Optical Osmosis and Snark, Pacific Rim Review, Cassa News, and Major Ninja News!

I am being highlighted by Jo over at The Murphey Saga today, and I’m a bit nervous because I have NO IDEA what she’s going to say! Visit her today and hope we are both pleasantly surprised.

Optical Osmosis

Today I welcome long-time friend and critique partner, Jeffrey Beesler. His third book, Optical Osmosis, is out now, and he’s here to tell you about it. And snark. You’ll see!

Hey, Alex! Thanks for having me on the blog today. It’s been a sizzling summer so far for me, both in terms of the weather and in writing. I’m already having a much better July than last year, and I think that’s because I just released Optical Osmosis, my dark sci-fi, available at the links listed below as well as the Apple Store, which I always have a hard time finding a link for.

You might think that in a dark sci-fi story, there might not be any room for humor, or snark. Not so! I have a character, Serenity Fleace, a retired psychic who happens to be friends with the main character, Greg Gnops. Serenity won’t hold her tongue back. For instance, during a dinner scene, Serenity gets into full-on snark attack mode with the story’s antagonist, Flint Kyles, calling him a pathetic little man. When Flint claims he’s not little, Serenity says his argument would probably be a truthful statement in any situation not requiring a bed.

There’s another scene involving Serenity that might not be quite so snarky, but is still my favorite involving her. When Greg arrives at her door to check on her, she’s going through a beauty regiment that includes a facial. Naturally, he points out that he didn’t think of her as the kind of woman who was into her looks. She answers this by saying she won a beauty prize pack by accidentally dialing a radio station holding a contest, rather than her intended number. Silly Serenity.

I don’t know if it would be fair of me to say Serenity’s among my favorite characters from the book. I guess even the author can have a personal bias as a reader of the work, too. I do think she’s quite memorable, though. I certainly hope you get the chance to meet her in Optical Osmosis!

Find Jeffrey here - Blog, Twitter, and Facebook

Purchase Optical Osmosis: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords

Cover Reveals

Cloaked in Fur by TF Walsh
Available August 5, 2013 from Crimson Romance

As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did…

Add to Goodreads HERE

Courage (Mark of Nexus #2) by Carrie Butler
Available October 15, 2013

Rena Collins never thought she’d long for the past—back when affection from Wallace, her freakishly strong boyfriend, was the most dangerous aspect of her life. But now that the human-altering organization known as ERA has gone on the offensive, nothing is safe. Her bloodline is exposed, her relationships torn apart, and just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, ERA ups the ante…

Add to Goodreads HERE

Ninja News

Sean McLachlan’s book, The Quintessence of Absence, is now free! See his site for details.

Jade Hart had an exciting announcement – “Black Firefly have opened their doors to all authors--self-published veterans or brand new--to help with Editing, Cover Art, Formatting, Proofreading, Marketing, Promotion, even Beta Reading. We can do it all, or just pick and choose what services you need.”

Writers4Writers is today and we are supporting Brinda Berry and Catherine Stine.

Hildie McQueen’s latest, Big Sky Blue, is available today. Congratulations, Hildie!


Patsy Collins has a story, Swept Away, in the anthology Came as Me, Left as We. And she was celebrating it on her anniversary, a real life ‘came as me, left as we’ – how awesome is that?

Available now - Christine Rains’ next installment in the 13th Floor Series, The Ghost!

Chiharo Black lives with six supernatural tenants in a haunted building's mysterious thirteenth floor. Of course, no one knows she's there except the cats. Being a ghost can be a bit frustrating and lonely, but it isn't as bad as her mother made it out to be…

And Thursday night I suffered through most of SyFy’s Sharknado just for you!! Expect a play-by-play similar to the one for Sharktopus on Wednesday. Bring popcorn.

Cassa News!!!

CassaStorm now has several awesome reviews on Goodreads, including an amazing review from Nancy S. Thompson and a really special review from Charity Bradford. Thank you, ladies!!!

Melanie Schulz had the most unique review of CassaStar on her site, and it ended with this: “Alex- all I’ve got to say is you better be a hell of a guitar player, because your writing skills blew me away.” Crap, I’m in trouble – I’m a mediocre guitar player at best!!!

