Monday, March 23, 2015

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal, Weird and Future News, What Are the Kargrandes, Battle of the Bands Results, and Ninja News

Double A to Z Challenge shot today!

I’m a guest at Curiosity Quills Press, explaining why the Challenge is a great opportunity for writers and authors. (It's live now!)

I’m also at the A to Z Blog with tips on how to make friends.

Interesting Weird and Future Stuff

Caught these first two items at Edi’s Book Lighthouse:


From Web Urbanist - The Capital: Egypt Plans Largest From-Scratch City in History.
Slated to be constructed in just 7 years and cost $300 billion (more than the GDP of Egypt), this ambitious design for a brand new capital city of 5 million people is unprecedented – if completed, it will be a record-setting endeavor. And it is not just a conceptual vision, or at least not entirely- the site has been selected and a 100-square-kilometer test section has already been approved by the Egyptian government.


Edi also posted this from Dark Roasted Blend - Futuristic Concept Cars of the 1970-80s. Check it out – not as far-fetched as you might think.


And in a similar vein, Dark Roasted Blend had an article about Videophones from Future Past. Some of these really are far-fetched!

What Are the Kargrandes?

New clue today at What Are the Kargrandes? This is clue number eleven. (Why eleven? Because it’s higher than ten!) New clues every Monday until the release of Dragon of the Stars on April 7.

Sample Tweets for this week:

What are the Kargrandes? Can you guess? What are their powers? http://whatarethekargrandes.com/ #whatarethekargrandes @alexjcavanaugh

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

The Thunderclap campaign is a go! Thanks to all who signed up. If you are on either Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr and want to help me spread the word on April 7, click HERE.

I also have an awesome (and easy) Scavenger Hunt planned for that day that involves Mini-Alex. Many thanks to the bloggers who have volunteered to participate. (I’m sure the promise of an exclusive Mini-Alex photo was the deciding factor!)


Ninja News

DL Hammons is looking for volunteers to read through the entries of the upcoming round of Write Club. See his site for details.

Mark Koopmans signed a book deal!
REVIVAL: The Donald Braswell Story will be published Nov. 3, 2015 by Pen-L Publishing. Way to go, Mark!

The giveaway for The Great Time Lock Disaster by C. Lee McKenzie is coming to an end soon. Register to win at Goodreads.




New Releases –

Double book release!
There’s a Goat in my Boat by Pat Hatt



AND…

Vault of the Gods by Pat Hatt

Seducing Fortune by Brinda Berry
Book 3 of the Serendipity novels

Battle of the Bands Results

I pitted Dream Theater against Redemption with Elton John’s Love Lies Bleeding. Ironically, several voted for Elton John. For those who voted for the two featured songs, this is how it all came down:

Redemption - 5

Dream Theater - 21

And, no surprise, my vote went to Dream Theater. Both are good, but Dream Theater took it to a much higher level.

Challenge Theme Reveal

And now, the day we’ve all been waiting for–the Great Challenge Theme Reveal!

My theme–Cult Classics!

Cult classic movie.
Cult classic album.
Cult classic science fiction book. (Boy, that was tough!)
And of course, a featured blogger buddy. (Or two or three.)
Plus, a term from Dragon of the Stars.

All alphabetically!

In choosing blogger buddies, I tried to select those who hadn’t been featured in the past two years. I hated that I couldn’t feature everyone, but my goal was to keep this year’s Challenge posts short. Some will go by name, some by blog, and some by a crazy Ninja equation. So you’ll have to check every day to see who I’ve featured!

And I know a lot of you have your posts scheduled and ready to go for April. I have mine in Word, html formatted and ready, and all of the images sized properly – but I won’t schedule each post until the night before. (Everyone do a collective gasp.) I still intend to run the Ninja News, announcing any new books, movies, news, whatever. I’ll probably throw in a movie review now and then. Or a cult classic image. So I can only plan ahead so far. But I’ll manage.

Even though the Challenge opens on Wednesday, April 1 is still Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day. Plan accordingly and prepare for a wild ride that day.

Plus, my next book releases on April 7, right in the middle of the Challenge. There will be a Scavenger Hunt Blitz that day, with lots of Mini-Alex photos and a chance to win an autographed copy of Dragon of the Stars, bookmarks and swag, and $20.00 in iTunes gift cards. There’s also an extensive blog tour (which begins next Monday at Stephanie Faris’ site) and other cool stuff to win.

I’m also posting at the A to Z Blog and the Insecure Writer’s Support Group next month.

Yeah, it's a lot! I’ll survive. At least that’s the plan…

If you’re participating in the Challenge, what’s your theme?

Visit the A to Z Blog for the full list of theme reveal participants!


