IWSG News, Movie Remakes and Box Office, Ninja News, Super Blogger, and Thunderstruck on Bagpipes!

A lot happening today!!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Many of you participate in the IWSG every month, but there may be some things you don’t know about it. Or you might wonder what the IWSG is all about. Well, I’ve taken over Lee’s Tossing it Out today and you can find your answers there!

Does the IWSG really matter to writers? Livia had Celeste Holloway as a guest last week and her whole post was about the IWSG. You can read it HERE. Celeste, thanks – you are the reason why I started this group.

Don’t forget – we post this Wednesday!

Ninja News

Today at the A to Z Blog is an interview with a very special blogger - Father Dragon Al. It’s the Challenge Participant Feature, and Al had one of the coolest themes for the Challenge. We cover everything from dwarf tossing to X-Files to Angry Birds and learn a lot about the heart of one awesome dragon. Visit the A to Z Blog HERE

Laura at My Baffling Brain announced that the anthology she helped create with her Creative Writing Masters friends has now been published. Congratulations, Laura! You can check it out HERE.

And Wednesday I hope to reveal the book trailer for CassaStorm!! Yes, the suspense is killing me. I also have some big news about my third book as well, so be sure to stop by.

Super Blogger Award

The ever-awesome Mark at Left and Write created the Super Blogger Award – and honored me with being the first recipient. Mark, you rock!

I am passing this on to another man who is a super blogger, Mark Koopmans! What he lacks in hair he makes up for in heart and dedication. You’re the man, Mort!

This award also stipulates that the recipient is to reveal one secret. I really couldn’t think of anything interesting though, and of course Ninja Secrets cannot be revealed. However, this might make you chuckle – the first album this metal head ever owned was by Peter Frampton. Of course, back in the day, the man could jam. And he’s still an excellent guitar player. Sorry, best I could do! Maybe Mark will offer something better.

Entertainment News

September 24 will be a big release day – Iron Man III on DVD and Dream Theater’s next album. (One week after CassaStorm’s release – awesome!)

Hollywood just can’t stop remaking films. Here are some of the remakes scheduled:
Jacob’s Ladder
Robocop
Suspiria
Ghost in the Shell
Jumanji
Point Break
Dirty Dancing
Time Bandits
Heavy Metal
West World

On the World Wide Box Office Chart:
Fast and Furious 6 passed Fast Five and has made $682 million dollars.
Star Trek Into Darkness is #147 with $438 million.
Man of Steel has already made $520 million plus.
And out of the 527 movies on that list, I’ve seen 471 of them. I really am nearing the end of NetFlix…

And if you haven’t seen the Australian bagpiper playing AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, you are in for a treat!

Flames and everything! Now that is just wild.

Ready for July’s IWSG? Want to learn more about dwarf tossing at the A to Z Blog? Know someone who is a Super Blogger? What did you think of the bagpiper? And which of those movie remakes annoys you the most…?

Don’t forget to visit Tossing it Out!

And be sure to come back her Wednesday for CassaStorm’s trailer and some cool news!

The July Movie Preview! Plus CassaStorm Updates, Wednesday Movie Quote, and Ninja News

Ninja News

Misha Gericke’s Paying it Forward nominations are open again! One category - Blogger Most Deserving of Having Their Day Made. See her site for details.

Nominate a self-published author for their weekly series spotlight at The Guardian.

Sarah Ahiers has a story, Smothered, in Dark Moon Digest’s YA quarterly edition. Congratulations, Sarah!

Available now!

Ruby’s Fire by Catherine Stine

If everything about you changes, what remains?

Find Ruby’s Fire at Amazon, Amazon Kindle, and Goodreads.


Author Samantha Redstreake Geary is collaborating with the motion picture music production house, Audiomachine, for their album release "The Tree of Life" beginning July 15th. She’s hosting a "Tree of Life: Branching Out" writing challenge/contest for guest writers, each contributing their own 150 word excerpt to a continuing story collectively written over the course of 25 days. Guest writers can spin the story in whatever direction they choose, as long as it relates to the previously posted excerpt and is inspired by the featured Audiomachine track. When the collective story is complete, fans will vote for their favorite excerpt -- the top three writers will be awarded prizes. See her site for details.

Updates!

After making one widget featuring my blogger buddies’ books (see left side bar – bottom) I realized I’d missed some, so I made a second one. A few books I couldn’t find (the widget is through Amazon) and I apologize. Hopefully I’ve featured one book from everyone!

I will be taking Fridays off through July so I can complete all the revisions for CassaStorm. I’ll still be visiting, but I won’t be posting.