Movie Review

Pacific Rim
Wow! It’s like an anime brought to life.
It’s del Toro, so it’s quirky. Certainly not a perfect movie, although at times it was perfectly giddy.
It took a while to get into the flow of the film. But around the halfway point, and especially when the robots and monsters brawl, the movie turns jaw-dropping. (The special effects are out of this world.) By the end I was invested in the characters to the point I even got misty-eyed. (Yes, I cry over monster movies – don’t you?)
The cast is great, especially Idris Elba and Charlie Day. And Ron Perlman!
For the ladies, there is a strong female lead. Rinko Kikuchi’s character is smart and tough.
And for the guys, this film will bring out the twelve year old in you!
Highly recommended.

Any questions for Jeffrey? Picking up Optical Osmosis? What about one of the other new releases? See Pacific Rim or another movie this past weekend? And are you ready for a play-by-play of Sharknado?

Be sure to visit Jo Murphey!

Ninja News, Movie Trivia, Wednesday Movie Quote, and the Secondary Characters Blogfest!

Ninja News

Helping Oklahoma-
Shelly Arkon is donating all royalties from her book, Secondhand Shoes, to the Red Cross for the next three months. Visit her site for purchase links.
EJ Wesley posted a lot of links to places you can donate to help as well.

Marcy at Maine Words signed a deal with WiDo Publishing for her book Paradise. Congratulations, Marcy!

Jeffrey Beesler’s next book will be out soon and he revealed the cover art for Optical Osmosis yesterday. It rocks, Jeffrey!



Karen Lange just signed a book deal with Helping Hands Press for her homeschoolers book. Congratulations, Karen!

To celebrate the release of her second novel, Aberration on June 6, 2013, Lisa Regan is hosting The Aberration Blog Hop: Finding the Most Aberrant Characters. Prizes are involved!

Roland Yeomans’ book, The Bear with Two Shadows, is now available as an audio book! Congratulations, Roland! Now we can hear Hibbs in stereo…

Don’t forget the Get Healthy Bloghop next Wednesday, hosted by Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, Michael Di Gesu, and myself!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Post your favorite here or play along on your own blog.

Today’s genre is sports movies.

Mine comes from Major League. (Censored for obvious reasons!)

Coach - “Nice catch, Hayes. Don’t ever f_____ do it again.”

Next week – apocalyptic films!

Movie Trivia!

Because I haven’t done any trivia since the Challenge.

Name the director:

1 – Goodfellas – 1990

2 – Empire of the Sun – 1987

3 – The Fifth Element – 1997

4 – Unforgiven – 1992

5 – Contact - 1997

Answers on Friday!

Secondary Characters Blogfest

Hosted by Rachel Schieffelbein and (several co-hosts) in celebration of her upcoming book, Secondary Characters. (Available May 28.)

I had several ideas for great secondary characters, including Lt. D’Agosta from Preston and Child’s Agent Pendergast series. But I decided to go with the best secondary characters ever created:

The cast of Serenity/Firefly!

The cast revolves around Mal. The show is all about him, his ship, his past, and the side he chose during the war. And what a great bunch of secondary characters:
Zoe – Second in command and a devoted, level-headed fighter.
Wash – Skilled pilot and comic relief.
Inara – Companion and romantic tension.
Kaylee – Mechanic and the sweet soul of the crew.
Jayne – Hired gun who is blunt and looking out for number one.
Simon – Skilled doctor and overprotective brother of River.
River – Child prodigy and just a bit unstable.
Book – Shepherd and the moral compass of the crew.
Throw them all together with a captain who aims to misbehave and you have one heck of a show!
And one more time for the record – curse you, FOX!

Excited about all the cool book news? Ready for the Get Healthy Blogfest? (Or in desperate need?) What’s your favorite sports movie quote? Know any of the directors? And who is your favorite secondary character?

I have something really cool planned for Friday!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Ninja News, and Animated Movie Trivia

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.

And this month I have two awesome co-hosts helping - Livia and Tasha! Be sure to visit them and say thanks for their willingness to help.

Right now, I am in waiting mode. My publisher has my manuscript and their editor is going over it before sending it back to me next month for revisions. CassaStorm has been my focus all year, and until the final edits are done, it will remain on my mind. I’m happy with what I created (and special thanks to Rusty, Cassie, Jeffrey, and my two test readers for making it SO much better) and won’t start thinking about another project until next year.

