Crazy Cat Lady Advice from Elizabeth Seckman! Plus Godzilla, Indiana Jones, Ninja News, and a List of Upcoming Events

The Ninja is Everywhere!

I have an interview with the ever-enthusiastic Livia Peterson today! Short, simple, and unique – just the way I like it.

I’m also posting at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group website today on revision tips. Perfect for those of you finishing NaNo soon. My very first writing tips post! Feel free to humor me…

If you missed the #SFFWRTCHT Twitter chat last week, the full transcript is now up at the SFFW Chat Website.

And on Tuesday, Cassafire is the featured science fiction book with The Fussy Librarian!


And now, please welcome one of the funniest, sweetest, and most positive authors I know - Elizabeth Seckman!

Advice from the Crazy Cat Lady

My grandmother was a writer; a dreamer; an agoraphobic cat lover. She owned several acres of “farm” land that bumped up against a busy city. It was a green oasis just a few turns from the interstate. There was never any live stock on the farm, just pets. Lots and lots of pets. Seems people knew Mary Hartman had a soft heart and kept any creature dumped on her. Many times all of her monthly income would be spent at the vet as she scrambled to keep all the animals healthy and spayed.

I was in my teens when it hit me- my grandma was a crazy cat lady!

At least I knew that was how the world saw her. People didn’t care that she was once a speakeasy songstress or a greeting card poet.

Nope. Most of the world didn’t see past the cats. People would be rude to her…make sneaky snide comments.

Wow. That would that light me up. I’d want her to get mad, to get even…but she never did.

One day, she calmly told me, “If you ever want to know a person’s true nature, watch how they treat someone they have nothing to gain from.”

That’s some highly beneficial advice for a writer.

The literary world is a striated mish mash. From the smalls to the bigs. The traditionals and the indies. We meander in many of the same circles vying for the same market. So, as I wander, I take note- who is snarky, who is helpful, who is kind to the newbie who can’t even spell query? Who won’t deign to mingle with the uncontracted? Offer help when it doesn’t further their own career?

These are important things to know because everyone starts at the beginning. And unless you have a crystal ball, no one knows who will be where in a year…or five…or ten. That’s a mystery, but who you can trust doesn’t have to be. While you’re sitting on the lower rungs? This is where you find out where the loyal, dependable, trustworthy, and true are. Take notes and remember.

Elizabeth Seckman is a simple chick with a simple dream…to write stories people want to read. Find her - Blog, Facebook, and Amazon.

Fate Intended is the third book in the Coulter Men Series.
Fate brought them together…reality may tear them apart.

And to celebrate the release of Fate Intended, Elizabeth’s publisher is offering the first two books for ninety-nine cents on Amazon - Healing Summer and Past Due!

Ninja News

The ever-amazing Father Dragon threw an anniversary party this weekend that is probably still in full swing. Honoring his best friends with kind words and this award, Al revealed his dedicated heart and wise soul. Thank you, my friend.


Karen’s Very Prestigious Blog Awards are now open for voting. Several blogger buddies are nominated and I’m up for favorite blog!

The trailer for Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson debuted last week – check It out:

All six volumes of The Cindy Chronicles by RaShelle Workman are now available in one set for one great price!

And she’s offering prizes to celebrate, so check it out! 

Upcoming Events

Frozen comes out November 27, and despite my initial reservations, I may have to go see this one. It’s currently 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and being hailed a classic.

This Thursday is Thanksgiving for those of us in the USA. Wishing all of you a happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day of food, family, and potentially crappy football.

Milo James Fowler is hosting another Freebies special – Tis More Blessed. “If you have a book/eBook/short story/collection you'd like to give away or raffle off on Friday December 6th, Friday the 13th, Friday the 20th, or Friday the 27th, just enter your name and the date(s) of your giveaway under Link Title.” I’ve signed up to give away copies of my books, but I’m a rebel – I will be giving them away on Monday, December 16.

The last Insecure Writer’s Support Group posting of the year is on December 4. Please note that the first one of 2014 will be the second Wednesday, January 8, due to the New Year’s Day holiday.

Lexa Cain and Julie Flanders’ Dream Destination Blog Hop is December 5-8. Lots of prizes for this one!

CheersFest 2.0 is December 9! We are roasting Lee ‘Arlee Bird’ of Tossing it Out this year. Yes, we are roasting the bird…
We also have a second badge now, designed by the awesome Jeremy Hawkins.

The Fifty States of Pray is Christmas Eve, December 24, hosted by Mark Koopmans. (Also known as The Madman or M-Koo!)

The signup list opens December 1 – join us in posting some encouraging words of prayer or blessing on Christmas Eve. 

Awesome Images

Jo Blo listed some awesome images they’d found around the net, including this one from Brian Rood, titled Indiana Jones. Check out his site for more amazing images.

