Spacedock 19, Ninja News, Adversarius, Movie Trivia Answers, and the Beginnings Blogfest!

Today I am visiting author M. Pax and Spacedock 19! Mary knows how to ask those hard hitting questions, and she grilled me on outlining. (Clones may have been mentioned as well.) Visit M. Pax for the full scoop!

And do you like the new header? Totally rocks! Created by the awesome Retro Zombie Jeremy - contact him if you'd like an interactive header as well. You the man, Jeremy!

Ninja News

Mark Koopmans is hosting his annual Got Green? Blog O’ Hop on March 15.

Nick at Scattergun Scribblings is hosting the Overcoming Adversity Blogfest February 4-5. Entries will be compiled into a book and the proceeds will go to funding college for his son, Andrew, who has cerebral palsy.

SA Larson created this writer’s creed. See her site to sign up and get your badge.


Hilde McQueen’s latest book is out, Where the Four Winds Collide. Congratulations, Hildie!

Now available - Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann

“It's stupid to fall for your brother's ex. It's even worse to enlist another's help to win the ex over…”

Find Becca Ann on Facebook
Find her book on Goodreads and purchase the eBook or paperback at Amazon.




And don’t forget to save the date for my next blogfest, March 18 – to be announced next month!

Available Now!

Mel has worked so long and hard on this book, and it’s finally available!

Adversarius by ML Chesley

Two kingdoms, two goals.
The king of Relavia is determined to wipe out his warring neighbors in Paridzule, a worthy adversary for over five hundred years. News of an arranged marriage between his son and the daughter of his lifelong enemy has fueled the temper of Relavia's tyrannical king. What he doesn't realize is the true measure of his son's honor and how far he is willing to go to gain peace.

M. L. Chesley is an Alaska based author, online blogger and MMORPG junkie. She has been writing fantasy for several years. Between writing, work and family she barely has time for much gaming, but some days, raids take precedence over all. If you would like to learn more about her world, created in this book, go to her website. You can also follow her blog or on Facebook.
Purchase Adversarius Amazon or Smashwords.

Congratulations, Mel!!!

Movie Trivia Answers

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. Caddyshack
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. Animal House
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?” A Fish Called Wanda
4 – Are you telling me I put an abnormal brain into a seven-and-a-half-foot-long, 54-inch-wide gorilla? Young Frankenstein
5 – Can I raise a practical question? Are we gonna do Stonehenge tomorrow? This is Spinal Tap

Beginnings Blogfest

Hosted by the awesome LG Keltner, we are to post about our writing beginnings.

Want to know how CassaStar began?

There were many influences. I was always a Star Trek fan. Star Wars came along and redefined movies and space operas. I enjoyed the likes of Bradbury and Heinlein.

And then, a single image for an upcoming TV series caught my attention:

Frank Frazetta’s artwork for the series Battlestar Galactica.

What ignited my imagination was the setting – a rocky planet and a downed ship. The characters, stranded and ready to defend themselves, also caught my attention. (And in the central character, you can probably see the beginnings of Byron.) I imagined two people, a pilot and a navigator, their fighter shot down on a rocky planet and forced to make a sacrifice.

That scene, written when I was a teen, was the only part of the original story to survive. (And the scene changed some during the rewrite.) But that image ignited the story behind CassaStar, which eventually became my first published book. Now it’s an Amazon Best Seller and has spawned two sequels.

A picture really is worth a thousand words!

Excited about the new books and blogfests? Are you picking up Adversarius? Get any of the movie trivia right? And how did your writing begin?

Don’t forget to visit M. Pax’s Spacedock 19!

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?

IWSG Thanks, Mini-Alex, Ninja News, From the Ashes Reveal, NFL Super Bowl Predictions, and the January Movie Preview

What a way to kick off 2013 than with an awesome round of Insecure Writer’s Support Group posts. So many positive, goal setting posts and so many new members. Special thanks to Tyrean Martinson and Jamie Gibbs for co-hosting this month. (My co-hosts for February 6 will be Stephen Tremp and Julie Flanders.)

And thank you for the encouraging comments (and emails) regarding my writing or music dilemma. I won’t rush into anything and I don’t plan to stop blogging either. God will show me the path where I can be the most effective.

Mini-Alex!

Yes, he arrived on Thursday and in one piece. Elise, thank you SO MUCH for sending him. Now that he’s here, I am really impressed by how much effort you put into making him look awesome. And he’s bigger than I thought!

Here is Mini-Alex between two of my guitars. Safe to say, he will not be playing those anytime soon. Doubt I will be able to top Paris, but I might have to take Mini-Alex on a road trip.See what kind of trouble we can get into...

Ninja News

Candilynn Fite has an agent! She is now represented by Ms. Kathleen Rushall from Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Congratulations, Candilynn!

Melissa Maygrove had an awesome post on Wednesday listing ways we can motivate ourselves to write. Some good stuff, so check it out!

Cover Reveal!

From the Ashes by Jessica K. McKendry

“I'm not sure how it all went wrong…”

An insightful look at the good and bad that exist within us, McKendry's debut is a high-octane adventure that pushes the imagination to the limit as it lays bare the nature of self-reliance, self-confidence, and teamwork. Playing with the concepts of dark and light and how they affect our lives in multiple forms, her novel is a complex coming of age story that encapsulates the heroine's journey from student to leader. A dark tale of love and revenge, From the Ashes is a powerful reminder to think for yourself instead of blindly following what you've been taught to believe.

Available next month – congratulations, Jessica!

NFL Super Bowl Predictions

With the final week of the regular season mathematically eliminating a dozen teams including my own (no I’m not naming them – they didn’t deserve to go anyway) and ending on a good note (anytime the Cowboys lose, it’s a good note) we slide into the playoffs this weekend. A couple teams are suspect and a couple could surprise us.

