Monday, May 26, 2014

X-Men Days of Future Past Review, You Rock Awards, and Ninja News

Movie Review – X-Men Days of Future Past

One of the best X-Men movies so far!

I can’t say too much about it without spoilers. It’s a compelling story that melds past and future together well.

There is an all-star line-up of mutants. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces and several new mutants. (One of the best and funniest scenes involves Quicksilver.)

This film is epic in scope – the storyline, action, and special effects. You will walk out of the theater thinking ‘Wow!’ It’s a spectacle movie you’ll want to see in the theater.

It competes with Captain America: Winter Soldier for the best superhero film of the year, and definitely one of the best movies so far. And with this film, they have completely rebooted the series.

Highly recommended!


Ninja News 

Today I am at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group website with tips on author etiquette online.

Over at the A to Z Blog, Themes that Rocked the Challenge continues with Lanise Brown,
who posted images of amazing libraries from around the world.

Out now!
Leverage by Nancy Thompson
This is the sequel to The Mistaken, an incredible thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
You can pick up Leverage on Amazon

Pat Hatt has a new book – The Cosmic League: Rise of the Allies.


Citadels of Fire, Book 1 of Kremlins by LK Hill comes out on Tuesday!

Shelly Arkon and her pups gave me the Bonefied Blogger Award. Her husband was recently in the hospital, so prayers for Shelly.

During the A to Z Challenge, Sia McKye was recovering from an injury, but author Kat Sheridan was awesome enough to step in and blog for her. Kat’s first book, Echoes in Stone, came our recently, and you can purchase it on Amazon


Eric Buffington is giving away copies of Stones of Power Book 1, The Exile this month. Use coupon code sw69s at Smashwords


From Randy Johnson at Not the Baseball Pitcher - Ten Coolest Movie Spaceships



You Rock Awards!

Time for the fifth annual You Rock Awards!

Every year, I select a handful of blogger buddies and highlight them. I keep making new friends, so it doesn’t get any easier as the years pass! The people below are very special to me, and I hope you’ll read why and then pay them a visit.

Past recipients include Arlee Bird, Yvonne Lewis, RaShelle Workman, Hannah, Jeffrey Beesler, Gail, Rusty Webb, Chuck, George, Jeremy Hawkins, Matthew, Old Kitty, Ella, M Pax, Roland Yeomans, Melissa Bradley, Robyn Englel, Lynda Young, Michael Di Gesu, Heather Gardner, Stephen Tremp, and Father Dragon Al.

This year’s You Rock recipients are:

Tina at Life is Good

This one is long overdue. Tina has been a dear friend for years, and through her posts and email exchanges, I know more about her than anyone else.. She is an integral part of the A to Z Team, which could not function without her organization and wit. Yes, if you’ve not met Tina, that’s the first thing you need to know – she is hilarious. I never know what she’s going to say, but I know it will be both funny and genuine. Tina, you are a delight in all things you do, and I could not be more honored to be your friend. Since we both claim Jeremy as a brother, that would make you my sister. Yeah, aren’t we a wild family?
Tina, you rock!

Damyanti at Daily (w)rite

Another one that is overdue! I’ve known Damyanti for even longer, and she’s also an important part of the A to Z Team. Hailing from India, she is an incredibly talented writer and deep thinker. She’s a gentle soul with an inner strength. And she’s very forgiving and patient – she’s put up with me calling her Damy for years! (I worried I would misspell her name.) We have a strong mutual respect for each other and I know I can always count on her. Damy, you can always count on me – I have your back.
Damyanti, you rock!

Edi at Edi’s Book Lighthouse

I met Edi four years ago while searching for book bloggers who reviewed science fiction. Not only did he agree to review CassaStar, he posted the most amazing review just before its release. I’d already become a fan of his blog, and from that point onward, we became more than reviewer and author – we became friends. Sometimes you just need someone who ‘gets you’ and understands the heart behind what you write. Edi is that person. We have a lot in common and I always trust his judgment. If we ever get the opportunity to speak in person (he lives in Germany) I know we’d discuss books, movies, ideas, and life well into the night. Edi, honored to be your friend – and to know you by your real name.
Edi, you rock!

Suze at Subliminal Coffee

Suze is probably the most introspective and wise person I know. If you visit her blog, take your brain. There’s no skimming her posts – and you wouldn’t want to, as you would miss so many nuggets of wisdom. No one knows how to craft words like Suze. (She’s currently working on a rewrite for an agent and he damn well better sign her, because no one deserves publication more than Suze.) You’ll learn a bit more about life and people, and come away looking at the world a little differently after spending time with her. Lest you think she’s all pomp, she does have a geek side, and it’s fun to see that come out now and then! (The geek stuff is probably why she visits me. Either that, or I amuse her.) Suze, you challenge me, my friend. And that’s good.
Suze, you rock!

Karen Walker at Following the Whispers

I believe Karen was one of my first followers. (I think we were in the BBT group together?) She is incredibly honest and open, and in ways I can’t ever imagine sharing with the world. There is such strength in that kind of transparency. She’s devoted to her friends and I don’t believe she’s ever missed one of my posts except when traveling overseas. Karen’s both author and singer, so we share a love of writing and music. (And if you’ve never read her book, Following the Whispers, pick it up today!) Karen also makes me think. She makes me appreciate life. And she prods me to live for the joy of today. She is a true friend.
Karen, you rock!

