Carol Kilgore Entertains the Ninja Army, Star Trek Into Darkness Review, and Ninja News

Today I have the wonderful Carol Kilgore visiting the Ninja Army!

Thanks for hosting me, Alex. Your blog is such fun!

This visit was initially going to be part of my early April blog tour for Solomon’s Compass, but with scheduling issues and the A to Z, that didn’t happen. So I’m going to pretend it’s still part of the tour and tell you about my new book.

Do you like strong female protagonists? A sexy hero? Sidekicks?
Taylor Campbell – Xena Warrior Princess of the U.S. Coast Guard
Jake Solomon – Former Navy SEAL now working for a global security firm
Dan Blair – Antique dealer and gallery owner
Kelly Wetmore – Uber computer geek

A quest to find buried treasure?
Taylor was certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy’s dementia-riddled mind. The final words of his last email to her were “tell no one.” She had promised to honor his wishes, and a promise was a promise. She was so screwed.

How about a present-day mystery with its origins tied to an incident that occurred in Bangkok during the Vietnam Era?
The Beginning—Summer, 1970: The Patpong bargirl tapped his shoulder. “You go buy my friend drink.” She pointed toward the end of the noisy bar as she wrapped her other arm around Ham Norberg’s neck and let her fingers play with the short hair at the back of his head.

The story is set on the South Texas Gulf Coast, and features a cast of characters that one reviewer says “have the easy familiarity of characters created by Nora Roberts.” I’ll be forever grateful for such a fantastic comment.

If you visited me during the A to Z, you met the characters, visited the places, and caught a glimpse or two of the story.

I hope you’ll give the book a try.

You can find Solomon’s Compass on my author page at Amazon, along with links to everyplace I am on the web, and read the first pages using the Look Inside feature HERE.

Also, Solomon’s Compass is need of a little lovin’ on Goodreads, and I’d appreciate your adding it to your shelves.

Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author with several short stories, essays, and articles to her credit. Solomon’s Compass is her second novel, a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss. Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio, Texas, with two herding dogs whose mission is to keep them safe from all danger, real or imagined.

Ninja News

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Best/Worst Movie Remakes Blogfest! All links on the list go directly to the person’s post, so feel free to continue to explore. Special thanks to my co-hosts, Stephen, Livia, and Al.

Ali Cross just released The Seer (Desolation Diaries #2) – congratulations, Ali!


Randi Lee is putting together a 3-Ups Bloghop. She says it will work like this: Each blogger will pick the blogger listed below them, visit his or her site, read a post or two, and then tell them three things they like about the person or his or her blog. Easy enough, right? And how good will you feel after making someone else’s day? I reckon pretty darn good. Visit her site for details.

Movie Review

Star Trek Into Darkness
One word – awesome!
The reboot has come into its own now. Into Darkness is even better than the first film. It’s non-stop story and action, with a good dose of humor thrown in. It’s as if the movie is winking at the audience and never takes itself too seriously.
The effects are stunning and the 3D very immersive.
The film is just a lot of fun. Highly recommended and better than Iron Man III! Can’t wait for the next Star Trek movie.
SPOILER – Stop reading now if you don’t want to know! This movie echoes the second Star Trek movie because we get Khan again. (And we are introduced to Dr. Carol Marcus.) There are similarities and yet this film goes in its own direction.

Have you picked up Solomon’s Compass yet? Did you have fun with the blogfest? And who else saw Star Trek this weekend?

Author Isis Rushdan, Cover Reveals from Ellie Garratt and Carol Killgore, Ninja News and A to Z Badge, and Comedy Movie Trivia

Today I have a very special guest - Isis Rushdan! She is one of those special writer friends, one I’ve known forever, and I am excited to host Isis during the tour for her very first book! Kindred of the Fallen comes out Tuesday, and Isis is here to tell you a funny story….

The Danger of Publication

When my agent told me Kindred of the Fallen would be published, I was cautiously elated. It’s a paranormal romance, so I put no restraints on my muse. I ventured beyond the usual otherworldly beings of vampires, werewolves and faeries. The love scenes are bold and naughty, without crossing a certain line. I also dared to add quite a bit more action than you’d find in most romances.

My family would have certain expectations and I prayed my grandmother would’ve been proud of my first published book if she had lived long enough to read it. I braced myself for the quiet (if I was lucky) judgment of my in-laws. I knew there’d be some raised eyebrows over a number of scenes, but I had 100% of my hubby’s support.

