Science Fiction and Movie News, Fantasy Book Cover Reveals, IWSG News, Ninja News, and What’s the Weirdest Film You’ve Ever Seen?

My tour stop is at the Unicorn Bell today - The Secret Blogging Ways of the Ninja Captain. (You know you want to know!)

Science Fiction and Movie News

Caught this at Hero Complex - Roland Emmerich intends to reboot his own movie, Stargate. He wants to remake it as three films and is in the planning stage.

I’m a HUGE fan of the series Stargate: SG1 and Stargate: Atlantis, but the original movie was average at best. I don’t have a big problem with the remake, but no one will take the place of Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O’Neill in the series. (Come on – the dude was MacGyver!)

Box Office Updates-
Despicable Me 2 is the summer’s big animated film winner - $832.8 million dollars worldwide.
Critics claim Star Trek Into Darkness was a flop. Ironically, it’s the highest grossing Star Trek film ever at $462.8 million. (Made even more than the original Thor.) Yeah, I think we’ll get another sequel.
The Conjuring made $259.7 million worldwide. Yes, they have announced a sequel. Big surprise.
And the biggest box office losers of the year so far – White House Down and The Lone Ranger. The year’s not over yet though…

And here’s another wild image from Blastr - a Japanese engineer spent eleven years making this seventeen-ton beetle mech. It actually works and can carry six people! (His wife suggested he could ride it to take out the trash.)

IWSG Updates

I’m putting out the call again for Insecure Writer’s Support Group co-hosts. If you can help in either October, November, or December, let me know. Looking for four co-hosts each month now.

Work continues on the IWSG website. It’s going to take a lot to put this together and we want to make it awesome for you. Many of you have sent me sites and resources – keep them coming!

Ninja News

Big thanks to everyone who visited The Non-Review on Monday for the cats’ interview with me. (Melvin is really sad, isn’t he?)
Guest posts and tour stops are always an extra step and I know most people don’t visit. So I really appreciate those of you who go the extra mile and visit those gracious enough to host me. It may not seem like a big deal, but it means a lot to both host and guest.

Keep making suggestions for the next person featured in this year’s CheersFest! Remember, it needs to be someone who is a MAJOR player on the Internet and a consistent, positive force.


SC Write is hosting Nightmare on Query Street. “The submission window opens at 12 noon (EST) on October 19th. The window will close at 8pm or when we receive 100 entries, so please please send early. Michelle, Mike, and I will make ten picks each, and those ten picks will go up on our blogs from the 25th through the 27th, where agents will make requests.” See SC’s site for details.

Ciara Knight revealed the cover for her next book, Pendulum - Book II of The Neumarian Chronicles.

Haunting memories.
Terrifying dreams.
Crippling lies.

Looks awesome, Ciara!



And Speculative Book Reviews posted a review of CassaStorm!

Special Cover Reveal

Sacrifice HER by Sheena-kay Graham
Release Date: December 2013
Find it on Goodreads

When a city is at stake is the life of one sixteen-year old girl worth risking thousands? Deidra Moore goes on the run after escaping from a group of human sacrifices for Bane: God of War. She doesn't believe he exists and sees uncertainty in the scorching desert as a better alternative. But Faux City isn't finished with her and their leader Lord Brinn is ordered by Bane - through one of his maiden worshipers- to bring her back or face dire consequences. In the desert Deidra meets a wanderer named Kane and as feelings spark can they find a safe place to lead a new life before Lord Brinn and his soldiers catch up with them? Yet the question remains. Does Bane really exist and if he does what will happen if either side succeeds or fails? Told in alternating perspectives of both the runaway servant girl and the blonde strong willed leader.

Find Sheena-kay -
Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Congratulations, Sheena-kay!!!

Random Question of the Day

What’s the weirdest film you’ve ever seen?

My pick would be Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Part cyberpunk, part metal fetish, all mind-blowing weird. Watch at your own risk.

Think they should remake Stargate? What would you do with a beetle mech? Can you be an IWSG co-host this year? Excited about the covers or query contest? And what’s the weirdest film you’ve ever seen…?