So while I’m not really insecure right now, I’ve been thinking about certain writing aspects. Seems like the great works are always far deeper than what’s on the surface. They are full of symbolism and metaphors. They tap into a basic human desire or drive in an all-consuming way. They are planned with care, guiding the reader down a path of inner discovery.

Um, yeah. And then there are my books. What you see is what you get. If you read anything deeper into them, it’s not there on purpose.

However, upon completion of the first draft of my latest, I realized I did have a theme! Again, not planned. Which means the theme rather surprised me. (Is that bad?) And at the risk of losing my “Stud-muffin” image (insert laughter here) the theme is LOVE.

CassaStar – love of a friend

CassaFire – love of a spouse

CassaStorm – love of a child

Yeah, I’m stunned. No idea how that happened.

Is it a good theme? Does your work or books have a theme?

Be sure to visit other members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

Ninja News

Talli Roland’s latest book, The Pollyanna Plan, is available now. Congratulations, Talli! Wish I had your writing chops.

Jamie at Mithril Wisdom just celebrated three years of blogging. We started blogging within weeks of each other in 2009 and met during the first A to Z Challenge, so I feel like I’ve known Jamie forever. Congratulations, dude! Let’s keep rocking.

Writers4Writers kicks off on Thursday! Hosted by Stephen Tremp, Mary Pax, Christine Rains, and CM Brown, the first spotlighted author will be Nancy Thompson and her book The Mistaken. Visit the hosts for information on how YOU can help! You can also visit the W4WS Facebook page HERE.

Jeffrey Beesler has declared December to be Milk and Cookies Month! He kicked it off yesterday by listing a couple Chocolate Chip Hipsters. (EJ and I were listed,) Thank you, Jeffrey! You rock, my man. Shame you ate all the cookies though…

LG at Writing Off the Edge is celebrating her one year blog anniversary with a blogfest - The Beginnings Blogfest, Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Lots of options for telling us about your beginnings. See her site for details. And congratulations, LG!


I just hit 1700 followers. Thanks so much, guys! Whoa… Crap! Need to party or something. Let me think about it and get back to you on Friday.

And just to clarify one of my answers for Monday’s blogfest – yes, my Gibson Les Paul guitar cost A LOT more than $100. Add a digit and some bigger numbers and you get the picture. (And for you musicians, it has a Floyd Rose tremolo!)

Movie Trivia!

Because I haven’t done this in a while. Animation edition.

1 – From Aardman Animations, this clay-animation film took place on Mrs. Tweedy’s farm.

2 – This 70’s animated film was set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where two brothers, Avatar and Blackwolf, do battle to control the world.

3 – This Christmas animation features the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, and Bill Nighy – and a member of Santa’s family you never knew existed!

4 – Joss Whedon wrote the screenplay for this cell-animated space movie set in the year 3028 and featuring a spaceship that holds the secret to the salvation of the human race.

5 – Before Pixar put out their take on these small critters, Woody Allen voiced the lead, “Z,” in this film.

6 – Written by Ted Hughes in 1968, this science fiction story set in 1957 became a critically-acclaimed movie in 1999 with its simple innocence.

What are your insecurities today? Have you signed up for Writers4Writers? (Come on – Nancy’s book ROCKS!) Ready to kick of 2013 with a blogfest? And know any of the answers to the animated film trivia questions…?

Ninja News, Writers4Writers, and the I Miss You Blogfest!

It’s Time for the I Miss You Blogfest!

But first…

Ninja News

Cassie Mae and Tara Tyler hit 500 followers and are holding a giveaway! Tara is creating a blog banner for one lucky winner, and I’m sure you’ve seen her awesome banners all over the blogging world. Cassie is giving away a manuscript critique since she’s now in demand. (I’m sure I had nothing to do with that…)

Denise at L’Aussie Writer is hosting a Holiday Spirit Blogfest that runs December 12 – 21. For this Holiday Spirit blogfest (open to the whole blogosphere), RFW is looking for excerpts of up to 800 words of fiction or non-fiction stories of family tradition, favorite/unique recipes, inspirational articles, etc.; that involve the essence of the holiday spirit.

