Marvel News – NetFlix and Marvel Team Up and Thor is Here! Plus Milestones, Science Fiction Book Trivia, Ninja News, and the How I Miss You Blogfest

Big Marvel News!

NetFlix and Marvel team up! From Deadline Hollywood - Diseny signed a deal with NetFlix, committing them to at least four 13-series episodes and a miniseries, The Defenders. The superheroes featured will be Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. These series will all be Watch Nows on NetFlix. They are calling this an “unprecedented deal.” I’m calling it awesome beyond belief!

And at last – it’s THE November movie event!

Thor: The Dark World releases in the USA today.

And I am very stoked…

Review on Monday!

Milestones

Today’s post marks two milestones:

It’s my seven hundredth post.

I’ve been blogging now for four years. (Technically, my first post was November 9, 2009.)

Whoa!

Did I ever imagine where I am now? Not a chance! Three books, the IWSG, thousands of followers, so many good friends… I didn’t see any of it coming. All I knew was I had to get my butt online to promote my debut novel. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this awesome journey. I couldn’t have done it alone. Thank you everyone for sharing the journey with me. You have been one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Ninja News

Thanks to all of the IWSG participants for another amazing post day! Thanks to those who’ve responded to Wednesday’s post at the website.
And thank you for your encouragement - I will probably cut back some and start writing soon. I just don't want to let anyone down.

Missouri publisher Rocking Horse Publishing has just come out with Spirits of St. Louis, an anthology of ghost stories set in Missouri. It includes Sean McLachlan’s story "After the Raid," an offshoot of his Civil War horror novel, A Fine Likeness. Congratulations, Sean!

Kyra Lennon just released A Very Game On Christmas. Congratulations, Kyra!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster, the mad genius behind Green Eggs and Weezie, just released a collection of short stories called Friday Girls. And for the next five days, it’s free on Amazon. Congratulations, Cathy!

Cover Reveal –

Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert

NA Contemporary Romance
Release date: March 2014

As the Governor’s daughter, Charlotte McClain is an expert in playing pretend…

Add to Goodreads HERE

Novel Trivia!

Science fiction books this time – name the author:

1 – The Martian Chronicles 1950

2 – Dragonflight 1968

3 – Rendezvous with Rama 1972

4 – Out of the Silent Planet 1943

5 – The Puppet Masters 1951

How I Miss You Blogfest!

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!

The bloggers I really miss…
Sadly, this could be a really long list. Melissa, Chuck, Cindy… So many of my blogger buddies have stopped blogging, either permanently or they only appear now and then. I look back four years and so many of my friends are gone. I could only pick three though…

Nancy Thompson
I was honored to supply a blurb for her book, The Mistaken, and just as grateful she gave me one for CassaStorm. We share many things in common (as we’re the same age) and she’s like the sister I never had. I’d hang with her in real life! Nancy is busy with her editing work and I really miss her online. I still want to read her next book, even though I know she’ll only torment poor Ty.

Father Dragon Al
I met Al a year ago on the recommendation of a friend, and I’ve never regretted it. Al possesses such a wise and generous spirit. Who knew dragons with dwarves were compatible with Ninjas with clones? Through our many email exchanges, I’ve come to know this gentle dragon. I see so much potential in his passionate heart. Al is currently pursuing a dream, which I completely support, so I’ll not begrudge the now infrequent postings from the dragon cave. I still miss those glimpses into his dragon heart though. Hopefully he stays with us.

Rusty Webb
He’s one of my best blogger buddies and good friend for the past three years. Rusty is an amazing writer and the most awesome critique partner. Rusty deserves a lot of the credit for the success of CassaFire and CassaStorm. We share the same passion for guitars and writing, although Rusty is light years ahead of me on both accounts. He has a wicked sense of humor, and while he’s participating in NaNo right now, I hope he returns to his blog in December. Miss you, dude!

Special mention – my co-host, Matthew
We’re only to mention three, but I have to make a special mention of my fellow blogfest and A to Z co-host. He was one of my first followers and a good friend for so many years. I miss your regular posts, man!

And those I would miss if they were gone…

Again, that would be most of you! It was really tough to narrow it down to just three….

