Underrated Treasures Blogfest! Plus Dragon and Ninja, BOTB Results, and Ninja News

Time for the Underrated Treasures Blogfest!

But first…

Ninja News

At the A to Z Blog today is Mina Burrows, who rocked the Challenge with her theme – classic monsters!


This Wednesday at the IWSG Site is the awesome Jennifer Hillier!

Don’t forget to either submit your work or post on October 1 for the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond!
We’ve received a lot of writing pieces and need more publishing and marketing.
Also, please do not include quotes, as there may be a copyright issue with them.

How I Found the Write Path is available now!
Put together by Carrie Butler and PK Hrezo, many of us posted for the book blogfest earlier this year, and now the book is available.
It’s on Amazon and other sites – check it out!




Thanks to these two wonderful ladies for also featuring one of my books in their entry for the Shelfie Bloghop. (Tara, is there a prize for the most features?)

CD Coffelt

MJ Fifield

Battle of the Bands Results

It was really close!! Sadly, even with my vote, Stream of Passion did not win the Street Spirit battle. Shame, because the lead singer has what I call a voice of glass. But that’s all right, it’s still my favorite (the singer is amazing) and the inspiration for CassaStar.

Radiohead -20

Stream of Passion - 18

Dragon and Ninja

I’d like to share some images of a very special gift that is coming my way soon.
I am part of a special private blog group called Fellowship of the Dragon, founded by Father Dragon Al. He started creating the dragon (made in his own image) as a reward for the person who achieved their goals on a consistent basis.
I was honored to be named that person.
But even more, I was blown away by the talent and generosity of my friend, who not only spent countless hours making the dragon, but made a Ninja to go with him.
Al, I will treasure it always. You are an amazing Dragon friend.

 

Underrated Treasures Blogfest! 

Everyone has a favorite movie or band that no one else has ever heard about. For whatever reason, they remain undiscovered and underrated. Now is your chance to tell the world about this obscure treasure!

Today, September 22, post about your favorite unknown –

MOVIE – BAND/ARTIST – TV SHOW – BOOK

Post about one or all four – dealer’s choice!

Here are my recommendations of underrated treasures:

BOOK –
The Light at the End by John Skipp and Craig Spector
It’s been many years since I read this one, but it’s a really intense horror/suspense story. It follows vampire Rudy Pasko and the man who wants to kill him, Joseph Hunter. It was extreme back in the day (published almost thirty years ago) although a bit tamer now by today’s standards. But the vampire is nasty, as he should be! Was out of print for years, but now available as an eBook.

TV SHOW –
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Set in the Wild West, the show possessed the same humor as Firefly. It was a mix of Wild West, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. Bruce Campbell rocked in the title role and the show was a lot of fun. It only ran two seasons, 1993 to 1994, and unfortunately is not available on NetFlix yet, just DVD.

MUSIC –
7th Wonder – Mercy Falls
A progressive rock band, Mercy Falls is their best album and probably one of the greatest albums ever. It’s a concept album – a man in a coma is trying to escape and come back to reality. The music is so amazing and catchy. I highly recommend checking out all of their albums. (And the lead singer also now sings in Kamelot.)

MOVIE –
Edge of Tomorrow
I decided to select a film from this year because this movie just didn’t find an audience, especially in America. And it deserved one – the movie is brilliant, smart science fiction. Beyond that genre, it possesses incredible special effects, a clever storyline, solid acting, intense action and moving drama, and is a complete package. Despite what you may think of Tom Cruise, this film is awesome – watch it!

What underrated treasures would you recommend? And have you read/listened to/seen any of those?


Contributing to the IWSG book? Picking up How I Found the Write Path? BOTB results surprise you? Do you want your own Dragon and Ninja? And what are your underrated treasures…?

Snowpiercer Movie Review and Others, Movie Trivia, Blogging Changes, and Ninja News!

Movie Reviews

Snowpiercer

Finally caught this on Direct TV! Set in a future where a failed climate-change experiment kills all life on the planet except for a lucky few who boarded the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe. Directed by Joon-ho Bong who did The Host.

