Edge of Tomorrow Review, Phoenix Prophetesses and Ninjas, Then and Now Blogfest, and Major Ninja News!

Edge of Tomorrow Review

Fighting an alien invasion, Tom Cruise is caught in a loop – every time he dies, he returns to the same moment in time.

If you’re looking for a good science fiction story, this is it. The film is extremely entertaining. The battle sequences are nothing short of thrilling. Time travel is always interesting and it’s used to great effect here
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There are a LOT of elements from other movies and stories, but they pull them together into a really solid story that’s tense and exciting. Think Saving Private Ryan, Starship Troopers, Groundhog Day, and a pinch of 50 First Dates.

You might not like Cruise as a person, but he’s really good in this film and a bit of a different character than you’ve seen before. Plus Emily Blunt is great – something about her that’s just HOT!

Highly recommended!

Five Ways Phoenix Prophetesses Are Like Ninjas

1. Although Phoenix Prophetesses can really see the future, Ninjas—with their lightning fast reflexes—appear to be able to see the future.

2. Both Phoenix Prophetesses and Ninjas have perfect accuracy. If they throw something, it will hit their target.

3. A Zen-like state can balance Ninjas and Phoenix Prophetesses alike.

4. They can sneak around and hide in the shadows.

5. Last, but definitely not the least, they both look stunning in black.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.

Available in Ebook and Print! To purchase Reborn: Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Nook, OmniLit, Smashwords, Createspace, and Google Play

"The authors of Untethered Realms and I are giving away over $50 worth of books to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open internationally. Go HERE to enter."

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Reborn is her debut novel. For more information, please visit her website.

Major Ninja News!

Heroes of PHENOMENA is now available on Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords!!


Today’s Themes That Rocked feature at the A to Z Blog is Charity Bradford and her Dr. Who theme!


George at Cinemarvellous had one of his quotes included in a DVD trailer!


Jennifer Hillier hit it big time! Jimmy Fallon does a segment every week on The Tonight Show where he picks a hashtag on Tuesdays and invites people to tweet something funny about it. He posts the best ones on the show on Thursdays. Last week it was #WorstSummerJobs – and Jennifer’s was the last one he read!

Talli Roland’s The No Kids Club is out now! You can buy it on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Amazon US and Amazon UK

Nigel Mitchell just released Quantum Tales - Volumes 1 & 2

Botanist fromViews From the Bald Patch just released a new book - Ghosts of Innocence. Find it on Amazon and Smashwords.

T.B. Markinson’s latest, A Woman Lost, is on sale for 99 cents. Find it at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Maggie at Just Get it Written nominated me for the Lighthouse Award. Check her site for the rules, but I pass this on to Gary at Klahanie.

Eva at My Miracle Life selected me as her Written Acts of Kindness blogger last month. Father Dragon Al has started a special encouragement group, proving he’s one of the most encouraging people I know. (See Eva’s site for rules.)

Then and Now Blogfest

Hosted by The Armchair Squid, Suze, Nicki Elson, and Nancy Mock.

The greatest films stand the test of time, speaking to us in different ways at various life stages. Is there a movie that was a part of your life when you were younger that you see differently now? Like fine wine, has it improved with age or did it die in the bottle? Has maturity brought you new insights you missed in your youth?

I’ve selected two movies:

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Fun movie when I was a kid, as I was big into Godzilla.
Saw it again as an adult courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 – and they brought a whole new level to it, poking fun at the cheesiness, bad acting, and rubber suits.
“They’ve run acrab! It’s kaBob and kaSteve.”

Jaws
Saw it in the theater when I was a kid and scared the crap out of me. Didn’t go near a bathtub for months.
Have watched it many times as an adult, and despite all the problems they had with Bruce the Shark, it still holds up to this day. Great acting, scary and tense moments, and some of the greatest lines ever.
“You’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Whoa! Anyone else see Edge of Tomorrow? Picked up Reborn yet? Catch that spot on the Tonight Show? Excited about the new books? And what movie do you see differently now than you did as a kid?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, June Movie Preview, Heroes of PHENOMENA, and New Releases!

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 for the June 4 posting of the IWSG are C. Lee McKenzie, Tracy Jo, Melanie Schulz, and LG Keltner!

I finished my manuscript!

Despite the fact I’ve been on vacation since last Friday, I finished. I had plenty of down time to just relax, and I managed to pound out the last few pages.

I began this project feeling a bit unsure. It’s still space opera but different from my Cassa series. There was also one aspect I wasn’t sure I could pull off. (How do you describe something no human has ever experienced?) But fortunately, it occurred at a very exciting point in the story, and I think I succeeded. I also have some sub-plots and scenes to add, and I’ll begin that process next week.

But the first draft is basically done!

Be sure to visit other IWSG members.

Heroes of PHENOMENA!

Available on Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords

From the amazing writer who put it all together, Samantha Redstreake Geary: 
“Welcome to Heroes of Phenomena, with my favorite composer gang over in Hollywood and leaders of the film music advertising industry, audiomachine! As part of a global, cross-industry promotional project for audiomachine’s upcoming public release, PHENOMENA—by celebrated composer, Paul Dinletir—we’re introducing a groundbreaking campaign to encourage the next generation of authors, artists & musicians! With each download of the upcoming FREE PHENOMENA companion ebook, audiomachine will make a donation to the LA Youth Orchestra. The ebook will also feature a dedicated YOUTH section, showcasing the talents of aspiring artists and authors from the gifted students of Elevate’s Life & Art Studios!”

I was honored to be asked to contribute to this book, and my story, CassaFate, is inspired by the song Drakon's Empire.

PHENOMENA available now from ITunes, Amazon, and CD Baby

Ninja News!

New releases:

No Free Will (Book 10 of A Shot in the Light) by Hart Johnson
And as a bonus A Shot in the Light, Parts I-IV is only 99 cents through June 13.

Don’t Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein

Played by Liz Fichera

Another New Life by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle
Find it on Amazon

Champion in Flight by Tyrean Martinson
Find it on Amazon and Smashwords

Coming soon -  
Secrets of Honor by Carol Kilgore

June Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for June! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

6 –

Edge of Tomorrow
A soldier fighting in a war with aliens finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, though he becomes better skilled along the way.
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
Tom Cruise dies repeatedly at the hands of a machine gun-toting groundhog!
(So far reviews have been great, so I will be seeing this Friday.)


13 –

How to Train Your Dragon 2
It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Kristen Wiig, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill
The first ended with a metal foot and leg for Hiccup – is it possible this will end with his head on a stick?
(Perfect reviews for this one – won’t miss it!)

22 Jump Street
After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
Directors: Phil Lord | Christopher Miller
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Dave Franco
Because there were so many unanswered questions in 21 Jump Street…
(The previews do have their funny moments.)

27 –

Transformers: Age of Extinction
An automobile mechanic and his daughter make a discovery that brings down the Autobots and Decepticons - and a paranoid government official - on them.
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci
Wahlberg transforms into… the same character he’s played in countless other films.
(Hey, at least it’s not LaBeouf!)

Glad to be back – did you miss me? Downloading PHENOMENA and Heroes of PHENOMENA? Excited about the new releases? What’s your writing insecurity today? And what movies will you be seeing in June…?