Top Ten Murder Movies, IWSG and the Pandemic, Monday’s Music Moves Me, and Movie and Book News

My Top Ten List of Murder Movies By Yolanda Renee

1. A Perfect Murder (1998) Director Andrew Davis - Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow
A wealthy man, Michael Douglas, discovers that his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, has a lover. He blackmails the lover, Viggo Mortensen, into murdering his wife.
Turns out not to be so perfect after all. Great high tension-ending.

2. Seven (1995) Director David Fincher - Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman.
A rookie detective, Brad Pitt, and a veteran detective, Morgan Freeman, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motive.
Shocking end!

3 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Director Jonathan Demme - Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins
A young FBI cadet, Jodie Foster, is sent to meet with a serial killer, a real madman, Anthony Hopkins, to help solve another case.
The quid pro quo is excellent!

4. Psycho (1960) Director Alfred Hitchcock - Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh
A remote motel. A young man, under the influence of his domineering mother. A woman just looking for a night's rest.
Talk about the wrong place at the wrong time. Excellent scare factor.

5. Body Heat (1981) Director Lawrence Kasdan - William Hurt, Kathleen Turner
The wife of a wealthy man, Kathleen Turner, manipulates William Hurt into killing her husband. The heat in this one is extreme.
But a magnificent twist means another great ending!

6. Rear Window (1954) Director Alfred Hitchcock - James Stewart, Grace Kelly
Wheelchair-bound and bored, Jimmy Stewart begins to spy on his neighbors. After a while, he's sure that one man has killed his wife. High tension as he sends his girlfriend to investigate because he can't! Hitchcock at his best.

7. Vertigo (1958) Director Alfred Hitchcock - James Stewart, Kim Novak
Jimmy Stewart, a former police detective, suffers from a fear of heights. When a woman kills herself by jumping from a bell tower, her death, due to his inaction, haunts him. When he meets her look-a-like, his sleuthing skills re-emerge.
The ending is supreme.

8. Dark Passage (1947) Director Delmer Daves-- Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall
A man escapes prison, changes his looks, and goes after the man who killed his wife and framed him.
I enjoyed the way this was done, and those two together, nothing better!

9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Director David Fincher - Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara
A journalist, Daniel Craig, is hired to find a woman who disappeared forty years ago. He enlists the aid of a young computer hacker, Rooney Mara, to help him.
This is one tangled web of awesomeness!

10. Laura (1944) Director Otto Preminger - Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews
This movie is my all-time favorite. The police detective, Dana Andrews, falls in love with a woman, Gene Tierney, via her portrait while he's investigating her murder.
The way the romance was weaved through the story got to me!

Thank you, Alex, for hosting me and my latest book and allowing me to discuss my favorite murder movies.

It’s a pleasure to be participating in author Yolanda Renee’s MURDER, JUST BECAUSE Blog Tour through MC Book Tours today.

The author is offering an awesome tour-wide international giveaway. More information on the giveaway is listed below.

MURDER, JUST BECAUSE by Yolanda Renée
◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
◊ Publisher: Yolanda Renee
◊ Series: Detective Quaid Mysteries
◊ Paperback: 291 pages
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ ISBN-10: 0985820632
◊ ISBN-13: 978-0985820633
◊ Contains explicit sex & graphic violence

It was a matter of beginner’s luck, but rookie detective Steven Quaid’s career and reputation as an elite investigator skyrocketed when he captured one of the most sadistic serial killers in Alaskan history: Stowy Jenkins, AKA the Snowman. But that was ten years ago.
And now…Jenkins is back.

At one time Alaska called to me, and I answered. I learned to sleep under the midnight sun, survive in below zero temperatures, and hike the Mountain Ranges. I’ve traveled from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, and the memories are some of my most valued. The wonders, mysteries and incredible beauty that is Alaska has never left me and thus now influences my writing. Despite my adventurous spirit, I achieved my educational goals, married, and I have two handsome sons. Writing is now my focus, my newest adventure!
Find Yolanda at blog, Facebook Twitter Pinterest, and Email

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This tour-wide giveaway is for a complete set of the Detective Quaid Mystery series books for one winner, paperback copies of MURDER, JUST BECAUSE for five winners, and a Kindle copy of MURDER, JUST BECAUSE for 10 winners.
To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter and follow the instructions.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow Yolanda on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you might find out.
Do you enjoy watching a character grow from one story to the next?

