Monday, September 10, 2012

Author ML Chesley & Humor; Chocolate Blogfest; SA Larsen Giveaways; Ninja News and More!

Special Guest, Author M. L. Chesley, Talks Balance and Laughter!

Hi everyone!

First of all, let me just say thank you to Alex for allowing me to hijack his blog for a day. Alex, you are the best Ninja Captain out here in the blogosphere and I am very thankful you're such a great support.

Next, I want to let you all know a little something about me. I am a Libra. That's my sign. If you are hitting on me, then my sign would be 'Stop'. So what does this have to do with anything, you ask? Well, as a Libran, I'm about balance. I am always trying to find a balance to everything I do in my life. I also try to find that balance in my writing. With that being said, let me ask you this:

Do you like to laugh?

Sure, laughter is the best medicine and everyone loves a comedian, but how much comic relief do you want to have in your stories?

Me? I love my comic relief. I love when my characters bicker like siblings, joke around like best pals and try to alleviate tension.

Ahh, now we're getting to it, right? Letting off a little steam every so often. Things get to heavy, too dramatic and in walks the clown, am I right? When have you not seen a little humor in those dark, depressing scenes? You want to move your reader, you want them to experience a myriad of emotions at your bidding. But you also want them to laugh!

Laughter is my defense mechanism and it is also the same for my character, Vendras. Like I always say, if I can't laugh about it, there is something seriously wrong. Vendras likes being the one to dispel the gloom, to get the smile or chuckle, though he'd never admit to it outright. I feel it is a very important aspect to have in writing. I find I connect with characters and authors who use humor as a weapon against the darkness when I read a book. More often than not, I find a book with very little humor to be too much or too boring.

So what do you think? And by the way, I have a book coming soon: 'Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One'. I’ll be sure to let you know when the book is available. You’ll get to meet Vendras, then!

Mel~

~ I'm a blogger and an author.

Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One, will be available soon from Hellfire Publishing, and you can visit their blog, the Hellfire Herald.

What's Your Chocolate Blogfest

Hosted by Laura Eno, M. Pax, Ciara Knight, and Brinda Berry!

My favorite kind of chocolate? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!Why? Chocolate and peanut butter. Together. Enough said!

Visit any of the ladies above for a full list of participants. (Essentially, dozens of women and about five happy guys. Hey, wouldn't you be happy surrounded by all those women?)

S.A. Larsen – Giveaway and Promotion Opportunities!

“Today, I invite you to celebrate with me!! I've signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary! And because our literary community is so freaking fabulous and generous, I'm having a Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY!! The giveaway consists of: two separate Rafflecopters with multiple giveaways and one grand prize Rafflecopter giveaway - to enter for the grand prize, you must enter either giveaway #1, #2, or both.”

Congratulations, Sheri! She has also launched Graffiti Promotions. If you are an author, hop over to her site and fill out one of the forms.

Ninja News

Isis Rushdan unveiled the cover for her upcoming release, Kindred of the Fallen. Congratulations, Isis!

Angela Orlowski-Peart’s first book, Greed, is due out on September 20. She has been hard at work designing her new website and invites everyone to come take a look HERE. Congratulations, Angela – that’s next week. Get excited!



Don’t forget my Genre Favorites Blogfest next Monday, September 17!


And look for my music trivia answers on Wednesday.



Today I am also revealing the cover for Carrie Butler’s upcoming novel, Strength, Mark of Nexus – Book 1

Synopsis:
When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Published by Sapphire Star Publishing, this New Adult/Paranormal Romance will be released on March 07, 2013.

Find Carrie Butler here: Website, Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Do you use humor in your writing? Or something else to balance the tension? What’s your favorite chocolate? Entering SA Larsen’s giveaway? Excited about the upcoming releases? Bummed you have to wait until Wednesday for the music trivia answers? Sorry, didn’t want this blog post to explode…

153 comments:

Unknown said...

I am at the moment reading all of the indulgent chocolate tales posted on the web!

Carrie's new book looks good, nice body on the cover!

