Disappearing Blogrolls, Alien Movie Trivia, Lucy Movie Review and Movie News, and Contests and New Releases!

The Disappearing Blogroll

As many of you probably noticed, last week Blogger at my blogroll. All of the blogs I had listed vanished. I was going to clean it up, but really hadn’t planned on starting from scratch. Bummer.

I was gone this past weekend, hanging out with friends, so I didn’t get to work on it. No worries if your blog isn’t listed yet. I’m still working on it and it will take me the rest of this week to complete the task.

And yes, I do use Feedly to follow and visit blogs. But the blogroll works better when I’m using my iPad. Besides, I like featuring my blogger buddies in the side bar.

On another note, I finally have a domain name for my blog. Hey, only took me six years!

Movie News

Movie Review -Lucy

With Luc Besson directing, you know it will be quirky.
The movie was fun but rather forgettable. It’s also really short. It felt like there was a longer, more fleshed out movie in there somewhere.
Scarlett Johansson was good and the evolution of her character as she learned to use more of her brain interesting.
If you like a science fiction action flick, it’s worth a rental.


Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is in production. Slated to come out January of 2017, you can read about the cast and more at JoBlo. Will it be the final chapter? Doubtful.

The Richest has an article, 12 Actors Who Hate The Role That Made Them Famous. Among them were a few former Star Wars actors – Alec Guiness thought Star Wars was poorly written and hated playing Obi-Wan; Jake Lloyd felt Lucas let down the fans and had angry fans criticizing both him and the movie; and Carrie Fisher didn’t like becoming a sex symbol and now has enough stalkers to last a lifetime.

Ninja News

The IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1! The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging (must post for the IWSG at least once in September or October) or Facebook member. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

I’ve been asked to be a judge for Tell-Tale Publishing’s Halloween 2015 Scariest Scene Writing Contest.
Entries are due October 31. They are to be the beginning only of a completed unpublished story and no more than five hundred words.
See their SITE for further details and the entry form.


Blastr posted some amazing images of Pluto - check them out.

New Releases!

Simulation by Tara Tyler
Sequel to Pop Travel!
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

A Not So Natural World by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

9/11: Terrorists' Descent Into Jahannam by Holy Ghost Writer
Follow the real and fictional lives of those that lost theirs on 9/11, most into heaven, others into hell.

Bloodbrothers by Melanie Schultz
The fourth and last novel in the Newstead series.
Find it on Amazon

Movie Trivia – Aliens

Aliens coming to Earth! Name the film from the actors and dates.

1 – Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde – 2011
2 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura – 1987
3 – Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Rihanna – 2012
4 – Kurt Russel, Wilford Brimley, Keith David – 1982
5 – Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able – 2010
6 – Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Abigail Breslin – 2002
7 – Joel Courtney, Ellie Fanning, Kyle Chandler - 2011

Anyone else ever lose your blogroll and have to start from scratch? Seen Lucy? Surprised so many Star Wars actors hated their roles? Entering either contest? Picking up some new books? And do you know any of the movie trivia…?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Plus NetFlix’s Daredevil, Ninja News, and New Releases

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 Eva Solar Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp!

Dragon of the Stars came out last month in the middle of the A to Z Challenge. It was a struggle to balance my blog tour, marketing for Dragon, and the Challenge. The book has sold well and promotion efforts continue. My publisher is working with a lot of science fiction conventions and my blog tour continues. (My stop this week was at Teresa’s Journaling Woman site.)

Anne R. Allen posted this week reasons why authors should write short stories. I’ve contributed to four anthologies, and since my novels are all really short, short stories might be something I pursue. I do have an idea for an adventure involving Bassan…

But the one thing I really want to focus on now is the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I want to bring in some awesome guests, add many more sites to the database, and elevate the site to Writer’s Digest level quality.

Writing is tough business. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I’m hesitant to continue. (I didn’t sign on to do more than one book anyway.) I know the bad reviews on Amazon were inevitable, but it always sucks. I’ve been through some incredible highs and lows, and I want to do my part to help other writers going through the same stuff. I’m not a great writer, but maybe I can be a great supporter.

Ninja News

If you’re looking for my A to Z Challenge Reflections post, it is HERE.
 

Sarah Foster is hosting The Muse Party Blogfest on May 25 2015 – visit her site for details.


Cherie Reich’s book Reborn is a finalist in the Rone Awards – please help her by voting HERE.