And… the book trailer for CassaStorm should be ready soon! My publisher asked for three key taglines, and other than shorter than the first two trailers, I don’t know anything else about it. I’m really eager to see it, though!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Today’s genre – superhero films!


I have to go with The Avengers:

“Puny god.”

Next week – water movies! (You may interpret that any way you like.)

July Movie Preview

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

3 – 

The Lone Ranger
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.
Director: Gore Verbinski
Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
Verbinski and Depp have done it before – can they do it again?

Despicable Me 2
Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.
Directors: Pierre Coffin | Chris Renaud
Stars: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Ken Jeong
The Minions are back! Who doesn’t dig the Minions?



12 –

Pacific Rim
When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi
Giant robots versus giant monsters and directed by del Toro – need I say more?


19 –

Red 2
Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.
Director: Dean Parisot
Stars: Bruce Willis, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich
Great cast and the first one was hilarious.

R.I.P.D.
A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.
Director: Robert Schwentke
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon
Undead police… um, sure.

Turbo
A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500.
Director: David Soren
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson
It’s Ryan Reynolds day! Maybe we’ll get singing slugs like the ones in Flushed Away.



26 – 

The Wolverine
Wolverine makes a voyage to modern-day Japan, where he encounters an enemy from his past that will impact on his future.
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto
It’s got to be better than his origins film!



See some interesting news today? Anyone as excited as me to see the trailer for CassaStorm? (Well, probably not.) What’s your favorite superhero film quote? And what movies will you be seeing in July?

The Truth About Clones, World War Z Review, Thrill of it All Blogfest, and Movie Trivia Answers

Today I’d like to welcome fellow science fiction author, Sandra Ulbrich Almazan! Sandra knows her science and she’s here to share about clones. (Yes – clones!)

Are Clones Really Identical to the People They're Cloned From?

Clones, twins, and other types of doubles make for interesting fiction because they allow us to explore questions of identity. How much of what makes us unique is determined by our genes, and how much by our environment? One way to answer this question is by looking at people who have identical genes, whether they're natural twins or an "original" person (whom I'll refer to as the DNA donor) and the clone created from him or her. However, DNA donors and clones may differ from each other in unexpected ways.

Most of the DNA in each human cell is in the nucleus. Humans have twenty-two pairs of autosomal chromosomes (identical in form and genes) and one pair of sex-determining chromosomes. If you uncoiled the DNA in the chromosomes and laid them all end-to-end, the strand would stretch out for about six feet. It's a marvel of packaging that all this DNA fits into a space six micrometers (millionths of a meter) across. Surprisingly, most of this DNA isn't what we consider a gene: a stretch of DNA that codes for a protein or part of a protein. There are about 20,000 genes in the human genome, comparable to other animals. Many of the non-coding regions of DNA regulate how the genes are expressed.

When an organism is cloned, the nuclear DNA is copied and inserted into a receptive egg (one that had its own DNA removed). However, there is DNA outside the cell nucleus in special organelles called mitochondria. Mitochondria are involved in the final steps of breaking down food to produce energy. They are thought to be ancient bacteria that became incorporated into eukaryotic (cells with nuclei) cells. Mitochondria still have their own independent DNA, and this DNA does play a role in certain human metabolism diseases. However, mitochondria are not normally transferred from the DNA donor to the clone. I did specifically mention in Lyon's Legacy that when Sean Lyon, a famous TwenCen musician, was cloned, his mitochondria were introduced into the egg along with his DNA. However, not all of the mitochondria from the egg were removed, so the clone will have both Sean's mitochondria and his mother's.

I mentioned earlier that there are many regions of DNA that regulate other parts, the genes. However, DNA can also be regulated by other means. In fact, there is a science called epigenetics that studies how gene expression can be changed by means other than changing the code in the DNA sequence. One way this can be done is by methyl (CH3, or a carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms) tags attached to certain bases. Among other things, these tags can indicate which parent a person inherited a gene from and make it more or less active. This in turn may affect whether a person is diseased or healthy.

How does epigenetics affect a clone? For starters, if the methyl markers or other types of DNA modification are changed by the cloning process, the clone may fail to develop properly--or at all. But epigenetics aren't just inherited; they can change in response to the environment. I don't get into technical detail about epigenetics in Lyon's Legacy and Twinned Universes. However, I do point out that they are raised in very different environments, with the clone, Paul, growing up in a more stable home and with access to all the futuristic ideas about child rearing. How is he similar to his DNA donor, and how does he differ? You'll have to read Lyon's Legacy and Twinned Universes to find out.

