Insecure Writer’s Support Group and Anthology Winners! Plus January Movie Preview, Warcraft Review, and Ninja News

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

My awesome co-hosts today are Eva @ Lillicasplace, Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner!

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

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

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

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

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

Tyrean Martinson – Of Words and Swords

L. Nahay – Breath Between Seconds

Roland Yeomans - Sometimes They Come Back

Elizabeth Seckman - Mind Body Soul

Olga Godim - Captain Bulat

Ellen Jacobson - The Silvering

Erika Beebe - The Wheat Witch

Yvonne Ventresca – The Art of Remaining Bitter

Sean McLachlan - The Witch Bottle

Sarah Foster - The Last Dragon

Renee Cheung - Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight

And the grand prize winner:

Jen Stanton Chandler - The Mysteries of Death and Life

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

Movie Review – Warcraft

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

Ninja News

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

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

New Releases:

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

Sold by J.L. Campbell
Find it on Amazon

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

January Movie Preview

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

6 –

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

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





13 –

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




20 –

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




27 –

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

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

Zombie Influences with Loni Townsend, Ninja Plays Marillion’s Easter, WhatAreTheKargrandes, Predestination Movie Review, and Ninja News

Rocking into Mordor today! But first…

I am excited to welcome author Loni Townsend as she talks about zombies. And her list of zombie influences rocks!

First off, a big thanks to Alex for letting me on his blog today.

In This World Bites, Michael gets bitten by a zombie. So naturally, I should be able to come up with my top ten zombie movies, right? Turns out that I haven't actually seen ten zombie movies. But I've compiled a list of media that impacted me in some way while writing This World Bites.

10. The Grudge - The image of the babysitter wandering down the street with a missing jaw is forever engrained in my mind.
9. Warm Bodies - Who doesn't love a love story?
8. Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides - It's on Wikipedia, so it must count, right?
7. Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Alright, so they aren't zombies...
6. Serentity - My friend assures the Reavers count as zombies
5. Video Game: Left 4 Dead - Fighting off zombie hordes with friends? Sounds like a good time.
4. The Mummy - Zombie bugs!
3. Game: Plants vs. Zombies - BRAINS!!
2. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night - Yes, it's cheesy, but his sidekick, Marcus, played a lot into my imagination
1. Zombieland - By far, my most favorite zombie movie of all time.

My friend insists I must watch the Resident Evil movies. Do you have any other suggestions for me?

Loni Townsend
Wife. Mother. Writer. Ninja. Squirrel.
Find her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Goodreads.

What Are the Kargrandes?

Thanks to everyone who spread the word about the special site for Dragon of the Stars, What Are the Kargrandes?

Remember that there is a new clue and piece of the puzzle every Monday morning up until release day. So, check it out today!

Several of you asked about pre-written Tweets. Yes, something I should’ve done last week! Below are a couple you can use and save – adjust as necessary. Thanks!

What are the Kargrandes? New clue every Monday! http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

Solve the mystery – what are the Kargrandes? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

Rocking Into Mordor

The moment you’ve all been waiting for – I have one minute of me playing Marillion’s Easter. I wanted to pick a more complicated song than what my band plays and it took me many tries to get it right. Here you go – listen to it while you read the rest of the post! (Or watch on You Tube)

Movie Review

Predestination

Staring Ethan Hawke as a time-traveling Temporal Agent. His final assignment involves tracking down a criminal and bringing in a new recruit.

Where to begin? This movie is a total mind-mess. Think Memento and Looper. I can’t tell you much about the film without giving it away, and you need to discover the twists and turns for yourself.

It’s a quiet, slower-paced film. Reviews online are mixed, so it’s either a love it or hate it kind of film.

Ethan Hawke and the other leads do a fine job in their roles.

You want a film that will make you think, and possibly blow your mind, this is it.

Recommended!

Ninja News

Roland Yeomans has a new site - Return of the Last Shaman. If you’re into weird occurrences in the natural world, he offers some cool stuff.

Lisa at Flash Fiction posted her Annual List Of Possible Topics For the #AtoZChallenge. If you’re still searching for a topic, check out her suggestions.

Found a new website - Indie-Visible

We define “Indies” as those authors who independently publish books with skillful handling of all phases of the writing and publishing process. Our PubHub is where Indies can access expert advice and trustworthy freelancers, and ultimately build their dream teams to help them write, edit, proof, publish and market high quality books.

Thanks to Leandra J. Wallace for the tip!

New releases!

52 Likes by Medeia Sharif

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

The Anime Way by Nigel Mitchell

The next book in the TOONS series.

Find it on Amazon

 

What zombie things have influenced you? What are the Kargrandes – any clues yet? Have you seen Predestination? Need some topic ideas for the A to Z Challenge? And now you’ve finally heard me play – what did you think?

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RiffTrax – Godzilla, 80’s Trivia, Women’s Bodies, Monuments Men Review, and Ninja News

RiffTrax!

I hit the road Thursday night to see a live broadcast of the RiffTrax guys tackling 1998’s Godzilla. And as always, it was worth it!

It’s not a truly awful film, but it was incredibly cheesy. Some of the effects don’t hold up well, either. And no, that was definitely NOT Godzilla. (Although the babies did look a lot like velociraptors.)

If you’re a fan of RiffTrax (or Mystery Science Theater 3000) it’s a lot of fun going to see one of these films on the big screen. They do a live performance at one theater and broadcast it to many others across the US. Being surrounded by other fans while Mike, Kevin, and Bill make fun of the film is an incredible experience.