Don’t forget to visit the Unicorn Bell - Ninja secrets revealed! (Sorry Kitty, nothing else revealed…)

Riddick Movie Review, CassaStorm Tour Launches, Movie Trivia Answers, Ninja News, and CheersFest 2013!

Today kicks off my blog tour for CassaStorm! Still intrigued by snarky cats? Then find out what cats are asking me about CassaStorm at The Non Review. TS buddy, you rock! (We're live now!)

Movie Review

Riddick
The third movie in the series finds Riddick struggling to survive after being left for dead on a barren planet and dealing with bounty hunters and mercenaries.
This story is more like the original Pitch Black and returns to familiar territory. Riddick is just as resourceful and brutal, and there are some good fights with both man and beast. It has a much slower pace than either of the first two movies as well.
Unfortunately, it lacked in two areas. Part of the story felt contrived, forcing Riddick into a situation just so a scene could take place and occasionally missing a few steps of logic. The other problem was a lack of memorable or sympathetic characters. (Which is what made the first one work so well.) Outside of Riddick, no one had any depth.
Actually, the one with the most character was Riddick’s alien dog. (The scene with the pistachios is great.)
However, for two hours of mindless fun, it did deliver, and it was pretty much what I expected. If you dig Riddick or Diesel, go and enjoy and leave your brain at the door. Otherwise, just wait for the DVD or NetFlix.

Ninja News

Today over at the A to Z Blog, I’ve interviewed the lovely Elise Fallson for the monthly Challenge Participant Feature. Her theme rocked so be sure to check out her thoughts on ‘ologies.’

Those of you who enjoyed Milo James Fowler’s book, Immaterial Evidence, can now read the novelette prequel, "Girl of Great Price". The Malfeasance Occasional: Girl Trouble will be out September 24th courtesy of St. Martin's Press, and you can pre-order it now from both Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Don’t forget the Norse Gods Blogfest with Siv Maria on October 9 – you can sign up HERE.

Last week to sign up for the CassaStorm announcement blitz next week! Sign up to help me spread the word HERE - you can just sign up or ask one question. And you could win a $25 iTunes card, Cassa mousepad, Cassa mug, and other cool swag!

Comedy Movie Trivia Answers

1 – “When someone asks if you are a god, you say YES!” - Ghostbusters
2 – “You made a woman meow?” – When Harry Met Sally
3 – “What is the matter with you? I thought Mothers were sweet and nice a-a-and patient. I know loan sharks who are more forgiving than you. Your husband ain't dead, lady. He's hiding.” – The Ref
4 – “He’s an angry elf.” - Elf
5 – “Eddie, Eddie, I swear to God, don't start with me or so help me, I will shoot him and dump him in a ___ swamp!” – Midnight Run
6 – “I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank piña coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. *That* was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get *that* day over, and over, and over..." – Groundhog Day

The 2013 CheersFest and Nominations! 

That’s right! Time to roast a new victim. This year’s hosts are Mark “Madman” Koopmans, Alex “Clone me a” Cavanaugh, Morg “the Borg” Shamy, Stephen “Wormhole” Tremp, and David “Don’t Mess with the” King.

Here are the details:

What: CheersFest 2013. Someone deserving will be roasted like a little, brown coffee bean.
When: December 9, 2013
Who: One person will be roasted via popular vote. This someone is a constant presence, is positive, possesses integrity, is involved in the online community (participating and hosting), is supportive of others and is a major force in the blogging community.
How: Once launched, each host has seven days to review comments and the selections made via their comments and pick one. We then present our selections and the co-hosts vote from that point. The recipient (Roastee) is announced at least two weeks out and folks can join a Linky ahead of their roasting posting.

Here’s what we need from you guys – nominations. Who best fits the criteria above? Who is a positive force, an active participant, always positive, and makes a big difference in the blogging world? Leave your nomination in the comments and next week, the five hosts will pick one person each and then we’ll vote from that point.

Those who remember last year’s first CheersFest know it was a lot of fun.

However, I am really looking forward to being on the opposite side of the roasting this time!