Thanks to Alex for having me here today, and thanks to his Ninja Army for reading this. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Find Sandra HERE and purchase Twinned Universe at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Ninja News

TF Walsh just signed with agent Gina Panettieri of Talcott Notch Literary. Congratulations, TF!

Tyrean Martinson’s Dragonfold and Other Adventures is now available in paperback. Congratulations, Tyrean!

Thrill of it All Blogfest

Hosted by the awesome Tara Tyler and Heather Gardner.

The ladies are looking for a thrill.

And what could be more thrilling than Mini-Alex’s first concert?

It was his big moment. His first live performance of Rush’s YYZ.

Would his fingers cooperate? Would he hit all the correct strings? Frantic and in the zone, he tore through the riff.

Score!!!! He nailed it.

And the crowd went wild…

Trivia Answers

And the directors are…

1 – The Untouchables 1987 – Brian DePalma
2 – Groundhog Day 1993 – Harold Ramis
3 – The Usual Suspects 1995 – Bryan Singer
4 – Hugo 2011 – Martin Scorsese
5 – The 13th Warrior 1999 – John McTiernan
6 – Rango 2011 – Gore Verbinksi

Movie Review

World War Z
This is a different take on the zombie genre but not completely unfamiliar.
There are some genuine chilling moments. The set pieces and action sequences were really well done, especially Jerusalem.
Brad Pitt was good. He really cared about his family and we were invested in the story.
It’s PG-13 for a reason – it’s a bloodless affair. For a zombie movie, that was an odd choice. The Walking Dead is ten times gorier.
The ending was a bit of a head scratcher. I thought they said that no matter what, he was… Sorry, don’t want to give away the ending.
Half the time, people seemed to be dying because Brad Pitt was there. (Mental note – during a real zombie apocalypse, stay away from Brad Pitt.)
My final beef – the trailer revealed too much, including all of the money shots.
Lest you think I’m bashing this film, I must say that overall it was very effective and entertaining. It’s less a zombie film and more of an action-drama. It won’t break any new ground in the zombie genre but you will be entertained for two hours.

Did you learn something new about clones today? What is the big thrill in your life? Get the trivia correct? And who else saw World War Z?

Ready to Rumble with WRiTE CLUB? Plus Movie Trivia and Ninja News

What is WRiTE CLUB? Are we allowed to talk about it? The awesome DL Hammons is here to explain!

When Alex approached me about doing a segment for his uber-popular blog I knew right away I wanted to talk about WRiTE CLUB, but wasn’t sure how to go about it in a fresh way. I thought about it for a good long while, and then finally decided to ask for help. What I did was ask our 2011 WRiTE CLUB Champion -- Tiana Smith, and the 2012 Champion – Mark Hough, to interview me so I made sure to cover the things that really stood out in their minds. Here is the result.

Tiana - I know things have changed a lot since I won the first WRiTE CLUB competition. Could you explain a few of the changes and how you think they'll make it a better experience for everyone all around?

DL - Well, I’m completely bald now and the acid my stomach produces could probably qualify as industrial strength. Oh, you mean changes in the actual contest. WRiTE CLUB was a hit right out of the gate, but last year the interest was so great that I had to put measures in place this year to keep things manageable but fair. The preliminary rounds will last just 8 weeks (shorter than last year) with two bouts per week (three last year), but the biggest change is that this year the submissions will be pre-screened by a panel of ten judges so that the best 32 make it to the ring. Another change is that every vote cast will have the voters name thrown into a hat for the chance at a $75 Amazon Gift card or a ten page critique by each of the submission judges.

Mark - I'm sure you've received a ton of emails or comments about the WRiTE CLUB competition, and it's easy to see how it's surged in popularity since it began. What do you think makes WRiTE CLUB so different from other writing competitions?

DL - One thing is that you can participate at whatever level makes you feel the most comfortable. You can simply vote for your favorite submission...or you can vote and leave a brief critique...or you can go whole hog and send in an anonymous writing sample to compete. Everything is done in a very low-key fashion, which makes the whole contest a lot of fun whichever way you choose to participate.
The second thing is the anonymity. We have had participants who are published authors pitted against aspiring wannabe's, and the wannabe's have won. Persona's have no place in WRiTE CLUB, and people love that!

Tiana - I'm incredibly excited to help judge the final round! Who are some of the other industry professionals you have lined up for judging the final showdown?