Elizabeth Spann Craig

Elizabeth is one of my very first followers. (Probably one of the first ten!) Considering she is the most successful author I personally know, I’ve never figured out why she followed me – or why she visits every time I post. (I must amuse her as well!) Elizabeth maintains a very professional author site, offering incredible information and tips. She shares what she’s learned and even set up the Writer’s Knowledge Base to help others. A full time writer, she really has her act together. And she’s real. I think that is what I admire most about her.
Elizabeth, I know the award doesn’t fit your site, but it fits you – and you rock!

My friends, I’ll email you a personalized You Rock badge today!

And I will be on vacation this Friday through Monday with very limited Internet! So no post on Monday. Looking forward to getting away and I will even have a little time to write.

Anyone else see X-Men this weekend? Excited about the new releases? Do anything fun Memorial Day weekend? And what blogger buddies rock your world…?

Don’t forget to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and remember IWSG post day is Wednesday, June 4!

214 comments:

1 – 200 of 214   Newer›   Newest»
Kyra Lennon said...

Very deserving winners of the "You Rock" award!

J.L. Murphey said...

Great Mojo. You Rock award are well deserved.

ELAdams said...

Congratulations to the winners! :)

I'm hearing so many good things about the new X-men film. I'm hoping I'll get to watch it next week!

Annalisa Crawford said...

Fantastic choices for the You Rock award.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Karen, you're welcome, and I didn't want to make you cry. I feel bad now...

Emma, go! It rocks.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Alex, thanks so much! It's such an honor to be mentioned with this great group of bloggers...*you* rock. And I love that I was one of your first followers--just shows how long we've been blog buddies. :)

Thanks, too, for reminding me of the X-Men movie! My husband was bummed when our son went with a friend to Godzilla this weekend, so he'll be glad to know there's another good movie for them to go see.

Have a Happy Memorial Day!

Donna K. Weaver said...

We've had company over this weekend, including young children, so no X-Men yet. We've still got to check out Godzilla.

Enjoy your break.

Unknown said...

Yay! I'm so glad you have such a positive reaction to the latest X-Men movie! We're going to watch it this week, and I can't wait!

Al Diaz said...

Congratulations to all the authors. And congratulations to the winners of the awards, I shall pay them a visit. They all sound very interesting. I am just starting to know Tina better.
Now I really want to see X-Men. I hope you have a wonderful vacation. Dont forget to do your homework before you go. :)

A Beer for the Shower said...

On par with Captain America? Man, now I'm really going to have to see this one in theaters...

I can't speak for the others, but Tina is pretty damn awesome. We're both really glad we've gotten to know her more over the past year.

Enjoy that vacation! I know we sure are (separately).

Christine Rains said...

Great review. I've heard awesome things about the movie. I finished my novel revisions this weekend. That was my excitement! Congrats to all the award recipients and everyone releasing a book. Great way to start off the week. :)

Gail said...

Congratulations to the talented people who've received this award.

I am terribly proud of mine. Two strangers spar over humorous lines and become friends, I think.

Thank you, Alex, for honoring me in the past.

Sorry I scared you this morning.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Congrats to all the award recipients!

Enjoyed my bit of a blogging break last week. Had some fun - beach, eating out, watching baseball. Almost finished watching Season 1 of Game of Thrones. :)

Enjoy your time off, Alex!

Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

Unknown said...

X-Men Days of Future Past was awesome. I went to see it yesterday in the cinema, and it was definitely well worth it. The question I have now is, does Wolverine still have metal claws? Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

New books, new movie, awards, and a lot of places to visit. This will be a busy day. Congratulations, all. Have a happy holiday.

Mason Canyon said...

Congratulations to all the Rock recipients. Definitely some awesome bloggers and authors. Congrats also to those with books just out. As for the X Men movie I had been wondering what you thought of it. Sounds like a 'must see'. Wishing you and your family a Happy Memorial Day.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, you're welcome, and thanks for sticking with me for so long. Tell your husband to go see X-Men.

Al, I won't forget!

Brandon and Bryan, yes, on par with Captain America! And Tina is a wonderful person.

Gail, one day we should return to sparring over those images and words!

Madeline, sometimes we just have to take time to chill.

Imogen, I believe he does.

Jo said...

I saw some of the stars interviewed on GMA last week. I would certainly like to see the movie. Unlikely to see it in the theatre though.

Too many books not enough time.

Glad to see Tina with an award she certainly does rock.

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm sure I'll watch the new X men piece. Most of the movies have been entertaining.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

I have conflict with the X-men film, I enjoyed it... so many unanswered questions, that have been hanging with me since I had seen it. I will address it in some time.

You Rock Awards... great group of awesome friends/family.

Have a safe time away, I am on leave until following Wednesday... ghost posting as normal.

Truedessa said...

I've been wanting to see X-Men all weekend. Hopefully, I will get there soon.

I see Pat's book is on display along
with some other interesting stories.

Enjoy your getaway Alex...

Robin said...

I have been looking forward to this X-Men movie for a long time (since I heard about it...).

Congrats to all of the You Rock bloggers. I saw Karen's comment above. I do believe that you touched her heart.

mshatch said...

