Realms Faire – Trapped in the Vortex! Blog Comments – What’s Right? Plus Deadpool Video, Fargo Series and Let Us Prey Movie Reviews, Six Years of Blogging, and Ninja News.

The 2015 Realms Faire!

Hosted by author M. Pax

Twitter Hashtag – #RealmsFaire

Riddle Me This ~ Dueling Bards ~ Phasers ~ Unicorn Hunt ~ Who Roams Here? ~ Beware the Vortex ~ VelociRaffle ~ The Hero’s Dilemma ~ Stockade Brigade ~ Hall of Doors ~ The Joust ~ Drench-a-Wench/Soak-a-Bloke

Today, I am trapped in the Vortex!!

Alex needs your help. He’s trapped in Lucien’s Bar, the gateway to the Underworld, and challenging War to a sword fight is his only way out. Please come over and cheer him on. Your comments will improve his chances. The Immortals aren’t above cheating so here are three magic words to give Alex an edge in the contest: ninja, light, steel. Use these words in your comment to give him an added boost on Monday, Nov 9th, at River Fairchild's site.

Ninja News

Elizabeth S. Craig is visiting the IWSG today! Always an honor to have Elizabeth, and today she is discussing author newsletters.

Today’s Themes That Rocked the Challenge feature at the A to Z Blog is Jennifer Hawes! She posted about her hometown of Hannibal, MO, which also happens to be the boyhood town of a certain author named Mark Twain…

New release – The Deep Dark Woods Anthology
Featuring The Blue Mist by Shannon Lawrence
Find it on Amazon



Edi’s Book Lighthouse had some great links this past weekend regarding author blogs and social media importance. (Not to mention the world’s first underwater museum!) Edi mentioned that he enjoys blog tours as long as the content differs from blog to blog, and I have to agree. A blog tour should not be the same posts over and over or just an announcement.

And Edi and I will both be excited Tuesday, November 10 – Fallout 4 releases! Such an awesome series.

Deadpool Video

This funny promotional piece for next February’s Deadpool movie came out recently. There are words bleeped out, but my wife and I don’t think Ryan Reynolds was really cussing at the kids. (At least, we hope not!)

Fargo Series Review

Season two is a separate story line from season one. Rest assured though, the characters are just as quirky!
The acting is spectacular and the writing top notch.
It even includes some kind of alien intervention. (Yes, you read that right!)
This show will leave you scratching your head in confusion, but in a good way.
Recommended!

Let Us Prey Movie Review

This Irish film was highly rated on NetFlix.
It has a great style that covers up not a lot of substance. It’s a horror/psychological thriller that stretched plausibility, but not enough to stop watching.
Many will recognize the stranger from Game of Thrones. You’re never exactly sure who the stranger is, which is part of the reason you’ll keep watching.
Worth a NetFlix rental if you’re curious.

Blog Comments – What’s Right?

This is part of Jeffrey Scott’s monthly R.A.N.T. series.

This isn’t going to be just about returning comments, but will encompass other clog comment topics as well. Just some things I’ve been tossing around in my mind and with certain groups.

It is good manners to return a visit, but sometimes we miss a comment from a new person. Or maybe the person posted something that day we really just don’t relate to. Or maybe we just ran out of time. But if someone visits our site several times, then it’s rude not to return the visit. (And there are bloggers out there who just won’t visit a site outside of their comfort pool no matter how many times we comment, which is sad.)

What about those who follow and comment, enticing you to do the same, and then they just stop visiting? Maybe even unfollow you? I’ve noticed a lot of these types of bloggers lately. Are they just after followers to build their blog? They amassed a lot of followers and are now being choosy who they visit?

And how often should we expect our friends to comment? Every post no matter what? Some days, people are just busy! Maybe on vacation. Maybe it’s a topic that they can’t comment on. We can’t expect a comment every single time. I follow over 2000 blogs and my blogger buddy list is twice what’s in my sidebar – I just can’t visit every post of every single person. (The clones have tried, believe me. And then half of them went on strike during the A to Z Challenge.)

Blogging is still about being social and making friends. It’s not expecting everyone to come to you, or taking advantage of others, or possessing unrealistic expectations. It’s building new friendships and maintaining old ones. It’s being a genuine person who cares.

