Monday, January 21, 2013

Ninja News, Polar Night by Julie Flanders, My Favorite Martian Blogfest, and Alien Movie Trivia

Today is the My Favorite Martian Blogfest!

It is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring a man who had a vision and a dream.


Ninja News

In two weeks, I will finally announce the subject of my next blogfest. So, keep saving March 18 – it will be a fun and easy blogfest for everyone!

Started a year ago by Jessica Bell and Dawn Ius, Vine Leaves just put out its fifth issue! They are taking submissions and hiring as well. Check it out on Jessica’s SITE.


Don’t forget the contest Tim Knight is hosting at HeroPress. The "Design-a-Monster" competition runs until January 31 and is in celebration of his six-year blogging anniversary. There are some cool prizes involved (including copies of my book) so check out the details HERE.


Are you persistent? Do you have the right attitude? Then read what Milo James Foster at In Media Res had to say on Sunday:
"Beneath the Surface" was the first short story I submitted for publication, way back in the summer of 2009, and it's been on a long journey ever since. Rejected 24 times over the past three years, held for consideration by the likes of Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, and NewMyths, it finally found a place to call home in the new Arcane anthology.
This story never would have been published if I'd given up after the first, fifth, or fifteenth rejection. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Believe in yourself. Believe in your work. Cool stuff will happen. Every rejection letter is just a permission slip to send your story where it really belongs!

Teresa at Fangirl Next Door sent me this – it’s a podcast interview with Jeff Heimbuch, author of It’s Kind of a Cute Story. The book is about Rolly Crump, one of the original Disney imaginers, and one of the last people alive today that worked directly with Walt himself. Listen to it HERE

Cover Reveal

Polar Night by Julie Flanders
Available February 7 from Ink Smith Publishing

When Detective Danny Fitzpatrick leaves his hometown of Chicago and moves to Fairbanks, Alaska he wants nothing more than to escape the violence and heartbreak that left his life in pieces. Numbed by alcohol and the frozen temperatures of an Alaskan winter, Danny is content with a dead-end job investigating Fairbanks' cold cases. That all changes when a pretty blond woman goes missing on the winter solstice, and Danny stumbles upon some surprising connections between her disappearance and that of another Fairbanks woman three years earlier. Forced out of his lethargy, Danny sets out to both find the missing woman and solve his own cold case.

The investigation points Danny towards Aleksei Nechayev, the handsome and charming proprietor of an old asylum turned haunted tourist attraction in the Arctic town of Coldfoot. As he tries to find a link between Nechayev and his case, Danny's instinct tells him that Nechayev is much more than what he seems.

Danny has no idea that Nechayev is hiding a secret that is much more horrifying than anything he could ever have imagined. As his obsession with finding the missing women grows, Danny finds his own life in danger. And when the truth is finally revealed, the world as he knows it will never be the same.

Find Julie here – blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

My Favorite Martian Blogfest

Hosted by several bloggers, including Maurice and Nigel at The Geek Twins,, Just a Dash of Geek, and Liesel at Musings on Fantasia - post about your favorite alien!

I’m going to be a rebel and select two! Ninjas are just sly that way…


Ronon Dex from Stargate Atlantis
He is a Satedan and his home world was destroyed by the Wraith. He became a Runner and eventually joined Sheppard’s Atlantis Expedition team.
Ronon is proficient with weapons, a warrior, and a bit unpredictable sometimes. In other words, he is just badass! I’d want him on my team for sure.


T’Pol from Enterprise
She was the first Vulcan officer to serve long-term on a human vessel. She started as an observer on the Enterprise and then requested an extension. Eventually she resigned from the Vulcan High Command and accepted a position from Starfleet.
T’Pol is incredibly smart, ice cold, and smoking hot. I’d want her on my team as well.
(And yes, mostly because she is smoking hot!)

Visit the hosts for a list of participants or to join the geeky alien fun!

Who is YOUR favorite alien?


Alien Movie Trivia

And in honor of our alien blogfest, some quotes from films featuring aliens.

1 – "Yes, she knows it’s a multi-pass!"

2 – "Look, I have one job on this lousy ship. It’s stupid, but I’m going to do it, okay?"

3 – "What the hell are you?"

4 – "Somebody in this camp ain’t what he appears to be. Right now that may be one or two of us. By spring, it could be all of us."

5 – "I hope you’re not going to take your skin off, because I really like skin on a woman."

Entering Tim’s contest or submitting to just ONE more magazine now? Excited for Julie’s book? Who is YOUR favorite alien? And know any of the movie quotes?

189 comments:

Old Kitty said...

Am I first?!?! HOOORAH!!

I don't know what multipass is!?!? LOL!