Can't wait to see the new X-men movie - maybe I can convince my brother to see that instead of Godzilla...Enjoy your mini-vaca :)

Brian Miller said...

saw it friday, and it is cool...the quiksilver scene was funny, but stands outside the rest of the movie---was the feel i got...it was epic...i still say captain america was a better flick, but i really enjoyed this one...and jeans back! ha.

i wonder which team will be in apocalypse...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Mason, a must see in the theaters, that's for sure.

Jeremy, my wife had a list of questions after we left the theater. Fortunately I was able to answer most of them for her. Enjoy your time away!

Robin, I think I did.

Marcy, go see both!

Brian, the reboot opened both ends, didn't it? I've seen photos from the next one and it's the younger set in the next film.

Bossy Betty said...

Thanks for the list of You Rock bloggers! I love to see the way the blogging world keeps expanding and growing!

Tina said...

Wow, Alex, I'm blown away and honored to be part of such an elite group of bloggers. Thanks for your kind words. I'm so glad to be counted as your friend, and for the friendship (brother/sisterhood) we share. YOUR ROCK my dear. Thanks so much!
Tina @ Life is Good
On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!

Pat Hatt said...

Thanks for the shout and enjoy getting away at your bay. X-men was great, Quicksilver was surprisingly good too. It's right up there with some of the best superhero movies, still Avengers tops it for me. Plus the whole Beast hulk wannabe thing was kinda meh if I had to point out something.

Leovi said...

The stories merge past and future with the present are difficult to create to have consistency!

Shell Flower said...

Having a fun vacation, I hope. Glad they are still making some good X-men movies. Might have to see that one. I hope you get some writing done, too!

Jean Katherine Baldridge said...

I am so happy to hear they have done a good job on the X men reboot. I am now very excited to see this movie! Thank you--I trust your taste in movies. I am very particular and don't have time to waste on bad movies so it is great to have someone like you to count on.

Congrats to the recipients of your wonderful award! They must be very special people!

jean :)

Patsy said...

I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Unknown said...

Glad to hear X Men was so good. The Hubby will see it on DVD as he can't go to the cinema anymore.

Enjoy your holiday and forget about blogger!

Anonymous said...

I am so tempted to see this X-Men movie even though I dont follow the franchise at all. I'll catch it eventually.

My family had a bday party for my youngest daughter yesterday. She'll be 2yrs old soon. Today we're cleaning and chilling.

Hope you enjoy your vacation and the remainder of this 3-day weekend. Congrats to all the "You Rock" award winners!

Carol Kilgore said...

Congrats to all the You Rock bloggers! Well deserved.

Enjoy your vacation, Alex!

Unknown said...

Wow, Alex. This was so kind of you-- and I have your back too, any time you need a friend. You do so much for the blogging community-- I can't imagine blogiverse without you!

Just back from watching X-men-- it had me gobsmacked :). Enjoy the break, you absolutely deserve it.

ilima said...

They totally pulled a Star Trek move to revamp that series, and I love it. Also, Quicksilver in the kitchen...Best. Scene. Ever.

Kat Sheridan said...

Thank you for including me in the Ninja News! And I am sooo far behind on movies. I'm still waiting to see WInter Soldier. And I'm going to have to go check out your blogger buddies. I'm always looking for great new blogs! Enjoy your time off!

Brandon Ax said...

I agree with you about it being the best X-men so far, but as a comic fan it still just left me wondering if Brian Singer gets this genre at all? Oh well still a good movie.

Hope you enjoy your vacation.

D.G. Hudson said...

Would love to see that X-Men movie, so will tell hubs. He's a comic book hero fan. (a collector of old BIG Little books, the hardcover comics.)

Blogger friends should be celebrated! Writers like to talk and discuss at some point. . .
Enjoy your time off, Alex!

Sherry Ellis said...

The X-men movie sounds good. I'll have to see it.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Deserving winners of the 'You Rock' award. I have to see the X-men movie, have heard so much about it.

Suze said...

Al, it is so cool that you profile all of these friends! Thank you so much for thinking of me. And, actually, I have signed with the agent! :)

Nancy Thompson said...

Congrats to all the winners & thanks a million for the shout out! Happy Memorial Day!

mail4rosey said...

I haven't seen Captain America: Winter Soldier yet, but I sure want to see it. I'm happy to hear the XMen movie was a good one too.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tina, you are welcome my rocking sister!

pat, you're welcome.

Leovi, they did it well though.

Jean, I'll try not to steer you wrong.

Anne, I will forget! Just four days though.

Chris, happy cleaning and hope it was a good day for your daughter.

Damy, you are most welcome! And that's an excellent way of describing the X-Men movie.

Ilima, wasn't that an awesome scene?

Kat, you're welcome, and meant to do it sooner.

Brandon, I guess it's fortunate I don't follow the comics at all.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Crap, there were six new comments while I was trying to comment!

Suze, that's awesome!!! And you are very welcome.

Nancy, better late than never...

Andrew Leon said...

I'm a little more ambivalent about X-Men. My review will be Friday, so you'll have to catch it later.

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

Congratulations to all the "You Rock" award winners!

Enjoy your vacation!

Mary Montague Sikes

Anonymous said...

I've heard a few people say the new X-men was amazing. Definitely making me think I need to see it in theaters.