This is a film where you have to buy into the really odd premise in order for it to work. (And I won’t spoil the origins of the Snowpiercer, but it makes more sense than it sounds.)

Visually it’s very impressive. It’s a quirky film, similar to a Terry Gilliam movie with bizarre, colorful characters and surreal settings. It deals with complex moral issues in its own quirky fashion.

Chris Evans is great (and far removed from his Captain America role) along with the rest of the cast.

Once the characters start moving forward on the train, trying to reach the engine, the film is full steam ahead and never lets up.

Recommended.

Robocop

A rather pointless remake. It strips away the social parody that made the original a camp classic and replaces it with a straightforward story that is at times dull and overlong. The special effects are good and the top notch cast does a good job with what they were given. Watch only if you’re really curious.

The Lego Movie

For me, not nearly as good as all the hype. It’s very odd and quirky (which is probably the only way a movie about Legos could work) and when it’s funny, it’s really funny. It’s fairly entertaining and doesn’t overstay its welcome. Watching it once was enough though.

Ninja News

Huge music news – Pink Floyd will release The Endless River in October, their first studio album in twenty years. Most of this material was recorded at the same time as The Division Bell, but there will be additional work and a tour is rumored. (Considering the surviving members are around seventy years old, a tour would be impressive.)

Vanessa Morgan’s other blog, Traveling Cats, was featured in this month's issue of Your Cat.

Epic contests through Audiomachine and more – design a t-shirt or book trailer, write a steampunk series, and numerous other opportunities! Visit Samantha Redstreake Geary for details.


New books-

Glitch of a Witch by Pat Hatt

Words on Birds by Kelly Polark

The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

Cryostorm by Lynn Rush



And Jo Wake had a short story published in the Indie-Pendence Day Anthologies Book 1. She claims she had help and it will be her only short story ever, but I bet we can coax her into writing more, don’t you?

Movie Trivia Returns!

Name those characters -

1 – The four Pevensie children from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2 – The four Ghostbusters

3 – The five captains from the five Star Trek series

4 – The nine crew members of the Serenity from Firefly

5 – The Fellowship of the Nine from LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring

Answers next Monday!

Changes in Blogging

Last week, Karen Jones Gowen posted about the trouble with blogging, and Denise Covey followed up with her own post.

They covered a lot of stuff and I won’t rehash any of it here. Go read their posts instead. But I will say I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen many changes and new trends appear. (Things such as fewer people following back and more promotional stuff.)

I’d like to make adjustments to my own blog. I still want to share news and have guest posts, but fewer cover reveals and stuff like that. Get back to more of the movie-music-games-science fiction-geek stuff. As I told Denise, it’s been ages since I did any trivia. Ages!

And maybe a little more stuff about me. Perhaps even a snippet of me playing guitar. Or even small joys like the email I received yesterday from a blogger buddy that involved each of us being a blessing to the other. (Unless you don’t want more of me, especially as I’m the last thing I want to talk about!)

If you read those posts or think things are changing, chime in below with your thoughts.
Seen any of those movies and what did you think? Picking up some new books? Know any of the trivia? (Even just the first name?) And what changes have you seen in blogging or do you plan to make?

Edge of Tomorrow Review, Phoenix Prophetesses and Ninjas, Then and Now Blogfest, and Major Ninja News!

Edge of Tomorrow Review

Fighting an alien invasion, Tom Cruise is caught in a loop – every time he dies, he returns to the same moment in time.

If you’re looking for a good science fiction story, this is it. The film is extremely entertaining. The battle sequences are nothing short of thrilling. Time travel is always interesting and it’s used to great effect here
.
There are a LOT of elements from other movies and stories, but they pull them together into a really solid story that’s tense and exciting. Think Saving Private Ryan, Starship Troopers, Groundhog Day, and a pinch of 50 First Dates.