But I know no.2 is the lovely Sigourney Weaver in my all time fave, Galaxy Quest!!

Yay for Julie and Vine Leaves and Milo and persistence!!! :-)

My favourite martian? Mama Alien in Aliens! She loves her babies darn it!! Take care
x

Kyra Lennon said...

I really love the sound of Julie's book, and I'm looking forward to your blogfest reveal!

Sean McLachlan said...

"Every rejection letter is just a permission slip to send your story where it really belongs!"

Quote of the day!

Cindy said...

The Design a Monster contest looks fun..only thing is I'd be horrible at it. I have to admit that hand caught my eye though. Rusty should enter. I'm sure he has something already.

T’Pol is one of my favs too.

Jessica Bell said...

Thanks for the plug! :-)
Loving the sound of Julie's novel. And that cover is fab.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

I was really thinking hard on the alien favorite... my answer was two... Mork from Ork or Tigerman from Buck Rogers... well at least from television and my movie was... do Angels count from The Prophecy?

I so need to be more awake for your trivia... I know about half.

great day!

Brinda said...

I love that third quote up there. I've never submitted to a magazine, but I've been thinking about one in particular.

Elise Fallson said...

E.T. :D

Karen Baldwin said...

Re: what Milo said...here's a quote from Napoleon Hill, "A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins." Can't wait for March 18th.

Cecilia Robert said...

Congrats Julie! Love the cover and the blurb. I'm looking forward to reading your book. :)

DL Hammons said...

I definitely like your taste in aliens!! :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You are first, Kitty! And you are correct.

Sean, that's why I thought what he said rocked.

Cindy, you should check it out - all you have to do is come up with a story for that creature.

Jessica, you're welcome.

Jeremy, someone else did pick Mork.

Leigh, that's right.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I think #4 is THE THING...

Love the cover of Julie's book! I've got a post about it coming up with this week...

That last line from Milo's blog post is the best!

Saw HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET this weekend - pretty creepy!

Al Diaz said...

Trivia number five is from Cocoon, I think.

I have a Trivia for you. One thrilled dragon because the 49'ers got to the Super Bowl? :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

First of all, I love the new animated banner. It's very, very cool.

I'm not familiar with the "martians" you picked, but I bet there's a reason to choose those 2 in particular.

Unknown said...

Hooray thanks for the link alex! It is not working though so i will put the link again right here!

http://www.comehomedisney.com/its-kind-of-a-cute-story-episode-4/

Also great alien choices I think those might beat out the one I chose.

I hope we chat soon and keep in touch!

your friend
Teresa


Anonymous said...

Loved the sound of Julie's book, a great blog full of news as always Alex.
Have a good day.

Yvonne.

farawayeyes said...

Favorite Aliens? YIKES

Trivia - I knew one of those had to be 'Galaxy Quest' and I think 5 is MIB.

Love Milo's attitude and advice.

shelly said...

My favorite alien is ET, of course.

Congrats to all the authors and what they've accomplished.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

shelly said...

My favorite alien is ET, of course.

Congrats to all the authors and what they've accomplished.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Maybe Mork from Ork? Am I dating myself now? Very campy, but Robin Williams was always so random and clever...

Gossip_Grl said...

I don't have a favorite martian but I have a conspiracy friend who claims to have been abducted though. :) Great post and that book cover is intriguing. Thanks for sharing!

Christine Rains said...

Lots of great news to start off the week. Congratulations to Julie! I'm seeing her cover all over this morning. T'Pol is a great choice for an alien. I'm going to go to Farscape for a few good ones: D'Argo and Chiana.

Btw, I really enjoyed Looper. I'm happy I finally got to watch it. Dredd is next!

Anonymous said...

We just saw Galaxy Quest on cable so that's the answer to number two. And yes, Weaver was smoking hot in her torn space suit too!

Number four is Kirk Russell from Thing, one of my favorite movies.

Not sure about the other three.

Juliana Haygert said...

Oh, can't wait to know the subject of the blogfest!

Dude, #3 "What the hell are you?" could be like 1000s movies! lol

Anonymous said...

Sneaky Ninja picking 2! They are very good choices though...and I can see how you would have an issue choosing :)

Rusty Carl said...

The only ones I know for sure are The Fifth Element and Galaxyquest. I'd be guessing at the rest. Maybe MIB or The Thing.

The detective novel sounds amazing. Too bad it isn't out until Feb.

I'd have to think about my favorite alien.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Favorite alien? What a great idea. Marvin the Martian is always one of my favorites!

1. Fifth element! GREAT MOVIE!
2. Galaxy Quest!
3. Predator!
4. Thing?
5. ?

Great info as usual, Sir Alex!
Heather

Laura Eno said...

