Big Thanks, Ninja News, Jewel of Shaylor Cover Reveal, and a Neumarian Uprising!

A huge thanks to everyone who helped with my cover reveal of CassaStorm last Friday – and those who are posting it this week! I was truly overwhelmed. I’d hoped that maybe twenty or thirty people might help, but over a hundred posted for me. Thank you! Yes, I am very excited about the cover – best one yet. Special thanks to Carrie Butler who made the awesome graphic of all three of my books!

Ninja News

Misha Gericke announced the nominations for the Paying it Forward Awards – thanks to whoever nominated me for two categories! Voting is open until February 28. Good to luck to everyone.

Livia gave me the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Thank you Livia! I’m supposed to tell you seven things, but since that would be boring, I’ll just tell you one – I hate Brussels Sprouts.

Passing it on to three bloggers who inspire me:
Robin at Your Daily Dose
ML Swift
Mark at Left and Write

Laura Bambrey’s new book, Yes No Maybe, is available now! Congratulations, Laura.

Hildie McQueen’s Street Team, McQueen’s Moonlighters, is up and running! What is a Street Team? “A street team are a group of people that enjoy a specific author’s books and assists in promoting the author by giving out book cover cards, pens, buttons and other promotional items for the author.” Check out her site for details.

Nigel Mitchell just announced that TOONS is now live. He’s released Part 1 (Bad Toon Rising) and Part 2 (Get Lucky) of the series. Congratulations, Nigel!

Roland Yeomans is the talented author behind almost two dozen books – and this month, the proceeds from sales of his books go to the Salvation Army. If you’ve never purchased one of Roland’s books and experienced his rich writing, February is the month to do so!

Cover Reveal!

Jewel of Shaylar by Laura Eno

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.
Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches.
David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

Find Laura: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Neumarian Uprising!

We need your help! Thanks to our spy, Ciara Knight, we are able to communicate with you today via blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

The Neumarian uprising has begun. We are fighting for freedom and equality for all, but we need your help. Ciara informed us that you might want to know more about the uprising and why we ask you to risk your lives for our cause. To answer these questions I’ve agreed to let Ciara tell my sister’s, Raeth’s, story about her captivity. It will be free for you on a site called Amazon until March 1, 2013.

Our spies have told us this will help spread the word and find more recruits for our rebellion against the tyrannical queen. You can help by simply downloading a free copy of Weighted, a prequel to the Neumarian Chronicles. If you are intrigued and wish to follow our uprising, Escapement, book I of The Neumarian Chronicles, will be available for only $2.99 until March 1, 2013.

Escapement, is told by Princess Semara. Don’t hold the fact Semara is a princess against her like I did, there is more to her than you can possibly imagine.

Here is a brief explanation of her telling of our uprising:
Ten years after the great war of 2185 the queen’s reign is threatened by uprisings and fear. In celebration of my sixteenth birthday it is my duty as princess to sacrifice a slave to be initiated into the ruling council, solidifying my mother’s empire. When my own erratic powers surface I’m captured and tried for treason. Slaves hate me, my mother wants me executed, and my only chance of survival rests in the hands of a young man, Ryder Arteres, whose sister I sentenced to death.

What people are saying about Escapement:

“A heady mix of action adventure and steampunk -- leavened with a dash of romance -- ESCAPEMENT offers up its fair share of thrills, horrors and heart-pounding moments. A strong start to a captivating new series.” - Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

“A riveting tale of justice, mercy, honor and love. Take a deep breath and hold on, because you'll be turning the pages of Escapement quickly. Three unlikely comrades, Princess Semara, Ryder, and his sister Raeth, embark on a journey that will alter their lives forever. The beautiful love story nestled into these action-packed scenes will make you sigh and remember why you love to love. After reading the prequel Weighted, I knew this story would be amazing, and it was. Ciara Knight truly has a gift for creating awesome worlds and characters you won't forget.” -Lindi Peterson--Award winning author of Summer's Song.

“Betrayal, secrets, and a rebellion send readers on a grand adventure, caught in the plight to discover Semara’s gifts and purpose.” -Alex J Cavanaugh, author of Amazon best sellers CassaStar and CassaFire

“The most unmissable series ever! I couldn't stop reading, the action and romance too breathtaking to break the spell!” -ARC review by Sudah on Goodreads

"A courageous heart-stopping journey by young people to save their kind." -Hildie McQueen, bestselling author of Where the Four Winds Collide

If you’d like to see a peak into our world, please view this short clip on YouTube.

