Back to the Future! Plus Leonard Nimoy, Lame Blog Comments, Housebound Movie Review, What Are the Kargrandes, and Ninja News

arlee bird, back to the future, housebound movie review, iwsg, jamie ayers, leonard nimoy, lori l maclaughlin, what are the kargrandes, what makes a blog comment lame, whatarethekargrandes, scifi

Please welcome Jamie Ayers today! She was gracious enough to let me move her appearance to today so I could feature Bill and Kevin from RiffTrax last week, so please give her a warm welcome.

back-future.jpg We all have a vision of what the future holds. In 1989, the future meant flying cars, self-lacing shoes, and the hoverboard. This is the year Back to the Future Part II was set, but like most things in life, what we often expect doesn’t happen.

Often times, it’s better! In the final installment of my trilogy, 18 Thoughts, my three amigos (Olga, Nate, and Conner) do a little time traveling. Instead of traveling to the future though, they’re going back to the past, so they can have a future. Confused? Well, then maybe someone should head to Amazon and download the first two books, 18 Things and 18 Truths. *stares expectantly*

All caught up now? Great J Anywho, my trilogy is all about hope. Hope that everything will be okay in the end, no matter how crazy things get in-between. After my seriously jacked up childhood, that ‘thought’ never bloomed in my mind. But over the course of my adult life, I’ve been able to look back on everything with a wondrous panorama of what was God’s plan all along. So be full of hope today and hold onto faith! Most people can’t see time for what is really is, but we are in fact infinite.

I still desperately want a flying skateboard though and discovered some DIY instructions on Ryan Craven’s blog. Alas, I’m a DIY moron, so instead of the brutal torture I’d undergo making this myself, who do I have to bribe to make one for me? I’ll do ANYTHING! I will even *gulp* give my babies away. And by babies, I mean the books in my trilogy, in ebook format (because I’m desperate but poor). Okay fine, you just have to comment on this post and I’ll leave it to random.org to pick a winner.

*What do you think our future holds?

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Olga Gay Worontzoff left the Underworld anxious to return to normal, but fate had other plans; now she’s caught in a world that’s a mix of familiar and supernatural, torn between past and present.

18 Thoughts on Goodreads| Amazon |YouTube

Jamie Ayres writes young adult love stories stories by night and teaches young adults as an English teacher by day. She lives in southwest Florida with her husband and two daughters. Visit her website at www.jamieayres.com

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What Are the Kargrandes?


New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is clue number eight – new clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week - thanks to all who are spreading the word for me:

What are the Kargrandes? Eighth clue up this week- http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes #scifi @alexjcavanaugh

What are the Kargrandes? Animals? Weapons? Solve the mystery by April 7! http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

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And there is an awesome review of Dragon of the Stars at Edi’s Book Lighthouse!
Since the book is on pre-order at Amazon, reviews can’t be posted until its release–however, Edi started a forum discussion with his review. (Never knew you could do that!) So if anyone wants to chime in or add a discussion/review there, feel free!

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Ninja News


Thanks to everyone who visited last week for my INTERVIEW with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy of RiffTrax and MST3K fame!

Don’t forget Wednesday is Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day!

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New Release –
Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble by Lori L. MacLaughlin
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo



Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out has an amazing post today and coming up Wednesday. His Battle of the Bands post on Sunday pit two rock bands playing a piece by Beethoven. His post today is an interview with the lead guitarist of the Greece band, Orion's Reign. Wednesday, for IWSG day, he’s doing a video interview with the L.A. musician, Sebastian Sidi, and he offers up some great advice for writers about overcoming insecurity. So check it out!

nimoy.jpgLeonard Nimoy


Last Friday we lost a great science fiction icon, and the inner geek in me is still crying.
Nimoy was many things–actor, director, poet, singer, and more. He created one of the greatest characters of all time in Mr. Spock, up there with Sherlock Holmes. I grew up with Star Trek and consider it the greatest science fiction franchise ever created. Nimoy brought true depth and meaning to the character of Spock.
It’s a sad day for all and he will be sorely missed. Prayers for his family and friends.


Movie Review

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Housebound
The main character, Kylie, is sentenced to house arrest and must return to the home she grew up in. Strange sounds and happenings begin to occur.
From New Zealand, this film really surprised me. It didn’t rely on gore or shock tactics, and there are many funny moments. There are also many twists and turns, which is why I can’t reveal much else about the movie.
Overall, it was very satisfying, well-acted, and very well done. A really original film.
Available on NetFlix.
Recommended!