IWSG

IWSG post day was very moving as most of the participants answered the monthly question with how they were doing during our world crisis.

Some have already gone through the virus - Sherry Ellis’ family all had it and recovered.

Some are in a bad situation - Lynn and her husband are trapped on their boat in Mexico and while they are both high risk, they can’t get tested.

Some have found something uplifting – Louise posted a short video by Chris Hadfield, a retired Canadian astronaut, and his view on how to handle isolation.

I think my favorite was by Em-Musing. She said she was doing what was necessary, but what wasn’t necessary was thinking the worst and getting scared. She’s lived through the polio outbreak, the Cuban Missile Crisis (and missiles set to fire at Cuba were just a couple miles from her home), having her first child during the Hong Kong Flu and no one could visit her at the hospital, and all the other viruses and scares. So while she is concerned, she refuses to be scared!

What was the most moving post you read that day?

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Xmas Dolly.

Today it’s songs with the word fool in them.

I’m going with the first thing that popped into my head – Fool for Your Loving by Whitesnake!

Ninja News

Tales From the Loop
This is a new show on Amazon Prime.
Every episode revolves around an underground facility called The Loop and those who work there and live above it. It also covers several different time periods, as The Loop has been around for quite a while.
The first episode moved glacierly slow, but fortunately it was really interesting.
The cinematography was amazing. Really well done.
Based on the paintings of Simon Stålenhag.
I’ll keep watching!

The next season of What We Do in the Shadows starts this month!

From the IMDB -
A look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of three vampires, who've lived together for over 100 years, on Staten Island.

This series is hilarious!! If you haven’t checked it out, you need to.
This FX show also streams on Hulu



New Releases

Heroika Skirmishers, Created by Janet Morris and edited by Alexandra Butcher

Including the story In the Season of Rust by Charles Gramlich

Find it on Amazon

The Pain of Things by JL Campbell

Find it on Amazon

What are your favorite murder movies? What music moves you? Been watching Tales from the Loop? Ready for some more vampire comedy? Picking up some new books? And what IWSG posts moved you this month?

MST3K Live! Plus Hotel Transylvania 3 Review, Scary Technology, IWSG, and New Releases

MST3K Live

We’d seen the RiffTrax crew perform a live show, so when I heard the new MST3K crew was hitting the road, we had to see it. Road trip time! And it did not disappoint.

The film was Deathstalker II. A cheesy 80’s sword and sorcery movie that lacked all the blood, boobs, and carnage of the first one. (Of course, it was edited for the show, but it was still incredibly tame.) The sword fights were so slow, it was as if we were watching them in slow motion. The sets were clearly plastic. Plus it was filled with pop culture references, hairstyles, makeup, and everything else from the 80’s. Not to mention that it lifted many scenes directly from other movies. It was the perfect movie to riff.

The show was exactly like the television series. The clone of Pearl Forrester filled in for the missing mad scientists, Kinga Forrester and Max. It kicked off with an invention exchange and during breaks from the movie, there were segments with the characters.

The best was when Pearl went into the audience for a Q&A with Crow and Tom Servo. People asked the craziest questions. One woman was just days away from her wedding (and wondering if she was making the right choice) and another a college student skipping studying for finals. Crow thanked them both for ditching major life events to come see them.

The riffs were of course hilarious. So many good one line zingers that you wished you could remember afterwards.

The show continues for the next month – if they are coming to a town near you, I highly recommend you go see them.

Added bonus – the next season of MST3K will debut on NetFlix on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey Day returns!

Don’t forget to visit the souvenir stand and get a t-shirt or two!