Anyone else see Riddick this weekend? (Or something better?) Get any of the trivia correct? And who would you nominate for the second CheersFest?

Don’t forget to visit The Non Review. Those cats have snark down to a science…

Special Thanks and News! Plus New Thor Poster, Comedy Movie Trivia, Ninja News, and Bizarre Photo

Today I am a guest of Mathew Bridle’s at The One Saga! Stop by to read my short interview.

Special Thanks and Fun News!

A big thanks to everyone who made the two-year anniversary of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group special! It was truly amazing and I’m glad everyone is excited about the upcoming website.
A big round of thanks to my co-hosts - Chemist Ken, SL Hennessy, Michelle Wallace, and Joylene Nowell Butler. You guys rocked it!
And special thanks to Elizabeth Seckman - her post was touching and funny. Elizabeth, honored to be your friend.

Sometime this week I slipped over 1900 followers through GFC. Whoa, thanks guys! I appreciate every single one of you. (There’s a slew of followers through Linky Followers, Google+, RSS Feed, and other readers like Feedly, so no idea just how many follow me now…)

I’m also now a Suvudu Preferred Poster, which is really cool

All in all, an awesome week!

Ninja News

Karen Lange’s book is now available – Homeschool Co-opts 101. If you homeschool your kids, check it out. Congratulations, Karen!

The first installment of A Shot in the Light, an Apocalypse Conspiracy Tale by Hart Johnson is available now! And there were some great entries in her blogfest yesterday. Congratulations, Hart!

Jai Joshi just released Bhishma, Son of Ganga. Congratulations, Jai!

Liesel Hill’s new book is out, Dark Remnants, and it’s 99 cents on Amazon for a limited time. Congratulations, Liesel!

Isis Rushdan revealed the cover for her next book – Protector of the Flame. Looks cool, Isis!



And Lynn Rush is running a marathon to raise money to fight cancer! Check her site for details on how you can help.

Movie Trivia

Comedy today! Name the movie from the quote:

1 – “When someone asks if you are a god, you say YES!”

2 – “You made a woman meow?”

3 – “What is the matter with you? I thought Mothers were sweet and nice a-a-and patient. I know loan sharks who are more forgiving than you. Your husband ain't dead, lady. He's hiding.”

4 – “He’s an angry elf.”

5 – “Eddie, Eddie, I swear to God, don't start with me or so help me, I will shoot him and dump him in a ___ swamp!”

6 – “I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster, drank piña coladas. At sunset, we made love like sea otters. *That* was a pretty good day. Why couldn't I get *that* day over, and over, and over... “

Answers on Monday!

Cool New Movie Poster and Bizarre Image

Caught this over at JoBlo’s site - a new Thor: The Dark World poster featuring the villain, Malekith.

And from Blastr - this bizarre image of a Planet of the Apes float in the 1975 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

That’s right folks – you can’t make this stuff up!

Everyone enjoy the IWSG posts this week and the news of the website? Excited about the new books? Know any of the movie trivia? Excited about Thor: The Dark World? Anyone else seeing Riddick this weekend? Don’t forget to visit The One Saga!

Monday kicks off my official CassaStorm tour and it involves some snarky cats. Bet you’re intrigued now…

Insecure Writers Support Group and Big News! Plus Indiestructible Anthology Now Available, Norse Gods Blogfest, Ninja News, and Battle of Bands Results

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 Chemist Ken, SL Hennessy, Michelle Wallace, and Joylene Nowell Butler. Please be sure to thank them for their time and effort to make all IWSG members feel welcome.

And today is the official two year anniversary of the IWSG!

First, a big thanks to everyone involved – you guys are the reason for its success. You encourage those who need it and offer uplifting support. You are a blessing to the group and to me. I never anticipated such success. I wouldn’t trade this group for anything in the world.

And because the IWSG means so much to me, I want to secure its future as a safe place for writers. A place where writers at any stage can find hope, support, and answers.

Coming next month – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group website!

