Sunday, May 13, 2012

First Loves Blogfest and Ninja News!



Today is the First Loves Blogfest! Your first movie, first music (song/band,) first book, and first person. Four loves, one blogfest!

(And between my regular blogger buddies and a hundred and seventy blogfest participants, I did not get to everyone on Monday. If I missed your blogfest entry, rest assured I will visit you Tuesday. After two hundred blogs today, it's all beginning to blur...)


First, Ninja News! 
(Because something is always happening around here…)

Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies is celebrating a hundred followers! He has teamed up with GIANTmicrobes to host a giveaway in order to celebrate. Check out his blog for details.

My friend Dafeenah at Indie Designz worked with several others and started Ebook Deal of the Day. They offer low-priced and free eBooks for the iPad and the Kindle. Check out the information and links at her SITE.

This month, Laura Eno is on her Enchanted Life Book Tour. Go visit her for the full schedule. Congratulations, Laura!

Rick at The Writer and the White Cat had a big announcement last week – “White Cat Publications, LLC. is pleased to present the submission guidelines for its first anthology, Airships & Automatons, edited by Charles P. Zaglanis.” Congratulations, Rick!

Diablo III comes out Tuesday! Yes, I might be picking it up at midnight Monday night. Then I can play it all day long on my laptop at work.

Very cool news! CassaFire jumped back into Amazon's Best Sellers for science fiction/space opera last week!!

Due to some mean-spirited, anonymous comments, I’ve had to adjust the security on my comments. Sorry about that – hope it won’t be for long. In the meantime, pray for the anonymous commenter(s).

FIRST LOVES BLOGFEST!

Movie – Jaws
This movie scared the crap out of me. I was even afraid to lift the toilet seat lid. Every time I swam in the deep end of the pool, the music haunted me. Despite all of that, seeing this film in the theater was exhilarating. It was a pure adrenaline rush and the first big summer blockbuster. It made me realize that movies could be major events.

Music – Rush
This was the first band I felt made music specifically for me. It dealt with complex subjects and ideas. The band never dumbed down their music or lyrics – they felt fans were smart enough to keep up. (Which is one of the reasons I so admire progressive rock.) If I was down, I could play a Rush song and it would turn my day around. And that is still true today!

Book – The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
I read The Hobbit and LOTR in grade school but found them ponderous and frustrating at times. Then I discovered this book. Brooks took a similar formula and made it more accessible. It’s one of the few books I’ve ever read more than once. (Read it three times as a matter of fact!) Definitely launched my love of fantasy and of writing.


Person – My wife
Yes, my wife was my first love. She’s been with me so long that I even insert memories of her into my life before we met. She has really taught me a lot about opening up, dealing with others, and becoming a better person. I truly admire her work ethic. She works harder in one day than I do in a month. (Really!) She is an all around joy and I am blessed to have her in my life.

Thank you to everyone who signed up for my blogfest! Please visit others on the list below.

Want to win a GIANTmicrobe from Jeremy? Looking for deals on eBooks? See a good movie this weekend? (Sorry, didn’t go to the theater, but we did watch Hugo again – damn that film is brilliant!) And what are YOUR first loves???



194 comments:

Suze said...

I LOVE that your first love was your wife.

Juliana Haygert said...

Like me, your first LOVE was your spouse ;)
I think I watched Jaws only once. I was a little kid and it scared me for life LOL never wanted to watch it again, though I agree it's a classic.
And congrats on CassaFire rising into Amazon's Best Sellers!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Suze, she really was my first love.

Juliana, thank you!

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations on the success of CassaFire Alex. Sorry you've been having trouble with anon trolls.

E. Arroyo said...

My dad loved Jaws. He made us kids watch it at the drive-in 14 times. No lie. I think I grew up watching that movie. And yes, that darn song stayed in my head. "Show me the way to go home..." LOL.

Denise Covey said...

Well i8'm yet to see what your comment security is to be - not those hideous captcha codes I hope. They're the most frustrating thing on the blogs or facebook. We all get sad people commenting stuff they shouldn't at times, but as you say, pray for them. I find blogger throws most of my rubbish in the spam bin, even some ridgy didge good blogger somments, lol.

Lovely that your first love is your wife. My story much the same as you'll see if you come by and I expect you will...

Jaws, erk! We live in real life Jaws territory here. So sad when those sharp-fanged ones kill a human but the ocean is their territory I guess and they think surfers sitting on their boards waiting for a wave are turtles.

Like your book too. LOTR is definitely hard going but worth it.

Denise

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Michael.

E, that's a lot of trips to the drive in.

Denise, will check yours tomorrow. And you have scary sharks that jump out of the water!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I loved the Sword of Shannara also, although I've only read it once. It frustrated me that the eyes on one of the characters changed colour half way through the book(oops) hehehe.

And yay to your wife being your first love.

I'm so jealous you can play Dibbles during work! I'm not sure I would line up at midnight for it (getting too old). Might download it from Blizzard so I don't have to ;)

Alicia Willette-Cook said...

LOVE the Shannara Series! Ah the memories.. :)

And thanks for the Link to The Writer and White Cat Anthology call. I'll definitely be putting something together to try for that! Gotta start getting my name out there somehow!

Unknown said...

Awww, your wife! How romantic. I can't wait to post my choices.

