Top Movies About Mars with Author Damien Larkin, What We Do in the Shadows, Top Grossing Movies, and Ninja News

Please welcome fellow Dancing Lemur Press author, Damien Larkin! His book. Big Red, comes out May 14. (I’m almost through reading it and it’s really good!)

He is here to share some of his favorite movies about Mars…

Mars has long since been a fascination for us lowly humans. From worrying about an advanced alien civilisation preparing to conquer us to dreaming of the day we set foot there, the Red Planet holds a special place in our imaginations. To celebrate the launch of my Mars-based sci-fi novel Big Red, I’ve selected some of my favourite Mars themed movies:

Total Recall (1990): Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, this action-packed tale of espionage and altered memories is an instant classic. With stunning special effects for the time, this romp remains a timeless sci-fi adventure. (Bonus points for anyone who can remember what character Star Trek: DS9’s Gul Dukat played!)

Doom (2005): I’m probably going to get some flak for this, but I loved this movie adaption of the cult video game. Plenty of cheesy moments, action sequences and a nice little first-person shooting spree scene as a nod to the game.

The Last Days on Mars (2013): This sci-fi horror isn’t the greatest movie you’ll ever see, but it covers a plot that you just don’t see enough of: zombies on Mars! Starring Liev Schreiber, it’s definitely worth a watch if you have a few hours to spare.

Mission to Mars (2000): Directed by Brian de Palma, this movie follows humanity’s disastrous first attempt to explore and colonise Mars. Although far from a box office hit, there’s plenty of tension to keep you teetering on the edge of your seat.

The Martian (2015): Based on the stunning novel by Andy Weir, The Martian depicts a single astronaut’s struggle to survive after being abandoned on Mars. With limited resources, Matt Watney (Matt Damon) defies the odds by utilising everything at his disposal until a rescue mission can be mobilised.

Traumatized by the effects of Compression travel, soldier Darren Loughlin holds the key to the fate of Earth's Martian colonies.

Damien Larkin is a part-time Planning Analyst and a full-time stay-at-home father of two young children. He enjoys turning terrifying nightmares into novels and currently resides in Dublin, Ireland.

Find Big Red on Amazon and Goodreads

What We Do in the Shadows Review

This series is from the creators of the movie of the same name. A film crew follows three vampires living in Staton Island. Think Monty Python meets The Office with vampires. Comedy is subjective but I find this extremely funny.
Add to the fact that the three are mostly idiots and you can see where the humor goes. Plus there is fourth vampire who sucks the energy out of people by boring them to death. They were supposed to conquer and hold a large trek of land – they rule a couple houses. As I said, not very bright!

It follows the standard vampire trope – they have a familiar, garlic and sunlight kills them, werewolves are enemies, etc.
The series is filled with funny, dry British humor. It’s very silly and overall very unique.
One of the writers, Taikia Waititi, directed Thor: Ragnarok. So he knows humor.
They’ve also an open invitation to any actor who has played a vampire to be on the show. Tilda Swinton, Danny Trejo, and Wesley Snipes took up the offer. Plus there are other guests.
If you want something silly and laugh out loud funny, check out this series. Season two has been greenlit, so more to come!

Here’s the trailer for season one, although it still doesn’t quite capture the zany, dry humor:

Top Grossing Movies

Jessica from Hollywood Mirrors shared this cool graphic.

What if some of the top grossing movies’ take was adjusted? Where would that place their box office income? The winner wasn’t Avatar. (And Avengers: Endgame doesn’t beat it either…)

Ninja News

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest is now open!


Genre is middle grade historical – adventure/ fantasy and the theme is voyagers.


See the site for full details.




And finally, after the Starbucks cup in the Game of Thrones episode, LBrink5446 tweeted a screen shot from a RiffTrax: Live event and RiffTrax responded.

(The screen shot reads: Spoiler Alert – People will hate the Game of Thrones finale not for the way it ends, but because of all the product placement for Hot Pockets and AutoZone.)

Very true!

What are your favorite Mars movies? (Mine is John Carter.) Picking up Big Red? Have you watched What We Do in the Shadows, either the series or original movie? Surprised by which movie comes out on top? And who is entering the IWSG Anthology Contest?

Defining Author Success, RiffTrax: Live, Sicario and San Andreas Reviews, Mini-Alex on Vacation, Ninja News and New Releases, BOTB Results, and Movie Trivia Answers

I’m at the IWSG today and my subject - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics. 

RiffTrax: Live!

