Movie News and The Book of Life Review, Horror Movie Trivia, Mini-Alex, BOTB Results, and Ninja News

Movie News

The Book of Life movie review
Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
The animation is truly unique and I recommend seeing it in 3D. The Land of the Remembered is colorful and stunning.
While the story won’t be the greatest thing you’ve ever seen, it did have several refreshing aspects. One is the Mexican setting and the legend of the Day of the Dead festival. Another was that although the two friends, Manolo and Joaquin, are vying for Maria’s hand, neither is perfect nor a villain.
The best characters are the two Gods. La Muerte rules the Land of the Remembered and Xibalba rules the Land of the Forgotten, and their love-hate relationship is charming to watch.
Death plays a major part in the story and there is some violence, so not recommended for the really young.
For something refreshing and new, The Book of Life is a fun watch.

According to Blastr, there could be more John Carter movies, just not with Disney. Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. regained the rights to the books and is seeking other opportunities.
"We will be seeking a new partner to help develop new adventures on film as chronicled in the eleven Mars novels Burroughs wrote," Burroughs Inc. President James Sullos said. "This adventure never stops."
I enjoyed the books and really dug the 2012 John Carter film, so I hope it happens.

Have you seen the trailer for Tommorrowland?

Ninja News

The amazing Sarah Allen is our guest at the IWSG Site today, discussing how helping other writers helps you.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Survive and Thrive Blogfest, and my other co-hosts, Stephen Tremp, Michael Di Gesu, and Diane Wolfe!

DL Hammons is hosting his Déjà vu blogfest again.




New releases –

The Initiate by M. Pax
 

Secret Keepers by Gwen Gardner

Blocked by Jennifer Lane

Battle of the Bands Results

Last Wednesday I pitted Thin Lizzy against Metallica with the song Whisky in the Jar.

Stephen T. McCarthy made it interesting when he voted for Thinallica. (I split the difference.)

However, after casting my vote for Metallica, we have… a tie!

Thin Lizzy – 18.5 votes
Metallica – 18.5 votes

Mini-Alex

We found this large display of sunflowers recently and thought of Tina Downey…

Movie Trivia!

Since Halloween is approaching, today we focus on horror movies. Name the film from actors and year listed:

1 – Simon Pegg, Nick Frost 2004

2 – Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David 1982

3 – Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci 1999

4 – Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner 1976

5 – Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox 2002

6 – JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke 1982

Have you seen The Book of Life? Want more John Carter Movies? Excited about the new releases? BOTB results surprise you? Know any of the trivia? And where should Mini-Alex go next…?

I also received edits for Dragon of the Stars from my publisher, so I will be busy working on them the next week or so...

Retro A to Z Challenge: J – John Carter 2012 (and new How to Train Your Dragon Trailer and George RR Martin Killing Characters)

John Carter – 2012

Loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Princess of Mars, this film was supposed to launch a new epic series. A perfect blend of space opera, Western, and pulp fiction, the movie follows Carter as he is transported to Mars (Barsoom) and thrust in the middle of a war. Despite Disney’s mishandling of the marketing, this is fun and adventurous romp that deserved better. Although the material is now almost a hundred years old, it still feels fresh.

2012 fun facts –
*Cost of new house - $263,000.
*Cost of a movie ticket - $8.20
*The Curiosity Rover landed on Mars
*Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France
*The LA Kings won their first Stanley Cup
*Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier in a free fall from space
*CassaFire was released!

Movies –
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
The Amazing Spiderman

Music –
Rush – Clockwork Angels
Kamelot – Silverthorn
Testament – Dark Roots of the Earth

Games –
Diablo III
Torchlight II

And why is 2012 so special?
It’s the year Laura at My Baffling Brain started writing – and she hasn’t stopped since!

Laura lives in England and has a Masters Degree in Creative writing. She’s fun, enthusiastic, and very appreciative of this online community. She’s also a real goal-setter and a sweet girl. She’ll go far! Laura blogs at My Baffling Brain

Ninja News

Available today – Meilin and the Challenger by Cate Masters! A futuristic fairy tale/urban fantasy with zombies.