Tonja said...

Sweet that you mentioned your wife. I hope she read it.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Great news on CassaFire and Amazon.

I like your firsts. Jaws is a scary/wonderful movie.

Teresa

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I'm always touched by stories of people who married (and stayed married to) their first love. It's a very special thing.

I saw the actual, mechanical Jaws at Universal Studios. He's not quite as scary up close like that than he is on screen.

xoRobyn

Unknown said...

"...And you know the thing about a shark. He's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes like a doll's eyes..." This movie terrified me the first time I saw it and still does.

That is awesome about your Ninja wife. She sounds like the very best kind of people and you both make this world a whole lot more welcoming. :)

Sharon Bayliss said...

What a fun blogfest. I am already enjoying the posts!

Victoria Smith said...

Is it bad that I still haven't seen Jaws??? I wasn't born when it was made and at the time I was little I was too scared to watch. Do you think I can handle it now at 25, lol Thanks for hosting this awesome blogfest, Alex :D

LD Masterson said...

We were driving home from seeing Jaws and stopped for gas. My husband (my first love too, by the way) was outside the car and I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and freaked - certain it was a shark. In a gas station. About five miles from the ocean.

Yeah, that was one scary movie.

Aldrea Alien said...

Heh, reminds me of my grandma saying about my father and his mate seeing Jaws in the theatre.
They wanted to sit up front, but halfway through the film, came slinking back to mummy. ^_^
Ah grandparents, they'll embaress the heck outta you in front of your kids.

Congrats on Cassafire getting back into Amazon's Best Sellers list.

Kela McClelland said...

I love that your wife is your first love, it's so sweet.

And congrats on CassaFire, it's still on my TBR, but it's moving up :)

Maggie Asfahani Hajj said...

You are just saying that your wife was your first love to make all of us look bad, right? :) :)

Kyra Lennon said...

Aww! I love that your wife was your first love! Very sweet!

Suzi said...

I don't remember how old I was when I saw Jaws, sometime when I was a kid in the 80s, but I was always fascinated with it. Probably cause I found the paperback in my parent's stack of books.

I love Jaws and have watched it a ton of times! It never scared me, but I live very far from the ocean.

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congrats on being on the Amazon's Best Sellers list! Jaws really scared me too, and I love what you wrote about your wife. Thanks for hosting another fun blogfest! Julie

Old Kitty said...

HOORAH FOR CASSAFIRE!!!! How keeewwl!!! Yay for you!!

Awww Capn Ninja! Love your romantic tribute to your Mrs Capn Ninja!

Oh and I shall try to pray very hard for these evil commenters. Nah, sorry, I'm a bad ninja and wish a plague on the houses of these smellies! Booo!

Take care
x

J.C. Martin said...

Yay for hitting the Amazon Best Sellers list! I'm gutted to not be able to participate in this, but I've already posted two blog posts today! JAWS was epic. I watched it as a kid in the cinema, and every time I sat on the toilet, thought a shark was gonna bite me in the behind!

Unknown said...

Congrats on Cassa Fire, well done! Jaws, yes I can relate to it being very scary when it first came out and I remember Rush, they weren't bad either. Also loved the Hobbit!

Spanj said...

This is such a fantastic blogfest; I'm really enjoying learning about everyone's first loves.

Nicky Wells said...

What a great collection of first loves! I have to confess that I never yet managed to watch Jaws all the way through, I'm a bit of a scaredy cat! But isn't the music just the most amazing soundtrack ever? Two notes, that's all it took. Adore the fact that your wife is your first love! That's amazing, congratulations to you both.

Wonderful blogfest, I did consider taking part but I'm just swamped with other commitment (not to mention sick little ones!) at the moment so I'll give it a miss this time... Here's to next time! Thanks for organising. :-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lynda, proof that editors don't catch everything! And I might also be too old to get it at midnight.

Alicia, go for it!

Tonja, she read it.

Thanks, Robyn. And Bruce the shark had issues...

Melissa, thank you!

Twenty, only if you don't plan to go to the beach for a few years!

LD, about as realistic as one in my toilet!

Thanks, Aldrea.

Maggie, no! I really didn't love anyone else until I met her.

Kitty, you go right ahead an be bad!!

JC, I understand why you skipped though. Next fest!

Nicky, hope you can join us next time.

Thanks, everyone!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Happy First Loves Blogfest Day, Alex!!! I came here looking for inspiration for my post and, as usual, have found much. I can't beeeeleeeeeeeeeve anyone works harder than you but if that's true, Mrs. Alex deserves a medal.
Love that a Canadian band is your choice for music!

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Wonderful choices especially your wife. Hope the blogfest goes well for you.


I put mine on and have had very little response, seeing that I did it not to let you down other people seem to ignore my attempt. It took ages to do as my eyes were bad.Never mind I AM going to rest fro a few days.
Yvonne.

Ciara said...

I cheated a little about the first love. ;) Jaws was my first scary movie. My father and sister convinced my mom to let me go see it. The next day we went to the beach, I put on a brave face and dove in the ocean. I couldn't let my mom know how scared I was. I didn't want to be the baby in the family. :) Great blogfest, Alex. Thanks for hosting!

Unknown said...

Sorry to hear about the nasty comments, how sad.

Enid Wilson said...

