CassaStorm Cover Reveal! And Ninja News, Cover Reveals and Releases, and Celebrating the Small Things

CassaStorm cover reveal today! But first...

I am visiting Allison at Geek Banter today! Signed up for the A to Z Challenge but don’t have a topic yet? Want a geeky topic? Then head on over to Allison’s site when you finish here.

Ninja News

A to Z Challenge co-hosts, Nicole and Tina, were interviewed over at Curiosity Quills. If you want to learn a little more about the Challenge, check it out – the ladies did a fantastic job.

MJ Joachim had a great post about making it easy to find and follow one’s blog.

There was so much happening on Wednesday, I completely forgot the Wednesday Movie Quote!! Epic Ninja fail. (Thank you Robin for pointing it out.) Third time’s a charm – next Wednesday, romantic comedy quotes for sure. It’s in my calendar.

And found out yesterday that CassatStar is on Goodreads’ top Space Jocks books. If you have the time, would appreciate your vote! And thanks to the person who got it on the list.

Cover Reveals and Releases!

Several today!

A couple break up on a rainy night; a runaway longs to go home; a woman finds comfort from eating lunch as her best friend lies in hospital; a teenager feels oppressed by her father. All of the characters in these stories are trying to find their place in the world, attempting to find connections that matter with the people around them.

This collection brings together prize-winning and published stories from the past twenty years: the ‘greatest hits’.

That Sadie Thing and other stories will be available on

Kindle Monday 25th February 2013.

Annalisa Crawford lives and writes in Cornwall with a good supply of beaches and moorland to keep her inspired. She finds endless possibilities in the relationships between people. As this collection testifies, she has been writing for twenty years - but doesn't feel a day over twenty-one.

Find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

The Truth About Letting Go 
by Leigh Talbert Moore


Purchase here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBookstore.


Find Leigh: Blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Unleashing the CassaStorm!

Are you ready?

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019

Yes, I am very stoked!!!!! That cover rocks.

Celebrating the Small Things

VikLit’s weekly meme.

Sharing my cover was a big thing, but something else cool is happening today.

Yes, sex and controversy sell. But I have never (nor will ever) put sex, foul language, or anything immoral in my books. I wanted my books to be accessible to everyone, just as I enjoyed reading the genre as a kid.

And I’m really glad I made that decision, because Kimberly Gabriel shared my books with her seventh grade class and they were very excited to read them. Now, not only did they order several copies and received bookmarks, the kids put together some questions for me. And today, Kimberly is sharing my answers with her class, along with the cover for CassaStorm.

Score!!!

Hope the kids enjoyed it, Kimberly.

(And if any of you are teachers, let me know – I’d love to do that again!)

Ready for the A to Z Challenge? Excited about the upcoming books? What small thing are you celebrating? And what do think of CassaStorm’s cover? (It’s been tough to sit on this for a whole week!)

Don’t forget to visit Geek Banter for some geeky A to Z Challenge topic suggestions.

Ninja News, Secondhand Shoes, Movie Trivia Answers, She Said What Blogfest, and the Level Up! Blogfest

Today I am visiting the The Alliterative Allomorph! Jessica Bell is a super talented author and musician and somehow she talked me into a guest post that compares the two. (Yes, it’s garage-band man meets Joe Satriani.)

Ninja News

Literary Rambles is holding a 3000 followers giveaway with tons of books and a five page critique. They are also looking for young adult and middle grade writers and authors, so stop by.

Mark Koopmans won the “2013 Best Memoir” Award at the Southern California Writers' Conference last weekend. Way to go, Madman Mark!

Misha Gericke’s Paying it Forward Awards are now open for February nominations, and there are twice the prizes available!

Friday is the big reveal for CassaStorm’s cover! Thanks to all who signed up to help HERE. (I’ll be sending the cover and back cover synopsis Thursday.)
And just a sneak peek…

Run-Away-Bride Give-a-way

Secondhand Shoes by Shelly Arkon is available now!

Spread the News and Cheer on the Run-Away-Bride Give-a-way! The eBook is free through February 21. She’s also be giving away two fifteen dollar amazon cards and two autographed copies of Secondhand Shoes, but they must give Lila some helpful advice and promise to spread the news. I mean, it is her wedding day, after all.

Secondhand Shoes is now available on Amazon either in paperback or as an eBook. Paperback is $13.50. Ebook is $4.99. But from February 19 through the 21 the eBook is FREE to everyone.

Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Kurt Russell and James Spader, 1994 - Stargate
2 – Peter Weller and Nancy Allen, 1987 - Robocop
3 – Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, 1995 - Twelve Monkeys
4 – Ron Pearlman and John Hurt, 2004 - Hellboy
5 – Lori Petty and Ice-T, 1995 - Tank Girl
6 – Keanu Reeves and George Carlin, 1989 - Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

She Said What Blogfest

Hosted by Elise Fallson and Michelle at Writer In Transit. Fill in the blank captions.

Michelle: I over-twisted the braids on my head. I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating.

Elise: You think you got problems. I just barfed up a hairball.

Elise: Oh, for the love of....did you just get tangled in my hairball vomit?

Michelle: Yes, hoist me up before the champagne and LSD start running out my nose.

V-Boy: Pardon me ladies....but do you have any Grey Poupon?

Elise: On my honor...this is the last time I mix Orange Tango with massive amounts of psychotropic drugs.

Michelle: All right...my buzz is starting to wear off.

Elise: Are these breasts or pockets?

Extinct Dino Dude: Kids, drugs are dangerous. Take my advice.....just say no.

Ladies: A message from Mothers Against Cheeky Children Doing Drugs.

Level Up! Blogfest

Hosted by Jamie at Mithril Wisdom and Allison at Geek Banter - name your favorite games.

1. Movie Trivia Games
If you need someone to fill out your movie trivia team, then I am your man. I've watched so many movies that it's either very impressive or really pathetic. I have a knack for remembering actors, directors, plots and titles. I love all sorts of movie trivia from board games to iPad apps. I give my wife fits because when I am dialed in, I can win a game without giving her a turn. However, this happens with less frequency because I've watched so many movies that my brain is turning to tapioca.

2. StarCraft
This is a no brainer (which is helpful for good ol' tapioca brain.) For my money, the greatest RTS game ever made (that's Real Time Strategy for you noobs.) Featuring three distinct races (Terran, Zerg and Protoss), a great tech tree, an engaging campaign, and a pop-culture sense of humor, StarCraft is a rare game that works on every level and has amazing replay ability. Even though the graphics are a bit dated, the game still rocks and deserves a spot on the Mount Rushmore of gaming.

3. Dungeons & Dragons
I know, this just screams nerd in the basement with a 20-sided die and a half-elf named HoHo the Magic Newt. Well, that nerd was me. This game helped me to harness my imagination, develop problem solving, and taught invaluable lessons on how to work as a team. (And the consequences if you don't.) It also played a role in my moral upbringing. The scenarios that we encountered offered so many moral and social dilemmas. It's been a long time since I played but I will always treasure the friendships and the camaraderie.

Whoa! Some awesome news today. Picking up Shelly’s Secondhand Shoes? Get any of the movie trivia right? Participating in Elise and Michelle’s blogfest? What are some of your favorite games? Think I watch too many movies…?

Don’t forget to visit Jessica Bell.

And Friday… prepare for a CassaStorm!

Ninja News, Wednesday Movie Quote, and the A to Z Sign-up List is OPEN!!!

I discussed nosh with two hungry pups at The Life of a Novice Writer yesterday. If you missed it, check it out. Those pups like to talk to any author with nosh!

Ninja News!

Thanks to Stephen, Mark, Elise, and CM for hosting the Re-Introduce Myself Blogfest on Monday. So sorry, I still wasn’t able to get around to all of the participants AND all of my blogger buddies the past two days. Epic Ninja fail…

Jamie at Mithril Wisdom and Allison at Geek Banter are hosting the Level Up! Blogfest. “On February 20th, talk about a game you play or used to play; tell us how it works and share your love of the game with the rest of us. It can be any kind of game you like, from World of Warcraft to Hopscotch, from Monopoly to Blackjack and everything else in between. Tell us what you love about that game.”

Kimberly at Art of Infiltration shared twenty-two books she enjoyed reading last year (or wanted to read this year) with her seventh grade class. She said the kids were excited about three books – Possession by Elana Johnson, 18 Things by Jamie Ayers, and CassaStar. Whoa!!! Kimberly, that made my week.

With all of the books being published, I wanted to highlight another published artist. Ella at Ella’s Edge is a poet, photographer, and master craftswoman. If she can envision it, she can make it. Ella has had many of her beautiful pieces featured in magazines, and this past December she had several in Somerset Studio Gallery and Somerset Life. Ella, you are talented beyond words!

