Get Healthy Bloghop, Fast and Furious 6 Review, Ninja News, Wednesday Movie Quote, and How to be Happy!

Today is the Get Healthy Bloghop!

But first…

Ninja News

Special thanks to Gina Goa at Modern World who posted about me for the 3-UP Bloghop!

The Special Edition of The Woven Tale Press is now available. Put together by Sandra Taylor, and out of thousands of posts submitted from this year's A-Z Challenge, twenty-six made their way into this "summary" of what the challenge is all about. It features several of my blogger buddies, including Chuck at Apocalypse Now, Tangent Shell, LG Keltner, Father Dragon Al, Marcy at Maine Words, and Steven Symes. Congratulations, guys!

Shelly Arkon, Norma Beishir, and William Kendall have a created a group on Facebook, Authors for Oklahoma. They’re looking for fellow authors to donate a book, either virtual or paper, to be raffled off or have a donation made to The American Red Cross, and/or make a money donation. The Facebook page is HERE Contact Shelly if you can donate a book!

Nancy LaRonda Johnson started a Tuesday’s Journal Past Blast, which involves posting an old journal or blog entry. She’s opened it up for others to join, so check it out.

Fran notified me of this UK site – Bloggers For Charity, “Wargames Bloggers joining forces to put on a Charity Demo Game at Triples 2014.” They support the charities Men Matter and Help for Heroes, so whether or not you’re a gamer, check it out.

And don’t forget the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is next Wednesday, June 5! My awesome co-hosts will be Sheena-kay Graham, Suzanne Furness, and Laura Eno.

How to be Happy

Rebecca Bradley tagged me with the How to be Happy in 5 Easy Steps Meme.

I may or may not be doing this right, but these are my five steps to being happy:

Love the Lord with all my heart.
Love my wife with all my heart.
Give to others at every opportunity.
Take care of the temple, which includes my church, my home, and my body.
Give thanks in all things.

Think that about covers it!

Passing this on to Lee at Tossing it Out (because I think he’s probably ready for a happy post), Robyn at Life by Chocolate (she could also use a happy post), Mary at Play Off the Page, Hildie McQueen, and Kathe at It’s a Snap!

Wednesday Movie Quote

This week - apocalyptic films. (Before, during, or after.)

Mine comes from Zombieland:

Tallahassee: “My mama always told me someday I’d be good at something. Who’d a guessed that something’d be zombie-killing?”
Columbus: “Probably nobody.”

Next week – dragon movies!

Movie Review

Fast and Furious 6
Dom and the gang are back for one more gig.
While not quite as good as the fifth one, this film still delivers where it matters. The plot is simple (leave your brain at the door) – Hobbs (Johnson) entices Dom (Diesel) and Brian (Walker) to reassemble their crew to take down the commander of a large organization in exchange for full pardons and the chance to reunite with Dom’s girlfriend, Letty (Rodriguez.)
It’s all about the action, and watching Dom’s team race through London is awesome. The last thirty minutes really elevate the film to a new level with sequences involving a tank and an airplane. Kids, don’t try those stunts at home.
When the credits begin, stay in your seat – there will be a Fast and Furious 7. (And what an awesome villain they’ll face!)
Testosterone level – high.
Brain power – low.
Fun factor – full throttle!

Get Healthy Bloghop

Hosted by Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, Michael Di Gesu, and myself!

Offer your best tips and plans to get healthy.

Mine is short and simple, and it’s the best thing you can do for your body.

Drink more water.

We’re supposed to get sixty-four ounces of water a day. While some of that can come from other liquids, water is still best. Most people don’t drink nearly enough water though.

Most of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty. Rather than grabbing some chips, drink a bottle of water. (If you’re still hungry fifteen minutes later, then eat.) Water is also filling, so you’ll eat less.

Thirst is a poor indicator of when we need liquid. By the time you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drinking water often prevents this.

Other benefits – helps balance our body fluids, contributes to healthy skin, energizes muscles, and benefits the kidneys and other organs and body functions.

Only downside is more trips to the bathroom, but that’s exercise, right?

Visit others participating in the bloghop for more healthy tips!


Ready to help some charities? What are your steps to being happy? Got a good apocalyptic movie quote? And what are your tips for getting healthy?

WE’VE GOT MOVIE SIGN! Ninja News, Wednesday Movie Quote, Movie Review, March Movies, and Movie Trivia

And bonus points if you can name the movie/show from that first sentence!

Ninja News

Justine Dell’s All-American Girl hit the shelves on Tuesday. She’s on tour with many opportunities to win free books and stuff. Congratulations, Justine!

Isis Rushdan, awesome person that she is, will be giving away copies of my books today! You rock, Isis.

