Insecure Writer’s Support Group, October Movie Releases, Romulan Ale, Friends to the End, and New Books

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 for the October 6 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, J Lenni Dorner, Cathrina Constantine, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Mary Aalgaard!

Today’s question: In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?

I’ve two guests today, so I’ll keep it brief. I won’t write something I’d be afraid to show my pastor.

Romulan Ale and Beverages in Science Fiction

If you enjoy science fiction movies and books, you might have noticed a tendency for writers to give a unique twist to beverages and food. Romulan ale, the famed blue alcoholic beverage from the Star Trek universe was first introduced in the original Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn.

"Romulan ale? Why Bones, you know this is illegal."
"I only use it for medicinal purposes."
– James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy, 2285 (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

In the prime/first reality of the Star Trek universe, Romulan ale was illegal because of a trade embargo. Later in that universe, the embargo is lifted at the Romulan-Federation Alliance during the Dominion war, and the drink is brought out as part of the celebration. It turns out most officers sampled it before it was ever legalized (wink, wink).

In the new, alternate reality of Star Trek Beyond, Romulan ale isn’t illegal and is enjoyed by Montgomery Scott at James T. Kirk’s birthday party.

Romulan ale is a perfect example of creating authentic world-building from the embargo to the illegal sampling to the use of it in the alternative universe.

In The Rayatana Series, “awak” is like a mixture of coffee and tea with similar properties. I created awak as a YA-friendly homage to all the other science fiction beverages out there in the books and movies I love.


Nexus: The Rayatana Book 2 by Tyrean Martinson
Young Adult - Science Fiction/Adventure/Sweet Romance
Amaya is supposed to bring peace to the galaxy. Which is tough when she’s being held for crimes against the Neutral Zone. Her imprisonment is on her own ship with her own crew. But close quarters create tension.
Honestly, her role as Rayatana is a mess.
She may never get to use her powers for anything good. Not if her teacher continues to keep secrets, and not if her powers keep harming others. Putting her mother in a coma should put her in prison, but she has a mission. She wants to bring peace to her people. She needs to become the Rayatana.
Book Links: Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, Goodreads, and BookBub

Friends to the End

What better way to enter October than with a ghost story?

The fictional town in Friends to the End is loosely based on stories I’d heard as a teenager. Tucked between the homes of what would otherwise be a peaceful rural road is the second most haunted cemetery in Illinois. I passed this road everyday as the bus took me to school. I’d heard the stories of apparitions floating above graves or walking down the road. And I drew inspiration from them to weave together a chilling adventure I hope will entertain children and adults alike.

Friends to the End by CL Colver (website - blog)
Middle-grade, Ghosts, Action-Adventure
Zach doesn’t believe in ghosts…but he should.
Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he'll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach's concerned, it's his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.
When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach's not worried. He doesn't believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what's real and what's not.
Buy links: Universal Buy Link, Amzon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Goodreads

New Books

Criminal Intent by Patsy Collins
Criminals, victims and those wrongly suspected all have a story to tell. This book contains 24 of them.
Find it on Amazon

Snowflakes and Shivers by Jemima Pett
Available October 7
Fantastic beasts leave their footprints in the snow; Christmas tree fairies reflect on their lives; snowflakes discover their destiny; raccoons save Father Christmas, and some randy space cadets have the Christmas of their dreams.
Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribed, and Smashwords

October Movie Preview

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

1 –

Venom: Let There be Carnage
Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of MARVEL's greatest and most complex characters.
Director: Andy Serkis
Stars: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Stephen Graham, Michelle Williams
Because there were so many pesky, unanswered questions from the first one…

8 –

No Time to Die
James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Stars: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux
2:30 on a Tuesday might be a good time to die…

22 –

Dune
Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
No Lynch Weirdness? No overacting by Sting? I’m in!

26 –

RiffTrax Live – Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes
Visit RiffTrax for theater listings and tickets.
What’s scarier than an Amityville sequel? One that was made for television…

Where do you draw the line in writing? Would you try Romulan ale? An ghostly legends where you grew up? And what movie catches your fancy this month?

Be back on October 18 with movie reviews and more!

MST3K – The Gauntlet Review, Aquaman News, Endgame Trailer, Literary Book Gifts, New Releases, Mini-Alex, and More!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 – The Gauntlet

On Thanksgiving Day, the next season of MST3K dropped on Netflix. Turkey Day had returned!