If you are now ready to join our fight, please add Escapement to your TBR shelf on Goodreads. Shout out on all your social media sites, and tell everyone you know to stand up and fight.
Be Bold.
Be Brave.
Be Free.
In the name of the rebellion,
Ryder Arteres

Visit Ciara Knight to enter the giveaway.

Thanks again and hope everyone liked the cover for CassaStorm. Picking up some new books? Voting for Paying it Forward or joining the Street Team? Ready for Laura Eno’s new book? And are you part of the Neumarian uprising?

Retro Zombie and a Ninja Army Giveaway, Ninja News, Celebrating the Small Things, and Which is Better…?

Today I have the honor of welcoming one of my very best blogger buddies, Jeremy Hawkins from Retro-Zombie!

Jeremy is a returning A to Z Co-Host, an author, and an amazing artist – he’s responsible for my awesome new header. He’s involved in a lot more things than that though! And not only is he here to tell you about it, Jeremy comes with a cool surprise and a giveaway.

Howlin’ Wolf… Ninja Contest and Me!

Welcome to my nightmare and to the voices I have in my head… thank you to Alex for letting play in his blogger pool.

You all might know me, but do you know what I do with my time… well I am hoping to share the light. You might have been to my Retro-Zombie and or my Horror Directory, but have you been to Howlin’ Wolf Record’s site? Well I will give you the short version it started five years ago, it didn’t really have a purpose until the start of last year. This is where good friend Wall Crumpler [Owner of Howlin’ Wolf] contacted asked if I had plans for this site… so I become the voice for this independent record label. We review films, bands, book/authors, scores/soundtracks and have had some great interviews… really stuff or people I think you should know about.

Last year in December 2012 we had just a hair under 10,000 visitors compared to 2011 which sadly was 300-500, lame…I know. I just get to do what I love to do and that is films and score/soundtrack (do I need to tell you the difference)? So many great people out in the world, I just hope to share a percent… so please visit “The Howlin’ Wolf” and say hello!

So I mentioned a contest you may have noticed a new badge to Alex’s site… well you would see a “NINJA ARMY” [thank you, Elise Fallson] t-shirt. Want one? Be the 10th caller… kidding Alex will choose one of you lucky commenter’s here [if in the US, no problem… not most likely a gift card] to the NEATORAMA’s site. Also look around it’s my store see the great and powerful art/designs I have made.

Any Questions, come on just one?
-Jeremy Hawkins

Jeremy, you the man!

And while we’re giving away a Ninja Army t-shirt here, over at the Howlin’ Wolf Records Blog, we are giving away a copy of CassaStar. Double your chance to win something! (Winners will be announced on Monday.)

Ninja News

Laura at the Daily Dodo scared of heights – but she is jumping out of a plane for charity! She is raising money for Life Works, an organization that works with young people with disabilities. Click HERE to donate. We want to see her jump!

The Bookshelf Muse is celebrating five years, a million hits, and 20,000 copies sold of the Emotional Thesaurus! They are giving away a Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 10 ebooks. (And much to my surprise, CassaStar is one of the choices.) To enter, see their SITE.

Robin at Your Daily Dose just brought back her HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY video dedications – and she was kind enough to dedicate one to me. Thank you, Robin – you rock!

Thanks to everyone who jumped in with a movie quote on Wednesday! This is the official badge if you want to post a quote on your own blog. Every week, I will post the topic for the next week. January 30, it’s “light” fantasy. (Just so you know, LOTR is NOT light fantasy.)

The A to Z Challenge sign ups open next Wednesday! I’ll have a full description of what the Challenge is all about posted as well. Hope you can join us as we rock the blogging world for a fourth time.

Jamie Ayres’ book, 18 Things, is available now! Congratulations, Jamie. And I’ve had fun reading the entries for your 18 Things Blogfest.

Special thanks to Christine Rains for her review of CassaFire this week. Glad you enjoyed it, Christine!

Celebrate the Small Things

“Celebrate the Small Things” is hosted every Friday by VikLit.

Today I am celebrating the fact I learned not one but two new songs this week on my guitar. Actually I had three days to learn and perfect them. Including a solo. No pressure!