Michael G D'Agostino just started a monthly hop - Question of the Month. It’s on the first Monday of the month, so sign up at his site for June.


Ray at Don’t Throw a 1 is hosting a mega 500 posts giveaway. If you are a gamer or a painter, you definitely want to check it out.

The Blood, Boobs, and Carnage Blogfest is May18 - movie/show/book that exemplifies the theme. (Or part of theme.) Hosted by me and Heather Gardner.

Just Released!

Titanic: Newly Discovered Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer

The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave by J.H. Moncrieff

The Botanist by Liesel K. Hill

Melissa Maygrove announced the release of Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. She and many other contributed to the book, which was edited by JQ Rose.

Daredevil Review

If you’ve not been watching this series on NetFlix, you are missing out!
This is one of the finest shows I have ever seen. It not only sets the standard for comic book series, but for any series.
It’s not a candy-coated comic book show. It’s real and sometimes brutal – part character study, part serious drama, and part amazing action sequences. It’s built for people who love comics and those who’ve never read one in their life.
All of the characters, good and bad, and fully fleshed out and real people. You sympathize not only with Matt as Daredevil but with Wilson Fisk as the villain.
This is an event series – and they don’t come around often.
Highly recommended!


Joining any of those blogfests? Picking up some new books? Have you been watching Daredevil? And what are your writing insecurities this month?

No Escaping Food Porn, What Are the Kargrandes, Battle of the Bands, Movie Trivia Answers, New Releases, and Ninja News

Please welcome fantasy author,L. Blankenship!

No Escape

When I was in the early stages of my fantasy series, Disciple, there was a joke going around about how GRRM’s Game of Thrones would turn into food porn whenever the characters sat down at a table.

So I foolishly said: I won’t do that! How silly! My story’s about war! and romance! and magic! No room for food porn!

For a while, it went fine. My characters ate humble fare: bread, potatoes, cabbage, the occasional hunk of roasted meat. Maybe even some infamous “stew.”

But then came the elk. There was a dinner at a countryside baron’s and there were kings and queens in attendance. Nobody would serve potatoes and cabbage to kings and queens unless there was a famine going on. Serving elk was perfectly reasonable. And then sure, they’d dress it up with a nice presentation -- that impressive rack of antlers -- and some tasty side dishes. Wouldn’t they?

That one dinner opened the floodgates. Next thing I knew, everything had fancy sauces and was being wrapped in pastry. There’s just something about fantasy stories that requires food porn. No writer can escape!

Disciple
The six-part gritty fantasy romance series is now complete!
Disciple, Part VI on sale.
Disciple Omnibus, the collection of all six books, is also available now.

What Are the Kargrandes?

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is clue number ten – new clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Tenth clue – can you guess? What are their powers? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

What are the Kargrandes? Are they connected to the Dragon? Solve the mystery by April 7! http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes

The Thunderclap continues! If you can help spread the word of Dragon’s release on April 7 through either Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr, please join the campaign. I just need a couple more people. Many thanks to those who have joined – it’s great to know I have some awesome and supportive friends.

My good friend Spacerguy has a blog dedicated to all things Star Trek. He also has a Wikipedia page, and I’m honored to say the Kargrandes are mentioned there!

Ninja News

Donna McDine is visiting the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site on Wednesday, discussing book festivals and their importance.

The A to Z Challenge kicks off in a few weeks! It’s not too late to sign up and join the mad fun. Don’t forget the Great Theme Reveal is next Monday, March 23. Think I can outdo my theme from last year? Not sure, but I did try! We also Twitter chats every Thursday from 1:00 – 2:00 pm Eastern and 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Eastern. Look for #azchat.

My buddy Jeremy Hawkins runs the website for Howlin’ Wolf Record’s Online Magazine. They feature movie soundtracks, video releases, interviews, and science fiction and horror conventions. Posting several times daily, you’re sure to find something fascinating there!

New Releases -

One Good Catch by Heather M. Gardner

Ignoring a recent trauma that is affecting her everyday life, ER Doctor Kate Maguire engages in some high risk activities, but putting herself in these dangerous situations isn’t enough to feed her edginess. She needs something more...



Heather's a full-time mom, works part-time from home, a chocolate enthusiast, coffee junkie, cat addict, book hoarder and fluent in sarcasm.

Of Blood and Sorrow by Christine Rains

Zodiac Killer: Newly Discovered Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer

Loyalty by Carrie Butler
Mark of Nexus Book III

Battle of the Bands!

