Ninja News, Michael Pierce and Susy Asylum, Jessica Bell and The Book, Movie Trivia Answers, and Favorite Science Fiction Movie Quote

Ninja News

Misha Gericke is hosting a monthly Paying Forward Award with great prizes. Some awesome people nominated – and big thanks to someone for nominating me for Most Encouraging Blogger! Visit her site for the list and then send your selections to her via email. Thanks for hosting this award, Misha!

The Geek Twins had a “Caption This” contest and they chose my suggestion.

Thanks Maurice and Nigel!

Cover Reveal!

Coming Soon - the anticipated sequel to Michael Pierce's PROVEX City.

SUSY Asylum
The Lorne Family Vault, Book 2
by Michael Pierce

In SUSY Asylum, there is no release. There is no escape. No hope. In SUSY Asylum, the patients come face-to-face with their mirrors, locked away with the other halves of themselves who are thirsty for more than blood. Or so says Commodore Chaos.

Oliver and Desiree are introduced to the writings of the mysterious blogger, Commodore Chaos, when they return to Provex City to indulge in what the sublime city has to offer. The blogger claims the Lornes are collecting people venturing between the higher planes of awareness and locking them away in their mythical asylum. But are these legitimate concerns for inter-plane travelers or just the ramblings of an anonymous conspiracy blogger?

Oliver looks to the city as his only connection to his father while Desiree looks to the city as an escape from the torment of losing her best friend—again. Provex City is a wonder of beautiful treasures, entrancing them to continue returning. But behind the beauty, wolves have continued hunting Oliver, a boy who is still mostly unaware of his importance in the rebellion.

Oliver’s belief is waning. Desiree will not always be by his side. Mr. Gordon will not always come to his aid. Oliver finds himself alone, forced to confront his biggest fears, fight his inner demons, and face the very cold reality that no one is coming to save him.

Welcome to SUSY Asylum.

Cover Art by Sketcher Girl Studios and the awesome Vic Caswell!

Now Available!

Ever wondered how a five-year-old girl perceives the world? Then you definitely need to get your hands on THE BOOK, a novella by Jessica Bell.

"Jessica Bell’s surprising risks with language capture a child’s clear vision in a world of adult heartbreak. Indelible. Courageous." ~Thaisa Frank, author of Heidegger's Glasses and Enchantment

This book is not The Book. The Book is in this book. And The Book in this book is both the goodie and the baddie.

Bonnie is five. She wants to bury The Book because it is a demon that should go to hell. Penny, Bonnie’s mother, does bury The Book, but every day she digs it up and writes in it. John, Bonnie’s father, doesn’t live with them anymore. But he still likes to write in it from time to time. Ted, Bonnie’s stepfather, would like to write in The Book, but Penny won’t allow it.

To Bonnie, The Book is sadness.
To Penny, The Book is liberation.
To John, The Book is forgiveness.
To Ted, The Book is envy.
But The Book in this book isn’t what it seems at all.

If there was one thing in this world you wished you could hold in your hand, what would it be? The world bets it would be The Book.

Available at all major retailers in e-book and paperback, including Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Alien Movie Trivia Answers

1 – Yes, she knows it’s a multi-pass! The Fifth Element
2 – Look, I have one job on this lousy ship. It’s stupid, but I’m going to do it, okay? Galaxy Quest
3 – What the hell are you? Predator
4 – Somebody in this camp ain’t what he appears to be. Right now that may be one or two of us. By spring, it could be all of us. The Thing (1982)
5 – I hope you’re not going to take your skin off, because I really like skin on a woman. Cocoon

The Wednesday Movie Quote

Every Wednesday will be Movie Quote Day for a certain genre. You can post on your own blog or just leave your favorite quote here.

Today it’s futuristic science fiction.

My favorite:

From Blade Runner – “I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.”

What’s your favorite? Next week – light fantasy.

Excited about Michael's new book? How about Jessica's? Did you get the trivia right? (A couple of you got all of the answers!) And what is your favorite science fiction movie quote?

Don't forget to visit Misha Gericke to vote!

Tips & Offer from Michael Pierce and Ninja News!

Special Guest!

Today I am welcoming author Michael Pierce! He’ll share his journey to publication. Some snark may be involved!

Self-Publishing in 300 Words or Less
(Self-imposed challenge accepted!)

I’d like to start off with thanking Alex for the opportunity to be a guest blogger. It’s quite a privilege to be here, and frankly, a little intimidating. I self-published my first book, Provex City, a few months ago and this is the Cliffs Notes to what I’ve learned. (This isn’t included in my word count.) Cheater! I'll let it slide...

Congratulations, you’ve decided to self-publish! It’s a life and death decision (for your story) and you made it. Now what? Start by looking at those who’ve come before you, successful authors like J.A. Konrath, Colleen Houck, and Amanda Hocking. Following their examples can save you a few whacks and welts along the way.