Don’t forget, Wednesday March 6 is the next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. My awesome co-hosts will be Misha Gericke and Joylene Nowell Butler!

Thanks to those who’ve continued to post my next book’s cover this week. (And to clarify, my publisher did the cover for CassaStorm. Carrie Butler made the three book graphic.)
Michael Di Gesu at In Time posted on Monday with a “Journey into Space” and the series continues all week – check it out!The Ninja Captain and Cadet Michael are traveling the universe.

And since today is all about movies, don’t forget that March 18 is my Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest.

Wednesday Movie Quote

Leave your favorite quote in the comments or play along on your own blog.

Today – romantic comedies.

My quote comes from one of the best romantic comedies ever made, When Harry Met Sally, and it’s a classic:

“I’ll have what she’s having.”

Next week – cell animation movies.

Movie Review

Ted
Despite the fact it was directed by Seth MacFarlane, I couldn’t bring myself to see this in the theater, but I caught it last weekend on NetFlix.
A childhood wish brings Ted to life, and many years later, he and Wahlburg’s character are still friends. Yes, it’s crude, and crosses the line more than once. (A lot less than Family Guy does though, which surprised me.) Ted is snarky but not mean-spirited. Their friendship is tested when Wahlburg’s girlfriend suggests Ted moves out on his own.
I liked it more than I thought I would. What surprised me was that at its heart, this is romantic comedy. If you can get past the crude aspects, it’s both funny and sweet.

March Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming movies for March! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

1 -

Jack the Giant Slayer
The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack, a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds.
Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy
If you’ve seen the original (preferably the version slayed by MST3K’s Riff Trax guys) then you know this has to be better!

8 –

Oz the Great and Powerful
A small-time magician with dubious ethics arrives in a magical land and must decide if he will be a good man or a great one.
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis
The previews are great and Rami as director raises its chances. (And it has Rachel Weisz!)

Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey follows the real life rock-n-roll fairy tale story of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from You Tube to become the front man for iconic American rock band, Journey, thereby becoming the latest performer to go from the Internet to real life celebrity. Having already overcome a life full of painful obstacles and now saddled with the immense pressures of leading a world renowned band and replacing a legendary singer, the film follows Arnel on this personal journey.
Director: Ramona S. Diaz
Stars: Arnel Pineda, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory
I won’t catch it in theaters, but the success of Pineda as Journey’s new front man is amazing.

15 –

Upside Down
Adam and Eden fell in love as teens despite the fact that they live on twinned worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions. Ten years after a forced separation, Adam sets out on a dangerous quest to reconnect with his love.
Director: Juan Solanas
Stars: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst, Timothy Spall, Agnieshka Wnorowska
This one has been delayed a while. Never a good sign!

22 –

The Croods
The world's very first prehistoric family goes on a road trip to an uncharted and fantastical world. Directors: Kirk De Micco | Chris Sanders
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener
Can anyone name a Nicolas Cage film in the last ten years that was good? Maybe since he’s just a voice it will be all right.


29 –

G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. Director: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Ray Park, Bruce Willis
This one was delayed from last summer. And it has Dwayne Johnson. This could be road kill.

Movie Trivia!

Quotes from blockbuster movies – name the movie:

1 – "Certainty of death, small chance of success… What are we waiting for?"

2 – "You HAVE the right to remain silent. What you lack is the capacity."

3 – "Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to exit the donut."

4 – "No, I’m, I’m simply saying that life, uh… finds a way."

5 – "That when a willing victim who has committed no treachery, is killed in a traitor’s stead, the stone table will crack, and even death itself would turn backwards."

Ready for next week’s IWSG? Following the Journey into Space? What’s your favorite romantic movie quote? Excited about any of the March movies? And care to take a stab at the trivia?

Ninja News, Celebrating Small Things, and the February Movie Preview

Ninja News

Brinda Berry created a trailer for Isis Rushdan’s’ book, Kindred of the Fallen. Brinda does an awesome job with trailers, and they are debuting it on both sites today, so check it out!

The sign up list for the A to Z Challenge opened on Wednesday, and we are on our way to five hundred already. If you haven’t signed up yet, go HERE. And for those of you wondering how to plan for the Challenge, Clare Dugmore posted her topics for both of here blogs HERE and HERE. Now that is organized and prepared!!

In the excitement of the Challenge list opening, I forgot to mention next week’s Wednesday Movie Quote genre – crime thriller.
Thanks to those of you who are playing along!

Next Wednesday is also the next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, and my co-hosts are Stephen Tremp and Julie Flanders.

Celebrate the Small Things

“Celebrate the Small Things” is hosted every Friday by VikLit.