You might not like Cruise as a person, but he’s really good in this film and a bit of a different character than you’ve seen before. Plus Emily Blunt is great – something about her that’s just HOT!

Highly recommended!

Five Ways Phoenix Prophetesses Are Like Ninjas

1. Although Phoenix Prophetesses can really see the future, Ninjas—with their lightning fast reflexes—appear to be able to see the future.

2. Both Phoenix Prophetesses and Ninjas have perfect accuracy. If they throw something, it will hit their target.

3. A Zen-like state can balance Ninjas and Phoenix Prophetesses alike.

4. They can sneak around and hide in the shadows.

5. Last, but definitely not the least, they both look stunning in black.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.

Available in Ebook and Print! To purchase Reborn: Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Nook, OmniLit, Smashwords, Createspace, and Google Play

"The authors of Untethered Realms and I are giving away over $50 worth of books to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open internationally. Go HERE to enter."

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Reborn is her debut novel. For more information, please visit her website.

Major Ninja News!

Heroes of PHENOMENA is now available on Amazon, Kobo, and Smashwords!!


Today’s Themes That Rocked feature at the A to Z Blog is Charity Bradford and her Dr. Who theme!


George at Cinemarvellous had one of his quotes included in a DVD trailer!


Jennifer Hillier hit it big time! Jimmy Fallon does a segment every week on The Tonight Show where he picks a hashtag on Tuesdays and invites people to tweet something funny about it. He posts the best ones on the show on Thursdays. Last week it was #WorstSummerJobs – and Jennifer’s was the last one he read!

Talli Roland’s The No Kids Club is out now! You can buy it on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Amazon US and Amazon UK

Nigel Mitchell just released Quantum Tales - Volumes 1 & 2

Botanist fromViews From the Bald Patch just released a new book - Ghosts of Innocence. Find it on Amazon and Smashwords.

T.B. Markinson’s latest, A Woman Lost, is on sale for 99 cents. Find it at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Maggie at Just Get it Written nominated me for the Lighthouse Award. Check her site for the rules, but I pass this on to Gary at Klahanie.

Eva at My Miracle Life selected me as her Written Acts of Kindness blogger last month. Father Dragon Al has started a special encouragement group, proving he’s one of the most encouraging people I know. (See Eva’s site for rules.)

Then and Now Blogfest

Hosted by The Armchair Squid, Suze, Nicki Elson, and Nancy Mock.

The greatest films stand the test of time, speaking to us in different ways at various life stages. Is there a movie that was a part of your life when you were younger that you see differently now? Like fine wine, has it improved with age or did it die in the bottle? Has maturity brought you new insights you missed in your youth?

I’ve selected two movies:

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Fun movie when I was a kid, as I was big into Godzilla.
Saw it again as an adult courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 – and they brought a whole new level to it, poking fun at the cheesiness, bad acting, and rubber suits.
“They’ve run acrab! It’s kaBob and kaSteve.”

Jaws
Saw it in the theater when I was a kid and scared the crap out of me. Didn’t go near a bathtub for months.
Have watched it many times as an adult, and despite all the problems they had with Bruce the Shark, it still holds up to this day. Great acting, scary and tense moments, and some of the greatest lines ever.
“You’re going to need a bigger boat.”

Whoa! Anyone else see Edge of Tomorrow? Picked up Reborn yet? Catch that spot on the Tonight Show? Excited about the new books? And what movie do you see differently now than you did as a kid?

Angela and Gwen – Partners in ParanormYA, Major Ninja News, and Movie Trivia Answers

Launch Day for the Partners in ParanormYA!

Thanks, Alex, for hosting Partners in ParanormYA for today’s all-important launch. Here at mission control, we’ve completed the basic go-no go checklist with authors Angela Brown and Gwen Gardner.

First, second, third and fourth rounds of drafting, rewriting, and revising completed.

Book covers revealed.

Manuscripts had to be pried from their OCD-edit hands – both Angela and Gwen – but that section completed. Plans are in place to make sure Angela hasn’t nervously chewed her fingernails down to the nubs.

