movie Reviews

Sicario
IMDB - An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
This is a very intense and slow but well-paced film. The tension builds nicely and the soundtrack plays a big part in that. I liked the gritty realism of the film.
All performances are outstanding - Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin do a great job in their roles.
The audience experiences the film as Blunt experiences it – we don’t know things until she knows – which adds to the mystery.
This is definitely an adult film and not for kids.
Highly recommended and couldn’t be surprised if it was nominated for several Oscars.

San Andreas
IMDB - In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
This is a follow-by-numbers disaster film. No surprises, dumb, but enjoyable.
Dwayne Johnson is the star and everyone turns in a serviceable job of acting. The effects are also decent and what you would expect of a large-scale disaster film.
If you want to turn off your brain for two hours, this is your movie.
Worth a rental.

Mini-Alex on Vacation

I’m back from vacation and it was great! Involved family, which was fun. And yes, despite the odd looks from strangers (and some family members,) Mini-Alex went along (at my wife’s insistence.)

Ninja News

Alexia Chamberlynn is hosting a monthly fest.
The blog hop is called Taste of Magic, and it's the third Friday of every month, to share things literary and culinary!
Visit her BLOG for details.

Join Denise Covey, Yolanda Renée, and the enthusiastic writers at Write…Edit…Publish, (WEP) as they gather together around the campfire for their Halloween challenge this week -- October 21 - 23. You are invited to share a scary book, poem, movie, artwork etc for Part A and tell everybody why it's your favorite. The optional Part B is where you can post your own creepy story, non-fiction piece, poem, photo/s or artwork. So if you have a creepy gene, now is the time to exploit it. Oh, and there's a prize for the best entry, judged by Annalisa Crawford and a random prize just for entering. Click over to Write…Edit…Publish, for more information.

David Black is one of the authors involved in a Kickstarter campaign - Arts in Entertainment: A Series About Art Impacting Life. Reflections on how creative works shape lives and the way we view the world. A six-volume series by six accomplished authors.

Next week is the The Listing Hop, hosted by Bish Denham and myself. Join us for a list of good fun!

Just a two weeks remaining for the IWSG Anthology Contest. November 1 is the deadline! The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

New Releases!

The Gaijin Girl by E.E. Giorgi
Find it on Amazon

The Wishing Steps by Karen Helene Walker
Three Women and a Single Story That Unites Them Across the Millennia
Find it on Amazon
Be sure to visit Karen’s new Website.

Battle of the Banned Results

Hosted by Shady Del Knight, here is the vote tally. It was neck and neck until the very end, but even with my vote, the tie could not be broken. (I voted for Rob Zombie.)

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon – 15
Rob Zombie – Living Dead Girl – 15

New battle next week – continuing the Halloween theme!

Movie Trivia Answers – Submarine Movies

1 – Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen – 1995 – Crimson Tide
2 – Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider – 1996 – Down Periscope
3 – Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Donald Pleasance – 1966 – Fantastic Voyage
4 – Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Sam Neill – 1990 – The Hunt for Red October
5 – Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi – 2000 – U-571
6 – Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon – 1975 – The Land That Time Forgot

What Defines Author Success

My post last week garnered a lot of comments on the topic of Five Years or Five Books to Make it as an Author.

Many of you said it depended on the goals of the author. That author success cannot be measured by money earned or books sold.

So, what does define author success for you?

There is no wrong answer. Some of you aren’t published yet. Some of you have no desire to be authors. But your viewpoint still matters. And it might be something that published authors need to note.

Before I answer, I want to thank everyone who stated that I was already a success, between my books and contribution to the blogging world and the IWSG. I was very humbled by the response.

So, what defines success to me? The amount of people I have reached. And regardless of sales or royalties, when I boil it down to that one thing, I’ve reached over 100,000 people. Toss in all the friends I’ve made along the way and the IWSG, and it’s just mind blowing. I can’t think of anything else I could’ve done to touch so many lives.

Especially since I never wanted to be an author.