Liz Fichera’s latest book, Hooked, is available today. Congratulations, Liz!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Today’s favorite movie quote theme is “Light Fantasy.”

My favorite: (Double today!)

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

“Have fun storming the castle!”

Both from The Princess Bride.

What is yours?

A to Z Challenge Sign-ups Open!!

Sign-ups open today – but read first before entering your name!!

The A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day. We recommend short posts, turn off Word Verification, and visit five blogs (or more) a day beginning with the one after yours on the list.

This year there are categories for those looking for like-minded blogs. Select ONE category code and enter it after your blog’s title/name. The code applies to your blog, not your theme for the Challenge and is purely optional. However, if your blog has adult content, you MUST mark it (AC) or it will be removed from the list. Codes are as follows:

1. WRITING : (WR)
2. BOOKS: (BO)
3. FILM : (FM)
4. PHOTOGRAPHY: (PH)
5. GARDENING: (GR)
6. CRAFT: (CR)
7. ART: (AR)
8. MUSIC: (MU)
9. CULINARY: (CU)
10. LIFESTYLE: (LI )
11. FASHION: (FA)
12. PERSONAL: (PR)
13. SOCIAL MEDIA: (SO)
14. GAMING: (GA)
15. EDUCATION : (ED)
16. POLITICS: (PO)
17. HISTORY: (HI)
18. SCIENCE: (SC)
19. HUMOR: (HU)
20. TRAVEL: (TR)
21. MISCELLANEOUS: (MI)
22. ADULT CONTENT: (AC)

Be sure to grab the badge and display it in your sidebar so we know you are participating and link to the A to Z Blog.

You’re A to Z Hosts are founder Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie, Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE, Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick, and Nicole at The Madlab Post.

This is the fourth Challenge. The very first one changed my blog forever! Are you ready to join us in the greatest blogging event ever?


Enjoy Monday’s blogfest? Joining the game blogfest? Follow the talented Ella? What is your favorite light fantasy movie quote? Joining us this April for the A to Z Challenge? If you have ANY question, please ask. I am a co-host and here to help. And do you have a theme…?

Don’t forget to visit The Life of a Novice Writer!

Ninja News, Amazing Spiderman Review, and Best Directors

Ninja News!

Today I have a guest post with Gabi at The Write Connexion.. She wanted to know more about organizing a blog tour. Not an expert, but I gave it my best shot!

Thanks again to everyone who posted for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Welcome new members and appreciate all the support you guys give one another. I even received an email from a member who stated that not only has the group helped him to be a better writer, it had helped him to be a better person. Now that is just awesome! Special thanks also to Laura Eno for her post on Writer Etiquette. I also spent some time cleaning up the list of non-participants, so it should be much better next month.

Milo James Fowler at In Medias Res has a new book available - maikro - haiku and microfiction. Congratulations, Milo! (He’s also the most successful short story writer I know.)

DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude just had a short story accepting for Open Heart Publishing’s An Honest Lie anthology. Congratulations, DL!!

Cathy at Life on the Muskoka River is raising money for the YMCA Literacy Services in her area. This involves a marathon with writers locked in a room. Intrigued? Visit Cathy’s SITE for more details!

Beginning Thursday, July 26, 9 PM EST, EJ at The Open Vein will be hosting an all new regular Twitter chat focusing on New Adult literature. (Hashtag #NALitChat) Check out his site for details.

Jade Hart at Dream, Write, Publish just signed a book deal with Curiosity Quills. Congratulations, Jade!

And special thanks to Allison at Geek Banter and Rek at A Chronicle of Dreams for their wonderful reviews of CassaStar this week. You ladies rock!

Movie Review!

The Amazing Spiderman
We didn’t need a reboot of this franchise so soon, but with so many great reviews I had to check it out – and I wasn’t disappointed. Handing over this reboot to an unknown director was a risk but it paid off. Marc Webb handled the action scenes and character development well, adding a humorous edge that was missing before. I really liked the new Spiderman – the kid was the master of snark. As much as I like Sam Raimi and Spiderman 2, this movie was better. It’s not The Avengers, but it’s really good. (And you should’ve seen all the little kids dressed as Spiderman at the show!)

Best Directors

Matthew at FilmMattic recently posted a list of top one hundred directors, so I decided to do my own list of top ten. My list is what I consider the best (and my most favorite) directors.