I think I covered my eyes a lot of the time when I watched Jaw. It will not get onto my "love" list. But I guess boys feel differently.

The Spinster’s Vow

Brinda said...

I could have guessed the Rush one and that was so sweet about your wife. Ahhh...:)

A Daft Scots Lass said...

your first love was your wife? that is so brilliant. That means you've never had your heart broken, which is great because its awful going through that pain...

RaveAir said...

As I know 3 "big" games will come this week to PC. Diablo III, Max Payne 3 and the Game of Thrones rpg.

Unfortunatelly I won't try any of them. I'd like to build a timemachine...

Heather Murphy said...

Jaws was one of my first movies too, probably and RUSH, particularly Geddy Lee, is awesome! That's a great story about your wife.
Thanks for hosting such a fun blog hop

Marta Szemik said...

That's very sweet your first love was your wife <3
I think few have swam in the ocean after JAWS with confidence. I do, but keep hearing "ta da, ta da , ta da, ta da, tada" (the theme from the movie)

Unknown said...

Jaws was creepy, but I am too old for it be my first love ;)Besides I started falling in love at a very early age. Nasty comments?....Well as General of an army of Ninjas they were bound to happen, I wouldn't let those "Puney" things bother you. You are lucky to have never had your heart broken and to have had a wonderful woman at your side from the beginning! Loving this blogfest :)

Rusty Carl said...

Great choices on your first loves! I do remember seeing Jaws in the theater. It must have been one of my earliest moviegoing memories. My dad was a Navy man and I forever worried that his aircraft carrier would get attacked by a great white. I do remember crying over that thought.

Jess said...

Awesome first loves!! That's so cute that your first love was your wife :)

Posting my answers ASAP!

Unknown said...

My intro to Spielberg was Jurassic Park, though I should go back to some of his older movies. I've only seen clips of the famous scenes of Jaws so far.

Natalie Aguirre said...

I've read some of Terry Brooks' books and really liked them. I'll have to check out the one you recommend. I love fantasy.

Awesome about everyone's good news. Too bad about the bad anonymous commenter.

Laura Eno said...

Thanks for the shout-out!
Giant microbes, huh? I'll have to peek in there.
Congrats on CassaFire moving up. :)
You and your wife are very fortunate to have each other.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for mentioning my giveaway!
Jaws is one of my mother's favorite movies.

PK HREZO said...

Yep, Jaws will always be a fave for me too, although I was too young to see it when it came out in the theatre. I had to fall in love with it from home video. I bet it was awesome seeing it for the first time on the big screen. wow.
I love Sword of Shannara too!! I used to have wicked dreams of the characters after I read it. So cool!! Cheers to the wifey! She sounds amazing. :)

Unknown said...

So cool that your first love is your wife!
My (boyfriend) fiancé (<--- still getting used to saying that ;-) ) has The Sword of Shannara on his bookshelf and it's also one of the few books he's read multiple times. He says I should read it!

Gossip_Grl said...

First Congrats on the #1 Spot on Amazon for Cassafire. Great first loves posting also. OMgosh on Jaws. Me and my cousin were supposed to go to the Matinee to see an Elvis movie and snuck to watch Jaws instead. I was scared for weeks.

Creepy Query Girl said...

awe, lovely firsts! Even though I had a prior bloggin engagement for today - I'm still having a blast reading all of these 'firsts' for the blogfest!

Tara Tyler said...

just watched jaws w/my 13 yo son this wknd! still awesome as ever! and he liked it too

shannara series was one of my frst aves too. loved fantasy!

you are so sweet! support from the mate is essential in writing!

and who dares throw ninja stars your way!

Jemi Fraser said...

Great choices! Jaws did carry that double edge of terror and thrill ride. Swimming in the lakes that summer took so much courage!!!

The Angry Lurker said...

One of my first loves was a video player and TV of my own and a membership to a video store!

Trisha said...

I love Terry Brooks's Shannara books...still, to this day. Someday soonish I want to start a re-read. Probably next year (for me, that seems soon!).

JAWS was amazing! A true classic.

Rush are actually a new favourite of mine. Yep, I'm late to the party!

Donna K. Weaver said...

This is great, Alex. I remember Jaws in the theaters, too. I was so glad I was inland for college and not back home in California.

And those Shannara books rocked.

Betty Alark said...

I would have loved to participate, Alex but I have to tell you going back that far in my memory banks is more of a challenge than the A-Z Challenge.

Now I do remember my first love. Im sure that's because it impacted me in a major way.

Sorry to miss out on all the fun; it just it just isn't happening for me in the other areas.

Much success with the First loves fest! Great idea.


http://betty-alark.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-type-of-character-are-youhanging.html

Mina Burrows said...

How did I know you'd say Rush? Jaws too. You and my husband should talk. Thanks for the blogfest, Alex! Always have fun! :)

Laura Pauling said...

I still haven't watched Jaws and can't say I will. I've seen pieces of it and I don't like those suspense movies where I scream when something pops out at you!

Heather M. Gardner said...

Ah. Jaws. My parents told me not to watch it. They said it was too scary. Boy, they were right. But now, if its on TV then I'm watching. Love it.

I do enjoy a good Rush song. I don't immerse but I do like them.

My brother always says I should read Mr. Brooks but I haven't gotten to them yet. One day.