And on Monday, November 19, the details of this blog event, hosted by Mark “The Madman” Koopman, ”Marvelous” Morgan Shamy, Stephen “Breakthrough” Tremp, and David “Kingpin” Powers King, will be revealed. You’ll be surprised. You’ll be mystified. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kiss three bucks goodbye… (Wait, that’s the tagline for the spoof Hardware Wars!) Safe to say, you will not be expecting it. Like the Spanish Inquisition. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition… (Wait, that’s a Monty Python skit!) Just forget all you know, or think you know… (Crap, that’s the tagline from Willow!) Just tune in Monday!

Writers4Writers (W4WS)

Mission:
· Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people
· Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, whatever)
· Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over
· Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following
· Create verbal and viral buss.

In A Nut Shell: the spotlighted author (December will be Nancy Thompson and her book The Mistaken) will choose a social media avenue such as Twitter or Facebook (or both). Then, the good people of Blogdom will promote the author’s book to their Twitter followers or Facebook friends, that is, incredibly large new audiences the author could not reach on their own.

Hosted by Stephen Tremp, Mary Pax, Christine Rains, and CM Brown. You can also visit the W4WS Facebook page HERE.

Kickoff is December 6!

I Miss You Blogfest

Hosted by Andrew Leon, Matthew Rush, and Alex J. Cavanaugh

The bloggers we really miss…
and the ones we would really miss!

Do you have a couple blogger buddies who aren’t posting as often? Those who’ve pulled back and seem absent from the blogging world? Do you have blogger buddies you are grateful they are still around and would miss if they vanished? Now is your chance to show your appreciation and spotlight them!
List one to three bloggers you really miss and one to three bloggers you would miss if they stopped blogging. Then go leave a comment on those blogs.
Our blogger friends are special – time to let them know!

The bloggers I miss

Clarissa Draper After her book release, Clarissa posted just a little bit less, and then she went on vacation for a month. I’ve known her for two and a half years and really miss Clarissa’s words of wisdom. (Fortunately, she is now back from vacation! So maybe I won’t have to miss her anymore.)

Jeffrey Beesler Met Jeffrey the summer of 2010 and he became a good friend and critique partner. His books and real life events have kept him busy though. He used to post daily, featuring theme weeks, and I could always count on seeing his comments. I really miss seeing Jeffrey around the blogging world.

Baygirl After over two years of her wit, I really came to appreciate Baygirl’s fun posts, which often included pictures. She posts much less now and there’s a definite void without her voice online.

The bloggers I would miss if they quit:

All of you! Really, how can I select just three people? Everyone who visits is important to me. I notice when any of you are gone for a few days. I could do a really long post and say something wonderful about all of you. But since I’m restricted to just three…

Jeremy at Retro-Zombie If I’m ever backed into a corner, I want Jeremy at my side. Only once before have I met someone so willing to do anything to help another. He’d give you the shirt off his back. He has a graphics business, and yet he’s so willing to do them for free for his friends. I can always count on Jeremy. If you’ve ever visited his site and thought ‘odd,’ then you just don’t understand the heart of the man behind that blog. Jeremy rocks, and hopefully he never leaves us.

Ella at Ella’s Edge I met Ella during the first A to Z Challenge. She is without a doubt the most creative person I have ever met. She sees the beauty in the simplest things, and her words flow like a gentle stream. Even her artwork, crafts, and photos are poetic. She has a peace about her that speaks volumes of love. I would miss her spirit and the safe haven that is her blog if she ever left us.

Chuck at Apocalypse Now No other way to say it – Chuck is THE MAN. It didn’t take me long after finding his blog two and a half years ago to realize that Chuck and I have a lot in common. He’s someone I could hang with and shoot the breeze over a couple drinks. Chuck is one of the most supportive people I know – I think he’s talked more people into buying my books than I have! He’s dedicated and possesses a great sense of humor. Hopefully when the Mayan calendar runs out next month and his countdown to the Apocalypse ends, Chuck doesn’t vanish on us.

Your turn – who do you miss and who would you miss?

List of participants below. Feel free to join us!



Signing up for Cassie and Tara’s giveaway? Joining the Holiday Spirit Blogfest? Signed up for Writers4Writers? Who do you miss or would miss in the blogging world? And don’t forget to come back Monday…

Ode to Sharktopus, Ninja News, CassaStorm Update, and October Movie Preview!

