News to the Page, Goodbye Dear Tina, Movie Trivia Answers, and Ninja News

I have the awesome Julie Musil here today!

I also have a special tribute to a dear blogger buddy who is no longer with us…

From the News to the Page

I remember the moment when inspiration struck for my latest YA release, The Summer of Crossing Lines. I was watching the local Los Angeles news. A small white pickup truck led police on a high speed chase, and by the end of the chase, two teens were splayed out on the freeway. Spotlights shone down on them as cops moved in. A cache of weapons had been found in their truck.

My writer brain went into overdrive. That news event became a major scene in my book.

How can authors steal “ripped from the headlines” events and make them story-worthy? Try asking these questions:

Who are these people?
How old are they?
Where did they get those weapons/bruises/ratty shoes/extra children?
What led them to that point in their lives?
What happens next?

Once we’ve brainstormed intriguing answers to these questions, we can take a regular news article and build an entire story around it. If you’re watching a crazy news event you may first wonder, Who in the heck would do that? and then you could think, My character, that’s who.

Have you ever based a story on a real-life news event? Which one? Did you add it to the beginning, middle or ending of your book?

Julie Musil writes from her rural home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and three sons. She’s an obsessive reader who loves stories that grab the heart and won’t let go. Her YA novels The Summer of Crossing Lines and The Boy Who Loved Fire are available now. For more information, or to stop by and say Hi, please visit Julie on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.
Find The Summer of Crossing Lines on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.

Ninja News

Today’s Themes that Rocked the Challenge features Rhonda Albom who posted AmaZing Photos from around the world. Check it out at the A to Z Blog.

Found a cool site called Book Goodies and already have CassaStorm listed. (Still need to fill out the interview.) But I think it’s something a lot of you guys could benefit from using, so check it out.

Michael Di Gesu is putting together an anthology to benefit Melissa Bradley and Gilda's Club Chicago, an organization that helps women fight cancer. See his site for details. You can also click on the big button in my right sidebar to donate directly to Melissa.

Out now in print and eBook – A Sawmill’s Hope by David Silexare

Sean McLachlan got to attend the seventy-second world science fiction convention, WorldCon. He shared this photo and you can see many more and read about WorldCon in his article at Blackgate.

Out now – The Real Thing by Cassie Mae

80’s Trivia Answers

1 – What city did the LA Clippers move from in 1984? San Diego
2 – This band’s debut single was Goodbye to You. Scandal
3 – This famous actor played Chris in the soap opera Another World. Brad Pitt
4 – This MLB manager managed a National League (Phillies) and an American League (Indians) team in the same season. Pat Corrales
5 – Robert De Niro said the line ‘Sarrano’s got the disks’ in what movie? Midnight Run
6 – Comedian Sam Kinison released a remake of what Trogg’s song? Wild Thing

Goodbye Dear Friend

Many of you saw this on Sunday – we lost a very dear member of the blogging community on Saturday, Tina Downey. She was a huge part of the A to Z Challenge Team and her blog was called Life is Good because she really believed it. Tina experienced some health challenges this year - you can read what happened at her blog.

What I want to share isn’t what Tina did or even who she was to everyone online. Many of you knew her and realized how much she touched the lives of others. She leaves behind kids and a husband, and I can't imagine the pain they are enduring. I could not go on without my wife. But that's not what I want to share.

What I want to share is what Tina meant to me.

Tina was more than a friend. She was like a sister. She was the rock of stability. Within the A to Z Team, I always said Tina was the one who held us together. Which is why it’s so hard to think that glue is gone. Her wit and whimsy are silent. Never again will I get a long, snarky, no-holds-barred email from Tina, one that makes me chuckle for hours afterwards. Right now it feels like a really deep void. I’ve lost blogger buddies in the past, but this time is the worst.

I’ll make it no secret I loved and adored Tina, and I shed tears for her and her family this weekend. She told me once that I was as real to her if not more so than any real-world friend, and I felt the same way about her. If I had to count the blogger friends on one hand whom I trusted as the dearest friends on earth, Tina would've been one of those people.

I know you’re with the Lord now, Tina, but I am really, really going to miss you. I hope your family leaves your blog in place so we can continue to enjoy the wonderful stories you shared over the years. I promise to keep giving my all to the A to Z Team, although I am certainly no super glue. Not like Super Tina.

You’ll always rock, Tina. And we’ll meet again one day.




Have you based a story on real life events? Can you contribute to the cancer anthology? Get any of the trivia right? Did you know Tina? Feel free to share your thoughts here...