I assume you already have a blog firing on all cylinders. Check! Your new bible is The Newbie’s Guide to Publishing and be sure to visit Konrath’s blog of the same title. Then follow his roadmap to self-publishing and you can’t get lost, though some roads may need repaving.

Writing is a solitary process, but getting your writing to the masses takes a highly trained team of professionals. What you will need to start:
· An editor. You may want to throw a proofreader in the mix. Check!
· A cover designer (unless you’re a graphic designer, in which case email me!). Check!
· An e-book formatter. You can do this yourself if you’ve got the patience. I don’t. Check!
· A Print-on-Demand team (CreateSpace). A majority of sales comes from e-books, but a print copy is good for showing off to the family and submitting to book bloggers for reviews. Check!

Headache Saver #1: Have your e-book and print copy become available on or about the same time. My e-book came out a month before my print copy and I was surprised at the confusion it caused. Never again.

The two largest venues for your e-book are Amazon and Smashwords. Smashwords will distribute your freshly formatted e-book to Barnesandnoble.com and the iBookstore. Now your book is available to millions of people worldwide. Holy adjectives and expletives, Batman! Stop shaking; it’s a good thing. Now it’s time to start promoting, which will take me over my promised— Good save!

Provex City is available in e-book and paperback on Amazon. Today through Sunday, the Kindle edition of Provex City is available for FREE! Don’t hesitate to download it HERE Enjoy, members of Alex’s Ninja Army and thank you so much for reading. And I’m participating in the Debut Author Blog Hop Giveaway right now with 2 signed copies of Michael Offutt’s Slipstream.

Michael Pierce lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and two ultra-protective Chiweenies. Provex City is his debut novel and the first book in the young adult fantasy Lorne Family Vault Series. Visit him at his Blog, on Twitter, and on Goodreads

Ninja News!

Donna Shields has a new book out, Secrets of Jenkins Bridge, and to celebrate she is giving away all sorts of cool loot. Congratulations, Donna!

Vic Caswell just launched her freelance illustration business, Sketcher Girl Studios,and she’s celebrating by holding a giveaway of cool stuff. Check out the giveaway on her blog. Congratulations, Vic!

BIG thanks to everyone who participated in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Those were some of the best posts I've read yet and I appreciate those of you who visited someone new.

And in case you missed it, Prometheus comes out today! After watching John Carter last night in 3D, Prometheus today, and Madagascar III this weekend, I just might be movied-out. (Who am I kidding? Never!) Reviews to follow on Monday. And I do promise to write this weekend as well.

Following Michael? Self-published a book or thinking about it? (And if you are thinking about it, Vic does covers!) Don’t forget to take Michael up on a free copy of Provex City. And finally, who’s going to the movies this weekend???

RESOURCEFUL/REFRESHING - A to Z Challenge

It’s the third A to Z Challenge! Blog the letters of the alphabet in order every day except Sundays 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.

RESOURCEFUL/REFRESHING

Leovi at La Fotografía Efectista Abstracta
I follow a wide variety of blogs, including a few photographers. Leovi is without a doubt the best. His focus is abstract, and what he accomplishes with just a few key items is astonishing. Every day we are treated to a visual masterpiece. For the most amazing and resourceful photographer on the Internet, you need to check out Leovi’s site.

Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies
He’s a new blogger, but there is something just so refreshing about his style. He’s young and yet not jaded or angry, which is so wonderful to witness. And he can juggle! As a fellow science fiction geek, I probably see a lot of a younger me in Jeremy. Dude, no matter what happens, remain true to YOU!

Col. Jack O’Neill
If resourceful person uses all of the resources at his disposal, than hat’s off to Jack (played by Richard Dean Anderson) for gathering the best SG team. He had the warrior Teal’c, the science genius Samantha Carter and the history genius Daniel Jackson. When Jack pulled them all together he had all the resources to complete any mission.

NINJA NEWS!

Susan Roebuck’s new book, Hewhay Hall, comes out today. Congratulations, Susan!!

Vic Caswell and Emily White will be hosting their own Podcast next month, focusing on young adult books. Way to go, ladies!

Nothing coming out at the theater catches my eye this weekend, but to my wife’s delight, Real Steel came in the mail Thursday courtesy of NetFlix. Hopefully I can throw a review at you by Monday. I also purchased MI: Ghost Protocol this week, so I won’t be lacking for movies.

Sad that legendary coach Pat Summitt is retiring due to early-onset Alzheimer’s. President Obama announced she will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling her an inspiration.

And as soon as I hit that damned elusive 1500 followers, I’m doing a giveaway. I think forces have been at work against me this week…


Following Leovi and Jeremy? Fan of Col Jack O’Neill and the Stargate series? (Rusty, don’t answer that.) Seeing any good movies this weekend? Care to send some good vibes my way? (Or followers – I only need a couple!) And who do you know who’s resourceful or refreshing? 
And this is two mornings in a row my scheduled post has not posted - anyone else having issues?