Two years ago, Sharktopus escaped the deluded minds at the SyFy Channel and attacked the viewing public with a vengeance. I braved this Saturday night Craptastic film and brought to you a play-by-play of the disaster. To celebrate this most auspicious occasion, I am guest posting at Lee’s blog, Tossing it Out, with a tribute called Sharktopus: A Love Story, as well as the original play-by-play in its entirety. If you’re in need of a good laugh today, go pay Tossing it Out a visit!

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone who visited Karen at Write Now earlier this week for my take on what makes a blog successful. Really appreciated the awesome comments!

Jeffrey Beesler is hosting a giveaway for his latest book, Speed Demons, through September 27 – visit his site for details!

In case you missed it, Ciara Knight and I are hosting the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest on October 17. Join us in highlighting a special book you’ve noticed lately.

Special cover reaveal!

The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson Coming in October 2012

Ceara’s desperate for love; Seb’s desperate to get laid. Two strangers, both moving from small country towns to Brisbane for uni. Will they survive life in the big smoke or crumble under the pressure?

Find the book on Goodreads

And find Cally at: Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

CassaStorm Progress!

Monday night I finished revisions and sent CassaStorm off to my awesome critique partners, Rusty, Jeffrey, and Cassie Mae! I let one of my test readers (who rocks with dialogue) attack it first and he also had some good suggestions for slight plot changes. So four months to create the outline, two months to write the first draft, and two months of editing and mutilating. At the moment it’s clocking in at 82,000 words, which is a record for me. Now it’s in my critique partners’ hands. Let the carnage begin…

October Movie Preview!

Here are the upcoming releases for October. Not a great selection, but I did the best I could with the list. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

5 -

Taken 2
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Director: Olivier Megaton
Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Rade Serbedzija
The only that could make this better if it was called Taken 2: Electric Boogaloo!

Frankenweenie
Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Christopher Lee
Didn’t we already see this?




12 -

Sinister
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Vincent D'Onofrio
The preview isn’t scary, but every reviewer says this is terrifying. Not sure who to believe…


19 -

Alex Cross
A detective is told that a member of his family has been murdered. He vows to track down the killer.
Director: Rob Cohen
Stars: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Rachel Nichols, Edward Burns
Terry Perry IS Alex Ninja! Wait, that’s not right…




26 –

Cloud Atlas
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer | Andy Wachowski | Lana Wachowski
Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Directed by the former Wachowski Brothers. Now the Wachowski Brother and Sister. Don’t make me explain…

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D
When her father disappears, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.
Director: Michael J. Bassett
Stars: Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Carrie-Anne Moss, Kit Harington
First one had great atmosphere and creepy visuals. Let’s hope this one also has a good story.


Ready for a good laugh this morning? (Hopefully not from my critique partners – that would be bad.) Excited about the news and new books? Signed up for the blogfest? Did you pick up The Avengers on Tuesday? I got my 3D copy! And what movies are you excited about next month?

Don’t forget to visit Tossing it Out for my sendoff to Sharktopus!

And the Ninja will be gone this weekend, so no post on Friday. Wife and I are both playing hooky. I will be lurking…

Insecure Writer's Support Group, Help for a Friend, Ninja News, Cover Reveals, Movie Trivia Answers, and the Exploding Blog Post

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.


Special note – one year ago was the first IWSG post. Look how far it’s come! Thanks to all of the participants – you are the reason for this group!

How difficult is it for you to push the limits or raise the stakes?

I’m still working on revisions from CassaStorm and incorporating some of the suggestions from one of my test readers. He’s my go-to guy for dialogue (Rusty and Jeffrey will really appreciate that I’m letting him read it before passing it on to them!) and he’s good with tension.

He sent back a whole page of suggestions for one small scene alone. Basically, he said it wasn’t threatening enough. There was no real sense of dread. He told me to up the ante and make the results devastating. I have since adjusted that scene and now there’s no doubt the characters are in serious trouble.

I guess I’m better at mentally messing with my characters than using physical means to mess with them. But I’m willing to improve!

Anyone else find you are being too easy on your characters or storyline?