DL - I’m really pumped about this year’s stable of judges, and it really demonstrates how popular WRiTE CLUB has become. Besides you and Mark, there’ s Kendare Blake, the author of the highly acclaimed Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares teen horror series. Then there’s Katie Grimm, agent for Don Congdon Associates since 2007, where in addition to maintaining her own client list she also acts as business manager. Next is Alice Speilburg -- founder of the Speilburg Literary Agency. And finally there’s this certain science fiction writer on a journey of discovery...who’s a blogger extraordinaire! Online he is known as Captain Ninja Alex – our own Alex J. Cavanaugh! Oh yeah, I’ll be announcing more celebrity judges as the contest goes on.

Mark - Obviously my win last year was a huge confidence boost to my writing, but I found that the best thing about WRiTE CLUB for me was the practice of regularly critiquing other writers' entries. As the moderator, have you noticed any certain aspects of WRiTE CLUB which help you most as a writer?

DL - Absolutely! Working with 500 word submissions forces you to realize the value of every single word and helped me learn about word economy. It's also a lesson that needs to be continually reinforced, and critiquing is an ideal way to accomplish that.

Tiana - Since the first WRiTE CLUB competition, things have grown a lot. How big has this thing become? How much participation (views/comments/etc.) do you anticipate for this year?

DL – To give you a sense of scale, last year the first couple of bouts drew over 2,100 site hits and garnered almost 100 votes apiece. Over the course of the entire contest my blog received 30,000 hits. I’d be satisfied if we were able to maintain that level of participation again this year. It’s really gratifying to see our submissions receiving that much attention and feedback.

Mark - Since I only hopped aboard the bandwagon last year, I'm curious: how did you come up with the idea for WRiTE CLUB?

DL - First and foremost I wanted to come up with something that would shine the spotlight on other writers and provide them a way to get their work in front of a lot of people in a non-threatening way. That's actually the reason for the small i in WRiTE CLUB, because it wasn't about me (or I). So I thought, some sort of contest would do the trick. As coincidence would have it, while I was trying to come up with the rules for this yet to be named contest a TV commercial for FIGHT CLUB hit the screen...and the rest (as they say) is history!

Tiana - I know when I participated, I was a little scared to submit my writing sample, but the fact that I'd be using a pen name gave me confidence to put myself out there. Was that what made you decide to keep things anonymous?

DL – Believe it or not, there are other versions of WRiTE CLUB out there and while I was researching them I discovered that all of the others involved regular LIVE readings in gathering spots like bars or coffee shops. I knew that there was no way I could get up in front of a group of relative strangers and read my work, and a lot of people felt the same way, so why not do an internet version where submissions accepted anonymously? All of our submissions go to my wife first; she logs them in and removes the real names, so she’s the only person who knows the real names. I don’t even know them. The anonymity of it all is what makes our contest so special. All of the concentration is on the writing alone!

I want to thank Mark and Tiana for helping me out today. Hopefully the three of us tweaked the interest of some of you, and if that's so, HERE is where you should go to find out more.

On July 8th..."Let's Get Ready To RUMMMMBBBBLLLEEE!!"

Ninja News

Crystal Collier is featuring book releases/cover reveals for YA fatansy-esk genres every Wednesday on her blog and is looking for people to fill the calendar. Get details HERE.

Patsy Collins’ latest book is available, Up the Garden Path. Congratulations, Patsy! You can purchase it at Amazon. And if you want to check out the funny trailer for it, go to You Tube. Patsy really can run!

Cover reveal –

Heist by Laura Pauling
Genre: YA Psychological Thriller

Can one decision change the past?

Coming later this year – find it now on Goodreads.
Find Laura here: Blog, Goodreads, Goodreads, and Twitter

And this is really cool! One of my most awesome blogging buddies, Chuck at Apocalypse Now, surprised his wife with something really unique. He’d met Mary Montagues Sikes (whom I featured earlier this month at the A to Z Blog) and was impressed with her daily paintings for the Challenge. He sent a photo his wife had taken of a sea turtle and Mary created the amazing painting you see here. Now, is that not just awesome?

If you are looking for writing competitions with no entry fees, check out WritersViews.

Movie Trivia!

Name the director:

1 – The Untouchables 1987

2 – Groundhog Day 1993

3 – The Usual Suspects 1995

4 – Hugo 2011

5 – The 13th Warrior 1999

6 – Rango 2011

Answers on Monday!

Are you ready for WRiTE CLUB? Participating this year with an entry? Ready for some new books? Want Mary to paint a picture for you? Know the directors? And who else is seeing World War Z this weekend?