Formatting and uploaded done.

The authors are now settled in the shuttle, nose to the sky, powered by rocket fuel made of perseverance, determination and a combined word count way over 100k. Ready to blast--

*giggly voice cuts in*: I can’t believe it Gwen. Launch day is here!

Gwen *sighing*: You know, it’s good to finally leave the streets of Daydreamer and round the corner to Dream Realized.

Angela *still giggling*: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my G- uh oh…

Gwen: What’s wrong?

Angela: I got so nervous, happy and excited that my stomach just did a loopty-loo. Do space suits hold in silent-but-deadlies? *giggles nervously*

Gwen *joins the giggles*: OMG, Angela! There’s no farting at launch time!

Angela: We probably should have done a go-no go for extra underwear. I may need them.

Gwen and Angela burst into laughter.

This is PIP mission control. Your mics are hot, ladies. I say again, your mics are hot.

Silence…then roaring laughter.

PIP Mission Control: Back to you Alex for the final countdown as it appears the ladies are a bit excited right now. If you wouldn’t mind doing the honors?

Alex: Launch commencing in three, two, one…

PIP Mission Control: Engines fired and they’re off. I repeat, Angela Brown and Gwen Gardner have now thrust Neverlove and Givin’ Up The Ghost into publishing space. All of you are invited to use live links to purchase your copy today to make this launch a success. You can also enter to win in the Partners in ParanormYA weekly giveaway along with the main swag giveaway located at the PIP headquarters.

Mission control out.

Purchase Angela Brown’s Neverlove at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Amazon FR, and Amazon DE.
Purchase Gwen Gardner’s Givin’ Up The Ghost at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

And there are two giveaways! Visit Partners in ParanormYA for the Big Swag Giveaway and for the Week One Giveaway!

Angela and Gwen – you ladies rock! (And giggle a lot...)

Major Ninja News!

A big thanks to everyone who offered to help co-host the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. My plan is to make this a rotating position, so watch for new co-hosts every month.

The latest issue of White Cat Magazine is out! And Rick at The Writer and the White Cat was awesome enough to include a BIG ad for both CassaStar and CassaFire as a thank you for what I do in the blogging world. Thank YOU Rick – you rock!

Retro-Zombie Jeremy interviewed the composer of the movie Looper at Howling Wolf Records. Really interesting how he put it together! Jeremy is also hosting a five hundred follower contest at his blog, Retro-Zombie, and he’s THIS close to hitting five hundred!!!

Jamie at Mithril Wisdom is celebrating his birthday in Hobbit style – he’s giving away presents! Check out his site for the giveaway and the birthday dragon. Happy birthday, Jamie!

Authors Nancy S. Thompson and Jennifer Hillier sent me this picture from BoucherCon! Is that not awesome? I just adore both of those ladies.

Sheena-kay Graham is hosting a Blogoversary: Sacrifice Book 4 Bloghop on October 25. Visit her site for details and to sign up. Congratulations on one year of blogging, Sheena-kay!

Kyra Lennon’s new book, If I Let You Go, is available on Amazon now! Congratulations, Kyra.

Milo James Fowler at In Medias Res is celebrating this month with Creepy Freebies! Visit his site for this week’s free book. And congratulate him on the placement of two more of his short stories.

Miss Jack Lewis Baillot’s new book, Lisbeth’s Choice, is available now. Congratulations, Miss Jack!

And don’t forget the Did I Notice Your Book Blogfest is October 17!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

For the first time ever, they are allowing fans to vote – and RUSH is on the ballot! For those who don’t know, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is privately owned by a man who hates the band Rush and claimes he will never allow them to enter. Well, now we can change that! So go HERE to cast your vote for this highly influential progressive rock band.