Movie Review – Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

We didn’t see this in the theater so I indulged my wife with a rental. Because there were so many unanswered questions from the second movie…
Dracula, his family, and the whole monster clan take a vacation on a Monster Cruise Ship. This voyage spells danger though as the Van Helsing family is in charge of the ship.
This movie, like the previous two, never achieves great. But it does entertain and has some good laughs. The voice cast is impressive – all the originals return – and comedian Jim Gaffigan and icon Mel Brooks joins them.
The cruise ship gives the characters a new environment. The werewolf couple discovers a little freedom when they realize there’s a daycare on board and they dump off their fifty-plus kids. Dracula of course finds a love interest.
There’s a good message about family and friendship as well.
If you liked the first two films, you’ll enjoy this one – recommended.

New Releases

Festival Stories Through The Year by Rachna Chhabria
Releases October 25 from HarperCollins Children’s Books
Find it on Amazon

Detoured by Pat Hatt
After a battle for their family's survival, Emma and Martin decide to pack up their five kids and drive across country, each seeking the return of their normal life. Their wish quickly comes to fruition until on one dark night they are forced to take a detour. When an accident brings their trip to a halt, they quickly learn that the darkness within Follit's Cove runs deeper than any night.
Find it on Amazon

Slightly Spooky Stories II by Patsy Collins
Find it on Amazon

Bankrolled by JL Campbell
Strong-willed and independent, Bo 'Spice' Casserly will do what's necessary for her family’s well-being.
Find it on Amazon

IWSG

Thanks to those who offered - we are covered the next three months with co-hosts. If you want to volunteer for next February, let me know. Appreciate you guys!
The ever-amazing Anne R. Allen is visiting the IWSG site today! Get the low-down on critique groups.

Less than two weeks left to submit to the IWSG Anthology Contest.
Young adult romance is the genre and masquerade the theme.
Entry is free, just need to be a member of the IWSG on some level.
See the site for details.

Terrifying Technology Trends

This infographic comes courtesy of Amanda at Enlightened.

Fan of MST3K or seeing the show? Seen Hotel Transylvania 3? Picking up some new books? Any of that technology scare you? And can you co-host next year?

Due to work and a home project, I will be offline a couple days next week. So I'll just save my next post for November 7, IWSG post day. See you then!

Ayreon Universe, Judas Priest Firepower, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, Animated Movie Trivia, New Releases, and More!

Some music, movies, and books news and reviews for you today - plus a little movie trivia! And today I'm at the IWSG site with an article on lessons I learned from really bad movies.

Music

Ayreon - Universe

Ayreon Universe is Ayreon live in concert for the first time ever, organized and arranged by Arjen A. Lucassen and Joost van den Broek. The Ayreon Universe set list features selected songs from all Ayreon albums plus a selection of Star One songs.

Vocalists include Floor Jansen – Nightwish, Damian Wilson – Threshold, Hansi Kürsch - Blind Guardian, Tommy Karevik – Kamelot, Anneke van Giersbergen - The Gentle Storm, Marco Hietala – Nightwish, Jonas Renkse – Katatonia, Mike Mills – Toehider, Marcela Bovio - Stream of Passion, Robert Soeterboek - Star One, John Jaycee Cuijpers - Praying Mantis, Edward Reekers – Kayak, Maggy Luyten – Nightmare, Lisette van den Berg - Scarlet Stories, and Jay van Feggelen and Irene Jansen - Ayreon

This concert is available in many different boxed sets (audio, video, t-shirts, signed, etc.) and comes out on March 30. I will definitely be picking up the pack with all of the CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays!

And just to whet your appetite:

Judas Priest – Firepower review

The metal gods are back with their umpteenth latest album!
First of all, it’s so refreshing to see people rocking out who are much older than me.
Secondly, don’t think these are a bunch of has-beens churning out crap for a quick buck. One thing I’ve always admired about this band is that they put their heart into doing the best they can. They are absolutely a fan-centered band.
I’m pleased to report this is an excellent album. It’s probably their best since Painkiller. While there isn’t a signature track, every song is solid without a dud in the bunch.
If you’re a fan of the band or old-school metal, you won’t be disappointed. Halford’s vocals sound amazing and relatively young Richie Faulkner tears it up on the guitar.
Highly recommended!

Movies

Some news from JoBlo:

Aerial footage of the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park.