Congrats to Julie!
Milo has the right of it. Persistence is required.
Ronon Dex - ohhh, eye candy! I've never seen Stargate Atlantis. Now I'll have to.

AuthorAlden said...

Excellent choices on your Martian picks. I must admit, I'd T'Pol was my favorite part of Enterprise (which gets too much heat from fans, in my opinion). And yes, smoking hot . . . and like most Star Trek beauties, she didn't need to be half-naked in every episode to prove it.

VikLit said...

Good alien picks! Your quotes stump me as ever :) look forward to hearing the subject of your Blogfest.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Madeline, you are correct!

Al, very good. And that thrilled dragon would be you.

George, they come from my favorite series of shows - Star Trek and Stargate. And Jeremy rocked the new banner.

Teresa, I will fix that!

Faraway, you got one right.

Elizabeth, I saw someone else had chosen Mork.

Gossip Girl, that's really odd.

Christine, Farscape is a good choice. And didn't Looper rock??

Stephen, you are correct. And yes, Weaver was also sexy as a blonde.

Juliana, it could. Imagine a thick accent.

Rusty, you got three.

Heather, you rocked it with four right!

Laura, the ladies do like Jason Momoa.

JW, I was bummed when that series was cancelled early. And yes, smoking hot!

Annalisa Crawford said...

My favourite alien has got to be ALF. He was cute and furry and (because I was very young) reminded me of one of my teddy bears :-)

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I like your choice of Martians.

March 18 is my birthday.

Lots of good news in blogland.

jaybird said...

Ah, Ronan. Great choice. One of my all-time favorites too!

jaybird said...

Ah, Ronan. Great choice. One of my all-time favorites too!

Tonja said...

I am totally disoriented by the holiday. It confused me when I saw you posted on a Sunday (which it is not).

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

That cover is really interesting. That would definitely catch my eye in a bookstore.
I don't know any of the quotes. I'm afraid I don't watch a lot of alien movies.

Julie Dao said...

Great martian choices! I think I love E.T. best ;)

Liesel K. Hill said...

Hey Alex! I wrote my blogfest post a week ago and then completely forgot to post it today. Didn't realize until I saw the email of your comment! Thanks for the reminder! It's up now. Loved both your alien choices. Mine was from Star Trek too! The Polar Night cover is pretty cool looking! :D

David P. King said...

And I missed another blogfest. Wish there was some kind of widget that can keep track of them, but that's what I get for being a slacker last week. Awesome alien picks and congrats to Julie's cover! Quite spooky! :)

Donna K. Weaver said...

Yeah, I remember T'Pol. She was a very interesting character. They had some fun with her.

I love, LOVE the movie in #2 of your trivia quiz.

Jennie Bennett said...

#2 on your trivia is Galaxy Quest. I'm so glad I finally know something! I like your alien choices and I think Vulcan's are smokin' hot too. Particularly Spock in the newer movies. Too bad he's gay in real life :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Karen, that's all right!

Annalisa, did your Teddy Bear like to eat cats as well?

Teresa, how cool!

Jaybird, figured the women would like him as well.

Tonja, it's Monday!

Liesel, I will go read it!

David, I can send you weekly updates.

Donna, that movie was awesome!

JA, you're right, and that just crushes you, doesn't it?

Luanne G. Smith said...

Congrats to Julie! Not long until the book is released. And I loved what Milo said on his blog this weekend about rejections only being permission to move on and find the right home for a submission. Best advice ever. :)

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Sean is right:

"Every rejection letter is just a permission slip to send your story where it really belongs!"

is the quote of the day. So much info as always!

Southpaw said...

The "my Favorite Martian" blogfest is a riot! I love it. I like your picks but they are not my favorite. Put on the spot I don't know what my answer would be. I'll be think about this all day!

Oh and that hand-man creature is scary-freaky!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Every rejection is one step closer to a yes.

Ronon is a sexy choice.

Unknown said...

I don't know the answers to any of the trivia, but number 5 made me laugh.

As for aliens, I like T'Pol and Seven of Nine.

Powdered Toast Man said...

Alf is my favorite alien but I have cats so I couldn't invite him over for lunch.

Is your upcoming blogfest "What is your favorite kind of pickle" Blogfest?

Emily R. King said...

Huge congrats to Julie!

Fun Martian blogfest. I don't think I know one martian, except Marvin, of course. :)

Unknown said...

Cngrats to Julie, her cover is awesome! I love the motivational quote. It's so true. Every 'no" gets you that much closer to "yes." Is the 2nd trivia question from Galaxy Quest? That's the only one I can even guess on.

Unknown said...

I love those Martians, even though I don't view them as Martians.