While only six episodes, it was presented as The Gauntlet – a challenge for Jonah and the bots to sit through six movies back-to-back. (Fortunately, we managed to spread them out over three days.)

Mac and Me – 1988 film where a lost alien befriends a boy in a wheelchair. Why no, it’s not an E.T. rip-off…
The actors gave it their best, but this one suffers from a lot of nonsense (why is the alien drilling a hole in the wall?) and placing characters in mortal danger many times. Too dark for kids, too dumb for anyone over the age of eight.
However, thanks to Jonah and the bots, it has one of the best lines ever – “This film is exactly like a Pixar movie in that they both exist.”

Atlantic Rim – Exactly what it sounds like – an Asylum Films rip-off of Pacific Rim.
The robots are almost passable, but the monster is beyond horrible and the characters shallow and over-dramatic.
The folks at Asylum aren’t even trying to make a decent film. They must be stopped.

Lords of the Deep – A rip-off of The Abyss filmed in an office building.
Strange creatures surround an underwater office – I mean, research facility – while the characters do their best to be bland and boring.
Almost unwatchable if not for Jonah and the bots.

The Day Time Ended - A solar-powered desert home is visited by aliens and thrust into a time warp.
This is one of those cheap 70’s science fiction films that’s a bit of a drug-induced mind trip. Interesting idea but all over the map in story focus and effects.
You will believe a tiny alien can dance. Well, maybe not…

Killer Fish – Lee Majors, Karen Black, jewel thieves, and piranhas in this campy 70’s film.
Produced by Fawcett-Majors Productions, this was obviously a little pet project for Lee Majors. Over the top characters and a stupid title don’t help though.
According to the film, piranhas eat a hundred times their weight and never stop eating. Ever!

Ator, Fighting Eagle – Before The Blade Master/Cave Dwellers, there was Ator…
The son of Torren goes to avenge…oh, who cares? It’s a terrible Conan rip-off. Plus Ator wants to marry his sister. And there are explosions!
If spiders creep you out, don’t worry – the giant spider in this film is in no way convincing at all.

Will you survive The Gauntlet…?

Aquaman News

Early screenings of the film are coming in and people love it! Not perfect, but a lot of fun, great effects, and the second best DC film ever.
You can read some of the reviewer’s tweets at Screen Rant.

I also caught this on JoBlo:

Aquaman's Jason Momoa takes on Jimmy Fallon in trident throwing challenge.

Avengers: Endgame Trailer

The next Avengers’ movie trailer dropped last week! It doesn’t give us much, but the ending is funny. Watch it here or on YouTube.

Christmas Gifts for Writers

Literary Book Gifts is an online store devoted to showcasing unique literary designs on shirts and totes.
Authors range from Henry David Thoreau to Jane Austen.
There is truly something for every book lover in the collection.

And, as a special treat for my readers, a discount code of 20% off!
The code ALEXJCAVANAUGH20 can be entered at checkout for 20% off your order. No minimum, no expiry.
So go check out Literary Book Gifts!

New Book Releases

Beware the Jade Christmas by Roland Yeomans
Your past sins had teeth. This Christmas Eve, they bite back.
And while the Jade Christmas ghost isn’t real, the rest of the spirits in the book come from French Quarter legends!
Find it on print and eBook on Amazon

To Have & To Hold by Scarlet Knight (Melissa Maygrove)
True love is worth sacrifice.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Are We Nearly Famous? by Patsy Collins, Sheila Crosby, Rosemary Kind, and Lynne Pardoe
This collection of short stories is about journeys; literal, metaphorical and literary. Those both of the characters and the authors.
Pick it up for free at Amazon

Finding the Magic by Jack Lewis Baillot
Belle is sent to the countryside to escape the London bombings during WWII.
Find it on Amazon

Ninja News

Another great posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

It was interesting to see what everyone had in their writing areas.

The next posting is January 2 – the day after New Year’s Day. We’ll be announcing the winners of the IWSG Anthology Contest that day, so don’t miss it.

We also need co-hosts for next year – February, March, and April. All you have to do is visit twenty blogs within a section of the list. Leave a comment if you can co-host any of those months. It really is more fun on the host side…

Here are the prompts for IWSG Instagram this month:

Google+ is going away in January! If your icon, comment box, or follow widget is connected to Google+, go in and change it back to Blogger or Wordpress. Or no one will find you through your icon. Or comment on your site. (Sorry, all of your older comments will vanish...)