Anonymous said...

Great You Rock Award winners.

I'll check out your post.

I'll definitely see the new X-Men movie. I enjoyed the last one.

Laura Clipson said...

They all sound like worthy recipients of your reward :)

Carrie-Anne said...

Isn't June 4th the IWSG for next month?

I haven't done much this weekend, though I got a lot of walking done, as well as some drawing.

Birgit said...

Oh I am hearing great things about X-Men. I need to see Wolverine and the other X-men (when all were younger) first. Great that you always recognize such talented people. Our long weekend was last weekend and we had not so nice weather. My hubby's birthday was yesterday so we had a nice day and friends came over-what more is there eh?:)

Michelle Wallace said...

Congrats to all the recipients of the You Rock awards! What a wonderful bunch!
Enjoy your vacation, Alex!

SC Author said...

Congrats on the awards!!

AND YES, I WANT TO SEE X-MEN SO BADLY!!! Are you going to do a review of Maleficent as well?

Beate said...

I just realized I haven't been to the movies for almost a year. I so need to go and see X-Men! :) (And Godzilla still ;)
Wow, you are an amazing friend writing these wonderful things about your friends who received (very well deserved! :) the you rock award!
Right now all the fantastic new followers I met rock my blogging world :)
Have an amazing, relaxed vacation!

Chrys Fey said...

I can't wait to see the new X-men movie!

Congratulations to all the You Rock winners!! :D

The Angry Lurker said...

Hoping to see X-men next Tuesday, looking forward to it more now!

Pickleope said...

I was worried about the new X-Men movie because Bryan Singer hasn't had the best track record since leaving the franchise. So, this is refreshing to hear. Congrats to the winners, I'll have to check them out.

mooderino said...

Xmen does look pretty good, hope it lives up to the hype.

mood

John Wiswell said...

Hope you have a great vacation, Alex! I loved the new X-Men movie. I could take many more of those.

Arlee Bird said...

Good picks for "You Rock". I know that Tina and Damyanti are indispensable when it comes to rocking A to Z.

I'm at home for Memorial Day. Gosh, it's like most of my days.

Lee
Wrote By Rote

Suzanne Furness said...

Congrats to all the winners of the 'You Rock' award, some deserving winners there.
Have a great vacation and enjoy your writing time.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Congratulations, Karen, Damyanti, Elizabeth, Edi, Suze, and Tina!

It's great that you do this, Alex. I enjoyed learning more about these wonderful folks, and I'm going to make sure I'm following them all.

I hope you're gearing up for a great, productive and relaxing getaway.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Medeia, you'll like this one even more.

Carrie-Anne, you're right - I just fixed that.

Birgit, skip the second Wolverine movie - it was awful and not needed.

SC, not sure I'll have time to see it this weekend.

Thanks, Beate!

John, agreed!

Lee, that made me chuckle.

Robyn, you are one of those who rock.

Unknown said...

Congrats to the Award winners!

Alex, I wasn't going to see the X-men movie because I was so disappointed with the last one but I'm glad you gave it such a good review, now I'll go see it.

I hope you get a lot of writing done on holiday.

klahanie said...

Hi Alex,

Author etiquette online. Must check that out, thank you very much and I shall offer you the soup first.

Shall keep this brief Thanks for all the announcements. Sir Poops and Hair Ball love you. Congrats on getting Bonefied.

They folks certainly do Rock and all part of the ideals of a sharing, caring community.

A peaceful, reflective rest of your Memorial Day weekend to you and all our American friends.

Gary who didn't leave such a short comment....

Karen Lange said...

Lots of good news - thanks for sharing. :) Congrats to the You Rock winners! Hope your weekend has been great!

Sarah Foster said...

Congrats to the winners and have fun on your vacation!!

Elephant's Child said...

Congratulations to the rockers you selected - and to all of the authors you featured. Have a wonderful mini vacation.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Clarissa, I think you will enjoy it on spectacle alone.

Gary, I'll take two soups!

J E Oneil said...

I'm glad they brought Bryan Singer back. We can finally see what direction the movies were really supposed to go in.

Have a fun vacation!

Susan Kane said...

What a movie! I can tell it is a good movie when I do not leave for the bath room.

"they have completely rebooted the series." and then some.

Jemi Fraser said...

Looking forward to X-Men!!!!

Great choices - I don't know them all (yet) but I adore Karen, Elizabeth and Damyanti!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, looking forward to that new X-Men. Hopefully it delivers.

Jack said...

I'm excited to see X-Men but I need to have an X-Men marathon first and caught up since I have only seen the first two or three and that was too long ago.

Cindy said...

Congrats to those on the "You Rock" list. Thanks for the review too! Will have to check it out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

JE, and he did good!

Susan, I didn't want to miss anything either.

Jack, skip the last Wolverine movie - not needed and it was awful.

Cindy! Good to hear from you.

kaykuala said...

It's great to be acquainted with the Rock Winners.Thanks for the array of active and successful writers you've provided Alex. There's a treasure trove of blogs one can follow!

Hank

Tonja Drecker said...

Got. To. See. X-men.
Yay to the award winners! And hope you had a great several days off :)

Denise Covey said...