From Blastr: they’ve kept his appearance mostly hidden, but “we get a teaser sample in a Godzilla tie-in book "kit" that will feature both a Godzilla figure that roars and 48 pages of material on the history of Godzilla and the making of the new movie will be released sometime next year.” And the cover:

Finally, this comes from Edi’s Book Lighthouse - The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It’s fifteen minutes long, so if you don’t have time, please bookmark it to watch later. It’s a stunning animation…


Yes, it’s post overload, but I won’t post again until next Monday. (Really rocking with the outline for my next book right now.) 
Do you know a crazy cat lady? Participating in any of those events? Think the images are awesome? And what are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Be sure to visit Livia Peterson for my interview, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group for revision tips, and if you missed my Twitter chat last week, the SFFW Chat Website for the transcript.

Sharknado Play-by-Play! Plus Ninja News and Monster Movie Trivia

Ninja News

Talli Roland signed a two-book deal with Amazon Publishing. They will re-publish The Pollyanna Plan with a new cover and release The No-Kids Club spring of 2014. Congratulations, Talli!

Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories by Ellie Garratt

Available now!

Science fiction stories of time and space...

Find the book at Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Goodreads.

Cassa News

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for CassaStorm on Goodreads. Open to the USA, Canada. AND Mexico!

Thanks to those of you who visited Jo Murphy’s feature on me this past Monday. I was stunned to discover she was a fan of my books before we ever met in the blogging world! Thanks again, Jo.

And I forgot to mention this in my review of Pacific Rim on Monday. There is a scene where Raleigh is telling Mako about the mental connection between the pilots and that the worst part is the silence when that person isn’t in your head anymore. Yes, CassaStar definitely entered my mind at that point!

Sharknado Play-by-Play

Yes, it was another SyFy Craptastic epic. We won’t even begin to dissect the implausibility of sharks surviving out of water in a storm and then falling to earth with a desire to eat everyone in sight. Just pretend you have the IQ of a carrot and enjoy.

9:01 Sharknado title appears and blows off screen. I’m guessing this won’t be the only thing that blows.

9:04 There are so many sharks in the water, you could literally walk across the ocean.

9:05 The captain of a shark fishing boat is killed. Lucky bastard doesn’t have to watch any more of Sharknado.

9:08 Ian Ziering, post Beverly Hills 90210, shows up. Don’t judge – dude has to eat.

9:15 Girl hands over sarong for tourniquet on man with deep cuts. Hello? The guy behind you is missing a leg and you still have on your bikini!

9:24 Sunny day – hurricane – sunny day – hurricane. Apparently the continuity guy was eaten by a shark.

9:32 When is Sharktopus going to make a cameo?

9:40 George the lovable drunk is eaten by shark. An hour later, the shark was pulled over and issued a DWI.

9:43 Sharks are popping out of the storm drain like a giant Pez dispenser!

9:51 Somewhere Bruce the shark is watching this and laughing his ass off.

9:53 The house is flooded up to the second floor but the road is clear. (Remember folks, the continuity guy is dead.)

9:54 If you only see one film where sharks attack a Beverly Hills home – don’t see this one.

10:05 Man says he came to LA to be an actor. Maybe one day my friend. Maybe one day…

10:16 Car blows up after shark attack. Shark terrorists?

10:21 Special effects time. It’s a tornado. With sharks. Crap, now they aren’t even trying…

10:30 I need to get ready for bed. I don’t think I’ll miss any critical plot twists though.

10:50 A shark just gave birth to Ian Ziering in what can only be described as the worst Discovery Channel special ever.

10:55 They blow up the final Sharknado with explosives. Shame someone didn’t do that to film itself.

While watching this movie, I started thinking of other films they could do. (Obviously I wasn’t the only one, as a few of these have appeared online during the past week.) See if you can guess the disaster – and feel free to add your own:

Sharkpocalypse
Sharkquake
Sharkano
TSharknami
Sharphoon
Sharktastrophe
Sharkzard

Monster Movie Trivia!

How well do you know your monster movies?

1 – What was the monster in Brotherhood of the Wolf?

2 – How many times have Godzilla and Gamera fought?

3 – DeForest Kelley fought giant rabbits in what film?

4 – Which X-Men cast member starred in Deep Rising?

5 – What year was the original King Kong released?

6 – What was the giant creature in Lake Placid?

7 – In Godzilla vs. the Thing, what was the Thing?

Answers on Monday!

And I have to end with this from Jo Blo because it’s awesome!!!!Can't wait for the movie next year.

Have you picked up Ellie’s book? Did anyone else suffer through Sharknado? Know the other shark disasters or have one of your own? Seeing a movie this weekend? Ready for Godzilla next year? And know any trivia answers?

Tammy’s Interview Victim, May Monster Madness, Godzilla, Ninja News, Jewel of Shaylar, and Cabbage

When Tammy Theriault invited me to do an interview at her site, I knew it would be different. I knew there was a reason for the survival badge. How weird was it? Come sample the insanity HERE!