Nigel Mitchell posted the funniest George R R Martin jokes yesterday. So if you like this one, head over to see the rest of them.

Justified

This series started a couple years ago and is based on books by Elmore Leonard.
It follows a US Marshal, played perfectly by Timothy Olyphant, who is reassigned to his Kentucky hometown. There he has to deal with feuding clans, white supremacists, and his old friend Boyd Crowder. (Who's definitely on the wrong side of the law.)
The show crackles with great writing, crazy characters, and a cool as heck hero. It’s in its final season, but you can catch the first four on NetFlix.
Highly recommended!

Latest Trailer

And for your enjoyment, the latest trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2:



Have you seen John Carter or read the Barsoom books? Following the delightful Laura? Need a good laugh? Fan of Justified? Excited for How to Train Your Dragon 2? And what do you remember best about 2012…?

Seeing Rio 2 (the stupid bird movie) tonight, so look for review tomorrow…

Movie Reviews – Prometheus, Madagascar III, John Carter – and Ninja News!

Movie Reviews

Prometheus
I liked it, but… Yes, I know that’s how most reviews of this movie begin, and now I understand why. Some spoilers, but they won’t ruin the film and certainly can’t add to the confusion.
Basic storyline is a group travels to a distant planet to find our creators.
First, it is a stunning looking film. Scott can deliver visuals like noboby’s business. Just massive in scope.
Now, this movie raises far more questions than it answers. It begins with grand ideas (think 2001) but somewhere along the way it returns to earth, bogged down by scenes that made no sense. We pieced together some of the story (check out Cinema Blend) but some of it remained a mystery due to gaps. Some scenes made sense, but the characters were not fleshed out enough to make their actions believable. Either there are many missing scenes or a lot of plot holes left open. (Inception was a complicated puzzle but it could be put together - with this movie, there are pieces missing and extra pieces, resulting in an incomplete puzzle.)
I found the film intriguing and enjoyable – it was quite a spectacle to behold. Ultimately though, it felt like a missed opportunity and was a very frustrating film to watch.

Madagascar III: Europe’s Most Watned
Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, and the gang are back and still trying to get home to New York. The big box office winner of the weekend, this film returns to the silliness of the first one. Placing the characters in a traveling circus is the perfect setting. The animation and settings are lush, and the movie is a splash of colors. With animals leaping, spinning, and shooting out of cannons, the 3D really pops. We meet many new characters, the best of which is Stefano the sea lion and a group of grumpy little dogs.
The story is simple. This isn’t Oscar material, folks! It won’t change your life. However, it is very funny. Yes, I enjoyed this one. Take the family!

John Carter – 3D Bluray DVD
I caught this in the theater back in March and reviewed it HERE. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ book, Princess of Mars, this movie is a throwback to classic science fiction-fantasy. Visually stunning, epic in scope, and coupled with a great story, this film should’ve done far better at the box office. (Thank you Disney for screwing up the marketing!) A second viewing in 3D confirmed my first impression – this movie is awesome. It’s the kind of story I wish I could write. If you haven’t seen John Carter, rent it now!

Ninja News!

Thanks to everyone who commented on Michael Pierce’s guest post last Friday and downloaded his book, Provex City!

Talli Roland has a new book out this week – Construct a Couple. Congratulations, Talli!!

Carol Kilgore at Under the Tiki Hut is holding a contest this week and giving away early copies of her upcoming release, In Name Only. Check her site for details.

In the world of sports, the Miami Heat face the Oklahoma City Thunder, pitting Lebron against Durant in basketball. And the LA Kings lead the series against the New Jersey Devils in hockey. Then it will be a long five-six weeks until preseason football begins...

And despite all of my movie-watching, I did knock out a good chunk of CassaStorm this weekend!

Did you see Prometheus this weekend? Agree with the “It was good, but…” reviews? What about Madagascar? Anyone else pick up John Carter in 3D? What team are your pulling for? How’s your June writing progress? I think I’ll scale back the movies next weekend and write more…

Tips & Offer from Michael Pierce and Ninja News!