Due to Labor Day, I won’t be posting again until September 3 for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I hope you’ll stop by then, as we have an incredible announcement for our three year anniversary.

Melissa Bradley’s Favorite Lady Badasses, CassaStorm Winners, Friday Night Alibi, and Ninja News

Special treat for you today! Melissa Bradley is here to share her favorite bad ass ladies, and this Ninja highly approves of her choices!

My Fave Lady Badasses

"Thanks Captain, for letting me take over your ninja fortress for a little bit. Yes, I promise I'll be brief.Wait, what's that? Watch out for Mini Alex. Okay." Smiles and nods as Alex walks away, then looks around quickly for any sign of the little guy.

"Alright, coast clear. Now where was I? Oh yeah, I love strong women, love to read about them, love to watch them in the movies and of course, love to write about them. Growing up I was caught between the women's equality movement and old school, conservative relatives who wanted to me to start planning my wedding my junior year of high school. It was my dad who first introduced me to badass women. He took me to see movies like Alien and Star Wars and talked about his admiration for Ellen and for Princess Leia as leaders.

Anyway without further ado, here are my fave badass ladies of the movies

Ellen Ripley (The Alien films)
She was the first woman I ever saw in a command position on a space ship, going toe to toe with her mostly male crew, but also a nine-foot acid for blood alien. She wielded a flame-thrower and a pulse rifle with skill and I was dazzled.

Selene (Underworld)
Female vampires had always been slinky, slutty characters relegated to the background, but here was a badass who wielded guns, blades and had mad hand to hand skills. What is not to love?

Alice (Resident Evil)
Growing up, it was the guys who always racked up the zombie kills and the ladies only got one in on occasion and usually because the guys were not around or already dead. Here was a woman highly skilled in hand to hand and any other weaponry you could think of. She took charge of the situation and waded in to kill every ghoul in the room.

Zoe Washburne (Serenity, Firefly)
Zoe is in a whole class by herself. Second in command of a squad of rebel soldiers, then a crew of smugglers, she is one of my fave characters of all time. She is brilliant in hand to hand, but nothing compares to her skills with firearms and her uncanny ability to assess a situation and size up the odds.

I have lots more, but I don't want the Captain to cut me off using one of his ninja techniques. Besides I think I hear those little feet and I am such a klutz, I don't want to fall on the poor fellow. But before I go, I love to hear from people so feel free to drop by my blog, Melissa's Imaginarium anytime. Or hit me up onTwitter or Facebook.

About Melissa:
She grew up on the Southeast Side of Chicago, a land steel mills and churches right at the bottom of Lake Michigan. It's not found on many maps, but it shaped her passion for writing and storytelling. When she's not writing or working her day job, Melissa can be found at the library or parked in front of her TV indulging her other big passion, movies.

Her latest books: NATHAN'S ANGEL and BYZANTINE PROVOCATEUR

Thanks, Melissa – you rock!

Ninja News

Voting is open at Michelle’s BLOG for favorite funny A to Z Challenge definitions. Prizes are involved, so check it out.

Annie Walls is hosting the May Monster Madness next week. “How does May Monster Madness work? Well, it's a blog hop featuring posts about monsters! Anything you can think of as long as it has something to do with monsters... crafts, lists, movies, funnies (a personal favorite)... anything!”

The A to Z Challenge Reflections list will be open through Friday. Remember, it’s not a sign up! Add the link to your Reflections post after you have posted. (Sorry, we had to delete a few who signed up but hadn’t posted yet.)

The Best/Worst Movie Remakes Blogfest is a week from Friday – don’t miss it!

My review of Iron Man III (it was good!) will be up on Wednesday, along with a review of what I saw Friday night. (And yes, it was even better.)

Cover Reveal – Friday Night Alibi

Friday Night Alibi
By Cassie Mae
Available July 29, 2013

Rising star Cassie Mae introduces New Adult readers to a practical soon-to-be college freshman who seems to have everything—until a special guy shows her what she’s been missing.

In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation…

“Totally entertaining with as many swoon-worthy moments as hilarious ones, Friday Night Alibi is a must-read.”—Jolene Perry, co-author of Out of Play

“A fun, funny, and fantastic story, this is one you will read in a day, and pick up to re-read again the next.”—Kelley Lynn, author of Fraction of Stone

Pre-order Friday Night Alibi: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, and Random House

Challenge Winners of CassaStorm

Thanks to everyone who left a comment last month. (All 4100+ of you!) Random.org selected the following winners of a review copy of CassaStorm:

Jemi Fraser

Mark Koopmans

Congratulations you two!

