Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Special Friends, Series to Watch, and February Movie Preview

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.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 1 posting of the IWSG are Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner!

February 1 question - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

My publisher will touch base with me to get a better description of a scene they are considering for the cover. Then I just wait and see what they design. And I’ve yet to be disappointed!

And thanks to everyone who participated or spread the word about #IWSGPit on January 25 – we were trending! (And trending so well, we were getting spammed with a ton of ads.)
If you participated and end up with requests or even a contract, let us know.

On February 1, WEP is back, better, bigger, bolder. We’re in our eleventh year, so Team WEP has learned what writers want.  If you’re a writer who practises your skills on a regular basis –- likes to try out your WIP -  get feedback on your writing - win an editing prize from professionals - be included in a book of the best of WEP writing, be part of a supportive online writing community -- WEP is for you.

This year our bi-monthly prompts are based on movies – so we give you the Year of Movies. We have a Challenges 2023 page packed with creative ideas.

Posting for this challenge is February 15 - 17.

Check out our new-look website here!

Special Friends!

My special friend, Robyn Alana Engel sent me a case of Hot Tamales and a wonderful note. She says her word of the year is gratitude, and I am certainly grateful for a friend like her. (Be sure to pick up one of her books.) She definitely rocks!

And no, these Hot Tamales will not last the year.

What to Watch

The Rig

A strange fog rolls in on a remote Scottish oil rig and crazy stuff ensues.
This one has great characters. A couple of them you really hope will make it to the end.
It does have a couple issues and missteps, but the storyline is still good and enjoyable.
If you like science fiction weird with a Scottish accent, this is the series for you.  Streaming on Amazon Prime.

Battlebots: Champions Tournament

Yes! More Battlebots. Battles with some of the best bots on the circuit.
The funny thing about Battlebots is when it ends, you just want more Battlebots.
Season ends soon so jump on this one quick!

February Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for February. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

17 –

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas
Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
They’re doing a movie based on an album by The Who? Oh wait, that’s Quadrophenia. (That one’s for the Boomers.)

24 –

Cocaine Bear
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Stars: Ray Liotta, Keri Russell, Margo Martindale
An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.
This will be a trilogy, followed by Crack Squirrel and Meth Badger.

Do you work on your own covers or have input? Did you participate in #IWSGPit? Watching either show? Either movie rock your boat?

CassaStar on Sale, RiffTrax, Reviews, Oscar Nominations, February Movie Preview, and Music Review

CassaStar on Sale!

For the next two weeks, my publisher is running promotions for CassaStar and has dropped the price to .99.

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can download it here: Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon UK

Appreciate any help spreading the word. If you’re on Twitter, you can share my pinned Tweet or send out your own –

Amazon Best-Seller CassaStar by @alexjcavanaugh on sale for .99 cents! iTunes https://tinyurl.com/yapjekrs Amazon https://tinyurl.com/ycfgofq3 Barnes and Noble https://tinyurl.com/y8j78cpx #99cents #scifi

And if you’ve never seen the book trailer:

RiffTrax Reviews

Just a couple of the recent gems I watched.

The Little Unicorn
The stars of this 2002 film were obviously slumming a paycheck – David Warner, George Hamilton, Christopher Atkins (wow, remember him?) – and they all act disinterested.
However, that made for great riffing material and it’s extremely funny! Bill delivers some of my most favorite lines ever.
By the end, you’ll believe a unicorn can fly…
Wait, unicorns can fly?

Dreamscape
Yes, I am recommending one without Mike, Bill, and Kevin. Riffed by Janet Varney and Cole Stratton, it’s top level riffing that I’m sure made the three guys proud.
Most of you probably remember this 1984 film, and no, it hasn’t aged well.
But, it’s hilarious from start to finish!

Music Review

Audrey Horne - Blackout
I read a review about it and decided to give the album a shot.
This Norway band is an homage to all early 80’s metal.
The album blends parts from Iron Maiden, early Def Leppard, Krokus, and about a thousand other bands. Somehow they manage to make music that sounds like the 80’s and yet also sounds current and fresh. Yes, it’s a unique combination – it takes you back while sounding brand new.
What I like most is it’s just a really fun rock album.
So if you’re jonesing for that 80’s sound but want something new, this is the album to buy!

Oscar Nominations

By now everyone has seen the Oscar nominations. (And if you haven’t, they are listed here.)

No big surprises, although once again Andy Serkis was overlooked for his role as Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes.

My predictions are often wrong (in part because I’m lousy at it and part that the Academy often makes really stupid selections) but I will mention a couple wins I’d like to see happen.

Best Picture – either Dunkirk or Shape of Water would be great. (And either director to win Best Director.)