X-Men is one of the few movies that gets better each movie. Maybe that's because Hugh Jackman gets better with age, hahahah.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Congrats to the award winners. My children saw the movie and all gave it terrific reviews. Will probably see it soon. Enjoy your time off.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Congrats to the award winners. My children saw the movie and all gave it terrific reviews. Will probably see it soon. Enjoy your time off.

Unknown said...

They gave us all Days of Future Past hats where I work.. one more collectible to add alongside my Man of Steel hat, haha.

L.G. Keltner said...

You selected some awesome bloggers for the award this year! I hope you have a great vacation!

Botanist said...

Enjoy your vacation. I loved the picks for cool movie spaceships. Glad to see Red Dwarf in there, but I really hoped to see Nostromo from Alien in the list!

Helena said...

I've heard good things about the latest X-Men flick, and though I don't see a lot of the sci-fi or action hero ones, I've really enjoyed the X-Men. Since you too recommend it so highly, I'll definitely be seeing it.

Your You Rock recipients sound awesome. Congrats to them all. I'll be checking out their blogs.

Empty Nest Insider said...

I hope that Sia and Shelly's husband are both doing well. Congratulations on your award, Alex! Glad you enjoyed the new X-Men movie. Congrats also go out to the recipients of the You Rock award! Have a great trip, Alex!

Julie

Elise Fallson said...

Great awards and wonderful highlights. I totally agree with you about Damyanti. I don't know her as long as you have, but I do know she's a great blogger and I love her writing. I'll have to check out the other bloggers on your list to get to know them better. :)

I can't wait to see X-men, I didn't know Quicksilver was in it. Awesome!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Great to see Suze with the rocking award. She so deserves it and more.

I'm looking forward to seeing X-Men now. I wasn't in an enormous hurry before your review, but now I'm more than interested. Woot.

Mark Koopmans said...

Thanks for doing the You Rock! awards - and congrats to the winners.

Some I know, and some I don't, so one must rectify that :)

Cheers!

PS: and I know I'm late, but hope you and Mrs. C had a peaceful Memorial Day (next time you talk to your Dad, please tell him thanks for his service :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hank, there are some special bloggers here.

Denise, my wife thinks so...

Bison, that's cool!

Botanist, true - that one was missing.

Elise, he is, and in the funniest scene.

Mark, I will!

Unknown said...

Morning!

I'm jealous - as usual. Dying to see the X-men movie, but that won't happen until it's on TV. Sigh. The joys of being a stay-at-home mom with a hubs who won't take her on a date.

Off to the IWSG page...

Unknown said...

Okay, now I know what we're doing on date night tonight. That movie sounds awesome.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

So neat to see all the "You Rock" recipients. I have always loved Suze's blog. I need to catch up on the X-Men movies!

Anonymous said...

Prayers to Shelley and her hubby.

My daughter and hubby will be seeing X-Men this weekend. I'm saving my movie visit for Neighbors. That looks really funny.

Congrats to all the You Rock winners!! If Alex picks you, you know you've made it!!

Happy Vacation, Alex.

Cathrina Constantine said...

I sooo wanted to see the X-Men movie, but my sister insisted on seeing Million Dollar Arm(which I report was actually good) Congrats to all the new releases and those who received Captain Ninja awards. Have a nice vacation you deserve it.

Anonymous said...

I need to try to see it this weekend! There was an X-Men marathon on Sunday, too, and it made me want to see it even more!

cleemckenzie said...

Have this X-Men on my summer must see list. I'm waiting for my son to have time to see it with me. We're the only ones in the family who <B the mutants.

Congrats to all the You Rock recipients! I got to know several of them well during the A to Z this year.

Juliana Haygert said...

I can't wait to watch the new X-Men movie!
You certainly deserve a "You Rock Award"! :D

Crystal Collier said...

Yes! All of those recipients are well deserving.

(Love the spaceship video, although I'm slightly (immensely) biased toward Serenity.)

We saw X-men too, and wow! Were those battle sequences epic or what?

Leovi said...

I love the blog of Lynda Young!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Congrats to the award winners...all deserving!! Best of luck to the new releases/ Prayers for Shelley.

Seriously, the quick Silver part was good, but in comparison to a naked wolverine? Boring. Can you believe my hubs covered my eyes? Spoil sport. No worries, we'll be getting the DVD.

Stephanie Faris said...

Wow. I'm not even a fan of X-Men movies and your review had me wanting to see it!

Congrats to all the You Rock winners. Plus, thanks for giving me great new blogs to check out!

Jeff Chapman said...

Enjoy your vacation. Hope you find a lot of time to write.

Heather M. Gardner said...

What a great group for the YOU ROCK awards! I like them all!

I'm going to try and go to the Drive-In to see X-men. Not sure I can make it happen but we will see.
:)

Enjoy your time away!
Heather

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Awesome new covers, everyone. They look great. Congratulations to all the You Rock awardees. You are such a generous leader, Alex. You bring the best out in all of us.

Cherie Reich said...

Such deserving people for the You Rock award!

Glad to hear the new X-men movie was good!

Patricia Stoltey said...

You picked some more awesome award winners this year, Alex. Some I already know, and the others I'm heading off to visit.

Mary Aalgaard said...

Excellent bloggers to highlight. I already follow most of them! I wonder if my boys are ready for the next X-Men?

Ray Rousell said...