And today marks a special moment in my author career. Five years ago, CassaStar was published. My first book. The one that started it all. The book that would go on to hit number one in science fiction on Amazon almost a year after its release. The book that would spawn a series I never intended to write. The book that sat in a drawer for thirty years before I drug it out and decided to re-write it. Having that book picked up by a small press and published was a dream come true.

Which means all else is gravy. And more precious than any sales ranking.

Going to Rifftrax: Live? Seen either movie? Been on vacation lately? Participating in any fests or hops? BOTB results surprise you? Get any of the trivia correct? And what is your definition of author success…?

Don’t forget to visit the IWSG today - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics!

RiffTrax Interview with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett! Plus What Are the Kargrandes, ColorIQ Challenge, Movie Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

Last week saw the release of RiffTrax Live: Sharknado. I was honored when Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett agreed to answer a few questions. These guys have been my idols since Mystery Science Theater 3000 and have been a source of laughter for over twenty years.

Without further ado, I present RiffTrax’s Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy!

1. I believe that BBC (Blood, Boobs, and Carnage) is the benchmark for cinematic greatness. What drew you to the greatness that is Sharknado?

BILL: Like you, the British Broadcasting Corporation.

KEVIN: The Three I’s: Inconceivability, Incoherence, and Ian.

2. RiffTrax is so freaking awesome and you riff such a variety of films, both good and bad. Are there any movies you feel are untouchable?

BILL: Of course. We would seem like monsters if we tried to make funny out of SCHINDLER’S LIST, HOTEL RWANDA, etc.

KEVIN: I’d say Schindler’s List is one we’ll never do.

3. Do you derive any perverse pleasure from watching your cast mates screw up their lines at a live show?

KEVIN: I derive even more pleasure in the artful ways that they recover and make the show even funnier for it.

BILL: I am too busy watching myself screw up lines.

4. What’s the strangest cosplay outfit you’ve seen at one of your live shows?

BILL: Someone actually pulled off a strange-but-wonderful version of the sharknado itself at our Sharknado live show. Big funnel cloud with sharks in it. A+!

KEVIN: I don’t think there’s a Torgo costume that doesn’t qualify as strange.

5. Besides Sharknado, are there any other ‘Nados’ you’d like to see the SyFy Channel ruin? Squidnado? Cownado? Scissorsnado?

KEVIN: Ralph Nado. UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED.

BILL: NicCageNado.

Thanks, Bill and Kevin! Special thanks to Jeff at RiffTrax who made it happen.

What Are the Kargrandes?

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is clue number seven – new clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Seventh clue up this week- http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

Solve the mystery by April 7–what are the Kargrandes? Animals? Weapons? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

And big thanks to Bob at Beauty in Ruins for his review of Dragon this week - It's still as fun and exciting as his first forays into space opera, but the darker themes and deeper level of introspection absolutely elevate the novel to a new level.

Ninja News

I’m at the A to Z Blog today, talking about the advantages of a theme during the Challenge.

Ella is a very talented artist and writer. She just had two of her hearts published in The Stampers' Sampler.


Julie Dao landed an agent - Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency!

New Releases –

Apocalypse Weird - Immunity by EE Giorgi
When greed, mayhem, and a deadly virus collide on the high deserts of New Mexico, it's Outbreak meets World War Z in the deserts of the Apocalypse Weird. One of five books launching today from Wonderment Media.

Cassie and The Wild Cat: Host A Ghost by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

Love, Lattes, and Mutants by Sandra Cox
Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant.
Find it on Amazon. Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

A Woman Ignored by TB Markinson
Find it on Amazon

Stephen Hayes has TWO stories in On SEX: 69 Hilarious Stories About Everything SEX.
You can read one of them HERE

Online ColorIQ Challenge

JE O’Neil posted about the Online ColorIQ Challenge. This was my score:

What did you get?