Kyra Lennon said...

Lots going on today! So happy for Carrie - I love her cover!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

congrats to Sheri
And I've never tried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Um-ah!

Carrie Butler said...

Another busy week!

1. What a great guest post from ML! I love humor that catches me off guard.

2. Congratulations to Isis and Angela!

3. Thank you so much for being a part of my cover reveal, Alex! I really appreciate it. :)

4. I can't wait for the blogfest next Monday!

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Wonderful informative blog Alex.Most interesting to read.
Thanks for your comment, lovely to be back among friends.
Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS to Sheri!

My favorite chocolate pick is chocolate cheesecake.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats to Sheri! So excited for her.

And I don't use too much humor in my writing. I'm not that funny of a person and can't pull it off well.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

CM, chocolate is everywhere today.

Lynda, never??? The horror!

Carrie, you are welcome. I've seen your cover many places this morning.

Natalie, I can do snarky banter and that's about it.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

It's great to meet you, Mel. I love the title of your book. You are dead on about laughter and balance. Both are so important. Thanks for the reminder.

And a big HUG goes out to Alex for helping me share my good news!! *_>

Jay Noel said...

Wonderful guest post M.L.!

I'm a big goofball in my daily life. But in my writing, I'm pretty darn serious. I guess that's my balance.

- Chocolate and peanut butter. Great. Now I have an early morning craving.

Marta Szemik said...

Great post M.L. I use lots of humor in my writing, although I like to disguise it a bit.
Reese Peanut Butter Cups are scrumptious! My kids adore them way too much ;) My ultimate chocolate is a black forest cake.

Susan Fields said...

Yes, I love humor in books - mine and others. My favorite chocolate is probably a Heath bar. And many congrats to Sheri on her giveaway and her big news!

M.J. Fifield said...

I try to use humor in my writing but I find I think I'm funnier than most other people do.

Congrats to Sheri!

Old Kitty said...

Hello ML! I love reading humourous books or books with humour in them to break the tension but I'm rubbish at doing this with my own writing!! But I do try and never seem to quite pull it off - guess I'm trying too hard!

Cap'n Ninja!! For once I am drooling not at chocolate (and not at your choice of chocolate) but at the book cover of Carrie Butler's book. Y-U-M!

Take care
x

Sean McLachlan said...

"Alex, you are the best Ninja Captain out here in the blogosphere. . ."

Alex is the ONLY Ninja captain! There can be only one! And the prove it, he'll cut your head off with a sword and all these cool lightning effects will zap him.

Talli Roland said...

Yay for ML! And yay for Sheri! Lovely news to kick off the week.

I definitely use humour when I write. Even if it's serious, I can't seem to stop myself!

baygirl32 said...

chocolate and peanut butter YUM

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I said almost the same thing about chocolate and peanut butter over at Tara's blog!

Check out the specialty Reese's ones that pop up around the holidays - like now there's chocolate peanut butter pumpkins - even better than the original. (And believe me, I don't say that lightly.) :)

Creepy Query Girl said...

Great to meet Mel! I agree- if I can't find the humor in something, it must be a seriously dire situation. And I'm so psyched for sheri!

Mason Canyon said...

M.L., great to know more about you. Wishing you much success with your writing.

Alex, as always a great post filled with interesting topics especially the chocolate blogfest. That's a neat idea. My favorite chocolate - homemade chocolate pudding.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

jaybird said...

Nice to meet you Mel.

Alex- I'm with you on the peanut butter cups. YUM. I try and find the humor in EVERYTHING I do. I feel like life is too short to take yourself too seriously- :)

Tina said...

I think this is the highest I've ever made it in the list of comments. Usually because I show up the day after...sigh!
My favorite chocolate is also Reese's PB cups. All started as a band fundraiser. However, as a hypoglycemic, I can't eat them very often, and then it's like 1/4 at a time...followed by a big dose of protein...kinda takes the fun out of it!
Your posts are always chock full of info, and most of it about others. You truly have a gift for helping others and promoting their successes, and upcoming successes.
Stoked for Monday, already have my post ideas in my notebook...
Tina @ Life is Good

Luanne G. Smith said...

