MST3K Reunion Show Review! Plus Cassa in Audio, Fates Warning, Giveaway, and Ninja News

MST3K Reunion Review

This was by far the best RiffTrax show ever!

As a celebration of ten years of RiffTrax, this was perfect. They riffed a series of shorts rather than a whole movie, and the format worked very well. Mike, Bill, and Kevin had a couple segments. They also turned it over to RiffTrax regulars, Bridget Nelson (Mike’s wife) and Mary Jo Pehl, for a segment.

Then it got even better. Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff did a short together. (Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank together again!) The crowd really got into it when creator Joel Hodgson came out and did a segment with Jonah Ray, who will head up the new version of MST3K. Then it went all out and the entire cast riffed a couple shorts together.

The shorts really ranged in topics and decades. The one Trace and Frank tackled involved a girl who couldn’t get a date so she made herself available for everyone and got involved. It was set in the 50’s, so the motive was innocent, but as my wife said, in this day and age it was a film on how to be easy and... Well, I won’t say it!

Mike, Bill, and Kevin did a segment from the very early 70’s on large equipment safety called Shake Hands with Danger. Let’s just say that the short Blood Flows Red on the Highway came to mind...

The whole crew came out to riff an old Superman short about federal stamps and Lois being held hostage. (Awful short – which meant it was very funny.)

The show wrapped up with a hilarious short on the creative things one can do with grass. Yes, grass. The kind you mow. (Although the writers obviously smoked the other kind.) Everything from hats to braids to etchings. The latter prompted this comment from Mary Jo - ‘Nothing says I forgot Father’s Day like a grass etching.’

And it was a packed show - two hours and twenty minutes!

That this was the hardest I have ever laughed in the theater is an understatement. My face and sides hurt so bad when I left. I nearly fell out of my seat on several occasions. Bringing everyone together was not only brilliant but the funniest show they have ever put together. I wish they could do it every time.

There is an encore showing on Tuesday, July 12. I recommend you go. My wife and I just might go for another showing - it was that good!

And the next RiffTrax: Live show after that? August 18 - Mothra!

Now for some awesome screen shots:

Fates Warning – Theories of Flight Review

Released July 1, this is the band’s twelfth studio album.
For a band that’s been around for thirty-two years, you’d think they’d run out of fresh ideas. But this album might very well be their best – ever!
Great prog elements, mixed with catchy choruses and amazing musicianship, makes for a well-rounded musical experience.
If you listen to prog, you’ve probably heard the band members elsewhere – guitarist Jim Matheos in OSI; vocalist Ray Alder with Redemption; bassist Joey Vera with Armored Saint; and drummer Bobby Jarzombeck with Halford and Riot. If you’ve never given these guys a spin, I recommend checking out Theories of Flight.

Ninja News

Today’s Themes That Rocked the Challenge feature at the A to Z Blog is Jeremy Hawkins and his awesome theme of old, retro ads.

The votes are in! The genre of the next Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology Contest will be fantasy.
The theme will be announced the day the contest opens – September 7.

Dan Antion, Sharukh Bamboat, Damyanti Biswas, Mary Giese, Peter Nena, Cheryl Pennington, and Kate Powell invite you to share the story of one of your cherished objects. Talk about what it is and why you cherish it. Post a picture of it if you like. Max 500 words, the Cherished Blogfest post can go up on your blog any day between 29th and 31st of July 2016. Hashtag ‪#‎CBF16‬.
More info HERE. Sign up HERE on the Cherished Linky List.‬‬

Father Dragon Al put out a call for angels to help! This is for a person many of you know and involves a simple, caring gesture. See Al’s BLOG for details.

Don’t forget the CassaSeries playing cards to giveaway! You can enter to win by commenting, Tweeting, or reviewing one of the books. Winner will be drawn July 17. Cards will be shipped from my publisher.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audio Books!

I’ve been waiting for the official word and it finally came last week – my Cassa books are being made into audio books!

My publisher is venturing into audio and selected my trilogy for the initial test. I got to hear a sample of the narrator they chose and he did a really good job, so I’m looking forward to hearing all of the books.

CassaStar on audio should be out by the end of August!


Who else saw the MST3K Reunion Show? (And if you missed it, you can still see it July 12.) Fan of Fates Warning? Can you help Al? Think you might be able to write a fantasy story for the IWSG Anthology? Signed up to win the Cassa playing cards? And how would/do you feel about hearing your books read by someone else?

And today I am visiting Tyrean Martinson with Five Reasons to Write to Music!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, plus Dragon of the Stars Cover, November Movie Preview, Dragon and Ninja, 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 LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard and SL Hennessy! Be sure to thank them for their efforts.

We are a month away from the release of the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. So much effort has gone into this book, and I’m proud of the IWSG Admins for their efforts. And I’m very proud of the contributors – the book is packed with awesome information and tips!

I’m not insecure about that book.

However, I am nervous about the next step in my personal author journey.