Movie Trivia Answers

Sorry, forgot to post them last week!
1 – Who played Erik in Erik the Viking? (1989) Tim Robbins
2 – What comedian voiced Reepicheep the mouse in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian? (2008) Eddie Izzard
3 – Who voiced Hiccup’s father, Stoick, in How to Train Your Dragon? (2010) Gerard Butler
4 – Who played Gimli In LOTR: Return of the King? (2003) John Rhys-Davies
5 – Who voiced Draco the dragon in Dragonheart? (1996) Sean Connery

Whoa!!!! Are you a fan of RiffTrax or MST3K? Did you pick up their version of Sharknado? (It’s 8.5 stars on the IMDB – the original version is only 3.3.) Planned your Challenge Theme yet? How’d you do with the Color Challenge? How about the trivia? And have you figured out the Kargrandes yet…?

Be sure to visit the A to Z Blog.

Jerk Sandwiches with Holly Sinclair, Survive and Thrive Bloghop, Tree of Life Video, and Ninja News

Today is the Survive and Thrive Bloghop, but first...

The ever-awesome Carrie Butler featured me today in her ‘Breaking it Down’ series regarding an author’s online presence. Carrie, thanks again for the suggestions and your kind words. As you can see, I've already made some changes around here...

And we have to discuss Jerk Sandwiches…

The ABC’s of Sandwiches by Holly Sinclair

When one is learning to cook, a crock-pot of things can go wrong. By far, the incident that haunts me today is the Lemon Tart Incident. My tart was to have a breadcrumb bottom. The directions said to use "breadcrumbs," store-bought was fine. Our cupboards had a container of such store-bought breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned. Did you know there is garlic and onion flavor in Italian breadcrumbs? I did not. About 20 minutes after the tart entered the oven, a rank odor rapidly ran through the house. It was nauseating. It was horrific. Lemon, sugar, cream, garlic, and onions do not go well together. The tart went straight to the outside trash, all the windows were open, and we still had to vacate the house for hours so it could air out.

One commenter on this post will win a free digital copy of this cookbook. To enter, just leave a comment. If you want to leave a comment but don't want to enter, add "I hate food" to your comment. The winner will be announced on October 31st on Holly's blog.

The ABC’s of Sandwiches
Cost: $2.00 ebook- Amazon, Smashwords, iBookstore, and Barnes and Noble

Holly Sinclair, who goes by Southpaw on the Interwebs, finds cooking cathartic. The recipes she's created and collected grew into cookbooks. Holly's trying her hand at fiction and food seems to creep into most of her books. Website Blog
Join Holly on the rest of her Blog Tour, each stop features a different cookbook and a chance for a free ebook. Plus you can join in the fun by signing up for the End of Tour Foodie Blog Hop!

There were so many tasty recipes in Holly’s book. Jerk Chicken Sandwich easily won today’s feature.

There is a saying in the South that when something is really good – ‘It was so good, my tongue slapped my brain.’ Yeah, this one is THAT good! We’ve had it three times now and it just gets better and better. Prep time will take a bit, but when you are ready to prepare the sandwiches, takes ten minutes. I let my wife make the coleslaw, which was a combination Miracle Whip/vinegar based. Mini-Alex regretted that he had no way to eat such an awesome sandwich!

Ninja News

Thanks for all of the awesome comments regarding my next novel, Dragon of the Stars! My fourth book – that still just blows me away. To read the synopsis, go HERE

The Tree of Life book trailer just went LIVE!

Author M. Pax is hosting the Realms Faire again this year! There are so many ways you can get involved in this epic week-long event, so check it out.



New Releases –

Afraid of Everything by Karen Jones Gowan
Available now for the introductory price of just $1.99 on Amazon

Season’s Beginnings by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan

Gene Cards by EE Giorgi

Love Before Honor by Nicole Zoltack

Survive and Thrive Bloghop!

Hosted by Stephen Tremp, Michael Di Gesu, Diane Wolfe, and myself.

The blogfest is meant to bring awareness of disease prevention and early detection regarding medical conditions that may be averted or treated if caught in the early stages. Our desire is to motivate people to go in for early screening, and if a condition is caught early and treated, then our world just became a little better place to live.
The topics are wide open. You can post about a particular cause you support. Or you can share a personal or family experience that is near to your heart. What’s great about this Blogfest is you can inspire people to take care of themselves and their loved ones early enough to make a difference in their lives.

I’m going to touch upon two items.