What do you guys think?

Six Years Ago Today…

And to end this on a happy note – today, November 9, marks six years of blogging for me!

I cannot begin to tell you what a wild ride it’s been. I started with no followers and a book release looming almost a year away. I had no ambitions of building a huge following or writing more books. No plans to become a part of the A to Z Team or host dozens of blogfests. And certainly had no idea I’d start something like the IWSG.

The bottom line – I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you. You guys are the reason why this Ninja won’t quit. You haven’t given up on me and I won’t give up on you.

Don’t forget to visit the IWSG and A to Z Blog today.

Excited for Fallout 4? What did you think of the Deadpool video? (I really don’t think he said anything bad to those kids.) Watching Fargo? Seen Let Us Prey? Can you believe it’s been six years? And what are your thoughts on blog comments?

And please save me from the Vortex!!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group! MST3K on RiffTrax, Apple TV Review, Revival–The Donald Braswell Story, and Ninja News!

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 for today are Stephen Tremp, Karen Walker, Denise Covey, and Tyrean Martinson!

I’m in a good place right now because last month I polished and sent off two short stories.

One was for an anthology based on ‘turning points,’ and I opted to go with an early Cassa story, one featuring Byron before CassaStar begins. I like how it turned out.

The second was for Geekdom House, whose mission is to provide a refuge, workshop, a culturally relevant welcome center and place for discussing nerd and geek topics. (While also bridging the gap between geeks and Christians.) It was a Christmas story and I opted for something contemporary and very geeky.

And I have to admit – I enjoyed writing both stories. It takes me forever to plan, plot, write, and edit a novel. But I can knock out a short story in a month. Still slow compared to some, but maybe that’s a more viable path for me right now.

Revival!

Today I welcome fellow author and brother in Christ, Mark Koopmans! Not only is the release of his first book a huge milestone for Mark, but for the subject of this biography, singer Donald Braswell II. I had the honor of reading Revival before its release and I promise – it is moving and inspirational! Mark and Donald, congratulations and God Bless!

Aloha,
When Alex invited me (Cheers!) to talk about my new book, REVIVAL – The Donald Braswell Story, he asked for snark.
I’m known for following all the rules of etiquette, so what better than the topic of rejection.
I’m un-agented, so when I started REVIVAL, I went a wee bit nuts and submitted requests to agents and publishers galore. (I mean, I was writing a memoir. I didn’t even need a finished manuscript.)
Emails shot off like beams of literary brilliance, and I thought, “this writing stuff is easy.” (Cue canned laughter.)
However, when batches of brilliance bounced back, I looked to see if:
• Consecutive rejections were similar?
• Rejections were due to grammar or style?
• Agents dismissed my use of the third person in the first place? Or the first person pretentious tense?
When I saw a pattern, I called Art Bell. After that, I looked for constructive criticism, made changes and shot off another quiver of queries.
Three years, and many rejections later, I still enjoy recycling the old letters (especially when the kids need coloring paper.) And finally, through hard work and a Churchillian belief, REVIVAL officially published yesterday.
So, the next time you get a rejection, tape it to a wall. Use it as a positive resource. Never take it personally. Cleave the good, and don’t you ever dare quit. If you believe in your ms, then make it happen.
Thanks to Alex for letting me share, and thanks to all of you, my fellow believers in the positive power of prose.
“We shall write on the beaches, and we will never surrender.” – (Nearly said by) Winston Churchill.

Tomorrow, I’ll be at Jo’s blog, where I’m sure there will be a word of wisdom and a recipe to boot.

From Juilliard to jumper cables; from wasting all the talent in the world to America's Got Talent, REVIVAL—The Donald Braswell Story is a memoir about the "Texas Tenor" who lost his voice in a random accident, but finds his calling through faith—and a musical miracle.

Buy Links: Pen-L Publishing and Amazon
Visit the authors: Mark Koopmans and Donald Braswell II

RiffTrax/MST3K

Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes are now available at RiffTrax!

New classic episode released each #MST3KMonday. Available to own and download/stream from your RiffTrax library.