Jeremy Hawkins
The person I would miss the most is my very best blogger buddy. We’ve followed each other for so long that I can’t recall a time when Jeremy wasn’t there. No one is more dedicated or more giving. He’d do anything in the world for his friends. Dude, I will always have your back. Should anyone ever speak ill of you, they would experience the wrath of the Ninja. We talk often through emails, but should your blog posts cease, it would feel very hollow and empty online…

Arlee Bird
Lee, you are the man. Back when I had about twenty followers, you followed me. And enticed me on a quest that would become the first A to Z Challenge. You taught me about consistency, blogfests, and friendship. You are stability, even as you throw out your ‘controversial’ topics. We see the world in a similar fashion, although you have developed more patience than I. Where I am now would not be possible if you were not a friend, and I thank you. If you stopped posting, who on earth would I visit first in the morning?

Tina Downey
My fellow A to Z co-host is a delight in more ways than she can imagine. You guys don’t get to see the exchanges between the co-hosts, but if it’s coming from Tina, I know I will get a kick out of her message every time. Despite the physical restrictions and challenges she endures, Tina is a very open and free spirit. She is the vibrant breeze on the trees, shaking the limbs and energizing the air. I never know what to expect when she posts, and that’s half the fun. Tina, you are a special lady, and I’m honored to call you my friend.

Who do you miss...?



Excited for Thor? Can you believe I’ve been blogging for four years? Excited about the new releases? Know the authors? And who do you miss or would miss…?

Norse God Blogfest! Bring on Thor and Secrets of the Ash Tree. Plus Ninja News and are Cover Reveals Still Effective?

I was interviewed by Nutschell for her Wednesday Writers Workspace feature. You can check out my writing spot and learn a little more about my writing process.

Norse Gods Blogfest!

To Celebrate the release of her book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, Siv Maria Ottem is taking the Norse Gods with her on a blog tour from October 7th- 14th. Make sure to stop by her blog and see what kind of Birthday Giveaways she is raffling off!

And today I am hosting Siv on her birthday for the Norse Gods Blogfest!

After much reflection, my choice can be none other than Thor.

He’s uber strong, has an awesome hammer for a weapon, he can fly, and he’s pretty much indestructible. The dude also knows how to party. Plus he likes to travel via the Rainbow Bridge, which is basically teleporting. I’m sold!

Secrets of the Ash Tree by Siv Maria Ottem

In the realm of the gods and fairy tales the mystery of life is an endless path with many secrets to be discovered. Some secrets are like dreams, just waiting in darkness hoping to get into the light.

‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ is the story about Liv, a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of hidden secrets. Her adventures begin when she digs up a chest that was buried by her father under the old ash tree in her garden. What she finds inside the chest changes her life forever. Liv discovers one secret after another and is thrown into a world full of dangerous and strange creatures, mighty Norse warriors and perils beyond her belief. What started out as a fairy tale in her father’s journal was to become her legacy, a guide line to survival, and a map to the world she was about to enter. Each day, each mystery, each encounter will ultimately reveal her true destiny and behind the edge of a sword awaits a young god who is willing to share that destiny with her.

Available in Hardcover, softcover, Kindle, find it here: Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.

Who is your favorite Norse God?

Ninja News

Today is also Roland Yeomans’ birthday! Happy birthday, my friend.

Nicki Elson’s Hans & Greta: a Zombie/Fairy Tale is now available! Available on Amazon Kindle, her novella will be only ninety-nine cents through Halloween. Congratulations, Nicki!

The next installment of Hart Johnson’s series is available Thursday - So This is War, Part III. Congratulations, Hart!






Curiosity Quills Press’ charity anthologies Primetime and After Dark are available now! 10% of all proceeds will be donated to no kill animal-shelters.

Purchase Primetime – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

Purchase After Dark – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo

And Sydney Aaliyah posted the most wonderful review of CassaStorm at The Peasants Revolt. She gave me one of the highest compliments I could ever receive – “This book reads like a movie.” One thing I’ve always admired about the authors Preston and Child was the way their books read like movies, so it was a great honor to have Sydney say that about CassaStorm.