They also show slides before it begins – enjoy!

Ninja News

This Wednesday at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group site is the amazing Angela Ackerman! You don’t want to miss it.

Author Sean McLachlan is having a sale – on August 18-19, Radio Hope will be only $2.99 on Amazon and Scavengers is free August 18 at Amazon.

Check out the book trailer for Loni Townsend’s 38 Seconds at her site!

Snatched in Gullybrook by Kim Van Sickler is out now.

Fight the Beard of White by Pat Hatt is available.

Milo James Fowler’s latest short science fiction story is out, Memory Lane. You can purchase it on Amazon OR to get a free copy, sign up for his newsletter, The Crew.

Next Ninja blogfest – Underrated Treasures Blogfest
On Monday, September 22, post about your favorite unknown –
MOVIE – BAND/ARTIST – TV SHOW – BOOK
Post about one or all four – dealer’s choice!
Sign up HERE


Last Monday was Father Dragon Al’s birthday! I’d volunteered to go pillage and plunder with him, but there were stipulations…

Women’s Bodies

Stephanie Faris posted about the trend in a women’s body image, which included skinny ankles and the thighs not touching. After I left my comment (where I stated I preferred healthy curves) the truth of the matter hit me.

Men don’t care!

We don’t care if your thighs touch. We aren’t measuring ankles. Yes, looks are what attracts us to a woman, but it’s more about does she have a pretty face and some nice shapely curves. And after that, is she a nice person and fun to be around. (Because if not, that negates the physical stuff.)

So ignore the media, ladies. We don’t care.

Hope that clears things up.

Movie Review

The Monuments Men
A group is tasked with rescuing stolen artwork from the Nazis during World War II.
An interesting aspect of history, although don’t go expecting historical accuracy.
The plot was all right, although non-existent at times, and the pacing occasionally glacial. There were some good and funny scenes, just nothing coalescent enough to make a great movie.
See it for the cast, because they got some great actors for the roles.
Worth a NetFlix rental.

Trivia Time!

80’s trivia – enjoy!

1 – What city did the LA Clippers move from in 1984?

2 – This band’s debut single was Goodbye to You.

3 – This now famous actor played Chris in the soap opera Another World.

4 – This MLB manager managed a National League (Phillies) and an American League (Indians) team in the same season.

5 – Robert De Niro said the line ‘Sarrano’s got the disks’ in what movie?

6 – Comedian Sam Kinison released a remake of what Trogg’s song?

Answers next Monday!

Anyone else seen a RiffTrax movie in the theater? Picking up new books? Signed up for the blogfest? Seen The Monuments Men? Know any of the trivia? And what’s your thoughts on women’s bodies? (Please keep it PG13) 

I also updated my blogroll - if you're a regular here and don't see your blog listed, please let me know.

Retro A to Z Challenge: T – Terminator II 1991 (plus some Awesome Challenge Themes)

Terminator II: Judgment Day – 1991

Released seven years after the first movie, this sequel was bigger than life. It was the first movie to cost over $100,000 million to make, and the budget showed in its amazing special effects, most notably the T-1000 made of liquid metal. Ground breaking effects snagged four Oscars for this film. Hasta la vista, baby!

1991 fun facts –
*Cost of a new house - $120,000.
*Average income - $29,430.
*Cost of gas - $1.12
*The Soviet Union ceased to exist when Gorbachev resigned
*The Internet was made available for unrestricted commercial use. At that time, one million computers were online

Movies released –
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Silence of the Lambs
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey
City Slickers
Backdraft

Music released –
Nirvana – Nevermind (launching the Grunge era)
Dangerous Toys – Hellacious Acres
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Use Your Illusion 1 & 2

Games released –
Sonic the Hedgehog
Neverwinter Nights

And why is 1991 special?
It’s the year Edi married his wife, his daughter was born, he got a new job, and they moved to a new home!

Edi was the first book blogger I found online, and since then has become devoted friend and fan. If I ever venture to Germany, we are definitely sitting down over a brew and discussing books and movies! Edi reports on books, films, and interesting things around the web every weekend, and what he finds is often amazing. One of my best friends and an awesome guy. Edi blogs at Edi’s Book Lighthouse.

Great A to Z Challenge Themes

We’ve less than a week to go, and I’m sure you’ve all been following bloggers with some really great themes. I will be highlighting some of these themes this coming year at the A to Z Challenge Blog. (So let me know if there’s someone I must feature.) Some themes that have worked really well, and the ones below might give you ideas for next year.

Unique locations
Lexa Cain has been posting about haunted places and Andrew Leon has been posting about abandoned locations. Coupled with photos and facts, both have been fascinating.

Blogging about one’s book
This one is tricky, because it could come off as really promotional. Plus it might cater mostly to fans or be a book someone doesn’t want to read. However, Julie Flanders has done an outstanding job, as she’s focused on the location of her book, Martha’s Vineyard. Several others are also doing a similar style theme.

Excerpts
Another tricky topic, as it might not catch those who don’t start from the beginning. Quite a few of you have been blogging really great excerpts though! I’ll just give two examples. Loni Townsend has posted snippets from a serial, Murder Most Fowl, and her voice and sense of humor have made these a great read. Equally riveting has been CM Brown’s short teasers from her upcoming title, Forces of Mist.

And I’m sure you’ve found many more awesome themes!

Fan of Terminator II? Following the amazing Edi? What themes have you seen that were interesting and made you come back for more? And what do you remember best about 1991…?