Great fest, sir! I agree. You're not totally evil. Just a smidge. Maybe a tad!

I went to see The Avengers. Un-be-BLEEPin'-lieveable!
HMG

Cate Masters said...

Wow, your wife works harder than you? She's my heroine. Love that she's your first love.

Luanne G. Smith said...

I STILL won't swim in the ocean because of that damn JAWS movie. That's deep psychological stuff they inflicted on us with that fish. :)

Miranda Hardy said...

Too bad about the anonymous commenter.

All great first loves, btw. Although, I can't help but chuckle when watching Jaws today.

Dani said...

Jaws - *shivers* I'm afraid of the ocean
Rush!!!! - I love them sooo much!
Sword of Shannara - Never heard of it but you have piqued my interest
Wife - This is so sweet! Made my heart melt!

Amy said...

Great post Alex! I definitely LOVED Jaws too - it's one of those memorable movies you can watch over and over - even if it's totally terrifying. Have a great week! :)

kjmckendry said...

JAWS freaked me out too! I was afraid to be in deep water even in lakes! One time I swore I saw a fin while I was out fishing with my grandpa in Michigan! :)

Congrats on CassaFire jumping back up!

Unknown said...

Jaws was a great movie and got me to read the book. Your book choice looks like something I should check out. Great firsts!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Cathy, no other band I could pick!

Yvonne, you rest. It's still early here so you'll get more responses.

Ciara, I don't think I could've gone swimming in the ocean the next day!

Lass, I hope I never find out what that feels like.

Siv, you're right that it was bound to happen some day.

Rusty, you mean attacked like in one of those bad SyFy movies?

Jamie, you NEED to watch Jaws!

PK, the Shannara books were awesome!

Rachel, you should!

Tara, it is still very effective.

Trisha, better late than never.

Betty, next time!

Mina, I guess I'm predictable that way...

Heather, you need to read his books. And wasn't Avengers awesome?

Danielle, you rock!

Thanks, everyone! So far the blogfest is a huge success.

Tracy MacDonald said...

Jaws scared the crap out of me and I didn't even see it in theaters. Love Rush, but I rarely listened that closely to the lyrics. Looking forward to reading through everyone's firsts. Great idea for a Blogfest.
A2ZMommy and What’s In Between

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Alex, Gooood day! I want to say great first loves... though the Jaws is still the kid screaming inside of me, that bobbing head. Woof. Of course Rush is still the ultimate... I don't know mine, maybe Cheap Trick....My first real book I read was a book on Zoology as my mother took me to the library when I was 10 and I chose that. She said I would never finish it... 1400 pages later I could tell you a lot about animal studies.

Jeremy

Julie Flanders said...

Oh my gosh, Jaws terrified me in the theater too. I have family on Martha's Vineyard where it was filmed and visited there often as a child, so recognizing all of the places where the shark attacked made it even scarier for me. I've never totally gotten over it!

Congratulations on Cassa Fire jumping back onto the best seller list, that's awesome!

Karen Lange said...

Congrats on being on the best seller list! Excited for you!

My first love was my husband. I know what you mean about the memories thing. Seems like events before him were lived in an entirely different lifetime. I am abundantly blessed.

Thanks for the info and links. Happy Monday!

Unknown said...

I love that your wife was your first love!! Sweet!

Shame on the mean-spirited people out there. You're a better person to pray for them, Alex.

I LOVED Jaws, too! I was terrified of the drain the bathtub!

Andrea Teagan said...

I love rush!!! Heck yeah. They are awesome. My favorite is Tom Sawyer, but all of this stuff is great. It is awesome that your first love is your wife.

Andrea

Annalisa Crawford said...

I can'r believe your wife works harder than you! The two of you together must be whirlwinds :-)

I have never, ever watched Jaws!

Jay Noel said...

Anonymous mean spirited comments???

Cowards!

I read The Sword of Shannara, but wow, so long ago. It would be fun to revisit it after all of these years.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Aww, that's so sweet. I love that your first love is your wife! - My hubby is my first actual love, but I went with who my first crushes were . . .so I epic failed this part of the post. Oh well.

Nancy Thompson said...

I was 12 when Jaws came out. I lived in Florida at the time & practically lived at the beach, so Jaws scared the crap outta me, too, especially since the dolphins who covorted just offshore looked so much like sharks from the beach. That's so sweet you married your first love. So did I! As for your lame-o anonymous commenters, well that's like shooting Bambi or something. You're like the nicest guy I know! People sure can be idiots sometimes.

Anonymous said...

We have one thing in common: our wives.

And I don't get it with mean-spirited commenters. I haven't had any for a while but have had quite a few in the past. Seems like there are better ways to spend time than leaving comment like that.

Sarah Ahiers said...

Oh man, Jaws is still such a great movie! And i totally hear you about the deep end of the pool, especially if you were swimming at night and the pool wasn't lit.

Unknown said...

awww...you always say such nice things about your wife :-) And I remember Jaws...yikes!

Summer Ross said...

I don't remember how old I was when I first saw Jaws- but it was scary back then and I was into anything horror related.

Julie Dao said...

Ooh, Jaws always scared me too much to be one of my first love movies! And that's so sweet about your wife being your first love! How romantic.

Donna Shields said...

That's so cool your wife being your first love. And Jaws is all time awesome.