Hart Johnson said...

YAY for persistence!!! Well done on that, Milo!

And... Is that Khal Drogo? On a spaceship? Can I sign up?

Suze said...

I love the cover for Polar Night, that is just beautifully-executed.

As for the film quotes, I don't know any of them but number five is pretty funny.

Jeff Hargett said...

LOL, I just watched Sigourney Weaver utter "Look, I have one job on this lousy ship. It’s stupid, but I’m going to do it, okay?" for the upteenth time last week. Love it! Good choices too for the My Favorite Martian bloghop. Ice cold and smoking hot indeed.

Julie Flanders said...

Thank you so much for sharing my cover and synopsis, Alex!! I'm so grateful! And can't wait to hear about your upcoming fest. :)

kjmckendry said...

Yay for Milo! Persistence really does pay!

Polar Night looks great! Congrats Julie!

LD Masterson said...

Would a Borg count? I always loved Seven of Nine from Voyager.

Congrats to Julie. Love the fact that she's on so many blogs this morning.

Sadly, I didn't recognize any of the quotes.

Jay Noel said...

1.Fifth Element
2. Galaxy Quest
3. I want to say it in an Austrian accent, so it's gotta be Predator
4. The Thing
5. Cocoon (I think)

Lydia Kang said...

That first one has got to be from the 5th Element!

I love Julie's cover, wow.

Nickie said...

Ronon is a great choice. There's an episode of SGA where he and Sheppard play golf, and Ronon kicks his butt at that, too, hehehe.

My favorite aliens would have to be Worf (who doesn't love a prune juice drinking Klingon?) and Nog.

Libby said...

Ronon Dex looks amazing! Also, I love the idea of building your own monster. :)

Patsy said...

Oooh oooh, I know some of the film ones!!! That's never happened before and I'm unreasonably happy about it.

1 - Fifth Element.

5 - Cocoon.

Hildie McQueen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hildie McQueen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I just saw Julie's cover. It's amazing, and I like that it really stands out. Great stuff.

I'm not even going to attempt the trivia, though I like #5 and my skin too.

Be well, Alex.
xoRobyn

J.L. Campbell said...

Thanks for the round-up, which reminds me I have some stuff to do this week.

Mark Means said...

Ah T'pol...great pick for favorite alien. The Vulcans were always a...healthy race :)

No idea on -any- of the trivia, though #3 does seem very familiar...

Carol Kilgore said...

"What the hell are you?"
I may have said these words before...possibly in a different context :)

So excited to see Julie everywhere!

L.G. Keltner said...

I love that line from Galaxy Quest! Most people aren't that dedicated to their jobs, and I respected her determination to do it right.

I entered Tim's contest. It sounded too fun to resist!

Jstank said...

"Hopping by" to see your alien post. You picked two? You cheater!

ilima said...

I love Lilu from The Fifth Element! And I can't wait to hear about the blogfest.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

That dude is pretty hot. Much better than green guys on Star Trek!

Nancy Thompson said...

I am the poster child for Churchill's most famous quote, "Never quit!" I've come to realize that those ruling the majority of the publishing world have no real clue what the reading public wants. Congrats & hurray for Milo! And yay for Julie, too! Will definitely be reading her new book this year. No, I don't know any of those quotes. I rarely watch alien flicks, but if I had to pick a fave, it would be ET, because those are my hubby's initials & what he's been called for decades. Now he's called Struh, short for extra, as in extraterrestrial. See, I have my own personal alien at home!

Unknown said...

T'Pol is a great character - extremely cool but also has her (v.occasional) vulnerable moments (bit like 7 of 9). I never watched Stargate Atlantis, but I might have to go and have a look now...thanks!

http://www.theelementals.net/blog

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

LG, I thought it was great advice.

Holly, I had to think about it a while...

Jenn, Seven of Nine is hot as well.

PTM, how did you know?

Michael, you are correct.

Hart, sure!

Jeff, it's just a great film.

Julie, you're welcome!

LD, I almost chose her, but she's mostly human.

Jay, you nailed those!

Lydia, it is.

Nickie, good choices.

Patsy, yes!

mark, who doesn't dig a hot Vulcan?

LG, you got it!

Ilima, you are correct.

Nancy, hopefully you would pick him as your favorite.

Carrie-Anne said...

Congratulations to Julie!

I don't know any of the quotes, but I'm wondering if #5 is some kind of reference to Cocoon (which scared the daylights out of me as a child).

Empty Nest Insider said...

Great advice from Milo! Julie's cover looks fantastic!
Julie

Maurice Mitchell said...