*Waves from a playful Gemini*

Yeah, humor is very important, especially when exploring dark themes. Oscar Wilde said, "if you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you."

Bish Denham said...

Yes, I definitely use humor in my stories. Life is too serious as it is so humor is important, keeps a person from going mad.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Humor is so difficult to pull off.

All set for your blogfest next week.

Juliana Haygert said...

Lots happening!
Congrats Carrie on such a great cover!
Can't wait for the blogfest!

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

Congratulations Carrie!
And I love comic relief. :) I have a lot of humor in my zombie novella. (Or, at least, I think it's funny.) ;)

Jack said...

I think humor in writing is very important. Without it, books tend to be depressing, at least in my opinion. I suppose some people like darker books. But, personally, I like humor in books I read. Without it, I usually give up on the story. Though, again, if it has too much I give up too because it is like there isn't a plot. Just lots of characters joking about.

Charles Gramlich said...

SInce I prefer to read pretty grim stuff most of the time, there is not that much humor. I do like reading humor when it fits into the tale, and even like to write it on occassion.

Laura Eno said...

Lots happening here! Of course, that's normal for the Ninja. :)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are great!

Isis Rushdan said...

Wow, thanks for the shout-out about my book cover.

Congratulations to Mel, SA, Angela and Carrie!

Kimberly Gabriel said...

What a fabulous guest post! Great points!

I'm going to have to check out the Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall giveaway. How can I refuse that?

Congrats to Carrie Butler on the cover reveal!

And very bummed to wait until Wed for answers...I never participate, because I'm terrible at trivia, but I love seeing the answers!

Karen Lange said...

I love humor in writing, no matter what genre. Thanks for all the news and links, and for the intro to Mel.

Favorite chocolate - dark, please. :)

Happy Monday!

Annalisa Crawford said...

It hadn't occurred to me how female-dominated the chocolate blog fest is. I'm pretty much in choccy heaven right now!

Southpaw said...

Humor is hard to write, but I love to read it.

Favorite chocolate - like there is an unfavorite?

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sheri, you are welcome!

Jay, I may be too serious most of the time. Except when blogging.

MJ, I think you're funny!

Kitty, glad I could provide some eye candy for you today.

Sean, that's right!

Madeline, sounds tempting...

Mason, my posts have been overflowing as of late...

Thanks so much, Tina. And glad you made it into the top fifty today.

Miss Jack, I don't want my reading that heavy either.

Isis, you're welcome!

Kimberly, it was just too much - again!

Leovi said...

Yes, I also use very often laughter is very therapeutic.

Jackie said...

I like Reese's, too. :D
And thank goodness for the Chocolate Blogfest... that's how I discovered your Genre Blogfest!
Love how things work out like that.

Unknown said...

Nice to meet Mel - and yes, humor is so important in writing (I think) but you can't overdo it, otherwise it gets annoying.
I've seen so many posts today on chocolate (groan - I'm on a diet) and I'm trying to ignore them but it's soooooo difficult. OK, I give up, I love Cadbury's Caramel. There (want one now).

Maryannwrites said...

I do use humor in my writing and agree that it should be well balanced with the drama, unless your intent is to write a humor book. (smile)

One of my favorite chocolate treats is chocolate ice cream on cherry pie. I know, it sounds weird to some folks, but it is really good, especially if the pie is tart and not too sweet.

Then there is mud pie. Did you know it is also called chocolate cobbler? I did not know that until I joined the blogfest and did some research.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Lots of great things going on this week, great covers to some great books except the dude cover one... kidding.

I am glad so much positive, congrats to those making their goals.

I don't like chocolate too much... mostly.

thanks for playing my trivia... answer correct.

trivia for monday...

snakes, why did it have to be snakes.

have a great day!

Ellie Garratt said...

So much exciting news. Doesn't the writing world rock?!

farawayeyes said...

Humor? Yeah I try to be funny, sometimes.