Ninja News

Ilima Todd just signed a two-book deal with Shadow Mountain – congratulations!

Mel Chelsey’s book, Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One, is now available in paperback on Amazon.

Sean McLachlan’s fantasy novella, The Quintessence of Absence, is now available! The 25,000 word story originally appeared in Black Gate magazine. Congratulations, Sean!


Jade Hart’s latest novel, Mirror Amour, is now available. Way to go, Jade!

The Best/Worst Movie Remakes Blogfest is this Friday! Name the best and worst movie remake you’ve ever seen. Sign up HERE.

Jewel of Shaylar

Laura Eno’s Jewel of Shaylar is now available!

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures…

Purchase at: Kindle US, Kindle UK, Nook, Smashwords, Kobo, Trade Paperback, and Goodreads.

Laura Eno. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you could find your way down the rabbit hole. Follow Me: Blog, Facebook, Twitter

May Monster Madness!

Hosted by Annie Walls.
How does May Monster Madness work? Well, it's a blog hop featuring posts about monsters! Anything you can think of as long as it has something to do with monsters... crafts, lists, movies, funnies (a personal favorite)... anything!

I decided to go with my favorite monster as a kid - Godzilla.

Nothing was cooler than the Saturday afternoon monster movie featuring Godzilla. He’s ingrained in my childhood forever. He began as a terrifying, giant monster, and over the years became more of a protector and almost loveable creature. Godzilla changed the way I looked at monsters.

Yes, he was a guy in a rubber suit! But I’ll take a guy in a rubber suit over the monstrosity that was Emmerich and Devlin’s Godzilla. Here’s hoping Gareth Edwards can do better in 2014. (He rocked with 2010’s Monsters.)

And it didn’t hurt that Blue Oyster Cult did a tribute song to Godzilla!



Visit Annie Walls for other participants or to join this blogfest!

Cabbage

This is for Gary:

From Wikipedia

Have you ever been interviewed by Tammy Theriault? Excited about the new releases? Ready for Friday’s blogfest? Picking up Laura’s book? What is your favorite monster? Godzilla fan? And care to comment on the meaning of the cabbage…?

Don’t forget to visit Tammy Theriault!

Two Movie Reviews and Quiz Answers!

Not one but two movie reviews for you today! And the answers to Friday’s short quiz.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I’m not a big fan of the Apes movies and went into this one with very low expectations. Much to my surprise, I thought it was an excellent film.

The synopsis is a bit misleading – this really isn’t about the apes taking over. This is Caesar’s story – his near human intelligence and relationships with those around him - and it sets the stage for future films. I doubted the plausibility of the plot, but it really works. There are a few things that make you wonder, but not enough to stop the forward progress of the plot.

The film boasts many actors, including Tom Felton (Draco from Harry Potter) as an abusive jerk, but it’s Andy Serkis who dominates. He really deserves an Oscar nomination for his role as Caesar. Serkis conveys so much through his movement, expressions, and eyes – it’s just incredible to watch. And no green screens were used – Serkis was really in the scene, wearing his computer suit and acting opposite the other characters. (Watch out ILM – WETA has you beat for special effects now!)

While the pacing is slow and steady, saving the big action scene for the end, be prepared – it’s a dark journey. Caesar suffers both physical and emotional abuse. James Franco’s father, John Lithgow, suffers from Alzheimer and Dementia. This film does deal with some pain. It’s an excellent movie though.

Oh, and when the credits start to roll, wait fifteen seconds for the final scene. Trust me – you don’t want to miss it!

Green Hornet

Finally caught this on NetFlix and I can see why critics didn’t like it. This is one quirky film. Some people don’t like Seth Rogen. (I’m not a fan.) It’s also the smallest-scale superhero film you’ll ever see. I expected it to suck, but you know what – it was really damn funny! The two leads are hilarious. Not a great film, but it was worth the price of a rental.


Ready for the Quiz answers???

What was the band Blue Oyster Cult’s original name back in the sixties?
Soft White Underbelly

Which movie franchise boasts the most film titles?
This will surprise you – Godzilla! Twenty nine movies, with a reboot in the making. And BOC did a song called Godzilla - how cool is that?

When did the first VCR appear on the market?
1972 – and I did a post about the history of VCRs and DVD players HERE

How many movies have made over a billion dollars? And can you name them without cheating?
Ten! And only two not in 3D.
1. Avatar (2009) $2,781,505,847
2. Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,119,102,868
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,065,896,541
5. Toy Story 3 (2010) $1,062,984,497
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) $1,033,201,000
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1,023,833,768
8. Alice in Wonderland (2010) $1,023,285,206
9. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) $1,007,133,000
10. The Dark Knight (2008) $1,001,921,825

How did you do on those? See Planet of the Apes? Find Boba Fett’s Carbonite Crunch anywhere?