Following the awesome Melissa? Who would make your list of badass ladies? Signed up for the blogfests? Excited to pick up Cassie’s book in July? And who else saw Iron Man III this weekend…?

Epic Ninja News and the YOU ROCK! Award

Did you miss me Wednesday? I'm taking a few days off here and there to work on my next book. (And heads up – I won’t be posting on Monday either.)

Today I have an interview/review over at Michael Pierce Books. Michael is the author of Provex City and I’m honored to have a guest spot at his blog today.

Epic Ninja News!

Ciara Knight is revealing the cover art for her next book today – Weighted! And you can add it to your Goodreads shelf now. Congratulations, Ciara!

Weighted is a young adult post-apocalyptic with paranormal elements. It is a prequel novelette to The Neumarian Chronicles, and will be released August 2012. Book I, Escapement, will be released in 2013.

Blurb: The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

Michael Malone’s new book, Blood Tears, comes out in paperback on June 6, but it is available as an eBook now. Congratulations, Michael! Visit his site, May Contain Nuts, for the links.

“Lady Gwen” Gardner tipped me off about this opportunity - Sharon Bayliss just signed a publishing contract with Curiosity Quills Press, and she’s having an Editor-Judged query contest (May 25-28) with a chance at a publishing contract for the winner. Go visit her site HERE to sign up. Thanks, Gwen!

Alex’s YOU ROCK! Award

Every year, I give out the YOU ROCK! Award to up to five blogger buddies. These are people who have become very special to me and been supportive friends beyond the call of duty. Past recipients include: Jeffrey Beesler at World of the Scribe, Gail at Familiar Spirits, Rusty Webb at The Blutonian Death Egg, Chuck at Apocalypse Now, George at CineMarvellous, Lee at Tossing it Out, Yvonne Lewis at Welcome to my World of Poetry, RaShelle Workman at A No. 2 Pencil Stat, and Hannah (who sadly no longer blogs) at Musings of a Palindrome.

I know SO many awesome people online that it was nearly impossible to narrow it down to five. I could give this to a hundred bloggers. So I cheated and picked seven! This year’s YOU ROCK! recipients are:

Matthew at The QQQE
I met Matthew around two years ago and at once identified with his attitude and demeanor. Can’t think of many others who are as supportive, honest, and genuine as Matthew. You think I am a commenting and networking Ninja, but my inspiration came from this man. And after working with him on a couple blogfests and the Challenge, I know he is for real. Maybe one day we’ll meet. Until then – thanks, Matthew. You the man! And you rock!

Old Kitty at Ten Lives and Second Chances
They say there are no guarantees in life, but that’s only because they haven’t met Kitty! She is one of the most consistent, stable, and faithful bloggers I know. And her comments are guaranteed to make me laugh every time! After two years of her positive, spirited presence, I don’t know what I would do without her. And Charlie. Kitty, you are a total doll and the brightest spot in the blogging world. You rock!

Ella at Ella’s Edge 
I met Ella during the first Challenge and she is the most thoughtful person I know. Her creativity knows no bounds and I watch it unfold on her blog with awe. Ella’s words flow like a peaceful stream and helped me develop an appreciation for poetry. Even more, she is a devoted friend who exchanges meaningful comments and observations. (Meaningful on her part – I probably just sound lame.) Despite the vast differences in our blogs, there is much about Ella to which I can relate. Ella, you rock on every level!

M. Pax at Wistful Nebulae
Mary is one of those people who flies just under the radar sometimes. But she is always THERE. In fact, I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t there! Mary has so many unique interests and she’s involved on every level, which I really admire. We share a lot of science fiction and geek interests, so I know hanging out with her in person would be a damn good time. She’s a gifted writer, excellent photographer, and special friend. Mary, you rock!

Roland Yeomans at Writing in the Crosshairs
I’ve followed Roland’s blog for a long time although at first I felt too inadequate to leave an intelligent comment. (Still feel like that but I comment anyway. I’m sure I amuse him.) Roland has a deeper understanding of the world than most and an appreciation for the human spirit in all its complexities. He truly paints with words. I am honored to have a friendship with this wise and devoted person. Roland, you rock!

