Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Hero Lost Release, May Movie Preview, 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 Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!

May question - What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?

I kept hearing how important research was. So, for my fourth book, I decided to do some intensive research before I began to write. Sea kelp plays an integral role in Dragon of the Stars. It’s an energy source, a food, and a drug.

I did extensive research online, gathering pages upon pages of information.

And while it helped to shape the story, almost none of what I learned made it to the page.

If anyone wants to know more about sea kelp, please let me know.  I can hook you up...

The IWSG anthology is out now!

Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Print ISBN 9781939844361
eBook ISBN 9781939844378

Can a lost hero find redemption?
What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?
Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!

Find on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, and Goodreads

And visit Michelle Wallace today for a special feature with the authors of Hero Lost!

Ninja News

Special shout-out to Laura Brambrey! She featured CassaStar in a segment regarding non-romantic love stories. (If you’ve not read CassaStar, it follows two ‘brothers’ in a war.)
Laura says: The one that instantly springs to mind actually comes from a genre that sits outside of my usual comfort zone. Cassa Star by Alex J. Cavanaugh is pure sci-fi, but it’s a book that I have now re-read over half a dozen times for the central relationship - the friendship of the young pilot, Byron, and the older, more experienced navigator, Bassa. Cavanaugh crafts their story in such a way that, although they may be training and fighting in the far reaches of the galaxy, their friendship develops like a classic romance. And every single time I’ve read it, it has reduced me to an emotional, sobbing wreck.
I still feel bad I make her cry though.
Thanks, Laura!

Reedsy just posted a great article - Dynamic Character: How to write a compelling protagonist.
They have a lot of great articles and resources. If you’re not following the site or subscribed to their newsletter, then you need to check it out.

New release:

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks
A collection of short stories and poetry by writers from all walks of life.
Featuring stories from Annalisa Crawford, Clare Dugmore, Kyra Lennon, and more.

Ultimate Principle: A DCI Lane Rivers Novel by NJ Burggraf
The job is brutal. It sucks every ounce of life out of you.
Find on Amazon

May Movie Preview

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

5 –

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.
Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
Now, repeat after me. I am Groot. I am Groot. I am Groot!
Oh yeah – this is going to rock!



12 –

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Annabelle Wallis, Hermione Corfield
Sherlock Holmes meets Excalibur. With Guy Ritchie, you know it will be quirky.


19 –

Alien: Covenant
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, James Franco, Noomi Rapace
Hopefully the covenant is Thou Shall Not Suck as Bad as Prometheus…


26 -

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Captain Jack Sparrow searches for the trident of Poseidon.
Directors: Joachim Rønning | Espen Sandberg
Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Orlando Bloom
One day, dead series will tell no more movies…

Baywatch
Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchanan butts heads with a brash new recruit. Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.
Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon Larracuente
Why do they keep turning all of our 80’s dramas into slapstick comedies?

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever researched? Picking up Hero Lost? What book made you cry? What movies are you looking forward to this month?

And we need IWSG co-hosts for June, July, and August! Let me know if you can co-host.

Insecure Writer’s Support Group and IWSG Twitter Pitch! Plus March Movie Preview, New IWSG Swag, New Releases, 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 Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!


March Question - Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

That one’s easy – yes! I wrote a story as a young teen and it sat in a drawer for thirty years. When I found it again, I decided the characters and concept had merit so I completely rewrote it.
Did it work out? That story became my first published novel, CassaStar, and went on to become an Amazon best seller in science fiction, selling tens of thousands of copies.
So yeah, it worked out! Which is why I tell everyone not to give up on those old manuscripts.

Now for a couple big announcements:

The IWSG is proud to present the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Twitter Pitch Party!

Hashtag #IWSGPit

July 27, 2017, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time

All writers and authors are invited to participate in our very first Twitter Pitch. Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On July 27, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.

We invite all of you to join us that day! Authors with a publisher or agent, please ask if they would like to participate or pass along their contact information to the IWSG. We intend for this to be a twice yearly event, July and January, giving our members a great opportunity for publication. Help us spread the word!

New Swag!

Check out the IWSG Swag page for some cool new stuff, including mugs and erasers.

The tiny profit we make from sales of IWSG swag goes to fund opportunities to make the IWSG better for everyone and extend our reach. We recently created our own business cards and have another amazing option that will provide benefits to our members as well.


Last but not least, we need co-hosts for April, May, and June. Co-hosting means a lot more visitors to your site that day and is even more fun that just posting. Please leave a comment if you can help.

Ninja News

Please support the next IWSG anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, by signing up for the Thunderclap campaign.
The anthology authors are working hard to market the book. They’ve also set up a Hero Lost website, covering everything from the theme and genre to the stories and authors.

LX Cain is giving away two audio books of her novel, Bloodwalker.
See her site for details.

New Releases:

Galactic Outlaws III: The Outlaw's Savior by Susan Kelley/Gourley
Find it at New Concepts Publishing

Monsters in Our Wake by JH Moncrieff
Find it on Amazon

White Witch Magic by Megan Morgan
Kentucky Haints #2
Find it at Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble

Adam's Apple and the Infinite Regress by LG Keltner
Read it for free at Smashwords and Wattpad

Dazzle Me by Juliana Haygert
Find it on Amazon

March Movie Preview

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

3 –

Logan
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook
Jackman’s last chance to be in a Wolverine film that doesn’t suck…

The Shack
A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called "The Shack."
Director: Stuart Hazeldine
Stars: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw, Radha Mitchell
A man goes to meet God at The Shack only to discover it’s Shaquille O'Neal.





10 –

Kong: Skull Island
A team of explorers and soldiers travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific, unaware that they are crossing into the domain of monsters, including the mythic Kong.
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Stars: Brie Larson, Tian Jing, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Hawkins
No snark, just excitement. Giant, furry ape excitement!





17 –

Beauty and the Beast
An adaptation of the Disney fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.
Director: Bill Condon
Stars: Dan Stevens, Emma Watson, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor
The touching true story of Donald and Melania Trump.
(Got to throw Trump haters a bone now and then!)



24 –

Life 
An international space crew discovers life on Mars.
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada
Looks like a great science fiction film with a solid cast. I guess you could say I am pro-Life.




31 –

Ghost in the Shell
A cyborg policewoman attempts to bring down a nefarious computer hacker.
Director: Rupert Sanders
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Michael Wincott, Pilou Asbæk
Two hours of Johansson running around in skin tight outfit? Plot optional!

What are your insecurities today? Have you ever reworked an old manuscript? Joining us for our first Twitter pitch? Picking up some new swag? Picking up some new books? And what movies catch your attention this month?

Next Monday – MST3K returns!!