First two episodes with Bonus Intros from Mike Nelson: The Pumaman and The Final Sacrifice.

Here's a message from Mike Nelson:

Apple TV Review

Last week, I received my Apple TV device. And wow!

This is a very cool app for those of us already in the Apple ecosystem. It hooks up to your television set and is a thousand times faster than accessing things through a smart TV. What does it do?

It plays movies from iTunes, NetFlix, Hulu, major cable networks, and media in your own library.

It will display your photos, music, and videos from the cloud and your other Apple devices.

Like the iPad, it features apps you can add and remove.

You can also mirror your iPad to your television for a giant iPad experience. (This feature tickled my wife to no end.)

Amazon is not releasing an app for this device, however – you can bypass it with airplay on your iPad. Sneaky!

The box serves as a one stop shop for movies, television, music, photos, apps, and home videos. Uber cool!

Ninja News

My apologies for not including The Peanuts Movie in my November movie preview on Monday! I ran out of room. I’m sure Snoopy is still doing the happy dance though.

Help Glorie Townson a.k.a. Toi Thomas, choose a cover for her upcoming contemporary romance.
Vote for the It’s Like the Full Moon book cover HERE.
Learn more HERE.

New release!
Firestarter by Patsy Collins
Find it on Amazon

Ready to read Donald Braswell’s amazing story? Thinking of picking up the Apple TV device? (It’s really cool!) Ready to watch some MST3K on RiffTrax? And what are your writer insecurities today?

Bone Tomahawk Film Review, November Movie Preview, Monday’s Music, Introvert or Extrovert?, Tails for Vets, New Book Releases, Battle Results, and Ninja News

I have a short interview at Tim Knight’s site, Hero Press. If you’re into geek stuff, Tim runs an awesome site.

Movie Review – Bone Tomahawk

Four men set out in the Wild West to rescue a group of captives from cannibalistic cave dwellers.
This can best be described as an arthouse Western/horror film with drama.
Some might be frustrated by the slow pace. (Remember my review of Slow West?) However, I enjoyed the slow burn. By the end of the film, I was really invested in the characters.
It has some funny moments and all of the actors do an amazing job, especially Russell and Jenkins.
There are only a couple bloody horror scenes, but be warned – they are graphic. (As a dude, I really cringed at one scene.)
If you have to have a lot of action, skip this film. If you like a slow pace and watching the characters and story unfold at a leisurely pace, then I recommend this one.
Now playing in theaters and on Direct TV.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Hosted by Xmas Dolly She asked if I would be this week’s Spotlight Dancer. (Little did she know, I can’t dance.)
Fortunately, no dancing is involved. I get to pick the theme for today.
After deciding that Scandinavian heavy metal music might be too limiting (not to mention scare the crap out of the other participants) I chose the theme of Movie Soundtracks.


Here are my picks:

First off, I had to go with Extreme’s Play With Me. (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) 

Sadly, there’s no really good video version of this song…

Megadeth – 99 Ways to Die (Beavis and Butthead Do America) 

You might not like the music, but the video has a great message.

Pantera – Cemetary Gates (Tales From the Crypt – Demon Night) 

Great song, and probably their most accessible.

Visit Xmas Dolly to join the fun and visit other participants.

Ninja News

Stephanie Farris listed CassaStar as one of the best books she’d read in October. Thanks for taking a chance on a new genre, Stephanie!

Tails for Vets!

Tails of the Apocalypse is a collection of dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories featuring animals and features a story by E.E. Giorgi.

Samuel Peralta, who produced this anthology, paired with Pets for Vets, an organization that matches shelter dogs with military veterans. Pourteau plans to donate $1.00 to Pets for Vets from every copy of Tails of the Apocalypse sold through the end of the calendar year, regardless of format‚ e-book, paperback, or audiobook.

The project is called Tails for Vets, and you can help two different ways –

1 – Join the Tails for Vets Street Team

2 – Buy the Book – It releases on November 20, but you can pre-order now on Amazon.

New Releases!

Mayhem in the Air by the authors at Untethered Realms

Find it at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play

A Faerie’s Revenge by Rachel Morgan

The fifth book in the Creepy Hollow series, and the second book in Calla’s story.

Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords

Redemption (Children of the Gods #3) by Jessica Therrien

Nobody promised freedom would be peaceful…

Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads

The first two books are only .99 cents at Amazon - Oppression and Uprising

There’s also a Rafflecopter giveaway.

Max Blizzard and The Cup of Kings by Pat Hatt

Find it on Amazon

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

A handsome detective, a shadow man, and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books We Love Bookstore

Battle of the Banned Results

Hosted by Shady Del Knight. Here are the results from last Monday.

Two songs from horror movies – and this is how the votes fell:

Dokken – Dream Warriors from Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Warriors - 15

Lou Gramm – Lost in the Shadows from The Lost Boys - 10

Dream Warriors got off to an early lead and never let it go…

Question of the Month

Hosted by Michael at A Life Examined.

This month’s question - “Are you an introvert or an extrovert?”

This one is easy. Introvert. However, I’m not a shy, awkward, don’t want to deal with the world introvert. I’m a musician who performs on stage and an author with several books published, so I have to be extroverted to some degree. I enjoy people and certainly enjoy this online community of friends. But I prefer to stay more in the background and let others take the spotlight. I’d rather ask questions and learn more about people than talk about myself.

Of course, my home is my castle and sanctuary and still the best place to hide!

November Movie Preview

Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for November! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

6 –

Spectre

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Director: Sam Mendes

Stars: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Léa Seydoux

Bond is back and probably not doing anything we’ve not seen before, but we’ll go anyway…

13 –

The 33

Based on the real-life event, when a gold and copper mine collapses, it traps 33 miners underground for 69 days.

Director: Patricia Riggen

Stars: Naomi Scott, James Brolin, Antonio Banderas, Lou Diamond Phillips

Just a word of caution – this movie not suitable for minors.

20 –

The Night Before

In New York City for their annual tradition of Christmas Eve debauchery, three lifelong best friends set out to find the Holy Grail of Christmas parties since their yearly reunion might be coming to an end.

Director: Jonathan Levine

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lizzy Caplan, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie

Rogan turns what is meant to be a joyous family time into a night of vulgarity, debauchery, and excess. Merry Christmas, everybody.

27 –

The Good Dinosaur

An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.

Director: Peter Sohn

Stars: Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, A.J. Buckley

The only good dinosaur is a dead dinosaur. Oh, wait…

Victor Frankenstein

Told from Igor's perspective, we see the troubled young assistant's dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Viktor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man - and the legend - we know today.

Director: Paul McGuigan

Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott

This one could sneak in and be a cool gothic thriller for the holidays. (Fingers crossed.)

Anyone else see Bone Tomahawk? What soundtrack music moves you today? Can you help Tails for Vets? See some good new releases? Are you an introvert or extrovert? And what movies interest you this month?

See you Wednesday for the IWSG post!

And don’t forget to visit Hero Press!

Listing Hop: Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens! Plus Snow on Cinders and Global Disasters, Crimson Peak Review, Battle of the Banned – Halloween Style, and Ninja News

Today I welcome the wonderful Catherine Constantine! Her latest book is Snow on Cinders and she’s here to talk about preparing for global disaster.

I can’t thank Alex enough for hosting me today. If it wasn’t for him and the IWSG, I don’t know if I’d still be blogging. He’s quite an inspiration to us all.

My new release Snow on Cinders is the sequel to Tallas, but can be read as a stand alone. A family fleeing a tyrannical Management to save their son from a dangerous assignment sets the stage in these post-apocalyptic novels. After years of chemical warfare a metamorphous has taken shape on the planet, not only with vegetation, but animals and humans as well. Talk about diversity in books, you’ll become acquainted with mutants that only want to live in peace. A loving family and a band of misfits struggle to survive in the wilderness.

Think about a civilization without computers, cell phones, or landlines to communicate. I grew up without a cell phone or a computer. How’d we survive?

Lack of clean drinking water and medical supplies are dwindling in Snow on Cinders. Do you prepare for an emergency? Here in Buffalo, I always prepare to have on hand at least, if not more, three days of supplies due to the harsh winters.

I think about the strangest things. Like ~ toilet paper. Stock up on TP!