And finally, since so many commented that they had no idea Hot Tamales were a candy, here is Mini-Alex posing with some of my stash. They are chewy hot cinnamon bites of total delight!

Anyone else watch the new season of MST3K? Excited for Aquaman? (I think half of you commented last week that you were!) Looking for a gift for a writer? Some new books? Ready to try Hot Tamales? And can you co-host next year?

MST3K Live! Plus Hotel Transylvania 3 Review, Scary Technology, IWSG, and New Releases

MST3K Live

We’d seen the RiffTrax crew perform a live show, so when I heard the new MST3K crew was hitting the road, we had to see it. Road trip time! And it did not disappoint.

The film was Deathstalker II. A cheesy 80’s sword and sorcery movie that lacked all the blood, boobs, and carnage of the first one. (Of course, it was edited for the show, but it was still incredibly tame.) The sword fights were so slow, it was as if we were watching them in slow motion. The sets were clearly plastic. Plus it was filled with pop culture references, hairstyles, makeup, and everything else from the 80’s. Not to mention that it lifted many scenes directly from other movies. It was the perfect movie to riff.

The show was exactly like the television series. The clone of Pearl Forrester filled in for the missing mad scientists, Kinga Forrester and Max. It kicked off with an invention exchange and during breaks from the movie, there were segments with the characters.

The best was when Pearl went into the audience for a Q&A with Crow and Tom Servo. People asked the craziest questions. One woman was just days away from her wedding (and wondering if she was making the right choice) and another a college student skipping studying for finals. Crow thanked them both for ditching major life events to come see them.

The riffs were of course hilarious. So many good one line zingers that you wished you could remember afterwards.

The show continues for the next month – if they are coming to a town near you, I highly recommend you go see them.

Added bonus – the next season of MST3K will debut on NetFlix on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey Day returns!

Don’t forget to visit the souvenir stand and get a t-shirt or two!

Movie Review – Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

We didn’t see this in the theater so I indulged my wife with a rental. Because there were so many unanswered questions from the second movie…
Dracula, his family, and the whole monster clan take a vacation on a Monster Cruise Ship. This voyage spells danger though as the Van Helsing family is in charge of the ship.
This movie, like the previous two, never achieves great. But it does entertain and has some good laughs. The voice cast is impressive – all the originals return – and comedian Jim Gaffigan and icon Mel Brooks joins them.
The cruise ship gives the characters a new environment. The werewolf couple discovers a little freedom when they realize there’s a daycare on board and they dump off their fifty-plus kids. Dracula of course finds a love interest.
There’s a good message about family and friendship as well.
If you liked the first two films, you’ll enjoy this one – recommended.

New Releases

Festival Stories Through The Year by Rachna Chhabria
Releases October 25 from HarperCollins Children’s Books
Find it on Amazon

Detoured by Pat Hatt
After a battle for their family's survival, Emma and Martin decide to pack up their five kids and drive across country, each seeking the return of their normal life. Their wish quickly comes to fruition until on one dark night they are forced to take a detour. When an accident brings their trip to a halt, they quickly learn that the darkness within Follit's Cove runs deeper than any night.
Find it on Amazon

Slightly Spooky Stories II by Patsy Collins
Find it on Amazon

Bankrolled by JL Campbell
Strong-willed and independent, Bo 'Spice' Casserly will do what's necessary for her family’s well-being.
Find it on Amazon

IWSG

Thanks to those who offered - we are covered the next three months with co-hosts. If you want to volunteer for next February, let me know. Appreciate you guys!
The ever-amazing Anne R. Allen is visiting the IWSG site today! Get the low-down on critique groups.

Less than two weeks left to submit to the IWSG Anthology Contest.
Young adult romance is the genre and masquerade the theme.
Entry is free, just need to be a member of the IWSG on some level.
See the site for details.

Terrifying Technology Trends

This infographic comes courtesy of Amanda at Enlightened.

Fan of MST3K or seeing the show? Seen Hotel Transylvania 3? Picking up some new books? Any of that technology scare you? And can you co-host next year?

Due to work and a home project, I will be offline a couple days next week. So I'll just save my next post for November 7, IWSG post day. See you then!

Is Artificial Intelligence Possible? Plus RiffTrax: Live, AI Movie Trivia, SyFy’s Face Off, IWSG, and New Releases

Is Artificial Intelligence Possible?