Cover Reveals – Are They Effective Anymore?

In a recent post by Jessica Bell, she talked about book promo overload and it sparked quite the conversation. (I admitted I was guilty and she was kind enough to say the way I do it is different, since I personalize it, which strikes a balance.)

One of the items she mentioned was cover reveals. There are a lot of them these days. Is it too much? Is a cover reveal with similar information posted on many blogs effective, especially when it’s followed a month or two later by the same information for the release? Is it overkill?

My cover reveal for CassaStorm was six months before its release, which gave it some space. It was something I wanted to try, since I hadn’t done it with the other two books. I didn’t want the release announcements to be all the same, which is why I tossed in the unique interview questions and sent out different information and images to different people. (And they were spread out over a week – I learned my lesson after three hundred people announced CassaFire for me last year!)

But are all of these announcements, especially the cover reveals, effective anymore?

(And those of you that I’ve signed up to do a cover reveal, don’t worry – still happy to do that!)

Who is your favorite Norse God? (Be sure to wish Siv and Roland a happy birthday!) Picking up some new books and anthologies? And have we hit cover reveal overload?

Don’t forget to visit Nutschell!

Tips, Links, and Thor Review!

Struggling to find your readers or figure out what to write next? Visit Susan’s blog Lauracea today – I just might give you hope! Thanks Susan for allowing me to visit your blog!

THOR Review!

This movie is all about fun! It’s neither dour nor heavy, and the comedic elements kept it light. (Coffee cup smashing scene was a favorite of mine.) Taking Thor out of Asgard and placing him on Earth as a “God out of water” was a great premise.

Chris Hemsworth was born to play Thor. He’s perfect for the role, and this movie is a solid setup for a possible franchise – not to mention the upcoming Avengers flick.

There are minor issues, like the relationship between Thor and his brother, Loki. The relationship with Natalie Portman’s Jane seemed a bit rushed as well.

But you don’t go to see a movie like Thor for serious character development – you go for the amazing action scenes, the great special effects, and the fun! It’s in both 2D and 3D, but since the 3D was added after shooting, I opted for the 2D and don’t feel I missed anything. I’m also a sucker for Norse mythology, so I really enjoyed that aspect. And you have to watch for the Hawkeye cameo! They are really prepping for the Avengers movie…

Not perfect, but a hell of a lot of fun!

Patricia Stoltey is holding a 300 followers contest. Amazon gift card, people! Patricia is one of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. If you’re not following her – why not?

And Tiger on my Bookshelf gave me this award! Thanks, Tiger!

I am passing it on to Dafeenah, a wonderful and delightful blogger buddy.

Hope all the moms out there had a special day on Sunday!

A to Z Challenge - X - We've Got Movie Sign!!

X marks the spot - for May movies! (Sadly the X-Men movie is not among them… Next month!!!) For all of my new followers and blogger buddies, I post a select list of upcoming movies every month. So, if you want to know what all the cool people are seeing in the theater, keep reading. (And by cool, I mean those enjoying the air conditioning as well as the Ninja cool people!)

All descriptions courtesy of the IMDB.

May 3

DVD - Green Hornet - Not enough to pull me in the theater, but hopefully worth a NetFlix rental






May 6

Thor
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman
The Plot: The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.
Oh yeah, I’m there!!


May 13

Priest
Director: Scott Charles Stewart
Stars: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q
The Plot: A priest (Bettany) disobeys church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his niece.
Again, this movie just looks awesome. And on Friday the 13 - nice!



May 20

Pirates of the Cariibbean: On Stranger Tides
Director: Rob Marshall
Stars: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane
The Plot: After crossing paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) is swept aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), on an unexpected mission to find the elusive fountain of youth.
I wasn’t crazy about the last two, but now that they’ve dumped Will and Elizabeth, it appears the story will return to silly fun.


May 27

Kung Fu Panda 2
Director: Jennifer Yuh
Stars: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan
The Plot: Po (voice of Black) and the Furious Five venture to China to battle a villain and uncover the secrets of Po's mysterious origins.
More awesomeness! And Black REALLY needs a hit right now…


Any look enticing to you?