I’ve set up the blog with a domain name and secured an awesome team of admins to help run it - Joy Campbell, Michelle Wallace, Joylene Nowell Butler Susan Gourley/Kelley, L. Diane Wolfe, and Lynda Young.

The site will be a center of support for writers, with tips, encouragement, support, and links. My goal isn’t for the site to be just a database – I want it to be THE database of writing databases, with links to places like Elizabeth’s Writer’s Knowledge Database, Query Tracker, and WriteOnCon, plus tons of other links and listings of resources. It will also feature a weekly informative post or two, plus house the main list for the IWSG.

We are aiming for an October launch and the team will be working hard to put it together to benefit YOU.

And you can help us – email me any sites or resources that benefit writers so we can include them on the IWSG site.

Oh, and my insecurity this month? I’m trying to put all of this together AND my book comes out in two weeks!! Heading for Epic Ninja Meltdown…

Indiestructible Now Available!

I am excited to announce the release of Indiestructible and want to thank Jessica Bell for letting me be a part of this anthology! (And visit her site for a list of cool prizes to win.)

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie and small publisher authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.

Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting and unique information, 100% of proceeds will be donated to buildOn.org. a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Buy it now for just 99 cents at Amazon

ISBN 13: 9780987593108, Publisher: Vine Leaves Press, Compiled and Edited: Jessica Bell
Contributing authors: Alex J. Cavanaugh, Angela Brown, Anne R. Allen, Briane Pagel, C.S. Lakin, Ciara Knight, Cindy M. Hogan, D. Robert Pease, Dawn Ius, Emily White, Greg Metcalf, Jadie Jones, Jessica Bell, Karen Bass, Karen Walker, Kristie Cook, Laura Diamond, Laura Pauling, Laurel Garver, Leigh Talbert Moore, Lori Robinson, Melissa Foster, Michael Offutt, Michelle Davidson Argyle, Rick Daley, Roz Morris, S.R. Johannes, Stephen Tremp, and Susan Kaye Quinn

Ninja News

Crystal Collier’s debut novel, Moonless, will be released November 13, 2013 by Raybourne Publishing. If you can help her with her cover release or blog tour, go HERE.

Cassie Mae is hosting the Nerd Blog Hop September 24-26 in celebration of her upcoming release, How to Date a Nerd. The Nerd prize pack includes nerdy t-shirts, candy, How to Date a Nerd keychains and buttons, as well as a signed copy of How to Date a Nerd. See her site for details. 

Carrie Butler has opened Forward Authority | Design Services. Wish you much success, Carrie!

Tomorrow is the release of A Shot in the Light, an Apocalypse Conspiracy Tale by Hart Johnson. There will be approximately ten episodes and Good Reads has a sneak peak posted. To celebrate, she’s hosting a blogfest tomorrow – see her site for details.

Thanks to those of you who signed up for CassaStorm’s Taking the World by Storm release party. (If you haven’t, there is a cool prize package involved!) The information will go out to everyone around September 12-13.

You can add it to Goodreads HERE and vote for it on Goodread’s Can’t Wait Sci Fi Fantasty of 2013 list. 

Battle of the Band Results

Hosted by Farawayeyes and Stephen T. McCarthy, last week I pitted KC and the Sunshine Band against White Zombie with I’m Your Boogeyman.

It was closer than I thought it would be, but White Zombie won by one vote. You guys rock!

Norse Gods Birthday Bash

On October 9, I am hosting Siv Maria Ottem on her birthday and joining her in celebrating her new book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, with a blogfest – The Norse Gods Blogfest.

Post about your favorite Norse God and be creative. Siv will be giving away a signed copy of her book to whomever actively parties the most on this day. Special points if you visit her NEW WEB PAGE and like her Facebook Author page. She’s even offering an autographed print of this Freya illustration, created by her daughter.

Sign up below:



What's your insecurity today? Ready for an IWSG website, packed with information? (Send me links to cool sites!) Picking up Indiestructible? Excited about the news? Who else wants to help Siv celebrate her birthday with a Norse God? Come on ladies - your chance to blog about Thor!

And back to my regular M-W-F schedule now, so see you Friday.