Horror Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Fly
2 – I will not be threatened by a walking meatloaf! An American Werewolf in London
3 – I met this 6-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes… the devil’s eyes. Halloween
4 – Listen to them, the children of the night. What sweet music they make. Dracula
5 – Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. Nightmare on Elm Street

Picking up Angela and Gwen’s books? (Don’t forget the giveaways.) Don’t forget all the new books, magazines, and contests this month. Get the trivia correct? (Second one was tough, wasn’t it?) And did you see any good movies this weekend? I finally watched my 3D Bluray of The Avengers – what an awesome film!

And I may not post again until Friday, when a modest Internet star will grace this blog with his presence. But I will be lurking and reading. (And reading on my iPad – so many good books!)

Childhood Monster Blogfest, Extreme Ninja News, My Next Blogfest, and Movie Trivia Answers

Today at the the A to Z Blog is an interview with the awesome Lynda R. Young! Her blog is an excellent resource for writing tips, but for the Challenge, she featured her photography skills. Lynda is one of my first followers and just such a special person. Go check out her answers to my geeky questions!

Who Was Your Childhood Monster?

This blogfest is hosted by Christine Rains, author of the awesome Fearless. Tawa wants YOU!

I didn’t really have a childhood monster, but one scary creature did haunt me.

Remember the crappy 70’s movie Trilogy of Terror? The one with Karen Black and the fanged, knife-wielding tiki doll?

I was about eleven when I saw that film. We’d just moved into a new house and the furniture hadn’t arrived yet, so I had to sleep on the floor for a few nights. After watching said evil tiki doll terrorize Ms. Black, let’s just say the experience of sleeping on the floor was not fun! I won’t ruin the memory by watching the movie again (it was cheesy when I was eleven – bet it looks really bad now) but I can still hear freaky sounds that doll made…

Extreme Ninja News!

Jennifer Hillier’s new book, Freak, came out on Tuesday! Congratulations, Jennifer.

Michael Abayomi’s new book is out! Guardians and the Lost Paradise, Book I – The Journey is the first of six books. Congratulations, Michael!

Emily King is co-hosting the What I Did Last Summer – Fact or Fiction? Blogfest.

Mark Koopmans, Cassie Mae, Morgan Shamy, and Leigh Covington are hosting the What If Blogfest, which runs August 13-17.

Laura Eno, M. Pax, Ciara Knight, and Brinda Berry are hosting the Chocolate Blogfest on September 10.

VikLit at Scribblings of an Aspiring Author is holding a really awesome hundred follower giveaway. The prizes just rock!

Voting continues for Diane’s Supportive Blogger Extraordinaire Contest, Thanks DL and all the others who nominated me – you guys rock!

My Next Blogfest!

Still saving the date? September 17, 2012.

Want to know the awesome theme?

Come back Monday, August 13 to find out!

Director’s Cut Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Broderick – Military – Chimps Project X
2 – Holden – Newman – Ratings Network
3 – Costner – Protection – Singer The Bodyguard
4 – Lobotomy – Fletcher – McMurphy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
5 – Spielberg – Genetic – Dinosaurs Jurasic Park
Big Bonus!! - Lucas – Automatons – Pleasence THX 1138

What was your childhood monster? (Anyone else remember that creepy tiki doll?) Excited for the new releases? Ready for more blogfests? Dying to know the theme of mine??? And did you answer any movie questions correctly?

Don’t forget to visit Lynda Young at the A to Z Blog!

Insecure Writer's Support Group 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.

The very first posting of the IWSG was September 6, 2011. While I do cull the list now and then for non-participants, the group is now three hundred strong.

First, I’d like to thank Christine Danek, Rusty Webb, L. Diane Wolfe, Robyn Alana Engel, Marta Szemik, Siv Maria, Jamie Gibbs, and Annalisa Crawford- these awesome bloggers have posted every single month for the IWSG. (And if I missed someone, let me know.) Thanks for your dedication, guys!

Second, the list is so big, there is no way I can visit everyone. Those from the middle of the list to the end seem to receive less comments, so if you guys could pop in and visit a couple new bloggers, I would appreciate it!