I got to get off the computer or I'm gonna gain 5 - 10 just reading about all this chocolate.

Unknown said...

I'm craving chocolate for some reason...

Can't wait for the blogfest.

Lydia Kang said...

So happy for Sheri's news!

Mel's post was great. I'm a Libra too, and laughter is so important!

Lindi said...

I'm with you on the humor. I find ever in the most serious subject matters a little smile now and then is a good balance.

Alex--can't do the Reese's....Not sure why. Okay-I'm weird. :)

Nicki Elson said...

Thanks for the reminder about Isis' cover reveal. I'll be heading right over. Congrats to Sheri & everyone else. How did I miss the chocolate blogfest??

Nicki Elson said...

Also...thanks for the delightful post, Mel. I completely agree - must have humor or my interest fades.

Arlee Bird said...

I try to use humor in my writing, but sometimes I think I get a little too esoteric. My attempts at humor in my blog comments are often missed I think.

Chocolate? Is there any I don't like?


Lee
Wrote By Rote

Hildie McQueen said...

My head exploded! I use humor in everything. I also use sex, which in my case can be humorous. My favorite chocolate is Count Chocula cereal. I am bummed but not about the music trivia, I'm bummed that my stomach is growling and I am too lazy to get up and go to the kitchen right now. Hi Alex!

Donna K. Weaver said...

Humor is good for us, too. So good.

And chocolate.

Cate Masters said...

I'm sometimes lighthearted in my writing, but humor takes a special talent I don't have. :)
Congrats to all on the great news!

Mina Burrows said...

I try to put in humor into my novels if it calls for it.

I'm so happy for Carrie. Her books sounds wonderful.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Oh no, how could I forget the chocolate blogfest? Oops.

I like what she says about humor. It's important, to say the least.

Be well, Alex.
xoRobyn

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

George R.R. Martin is a Libra!

And that's a huge giveaway on that newly agented author's blog. I love free stuff.

Unknown said...

Lots of wonderful news out there today! A big congrats to Isis, Mel, Sheri, Carrie and everyone. That rocks this Monday morning.

Mel's post is terrific. Laughter is the best way to break that tension. We Sagittarians love a good belly laugh. ;)

Chocolate everywhere is awesomeness. I used to LOVE to eat Reese's, can't anymore though. :(

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Mel, laughter is the one medicine you don't need a prescription for, right? Sheri, I am so happy for you. May the publication dreams for all of Alex's Ninja Army come true. Dark chocolate is my kryptonite!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jackie, that is cool!

Susan, go have just one...

Maryann, I didn't know that.

Jeremy, Raiders of the Lost Ark!! "Asps. Very dangerous. You go first!"

Lindi, no weirder than I am.

Nicki, I don't know!

Hilde, your chocolate choice was awesome.

Robyn, that just might be a sign of the apocalypse!!!!!

Nancy Thompson said...

Maybe just a tiny smudge of humor. Very tiny. PB cups come a close second to Hershey's Almond. So happy & excited for Carrie! And oh, I'm gonna have to do my blogfest post tomorrow since I'm unexpectedly running out of town. Thanks for the reminder, Alex!

ediFanoB said...

Chocolate?

What is chocolote?

I'm on a diet and such exotic things does not belong to my daily food.

Anonymous said...

Not sure about writing, but I use movie quotes to deflect tension. Favorite chocolate? How can I pick just one?! Nutella is a good go-to.

Gossip_Grl said...

I just started reading some postings from the Chocolate blogfest. I like the cookies and cream candy bars. WOW just the book cover alone makes me want to know more about Carrie's book!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I love books that have humor built-in to them. Helps with pacing and makes for nice breaks from conflict and tension!

David P. King said...

Great news, Alex, and thanks for letting Mel hijack your blog today. I'm a Libra, too, so I totally understand where he's coming from. :)

SC Author said...

Yea sometimes writing and reading get so hard because it's sooo depressing. Humor is the perfect remedy :) I need to use this in mine -- thanks for reminding me!