Looking forward to the new X-Men film, although I've got to admit I only saw the last one last week!!!!

Melissa said...

Lots of news as always.

Great picks for the award!

Enjoy your break. :)

nutschell said...

HOpe you enjoyed your long weekend! Congrats to the You Rock awardees! And thanks for your review of X-Men. I've been dying to watch it!

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Terri, tell your husband you need a date night!

Melanie, go and enjoy!

Debra, which means you're caught up - go and enjoy.

Thanks, Juliana.

Crystal, I'm just as biased.

Elizabeth, that made me chuckle...

Heather, you still have a drive-in? Whoa...

Thanks, Joylene.

Ray, well, you certainly won't be lost...

Thanks, everyone! Ready for a break.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

You totally rocked those "You Rock" awards. Great choices!

I second what you said about Nancy's book "Leverage"... it's a terrific edge-of-your-seat kinda book.

Intangible Hearts said...

Prayers to Shelly!

Johanna Garth said...

Hope your vacation is fabulous. We saw Spiderman this weekend and now I'm thinking we should have opted for X-men. You know a superhero movie is not cutting it when you're 9 year old asks you if it's almost over! :)

Maurice Mitchell said...

Great post Alex and Captain America: Winter Soldier is the best superhero film of the year so I can't wait to see X-Men! Have a great vacation!

Loni Townsend said...

X-Men looks like so much fun. I probably won't get to see it in the theaters though.

Grats to the You Rock! recipients. I'll admit I've only met Damyanti out of the people you featured, but I'm going to visit the others now! You Rock!

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Enjoy your vacay Alex. I can't wait to see this X-Men movie but I'm hoping to get my new glasses first. Congrats rockers! Will pray for Shelly's hubby, LK's cover is on fire! It rocks so hard, and congrats Nancy on your sequel. Happy to be back.

Livia Peterson said...

Can't wait to see X-Men: Days of Future Past this weekend. It looks awesome.

Congratulations to the people who received the award. I need to get back into IWSG sometime again.

Toi Thomas said...

Great tips over at IWSG. Great review of the new X-men; thanks for not giving too much away. Must see that soon. The new releases look good and thanks for shaing the coupon for Exile.
I didn't know what the you rock awards was, but it's pretty cool.

DL Hammons said...

Awesome selections for the YOU ROCK awards. Edi is the only one I wasn't familiar with.

X-Men was great, but I still score Captain America slightly better.

Li said...

All great "Rocker" picks! Hope you had a nice getaway. Saw Grudge Match with Stallone and DeNiro which was...not bad. (Stallone's in pretty good shape still.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, she's an amazing writer.

Johanna, X-Men was definitely better.

Livia, we've missed you!

Lisa, haven't seen that one yet.

Unknown said...

wow, so many great books and so little time !!! the list keeps growing!

Anonymous said...

Hubs and I are dying to see the X-men, but we were at Disney's Star Wars weekend (we got to meet Warwick Davis)!! Hopefully this weekend though. And congrats to all the rockin' winners :-)

Tonja said...

I love love love superhero movies. But I can't stand X-Men. I think the characters seem like the actors in costumes. Not believable to me.

River Fairchild said...

Congrats to all the winners of the "You Rock" award!
I never got into the X-Men.
Have fun on your vacation!

DMS said...

Awesome to see the You Rock recipients. I look forward to checking out the blogs I don't already visit. :) Congrats to all!

So glad to hear that the new X-Men movie is so good. I haven't seen it yet.

Looks like we have some great books entering the world this week!

Thanks for sharing!
~Jess

dolorah said...

Congrats to all the You Rock winners. Loved the top 10 space ships too. Glad Enterprise tops the list.

I'm so far behind in my blogging and commenting . .

Kimberly said...

Congrats to the "You Rock" award recipients!

I wasn't sure if I wanted to see the new X-Men film but now I think I do!

Unknown said...

X-Men! Woohoo! Can't wait!

Congrats to Nancy, Pat and LK. Wishing them much success!

Spaceships! So cool! I agree with #1-5, but for #6-10, I vote for the spaceships in Icarus ii, Close Encounters, Wall-E, Alien, and War of the Worlds. Oh, plus Silent Running (although that's 11 total...)

Congrats to Tina, Damyanti, Edi, Suze, Karen, and Elizabeth. They do indeed rock!

kjmckendry said...

I'm glad X-Men was great, looking forward to seeing it.

Great choices for the You Rock Award!

Tammy Theriault said...

don't stone me but I'm not chomping at the bit for X-Men. ain't that into it... and congrats to all that rock. especially my little Suze!!

TBM said...

Congrats to all the you rock recipients! I haven't seen the new X-Men yet. I'm a bit behind in seeing all the movies so I need to have an X-Men weekend.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Nilanjana Bose said...

Congrats to all the winners, I know Damyanti's work, and she so deserves it.

Planning to watch the film this weekend.

Best wishes,
Nilanjana.

Unknown said...

Just saw XMen movie last night. What can I say?....In one word...excellent! The best XMen movie ever!

Congrats to all the authors highlighted with new releases and those chosen for the "You Rock Award!"

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I don't know most of the people you highlighted, so I really need to come back here after work and check out their blogs! Thanks, Alex!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jamie, that sounds just as cool!

Donna, I was glad to see Enterprise on top as well.