Best Animated Film – Boss Baby? Really? How did that even get nominated? Winner should be Coco, hands down.

Cinematography – toss-up between Blade Runner 2049 and Dunkirk.

Sound Editing and Sound Mixing – all five films are worthy. Like to see Baby Drive score one of those, or Film Editing. The car chases were that good and convincing.

Makeup and Hair – if The Darkest Hour doesn’t win, I’ll be stunned.

Visual Effects – got to give it to Blade Runner 2049. It was so real and immersive.

And there you have it! Now, don’t take those predictions to Vegas…

February Movie Preview

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

2 –

Winchester
Eccentric firearm heiress believes she is haunted by the souls of people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.
Directors: Michael Spierig | Peter Spierig
Stars: Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook, Jason Clarke, Angus Sampson
Is it a compelling horror film or is Hellen Mirren just slumming a paycheck?




9 -

The 15:17 to Paris
Three U.S. Airmen discover a terrorist plot aboard a train while in France.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Jenna Fischer, Judy Greer, Thomas Lennon, Lillian Solange Beaudoin
It’s great the film highlights real-life heroes, but there must be a lot of exposition to turn a one minute event into a movie over an hour and a half.




16 –

The Black Panther
T'Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.
Director: Ryan Coogler
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
It will be awesome! Half a billion dollars’ worth of commercials and advertising says so…

Early Man
Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of Dug, along with sidekick Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth and his Bronze Age City to save their home.
Director: Nick Park
Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Timothy Spall
The adventures of Wallace and Gromit’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (times a hundred) grandfathers!


23 –

Annihilation 
A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don't apply.
Director: Alex Garland
Stars: Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Tried to read the book, but it was just super weird. Hopefully the movie tones down the weirdness.

Want to pick up CassaStar real cheap? Been watching any of the RiffTrax I’ve recommended? Every heard of Audrey Horne? What’s your Oscar predictions? And what movies will you be seeing in February?

See you Wednesday, February 7 for IWSG post day! Enjoy the Super Bowl and another year of dumb commercials.

Ninja News, Celebrating Small Things, and the February Movie Preview

Ninja News

Brinda Berry created a trailer for Isis Rushdan’s’ book, Kindred of the Fallen. Brinda does an awesome job with trailers, and they are debuting it on both sites today, so check it out!

The sign up list for the A to Z Challenge opened on Wednesday, and we are on our way to five hundred already. If you haven’t signed up yet, go HERE. And for those of you wondering how to plan for the Challenge, Clare Dugmore posted her topics for both of here blogs HERE and HERE. Now that is organized and prepared!!

In the excitement of the Challenge list opening, I forgot to mention next week’s Wednesday Movie Quote genre – crime thriller.
Thanks to those of you who are playing along!

Next Wednesday is also the next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, and my co-hosts are Stephen Tremp and Julie Flanders.

Celebrate the Small Things

“Celebrate the Small Things” is hosted every Friday by VikLit.

This week I celebrate a breakthrough on my third book’s back cover synopsis, thanks to Rusty Webb. I still haven’t been able to make the appropriate changes because my publisher returned my manuscript this week and I’ve been working on the revisions. But that’s cool – CassaStorm is one step closer to reality!

February Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming movies for February! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

1 -

Warm Bodies
After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton
Zombie love sounds icky – things could fall off.
Yeah, I’ll admit I’m curious about this movie.

Bullet to the Head
After watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington D.C. detective form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.
Director: Walter Hill
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, Sung Kang
Watching a sixty-six year old man kick ass teeters between impressive and sad.

Stand Up Guys
A pair of aging con men try to get the old gang back together for one last hurrah before one of the guys takes his last assignment -- to kill his comrade.
Director: Fisher Stevens
Stars: Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken, Julianna Margulies
Dig that Alan Arkin – the guy is hilarious.



8 -

Side Effects
A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Guessing this isn’t the feel good movie of the year.



15 -

A Good Day to Die Hard
John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.
Director: John Moore
Stars: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Patrick Stewart
Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Russia! That’s right – that never grows old.

22 -

Dark Skies
As the Barret family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.
Director: Scott Charles Stewart
Stars: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, J.K. Simmons
Please tell me this will rise above every genre cliché known to man…
However the preview says – not so much.

Snitch
A father goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Rafi Gavron
The Rock doesn’t have the best track record with movies. This film probably won’t change that.


Have you signed up for the Challenge yet? (And do you have a theme?) Ready for the IWSG? What are you celebrating this week? Any of those movies interest you? And who do you think will win the Super Bowl on Sunday? (Even Mini-Alex will be watching…)

And Monday I will finally reveal my next blogfest on March 18!!