Special Guest!

Today I am welcoming author Michael Pierce! He’ll share his journey to publication. Some snark may be involved!

Self-Publishing in 300 Words or Less
(Self-imposed challenge accepted!)

I’d like to start off with thanking Alex for the opportunity to be a guest blogger. It’s quite a privilege to be here, and frankly, a little intimidating. I self-published my first book, Provex City, a few months ago and this is the Cliffs Notes to what I’ve learned. (This isn’t included in my word count.) Cheater! I'll let it slide...

Congratulations, you’ve decided to self-publish! It’s a life and death decision (for your story) and you made it. Now what? Start by looking at those who’ve come before you, successful authors like J.A. Konrath, Colleen Houck, and Amanda Hocking. Following their examples can save you a few whacks and welts along the way.

I assume you already have a blog firing on all cylinders. Check! Your new bible is The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing and be sure to visit Konrath’s blog of the same title. Then follow his roadmap to self-publishing and you can’t get lost, though some roads may need repaving.

Writing is a solitary process, but getting your writing to the masses takes a highly trained team of professionals. What you will need to start:
· An editor. You may want to throw a proofreader in the mix. Check!
· A cover designer (unless you’re a graphic designer, in which case email me!). Check!
· An e-book formatter. You can do this yourself if you’ve got the patience. I don’t. Check!
· A Print-on-Demand team (CreateSpace). A majority of sales comes from e-books, but a print copy is good for showing off to the family and submitting to book bloggers for reviews. Check!

Headache Saver #1: Have your e-book and print copy become available on or about the same time. My e-book came out a month before my print copy and I was surprised at the confusion it caused. Never again.

The two largest venues for your e-book are Amazon and Smashwords. Smashwords will distribute your freshly formatted e-book to Barnesandnoble.com and the iBookstore. Now your book is available to millions of people worldwide. Holy adjectives and expletives, Batman! Stop shaking; it’s a good thing. Now it’s time to start promoting, which will take me over my promised— Good save!

Provex City is available in e-book and paperback on Amazon. Today through Sunday, the Kindle edition of Provex City is available for FREE! Don’t hesitate to download it HERE Enjoy, members of Alex’s Ninja Army and thank you so much for reading. And I’m participating in the Debut Author Blog Hop Giveaway right now with 2 signed copies of Michael Offutt’s Slipstream.

Michael Pierce lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and two ultra-protective Chiweenies. Provex City is his debut novel and the first book in the young adult fantasy Lorne Family Vault Series. Visit him at his Blog, on Twitter, and on Goodreads

Ninja News!

Donna Shields has a new book out, Secrets of Jenkins Bridge, and to celebrate she is giving away all sorts of cool loot. Congratulations, Donna!

Vic Caswell just launched her freelance illustration business, Sketcher Girl Studios,and she’s celebrating by holding a giveaway of cool stuff. Check out the giveaway on her blog. Congratulations, Vic!

BIG thanks to everyone who participated in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Those were some of the best posts I've read yet and I appreciate those of you who visited someone new.

And in case you missed it, Prometheus comes out today! After watching John Carter last night in 3D, Prometheus today, and Madagascar III this weekend, I just might be movied-out. (Who am I kidding? Never!) Reviews to follow on Monday. And I do promise to write this weekend as well.

Following Michael? Self-published a book or thinking about it? (And if you are thinking about it, Vic does covers!) Don’t forget to take Michael up on a free copy of Provex City. And finally, who’s going to the movies this weekend???

How to do a Successful Blog Tour. And John Carter! And Prize Package Winner!

Or maybe I should say how to survive a blog tour?

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments last Friday regarding FandomFest2012 Yes, it will be a bummer that my name won’t be listed on the program for FandomFest, but my wife is more important. Next year!

And special thanks to Chuck at Apocalypse Now for his amazing review of CassaFire. You the man, Chuck!

Cate Masters’ new book, Dancing With the Devil, is now available – congratulations, Cate!