Since I felt thoroughly prepared, life had to smack me with an unbelievable curveball. A good friend of mine, Alan E., came to visit. He asked a ton of questions about the book and although romance is not his genre of choice he seemed genuinely enthusiastic to read it.

At the end of his trip, I dropped him off at the airport. We hugged, he collected his luggage, and I hopped back into my car. Through the open window, Alan said, “I can’t wait to read your book. I’m going to learn so much more about you and the inner core of your relationship with hubby.”

Then Alan darted inside the airport. I choked on my tongue, confounded and terrified. I longed to drag him back and clear up any misunderstandings. Had I implied the story was somehow autobiographical? Didn’t I make it clear the book was FICTION?

Oh dear if Alan honestly thought he would have a window into my soul, much less my marriage, by reading my book, how many other people would think the same?

Forget about bad reviews or horrible sales, the real danger in publication is that someone who knows me will judge my personal life based on my novel. And quite frankly, it scares me.

Thank you so much for having me on today, Ninja Capt Extraordinaire, Alex! I appreciate the support.

Find Isis: Website, Blog, Facebook, and Twiiter
Find KINDRED OF THE FALLEN, Kindred Chronicles, Book 1 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Samhain Publishing

Congratulations, Isis!! You rock.

Two Cover Reveals!

For two very special friends!

Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre By Ellie Garratt
Available February 11, 2013

Nine dark fiction stories that may just give you nightmares.
A man lives to regret Passing Time. A father will do anything to save his son in Expiration Date. An author finds out her worst nightmare is back in The Devil’s Song. A woman gets more than the claim fee when she takes out vampire insurance in Luna Black.
In Dining in Hell, the Death Valley Diner becomes the wrong place to stop.
A serial killer wants to add another file to his collection in The Vegas Screamer. In Eating Mr. Bone, an undertaker could meet an unfortunate end. A con man meets his first ghost in Land of the Free. And will truth finally be set free in The Letter?

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time is her first eBook collection and contains nine previously published stories. Her science fiction collection Taking Time will be published later in the year.
Find Ellie: Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads

Solomon’s Compass by Carol Kilgore
Available April 2, 2013

When U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell discovers her uncle’s drowning death was murder, she must determine the killer’s identity in order to prevent another murder. Jake Solomon’s job is to make sure Taylor isn’t the next victim.

Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author of several published short stories and many essays and articles. Solomon’s Compass is her second novel, a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss – always at least one crime; always a love story. Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio, Texas, with two herding dogs that like nothing better than pack time on the patio.
You can find Carol here: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon

Ninja News

Both of my books are listed in the top five Best Space Opera at Goodreads. CassaFire has dipped a little and a Dan Simmons book is about to knock CassaStar off for the top position. If you’re on Goodreads and would like to vote for either book, please go HERE and do so – the exposure really does make a difference!

Today we are unveiling the official 2013 A to Z Challenge badge, created by the ever-awesome Retro Zombie Jeremy! This year’s Challenge will be better than ever. The Challenge co-host team will be announced next Monday and sign ups open at the end of January.

January 16 marks the sixth anniversary of Tim Knight’s blog, HeroPress, and he has launched a "design-a-monster" competition to run over that anniversary period. It is open to both gamers and non-gamers, and there are some cool prizes involved, including a copy of CassaStar, so check out the details HERE.

Movie Trivia

Comedy edition! Movie lines – name the movie.

1 – Check me if I’m wrong, Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they’re gonna lock me up and throw away the key.

2 – Who dumped a truckload of Fizzies into the swim meet, delivered school cadavers to the alumni dinner? Every Halloween the trees are filled with underwear, every spring the toilets explode.

3 – He is so dumb. He thought the Gettysburg Address was where Lincoln lived, and when he heard your daughter’s name was Portia, he said “Why did they name her after a car?”

4 – Are you telling me I put an abnormal brain into a seven-and-a-half-foot-long, 54-inch-wide gorilla?

5 – Can I raise a practical question? Are we gonna do Stonehenge tomorrow?

Any questions for Isis? Picking up Kindred of the fallen on Tuesday? Excited for Ellie and Carol’s upcoming books? Voted at Goodreads or entering Tim’s competition? Ready for the next Challenge? And do you know any of those movies?