First is about early detection. A friend went in for his yearly screening and they caught prostate cancer in its beginning stages. Several years have now passed and he’s still cancer free. No one likes to visit Dr. Jelly Finger, but it beats the alternative.

Second is just about living healthy. Most diseases can be prevented if you eat right (smaller portions, less red meat, more fruit and vegetables, more water, and avoid fast food) and exercise (four to five days a week of cardio.) Remember it’s not just how many years you’ll live but the quality of those years.
Does it work? What I just described is how I live, and as I hit five decades, I have no health issues and I’m in the best shape of my life, weighing about 170 pounds. And if I can do it, anyone can do it.

What healthy or preventative tips would you offer?


Have a kitchen disaster you’d like to share? Joining us for the Realms Faire? Picking up some new books? And what’s your survive and thrive tip…?

Be sure to visit Carrie Butler today. And Wednesday will be fun news, trivia, Mini-Alex, and my review of The Book Of Life!

Sunflowers for Tina, Giant Spider Dog, Monsters: Dark Continent, IWSG, and Nina News

Today I have a special interview over at EE Giorgi’s blog!

I’m also posting at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group - what to look for in a good critique partner.

Sunflowers for Tina

Today is also the day we honor Tina Downey. She loved sunflowers and her motto was ‘Life is Good.’ It’s not so good without her, but we can still see her in the sunflowers. I will miss you, Tina. I'm just going to let Mini-Alex express my thoughts.
For a list of participants, visit the A to Z Challenge Blog - Sunflowers for Tina.

There is also a Downey Education Fund set up for her two boys that you can donate to.

Ninja News

Today’s Themes that Rocked the Challenge features Jo Wake from Jo on Food, My Travels, and a Scent of Chocolate who posted animals and recipes from around the world. Check it out at the A to Z Blog.

Thanks to all who celebrated three years of posting for the IWSG! All members are welcome to submit to our upcoming anthology – see the IWSG site for details!

The Guardians of the Galaxy was number one at the box office again, making its run four out of five weekends at number one. That is more than any other Marvel film! One more week and it’s more than any comic book film. So, if you haven’t seen it, why not???

Milo James Fowler’s book, Immaterial Evidence, is just .99 cents for a limited time.

New Books!

Released today:
MOSAICS, book 2 in the Track Presius mystery series, a hard-boiled detective series with a genetic twist.
By EE Giorgi
Find it on Amazon

The Rifters by M Pax 

The Rifters is available at an introductory price. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and B&N. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.

Links: Amazon / AmazonUK / B&N / Smashwords /Googleplay / iTunes / Other Outlets
Visit M Pax at her SITE

Induction Day by PK Hrezo
Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IBookstore, and Goodreads

Erron by Melanie Schulz
Get your copy at Amazon

Old Women Waxing Poetic
Compiled by Julie Kemp Pick and Susan Flett Swiderski, it features work from Liza Salerno and Robyn Alana Engel, with an awesome cover by Michael Di Gesu. All proceeds go to CARE International. They are all hosting an Old Broad Fest and you can win a copy of the book by commenting on their post by Friday, September 12.

Shadow Warrior by Jay Noel
Find it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

My Only Escape: Book One in the Hiding Out Series
By Jaycee DeLorenzo

Monsters: Dark Continent Trailer

Jocelyn Rish alerted me to the new trailer for the sequel to Gareth Edwards’ brilliant film, Monsters. He’s producing rather than directing this time, and while the film looks very different from the first one, the trailer is still really cool. The monsters are a little different as well. Check it out:

Giant Mutant Spider Dog

How funny would it be if you dressed up your dog as a tarantula? While the setups might be staged a little bit, they are still funny.



Did you post sunflowers today for Tina? See some good new books? Contributing to the IWSG anthology? What did you think of the Monsters trailer? And do you want your own spider dog now?

Back to posting on Wednesdays again, so I’ll be back then with my Shelfie, some trivia, movie reviews, and other fun stuff. Maybe even a peak at my hilarious critique partners’ suggestions…

Be sure to visit EE Giorgi and the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!