The latest addition to the Disney theme park arena is the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attraction, which will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the world of Star Wars. The park is still under construction and won’t be open until 2019, but you can take a look at the foundations and sheer scope of the park in this new video released by Disney. Here, there is some aerial drone footage of the park, showing off the massive soon-to-be-completed structures.

Watch Tommy Wiseau (from The Room) get inserted into a bunch of disaster movies.

The video posted by Screen Junkies arrives just a few days before THE DISASTER ARTIST, a film based on Wiseau's unique experiences while making "the Citizen Kane of bad movies," THE ROOM, makes its Blu-Ray and DVD debut. When making the parody video, Screen Junkies invited Wiseau to stand in front of a green screen while reacting to each of the films selected. Once Tommy was done being Tommy, the outlet cut it all together to hilarious effect.

Denis Villeneuve plans to remake Dune.

Over the years, Frank Herbert's "Dune" has proven to be a notoriously difficult project to adapt. As the novel is quite dense, it's been almost impossible to whittle down the story in order to get it to fit into a single film, but it seems that Denis Villeneuve may have found a way around that. The BLADE RUNNER 2049 director will be the next to tackle DUNE, and he offered a quick update (via The Playlist) while speaking to a packed house in Montreal’s Place des Arts’ Théâtre Maisonneuve for the Rendez-Vous du Cinema Quebecois this week.
Dune will probably take two years to make. The goal is to make two films, maybe more.

Books

Available March 15 –

Blue Sludge Blues by Shannon Lawrence
A collection of frights, from the psychological to the monstrous. These tales are a reminder of how much we have to fear…
Find it at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Last Call by Tara Watson
Newly-single attorney Gwen Cooper’s list of things that make her happy is pretty simple:
1. her teenage sons
2. her stilettos
3. finally taking control of her own life
Find it on Amazon




Available March 16 –

The Thick of Things by J.L. Campbell
When love takes you by storm, hang on for the ride of your life.
Find it on Amazon

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2021/07/how-it-started-how-its-going.html

Computer Animated Movie Trivia

Since Coco just came out on DVD, let’s do a little movie trivia on computer animated films. Name the movie from the actors and year.

1 – Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, 2002
2 – Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, 2012
3 - Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, 2001
4 - Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, 2011
5 - Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Sylvester Stallone, 1998
6 - Patton Oswalt, Brad Garrett, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, 2007
7 - Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, 2016
8 – Bruce Willis, Gary Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, 2006

Answers on March 26!

Impressed by the Ayeron concert footage? Fan of Judas Priest? Ready to explore the new area of Star Wars at Disney World? Think Dune needs another remake? Picking up any new books this week? And can you guess the trivia?

I will be visiting family the third full week of March and won’t be online. However, I will have a really unique post March 19 at the IWSG site on lessons learned from really bad movies.

The Remnant, Blood Father Review, Future Earth Movie Trivia, Awesome Fans, Monday's Music, and Ninja News

The Remnant – Book to Film Possibilities

Today I welcome fellow Dancing Lemur Press author, William Michael Davidson!

As an author, I obviously think it would be pretty awesome if The Remnant was made into a film. I've always seen it more as something that would make a good television series or an original show on Netflix. Having said that, I know there are some pretty sensitive issues that The Remnant deals with such as faith, belief in God, and where our culture is at with those issues. Because of this, a part of me would be surprised if someone ever did make this into an actual film. And if it was made into a film, I wonder how watered-down the whole book would be to make it "politically correct." To be honest, I don't see the book as just a Christian novel. Yes, I'm a Christian. Yes, I wrote the book. But I don't see this book as having an agenda. Still, however, I think there is a message beneath the surface and I wouldn't be surprised if a filmmaker would take some of those ideas out of a movie version to make it more mainstream.

So, could I see something happening with a film? Yes. But I would worry about what the end product would be and how much it would capture the original "heart and soul" of the novel.

But don't get me wrong. If I received a call from Steven Spielberg and he wanted to make it into a movie, I would be last one complaining.

Author William Michael Davidson is on tour with MC Book Tours featuring his new novel, THE REMNANT, being released Feb. 7 by Dancing Lemur Press L.L.C. You can follow Davidson’s tour schedule HERE for reviews, excerpts, interviews, features, and a chance to win a copy of his book.