James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction episode five covered intelligent Machines. Everything from 2001 to I, Robot. (Although when Cameron talked about the two most iconic and loved robots in cinema and Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot from MST3K were not mentioned in the episode, I was a little disappointed.)

But on the topic of artificial intelligence – will man create or will a robot develop artificial intelligence?

My answer – probably not.

The episode showed a clip from the new Westworld – the technicians showing the robot that no matter what, her thoughts and reactions were all programmed in through branch logic. And in that lies the rub – a computer cannot vary from its programming. An artificial intelligence would have to be one hundred percent free of the confines of its programming. It would have to be able to think, interact and grow beyond the shackles of ones and zeros.

I just don’t believe that is possible.

First, we’d have to create a mind equal to our own. A computer brain just as complex as our own. That obviously can’t happen because we’ve only scratched the surface of our own understanding of the mind. And for those with spiritual foundation, could we create something as amazing as God created? No, because the creator is always going to be greater than what was created. Therefore, we cannot create something equal to ourselves.

Now, animals have intelligence. But when we are talking AI, we mean intelligence on our level. Considering that, what would it take for something to truly come alive? A soul? People have souls. But nothing else does. If it took a soul, could we give it one? Again, no – only God creates souls.

So, whether relying on fact and science or faith and God, I don’t believe we will ever see true AI.

What do you think?

RiffTrax Live

This Thursday, it’s RiffTrax Live - Space Mutiny!

This summer join the guys who make movies funny -- Mike, Kevin, and Bill -- as they take on the hilariously bad sci-fi epic, Space Mutiny. Combine a wardrobe of spandex and tinfoil; a set boasting AstroTurf® and spray-painted floor buffers; and special effects that, well, aren't so special, and you've got one of the most hysterical cheeseball movies to ever come out of the '80s. Grab your friends and have a riot with this riff on the underground cult hit, guaranteed to have you in stitches.

Live in theaters across the USA on June 14 with an encore on June 19.

Face Off

SyFy’s hit show Face Off is back for its thirteenth season!

It’s another all-star cast (contestants from previous seasons who just missed being in the finale) and the artists go head-to-head this time. Each person faces off another team member as they both bring their version of a challenge/creature/prompt to life. Episode one proved that no matter what the concept, no two artists will be even remotely alike.

If you’ve never seen the show, check it out. It’s fascinating as the makeup comes together, plus the members help each other when they get in jams. (So refreshing!) And there’s sometimes a guest judge! Tuesday evenings at nine o’clock on the SyFy Channel.

IWSG 

Another great IWSG post day! Thanks to my co-hosts and fellow IWSG Admins.

The question regarding book titles or character names being more difficult sparked some great responses. (Book titles seemed to be the most difficult.) It’s also great to hear from other writers that day. For some, it might be the only day they post a month. But that’s great – it keeps them in touch with other writers and gives them a chance to share.

Don’t forget the upcoming IWSG events:

IWSG post day in July will be Tuesday, July 3 – not the first Wednesday.

The IWSG Goodreads Book Club is currently discussing Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat.

The next #IWSGPit is Thursday, July 19, 2018, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Recent Releases

Tall, Dark, and Undead by Sandra Cox
Gutsy, kick-ass Suzanne James has no intention of complicating her life by falling in love…especially with a vampire.
Find it on Amazon

The Trumpeter's New Clothes by Robyn Alana Engel
A delightfully clever modern-day spin on Hans Christian Andersen's classic children's tale, The Emperor's New Clothes.
Find it on Amazon

Just a Job by Patsy Collins
A collection of 25 short stories
Find it on Amazon

Movie Trivia

Movies featuring artificial intelligence! Name the film from the year and the star.

1 – 1982, Jeff Bridges
2 – 2014, Alicia Vikander
3 – 1982, Harrison Ford
4 – 2002, Milla Jovovich
5 – 1927, Brigitte Helm
6 – 1986, Ally Sheedy
7 – 2016, Felicity Jones
8 – 1983, Matthew Broderick
9 – 1996, Patrick Stewart
10 – 1986, Sigourney Weaver

Answers next Monday!

Do you think artificial intelligence is possible? Ready for RiffTrax: Live? Watching Face Off? Enjoy IWSG post day? Picking up some new book? And can you answer the trivia?