SweetMarie83 said...

I love that your wife is your first love...and all that you said about her - so sweet! I've never seen Jaws, I'm afraid of open water enough without having another reason! lol
Thanks for hosting this great event, Alex!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Tracy!

Jeremy, you rock. And 1400 pages is determination.

Julie, that would make the movie all the more scary!

Karen, it is like a totally different life.

Thanks, Candylynn.

Andrea, you rock!

Jay, the only bad thing is so many other books have stolen the ideas. But it's still great.

Tyrean, no fail!

Nancy, I've never been called Bambi before, but coming from you - thanks!

Stephen, Amen!

Sarah, not lit? Not a chance!

Gwen Gardner said...

Oh yeah, I remember when Jaws came out. It was a huge hit. I'm from San Diego and everyone was scared to go in the water! Congrats on CassaFire, I guess some people know what they're talking about...

Ella said...

I love your loves ;D
I almost picked Jaws! Great memories with that one~ We were on an island when I saw it. The next day we had to take a ferry! My brother did not want to board it~

You are sweet. I bet your wife loved this~

One of my picks opened for RUSH :D

I cheated, a bit, lol

Robyn Campbell said...

Great answers, Alex! Your wife must be a beautiful woman! I did my dadai (Dad) for that part. He was my first love. Rush are bodacious! Love them. *waving*

Bossy Betty said...

Very cool, Alex! I am so enjoying reading all the responses to your challenge!

Libby said...

You just won my heart by saying your first movie love was JAWS. It is still my favorite movie EVER.

LynNerdKelley said...

Alex, congrats on CassaNova making it back into Amazon's best sellers! Super cool! Also, thanks for all the news you keep us up to speed on and the links. Jaws scared the heck out of me, too, when I saw it at the theater. I was afraid to swim in the ocean for years. Another great blog fest that you put together! Wow!

cleemckenzie said...

All great first loves that you mention, especially your wife. How sweet that is.

Sorry about the anonymous creeps.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Fantastic!

I love Rush too!


Tim
The Other Side
The Freedom of Nonbelief

D.G. Hudson said...

Not participating, but will come back to read all the interesting reveals about 1st loves.

***

Sometimes, Alex, the lucky ones find their match early in the game. Your were lucky. It took me two tries.

I like Hugo as well, and it's one of those I'd watch again, like Midnight in Paris.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

You and my husband have so much in common!

Congrats on CassaFire!

Christopher Hudson said...

My problem is that I'm too old to remember first anything!

Arlee Bird said...

I'm a big Rush fan, but I already had a ton of music that had snagged me before I'd heard them.


Lee
Wrote By Rote

Paula Martin said...

Jaws terrified me too. I remember screaming out loud at one point - so embarrassing in a packed cinema!

Anonymous said...

This has been a FAB blogfest. I love that your first love is your wife as though she's been in your life forever.
I've not heard of your book choice. Jaws! duh duh!
I knew someone who used to like Rush, though I can't say I know any of thweir music I'm afraid.

Alexandra Heep said...

Here I thought I was reasonably early, in my time zone anyway, and there is a hundred comments already almost ...

Love these challenges and to read stuff about people. How did I know you would say it was your wife? Very cool.

Alex from A Heep of Everything

M Pax said...

Jaws was epic. We were on Cape Cod the summer it came out ... a lot of people wouldn't swim at the beaches. lol

Cassie Mae said...

Wahoo on CassaFire! That's awesome!

And I still haven't seen Jaws all the way through yet. I watch it through my fingers, and I still haven't seen that part when the one dude dies when the shark totally jumps on the boat. I run from the room and tell the people I'm watching it with to tell me when that part is over.

Nicole said...

Yep, JAWS is a scary one indeed. I don't think I'm familiar with Rush, so will have to look them up. Although I think I heard of the author Terry Brooks before, that particular books is one that I'm not familiar with but as a huge LOTR fan, I may check it out...if I have time between watching movies.

It's sweet that your wife is your first love. That's like a match made in heaven!

I'm curious as to how much work she does in a day or, I wonder if the curiosity should be on how little work you get done in a month, lol. Either way, cheers to you both!!!

~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Cindy said...

Congrats on your books sales. Rush was also one of my favorite bands.

Andrew Leon said...

Oh, well, I want to comment at length, but I'm really pressed for time (as always), so I'll just say one thing:
I -wanted- to love Sword. I almost did. It was great right up to the end where I felt Brooks just copped out. It ruined the book for me. I did read the first trilogy, though, but he never really pulled it together enough for me to think much of him. It was so close, though, which is probably why I was so disappointed.

nutschell said...

awww...who knew you were a romantic! I love that your first love was your wife:)
Now you rock even more.

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Cherie Reich said...

Aww! It's so sweet that your first love (person) was your wife.

And JAWS is an awesome movie.

Talli Roland said...

Aw, how wonderful that your first love was your wife!I sense a romantic person lurking behind your manly exterior, Alex...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks, Gwen!

Ella, you were much more likely to see a shark on that ferry than I was in my toilet! And my wife was touched.

Robyn, you rock!

Libby, that's awesome.

Lynn, it's been an epic morning so far.

Timothy, you rock!

DG, I pray I never have to try again.

Christopher, that made me laugh!