THE REMNANT
by William Michael Davidson
Release date: February 7, 2017
Science Fiction (FIC028000) / Christian Futuristic Fiction (FIC0402020)
Print ISBN 978-1-939844-29-3 $15.95
eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-30-9 $4.99

One nation, without God...

THE REMNANT is available to order in eBook form at the following sites: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes
The print format of the book is available at these sites: Amazon Barnes and Noble, Chapters-Indigo, Book Depository, Foyles, Mediander, and Fiction DB
Be sure to add THE REMNANT to your bookshelf on Goodreads.

Movie Review

Blood Father
An ex-con finds his lost daughter and has to protect her from drug lords who want her dead. Starring Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna, and William H. Macy.
This film came out last year and I’d heard good things about it.
It’s a man search for redemption with his daughter. Gibson always plays the perfect hero, but here he is damaged, vulnerable, and looking to turn his life around. The interactions between father and daughter were great and some of the best moments of the film.
It’s not overly violent, but it is punctuated with extreme moments of violence.
While I did have problems with a couple small aspects, overall I really enjoyed the film.
Available on NetFlix – recommended.

Ninja News

The IWSG is honored to welcome an award winning screenwriter, Erik Bork!
Erik worked on projects such as From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers – you don’t want to miss what he has to say.

Jeremy Hawkins works hard to produce the free online magazine, Six Strings.
And today, Six Strings Season 2 Issue 2 is available! In it you will find:
Interview with Composer... Tony Morales "DISNEY'S: ELENA OF AVALOR"
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by: Michael Giacchino (Review) by: Kaya Savas
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS (What if) STORY! by: Jason Lee Knight
Interview with Composer... Jasha Klebe “PLANET EARTH II” [2017]
Interview with Composer... Jacob Shea “PLANET EARTH II” [2017]
Where is #26? Mammoth’s Best New Horror Goes Hardback By KC Redding-Gonzalez
Listening for Romance in Horror By: Christina Persaud
Interview with Composer... Andre Matthias "On the film “The Drummer”
The Monkey King 2 [2016] [Review] Music by: Christopher Young By James Southall
Download your free copy HERE and please help spread the word.

February is kick-off month for WEP (Write…Edit…Publish) where a friendly group of like-minded bloggers astound each other and their readers every second month with their wit, wisdom, talent, sincerity and dexterity. The February WEP challenge is entitled 'Back of the Drawer'. Everyone's welcome to have a crack at it. Join the fun. We accept flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photo essays, artwork...1,000 word limit (but who's counting?)
WEP (Write…Edit…Publish) is hosted by Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee

Valentine Pets & Kisses 2 boxed set
Including a story by JL Campbell
Pick up your copy for just .99 cents.


Heather Holden is hosting a special anniversary giveaway:
Echo Effect premiered four years ago this month! It’s also been one year since I first launched my Patreon page. To celebrate, I'm offering free, personalized ACEOs of my characters! (ACEOs are art cards measuring 2.5x3.5 inches in size. Mine, specifically, are created with watercolor pencils and ink.)

Don’t forget we now have IWSG Swag!

Mini-Alex is showing off his awesome new IWSG pens.

He’s ready to challenge anyone to a duel with his IWSG pens!

Who can possibly challenge him…?

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Xmas Dolly.

Since it’s a freebie, I’m posting my favorite Haken song, Pareidolia. This band is my current favorite. (I reviewed one of their albums in December.) It’s a prog rock blend of sheer awesomeness!

When Fans Make Your Day

I want to give a shout out to two special ladies who made my day last week!

Tess Julia had this to say:
I also wanted to give a shout out to Alex Cavanaugh for his book CassaFire, which I finished reading recently.
I think I have a bit of a crush on the main character Byron, and trust me, if they ever made a movie based on his series I'd be in line to see it! Really well written, definitely on par with Star Wars and Star Trek. I'm not even a sci-fi fan but I enjoyed both books so far and will be getting the rest of his books.