RiffTrax Live #18: SANTA and The ICE CREAM BUNNY - December 3, 2015. Get tickets through Fathom Events. You can also see Mike, Kevin & Bill perform LIVE on stage in Nashville at The RiffTrax Theater (Belcourt) or as a simulcast in a theater near you. Plus, there is an encore presentation on December 15.

Movie Reviews

Sicario
IMDB - An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
This is a very intense and slow but well-paced film. The tension builds nicely and the soundtrack plays a big part in that. I liked the gritty realism of the film.
All performances are outstanding - Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin do a great job in their roles.
The audience experiences the film as Blunt experiences it – we don’t know things until she knows – which adds to the mystery.
This is definitely an adult film and not for kids.
Highly recommended and couldn’t be surprised if it was nominated for several Oscars.

San Andreas
IMDB - In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
This is a follow-by-numbers disaster film. No surprises, dumb, but enjoyable.
Dwayne Johnson is the star and everyone turns in a serviceable job of acting. The effects are also decent and what you would expect of a large-scale disaster film.
If you want to turn off your brain for two hours, this is your movie.
Worth a rental.

Mini-Alex on Vacation

I’m back from vacation and it was great! Involved family, which was fun. And yes, despite the odd looks from strangers (and some family members,) Mini-Alex went along (at my wife’s insistence.)

Ninja News

Alexia Chamberlynn is hosting a monthly fest.
The blog hop is called Taste of Magic, and it's the third Friday of every month, to share things literary and culinary!
Visit her BLOG for details.

Join Denise Covey, Yolanda Renée, and the enthusiastic writers at Write…Edit…Publish, (WEP) as they gather together around the campfire for their Halloween challenge this week -- October 21 - 23. You are invited to share a scary book, poem, movie, artwork etc for Part A and tell everybody why it's your favorite. The optional Part B is where you can post your own creepy story, non-fiction piece, poem, photo/s or artwork. So if you have a creepy gene, now is the time to exploit it. Oh, and there's a prize for the best entry, judged by Annalisa Crawford and a random prize just for entering. Click over to Write…Edit…Publish, for more information.

David Black is one of the authors involved in a Kickstarter campaign - Arts in Entertainment: A Series About Art Impacting Life. Reflections on how creative works shape lives and the way we view the world. A six-volume series by six accomplished authors.

Next week is the The Listing Hop, hosted by Bish Denham and myself. Join us for a list of good fun!

Just a two weeks remaining for the IWSG Anthology Contest. November 1 is the deadline! The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

New Releases!

The Gaijin Girl by E.E. Giorgi
Find it on Amazon

The Wishing Steps by Karen Helene Walker
Three Women and a Single Story That Unites Them Across the Millennia
Find it on Amazon
Be sure to visit Karen’s new Website.

Battle of the Banned Results

Hosted by Shady Del Knight, here is the vote tally. It was neck and neck until the very end, but even with my vote, the tie could not be broken. (I voted for Rob Zombie.)

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon – 15
Rob Zombie – Living Dead Girl – 15

New battle next week – continuing the Halloween theme!

Movie Trivia Answers – Submarine Movies

1 – Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortensen – 1995 – Crimson Tide
2 – Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider – 1996 – Down Periscope
3 – Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Donald Pleasance – 1966 – Fantastic Voyage
4 – Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Sam Neill – 1990 – The Hunt for Red October
5 – Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi – 2000 – U-571
6 – Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon – 1975 – The Land That Time Forgot

What Defines Author Success

My post last week garnered a lot of comments on the topic of Five Years or Five Books to Make it as an Author.

Many of you said it depended on the goals of the author. That author success cannot be measured by money earned or books sold.

So, what does define author success for you?

There is no wrong answer. Some of you aren’t published yet. Some of you have no desire to be authors. But your viewpoint still matters. And it might be something that published authors need to note.

Before I answer, I want to thank everyone who stated that I was already a success, between my books and contribution to the blogging world and the IWSG. I was very humbled by the response.

So, what defines success to me? The amount of people I have reached. And regardless of sales or royalties, when I boil it down to that one thing, I’ve reached over 100,000 people. Toss in all the friends I’ve made along the way and the IWSG, and it’s just mind blowing. I can’t think of anything else I could’ve done to touch so many lives.

Especially since I never wanted to be an author.

And today marks a special moment in my author career. Five years ago, CassaStar was published. My first book. The one that started it all. The book that would go on to hit number one in science fiction on Amazon almost a year after its release. The book that would spawn a series I never intended to write. The book that sat in a drawer for thirty years before I drug it out and decided to re-write it. Having that book picked up by a small press and published was a dream come true.