Blade Runner 2049, The Gifted, and Inhumans Reviews; IWSG Insecurity Contest Winners, Futuristic Movies Trivia, and Ninja News

Blade Runner 2049 Review

It’s rare when a sequel lives up to the original. Even rarer when that sequel equals or bests the original. Blade Runner 2049 is that super rare gem.
This film excels on every level.
It is visually stunning. Director Denis Villeneuve pays homage to the original while creating his own brand of breathtaking images and settings. It feels familiar and yet fresh and new.
The visuals, action, pacing, and music all combine for an amazing and solid style of filmmaking. The movie is long – 163 minutes – but you will be riveted to the screen the entire time. It’s long without feeling overlong. With so much depth, the film breathes with a life of its own.
The acting is superb. Everyone reached deep to hit their mark and more. Spoiler – Harrison Ford is only in the film for maybe thirty minutes. It is Gosling who carries the movie and he does so very well. Ironically, in a world of humans, replicants, and AI computer programs, it is the latter who shows the most emotion, and Ana de Armas shines as Joi.
The music also shines. It’s also homage to the original while innovative in its own right. And the story line – well, it’s better if you go in only knowing what you saw in the original Blade Runner. And you’ll think you have it figured out…until the end.
Highly recommended!

Television Series Reviews

These are based on watching the first episode of two Marvel-based series.

Inhumans
It felt cheap, miscast, poorly acted, and very predictable – and those were its good points.
It could have been a great show, but they decided to play it safe and trot out every cliché possible.
Iwan Rheon plays almost the exact same villain he did on Game of Thrones.
Ultimately, when your large, animated dog is best character, you’re in trouble. Unless he’s Scooby-Doo.
And that’s what this is – a bad Saturday morning cartoon.

The Gifted
Good cinematography, acting, intriguing special effects, and a compelling story.
I liked everything about the first episode. It’s not quite Legion quality, but really, really good.
Those who’ve read the comics will be familiar with the characters. I understand they are following the comic book story line closely as well.
Hopefully it can maintain its top-notch writing and acting.
This one was almost movie quality. And they didn’t even need a giant dog!

IWSG Show Your Writer Insecurity Contest Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Wow, there were so many awesome photos. You guys were really creative.

But we only had three prize packages with dozens of books, audio books, IWSG features, and IWSG erasers…

Third place goes to: J Lenni Dorner

Second place goes to: Mary Aalgaard

And the grand prize winner who also finally told all his Facebook friends he’s a writer: Ken Rahmoeller

For more awesome images, visit the other participants:
Sarah, Karen, SE White, Carrie-Anne, Tyrean, Fundy, Sandra, Erika, Olga, Toi, IB Nosey, Morgan, Nancy, Deniz, Zan Marie, Allison Kathy, and Sharon.

Ninja News

Some new releases from Patsy Collins:

Slightly Spooky Stories – available now
Find it on Amazon

Leave Nothing But Footprints – available October 12
Pre-order on Amazon

My publisher is running a special all October - buy one audio book, get one free.
Buy any of the eleven Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. audio books in October 2017 from either iTunes, Amazon, or Audible, including my five audio books, and get another one of their titles for free.

Don’t forget the annual IWSG Anthology Contest deadline is November 1!

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Writing for Profit Available Now!
Download it for free at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Futuristic Movie Trivia

In honor of Blade Runner 2049, today’s trivia is all about movies set in the future. Name the film from the year and its stars:

1 – Christian Bale, Taye Diggs 2002
2 – Michael York, Jenny Agutter 1976
3 – Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich 1997
4 – Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman 2014
5 – Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman 2013
6 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone 1990
7 – Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux 1960
8 – Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence 1981
9 – Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer 1997
10 – Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman 2010 

Answers next Monday!

Anyone else see Blade Runner 2049? Have you watched either television show? Did you enjoy all the IWSG pictures last week? And do you know any of the trivia…?

Fantastic Beasts and Hacksaw Ridge Movie Reviews! Plus When Animals Attack, New Releases, and Ninja News

Hey guys! Hope your Thanksgiving was great. I certainly enjoyed my week with family. I’m happy to be back, though.

And today, I am appearing at Lidy Wilks’ site, Paving My Author’s Road, discussing what to do when a publishing deal goes south. (No one knows what that’s like, right?)