I was also informed by my publisher that the cover art for my next book, CassaStorm, would be ready by mid-February. Stoked to see it! I wonder if I should do a cover reveal? What do you guys think – would you sign up to reveal my next book’s cover?

Which is Better…?

And we’ll end with a round of which is better, just for the fun of it.

Which is better?

Star Trek or Star Wars?

And why?

Keep it civil, people! We all want to live long and prosper here. And yes, that should give you a clue as to who I would select, so no flaming.

Any questions for Jeremy? Ready to pick up a Ninja Army or other T-shirt? Excited about the news? Prepared for next Wednesday with your quote and to sign up for the A to Z Challenge? What small thing are you celebrating? And which is better - Star Trek or Star Wars?

Be sure to visit The Howlin’ Wolf - check it out and maybe you'll win a copy of CassaStar!

Chopsocky with J.C. Martin, Ninja News, and Odd Questions of the Week

Thanks to everyone who posted for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group - all five thousand of you! Well, not that many, but by about the hundred and fiftieth blog on Wednesday, it felt like it. Appreciate all the support you guys showed one another.

Chopsocky!

J.C. Martin’s Oracle came out this week and she’d like to share a little Chopsocky with you!

5 Tips on Writing Actions Scenes: Lessons from Chopsocky

Chopsocky refers to martial arts films made in the 1960s and 1970s. You know, the ones with out-of-sync dubbing, exaggerated sound effects, and all-around cheesiness? Despite their cornball plots, there is no denying that these films can be pretty entertaining.
A writer can learn lots about writing action from watching a classic chopsocky:

1. Keep the action flowing
The choreography for some chopsocky is pretty impressive. When writing action, your sentences should flow as smoothly as the on-screen moves.
Action scenes are fast-paced, so don’t slow them down with flowery words. Simple and short sentences reflect urgency. Use active verbs, e.g. “Bruce punches Jackie,” rather than passive sentences like “Jackie is punched by Bruce.” (Bonus question: in which film did this happen?)

2. Spare the intricacies
The chopsocky hero is capable of amazing (and dubious) feats, but viewers are so engrossed in the action, they barely notice the physical implausibility of one kick knocking three people down.
Someone in a life-or-death situation has adrenaline surging through their veins. The result: increased heart rate, dry mouth, tunnel vision. They won’t notice the colour of the carpet. Their sole focus is survival, so leave out unnecessary details. They only slow the action down.

3. Cut small talk
Chopsocky is often guilty of this: the hero and villain engaged in a civil conversation in between bashing each other’s brains in. This doesn’t happen in real life. Use dialogue only in the preamble. Once the fight is on, dialogue should be restricted to shouts and grunts—and no, we don’t need the hero reciting a running commentary of every move he makes!

4. Avoid one-sided fights
Another sin of chopsocky: the hero takes down twenty goons without a scratch, then struggles against the big boss. Your hero isn’t invincible, and your baddies aren’t shambling idiots. To up the tension, ebb and flow is key.

5. Use layman’s terms
Just because you’ve done your research, or have first-hand martial arts knowledge, doesn’t mean you should bog your scene down with unfamiliar terms. Telling readers your heroine executes a well-timed Monkey Steals the Peach will likely receive blank stares—and yes, it’s a real Ninjitsu technique!

By all means, give a rough description of the moves, but trust your readers to fill in the scene with their rich imagination.

Are YOU a chopsocky fan? What else is important in creating a good action scene?

About the Author: J.C. Martin is a butt-kicking bookworm: when she isn’t reading or writing, she teaches martial arts and self-defence to adults and children.
Find JC: Website, Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

Purchase Oracle: Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes and Noble

Ninja News!

Most of you know that Jeremy at Retro-Zombie is an artist. (He did the cool CassaFire banner above.) Now some of his artwork is available on t-shirts! Is that cool or what? Rock on, Jeremy!

Madeleine Maddocks at Scribble and Edit has a new book out – Ultimate Sacrifice. Congratulations, Madeleine!

Karen Elizabeth Brown has a new book out – Medieval Muse! Congratulations, Karen.

S.A. Larson has an agent! Congratulations, Sheri.

Laura Eno’s book, Demon in the Basement, is on sale right now for 99 cents!

James Garcia’s book, Dance on Fire, is available again after his publisher closed shop and free this weekend at Amazon.