Lame Blog Comments


We all enjoy blog comments. Sometimes even the lame ones. Just what is a lame comment?

Is it the ‘Great post’ comment? Is that better than nothing? Do we leave comments like that when we just can’t find something to say about the post? Now, I can usually find something to comment about in a post. Just by reading, one or more things will jump out. (Besides, ‘Great post’ is R’s trademark comment. No one else should be able to use it, right Pat?)

Is it the ‘Hello’ comment? Someone just stopping by to say hello without reading? Or just to leave a comment so you’ll comment back? I recently visited a blogger who had obviously spent a great deal of time and researching the post, and the very first comment was basically a ‘Hello.’ I thought it was a shame–the blogger had put so much effort into writing and this person didn’t even read it.

Is it the comment that has nothing to do with the content of the post? Someone who is just asking an unrelated question or leaving a reply to something else or just making a random comment?
I’d recently told Arlee Bird that leaving a comment that has nothing to do with the post is rude, and he agreed and added ‘That is one of the biggest indicators that a blogger is either just immersed in self-interest or in la-la land.’

It takes time to write a blog post. (Mine take between two and three hours to put together.) With that kind of effort, a blogger deserves a decent comment. Doesn’t need to be long, just relates to the post. (That’s why I offer a variety of topics in my posts–something for everyone. Plus I ask questions at the end.)

What’s your opinion on lame comments and what constitutes a lame comment?

What do you think the future holds? (And do you still want a hoverboard?) Any idea about those Kargrandes? Seen Housebound? What are your thoughts on Nimoy? And what’s your opinion on lame comments…?

Movies Posts

Sep 14, 2015

The Martian Reviewed, Godzilla and King Kong, America’s Got Talent, Iron Maiden and Muse Album Reviews, and Ninja News!

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Entertainment News The upcoming film, The Martian, was just reviewed at the Toronto International Film Festival. According to JoBlo’s site - As such, The Martian really is terrific family entertainment....

Sep 07, 2015

Too Much NetFlix? The Shannara Chronicles, Hellboy 3, New releases in DVD-music-games, Favorite Job, Mini-Alex and Cicadas, and Ninja News!

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Happy Labor Day to my friends here in the States! Entertainment News This article caught my eye - New Study Suggests Americans are Watching Too Much NetFlix. From JoBlo’s site...

Aug 24, 2015

RiffTrax Live! Plus Movie Reviews, Trivia, and News; Dragon and Cassa News, Battle of the Banned, and Ninja News

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Back from vacation! I’m starting to really enjoy those… RiffTrax Live! Two more shows remain in this year’s RiffTrax Live line-up – Miami Connection and Santa and the Ice Cream...

Aug 17, 2015

Dragon’s Destiny! Plus Movie News, War Movie Trivia Answers, Ninja News, Box Social Winner, and Internet Questions for Everyone…

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

Movie News World Wide Box Office – Jurassic World is now number three: 1 Avatar - $2,788.0 million 2 Titanic - $2,186.8 3 Jurassic World - $1,582.4 4 Marvel's The...

Aug 05, 2015

Roving Packs of Ferals

By Morbid Is as Morbid Does

I’ve wanted to start writing about the science fiction books that influenced my writing and there’s no better place to start than the book that revised my world and showed me what was possible in fiction.

Jul 27, 2015

Justice League: Gods & Monsters (Review)

By Comics Worth Reading

Justice League: Gods & Monsters is the best of the DC original animated movies in a long while. That’s because it’s fresh. It’s based on an original story by Bruce...

Jul 25, 2015

Pixels

By Comics Worth Reading

Pixels is exactly what it promises: a movie where video games have come to life, and Adam Sandler and friends, former arcade champions, are the only ones who can save...

Jul 20, 2015

The State of Sci-Fi Shows, Ant-Man Review, Movie News, Mini-Alex, and Reading Ambitions

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

I’m back from vacation! And it was awesome… I’m also over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with guest blogging tips. Movie News Ant-Man Review I’m happy to say the...

Jul 15, 2015

Review: Space Cowboys & Indians by Lisa Medley

By Escape Reality, Read Fiction!

My Review: While Space Cowboys & Indians isn’t really like the 2011 movie Cowboys & Aliens, it also isn’t not like it. Along with a bit of Farscape or the...

Jul 13, 2015

RiffTrax Sharknado 2 Review! Plus Minions Review, How Often Should You Blog, Box Office Results, and Ninja News

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

RiffTrax Live – Sharknado 2 Review and Feature On July 9 (with an encore presentation on July 16), the RiffTrax crew tackled a classice – Sharknado 2. I felt bad...