Carolyn, it was!

Jennifer Lane said...

Great post at IWSG. I haven't seen either of those movies...must get on it! Congrats to the winners of the awards--well deserved!

Kristin Smith said...

Congrats to all the You Rock winners!

I will have to add X-Men to my must see list that is steadily growing. Now if only I could find babysitters as easily as I do movies for Date Nights, I'd be in good shape! :)

Bryan Russell said...

Looking forward to the new X-Men, so I'm glad you gave it the thumbs up.

Catherine Stine said...

I have a real soft spot for the X Men because my boys were really into them!
And I'm happy to hear that you really liked this film.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Leverage looks excellent. I think I need to pick it up because Mistaken was so good.

I too enjoyed X-Men. What a reboot, eh?

Ella said...

Congrats to all the new members!!!

My son is going to see this film tonight. I am going to bet you and he have a similar review~ It has happened before ;D

I will come by and see your post!
Life for me-will not be resemble normal until August~

I lost my badge when my son tried to change my blog. I thought I had backed it up...I will mention you and the new members in a post.

Thanks Captain-stay cool!

Unknown said...

Oh looks like you chose some very deserving blogging buddies. New friends for me to meet.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kristin, I hope you do!

Ella, I bet he will dig it. I will send you the badge again!

RaShelle Workman said...

Congrats to the recipients.

I can't wait to see the new X-Men.

And Alex, you rock!

H. R. Sinclair said...

Have a great vacay!

Great review of the new X-Men movie.

I love the cover for Leverage. It's got that old paperback feel.

Congrats to all the rockin' buddies.

Cate Masters said...

Congrats to the You Rock recipients!

I'm so far behind on movies.

M Pax said...

Those folks do rock. Congrats to them all.

Husband Unit will be glad to hear that about X Men.

Amalia Dillin said...

I enjoyed X-men, too. Fassbender did a fantastic job as Magneto (again) as well as everyone else from the First Class generation. I'm of two minds regarding the way things reboot. On the one hand, I think I'd prefer some recasting of some of the previous characters, but on the other, thank goodness the errors made in the past by the franchise itself have been corrected!

Unknown said...

been hearing great things about X-men...not a huge movie person but I'll have to check it out!

Mason T. Matchak said...

I saw "DOFP" on opening night, very good movie. My only complaint is that they put so many cool characters into it, and most of them had no lines and no plot significance. All those X-Men in the future, known and new, hardly mattered. Ah, well. Still really worth seeing, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

RaShelle, YOU rock!

Holly, yes it does.

Amalia, very true. They have a clean slate with the same characters and can do it better now.

msmariah said...

I really loved Quicksilver's scenes. Evan Peters stole the movie. Overall I enjoyed the film, but I was a little tired of the Mystique storyline.

Leigh Covington said...

Congrats to the winners of The Rock Award! So awesome! And I am dying to see the X-Men movie. Hearing the best things about it!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Saw it last night, and really enjoyed it. Still think "First Class" was better though. Quicksilver definitely stole the show. :)

Nick Wilford said...

Hope you have a great holiday and enjoy being "unplugged".

Some excellent picks for the You Rock Award. I'm proud to see some good friends among them.

Quite a diverse list of book releases! Congrats to them!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

MsMariah, I guess they had to give her a lot since she's a big star now.

George, he did indeed.

Nick, I am looking forward to it.

Nicki Elson said...

Have a great long-weekend getaway!

Those bloggers definitely rock! Especially smiley to see my girl Suze up there. :D (See? Smiley)

Leovi said...

Damyanti at Delightful Daily (w) rite!

Roland D. Yeomans said...

My work weekend from Hades kept me from noticing you had posted. Sorry.

I loved the video of the best 10 starships though I disagreed with some of the placements! That's what makes horse races, right?

I also loved DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. It does totally reboot the franchise -- giving Logan perhaps another shot at Jean Grey.

And AVENGERS II has been given a challenge to make their Quicksilver as funny and interesting as the X-MEN's version.

Congratualtions to all the new Rockers! :-)

Gossip_Grl said...

I tried the couple days away of not really a vacation but just to get away from it all which ended in a total fail. Hope your time away is much better!

Congrats to the winners of the award!

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations to the You Rockers!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Congrats this year recipients!!!! You guys DO ROCK!

Hi, Alex,

Thanks for the review. It looks great! I just bought my tickets for Maleficent! I'm meeting Melissa Bradley on Sunday and we are seeing it together! I am SO STOKED!!! She is too! I spoke with her yesterday and she has her doctor's appt. set for June 10th. SO far so good. Her attitude is great so now worries for now...

Congrats to Nancy, Pat, LK, and Kat! ALL the best!

Bob Sanchez said...

I could never get my bride to see X-Men, but my son saw it and enjoyed it quite a bit. Guess I've got to go and see it for myself!

LD Masterson said...

I'm please that I know several of your "You Rock" recipients. I'll have to go meet the others.

X-Men is on my very very short list to see.

Rusty Carl said...

I like the new X-Men a lot. I still put it behind The Winter Soldier, but it was still very good.

And awesome look at the blogger buddies. Great job.

Mina Burrows said...

I can't believe that the XMEN movie is that good. I haven't seen it and now I really want too. *sigh*

Enjoy your time off, Alex!