Be sure to visit others participating today in the IWSG!

Help for a Friend

He managed to survive Hurricane Isaac as it roared through New Orleans. But last week, blogging buddy and author Roland Yeomans was struck by a car that lost its brakes in the floodwater. He wasn’t seriously injured, but the resulting hospital stay hit him hard in the finances. (The driver had no insurance.)

I am asking the Ninja Army to help. If you’ve never read one of Roland’s books, I invite you do download and enjoy one from Amazon now. He has several that follow the adventures of Victor Standish, the first of which is HERE. He also has many novelette length books, such as Call Me Tombs. He even has a book for writers called Ghost Writers in the Sky. (All of which are awesome.) In all, he has twenty-three from which to choose.

Visit Roland’s page on Amazon, find a book you’d enjoy, and support someone who really needs help right now.

Ninja News

I interviewd Michael Di Gesu at the A to Z Blog today – his theme for the Challenge was flash fiction, perfect for today’s IWSG post!

Jeffrey Beesler’s latest book, Speed Demons is now available, and he’s hosting giveways all week long. Check out his blog for details. Congratulations, Jeffrey!

Angela at Jaded Love Junkie has an agent now – congratulations, Angela!

JW Alden’s story, "The Dragon Weeps," was just published in Kazka Press. You can read it for free, so visit his site for details. Congratulations, Alden!


Don’t forget my
Genre Favorites Blogfest 
on September 17.


Cover Reveals!

Givin’ up the Ghost by Gwen Gardner

Friend or Foe?
Murder victim Bart Bagley is not content to merely roll over in his grave. He wants his murderer caught and he wants teenage ghost whisperer, Indigo Eady, to help him.
It becomes obvious that Bart’s temper lead to more than one disagreement, but is it enough to want him dead? With nothing but a cold trail and a hot list of “friendly” suspects, Indigo and her friends race to find the killer before they become the next victims.
Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute new friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks start to fly in more than one direction...

GIVIN' UP THE GHOST is a YA paranormal cozy mystery, the first in the Indigo Eady series, due out October 8, 2012.

Haunt Gwen at: FB, Blog, Goodreads

Neverlove by Angela Brown

For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.
Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.
Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.
Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?

NEVERLOVE is a special project spawned from a blog-challenge-turned-blog-opera, the Abby and Basil affair. It is the first in the Shadow Jumpers series and due out October 8, 2012.

Haunt Angela at: FB, Blog, Goodreads

Movie Trivia Answers!

1 – Sylvester Stallone – John Lithgow - Cliffhanger
2 – Kevin Costner – Gene Hackman – No Way Out or Wyatt Earp
3 – John Cleese – Jamie Lee Curtis – A Fish Called Wanda (or Fierce Creatures)
4 – Emma Thompson – Andy Garcia – Dead Again
5 – Andrew Dice Clay – Wayne Newton – The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
6 – Alec Baldwin – James Earl Jones – The Hunt for Red October

Wow!!! A whole year of posting for the IWSG. Can you believe it? Did you share your insecurities or word of encouragement today? Can you help my friend Roland? Excited about the news? Or the upcoming books from Gwen and Angela? Be sure to visit Michael at the A to Z Blog. Get the trivia questions right? Think this post just might explode from too much stuff????

MOTIVATED - A to Z Challenge

It’s the third A to Z Challenge! Blog the letters of the alphabet in order every day except Sundays The participation list is HERE – start with the blog after yours and visit at least five blogs a day. Mostly, make new friends and have fun!

My theme – I have selected a word for each day and will present to you blogger buddies who fit that description, along with movies, music, etc. My theme is to give back, highlight some awesome bloggers, and have fun in the process.

MOTIVATED

Milo at In Media Res
If you’ve ever wondered if there was a market for short stories, then wonder no longer. Milo is THE short story master. He doesn’t just write and submit a couple a year – this dude submits weekly, and his rate of acceptance and publication reflects that. Last year during the Challenge, he posted links to sites that accept short stories, which was very generous. Milo is motivated times a thousand!