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congrats to Mel, Angela, Carrie and SA! I love finding humor whenever possible, and it really goes great with chocolate! Thanks for reminding me to checkout Isis' book cover. Julie

Andrew Leon said...

I still have nothing for the blogfest :(

M Pax said...

Congrats to Carrie, SA and Isis.

PB & chocolate is a great combo.

Carrie-Anne said...

Another vote for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter together.

I always use humor in my Atlantic City historicals. They're part satire and spoof, so it's a given that there's going to be humor in them. After almost 21 years with these people, I think I've struck the right balance between accurate history (1938 onwards) and the humor/spoofy angle.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Mel, humor is always a big part of any good story. Even the most tense story needs some. Alex, You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! Good choice

Lisa Regan said...

Great to meet Mel!

Love Carrie's cover and her book is one of the best I've ever read. Can't wait for people to get captivated by it!

Johanna Garth said...

Oh my gosh, so much going on this week it does feel a little explosive.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Roland, just say no!

Nancy, you don't want to forget.

Edi, pretend you didn't hear that word.

David, glad you could relate to her!

Andrew, one week - no pressure!

Maurice, that made me laugh!

Emily R. King said...

Yay for Carrie's cover! Gotta love a buff bod.

And I'm looking forward to the chocolate fest. Fun!

Alexandra Heep said...

It's funny, my second ex-husband was Libra, but does not fit the characteristics. Well, it's why he an ex.

On the other hand, my brother is and he is awesome.

Mhm, chocolate ... yes, I participated :-)

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Yay for Carrie and Mmm for chocolate.

Unknown said...

WOW! So many ninjas to celebrate with today! Off to visit them...

Ciara said...

Great minds think alike! Have you ever had a Reese's Peanut Butter cup Sundae? :) Congrats to all the Ninjas! This is an exciting time.

Mel Chesley said...

Wow! overwhelmed by the response here. Alex, thanks again for having me guest on your blog. It was fun!

Congrats to Carrie, Isis and S. A.

I have to agree with Marta on the chocolate. Nothing beats a good Black Forest Cake. MmmmMMM!

Carrie, your book looks interesting. I will have to check it out.

Thanks everyone, for all the wonderful comments. Great to meet some fellow Libras. And if humor doesn't work for you, that's okay. I'll still read your stuff. ;)

Showin' some bloggy love! <3

Elise Fallson said...

I love humor in writing and in people. It's my defense mechanism too. I try to add humor in my writing but finding the right balance when you're an Aquarian is difficult!

LoVe ChOcOlAtE! And congrats to Carrie!! I've been seeing her everywhere today, YEAH!!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Alexandra, that's funny.

Ciara, yes - it's Heaven!

Happy to host you, Mel.

Sherry Ellis said...

Humor is very important in writing (and life). And yes, I use a lot of it in my writing.

Peanut butter and chocolate is a great combination! My favorite is plain dark chocolate without any bells or whistles.

Michelle Wallace said...

Laughter IS the best medicine. Cliched? Maybe. But true nevertheless.

Chocolate? Not really. Peanut butter? Definitely, but on buttered bread with coffee...
For me, you gotta separate the two!

Christine Rains said...

Humor is definitely a potent tool in writer. I try to be witty. Oh yes, peanut butter cups. I'm drooling. Every year at Christmas, my Nana makes giant ones. Is it December yet?!

alexia said...

Reeces are one of my faves too. Lots of fun blogger news!

The Angry Lurker said...

I like my chocolate like I like my women...cheap!

Catherine Stine said...

Yes to Reeces Peanutbutter cups!
Yes to using humor in a novel, especially in thrillers and tension-filled books to break the serious factor once in a while.
And congrats to Sheri!
Catherine Stine’s Idea City

Tim VanSant Writes said...

Happily surrounded by women. Yes. Especially when we're all surrounded by chocolate too.

You know, I can't figure out a way to write that without it being misinterpreted by somebody, so go ahead and let your imaginations run free.

Peaches Ledwidge said...

Much to think about.

Congrats to Carrie.