You rebel Ninja you! You have two surprising and inspired choices Alex. I'm looking forward to March for the next blog fest and I'm guessing The Fifth Element and Galaxy Quest. Thanks for supporting the blog fest!

Sherry Ellis said...

I love Milo's comment about rejections letters! I'm going to keep that in mind as the rejections flow in! Thanks for sharing!

David Andrews said...

Ha! I loved reading that mate. You can never go wrong with a alien summation.

Andrew Leon said...

I'd have to go with Yoda; he's even green.

Andrew Leon said...

Oh, and thanks for the Spinner votes!

Krista McLaughlin said...

I would have to say T'Pol too - also because she can kick ass. I'm not a guy, but she is very attractive. Her outfits also accent her... yep. :)

Though I might also add Shran from Star Trek: Enterprise. He's pretty awesome, though a little trigger happy. :)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations to Jessica. I can't wait to hear what your blogfest is about. I like simple.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

My computer's sic. If this is a duplicate from me, sorry. I just wanted to say I love Julie's cover. The story sounds great.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

T'Pol's a great choice. Can't wait for your Blogfest Alex.

Mel Kinnel (@TizMellyMel) said...

Julie's book sounds very intriguing! I'm going to check it out as well as Vine Leaves. Thanks for the wonderful info!

SC Author said...

I don't know much about aliens D: Except I did watch Prometheus a while ago....

Luna said...

Love the cover of Julie's book! Thanks so much for all the awesome Ninja News, Alex.

I totally failed with the quotes! Oh, well. My favorite aliens are the ones from the show Roswell.

Nicole said...

Love the movie trivia! The Fifth Element is one of my all-time faves, and I haven't seen Galaxy Quest in forever. I should dig it out again - it's classic.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Carrie-Anne, you got it!

Maurice, thanks for hosting the blogfest. Your answers are correct and you will really dig my next blogfest.

Andrew, you dominated that chart!

Krista, no one messes with T'Pol.

Michael, it is simple.

Joylene, I'm sorry!

SC, I'm sorry about that...

Johanna Garth said...

I've been seeing Julie's book all over this morning and I'm so excited to read it!

Livia Peterson said...

Can't wait until you announce your blogfest! I'm so in!

Congrats to Julie! Success is coming her way!

And happy Martin Luther King Day to you, too Alex! :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Yeah, I forgot T'Pol. I liked her.

M Pax said...

Congrats to Milo!

I do miss Stargates and Star Treks. Great alien choices.

Ciara said...

I finally got to leave a comment. I've been receiving errors all day. Totally on my end, I think.
I LOVED Ronon Dex. Yep, I'm sure you found T'Pol hot. LOL
Great cover, Julie!

Robin said...

Lots of good news here:) Congrats to everyone on "getting there." And I loved Foster's phisosophy about rejection letters. I recently watched something on TV where someone else said basically the same thing, just a bit differently. They saw all of those rejections as closed doors. And you just had to say, "Next." Of course, it would be much easier if you knew that you had exactly 32 Closed Doors before you hit the Open One. If you knew that, you would start flying through those Closed Doors instead of letting each one slow you down. So, that is why I love the Permission Slip with the Closed Door picture. Give yourself permission to fly past those closed doors in life and in writing. (Let's face it... our writing isn't the only place we run into a Closed Door. However, it isn't the only place we need to start giving us ourselves a Permission Slip to Keep On Going, either!!!) "Cool stuff will happen:)"

Have a great Monday!

Yolanda Renée said...

Love this:
"Believe in yourself. Believe in your work. Cool stuff will happen. Every rejection letter is just a permission slip to send your story where it really belongs!"

So true and can't be said often enough!

Ink Smith Publishing / interesting!

Martin Willoughby said...

1 - Fifth Element
2 - Galaxy Quest
4 - The Thing

And thanks for the link about Vine Leaves.

SpacerGuy said...

So many aliens hitting blogtown, I experienced emotional overload choosing my alien favorite, Mathesar. Maybe Gwen Demarco could help me hack into your ninja powers next time, when shes not too busy repeating the computer.

Tamara said...

Love the inspiring story and congrats to Miles James Foster!

And I can't wait to check out that podcast. It sounds really cool.

JJ said...

Definitely, Ziva David. She is from Israel.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Ha the only one I can honestly pick is 5th Element. I soooo love that movie.

And yay for easy blogfests!

Golden Eagle said...

Great to hear about authors who've gotten their work published due to perseverance.

Love the cover of Polar Night!

Haven't come across either of the aliens you mentioned before, but they sound awesome.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nicole, you got both right!

Mary, best TV programming ever. Add Firefly and it's perfect.

Ciara, I'm sorry! I got that on a few blogs today as well.

Robin, I like that analogy as well. We would move faster if we knew where the yes resided.