Alex, got to catch me really early...

Mary, I bet!

Cassie, you are funny.

Nicole, we're both very productive people.

Thanks, everyone! Wow, still have so many more blogs to visit...

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Alex, your wife sounds super awesome, just like you and if I remember right you told me that she has the Continuous Giggle Syndrome like me. I would love to meet her.

Btw..I never pegged you as a romantic ;)

Rebekah Loper said...

I've been trying to read Sword of Shannara for years, but my library doesn't have it, and when I have money for it, they don't have it at the bookstore. Guess I must not be supposed to read it yet, lol!

Johanna Garth said...

Yay for CassaFire and Jaws still freaks me out every time I swim in the ocean.

CA Heaven said...

Didn't have the time to participate this time, but I kind of posted my favs in a comment on Clarissa's blog.

Jaws, yes that was breathtaking when it came. I re-saw all of them with the a couple of summers ago. I told me that movie effects have had some progress since then. But still an entertaining movie >:)

Cold As Heaven

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Sweet you only loved your wife.

I had to switch to no anonymous comments when someone left a bitter message about not winning one of my book trailer comments.

Rek Sesh said...

Late to the party as always.
That's cool news about Cassafire. Congrats.
Jaws was not my cup of tea.
Your First love is your wife, that's awesome in my books!!

Copyboy said...

So had such a different blog post idea when I saw the title. haha

Christine Rains said...

That's awesome news about CassaFire! And Diablo III. Wow. I spent far too many hours on the first one.

That's sweet your wife was your first love. And The Sword of Shannara is a great book. I felt the same way about the Hobbit and LOTR.

Elodie said...

Jaws also freaked me out! I remember watching it when I was about 10 years old and was super scared of the water after :D
And your comment on your wife is so adorable! :D

Emily R. King said...

Aww, for your wife! How romantic!

As for the movie, YES! Jaws is epic. LOVE that choice.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Cracking post Alex. Jaws is a classic in so many ways! I know Peter Benchley tried to do it again with an octopus, but there were just too many great things in this one not to love it.
- Maurice Mitchell
The Geek Twins | Film Sketchr
@thegeektwins | @mauricem1972

Jaycee DeLorenzo said...

Aww for your wife being you first love...too sweet!

Jaws is scary!

Michelle Wallace said...

Just slipped into the party to find it in full swing!

Jaws? OMG, that movie traumatized me back in the day... I think it was the crazy musical score... come to think of it, that could be the reason why I'm movie-challenged... blame it on the shark!
Your wife as your first love - what a special blessing!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Andrew, I read it when I was young, so it rocked then.

Thanks, Nutschell!

Talli, don't let anyone know...

Rachna, yes, she is a giggler.

Rebekah, forces are against you!

Cold, if you look you can see the mechanics of Bruce the shark. I just try not to look.

Jesse, do I want to know?

Christine, good - it wasn't just me!

Maurice, I do remember reading Beast, but it wasn't the same.

Thanks, everyone! I'm still visiting blogs, so be patient. So many participants this time!

Jackie said...

Jaws scared me as a kid, but I kept watching.
Nice shout out to your wife!

Leovi said...

Yes, I share your opinion about Rush, are great.

Allison said...

I never saw Jaws--I'm not a fan of scary movies--but I vaguely remember playing the music in our community orchestra and it was creepy and a lot of fun! Nice to meet another Brooks fan too :)

farawayeyes said...

Love your 'firsts'. You are one of the ultimate 'good guys'. Your wife is lucky to have you around too, as I'm sure she knows.

I didn't play in this one, but I'm enjoying it all the same, as a lurker. Some great first stories out there.

Rick Daley said...

Congrats on the Amazon ranking, I'd be lying if I said I don't check my own ranking for "The Man in the Cinder Clouds" every day...I know what it feels like to see that jump.

My first love for music was my first concert...an outdoor show with the Cleveland Philharmoic, and they played the 1812 Overture. They fired off around 40 cannons...way impressive! I have a deep-rooted appreciation for classical music due to that concert.

For movies, I'm going with Star Wars. I was born in 1971, so I was at the perfect age to get caught up in the mania, especially the toys.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Leovi, you rock!

Allison, Terry Brooks is great.

Rick, forty cannons is impressive. I was too old for they toys, but Star Wars was my second pick.

JeffO said...

Great post, Alex. Jaws was a big one for me, too, I loved that movie and got totally caught up in shark-mania. It didn't scare me enough to keep me out of the water, though.

And thanks for the blog fest, it's a blast!

Laura said...

Your wife sounds like a treasure.
I love the Sword of Shannara too - great read
Lxxx

Kelly Polark said...

I remember watching Jaws as a kid and then not swimming in the lake (yes, the lake) for a few weeks!
I just rewatched it with my 12yo son over Christmas break. He loved it.

Helena said...

Congrats big time on CassaFire being back on the bestseller list! And how funny that after Jaws even the toilet scared you. What classic theme music that was to warn that the shark was coming -- still gives me goosebumps.

Golden Eagle said...

Congratulations on making the bestseller list--again! :)

I have to read more books by Terry Brooks. I've only finished one.

Thanks for hosting this blogfest!

Stephsco said...