Chocolates? My favorite...

Brinda said...

Nice post by M.L...good luck on the book! Also, congrats to all the others (yay- Isis and Angela) for upcoming releases. I think I could live on peanut butter and chocolate.

Heather Murphy said...

I'm not much of a chocolate fan but I do like Reeses. Otherwise I prefer white chocolate

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sherry, it's the simple things.

Michelle, I also like peanut butter on pancakes.

Christine, it will be here before you know it!

Lurker - funny!

Tim, it already ran wild...

cleemckenzie said...

There's that Carrie Butler's cover again! Will you have the model here for an interview, Alex?

My chocolate post goes up soon.

mooderino said...

I use humour in all my stories. Probably too much and inappropriately, but at least it makes me chuckle.

mood
Moody Writing

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Yay, Carrie! And everyone else too.

Helena said...

M.L. -- the older I get, the more I need humor just to get me through a day or through what I'm writing. And maybe as we age we learn to laugh at life or else we'd cry.

Livia Peterson said...

I love peanut butter cups too! Thanks for the reminder of the Genre Favorites blogfest!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, um... no.

Moody, that is all that matters!

Helena, laughing is always better.

Livia, one week!

Cherie Reich said...

Mm...peanut butter and chocolate rock!

klahanie said...

Hi Alex and hi M. L. Chesley,
Ah yes, sorry, I know you have been waiting, with great anticipation, a comment from my shy and yet, oh so humble self. Your wait is over.
Humour or if you are American and um not sure of spelling, 'humor' :)
Oh yes, don't I love to have a good laugh and I end up giggling uncontrollably in a darkened room.
I was told you can make note of a 'comic strip'. Personally, I'm not so sure I'd like to see that.
Okay, I understand laughter being a "defence mechanism". Actually, using humour as a way of bringing out a positive outcome in something that can be construed as a negative.
Now then, my feeble attempts at writing alleged humour have often backfired in my writing, M.L. I try to make Monty Python look like serious drama. I even tried to copy the world's greatest 'off-the-wall' comedian, Humpty Dumpty, all to no avail. So, I reckon if you instil some much needed humour in your writing and in your upcoming book, boredom is something I will not experience.
If you are really good, I shall come and grace your blog. Along with of course, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star. Thank goodness I didn't leave one of my long, rambling and disjointed comments...
With that I bid thee good day.
Gary

LynnRush said...

Beautiful covers getting released lately!! Wow!! And yes, peanut butter and chocolate...that's the best combo out there. Caramel and chocolate a close second!

SpacerGuy said...

Laughter is the reward after you've said or done something full of fun like reading Adversarius, right Mel?

Okay so its chocolate confession time, eh? I love eating a packet of butter biscuits with hot tea at bedtime, Hehe.

Gwen Gardner said...

Congrats on your new release, M.L.! Yes, most of what I read has some kind of humor - some snark - I do love a good chuckle.

Cally Jackson said...

Almost every book needs a touch of humour. No point being down in the doldrums the whole time - we can get our hit of constant negativity by watching the news.

And Carrie's cover is very attractive!! ;-)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Glad it's not just the women willing to admit they enjoy chocolate.
I wish I could write humor better. I really enjoy some writers who do.

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

Love ML Chesley's cover! And so happy Sheri has an agent :)

Cynthia said...

I too love peanut butter cups...as for me, I love all kinds of chocolate.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Gary, you just made my night! And if you can make the mighty Monty Python look like drama, then my hat is off to you good sir!

Lynn, yes!

Susan, I enjoy it, I just don't eat it often.

Anonymous said...

Great to meet you Mel:) I'm a huge fan of reese's cups too

LD Masterson said...

Very nice to meet, Mel. I agree, humor is a must. Congratuations to Sheri. And, although I do love Reese's, I have a soft spot for Almond Joy. After all...

sometimes you feel like a nut...

Golden Eagle said...

Great guest post! I do enjoy occasional humor in fiction; I'm not as good at writing it myself, though. I always feel like my characters' jokes don't make sense. :P

J.L. Campbell said...