April 7, 2015 is the official release date for my next (and last) book, Dragon of the Stars. (Yes, right in the middle of the A to Z Challenge. I may have a meltdown that month.)

However, I am not nervous about the cover art, which I finally got to see Monday afternoon:

One more time – can I do it?

My Dear Dragon Friend

The Dragon and Ninja, created by the amazing and talented Father Dragon Al, arrived last week.

Thank you, Al. You are one of the best friends I’ve ever had and an amazing person.

Ninja News

Leandra Wallace and many others have started an awesome new blog. Across the Board is a group blog featuring writers from all different genres, kidlit to adult, posting on Mondays and Thursdays. They love to have visitors stop by!

The Realms Faire is coming next week! And guess what – I am one of the jousting Knights. My joust is Monday and you can cheer for me then and throughout the week. Tons of prizes, from books to gift cards. Don’t miss it!






New Releases -

Wickedly They Dream by Catherine Constantine
After Seeley is possessed by an evil wraith, Jordan must dig deeper into the Satanic realm. Against Markus's direct orders she offers herself, body and should in a blood covenant to rescue Seeley from the clutches of hell. Jordan assumes her guardian angel will not leave her to fight along. But there's trouble in paradise, and Markus has been reassigned. Can Jordan defeat both her internal and external demons to win him back? Or is he gone for good this time?
Find it on Amazon

Max Blizzard and The Gem of Camelot by Pat Hatt

Yakuza Territory by Milo James Fowler

Guide to Hot Water Bath Canning by MJ Joachim

November Movie Preview

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

7 –

Interstellar
A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy
Nolan is an amazing director – feels like I’ve been waiting years for this one.

Big Hero 6
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Directors: Don Hall | Chris Williams
Stars: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, T.J. Miller
Marvel’s foray into kid friendly heroes – and the previews are pretty darn funny.




21 –

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
I’m looking forward to part ten where Katniss is eligible for social security benefits…

Extraterrestrial
A group of friends on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods find themselves terrorized by alien visitors.
Director: Colin Minihan
Stars: Brittany Allen, Freddie Stroma, Melanie Papalia, Jesse Moss
Part horror, part science fiction, all probing!





28 –

Penguins of Madagascar
Super spy teams aren't born...they're hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, from destroying the world as we know it.
Directors: Eric Darnell | Simon J. Smith
Stars: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch
Ninety-nine percent sure my wife will drag me to this one…

The Babadook 
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Director: Jennifer Kent
Stars: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Tim Purcell, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight
Heard great things about this film, but doubt it will be playing anywhere in the Carolinas. (Thus I will be dragged to see Penguin movie above.)



What are your writing insecurities today? Picking up some new books? What do you think of Mini-Alex’s new friends? What movie catches your eye this month? Think I can survive another book release? And what do you think of the cover art…?

Underrated Treasures Blogfest! Plus Dragon and Ninja, BOTB Results, and Ninja News

Time for the Underrated Treasures Blogfest!

But first…

Ninja News

At the A to Z Blog today is Mina Burrows, who rocked the Challenge with her theme – classic monsters!


This Wednesday at the IWSG Site is the awesome Jennifer Hillier!

Don’t forget to either submit your work or post on October 1 for the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond!
We’ve received a lot of writing pieces and need more publishing and marketing.
Also, please do not include quotes, as there may be a copyright issue with them.

How I Found the Write Path is available now!
Put together by Carrie Butler and PK Hrezo, many of us posted for the book blogfest earlier this year, and now the book is available.
It’s on Amazon and other sites – check it out!




Thanks to these two wonderful ladies for also featuring one of my books in their entry for the Shelfie Bloghop. (Tara, is there a prize for the most features?)

CD Coffelt

MJ Fifield

Battle of the Bands Results

It was really close!! Sadly, even with my vote, Stream of Passion did not win the Street Spirit battle. Shame, because the lead singer has what I call a voice of glass. But that’s all right, it’s still my favorite (the singer is amazing) and the inspiration for CassaStar.

Radiohead -20

Stream of Passion - 18

Dragon and Ninja

I’d like to share some images of a very special gift that is coming my way soon.
I am part of a special private blog group called Fellowship of the Dragon, founded by Father Dragon Al. He started creating the dragon (made in his own image) as a reward for the person who achieved their goals on a consistent basis.
I was honored to be named that person.
But even more, I was blown away by the talent and generosity of my friend, who not only spent countless hours making the dragon, but made a Ninja to go with him.
Al, I will treasure it always. You are an amazing Dragon friend.

 

Underrated Treasures Blogfest! 

Everyone has a favorite movie or band that no one else has ever heard about. For whatever reason, they remain undiscovered and underrated. Now is your chance to tell the world about this obscure treasure!

Today, September 22, post about your favorite unknown –

MOVIE – BAND/ARTIST – TV SHOW – BOOK

Post about one or all four – dealer’s choice!