What do you think of Egypt building a new capital? Get a kick out of the concept cars and phones? Figured out the Kargrandes yet? Battle of the Bands’ result surprise you? Does my Challenge theme sound interesting? What’s yours…?

Be sure to visit Curiosity Quills Press and the A to Z Challenge Blog!

189 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, you are a busy busy man. I don't know how I'd keep up.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex .. congratulations on saying you'll survive - and I'm sure you will. I do want to know who the Kagrandes are!

Looking forward to your A-Z .. and then good luck with the book release - amazing achievement ... and then good luck with all the happening things! Cheers Hilary

Rhonda Albom said...

As stated already, you are going to have a busy month, but a great one. Love your theme, and can't wait to see how many of the classics I know. I even followed one back in uni, so I will be interested to see if you picked it.

Nilanjana Bose said...

Your April sounds packed! and fun.

It'll be interesting to see how the Egyptian capital idea works out. I would have thought tourism and security would be more of a priority right now. Their economy could do with a boost, not clear how this is going to revive it, but good luck to them!

The theme sounds intriguing and educational, look forward to reading. Best wishes for all the plans.

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

Cult classics - cool, I look forward to seeing your choices :). So many possibilities...
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

Li said...

Whew! That's a lot of info! I didn't see you over at Curiosity Quills this morning, but I'll check again later - not everyone is up and at 'em at 5:30AM. Looking forward to April...it's getting close! My theme is "poisons". (I didn't do a theme reveal post since I already announced my theme weeks ago.)
I've missed seeing a lot of cult classics, so looking forward to whatever movies you choose for you posts.

Dixie@dcrelief said...

Dream Theater - cool; Love your theme!
Kar. > iguana; I'll post the A-Z theme banner on my blog. Got to get Pat Hatt's book. Good luck with the blog tour! and all of April's adventures!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Sounds like you'll be super busy today. Love your theme. Looking forward to your posts.

Holy Ghost Writer said...

Cult Classics should be a fun theme

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I'll enjoy your cult classics and seeing how many I know!

I remember a videophone in my social studies book in elementary school. :) No Skype lookalike, either...

Donna K. Weaver said...

Woohoo, Alex. Too weeks!

And I love your theme for A to Z.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Building a city from scratch sounds like something a pharaoh would command!

Yikes, that's definitely a busy April! Good luck juggling it all!

Jemi Fraser said...

Yikes - going to be a very busy month!!! You'll make it :)
That planned city would be pretty amazing!

Jo said...

Well I kind of announced my theme today but not with any fanfare. I am looking forward to your April 7 release and the scavenger hunt.

I wonder if that Pyramid building I posted about is going to be part of the Egyptian new city.

Mason Canyon said...

I'm breathless just from reading what all is planned for next month...Wow! But I know if anyone can pull it off, you can. Great theme BTW. Looking forward to all the post. Congrats to those with new books out. It'll be interesting to see how the new city turns out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Rhonda, we'll find out if I selected it.

Nilanjana, not sure how it will help them either.

Lisa, poisons will be cool.

Elizabeth, I'm sure it didn't look like Skype!

Sandra, good analogy.

nashvillecats2 said...

Good books to read, good A to Z theme and altogether a good post.
Thanks Alex.

nashvillecats2 said...

Good books to read, good A to Z theme and altogether a good post.
Thanks Alex/

J.L. Campbell said...

I know you have everything locked, so I won't worry about your during the Challenge. I need to take some examples from you. Looking forward to April - ready or not! Good luck with the launch!

mshatch said...

Sounds like a fun and interesting theme. I'll be looking forward to it :)

Barbara In Caneyhead said...

Oh, I like this theme you've chosen! It lines up with you perfectly and should be a lot of fun and interest for everyone.

Also, I look forward to your AtoZ post. As well liked and well loved as you are, I'm sure we can all learn something from you.

Life & Faith in Caneyhead
I am Ensign B ~ One of Tremp's Troops with the
A to Z Challenge


L. Diane Wolfe said...

That's an ambitious theme. You'll be really busy next month.

mail4rosey said...

We have Pat Hatt's new book. It's been a busy week though, so we haven't turned on the Kindle. Soon. :)

Pat Hatt said...

Thanks for the double shout. Cult classics should be fun to dig through. That is one expensive city. But everything brand new would be nice for my ocd lol

Mary Aalgaard said...

You have so much cool stuff on here today, the city, the car, the books, and Mark's contract. Whoo hoo! I tweeted for you. I'm getting fired up for the challenge. I don't schedule much in advance as I like to be open for new ideas and things to review.

Lauren Farrow said...

Hey Alex,

I love Dragons, so I am very interested in your newest book Dragon of the Stars. I love the 3D art on your books! I posted one of my cover illustrations on my blog after I read your comment about my dragon 3D model.