This week I celebrate a breakthrough on my third book’s back cover synopsis, thanks to Rusty Webb. I still haven’t been able to make the appropriate changes because my publisher returned my manuscript this week and I’ve been working on the revisions. But that’s cool – CassaStorm is one step closer to reality!

February Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming movies for February! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

1 -

Warm Bodies
After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton
Zombie love sounds icky – things could fall off.
Yeah, I’ll admit I’m curious about this movie.

Bullet to the Head
After watching their respective partners die, a New Orleans hitman and a Washington D.C. detective form an alliance in order to bring down their common enemy.
Director: Walter Hill
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, Sung Kang
Watching a sixty-six year old man kick ass teeters between impressive and sad.

Stand Up Guys
A pair of aging con men try to get the old gang back together for one last hurrah before one of the guys takes his last assignment -- to kill his comrade.
Director: Fisher Stevens
Stars: Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken, Julianna Margulies
Dig that Alan Arkin – the guy is hilarious.



8 -

Side Effects
A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Stars: Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Guessing this isn’t the feel good movie of the year.



15 -

A Good Day to Die Hard
John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.
Director: John Moore
Stars: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Patrick Stewart
Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother Russia! That’s right – that never grows old.

22 -

Dark Skies
As the Barret family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them.
Director: Scott Charles Stewart
Stars: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, J.K. Simmons
Please tell me this will rise above every genre cliché known to man…
However the preview says – not so much.

Snitch
A father goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Rafi Gavron
The Rock doesn’t have the best track record with movies. This film probably won’t change that.


Have you signed up for the Challenge yet? (And do you have a theme?) Ready for the IWSG? What are you celebrating this week? Any of those movies interest you? And who do you think will win the Super Bowl on Sunday? (Even Mini-Alex will be watching…)

And Monday I will finally reveal my next blogfest on March 18!!

Diablo III, Ninja News, Guest Posts, and Movie Trivia

Diablo III

After three solid days of playing, I can now give you a review of Diablo III. If you dug Diablo II, you’ll probably dig Diablo III. If not, nothing about this game will change your mind. Picking up twenty years after Diablo’s death, the world of Sanctuary is under threat from a new hellish terror. Game play is fast and furious as usual. The one big change is you must be connected to the Internet while playing, even in single player mode. This is great, because your character goes with you everywhere. And not so great when the servers are down for maintenance (Happened twice to me already.) Doesn’t bring a lot new to the table, but if you like this style of gameplay, it doesn’t get any better than this!

Ninja News!

Purchase Jeremy Hawkins’ book, Retro-Zombie: Art & Words, (and do a review/post), and he will design an awesome banner, badge, or blog header for you. Many of you saw his awesome work during the A to Z Challenge, and above you can see the one he did for CassaFire. His work is top-notch, so visit his BLOG for details.

It’s almost time for my annual YOU ROCK! Awards. And I can tell you right now it’s going to be REALLY difficult narrowing it down to five bloggers…

This weekend – Battleship. My plan – leave brain at door and prepare for eye candy.

Guest Posts

I enjoy having guests on my blog and not just for book releases, either. My guidelines are listed HERE and I do stick close to them because I know what works on my blog. I want guests to get the full benefit just as much as I want my followers to enjoy the guest post.

And for those authors on a book tour, my personal goal is that you will get more comments here than at any other stop on your tour!

Billion Dollar Movie Quotes!

In honor of The Avengers joining the billion dollar movie club, here are quotes from movies that have also crossed over a billion dollars. Name the movie!

“The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.”

“You know, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see that you are intentionally screwing me.”

“C'mon. Let's go see how much we're going for on eBay.”

“Certainty of death, *small* chance of success... What are we waiting for?”

“I may have had... briefly, mind you... stirrings.”

Are you playing Diablo III yet? (Or have you lost a loved one to this addictive game?) Want an awesome banner from Jeremy? Seeing Battleship? Know the movie quotes? And what’s your goal for guest posts?

CassaFire Tour Day Nine, IWSG, Ninja News, Movie Trivia

Two more days to party. Can you stand the heat? If not, sorry, I probably added too many Hot Tamales.

Today’s stop is with Damyanti at Daily Writes

I met her last year during the second A to Z Challenge. She wrote a piece of flash fiction for every letter and then composed it all into a book called the A to Z Stories. I was so impressed! She really gave her all to the Challenge. And this year she is one of the co-hosts. I also call her Damy, since that’s what used to show up when she left a comment, and I really hope she doesn’t mind…

For this stop, I explained why critique partners rock - visit Damyanti HERE

Don’t forget that everyone who comments here on my blog over the next two weeks will be entered to win this cool prize package from my publisher. So be sure to comment every single day!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Wow, once again your posts for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! were amazing. I’m not even halfway through the list. And I apologize to everyone that I haven’t visited yet! Not sure why I selected a Wednesday, since we tend to have meetings at work every Wednesday morning. But I will try to visit all the newcomers to the IWSG. So glad you could join this awesome family. And thank you for your comments here. They made everything I’ve gone through all worthwhile!