Which means all else is gravy. And more precious than any sales ranking.

Going to Rifftrax: Live? Seen either movie? Been on vacation lately? Participating in any fests or hops? BOTB results surprise you? Get any of the trivia correct? And what is your definition of author success…?

Don’t forget to visit the IWSG today - Lists of Markets Open to Writers and Hot Writing Topics!

RiffTrax Live! Plus Movie Reviews, Trivia, and News; Dragon and Cassa News, Battle of the Banned, and Ninja News

Back from vacation! I’m starting to really enjoy those…

RiffTrax Live!

Two more shows remain in this year’s RiffTrax Live line-up – Miami Connection and Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.

You’ve read my reviews of their shows – this is your chance to see them for yourself.

Miami Connection is October 1, live in Nashville, TN. Get your tickets HERE.

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny is December 3 and you can get your tickets HERE.

If you’ve never seen RiffTrax live, you don’t want to miss either of these showings!

Movie News

JoBlo’s site announced last week: Regal Theaters announce bag-check policy in response to recent shootings.
About time!

Also from JoBlo’s Site: Blood & boobs run the red-band Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse trailer
Sorry, I was just drawn in by the blood and boobs! (And I assume there will be carnage…)

NetFlix Movie Reviews

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead
After losing his family during a zombie apocalypse, a man goes searching for his sister in the outback. This Australian film breathes a little new life into the zombie genre.
It’s high on style, but falls short of making sense.
Don’t let that stop you, though. It’s gory, odd, and occasionally funny.
Worth a free rental

Slow West
A young Scottish man searching for the woman he loves pairs up with a bounty hunter.
This film is aptly titled – this isn’t a fast moving, shoot-em-up.
It’s quirky, but very enjoyable. It was a unique take on the Western genre and a refreshing one at that.
It’s a distinctive role for Fassbender, who was also one of the producers. Both he and Cavendish (who will be the next Night Crawler) were excellent in the film.
Recommended

Ninja News

We have a HUGE announcement next week at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! You don’t want to miss this – out most ambitious project ever.

New Releases!

Fight the Time Flight by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon

Hot Pink in the City by Medeia Sharif
Find it at Prizm Books and Amazon

Dragon and Cassa News

Thanks again to everyone who requested a copy of Dragon’s Destiny! I’ve already received some amazing feedback and even reviews at Beauty in Ruins and Edi’s Book Lighthouse.

Remember, it’s a short story that takes place after Dragon of the Stars and is free to anyone who’s read the book. Just send me an email – tell me what happened to Aden at the end and what format you want, ePub, Mobi, or PDF file.

There was also an amazing review of Dragon of the Stars from Jean Baldrige.

Finally, my publisher informed its authors that we had the opportunity to update one of our titles this month. I cringed, but I asked if I could update my first book, CassaStar. 
Now, I’ve never read any of my books after publication. And after going through CassaStar, I now know why. I have come so far as an author! The story remained solid, I just needed to word it better.
Now, I am happy to announce that an updated version is now available, both in print and eBook. (And for those of you who’ve read it, I will gladly share an ePub or Mobi version of the new one.)
I must say though – I still really like the story. My first one, it sparked my imagination as well as my career. Even if I never wanted to be an author…

Battle of the Banned

I am participating in Shady Del Knight’s Battle of the Banned. (Yes, Banned, not Band.) It pits two songs against each other and you vote for your favorite.

Today’s entry is a cool song called Powerslave. Originally done by Iron Maiden, it was also covered by Testament. I’m a big fan of both bands, so I’ll just let their entries stand on their own:

Testament

Iron Maiden

You know the drill – which one is your favorite?

Movie Trivia 

Comedy! Name the movie from the line. Answers next Monday.

1 – Where is your drill sergeant, men? - Blown up, Sir! - 1981
2 – In Mexico, you know what they call Twinkies? Los submarions. - 2009
3 – Wild Thing, you make my heart sing. You walk everything. - 1989
4 – Hey, get a room guys… Oh that’s not right! - 1999
5 – I’m going to call her Lunch. Hello, Lunch, hello! Ew! Avoid the green ones-not ripe yet. - 1988

Who’s going to the next RiffTrax show? Have you seen either of the movies? See any interesting news? Want a copy of Dragon’s Destiny or the new CassaStar? Which song version is your favorite? And can you guess any of the trivia?

Live RiffTrax Experience, How I Miss You Blogfest, Writing a Series, Who’s Your Hero, Foodie Blog Hop, and Ninja News

Riff Trax Live!

Worth every penny! (That’s Bill and Kevin in the photo.)