Melissa Bradley at Melissa’s Imaginarium
I’ve come to know Melissa through a mutual admiration of all things geek. (And just where were all you cool geek girls when I was in school?) She’s a talented author, movie expert, and strong woman who knows where she’s going in life. Her friendship is unwavering and she goes to great lengths to support those dear to her heart. It’s easy to think of her as just one of the guys, but Melissa is a true lady. My dear, you rock!

Jeremy Hawkins at Retro Zombie
Last but not least, we have Jeremy. This guy is uber-cool on so many levels. Visiting his site, you might think he’s quirky, but Jeremy is the sanity in the midst of insanity. He is the voice of reason, colored by that awesome wit of his. A talented author and artist, Jeremy is beyond generous and willing to do anything to help another person. I appreciate his sincerity, his honesty, and his always positive attitude. Jeremy, you rock!

Whoa! Excited about Ciara’s next book? Plan to pick up Michael’s book or enter the query contest? Following those seven bloggers who ROCK? Seeing Men in Black III this weekend? Any other Memorial Day Weekend plans? Don’t forget to visit Michael Pierce Books. And have an awesome weekend!

ADVENTUROUS - A to Z Challenge

Today kicks off the A to Z Challenge! Blog the letters of the alphabet in order every day except Sundays (and not counting today.) 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.

ADVENTUROUS

Melissa Bradley at Melissa’s Imaginarium

Now who could be more adventurous than Melissa? She’s not afraid to run with the geek boys when it comes to movies and music. She’s as much a fanboy as any many I know. She also writes erotica – now that is adventurous! Don’t let her wild nature fool you, though – she’s down to earth and a devoted friend. Hang with Melissa for a while and you’ll catch her adventurous and very genuine spirit!

Rango

Gore Verbinski directing a computer animated film. One that’s quirky and odd. One that pushes the envelope in computer animation. With Johnny Depp! It doesn’t get more adventurous than that. The animation is eye-popping and the story of a lizard in search of who he is and where he fits in to the grand scheme of life is heavy and funny. Obviously the risk paid off – Rango won Best Animated Film at the Oscars this year. And deservedly so!

Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls

Big props to Seventh Wonder who created a masterful work about a man trapped in the town of Mercy Falls, a place that only exists in his comatose mind. This is an amazing work of progressive rock musicianship.

Ninja News 

Amy Lundermans’s new book, The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon, is free on Amazon through today!

Charity Bradford wrote a really awesome review of CassaFire last week. Thanks, Charity!


Are you following Melissa? See the movie Rango? Even know Seventh Wonder? (Big props to those of you who do!) And who or what would you say is ADVENTUROUS…?

Major Ninja News!

No, the Ninja Captain has not changed rank – I just have a lot of cool stuff for you guys today.

First, I have the honor of a guest post at Melissa’s Imaginarium! Melissa is awesome in every way possible, so please visit her. And Thursday is her birthday!

The Debutante Ball: Feast of Debut Authors continues! December 13 was Regan Guerra, December 14 is Melissa Pearl, and December 15 is Joseph Beekman. Lots of cool things to win!

Our very own Talli Roland has a new book out – Build A Man! Yeah, I know you ladies would rather do that then deal with us… Talli is the most supportive and cutest English-Canadian you will ever meet, so go say hey!

One of my most favorite blogger buddies, Yvonne Lewis at Welcome to My World of Poetry, has a new book -“Written From the Heart” Yvonne has worked SO hard on her second book and so many things went wrong in the process. Please stop by and congratulate her and check out her book!!!

Voting is still open for The Movie 411 Awards.

The most successful author I know is Milo James Fowler at In Media Res. He’s sold dozens of short stories this year, and that is due in part to his participation in Write1Sub1:

Once upon a time, Ray Bradbury was a struggling young writer in love with the craft. He wrote a short story every week, polished it up, and submitted it to a magazine. Rejection letters flooded in, mainly due to his prolific number of submissions, but there were also acceptances along the way, and they inspired Bradbury to keep doing what he loved: telling stories as only he could.

This year, over 150 writers decided to follow in Mr. Bradbury’s footsteps by joining Write1Sub1. Some have written and submitted a new story or poem every week, and some have done so every month. So far, more than 40 participants have had their work accepted by over 100 different markets—from Twitter fiction to pro-paying, SFWA-qualifying short story markets—and we've cheered each other on every step of the way. But we've also been there to commiserate with disappointments and rejections, because that’s what Write1Sub1 is all about: community. We're dedicated to creating high-quality written works, and we're determined to submit them until they find good homes.