Lauren Bambrey, who blogs HERE, sent out this tweet and reply:
@LaurenBambrey - re read CassaStar a couple of weeks ago. Still reduced me to tears 6th time through!
@AlexJCavanaugh - Sixth time reading CassaStar??? Oh wow. Thank you! Laura, you just made my day. Still sorry I made you cry though...
@LaurenBambrey - One of my faves; will be read many more times too! Crying is good- sign of writing a beautiful friendship!

Thanks, ladies! You rock.

Movie Trivia

In honor of William’s book, today’s trivia is all about films set in Earth's future. Guess the film from the actors.

1 – Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, John Ratzenberger 2008
2 – Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko 2013
3 – Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Conners 1973
4 – Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs 2002
5 – Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Ray Stevenson 2010
6 – Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan 1976
7 – Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis 2014

Answers next week!

Can you see your book as a movie? Or a world where belief in God is persecuted? Have you seen Blood Father? Going to download Six Strings or participate in WEP? Have you picked up your IWSG swag? (Mini-Alex is ready!) Has a fan made your day recently? And do you know any of the movie trivia?

Don’t forget to visit Erik Bork at the IWSG site!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group and Anthology Winners! Plus January Movie Preview, Warcraft Review, 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 Eva @ Lillicasplace, Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner!

Prompt question for today - What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?

Today is the big day – the announcement of the IWSG Anthology Contest 2016 winners!

First, thanks to my awesome IWSG Admins for reading all of the entries - Lynda Young, L. Diane Wolfe, Michelle Wallace, Chrys Fey, Susan Gourley, Joylene Nowell Butler and Joy Campbell.

Then a big thanks to this year’s official judges: author Elizabeth S. Craig, author Richard Harland, senior editor Laura Maisano, author Russell C. Connor, literary agent Dawn Frederick, author Ion Newcombe, and author Lynn Tincher.

And now, the winners of the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest – Hero Lost:

Tyrean Martinson – Of Words and Swords

L. Nahay – Breath Between Seconds

Roland Yeomans - Sometimes They Come Back

Elizabeth Seckman - Mind Body Soul

Olga Godim - Captain Bulat

Ellen Jacobson - The Silvering

Erika Beebe - The Wheat Witch

Yvonne Ventresca – The Art of Remaining Bitter

Sean McLachlan - The Witch Bottle

Sarah Foster - The Last Dragon

Renee Cheung - Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight

And the grand prize winner:

Jen Stanton Chandler - The Mysteries of Death and Life

Congratulations to the winners and all who entered – we had a record number of entries this year. Look for the anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, late spring.

Movie Review – Warcraft

It’s actually one of the better video game to movie adaptations, but that’s not saying much.
It did have really good effects.
Unfortunately, some of the actors weren’t up to the task – they weren’t capable of being really good fantasy actors.
At two hours, it also runs a little long.
Overall, entertaining but forgettable.
Worth a NetFlix rental if you have nothing better to do.

Ninja News

The RiffTrax: Live MST3K Reunion is now available for download and on DVD/Blu-ray!
You can pick it up at their site or at Amazon.

We watched it again over the holidays and laughed just as hard as the first time. This is definitely the best RiffTrax: Live show you will ever see. Don’t miss it!

New Releases:

Howlin' Wolf Records: Six Strings - Season 2 Issue 1 [2017]
It's a highlight of the best soundtrack/score music and some of those we lost. Goodbye 2016, Hello... 2017
And all our favorite things; FILMS, MUSIC, BOOKS, ETC.
Get your free issue today!

Sold by J.L. Campbell
Find it on Amazon

A Bit of a Twist anthology
Including Happily Ever After by Loni Townsend
Find it on Amazon

January Movie Preview

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

6 –

Underworld: Blood Wars
Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.
Director: Anna Foerster
Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver
If you’re not already committed to werewolves fighting vampires ad nauseam, this won’t change your mind. But Kate still looks gorgeous.

A Monster Calls
A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom's terminal illness. Director: J.A. Bayona
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Liam Neeson
This was supposed to come out last year – never a good sign.