Jeffrey at World of the Scribe
Two years ago – maybe longer? – Jeffrey’s manuscript The Flettleglag Force was accepted for publication. He’s been waiting… and waiting… and waiting for its release. Jeffrey didn’t remain in limbo though – he continued writing and finally decided to self-publish his fantasy epic, Spell of Entrapment. I admire his bravery and determination to expose his work to the world. Jeffrey is also one of my awesome critique partners and one of the first real friends I made here in the blogging world. Dude, you rock – keep pushing forward!

Rush
This is a band that is motivated by the sheer joy of making music. Formed in 1968, the band’s first record dropped in 1974 but didn’t quite gel until drummer and lyricist Neil Peart joined later the same year. Nineteen studio records (with a twentieth coming this year) and the band is still going strong and sound just as good as ever.

NINJA NEWS! (And movie reviews)

The Cabin in the Woods
Wow! The trailer does NOT give away the twist. It’s not a parody, but rather a scathing satire of the horror genre. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, it’s clear the makers are in on the joke. With Whedon’s impeccable writing, some scenes are laugh out loud funny. I wouldn’t dare put any spoilers in this review, but sufficed to say, the third act is bat-shit crazy.

The Thing (2011)
This movie is well done, the acting decent, and the special effects really good. It was cool seeing the alien’s spaceship. As a prequel to 1982’s The Thing, you know where it’s going and it leads you right there. That said, it didn’t break any new ground or bring anything new to the table. And with CGI, they could do more, but gone was Carpenter’s skill of proper lighting to bring out the best in the special effects. Worth a watch if you’re curious. Or bored.

We are almost halfway through the Challenge!!! Good to hear so many are having fun with it. And some of you have worked SO hard on your themes – I am impressed. Don’t forget that May 7 will be the Challenge Reflections post, so mark your calendars. Details soon.

Following Jeffrey? If you write short stories, you definitely need to follow Milo. Fan of Rush? (And if you’re not, please don’t make the Ninja sad.) Did you see The Cabin in the Woods? Or The Thing? Any other movies? Having Challenge meltdown? And who do you know who is motivated?

Ninja News and the April Movie Preview

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone for your comments Monday regarding Jeffrey Beesler’s book, Spell of Entrapment. And for reading my interview at Emily King’s blog.

Thank you to author Jessica Therrien for featuring my book on Monday. That was a nice surprise!

And over at Mark’s Aloha and hi! from HI he interviewed Cassie and I was an interview question! Yes, I do sleep. No, I do not have clones. I’m a super Ninja. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

The A to Z Challenge begins this Sunday April 1! I’ll be posting the basic guidelines and tips on Friday. Hope you’ve been preparing your posts. And I'm over at the A to Z Blog today talking about SHORT posts.

May 15 - Diablo 3. I am so there! And Baldur's Gate the enhanced edition is coming out soon for PC and the iPad. Yes, I will be getting both!

A movie is in development from the book, The Lies of Locke Lamora. That was my favorite book last year, so hopefully it doesn't fall into development hell.

And sometimes, we have epic Ninja fail. I completely forgot to mention Annalisa Crawford’s new book, Cat & the Dreamer, when it came out a few weeks ago. She is just the sweetest person and I feel like a shmuck for forgetting…

And now, here are your April movies!

As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

6 -

Titanic (1997) - [Opens April 4th in 3D]

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

Director: James Cameron

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates

Why re-release in 3D? Because they can.

13 -

The Cabin in the Woods

Horror | Thriller

Director: Drew Goddard

Stars: Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams

Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.

This Joss Whedon project looks amazing! It is not the horror story you think…

Lockout
Action | Thriller | Sci-Fi
Directors: James Mather | Stephen St. Leger
Stars: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace, Peter Stormare, Joseph Gilgun
A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates.

Ever since I saw the first trailer where Guy Pearce is smart mouthing the interrogator and getting punched for each response, this has been a must-see for me.

27 -

The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Animation | Adventure | Family
Directors: Peter Lord | Jeff Newitt
Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Brendan Gleeson
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

It’s from the creators of Wallace and Gromit – how could you not want to see it?

The Raven
Thriller
Director: James McTeigue
Stars: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson
When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.

To quote the critics – “Nevermore!”

Anyone else get a good laugh out of Mark’s post? Did I miss any news? Ready for the A to Z? (I’m revealing my theme this Friday and I think some of you will really dig it.) Any movies catch your eye? Or are you holding out for May…?