For those who wonder – what is RiffTrax? – here is the skinny:

Twenty-four years ago, Mystery Science Theater 3000 started, and it was a man and two robots making fun of bad movies. (You could see their silhouettes in the bottom corner.) When MST3K ended its very long run, the three guys started RiffTrax. They recorded the same snarky dialogue and jokes for hundreds of movies, good or bad. You download their riff and synch it up to the actual movie – and then sit back and laugh your ass off.

They started doing live performances, and those were broadcast to theaters across the USA. (With humorous slides shown beforehand, like the two here.) It grew to be huge, and they now do multiple shows a year. (Next one is December 4.) This past showing was a big deal because they filmed it LIVE in Durham, NC. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to see Mike, Kevin, and Bill in person, my wife and I hit the road and headed north.

It was an incredible experience! Nothing like being in a crowd of ‘your peeps.’ (Many came in costume.) They tackled the movie Anaconda, and it wasn’t difficult to parody. Folks, it was cheesy when it came out, but now it looks AWFUL. There is a scene where the waterfall is flowing UP. And the snake screams. Really! It was bad…

If RiffTrax comes near you, go!!

Five Tips For Writing A Series by Joy Campbell

Alex, many thanks for hosting me on the Island Adventure Romance tour.

I stumbled into writing this series because of a quirky secondary character with an interesting history. The books in the Island Adventure Romance Series are a combination of action, adventure and romance and can be read in any order. I've enjoyed writing these stories that have been described as well-written and compelling, with vibrant characters.

What are some important considerations when writing a series?

1. Compelling Characters - Create unique characters that readers will remember long after they finish reading. This can be done through character traits, interesting quirks or personal habits.

2. Meaningful Journeys - Give your characters goals that make their risk taking worthwhile. Their journey must result in growth at the end of the novel.

3. Unique Challenges - Each main character should be given a set of challenges that make their story distinct.

4. Return Visits - Readers like to catch up with characters from other books, so arrange little drop-ins to keep your fans updated on their favourite individuals.

5. Diminishing returns - Know when you hit the point where it's time to close a series. Don't get caught up in making money and forget good sense. Start a new book or series when there are no stories left to tell in the current one.

You may enter to win a ten dollar ($10.00) Amazon voucher or an e-copy of the entire Island Adventure Romance collection on the Rafflecopter HERE.

J.L. Campbell lives in Jamaica and writes romantic suspense, women's fiction and young adult novels. She also writes non-fiction and is a certified editor. Visit her website or her Amazon page. She's enjoys good company, so feel free to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Who’s Your Hero Blogfest

Hosted by Joy Campbell

I have many heroes.
My wife, who continues to prod me when I want to give up. My parents, who set such a great example of a solid marriage. My blogger friends, who’ve accomplished some amazing things. The IWSG Admins and A to Z Challenge Co-Hosts, who tackle their responsibilities with gusto.

And of course my greatest hero, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m grateful to have a relationship with someone who was willing to die for me despite my imperfection. He’s my peace and steadfast rock. I’ll always fall short, but fortunately He always forgives me.

Who is your hero?

Foodie Blog Hop

Hosted by Holly Sinclair

She is celebrating the end of her tour with her cookbooks and wanted us to post about food. I could go on about how much I dig Thai food or post my favorite Chinese recipe, but I thought I’d just let you know what Mini-Alex Likes best:

Ninja News

And the winner of the Trick or Treat Bloghop is… Christine Rains!
Congratulations!

Charity Bradford has started a Kickstarter campaign for her next book.
I've decided to self-publish my latest novel FADE INTO ME. This book really highlights my growth as a writer. It's also the first book where I feel I let myself "out of the box." Before I send this book into the world, I want to make sure it's the best it can be. This means hiring a professional editor and typesetter. I'm not here to ask you to back me, but can you help me spread the word about my Kickstarter project? Finding people interested in this story is what will make the difference.
To donate, go HERE

Out now - What Time Is the Tea Kettle? By Andrew Leon

Just released - Nobody Knows (Razes Hell Book 1) by Kyra Lennon
Find it pn Amazon,Amazon UK, and Goodreads

How I Miss You Blogfest!

It’s that time of year again! Hosted by Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish
The bloggers you miss and the ones you would miss.
List one to three bloggers you really miss.
List one to three bloggers you would really miss if they stopped blogging.
And then go let them know!

Join us November 24!



Who wants to go see RiffTrax now? Ready to write a series? Who is your hero? Favorite food? And what bloggers do you miss…?

Don’t forget Wednesday is Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day!