Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Television Show Update, A to Z Challenge, IWSG Newsletter, and New Releases

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 today are Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy, Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard!

Most of my writing has been A to Z Challenge posts (simpler than previous years but still require a bit of work) but I did outline a story last month. Not sure it would be enough for a novel, but I went back to the Cassan universe and planned an adventure for Byron’s son, Bassan.

At this point in my career, I don’t feel any pressure to whip out another book. Just enough has drizzled out to keep interest in my other books, plus I have a story in The Thing That Turned Me, and anthology coming out later this year from Stay Classy Publishing. So, I’m just going to take my time.

Be sure to visit others on the Insecure Writer’s Support Group list!

Television Show Updates

Here are some short updates on recent shows:

The Chronicles of Shannara
Still enjoying it, but maybe they should’ve called it Fifty Shades of Shannara. (I was thirteen the first time I read the books – trust me, I would’ve remembered if there was ANY sex in them!)

Better Call Saul
Very intriguing – so far, the second season is as good as the first.

Supergirl
Some hit and miss episodes, but Supergirl is so darn cute, I don’t care.

Face Off
This is how all reality based artistic competitions should be handled – it’s all about the art and zero drama.

X-Files
Part of me thinks it was the perfect way to end its six episode run and part of me wants to slap the crap out of creator Chris Carter.

IWSG Newsletter

Many of you received the first issue of the newsletter last week! Whether you are part of the monthly IWSG blog or not, you can sign up for the next issue HERE. It’s packed with articles, writing tips, and information.


It also features an article every month by an IWSG member! Here’s the details:

Topic Ideas: your number one writing, publishing or marketing tip; a motivational pep talk or inspirational story; a snippet about something you used to be insecure about but overcame or an aha moment you had about writing/publishing.

Length: 200 words or less

How to Submit: Send a DOC attachment to Chrys Fey at ChrysFey(at)yahoo(dot)com Put “Member Article” in the Subject Line.

A to Z Challenge

April is the A to Z Challenge – blogging every day but Sundays and in the order of the alphabet. If you’ve not yet signed up for this incredible event, go HERE.

For those participants with a theme for the Challenge, there is the A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal happening on March 21. Sign up HERE.

We also have chats every Thursday evening at 9:00 pm Eastern – look for #azchat and join us – ask questions and make friends.

If you’ve never participated, 2016 is a great year to begin. I was part of the very first one in 2010 and it changed my blog forever. I had fun, I made a ton of new friends, and I proved I could come up with a post almost daily. (I also had no theme, something I will never do again!)

Only one month away – join us!

New Releases

Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry by Tyrean Martinson
An eclectic mix of 90 short stories and poems written between 2013 and 2015.
Pick it up HERE

Catalyst by Lydia Kang
Now in paperback!
Pick it up on Amazon

Just Because…

Saw this on Heather Gardner’s site last week. Really, it’s not one of my goals (well, maybe when I was younger) but I found the snark hilarious:

What are your writing insecurities this month? Did you enjoy the first newsletter? Want to contribute an article? Have you seen any of the television shows? Signed up for the Challenge? And who else wants to slap Chris Carter...?

Chronicles of Shannara Review, RiffTrax’s Latest News, Fantasy Movie Trivia, Movie and Television News, and Ninja News!

The Chronicles of Shannara Review

Keep in mind, this is from someone who read these books as a teen and treasured them. Your perception of the show will vary according to how well you know the source material.

The series begins with the Ellcrys tree, which has held back the demon world for centuries, dying, and a band of people trying to find the magic to stop its death. The series begins with the second book in the original Shannara trilogy and no secret that Shannara is Earth far in the future. (Not sure why they didn’t begin with the first book. And it’s not until subsequent books that we learn this is actually Earth.)

I was terrified when I heard MTV was doing a series based on my favorite series. MTV? Really? But so far, after watching the first episode, I’m happy to say I’m enjoying it.

The main plot points of the show are accurate. They are following The Elf Stones of Shannara. However, the details have been altered to fit the younger, MTV demographic. The show contains a thousand times more angst that the entire series put together, but that’s to be expected.