Martin, you got it!

Lynda, very good!

Golden, both from awesome shows.

Anonymous said...

Lots happening!

Multi-pass!

Jemi Fraser said...

Those are great choices for aliens - I'd have them both on my team as well! Might have to throw in Data for good measure :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I really liked Ronon Dex too. I liked Stargate Atlantis and was sorry to see it go.

Bish Denham said...

Wow, so much going on! An favorite alien? Alf... no just kidding. I'm kind of partial to Teal'c from Stargate SG1. He takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Sorry, but I don't know any of the alien movie trivia...do enjoy all the info about so many events and ninjas! Thanks for sharing.

Monti

Carrie Butler said...

Whew! Talk about a busy Monday. I'd have to say my favorite aliens are these little guys. *grins* Oh, nostalgia!

Cate Masters said...

Persistence is key - in writing and subbing. Great advice, Milo.
Congrats on the eye-catching cover, Julie!
My favorite martian may have been My Favorite Martian. :)

Mark said...

Big props to referencing Enterprise! I loved the Jonathan Archer show and was sad when they cancelled it. I'm ready for it to come back:)

Michael Di Gesu said...

Lots going on Captain Alex...


"ALL ABOARD!"

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jemi, that team would out-smart everyone.

Susan, I know! It just - ended. No warning.

Bish, I almost named him instead of Ronon.

Mark, they never gave it a fair shake.

Ali Cross said...

Ronan is AWESOME!!! Such a great character. What do you think about those white-skinned, pale-eyed characters in that new show coming out in April--Defiance? They totally remind me of the Wraith!

Tracy Jo said...

LOVE the cover of Julie's book! Looking forward to hearing what your next blogfest is going to be. My favorite alien...Mork from Mork and Mindy. ha!

Anonymous said...

Can't argue with T'Pol being scorching hot! I never really got into Stargate Atlantis, though I watched a few episodes when Jewel Staite was guest starring.

Thanks for sharing your faves!

Cynthia said...

Hello from the blogfest...I'm learning a lot about aliens in pop culture by participating in this. Thanks for sharing your two faves.

Helena said...

I admire Milo's tenacity -- and could learn from it. And Julie Flanders' new cover is striking.

I never seem to get the answers to any of your trivia questions. Sigh.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ali, there is some resemblance!

Tracy Jo, Mork has been popular today.

Kelworth, Jewel was hot as well.

Katrina L. Lantz said...

Right now my favorite alien is Daemon from Jennifer Armentrout's Lux series. But I'm always open to discovering a new favorite.

Shell Flower said...

Wow, a lot going on. I loved the inspirational piece about submitting again and again. I needed to hear that. I keep giving up after 2 or so rejections and moving on to new stories. One of my stories is on submission at an anthology, so at least I have an iron in the fire. And my favorite martian is probably Terl from Battlefield Earth just because he's such an ass.

Tony Laplume said...

Ronon Dex seemed like a version of Tyr Anasazi (from Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda) to me. And because I loved Tyr so much, I didn't much care for someone trying to fill his boots.

But T'Pol is awesome, definitely!

Julie Baswell said...

Thanks for visiting my alien post Alex. I would have added Ronon and T'Pol to my list but I honestly didn't think of them. I don't know why. BTW, Did you know that the actress that plays T'Pol (sorry, don't know her name offhand) is actually blond. She played on Stargate a couple of times as an Amazon.

Chuck said...

T-Pol could be on anything of mine...I remember that show!

I have Milo's story queued up to read on my Kindle.

And yes I am in for your blogfest whatever it may be...the suspense is exciting!

Shaharizan Perez said...

My favorite alien is . . . *ponders for a moment* . . . Dr. Who from Galifrey! He's just too awesome. I wish there were a female version though. Might give it an interesting twist.

Kimberly Gabriel said...

I have no idea where any of those quotes are from but the last one cracked me up. ;) Happy Monday.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shell, just keep submitting.

Hey Julie! Yes I did know that.

Chuck, that made me laugh!

Kimberly, wait until you hear the answer.

klahanie said...

Hi Alex,

And gentle reflection on that great man who had a dream.

So many terrific links on here and I'm delighted about Julie's book and I heard mention of it over here. And there seems to be a rather spacey theme happening here. And good old "Uncle Martin", quite the antennas he had :)

Nice one, Alex and peace be with you and all who visit your interactive site.

Gary

Unknown said...

T'Pol and Ronan, awesome choices. They are on my long list of fave aliens. :)

High fives for all the good news, I've got lots of linkage to check out and you know I'm saving March 18th.

Misha Gerrick said...

Some great links today!