Survivormama said...

Alex, my friend...how are ya doing? It's been a long time I know, but I am back to blogging and wanted to stop by and say hello and how are ya! Hope to see you around the blog-o-sphere my friend. Blessings to you and your.

Julie Musil said...

Have an awesome vacation, Alex. You deserve it!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Weekend from Hades - Roland, sorry, although that did make me chuckle. Yes, Avengers will be hard pressed to make their Quicksilver as entertaining.

Michael, that's great news! You two go enjoy the movie.

Rusty, just behind it though.

Shannon, so good to see you back.

Kelley Lynn said...

I LOVED X-men! Saw it on opening day :)

alexia said...

X-Men was great! LOVE the Quicksilver scene :) I agree they've done a big reboot - since at the end they've changed the past and present, they can go in so many interesting directions with the characters.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. great list of wonderful bloggers all .. and those who rock .. you have an amazing bunch around you ... and that helps us all so much ..

So pleased to note Melissa is improving rapidly and she and Michael are meeting up ..

While it's good to know about Kat's book .. as she was a very good blogger for Sia as her shoulder healed ..

Cheers and have a peaceful weekend .. Hilary

Wanda said...

Lanise had a very creative idea for the A-Z challenge. I wouldn't have thought of it but as a book lover it definitely intrigues me. Hope you enjoy your vacation Alex.

jaybird said...

Enjoy your much needed vaca! See you back next week.

CANT STINKING WAIT TO SEE THE NEW X-men MOVIE. Does that go without saying? LOL

Have a wonderful vacation Alex. Enjoy your down time.

Also- great choices for the awards. All are well deserved.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations to the excellent winners of the "You Rock!" award!

And yes, X-men was awesome!!!

Have a great weekend, Alex!

Mark said...

Thansk for the review on the newest X-Men flick. I heard it's actually pretty good. Also, love all those sci fi space ships you showed:)

Unknown said...

Congrats to ALL the recipients of the YOU ROCK award! I know a couple of them but the others I shall visit this weekend.

Happy vacation, Alex! oh, and YOU ROCK :D

Sarah Allen said...

Not to mention some great actors :) I'll have to see the Xmen movie, it does look great.

Sarah Allen
(From Sarah, With Joy)

Steven said...

I've been way out of the loop on blogging, but I did see X-Men. I grew up reading the comics and loved the movie. Bishop was one of my favorites and I thought he was portrayed perfectly. The plot was great, and of course Quicksilver was awesome.

Unknown said...

This is very kind of you to share "You Rock" awards with your followers. And the candidates are very lucky to have you take the time to show your appreciation for them=) Thanks for the heads up for the new X-Men. I've been hearing nothing but good reviews and will be looking forward to seeing it next weekend when the theatres aren't as crowded! Well, they probably will still be crowded so maybe a Matinee! Have a wonderful weekend.

Stephen Tremp said...

Wow! What an action packed and celebrity filled post. WHere to begin?

Although I collected all Marvel comics as a kid, the X-Men was one of the few I just didn't get. But I've heard so much of this new flick I will definitely watch it in the next week or so.

Congrats! to all the "You Rock" recipients. I can truly say this means so much to receive this award. It's the small things in life that often mean the most!

And enjoy your time off Alex! I'm enjoying mine, although I will come out of my cave and post this coming Monday and Wednesday due to previous committments.

The Happy Whisk said...

We caught X-Men during staycation.

Shah Wharton said...

Congrats to everyone who ROCKS! :) And everyone who's launching. !!

I can't wait to see the movie, as the last one was my favourite by far and this sounds even better. I do foresee a WOW moment.

Enjooy your holiday Alex, I think you deserve a break .X

shahwharton.com

Nigel G Mitchell said...

Coolest spaceship is the Enterprise, to me

Nigel G Mitchell said...

Coolest spaceship is the Enterprise, to me

Tara Tyler said...

always good news!
im glad xmen is so good, we need an awesome theater experience!

and congrats to you and the wonderful bloggers with awards an great news =)

JJ said...

I dropped by to say hello! I have been absent from blogging for a while, and I did miss your posts. It’s good to be back.

Nicole said...

Well, of course you know my top spaceship list. :) And I've been hearing SUCH great things about the X-Men. I really need to see it!!

Anonymous said...

We enjoyed XMEN as well, right up there with the latest WOLVERINE. I see Serenity is included with those fine ships -- definitely a winner. And a well-deserved congratulations to all the rockers.

Anne R. Allen said...

I absolutely want to see this one, even though I'm not usually a one for the "summer blockbuster."

Great choices for rocking blogs! Elizabeth Spann Craig is one of the most useful bloggers around.

Enjoy your vacation!

Unknown said...

I really liked the X-Men movie. It was clever, and I'm excited to see what they do with it now that it's wide open.

Rhonda Albom said...

I hope you are enjoying your vacation without internet as much as I did, although catching up on reading will take a while now. My daughter is the X-men fan around here. Some great bloggers you featured, and a few new ones to add to my list.

Sabrina A. Fish said...

I haven't seen the new Xmen, but now I want to see it even more!
Congrats to the You Rock recipients! Lots of writing got done over Memorial Day...it was a fantastic weekend.

Carrie Butler said...

I hope you're having fun on vacation, Captain! :)

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