Just now followed your blog after doing the A to Z challenge. I did a reflection post but didn't realize a separate linky existed. Oh well! The first loves sounds fun, I've seen several on my blog list post about. Will try to visit the others listed. You have so much going on in your blog, I'm looking forward to keeping up with it.

Abby Minard said...

Aw, love those "firsts" Alex- except maybe, Jaws, lol. Freaky deaky- I don't think I've watched the whole thing through.

Anonymous said...

I had The Sword of Shannara as a kid, but I never read it. I can't remember where it went.

Great movie and song picks.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this, Alex! It was a lot of fun! Btw, I like your "firsts." :)

Tracy Jo said...

Great blogfest! You might have to start doing a weekly newspaper for us. :-) Always love what you write about your wife. Have a great night!

baygirl32 said...

I love that your first love is your wife... :)

Jennifer Hillier said...

This is such a fantastic idea for a blogfest - I wish I'd signed up!

How sweet is it that your first love is your wife? And Rush? Jaws? Super cool, Alex. Super cool.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jeff, glad you've had fun!

Laura, you are cool.

Kelly, what if someone had released a shark in the lake?????

Helena and Golden, thanks!

Stephsco, welcome!

Medeia, bummer.

Tracy, that is a thought!

Thank you everyone! All right, about forty more blogs to visit...

Wendy Tyler Ryan said...

Interesting news today and I love your list. Jaws scared the bejeezus out of me too.

~Sia McKye~ said...

Late to the party. I've been out most of the day dealing with business. Trying to catch up.

I couldn't watch Jaws, Alex. Call me a whimp, lol! My husband, on the other hand, practically knows it by heart. I love Terry Brooks books. I turned my son on to them. He likes them but prefers Salvadore Drizzet series.

Aww, what a sweet thing to say about your wife. She's home to you. That's special.

Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Theresa said...

I have never been able to sit through the entire movie of Jaws. My cousin watched it before me and couldn't take a bath for a month. He was scarred for life so of course so was I!

Martha said...

Congrats on CassaFire being back on the best sellers list!

I remember Jaws all too well! I was always a beach baby who wouldn't get out of the water for anything until that movie came along. To this day I get nervous going in the water when I'm at the beach! That music comes right back every time and I just know he's out there!

Rush was very memorable and definitely a big favorite of mine in my teens. I saw them in concert several times.

Don't think I ever read that book but I do remember it.

Excellent blogfest Alex! Thanks so much for hosting :-)

Martha said...

PS - so unbelievably sweet that your wife was your first love!!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I remember the terror of seeing Jaws.
Smart guy, naming your wife.

SF said...

This was a great idea for a blogfest, and I love to hear about real-life love stories! They exist! :D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jennifer, sorry you missed it. Although you could still sign up and post tonight!

Sia, Terry Brooks is awesome. And I liked Salvadore's Drizzet series.

Theresa. the bathtub made me nervous as well.

Martha, glad you've enjoyed it. And awesome you've seen Rush in concert. Won't tell you how many times I have seen them. And yes, my wife is my only love.

Susan, it was the truth!

Unknown said...

I've never actually watched Jaws, but I remember catching a scene of it playing on the tv screens in an electronics store. I didn't really want to watch it after that. Though now...

Sorry to hear you've had problems with mean commentors. Does my being super excited for all your good news make up for it a little?

Anonymous said...

Cool first loves... Ohh I love Jaws too:) Thanks for the great blogfest:)

S. L. Hennessy said...

Jaws - sooo creepy. When I get in the ocean, I swear I hear those two notes and I just KNOW there are sharks coming for me.

Love that your first love was your wife.

Lisa said...

I too, love that your wife is your first love. That doesn't happen every day! Thanks for visiting my blog. I love yours!

Cat Lavoie said...

Awesome first loves! So sweet about your wife. All I want to say now is: awwwww! :)

Jessica Salyer said...

Love Jaws and Rush. That is too sweet about your wife. Congrats on CassaFire being back on the best seller list. That's awesome!

Emily Genther said...

To this day my oldest brother is terrified of sharks because of Jaws. That's so cute that you insert memories of your wife being in your life before you even met her. Congratulations on the successful relationship!

dolorah said...

Epic post Ninja Capt :) Love Terry Brooks; and through your posts, love your wife also. I like seeing marriages that work.

Yes; Jaws scared me too. But I like movies/books that scare me. Its why we love fiction, right? I'll have to check out Rush; I'm sure I've heard their music, but I don't mind a trip to U-tube for any reason.

Thanks for hosting this fun blogfest.

........dhole

Julie Musil said...

Jaws totally terrified me. I still won't swim in the ocean. I told my 15-year-old about it so he watched it. He thought it was cheesy and not scary at all! Dang. I think he's so used to the modern movie scene. Gah.

Carrie Butler said...

Congratulations, Mr. Best-Seller!

They projected that movie onto the wall at my old university's pool once. To this day, I wonder whose crazy idea that was. :)

Thanks for hosting such a fun blogfest!

Robin said...

You've created an incredible community. Thanks for this blogfest. Jaws still gives me nightmares. I remember the 1st time I watched it in my cousin's basement and then went swimming at the lake-scary!

Lisa said...

I too love that your first love was your wife!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Imogen, it does!

Hey Karen! Yes, I am one lucky man.

Jessica, you rock!

Donna, Terry Brooks is great. And when you hear Rush, you'll remember.