Here are my recommendations of underrated treasures:

BOOK –
The Light at the End by John Skipp and Craig Spector
It’s been many years since I read this one, but it’s a really intense horror/suspense story. It follows vampire Rudy Pasko and the man who wants to kill him, Joseph Hunter. It was extreme back in the day (published almost thirty years ago) although a bit tamer now by today’s standards. But the vampire is nasty, as he should be! Was out of print for years, but now available as an eBook.

TV SHOW –
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Set in the Wild West, the show possessed the same humor as Firefly. It was a mix of Wild West, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. Bruce Campbell rocked in the title role and the show was a lot of fun. It only ran two seasons, 1993 to 1994, and unfortunately is not available on NetFlix yet, just DVD.

MUSIC –
7th Wonder – Mercy Falls
A progressive rock band, Mercy Falls is their best album and probably one of the greatest albums ever. It’s a concept album – a man in a coma is trying to escape and come back to reality. The music is so amazing and catchy. I highly recommend checking out all of their albums. (And the lead singer also now sings in Kamelot.)

MOVIE –
Edge of Tomorrow
I decided to select a film from this year because this movie just didn’t find an audience, especially in America. And it deserved one – the movie is brilliant, smart science fiction. Beyond that genre, it possesses incredible special effects, a clever storyline, solid acting, intense action and moving drama, and is a complete package. Despite what you may think of Tom Cruise, this film is awesome – watch it!

What underrated treasures would you recommend? And have you read/listened to/seen any of those?


Contributing to the IWSG book? Picking up How I Found the Write Path? BOTB results surprise you? Do you want your own Dragon and Ninja? And what are your underrated treasures…?

RiffTrax – Godzilla, 80’s Trivia, Women’s Bodies, Monuments Men Review, and Ninja News

RiffTrax!

I hit the road Thursday night to see a live broadcast of the RiffTrax guys tackling 1998’s Godzilla. And as always, it was worth it!

It’s not a truly awful film, but it was incredibly cheesy. Some of the effects don’t hold up well, either. And no, that was definitely NOT Godzilla. (Although the babies did look a lot like velociraptors.)

If you’re a fan of RiffTrax (or Mystery Science Theater 3000) it’s a lot of fun going to see one of these films on the big screen. They do a live performance at one theater and broadcast it to many others across the US. Being surrounded by other fans while Mike, Kevin, and Bill make fun of the film is an incredible experience.

They also show slides before it begins – enjoy!

Ninja News

This Wednesday at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site is the amazing Angela Ackerman! You don’t want to miss it.

Author Sean McLachlan is having a sale – on August 18-19, Radio Hope will be only $2.99 on Amazon and Scavengers is free August 18 at Amazon.

Check out the book trailer for Loni Townsend’s 38 Seconds at her site!

Snatched in Gullybrook by Kim Van Sickler is out now.

Fight the Beard of White by Pat Hatt is available.

Milo James Fowler’s latest short science fiction story is out, Memory Lane. You can purchase it on Amazon OR to get a free copy, sign up for his newsletter, The Crew.

Next Ninja blogfest – Underrated Treasures Blogfest
On Monday, September 22, post about your favorite unknown –
MOVIE – BAND/ARTIST – TV SHOW – BOOK
Post about one or all four – dealer’s choice!
Sign up HERE


Last Monday was Father Dragon Al’s birthday! I’d volunteered to go pillage and plunder with him, but there were stipulations…

Women’s Bodies

Stephanie Faris posted about the trend in a women’s body image, which included skinny ankles and the thighs not touching. After I left my comment (where I stated I preferred healthy curves) the truth of the matter hit me.

Men don’t care!

We don’t care if your thighs touch. We aren’t measuring ankles. Yes, looks are what attracts us to a woman, but it’s more about does she have a pretty face and some nice shapely curves. And after that, is she a nice person and fun to be around. (Because if not, that negates the physical stuff.)

So ignore the media, ladies. We don’t care.

Hope that clears things up.

Movie Review

The Monuments Men
A group is tasked with rescuing stolen artwork from the Nazis during World War II.
An interesting aspect of history, although don’t go expecting historical accuracy.
The plot was all right, although non-existent at times, and the pacing occasionally glacial. There were some good and funny scenes, just nothing coalescent enough to make a great movie.
See it for the cast, because they got some great actors for the roles.
Worth a NetFlix rental.

Trivia Time!

80’s trivia – enjoy!

1 – What city did the LA Clippers move from in 1984?

2 – This band’s debut single was Goodbye to You.

3 – This now famous actor played Chris in the soap opera Another World.

4 – This MLB manager managed a National League (Phillies) and an American League (Indians) team in the same season.

5 – Robert De Niro said the line ‘Sarrano’s got the disks’ in what movie?

6 – Comedian Sam Kinison released a remake of what Trogg’s song?

Answers next Monday!

Anyone else seen a RiffTrax movie in the theater? Picking up new books? Signed up for the blogfest? Seen The Monuments Men? Know any of the trivia? And what’s your thoughts on women’s bodies? (Please keep it PG13) 

I also updated my blogroll - if you're a regular here and don't see your blog listed, please let me know.