1 - Steven Spielberg – Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Close Encounters (Because of his huge body of work.)

2 - James Cameron – Aliens, The Terminator, Avatar (The man’s never made a bad film.)

3 - Christopher Nolan – Memento, Inception, The Dark Knight (He hasn’t made a bad film either.)
4 - Peter Jackson – LOTR trilogy, Dead Alive, The Frighteners

5 - Guillermo del Toro – Blade II, Hellboy, The Devil’s Backbone

6 - Michael Mann – Last of the Mohicans, Heat, Manhunter

7 - Joss Whedon – Serenity, The Avengers

8 - Quentin Tarantino – Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction

9 - Rob Reiner – The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men

10 - JJ Abrams – Super 8, Star Trek

Enjoy this week’s IWSG posts? Excited about the news? Did you see The Amazing Spiderman? (It made 35 million on Tuesday alone!) And who are your favorite directors?

Don’t forget to check out Gabi's site!

Huntsman Movie Review, Ninja News, Book Releases, Awards, and Visiting the Geek Twins

Maurice asked me to be a guest at The Geek Twins ages ago – and we finally made it happen! Want to know who I think are the smartest and sexiest women in science fiction and why? Come on, you know you do! Then jump over and visit The Geek Twins, Maurice and Nigel, when you’re done here.

Movie Review

Snow White and the Huntsman
Definitely not the sweet Disney version! This movie had an uneven pace. Certain scenes were well executed and visually stunning, like the faerie forest, while others dragged or seemed odd. I think in the hands of a better director this film would’ve been a major contender. The beginning was slow although it picked up once the dwarves appeared. Stewart did all right although the girl can’t smile to save her life. Ultimately, it was Chris Hemsworth who carried the movie. If not for him, it would’ve had no heart or soul.
Certainly not a bad film but overall a bit disappointing. Full potential not realized.

Ninja News

Anna Smith’s book, Alphabet Wishes, is now available – congratulations, Anna!

Allison at Geek Banter is holding a Hundred Followers giveaway and you could win one of several Terry Brooks novels. Now that is a cool prize. Way to go, Allison!

RaShelle Workman unveiled the cover art for her new book series, Blood and Snow. Looks awesome, RaShelle – you rock!

And my BuNoWriMo progress is around 5000 words so far!

June 5 Book Releases

The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson (aka Hart Johnson) Confessions of a Watery Tart
This is Hart’s FIRST book release and I couldn’t be happier for her.
She will be amusing the Ninja Army during her blog tour on June 18.

Quilt or Innocence by Elizabeth Craig at Mystery Writing is Murder
Another great cozy mystery from Elizabeth, founder of the Writers Knowledge Database.

These two ladies have teamed up for the Crazy Cozy Blogfest on June 5. Blog about the craziest idea you have for a cozy mystery. Make it entertaining and humorous. Winner receives signed books from both Hart and Elizabeth. For details, go HERE

Surrender by Elana Johnson
The follow up to her debut novel, Possession!
Elana will be entertaining the Ninja Army on her blog tour June 25.

She is also hosting a contest June 11-15 – the Never Surrender Blogfest. All participants get a swag package and three winners get a Barnes and Noble gift Card. To sign up, visit her BLOG

Awards

I’ve received many awards, including a couple new ones, and been tagged in a blog hop. In the interest of time, I shall do what I do best – be brief!

I received the Fabulous Blog Ribbon from the energetic Cassie Mae.

Name five of your most fabulous moments; five things you love; five things you hate.

One answer for each – Accepting Jesus, my wife, mowing my lawn
Passing this on to the happiest blogger I know, Morgan Shamy.

Napper Blogger Award from the sweet and caring Kela
Name something you do to take time for YOU – Easy – play my guitar.
Passing this on to Laura Pauling who probably needs a nap after her blog tour.

Vicki at Page After Page tagged me with the Be Inspired Blog Hop. Thank you Vicki – I will save that one for another day.

Anyone else see Snow White and the Huntsman? Finally watch Hatfield and McCoys? (Surprised so many of you recorded it!) Participating in either Hart and Elizabeth’s or Elana’s book release blog hop/contests? Been awarded lately? And if you are participating in BuNoWriMo or Camp NaNo, are you on track with your writing?Don't forget the next posting for the Insecure Writer's Support Group is this Wednesday!

No, go visit The Geek Twins!