I:m very excited for Julie and Milo.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the quote, Alex -- and T'Pol is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

Craig Edwards said...

What a fun bloghop this has been! I am not familiar with your first alien - as my Stargate knowledge ends with the movie. But T'Pol - yes, she a toothsome morsel of total logic! Splendid choice! Cheers!

Jack said...

Never heard of T’Pol, she must be from one of the later series. I've only seen the original. I will have to look her up, as I like the Vulcans.

Um, let's see. I know number 2. Galaxy Quest, a well quoted movie in my family. "I don't want to die." "You're not going to die, Guy." "How do you know that? I don't even have a last name!" "You have a last name." Do I?! DO I?!"

Annnd, that is the only one I know. 5 and 4 sound familiar though.

Unknown said...

I could probably pick a favourite wizard, but I don't know that many aliens to be able to choose! The guys from Mars Attacks are pretty cool though.

Jamie

Mark Koopmans said...

Loved what Milo had to say and I've never heard of T'Pol.

(Before seeing the picture, I thought it was a bunch of questions about the type of hot beverage I liked the most...)

Creepy Query Girl said...

Congrats to Jess and Dawn! And Julie's book sounds fantastic! Off to check out her blog..

PK HREZO said...

Can't answer any of those trivia questions. Ho hum.
Yep I never watched the Stargate series but love the original movie.
Ronon Dex sounds tres cool tho!!

Unknown said...

Julie's book sounds awesome. Definitely going to go check that one out!

As for my fav alien - Alf. Always has been, always will be. :) Cracked me up as an (older) kid.

Tara Tyler said...

2, galaxy quest
5, coccoon

your post has an alien, monstery theme today! and yay julie!

looking forward to your announcement!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Milo, you're welcome!

Craig, it's been a blast.

Jack, you are correct. Now we need to get out of here before one of those things kills Guy.

Jamie, that sounds like an interesting blogfest.

Pk, the series was SO much better than the movie.

Tara, you are correct!

Mina Burrows said...

Julie's book cover is cool.

I only know the first one for trivia...Fifth Element. Wahoo!

randi lee said...

Lilu Dallas, Multi-pass! I LOVE that movie! Used to watch it as a kid religiously. Ohhh I'm intrigued by the next bloggeroonie event you have going on. I'll be impatiently waiting with green skin and pointy ears!!

Liza said...

Looking forward to your next blogfest Alex. I love Julie's cover. Glad you got your sports car!

Jackie said...

Yay to you hosting another blogfest!!! Two weeks to wait? Any hints that you can give as to what your blogfest will be? :)

Melissa said...

"I hope you’re not going to take your skin off, because I really like skin on a woman."

LOL - I don't know what this is from, but it's funny. :P

Petronela said...

Since I value your opinion so much, I was hoping, if you had the time, to stop by my blog and help me with a suggestion. I would be so much obliged Alex :). Kisses and regards.

Summer Ross said...

I would be all about Alf- yes I totally consider him a martian.

Great post Alex- that cover looks amazing.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. covering all the bases - there's so much going on .. Julie's book Polar Night sounds so interesting and I love her cover ...

Looking forward to your ideas re your blog fest - just before The Challeng ...

Cheers Hilary

Huntress said...

Holy Cats! Love Galaxy Quest! Number Two, one of the funniest lines in cinematic history.

Polar Night seems exactly right for me.

Michelle Wallace said...

I don't watch too much tele, but can remember being totally taken in by the lizard-like aliens from the early 80's sci-fi TV series "V" (the original mini-series) when it hit our shores... remember that we got tv rather late, only in 1976, so tv was about 6 years old... it was a kind of morbid fascination and I was terrified and excited at the same time...

Sarah Ahiers said...

I didn't watch SGA OR Enterprise. We just never got around to Atlantis, though i could see us giving it a run sometime in the future

Tyrean Martinson said...

Great choices for My Favorite Martian - Ronon and T'Pol are both cool characters, although I think Ronon's the smoking hot one.
I'm a day late, but stopping by anyway.

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

How geeky does this make me?

1. Fifth Element
2. Galaxy Quest
3. Predator
4. The Thing
5. Cocoon

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mina, you got it.

Randi, that made me laugh!

Jackie, something simple and fun.

Unikorna, I will!

Huntress, you are correct!

Michelle, someone even picked the lead alien from V for the blogfest.

Sarah, you don't want to lose your geek card, do you?

Tyrean, if you thought T'Pol was hot I would worry...

Wendy, that makes you uber-cool geeky!

Shelly said...

Ahhh- Galaxy Quest! Still one of my favorites! Enjoyed your blog. I shall return~

Patricia Stoltey said...

What Milo James Foster said is so true. The important message is to keep polishing and keep submitting.