13 –

Sleepless
A cop with a connection to the criminal underworld scours a nightclub in search of his kidnapped son.
Director: Baran bo Odar
Stars: Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney, David Harbour, Jamie Foxx
I like Foxx, but a January release might make one sleepy…




20 –

xXx: Return of Xander Cage
Xander Cage is left for dead after an incident, though he secretly returns to action for a new, tough assignment with his handler Augustus Gibbons.
Director: D.J. Caruso
Stars: Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu
XXX is back! Not that I remember the first one. Plus it was Diesel, then Ice Cube, now Diesel again…so confusing.




27 –

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, Alice (Milla Jovovich) is the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity's final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began - The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Stars: Ruby Rose, Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Iain Glen
The Final Chapter…unless it makes money.

What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard? Excited for the next IWSG anthology? Seen Warcraft? Picked up the MST3K Reunion show? Did you have a good holiday break and Christmas? And what movies excite you this month?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! November Movie Preview, CassaSeries Giveaway, Movie Trivia Answers, 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 Joylene Novell Butler, Jen Chandler, Mary Aalgaard, Lisa Buie Collard, Tamara Narayan, Tyrean Martinson, and Christine Rains!

November Question – What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?
Connecting with others on every level - readers, fans, writers, friends.

The IWSG Anthology Contest has come to a close. There were some excellent entries this year! And a lot more than expected. We’ll be sending the best to the judges within a week or so. Big thanks to those who entered and helped spread the word. You guys rock!

It’s inspiring to read such a variety. It gave me an idea on how I might salvage my scrapped outline. I just need to go deeper and darker.

In the meantime, I was surprised to find out that in addition to my three Cassa books, the complete series is now available as an audio book and for a really great price.


Pick CassaSeries up at iTunes, Audible, and Audible.

And I have one copy to give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit other IWSG participants!

Ninja News

RiffTrax: Live – Carnival of Souls was awesome! Review and more pre-show screen shots on Monday.







Many of you know Jean, the Bead Blogger Lady. She’s also a Vine Voice on Amazon and is back to reviewing on her blog, starting with a review of Big Flies

Stephen Hayes is giving away this beautiful painting! He’s an accomplished illustrator (and author) and this would be an incredible addition to anyone’s collection. For details, visit Stephen’s blog.

New releases:

Slient Whispers by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon

Phantasms by J.L. Campbell
Find it on Amazon

Native Shifter by Cindy Borgne
Native Shifter is a paranormal romance set in the mid 1770’s. It’s the first book in the Freedom Shifters Trilogy.
Find it on Amazon

Movie Trivia Answers

Mainstream Christian Movies –
1 – Jim Caviezel, crucifixion, 2004 - The Passion of the Christ
2 – Cecil B. DeMille, Jesus, 1927 - The King of Kings
3 – Books, Tilda Swinton, 2005 - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
4 – Moses, Yul Brynner, 1956 - The Ten Commandments
5 – Ralph Fiennes, plagues, 1998 - Prince of Egypt
6 – Animated, whale, 2002 - Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie
7 – Keisha Castle-Hughes, Joseph, 2006 - The Nativity Story

November Movie Preview

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

4 –

Doctor Strange
A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong
One part Iron Man, one part harry Potteresque mysticism and you’ve got… oh, what am I saying? This is going to be awesome!

Hacksaw Ridge
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Director: Mel Gibson
Stars: Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington
If you don’t have time for the two hour movie, just watch the two minute trailer and you’ve pretty much got it.



11 –

Arrival
A linguist is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Science fiction for those who want their brains engaged. Lasers, space battles, huge explosions, and Charlie Sheen not included.





18-

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz
One part Iron Man, one part harry Potteresque mysticism and you’ve got… crap, I said that already. Again, going to be awesome!

A Streetcat Named Bob
Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Stars: Bob, Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt
A sequel to the hugely popular Homeless Dog Name Larry and A Poor Ferret Named Earl.



25 –

Moana
A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
Directors: Ron Clements | John Musker | Don Hall | Chris Williams
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger
One of the few animated releases that doesn’t look like it was created on aisle five at Toys R Us.

Did you enter the IWSG Anthology Contest? What genre would you like to see next year? Feeling lucky? Get any of the movies right? What movies excite you for November? And who is participating in NaNo?

Monday I have a special guest, plus a full rundown of RiffTrax: Live – Carnival of Souls!