It's never too late to join as either a weekly or monthly participant, and Write1Sub1 RELOADED is only a few weeks away: 1/1/2012!

David Powers King co-founded Ink Pageant, a parade of blog posts for writers!

We want to help writers improve their craft and reach their goals.
We're not alone. There are scads of authors and aspiring writers out there willing to help each other, and they're willing to share advice through their blogs. We want to help bring it to you and make it easy to find.
Ink Pageant has a few other purposes. You can share recommended reading or sell your books through your profile page; announce book signings, conferences, and other events; and share movie or book reviews. Most importantly, posts you submit can be put in front of an interested audience, benefitting them and bringing your blog a little extra traffic.
Right now their December giveaway is an in-depth 10 page critique from Eschler Editing – check it out HERE

See some good books? Ready to tackle Write1Sub1? Join Ink Pageant? Head about to explode from all the news? Now, go visit Melissa’s Imaginarium!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

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.

 
So many good things have happened in the last year. My first book’s release and eventual rise on Amazon’s Best Seller chart. The scheduled release of my second book next February. Over a thousand blog followers. The success of the IWSG.

Will all of that change me? Will I have to change who I am if that success is to continue?

I’ve tried to remain humble. After all, I’m still just Alex. I’m an average writer with a movie, music, and science fiction obsession. I’ve done nothing really special. I’ve just been me.

And I want to continue being me. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I wasn’t true to myself. I certainly wouldn’t be here if not for my friends and fans! For you, I want to remain true. I want this blog to stay the same – an informative celebration of your achievements. It’s your growth and success that fuels the fire.

So, here’s hoping I’ll remain just Alex!

I do want to mention that The Movie 411 Awards is now open for voting!!! I’m up for two awards, Best Science Fiction Blog and Best Post for the Worst Movies Ever Blogfest. (Remember that blogfest? And the voting is really close for that award.)
But I really want my Ninja Army to support my blogger buddies who are also nominated:
Cinemarvellous! nominated for Best Design, Best Gossip, and the Gold Award. Nebular is such an awesome friend and he runs a top-notch movie site.
iZombie! is nominate for Best Horror. You may remember Jeremy when I featured his book, Chatterbox.
Melissa at Melissa’s Imaginarium is up for Sexiest Female. Melissa’s had so many challenges lately – she really needs a big win.
MsMariah’s Space Blog-yssey is up for Best Newcomer.
And A Life in Equinox is up for Best Action.
If you haven’t voted yet, please go vote for my awesome movie buddies!

And Friday I have a special guest, one of my very best blogging buddies in the world...

Now, what’s your insecurity today?

Reflections, Explanations, and Congratulations

Once again, a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Pay it Forward blogfest!

There were so many comments and emails of thanks. Many of you found new blogger buddies, which was cool. The list is still posted (less those who didn’t participate and ad sites) so feel free to keep exploring. Like the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, many of you connected.

Special thanks to those who visited Edi and Eve and blew their minds! I appreciate that.

And a huge thanks to my co-host Matthew! The Pay it Forward blogfest was his idea, and a damned good one at that. So, if for some odd reason you’ve never visited Matthew’s site, The QQQE, then you need to jump over there and tell him thanks.

For those of you new to my blog, let me explain. Wait, there is too much – let me sum up!

I am Ninja Captain Alex. Yes, I am an author. My second book comes out next February. I don’t talk much about writing here though. (You really don’t want writing tips from me anyway.) My focus is movies, music, books, games, some tech toys, blogfests, and promoting my blogger buddies. However, I do host the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which posts the first Wednesday of every month – feel free to join us. And do not let the amount of blog followers scare you. I really try to visit and support everyone who visits me.

And yes, I’m almost to a thousand followers. Be nice to hit that number by Wednesday when I have a really special post planned.

Now, some congratulations are in order!

Milo James Fowler at In Media Res just had a short story released by Mindflights - I Am FanFare. And I want to mention it for two reasons – it took Milo many tries to achieve success with this short story, and he deserves recognition for his accomplishments as a short story writer. It just blows my mind!

Next big shout-out is for Melissa Bradley at Melissa’s Imaginarium - her book, Nathan’s Angel, was released yesterday! Way to go, Melissa! (She is just one of the coolest geek chicks I have ever met.)


So, did everyone have a good time with the blogfest? What was the coolest new blog you discovered? Any questions for the Ninja Captain? Anyone still creeped out by Chewbacca’s picture last Friday…?

Hope you’ll return on Wednesday. Like I said, special day.