Ninja News

Thanks to everyone who visited my stop with Lee yesterday!

I was asked to be a part of a huge science fiction conference – details tomorrow. Headliners include Timothy Zhan and Bruce Campbell!

My buddy George at Cinemarvellous is celebrating his birthday Friday! And he’s posting his top twenty favorite movies of 2011 to celebrate. No one reviews movies like George and he knows his stuff. Please go wish him a happy birthday!

Angela Felsted is offering her book Scarred for free until Friday. You can download it HERE Thank you, Angela!

Rick’s book, Tainted Blood, is now available for the Kindle. Congratulations, Rick!

 Trivia answers from Wednesday:

1 – “Turning Japanese” 1980’s The Vapors
2 – “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” 1993 Crash Test Dummies
3 – “Axel F” 1984 Harold Faltermeyer
4 – “Turn up the Radio” 1985 Autograph

Trivia Questions – Movies again!

Quotes – name the movie:

1 – “I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sitting on the porch with my family, singing and dancing.”

2 – “They don’t advertise for killers in the newspaper. That was my profession. Ex-cop…”

3 – “Where are you going, Mr. Fat Jack?”

4 – “Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”

Are you still laughing that I could offer any writing tips? Were you moved by the posts for the IWSG? Get yesterday’s trivia right? How about today? Last chance!!!


Now, go visit the awesome Damyanti!

Contests, ORIGINS, Pop Culture Answers - and More!

Over at the A to Z Challenge blog is a big announcement regarding our video challenge/contest! See the site for rules and guidelines.

David Powers King just hit five hundred followers, and to celebrate he’s hosting a giveaway!

Only two more days to enter the Goodreads Giveaway for CassaFire and don’t forget to sign up for the Catch Fire! Blog Party for more chances to win.

I’m happy to announce the ORIGINS blogfest!

The brain child of DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude, I’m proud to be a co-sponsor along with Katie Mills aka Creepy Query Girl and Matthew MacNish at The QQQE.

On Monday, February 13th, post your own origin story. Tell us all where your writing dreams began. It could be anything from how you started making up stories as a child, or writing for the school newspaper, or even what prompted you to start a blog. How about stories about the first time somebody took an interest in your writing, or maybe the singular moment when you first started calling yourself a writer. It all started somewhere and we want you to tell us your own unique beginnings.

Sign up below!

And now, the answers to the Pop Culture Trivia, with a couple new ones for you…

Movies:
Quote – name the movie: “Three weeks, twenty papers, that’s two dollars.” Better Off Dead
What now famous actor was killed in his bed in A Nightmare on Elm Street? (1984) Johnny Depp
What actress appeared in Less Than Zero, Twister, and The Lost Boys? Jami Gertz
In True Romance, who plays Christian Slater’s vision of Elvis? Val Kilmer
Quote – name the movie: “You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?” Pulp Fiction

Music:
What famous guitarist for Ozzy was killed March 1982? Randy Rhodes
Where did the band White Zombie get its name? From a 1932 movie called White Zombie
Milton Berle was in two of Ratt’s music videos – what was the connection? The band’s manager was Berle’s Nephew
What album spent a record-setting 778 weeks on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart? Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Who was the hot blonde in the video for the Grammy winning song, Rosanna, by Toto? Cynthia Rhodes

TV:
Before it was a hit series, The Simpsons debuted as a short skit on what FOX show? The Tracy Ulman Show
Which actress replaced Shelly Long when she left Cheers? Kirstie Alley
What award-winning two hour show parodied other movies from 1988 to 1999? Mystery Science Theater 3000
Director Michael Mann produced what TV series, later directing the film version? Miami Vice
What actor was on Saturday Night Live, hosted two TV shows, Monday Night Football, and even hosted a game show? Dennis Miller

Bonus Game question:
What is the best-selling game console ever? Playstation 2

How’d you do? Want a couple more? Guess these movie quotes:

“The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

“I call it blood, detective. I suppose you’ll write it up as ‘graffiti.’”

“Anything else that’ll keep this elevator from falling?” “Yeah. The basement.” 

Know any of those answers? Signing up for the blogfest? Know any other events around the blogging world? Still waiting for me to explain ‘progressive rock?’