What would you want to hoard in case of a global disaster?

Find Catherina - Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon
Find Snow on Cinders at Amazon

Movie Review – Crimson Peak

Don’t be fooled by the ads – this is not a straight up horror film. It’s a gothic romance with ghosts, wrapped in a psychological mystery.
As an ode to the early 1970’s Hammer films, director del Toro has crafted a movie that unspools at a leisurely pace. It works, especially since the acting is so good and the production so amazing.
Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is Edith, the new bride troubled by what is happening in her new home. Tom Hiddleston is her husband, and he plays, well, he plays Tom Hiddleston. The dominating character is his sister, played perfectly by Jessica Chastain (The Martian, Interstellar.)
However, it is the house that steals almost every scene. It’s a character in its own right, decaying, dark, and alive.
There is some gore – the ghosts are ‘bloody’ and the head smashing scene is rather intense.
This movie is closer to The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth (less the devastating depression) than Hellboy or Pacific Rim.
While not his best work, it’s a great tribute to gothic romance movies. Recommended!

Ninja News

John Wiswell had a great week with a short story publication, another story being read on a podcast, and he’s contributing to SF Signal. Way to go, John!

Last week to enter the IWSG Anthology Contest! You have until Saturday, November 1. The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe and any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (blogging or Facebook) is encouraged to enter. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year.

Make Me Wonder and the Minions team have paired up for a nationwide robotics competition for kids. The grand prize is a STEM field trip to California, where they'll be able to meet the artists who work on the Minions, present to engineers at Google, and learn about how games are made at EA. Deadline to enter is November 1.

New Releases!

Poltergeist’s Pleasure by Christine Rains
Find it on Amazon, Kobo, and Goodreads

Boppity Blue and the Kangaroo That Stole His Shoe by Pat Hatt
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads

Under the Tuscan Moon by Denise Covey
Find it on Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon AU

A Matter of Taste, From the Sweet to the Spicy, Romance for Every Palate
Featuring Queen of Diamonds by Sandra Cox
Find it on Amazon

Forever Lucky: Book Four by RaShelle Workman
This is the final instalment in her Lucky Clover Mystery Romance series.
Find it on Amazon

Veritas: Shadow of the Rose: Book Two by M. L. Chesley 
Find it at Amazon, iTunes, and Scribed

Battle of the Banned

Hosted by Shady Del Knight.

I’m also participating in X-Mas Dolly’s Monday’s Music Moves Me with this entry.

We’re running with a Halloween theme one final time.

First up – Dokken’s Dream Warriors from A Nightmare on Elm Street III:

Next, we have Lou Gramm’s Lost in the Shadows from The Lost Boys:

Halloween is creeping closer! Which song captures scares and thrills? You know the routine! Vote for your favorite.

The Listing Hop!

The brainchild of Bish Denham to celebrate eight years of blogging. I am helping co-host this blogfest – and it’s beyond simple!

The rules are:
Sign up, grab the banner and make a list.
Keep your list to between 5 and 25 items. You can list whatever you feel like (except for adult type content.)
Post on October 26 and visit fellow participants.

In celebration of the upcoming Star Wars film, I chose to do a list based on The Force Awakens.



Top Ten Things You Won’t Hear at The Force Awakens:

I wish Lucas had more involvement with this.

The villain was good, but not as terrifying as the trade federation from episode 1.

I was hoping for a two hour in depth explanation of midi-chlorians.

This film could use a healthy dose of Jar-Jar.

These character names are weird. Why couldn't they just use normal names like Dooku, Salacious Crumb, and Porkins?

Isn't this the same plot as the "Star Wars Holiday Special?”

How many Ewoks would I need to reupholster my couch? (Actually, somebody might say that).

I hope no one minds my Eau de freshly opened Tauntaun musk after shave.

I prefer my spaceship explosions to look like a Skittles factory just blew up.

So, which character is the love child of Han Solo and Chewbacca?

Visit other participants below:

What would you think of first in a global disaster? Have you seen Crimson Peak? Sent in your IWSG Anthology entry? Are your kids entered in the robotics competition? See some new books? Which song would you pick? And what is your list????