Humor in a book is always a plus for me. Have to check out Isis's cover.

dolorah said...

I like humor in a book, but I'm not one for comedy.

Lots of great covers and contests Alex. Recess cups is one one of the few chocolates I like.

.......dhole

Denise Covey said...

So much news Captain, but the best news is the Chocolate Blogfest. Peanut butter and chocolate! Erk! Never for me! Must be an American thang.

Pat Tillett said...

Humor is good in any forum. If something in a book makes me laugh out loud (or even giggle), I'm hooked.

Unknown said...

I agree with you, Mel, humour is an important aspect of the genre. My favourite one recently was Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings that had The Wit, a jester/poet specifically hired to insult the king's entourage so the king wouldn't need to do so and cause a political situation.

Anonymous said...

I love peanut butter too. Mmmm
I'd like to oput more humour in my writing. Somtimes humourous writing can be inadvertent, like when I described a scene that my hubby identified with and it made him laugh.
Good luck to M. L. Chesley, SALarsen and Carrie Butler.
I have my genre post already prescheduled. I'm hopin it will post up correctly this time,as it launched a month early and I got 3 comments. I may have to launch it...

Anonymous said...

I'm planning out the genre favorites. I'll be ready Monday.

I love Carrie's cover and hurray for Sheri.

I also enjoy comic relief and inject it into my writing.

Theresa Milstein said...

Alex, nice to meet Mel. I bet his humor shines through his books too.

I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups too! Halloween is a dangerous time for me.

Sheri's on my blog. I'm excited for her too.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

LD, you don't look like a nut...

Donna, I'm not a huge chocolate fan either, so it was the obvious choice.

Pat, did you just admit to giggling?

Jamie, now that's a twist.

Madeleine, at least you know you'll get comments!

Tara Tyler said...

so much time and so little to do!
strike that, reverse it!

happy monday!

Christopher Hudson said...

ML, you're right and you're right ... about Alex being supportive and humor in stories.

Libby said...

I also love to laugh, and I love chocolate and peanut butter!

Katherines Corner said...

Thank you for sharing so many goodies my friend. I'm off to visit the chocolate gals, and check out the giveaway( did you enter mine?) Wishing you a beautiful day xo

Tonja said...

It is funny how the chocolate-fest was all women. :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

Alex - you are a news source for good news these days!! Great Ninja updates! And nuts and chocolate - the perfect match!

ML - great post!

Julie Flanders said...

Absolutely love peanut butter and chocolate too, you can't beat it.

Wow, congrats to Sheri!! And enjoyed the guest post with Mel, I have to check out her work now.

Jennie Bennett said...

I can't stand a book with no humor! Even sad books need=humor to balance out the sad stuff. And Alex great choice on the chocolate!

Hart Johnson said...

You nailed it Mel! I think the only time books totally annoy me is if there is no humor at all. I mean some have very little, but if they have NONE? Not my thing. But I especially love those sweet little moments that break the tension.

Carolyn V said...

I think there needs to be humor in every book. Great post Mel.

And Yay for Sheri! I'm so excited for her!

Anonymous said...

So much good news here today. This post put a smile on my face. :) Love it when good things happen to nice people.

kjmckendry said...

Wow so much going on! I love dark chocolate with sea salt! HMMM!

I love humor too. I wish I was better at writing it.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Congrats to Sheri. The chocolate blogfest sounds great.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Congrats to Sheri. The chocolate blogfest sounds great.

Ella said...

Hi Mel...
I love how you balance it all! It sounds amazing :D

oh, no chocolate...yikes! No, I visited a few, then got hungry. I had to go make Iced Mocha! I wanted Hot Chocolate...lol

Congrats to Sheri, Isis and Angela!
Mel I'm looking forward to your book :D
Alex, thank you for sharing your fav chocolate! Those are a favorite at my house, too~ I wonder though how would chocolate covered Hot Tamales taste? ;D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Tara, I knew what you meant!

Thanks, Christopher.