My post today is a good one! With BuNoWriMo motivating me, I’m making good progress on CassaStorm. It helps that I spent over four months on the outline, adjusting and adding, to the point I told Rusty I needed to stop before the outline became my novel. I’m not the fastest typist, especially as the perfectionist in me ponders every word and line as I write. My pace is about 350 words an hour. Go ahead and laugh – I know some of you can type that in five minutes! It takes me longer, but I am making good progress.

Now this is something that might help other writers. When planning CassaFire, I relied on reviews to tell me where I needed to improve. Some people don’t read reviews, but I like to know what I can do better and what fans want, so I look for common themes. Usually I look at Goodreads and Amazon. Well, since I discovered my books were bouncing around on the Amazon UK bestseller charts, I noticed something else – many of those reviews were different (As in, new to me.) So, if you do look at your reviews for input, be sure to check all sites!

Click on the tabbed page above for a list of all IWSG participants!

Ninja News!

Michelle Gregory at Beautiful Chaos has something special today just for IWSG participants! She is giving away nine paperback and ten eBooks of her novel, Eldala. Thanks, Michelle – that is really awesome!

Several blogger buddies of mine, Helen Ginger, Stephen Tremp, and Mary Montague Sikes, have contributed to a short story anthology from the BBT Café called Corner Café – and it’s available now! Congratulations, guys.

Jennifer Hillier’s Freak comes out soon! And she’s holding a contest – write a story using the word freak. Signed copies of Freak and an Amazon gift card are at stake. That rocks, Jennifer!

And I just purchased the 3D BluRay of John Carter. I’m going to be busy watching movies this weekend!

What are your insecurities today? Do you read your reviews to improve? Ready to take advantage of the cool offers above? Want to come watch John Carter in 3D? We have extra glasses!

INGENIOUS & INTROSPECTIVE - 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.

INGENIOUS & INTROSPECTIVE

Suze at Analog Breakfast
This woman is a genius. Her posts are so thoughtful and intricate - a dance of words – and filled with several layers of meaning. You can’t breeze through her words or you’ll miss something vital. Suze touches upon the human equation in such a unique manner and it stays with you long after you’ve left her blog. And she adds depth to her words in her kind comments littered throughout the blogging world. Suze, you are a master!

Rekha at A Chronicle of Dreams
Rekha slipped quietly into my blogging radar one day and before the wisp of smoke vanished yet again, I followed her gentle footsteps. Her blog really is the place of dreams. She explores the world in such an introspective fashion, one can’t help but stop at marvel at the simple brilliance. Nothing she says is without purpose, so you need to pay attention. Rekha, thank you for your considerate words and actions!

Rodney McKay
Stargate Atlantis is one of my all time fav’s and Rodney McKay is such a great character. Brilliant and innovative married with smug and obnoxious and yet it’s balanced with such deftness (by character actor David Hewlitt) that he is truly likeable. Every time the team gets in trouble they call upon the ingenuity of one Rodney McKay.

Jane from the Mentalist
The character of Patrick Jane truly sums up ingenuity and introspection. His off-kilter approach to crime solving is a hoot to watch and his powers of deduction are right up there with Sherlock Holmes.

NINJA NEWS!

Jeremy Hawkins’ new book is available NOW – Retro Zombie: Art & Words! You can watch the YouTube Video or just visit Retro Zombie for more details on this cool book. Jeremy is the creator of some of the really amazing A to Z artwork and a creative writer. He’s also one of my very best friends online, so please take a moment to check out his book.

Jennifer Hillier revealed the cover for her new book, Freak. It looks awesome – congratulations, Jennifer!

And once the A to Z Challenge is over, everyone is invited to join in the Reflections Post on Monday, May 7 – share your thoughts on the Challenge!


Wow! Following Suze and Rekha? Fan of Stargate: Atlantis or The Mentalist? (My wife is in love with Rodney!) Friend of the Retro: Zombie or using one of his creations for the Challenge? And who in YOUR life is ingenious or introspective? Inquiring Ninjas want to know…