Movie Reviews

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Set in 1926 America, the film is both familiar and fresh. We have the wizard world backdrop with all new characters and a new location. (And some new terms – in America, Muggles are called No-Maj.)
The creatures themselves are indeed fantastic; some even a little bit mischievous. But Newt (Eddie Redmayne) is determined to keep them safe during his final stop in New York. One gets out, sending Newt on a path of not only catching the escaped beasts, but unravelling the mystery of the force attacking the city.
The actors do a fine job. Dan Fogler has some of the best moments in the film.
Rowling played it safe with the screenplay. Some elements are overplayed (the old briefcases-get-switched trick) and a LOT of time is spent setting up and establishing Newt’s character before the real story gets underway. The film could’ve been trimmed by about fifteen minutes and the story a bit more focused.
Overall, it was enjoyable and Harry Potter fans will eat it up.
Somewhat recommended.

Hacksaw Ridge
The true story of a WWII Army Medic who becomes the first man to win the Medal of Honor without carrying or firing a weapon.
This is a very moving human story. It’s about one man’s convictions, not just as a conscientious objector, but to do what he was called to do. Private Doss followed God despite the circumstances.
Director Gibson knows how to involve you in the characters and the story. Once the action begins, it’s all encompassing. It’s powerful and intense – the war scenes are brutally honest. Despite the violence, it’s a beautiful film.
Andrew Garfield fit well as Doss – genuine, a little naïve, and convicted. Weaving and Vaughn turn in great performances and it’s probably Worthington’s best performance since Avatar.
A powerful, moving film and a possible Oscar contender. (And at the end, you get to see some of the real men involved, including Doss.) Highly recommended.

Hell or High Water
Two brothers rob various branches of the bank threatening to foreclose on their family’s land with a retiring Texas Ranger in pursuit.
This is a small film with the same vibe as No Country for Old Men but more laid-back. It shows how people can do the wrong thing for the right reason – do the ends justify the means?
Chris Pine and Ben Foster turn in excellent performances as the wayward brothers. In the role of an aging Texas Ranger, Jeff Bridges is ornery, funny, and wildly racist (at the expense of his half-Comanche partner.) The West Texas setting is a character as well, one reeking of crushed dreams.
This film surprised me. Probably another Oscar contender. Highly recommended.

When Animals Attack

When Animals Attack, edited by Vanessa Morgan, is now available for pre-order – and I am one of the contributing authors!

The definitive horror movie guide for fans of killer animals and “nature strikes back” movies.

When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals provides a fascinating and entertaining insight into the cinematographic world of animals on the rampage. From well-known predators such as sharks and lions to unusual killing machines like turkeys, elephants, frogs, cats, and rabbits, there is no shortage of the species on display in this book.

Leading horror writers and filmmakers present their favorite “animals attack” films through in-depth essays. Some of the films are touching, some are repulsive, and some are just plain silly. Not all of these horror movies line up with the critical consensus, yet they have one thing in common: they have made the heart of the writer beat faster with excitement.

Find it on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Goodreads

Ninja News

If you’re looking for new blogs, Site Hound Sniffs has a great listing, broken down into categories. Site owner Jerry has put a lot of effort into building it up, so check it out – and definitely email him about including your blog.

Random shot –

Mini-Alex hanging out with a Heptapod from Arrival.




Reedsy posted a great article - Writing in Third Person Omniscient vs Third Person Limited – that you need to check out.

CassaDawn comes out on Tuesday, December 6!

You can pre-order it now.

New Releases

Catalyst by Kristin Smith
(The Deception Game, #1)
Too pretty.
Too smart.
Too perfect.
In a crumbling, futuristic Las Vegas where the wealthy choose the characteristics of their children like ordering off a drive-thru menu, seventeen-year-old Sienna Preston doesn’t fit in.
Find it here: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo
Find Kristin here: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Blog

From Story Idea to Reader by Patsy Collins and Rosemary J. Kind
Available November 30
From Story Idea to Reader is an easily accessible guide to writing fiction. Whether you are brushing up on your writing skills or starting out, this book will take you through the whole process from inspiration to conclusion. No matter if you are looking to submit your work for publication, enter a competition, or want to self-publish, this practical guide will help you every step of the way.
Find it on Amazon

100 Haiku for the 80s Generation by Dean K. Miller and Kerrie Flanagan
Find at Hot Chocolate Press and Amazon

Dangerous Sanctuary by J.Q. Rose
Pastor Christine Hobbs never imagined she would be caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.
Available at Amazon

Anyone else see Fantastic Beasts or Hacksaw Ridge? Have you see Hell or High Water? Eager to see what movies When Animals Attack covers? (And which movie I wrote about?) Picking up some new books? And how was your Thanksgiving holiday?

I’ll be back next Wednesday for Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day.

Don’t forget to visit Paving My Author’s Road!