My predictions for who will go to the Super Bowl:

From the AFC – Either Broncos or the Patriots. Denver has played good all season but you can’t count out the Patriots.

From the NFC – Either the 49ers or Seahawks. The 49ers just might be for real, but of all the teams, the Seahawks are the most dangerous right now and on a roll.

And if my predictions were any bit accurate, you could take me to Vegas!

I wouldn’t pack my bags if I were you…

January 2013 Movies

Here are the upcoming movies for January! A quiet month, as it tends to be the dumping grounds for movies. As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

11 -

Gangster Squad
A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Giovanni Ribisi
Sean Penn plays a jerk – big surprise! Could be good.


18 -

The Last Stand
The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.
Director: Jee-woon Kim
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eduardo Noriega, Forest Whitaker, John Patrick Amedori
Ridiculous and over the top. Schwarzenegger is way too old to do this anymore.

Broken City
An ex-cop trailing the wife of New York City's mayor finds himself immersed in a larger scandal.
Director: Allen Hughes
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kyle Chandler
Crowe plays a jerk – another big surprise! And this one could be good as well.


25 -

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters
In this dark spin on the fairy tale, siblings Hansel and Gretel are a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen
This movie will be either cheesy great or embarrassingly awful. Don’t think there will be an in-between.

John Dies at the End
A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return as no longer human. Can two college dropouts save humankind from this silent, otherworldly invasion?
Director: Don Coscarelli
Stars: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown
From the director of Bubba Ho-Tep and probably just as weird.

Were you encouraged by the IWSG posts this week? See some interesting announcements? Who do you predict will go to the Super Bowl? Any movies look enticing? And where on the east coast could Mini-Alex go?

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, Ninja News, Save the Date, Django Unchained Review, and Word of the Year

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 two awesome co-hosts this month are Tyrean Martinson and Jamie Gibbs! Please be sure to thank them for their time and effort to make all IWSG members feel welcome.

And welcome to 2013! Everyone recharged and ready? Got your goals set? Know exactly what you want to accomplish this year?

Wait, some of you don’t?

That’s all right – I don’t either. I spent the past few weeks enjoying time off, time with family, sleeping, game playing, guitar playing, reading, movie watching, and in general a whole lot of nothing. Outside of plans for my third book’s release in September and another year of hosting the A to Z Challenge, I haven’t made any big decisions for this year.

Many of you have heard me say my third book might be my last. I never wanted to be an author and I think it rather caught me by surprise. Music has always been a part of my life though, and in the past year it has evolved into something even larger. And I may have some decisions to make as to which creative path to pursue.

I don’t want to let down you guys or my fans, but I don’t want to let down God either. He got me this far - I just need to figure out which way to go from here.

And it’s a lot to consider! Why did God get me to this point? Really doubt it was to make my books so successful. (Yes, they are clean and morally sound, but they are not going to change lives.) Was it to get me to a point where I can really help other writers and bloggers? That is more likely. But do I need to keep writing books to do that? Do I need to write something else? Or do I need to pursue my new musical career? (Since I’m playing contemporary Christian, it might really change lives.)

So, I’ll be doing a lot of thinking and praying over the next month or two, looking for my answer. God will lead me to a place where I can have the greatest impact. Whatever that may be is fine with me. (Even if I do have to keep writing more books, which yes, scares the crap out of me!)

Be sure to visit others on the LIST.

NinjaNews

Milo James Fowler at In Media Res posted his numbers for the year. Thanks to Write1Sub1, Milo had thirty-five stories accepted this year for publication. Plus there’s a lot more that happened in 2012. Congratulations, Milo!!

If you haven’t had a chance, Old Kitty (keeper of Charlie and Gumtree) has a story in Writers for Animals, which is available on Amazon UK. All profits will be donated to animal sanctuaries, so not only will you get to read Kitty’s story, you will help out some animals.

Misha at My First Book has a project for the year involving Awareness and Paying it Forward – and she’s looking for others to join her. See Misha’s site for details.

Save the Date!

There have been so many blogfests lately, I decided I didn’t want to rush into the New Year with another one – but, I do have the date selected! Monday, March 18. And I’m going back to one of the very first blogfests I ever hosted. (Back when I had less than two hundred followers.) I’m sure MOST of you missed those early fests, so this will be a chance to do a simple, fun, everyone-can-participate blogfest before the A to Z Challenge kicks off.

Movie Review

Django Unchained
It’s a very straightforward story but told in Tarantino’s style. It wasn’t as violent or gory as critics claimed, either. (Although the gunfights are bloody and the depiction of slavery brutal.) Overall, the film is a fun western like only Tarantino could do.
Christoph Waltz is spectacular. He steals every scene, and as a bounty hunter with a heart, you’re never really sure what he’s going to say or do.
There are moments of extreme humor as well. Some are so zany, you start to wonder if the film isn’t a broad comedy.
It’s as long as The Hobbit, but like that movie, it didn’t feel long. (Again, skip the big drink.)
If you enjoy Tarantino films, go see it. If not, then this movie isn’t going to change your mind.

Word for the Year

I got this idea from Tina. It’s a word to guide us in our decisions throughout 2013. Tina stated her word for 2013 was contentment. I started thinking about what word I would chose, and I received confirmation of my choice in Liza’s thankful post this week.

My Word for the Year – GIVE

What word would you choose?

What insecurities are you facing today? Or are you feeling the optimism of a new year? March 18 marked now? See Django Unchained or another movie over the holidays? Have a great Christmas? And what is your word for 2013?