Julie, that's disappointing.

Carrie, that is just insane.

Thank you, everyone! Yes, my wife really was my first love. Glad everyone enjoyed this blogfest.

Leovi said...

Yes, the first peĂ­cula Shark was terrifying.

Tobi Summers said...

My brother is obsessed with Rush, has been for years. So I have a bit of a special place for them in my heart, even if I do think Geddy Lee sounds like a woman. ;-) Love Spirit of the Radio.

Thanks for hosting the blogfest!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Sorry, Alex, I couldn't make it. I had a really bad week. :(

Anonymous said...

Man, I'm a day late and I wasn't well enough to participate in the First Loves Blogfest. So sad. Great pics for yours, though.

Bryan Thomas said...

Wow, what a great group. I'm amazed at how many you can get together. I'm so split between blogging and social media I lose track. Awesome job.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tobi, it helps him to hit the high notes!

George, that's all right. Next time!

Joshua, hope you're feeling better.

Bryan, the turnout for this blogfest surprised even me! And blogging is social media for me.

Morgan said...

What a BRILLIANT blogfest... I'm having SO much fun reading a bunch of these participants.

And I'm still laughing at the you inserting memories bit! Too precious! ;)

Dana said...

I love that your first love was your wife! I wonder if my husband is upset to find out he wasn't mine... LOL

Kittie Howard said...

Beautiful sentiments about your wife, Alex.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Morgan, I do it all the time!

Dana, just don't let him know.

Thanks, Kittie!

David P. King said...

Jaws. Enough said, man. :)

Liza said...

I smiled at your memories of Jaws. I went with a friend I was living with that summer. When we got home she made me sleep on the floor of her room that night...afraid a shark would climb the dry-land stairs and get her. I was clear that wasn't going to happen...but note, I did sleep on her floor!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I just watched Hugo for the first time this week. Loved it!

I kind of wish I'd done the First Loves blogfest even though I really didn't have any time to squeeze it in. Reading the posts of many of the participants has brought back some lovely book, movie, and music memories.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on CassaFire being an Amazon Best Seller!!!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sheri L. Swift, Author said...

Loved Hugo also! Can't wait to see the Avengers! Thank you for all of your splendid reviews! I've nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award ~ You are always so encouraging. Come by and get it at http://sherilswift.blogspot.com/2012/05/beautiful-blogger-award.html

Laura S. said...

I love The Sword of Shannara! I've read it more than three times. It's been awhile, though. I might have to re-read it again this summer!

Marjorie said...

Wow! What a turn out for your blogfest. I've seen so many great posts.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

David, you got that right!

Liza, those land sharks are deadly.

Patricia, at least you got all of the benefits!

Thanks, Jenn!

Sheri, thank you.

Laura, that make you really cool.

Marjorie - I know! I was a bit overwhelmed.

Li said...

Wow! Congrats on Cassa success :-)) and diving into the blogfest arena again!

Anonymous said...

I really wish my first love were my hubby... I was soo old when I met him. :/ alas... I was 28. oh well... he is my Great Love..and that is special. ;)

first movie: Benji The Hunted, first book: The Box Car Children series, first band: Ricky Nelson, first love: Charlie Sheen *unrequited of course* don't judge me cuz RED DAWN!!! WOLVERINES!! LOL;P

Leslie S. Rose said...

I'm having a BLAST hoppin' around this blogfest. Thumbs way up. I grew up at the beach so Jaws ended my body surfing career real quick.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lisa, it has been awhile!

Casey, I remember that movie. You do know they are remaking it? And without Charlie Sheen.

Leslie, oh no! Glad you enjoyed the blogfest. It was a lot of fun for everyone.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Haha, I saw Jaws for the first time the night before a trip to the beach, and I actually got chased by a shark while there...twice. Given, it was a baby nurse shark and it was just trying to flee the fishermen, but I screamed my fool head off (I was in elementary school). I wish I had film footage...

Shannon at The Warrior Muse, road tripping through the #atozchallenge participants!

Laura Josephsen said...

I'll have to check out "Rush." :D

That is so sweet about your wife. ^_^

I missed this blogfest, but it's been cool to see other people's firsts! :D

Steve Bailey said...

First loves!!! Man I was a Pauly Shore movies and Milli Vanilli fan.... as my first loves... Ya I had extreme bad taste at an early age!

Nick Wilford said...

I didn't catch Jaws until later on, so at least I wasn't terrified of swimming pools as a kid!

My first love was my wife, too. Soppy, aren't we? :P

Pat Tillett said...

The fact you ended up with your first love is amazing! Congratulations on that! Almost like a fairy tale...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shannon, that is hilarious!

Steve, didn't we all?

Nick, yeah, but oh well.

Pat, I guess it is!

Barbara said...

What a wonderful idea this was, it's almost like Back to The Future now....All those long forgotten songs and bands back in my head again!

Thank you Alex!

168 blogs in 3 days, not bad... I have no idea how you do it so quickly!??

Sharing the Love!
English Speaking Zone

PR said...

Great picks. My lil sis is really into Jaws at the mo, it's creeping me out a lil, she is 7, but gets excited when I try to scare her with horrific shark attack stories!
P.S: Catching up on my blog reading that's why you are getting lots of crazy stalker comments! :)