John Carter – review and author revelation

One word – awesome!
This movie more than lived up to expectations for me. It was epic in scope, with a story that remained fairly faithful to Princess of Mars and featured believable special effects. It was adventurous, moving, and at times really funny. And hey, for all the guys, the princess played by Lynn Collins will keep your attention – close to the Frazetta interpretation and easy on the eyes. Shame it won’t do well in theaters as I would’ve enjoyed another John Carter movie.

And something dawned on me while watching the film. Several reviews of my books have stated they hearken back to the Golden Age of science fiction and adventure. While watching John Carter, I finally caught the connection – the innocent adventure portrayed in this type of story mirrored what I tried to capture in my own books. Now I am eager both to devour more stories like John Carter and to dive back into my third book. Not that I’ll create anything as classic or epic as what Burroughs wrote – but now I understand my voice and style. And I’m excited!

So, go see John Carter and enjoy the adventure!

CassaFire’s blog tour – what worked and what didn’t

Another heartfelt thank you to all of my hosts and everyone who posted for the Catch Fire Blog Party. The last two weeks were the most humbling I’ve ever experienced.

First let me tackle the Catch Fire Blog Party. WOW. I visited over two hundred and fifty blogs on February 28 and still missed a few I’m sure. It was overwhelming to see that banner featured everywhere. Will I ever do something like that again? Probably not. I spent over ten hours that day trying to visit every person who posted. And while it was cool to see my book cover everywhere, and many commented they were touched by the support for my book, I think it was too much. I’ll either spread it out or just let people post on their own next time.

Now for the tour itself. My hosts were awesome! Each guest spot was unique. My goal was for my post to generate more comments than normal for my hosts, and many of you visited every post – thank you for that! And the best hosts interacted with the comments, which was cool. There were ten official stops – next time, I might only do five. I don’t want to wear out my followers and I admit I was beat when it ended. Again, thanks to everyone who tagged along for the ride.

And I will need to make plans for a third tour, because this week I launch back into working on the third book, CassaStorm. After seeing John Carter, I am stoked!!!!

Now, for those of you still holding your breath, the winner of the awesome prize package is…

After random numbers generated for tour day and then comment…

Jeremy at Retro Zombie is the big winner!!! Congratulations, dude. And thanks for following my book tour.

Anyone else see John Carter? Share your thoughts on my blog tour? (I’m open to suggestions!) Think “Golden Age” is a good description of my books? Think I should write just one more book? Or are you just mad you didn’t get the CassaFire coffee cup?

And I will still be visiting blogs, but taking a break on posting Wednesday. Awesome guest on Friday though!!!!

Ninja News, March Movies, and an Interview

I was honored to do an interview with Bryan Thomas Schmidt, award-winning author of The Worker Prince. Bryan runs his own blog here, but my interview today is at Ray Gun Revival. He also read and reviewed CassaFire, giving it four stars. Thank you, Bryan!

For those of you who need help turning off word verification, J A Bennett posted very easy directions.

Laura Josephsen’s new book came out – Rising, Book I: Resistance – congratulations, Laura! She’s currently doing a blog tour so check her site for details.

Jeremy Bates has a book coming out in May and his publisher has twenty copies up for grabs at Goodreads. Congratulations on White Lies, Jeremy!

And now, here are your March movies! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

2 –

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
Animation | Family | Fantasy
A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.
Directors: Chris Renaud | Kyle Balda
Stars: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms

They veered away from the original story – why does that not surprise me?

9 –

John Carter
Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi
Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Stars: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston

Please don’t let Disney mess it up…

19 –
DVD – Tintin

20 –
DVD – The Muppets

23 –

The Hunger Games
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.
Director: Gary Ross
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks

Not high on my list but I think a few people here are excited about this one…

30 –

Wrath of the Titans
Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades.
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes
It can’t suck as bad as Clash of the Titans. Can it?


Any of those movies strike your fancy? Still holding out for next month? More excited about The Muppets? Any other exciting news? (Yes, I am well aware of what happens next Tuesday!)

Don’t forget to check out my interview at Ray Gun Revival!