Casting a Darkspell

Thanks again to Melissa for Friday’s post on books to movies – she really churned up the discussion. And don’t forget – season premier of Eureka and Warehouse 13, and series premier of Alphas on the SyFy Channel. I know where I’ll be for three hours…

But today it’s all about Elizabeth Mueller! One of my Fantastic Friday Writers buddies. she can best be described as joyful, spiritually grounded, generous, and just so beautiful. Her very first book, Darkspell, comes out this fall from TreasureLine Books. And I know it will rock because the hero’s name is Alex!

Enough Ninja chatter – here’s Elizabeth:

So, which came first? My children, or my writing?

I’m a stay-at-home mom with four lively kids. There’s never a boring second. The house unravels the time they awaken—it’s nonstop fighting, whining, and messing. Aside from the headaches, I’ve learned so much from them. Patience, joy, love, and lots of humility.

So, what about my writing?

It has always been a part of my life. It was easy enough before kids, but when they started pouring in, I had to create time. I wrote right after I tucked them in, and pushed late into the mornings. I’ve actually completed 8 books of squeezing time!

Just 4 years ago, I decided to take my writing a step further. Publishing! I attended writers conferences, learned the rules, joined critique groups, critiqued for others, query writing and submitting. Needless to say, I’ve felt the sting of rejections. Ouch!

Guess what? It was not until late March of this year that I decided to take another chance and submit one of my novels.

Darkspell was accepted by TreasureLine Books! I was SO not expecting my book to be picked up. After 20 years of writing, I’ve finally reached my aspirations! So much to the point that I didn’t know what to do, like the car-chasing dog that has finally caught one.

About my book: Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

Darkspell is a YA Paranormal Romance, coming fall of 2011!

I wrote this book before I met Alex Cavanaugh—the names are purely coincidental.

Hey, Alex, thank you SO much for having me over, it was fun visiting your blog! (As always…)

Please drop by and say hi! You can find me over at my blog. Check on my bookly updates on my website. (An visiting MS Hatch at Unicorn Bell on July 12.)

Please join me in my celebration for Darkspell’s fall release all July long! A pre-booklaunch party if you will. Click HERE for details.

What is your writing journey like?

Movie-Addicted Writers Unite!

I have something awesome planned for you today! But first, thanks to everyone for your awesome comments regarding my next book. I was really overwhelmed!

Now I know you often wonder “Why does this writer blather on about movies all the time?” There is a connection! And to prove it, I have invited the awesome Melissa Bradley from Melissa’s Imaginarium to share her thoughts on the matter. Get ‘em, Melissa!

Books and Their Movie Counterparts: The Good, The Bad and The What Have They Done

Books and movies are two of my favorite things. I became a writer partly because of films that inspired me. They are integral part of our culture and let’s face it, when they do bring a novel to the big screen, it makes the writer me go “Yes!” There are some really great films born of novels. The Godfather, Gone With The Wind, To Kill A Mockingbird, Precious and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

On the other hand, there are instances of books into film that give me nightmares. These are the films that seem to have taken the novel source material, chucked it and merely used the name. They leave you scratching your head and wanting your money back. The director maniacally twists and turns the plot and the characters in his own image until it is almost unrecognizable from the book. Random Hearts comes to mind. They eliminated half the plot, changed the careers of the two leads and altered the very incident that brought them together. I wonder why they even bothered saying it was based on the novel? Legal action probably. And with novels from long dead authors it’s even worse. The last incarnation of Pride and Prejudice replaced Mr. Darcy with Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights and turned Elizabeth into a raging brat while giving her dialogue from other characters. I sat through both of these films going “What have they done?”

I tell you, sometimes what Hollywood does to a novel is beyond me. And it goes beyond the film treatment, it even permeates the very promotion of the movie itself. Remember back in the 90’s when Wynona Ryder and Susan Sarandon starred in Little Women? Some marketing genius got it into their head that Louisa May Alcott’s novel wasn’t good enough. So on book shelves everywhere appeared Little Women, the novelization of the screenplay based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. WTF? Are you kidding me? They apparently thought that reading the actual novel would either not be cool or that we were too dumb to read the original.

As a writer and fan of movies, I dream of having my novel someday turned into a screenplay, but some of this stuff gives me nightmares. I can imagine them taking my werewolf and turning her into a vampire then making her a man.

Thanks, Melissa! (And crap, wouldn't that be scary?) Check out her really cool site, Melissa’s Imaginarium.

Now, who’s ready for a movie?