Hosted by Stephen T. McCarthy and Faraway Eyes.

Back in the 70’s, Elton John did a song called Love Lies Bleeding.

Several rock bands have covered it since then, including these two prog bands. You know the drill – select your favorite. And with both, the singing doesn’t start until several minutes into the song.

First, Redemption:



Now, Dream Theater:

Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Ratt – Body Talk, 1986 The Golden Child
2 – Queensryche – Real World, 1993 Last Action Hero
3 – U2 – Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, 1995 Batman Forever
4 – AC/DC – Who Made Who, 1986 Maximum Overdrive
5 – Journey – Open Arms, 1981 Heavy Metal
6 – Guns ‘n’ Roses – You Could Be Mine, 1991 Terminator II: Judgment Day
7 – Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son, 1977 Heroes
8 – Extreme – Play With Me, 1989 Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Do you write about food porn? Figured out the Kargrandes yet? (Spacerguy thinks he has!) Ready for the Great Theme Reveal? Picking up some new books? Get all of the trivia right? And which band I is your pick…?
And sorry, having site issues I'm trying to solve, so some links have been removed while I try to find the problem.

How to Become a Best Selling Author in Just One Week! Plus A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal Signups, What Are the Kargrandes, Movie Review, Ninja News, and RiffTrax Interview Coming Soon!

Best-selling author in just one week? Elizabeth Seckman shows you how…

I was a best-selling author bringing in over $13,000 a week in royalties. I could afford any house in town and could buy anything in the store I wanted. I was rolling in Simoleons!

Here’s how I did it:

I left my family and moved to a house by myself.
I quit my day job. To pay the bills, I left the bank repossess whatever they wanted to come in and suck up.
I quit taking daily showers, for the most part a good hand wash kept me out of the red zone. I quit sleeping. Naps on the couch worked fine.
I quit cooking. Grab a snack and get back to work.
I shunned all face to face encounters. When I was in desperate need of human contact, I made a quick phone call.
I didn’t waste time on classes or skill development. I just forced myself to sit and write for twelve to fourteen hours a day.
I wrote the same genre over and over. I got better royalty checks if I never tried to step out of my literary box.
I hired a maid.
I shut off the age progression feature in the menu setting.

It only took me one week to become a best-selling author on the virtual reality game, The Sims. Now, I know it’s not real life, but there are real life applications. As I look over the list, I wonder- what things would I sacrifice to be rolling in real Simoleons? Well, I could be talked into the maid. And if I could shut off age progression, well now, I’d have bigger news to share than a new book! Other than that, there’s nothing worth becoming a smelly, malnourished, sleep-deprived hermit for.

Elizabeth writes books and eats chocolate. Find her - Blog / Website / Facebook
Find her books on Amazon
 

What Are the Kargrandes?

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is the sixth one, and there are new clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Sixth clue up this week- http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

Can you solve the mystery before April 7–what are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

Movie Review

Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Based on the 1960’s series, it was updated for a new generation. However, it didn’t really capture the spirit of the original series. It was very odd, but not odd in a good way like the series.
The animation is all right. It does boast some great name actors for the voices – Patrick Warburton was the best, although he doesn’t come in until late in the film.
Overall, it seemed too long and the result is a movie that’s just ‘all right.’
Not recommended

Ninja News

DL Hammons has an agent - Sarah Negovetich of the Corvisiero Literary Agency!

New Releases –

Perfection by J.L. Campbell

The Great Time Lock Disaster by C. Lee McKinzie

Holy Ghost Writer has THREE new books out, including Where the Hell Did She Come From?

Wastelands 2 – includes a story by Milo James Fowler
Get it on Amazon

And coming soon – an interview with the biggest guests I’ve ever had on this blog: the RiffTrax guys!!! Yes, I scored an interview with them in conjunction with their release this week of RiffTrax Live: Sharknado.

The Great and Powerful A to Z Theme Reveal Blogfest!

Sign-ups for the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge are already under way. If you have done it before, you know how much fun it is (good for you!) and if you have not, this is your chance to give it a try! You can sign up to participate here.

One of the most burning questions participants ask themselves every year is: "Should I have a theme?" Themes are not mandatory, but definitely fun. They let your visitors know what to expect, and help you create posts that line neatly up from A to Z. They also have an added bonus: They let you participate in a whole separate blogfest! Two years ago A to Z participant Mina Lobo stared the Theme Reveal, and we thought it was such a great idea that we made it tradition. It is now our very own, grand and festive way of rolling out our themes together!