Anonymous said...

1. bruce willis in the fifth element

...thats all I got... LOVE that movie!! :)

nutschell said...

lovely to see Julie's cover! And Milo is always inspiring. Does John Carter count as a martian? :)He'd be my favorite martian, right alongside Marvin :)

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Melissa Sugar said...

Congratulations to Julie. Her books sounds interesting. My favorite alien is still E.T. I recently made my kids watch the movie with me. They usually hate the movies that I tell them were cool, back when mommy was a kid, but they loved E.T., and two even cried with me.

I feel like a real twit, but I don't know the answer to a single question, this week. Have a great week.

Belle said...

I only know the first one- "multipass", it's from Fifth Element. We say that in our family from time to time. Also, I love that movie.

Misha Gerrick said...

Hey again! Just want to let you know you've been nominated for the most encouraging blogger at my blog. Congrats!

http://sylmion.blogspot.com/2013/01/news-day-week-3-announcing-nominees-and.html

Nate Wilson said...

Only 3 out of 5? I'm so ashamed. Guess that's what I get from only seeing Predator & Cocoon once each over 20 years ago.

As for favorite alien, it's a tough call: either Invader Zim or Dr. Zoidberg. No, wait, I take that back. After the revelations of Muppets from Space I have to go with Gonzo.

Nick Wilford said...

Glad to hear the next blogfest will be an easy one, lol!

Congrats to Julie, it's a stunning cover.

I am only going to venture a guess on... er, Alien, being one of those movies.

Yoda is one of the coolest aliens around. He must have come up in the blogfest, I just haven't seen that many of the posts.

Kelly Polark said...

ET. Then maybe Chewbacca. :)

Author A.O. Peart said...

Eeek, I'm so late, commenting. But I have a valid excuse - have been writing, writing, writing. Two of my books are due this spring, so I better keep writing :-)

Congrats to Julie on her new release. The "Design-a-Monster" competition sounds great. I will for sure check it out. And visiting Jessica's site is on my list to-do!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shelly, yes and thanks!

Casey, good for you.

Nutschell, while he's on Mars he's Martian.

Melissa, you are not a twit!

Belle, good stuff!

Misha, thanks and I saw that!

Nate, excellent choice!!!!

Nick, sorry, no Alien.

Angela, no worries!

Cherie Reich said...

You're such a tease, but I am saving the date.

Love Julie's cover!

Allison said...

I love Ronan Dex! Good pick, my fellow Stargate fan.

Allison (Geek Banter)

Leovi said...

Impressive The "Design-a-Monster".

Li said...

I'm learning quite a bit of sci-fi trivia from this blogfest! OK, I'll save the date. I just hope it's nothing to do with Leprechauns, as they scare me. :(

Shannon Lawrence said...

Multi-pass! Love Fifth Element and Galaxy Quest!

Also, so excited for Julie! And what a fantastic snippet from Milo James Foster.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse

Peggy Eddleman said...

I love your picks for martians!

Anonymous said...

It's interesting seeing everyone's Martian picks. I've seen a great variety.

Julie's book is everywhere. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cherie, save it!

Allison, you rock.

Shannon, you got it!

Mina Lobo said...

I really liked Milo James Fowler's take on the rejection slip as permission slip. Pretty nifty way to re-frame a disappointment. :-)
Some Dark Romantic

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Milo's advice is so encouraging. It keeps us unpublished folk chugging =)

Also, that Polar Night cover is making the Graphic Designer side of me bubble with approval. What a nice combo of silhouettes and trees!

Unknown said...

Also, I just started watching Star Trek Enterprise... lvoe T'Pol! Her interaction with the rest of the crew is hilarious to me :)

Hope you have a great week Alex!

Anonymous said...

I am so looking forward to Julie's book! Love her cover!!

Arlee Bird said...

Yikes! More blogfests!

Lee
Tossing It Out

Adorably Dead said...

Watching Enterprise now, T'Pol annoys me kind of. Although she is growing on me.

I got every one of your movie quotes but the last one. Definitely going to have to google that one. :p

Susan Kane said...

My favorite alien is from Deep Space Nine, the blue guy with moving antennae. No names come from my memory, but I always enjoyed him.

The Happy Whisk said...

Spock though I don't think of him as an alien. But Spock, for sure.

Trisha said...

Dude, this is the first I knew that Jason Momoa was in Stargate Atlantis. Totally a reason for me to watch it. wooo!

Yes, I am only just getting around to commenting on all the "Martian" 'fest posts.

I love the look of Julie's cover too!

Callie Leuck said...

Ronan was one of my favorites! And of course I was obsessed with the Wraiths as baddies. They were such a great concept.