You know Laura Bambrey is an author – but did you know her father is as well? Visit the Daily Dodo to learn more about his book, Atlantis Eternal.

I won an autographed copy of Michael Whelan’s book from Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs! Thanks, Roland – that is just too damn cool.

And at 11:45 last night, I typed the words THE END. The first draft of CassaStorm is complete. And I desperately need a nap because that was way past my bedtime...

Two Odd Questions

First, how long does it take you to compose a blog post? With all the links, it takes me about two hours. Oh, to be able to type faster!

Second, what is the weirdest group you’ve ever seen in concert? I think Primus wins it for me. Saw them open for another band on their Sailing the Seas of Cheese tour. They were good, but odd!

Whoa! So who is ready to Chopsocky? See some new books that interest you? How long does it take you to put together a post? And just what is the oddest band you’ve ever seen?

YOUTHFUL - 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.

YOUTHFUL

Nicki Elson
Nicki is an 80’s child. She revels in the music, the lifestyle, the fashion, the bad hair… (Maybe not the hair.) But with that mischievous smile of hers, you just know there is a youthful teenager inside, ready to break out in dance and song. Nicki always makes me feel young again. (And without having to go back and endure the horrors of school.)

Mary at Play off the Page
Mary’s youthfulness comes in a different way. She is spirited and determined. Her enthusiasm for plays, both attending and writing them, comes through loud and clear in her blog posts. And I think that is the secret to youth – enthusiasm. Mary, don’t ever lose yours!

Super 8
Coming out last summer, this movie focused on a group of pre-teens shooting a movie and a strange alien creature. My favorite film of 2011, this movie took me back to my own youth, as I was very close to the age of those kids in 1979. Evoking a style reminiscent of a young Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams perfectly captured the tone, look, and feel of the movies of my youth.

NINJA NEWS!

One of my best blogger buddies and a fellow Challenge Co-Host, Jeremy Hawkins of Retro Zombie’, had some exciting news – He’s officially been added to an independent record label called "Howlin' Wolf Records" to run their on-line magazine. Congratulations, Jeremy – you rock, dude!

Ciara Knight’s book, Rise From Darkness, is available for free on Amazon through today. So hurry!!!

Laura Bambrey’s 101 Blog Prompts is half off this weekend!

The Pirates
I went in wanting to love it, but just couldn’t. After watching Flushed Away last weekend, I was really expecting some humor. It’s cute, but not really funny. After so many Ardman Animations winners, I think this will go down as their first dud. Sad, because the claymation and effects are really good.



Following Nicki and Mary? What did you think of Super 8? Downloaded any books lately? Seen Pirates yet? Only one more day of the Challenge – are you ready? And who do you know is youthful? (Not me – I am really starting to feel my age…)

CREATIVE - 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.

CREATIVE

Ella at Ella’s Edge
This woman is a true artist. She writes, crafts, and takes photographs. Her posts are always graced with eloquent words and beautiful images. The reflect a wonderful person who is thoughtful, kinds, and in a place of peace. We’re in our third Challenge together, having made friends that first year. Ella, you’ve added grace and charm to the journey in a big way!

Robyn at Life by Chocolate
Robyn is creative with a twist. From her Saturday Census to Life in Chico to her celebration of a life of celibacy, you’ll view the world a little differently through Robyn’s eyes. She’s even creative with her chocolate! However, behind the quirk is a spirited woman with a heart of gold. Robyn, I am honored to call you my friend!

Skyrim
Wow! That’s the reaction people have as they wander through the lush environment, explore amazing caves and tombs and fight massive dragons. The snow scenes are so believable they’ll keep you cool on the warmest days. With over a hundred hours of game play this is one massively creative game.

Ninja News!

Laura Bambrey at The Daily Dodo has a new book on Amazon - 100 Blog Prompts! Those of you still looking for A to Z posts might find some ideas…

Rachel Morgan’s next book, Labyrinth, is now available. Congratulations, Rachel!

And don’t forget the Insecure Writer’s Support Group post is tomorrow! Find a creative way to work it into your post. (Yes, another challenge!)

Do you know Ella and Robyn? A Skyrim junkie? Addicted to any kind of games? (Hey, I know some of you play Farmville!) Ready for the IWSG tomorrow? And who do you know who is really creative?