Here is how the Theme Reveal Blogfest works:
Sign up on the Linky list below, and on March 23rd (Monday) publish a post on your blog in which you reveal your theme, tell us why it is exciting, and give us a hint of what to expect from it! Then, once your post is up, use the Linky to visit all the other blogs announcing their themes. Enjoy!

This is a great opportunity for all of you to get a jump start on your A to Z experience. Sign up below, ready your theme, and post March 21st on your calendar!



Think you’d be willing to sacrifice a few things to become a best-selling author in one week? Getting closer to the Kargrandes answer? Seen the movie? Excited about the new books? Participating in the Challenge? And are you excited to reveal your theme…?

The Babadook Movie Review, Dragon of the Stars News, Movie Trivia Answers, Mini-Alex, Music, and Ninja News

Milo James Fowler asked me to discuss small press success at his site today! Please stop by.

Dragon of the Stars Update

First, the winner of my giveaway for those who cheered for me during the Realms Faire is - Michelle Wallace. Congratulations! You get a review copy of my upcoming release.

Dragon of the Stars is now on Goodread’s Most Anticipated Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror of 2015 list! If you’re looking forward to it, please hop over and vote for it.

There is also a Goodreads giveaway! (Feel free to share it.)

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Dragon of the Stars

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Giveaway ends November 24, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

(And you can add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.)

The Babadook Movie Review

A single mother battles her son’s fear of a monster and her own pain.
This movie has been getting a lot of press, so I decided to check it out on Pay-Per-View.
The result is a mixed bag. It has great atmosphere and some really tense moments, but there is a lot of confusion. Starting with where does the Babadook’s book come from? What was up with the tooth? What did it all mean?
Just what is the Babadook? A real evil presence or all in her mind as she tries to deal with past trauma? I’m still not sure.
The kid was annoying as well. He needed a shrink or a bop upside the head. Preferably both.
However, should things not work out for the Babadook, he has a great career making children’s pop-up books ahead of him!
Dodgy.

Ninja News

Wednesday at the IWSG site is the amazing RaShelle Workman, who is closing in on a million books sold worldwide!

The 2014 Karen's World Blog Awards is now open for nominations! Visit A Peek at Karen’s World and let her know what are the best blogs of the year. Nominations open until November 22.

New release –
Jack the Ripper: Newly Discovered Tales of Sherlock Holmes by Holy Ghost Writer

Suzanne Furness’ short story, From Byron to Shelley, is now in print. The story was short listed for the Yeovil Literary Prize in 2012 and now appears in their anthology. Find it at Amazon US and Amazon US

Don’t forget the Miss You Blogfest - those bloggers you miss and those you would miss the most. Coming November 24.

Robot Movie Trivia Answers

Hector (1980) – Saturn 3
Fembots (1997) – Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Johnny 5 (1986) – Short Circuit
Pris (1980) – Blade Runner
Dot Matrix (1987) – Spaceballs
Huey, Dewey, and Louie (1972) – Silent Running
EVE (2008) – WALL-E
V.I.N.C.E.N.T. (1980) – The Black Hole

Mini-Alex and the Turkey

Thanksgiving decorations are appearing at my house and Mini-Alex was conned into appearing with a turkey:

And for those of you who are new and wonder why I have a miniature version of myself, it was the creation of Elise Fallson two years ago. She made Mini-Alex, posted pictures of him for the Cheersfest, and then graciously sent him to me. Deniz Bevan then knitted a scarf and sent it to him. Thanks again, ladies!

Mini-Alex would still like a Mini-Kate someday.

And to give credit where credit is due, my wife comes up with most of the ideas for the photos.

Music Sample

Yes, many of you have told me you want to hear me play. I know I’ve drug my feet on this. I think I am more nervous about sharing my music than I am my writing. I’m such a perfectionist and I want to post something both amazing and flawless for you. I promise I will pick something soon and work on it until I am comfortable recording it. Might take a couple dozen recordings, so be patient! Never rush a perfectionist with a guitar…

Entering the giveaway on Goodreads? Has anyone else seen The Babadook? Nominating someone for Karen’s awards? Ready for Monday’s blogfest? Get any of the robot movies right? Ready for Thanksgiving? Anyone else care to hound me about my music?

I’m not posting on Wednesday (work promises to be hectic) but I will be back on Monday!