Tonja, yeah, just five guys. We weren't complaining though.

Liz, then mission accomplished!

Ella, not sure I'm ready to try that just yet...

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Alex, Hi M. L.,
Humor is so important to a story. I didn't have a specific character for this but used situations that drew out the humor in other characters. Your book sounds amazing. Best of luck.

Alex, my husbands favorite candy is Reese's too.

Thanks for all the links. See you on Monday.
Nancy

Leovi said...

All chocolate is my favorite, I like all versions, even in the most erotic.

LTM said...

Shew! Loads going on here today. First, chocolate. Always first. Dark, Dove, promises. Mmmm.... And Sheri's thing just makes me all warm and fuzzy w/how everybody just jumped on to celebrate w/her. Very telling about this group. Good stuff!

I love to use humor in my writing. But I don't always get to. Great guest post! Whee~ <3

Anonymous said...

Ahaha, I loved your answer: short, sweet, and totally entertaining.

M. R. Buttars said...

I am always using humor in my writing, whether intentional or not. My favorite scenes of comedic relief involve a devil-may-care werewolf.
Favorite chocolate: Dark chocolate-I love that bittersweet flavor. Yum!

Kelly Polark said...

I do use humor in my writing. I will never be the one to write a serious book about a serious subject...

Also, I love Reese's peanut butter cups too!!!

Melissa said...

Great post as always, Alex. I'm looking forward to your blogfest Monday. ;)

I can't get enough of Carrie's cover! March won't get here soon enough...

Unknown said...

Very excited for all the new authors and books! Although, I wish Carrie had told me she was going to use my photo on her cover. ;-)

Also, I'm exactly the same way with humor, ML. I use it to disarm people and keep the world in context. Loved your thoughts on using it as a storytelling mechanic.

EJ

LynNerdKelley said...

Yes, I always strive to have some humor in my writing. My upcoming chapter book is jam packed with humor, which is subjective, so that's the tricky part about humor! The spooky MG mystery series I coauthor is tempered with humor. It's the only way I could join in coauthoring it. And someday I'll get back to my edgy YA novel, which deals with some pretty serious stuff, but it's also tempered with humor. So great guest post, M.L. Chesley. I can totally relate to this subject. Best wishes on Adversarius.

Thanks for having ML guest post, Alex, and for keeping us posted on all the other news. I'm pretty excited for Angela Orlowski-Peart. So nice to see a shoutout for her here on your blog! Take care!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Nancy, glad you've joined the party!

Leovi, erotic or exotic? Either works!

Melissa, time will fly...

EJ, I was going to say it was me...

Lynn, I would think you excel at humor!

Allison said...

Laughter is great. Humour is what can make a great book five stars for me, I think. I like to use humour in my writing, but I wish I was better at coming up with witty things for my characters to say.

Allison (Geek Banter)


Unknown said...

ML - I love humor and comedic characters when I'm reading SF or Fantasy. It's a great contrast to the tension in other scenes. But as a Horror writer, I find it doesn't work as well in my own books. C'est la vie!
Alex - Awesome post-full of news as always! :-)

Patricia Stoltey said...

My favorite chocolate is Lindt 90% cocao dark, but I'm on the wagon right now. Had to give up my daily chocolate fix while dieting. Dang!!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - I try and add a little lightness to letters, or the blog posts - laughter lifts spirits.

I do fancy some chocolate marzipan - usually something I crave at Christmas - it's come early this year!

Cheers Hilary

Author A.O. Peart said...

Alex, thank you for the mention. I really appreciate it :-) Actually my book's title is Forged by Greed.

I definitely appreciate humor in books. And I am soooo looking forward to the Genre Favs Blogfest.
Chocolate - what a fabulous word. I love the milk kind, not dark.

Isis, congrats on your new book release. And thank you.

Carrie, thank you. And right back at ya. Lovely cover!

Thank you, Empty Nest Insider and Ella.

Lynn, so nice to see you here. And thank you for such heartfelt words.

Nicole said...

Congrats to Sheri! And thanks to ML for the witty advice.