The first episode moved at a breakneck speed. It sprinted forward over many scenes, probably just to bring the main characters altogether at the end. Now, maybe that’s the only way the MTV crowd can handle it, but I do hope they slow down and focus more on character development and at a leisurely pace. (Because at the current pace, they’ll burn through all the books in the first season.)

The casting choices overall are strong, especially Allanon. He plays the part well, and the actor even looks like the character on the original book. Will, the half-elf, is also well represented. He’s sweet, goofy, and very naïve. I also liked the inclusion of John Rhys-Davies in the cast. Can’t have an epic fantasy without him, can we?

For a television show, the special effects and makeup are both top notch. MTV certainly poured some money into the series.

The show is promising and not the train wreck I was dreading. If they can slow the pace a bit, it will be great. (The next couple episodes are available already online, but I’d rather wait and watch them on my HDTV. The next day of course, because 10:00 pm is my bedtime.)

And hopefully it will encourage people to read the books, because they are awesome!

Latest RiffTracks News

Some cool things happening with RiffTrax!

There is now a RiffTrax app! Available for both iOS and Andriod, this app will automatically sync RiffTrax ‘Just the Joke’ commentaries.
Just hit play on your phone or tablet and the app listens for the movie and automatically syncs everything, and keeps it synced. It will work with your TV, computer, DVDs, Blu-rays, Netflix, Amazon Video and other streams. The beta app is completely FREE, AND has all six Star Wars movies pre-loaded into it for FREE for you to try out! (That will be the ONLY way I can watch those prequels ever again!)

The Best of RiffTrax Live will be rebroadcasting two of its movies. Starship Troopers is on January 14 and The Room is on January 28. If you’ve never seen RiffTrax on the big screen, now is the time to catch it.

There is also a RiffWiki! Everything RiffTrax, including MST3K. With information, features, essential Riffs, and more.

And don’t forget, every Monday, there is a new MST3K title available.

Geek News

There are nine speculative fiction series debuting this month, including:
Legends of Tomorrow is the next DC series, taking a few characters from The Flash and Arrow, adding some new ones, and mixing them together for a superhero team. Premiers January 21.
The much anticipated X-Files miniseries premiers January 24, and creator Chris Carter promises we’ll get everything we loved about the original series.


Season six of Game of Thrones starts on April 24 – mark your calendars now.

JoBlo featured a list of Top Ten Greatest Movie Teasers of All Time. (And yes, I have seen all of the movies, more than once!)

TNT nixed the live-action Teen Titans series. (Damn you TNT!)

And Netflix announced season two of DareDevil will begin on March 18, and they released a trailer for the critically acclaimed show:

Ninja News

The winner of the IWSG Anthology Contest, L.G. Keltner, is a guest today at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with some awesome information and tips about anthologies.


Our very own Anti-A to Z Spokesperson, Gary at Klahanie, actually promote the IWSG last week! Of course, that might be because he thinks it stands for I Was Seeking Gary…

Cloaked by T.F. Walsh is out now.
The second book comes out in March and the third in May.



Book Goodies now allows authors fill out an interview form that is posted on their site, and afterwards, books can be added. My interview is HERE.

The Lost and Found: Valentine’s Edition blogfest takes place February 1. For details and to sign up, go HERE.



Version Sacrifice results, featuring the song Dead Souls:
Nine Inch Nails – 10
Joy Division – 10
My vote for NIN gave us a tie!

Movie Trivia – Fantasy!

All of these ‘fantasy’ movies (two with horror elements) take place mostly in a forest. Name the movie from the cryptic description.

1 – The first in a series that should’ve been seven films, the adventure begins in the snowy winter woods. 2005
2 – A trip to this forest turned out to be a game to feed an ancient beast. 2011
3 – This fable involved a tower and naïve young woman who wants to explore the world. 2010
4 – This epic tale has man joining a dozen others to battle a mysterious enemy that descends from a mountain lair. 1999
5 – The first of three films has an unlikely hero setting off with a group of dwarves. 2012

Answers Monday!


Anyone else watching the Chronicles of Shannara? Ready for some RiffTrax fun? Any January series catch your attention? Think the new X-Files will be a good as promised? Want to submit to some anthologies? And do you know any of the trivia…?
And found out this morning David Bowie died. How sad!