Since I am not a published author and I am sort of new to the blogosphere I learned a lot by reading your current post. I am still learning about the A to Z challenge, but I love how it encourages making friends and communication!

It is good to know that some seasoned bloggers schedule their posts ahead of time. I may start doing that to optimize my time! You use Word for formatting and I used Dreamweaver, but Word might be better so I will give it a shot.

This is valuable information! Thanks!

Lauren

The Happy Whisk said...

Enjoy the A/Z Game, Alex. Looks like you've got a fun one lined up for yourself. Good on ya'.

Jeremy [Retro] said...

Sweet theme, you are going to be upside down for the month of April. If I know you, you have a pot of coffee waiting... :)

Anyone that can pull it off, it would be a NINJA!

Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]

There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!

Dani said...

Wow, it sounds like you have a VERY busy month in April! I have all of my posts scheduled and ready to go for my blog and I have my portion done for a joint blog I help with. However, I'm gonna go back and add your book to my April 7th post since I am featuring 2015 new novels for a small part of my theme.

A Beer for the Shower said...

Nice theme choice! Also... wow, you pre-write your posts in Word with images and HTML and everything? And I'm just sitting here, throwing things together on Blogger on Sunday night and just praying for the best...

Luanne G. Smith said...

Wow are you going to be busy in April! It helps so much to have those A to Z posts all written though. Good luck with the challenge and the book release. :)

A Tarkabarka Hölgy said...

Oh cool! There is a lot to talk about cult classics, and I am sure there are quite a few I am not familiar with :) I expect you to catch me up on them. ;)
Cheers!

@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...

Carrie-Anne said...

You're going to be unbelievably busy next month! I've got all my posts written, edited, and scheduled, though I'm going to have to go back through all of them, at both blogs, to double-check they're all scheduled for 6:30. I wasn't very pleased to discover I somehow had my theme reveal post scheduled for much later in the day than I'd thought!

Christine Rains said...

Awesome theme! Can't wait to see some of these cult classics. Egypt's new city is either going to be magnificent or go bust. I'm curious to see if they can build a whole new city. Have a great week!

Unknown said...

Ooh I love your themes! Can't wait for the posts!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Joy, locked and loaded!

Barbara, thanks!

Pat, you're welcome.

Mary, appreciate that.

Lauren, thanks, and I'll go have a look!

Jeremy, now if I only drank coffee...

Dani, thank you - that would be awesome!

Brandon and Bryan, I really did. They are all set to go.

Carrie-Anne, I'll also be doing a lot of double-checking, especially for the time.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Cult Classics sounds interesting. Looking forward to it. April should be a lot of fun.

kaykuala said...

Congrats to Pat for release of his books and also the other writers. Just a matter of days before the A to Z. Looking forward to it AleX!

Hank

Shell Flower said...

Your challenge theme sounds awesome. I am a big fan of cult classics. (Why eleven? Because it’s higher than ten!) Hahahaha. Good luck keeping all your ducks in a row. You've got a lot going on.

Anonymous said...

Sheesh! You are a brave man! I can't wait to see what the Kargrandes are, either!

See you in April. :D

Arlee Bird said...

Not surprised by the BOTB win.

New capital for Egypt? Brazil did it. Not a bad idea to keep Cairo as a historical place and move government to another locale. Hopefully they'll become Christian while they're making big changes.

You've got another great A to Z theme that suits you well.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out

Tyrean Martinson said...

Cool concept cars! And . . . wow! You are putting a lot into the blog-world this month. I'll help with Dragon of the Stars, as well as I can, and my theme is . . . Celebrations!

H. R. Sinclair said...

Cult classics is an awesome theme!

Stephen Tremp said...

I do love cult classics! Looking forward to it. And I'm off to check out Web Urbanist. Cities of the Future are right up my ally.

Al Penwasser said...

Well, I hope to see something about "Mars Attacks."

Rachna Chhabria said...

Wow! You are going to be super busy in April. Wonder if you are going to get the time to eat. Like your A to Z Challenge theme a lot, Alex.

Michael Abayomi said...

Your theme sounds awesome, Alex. Can't wait to see your picks.

Chrys Fey said...

I was your 100th person to sign up for your campaign. :)

Cult classics will be a fun theme.

Congrats to Mark on the book deal!

Jennifer Hawes said...

Your theme sounds awesome! Can't wait.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Great theme. I will be taking notes :-)

Jay Noel said...

I'm exhausted just reading your post!

Congrats to Pat and Brinda on your releases!

And I'm stoked about your theme this year. There's so many cult faves to choose from, which makes it both easy and tough to do.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Wow, Alex! I have no idea how you do it all. Good luck with everything! :)

Cherie Reich said...

What a great theme, Alex! Good luck with everything!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Every time I think I've taken on more than humanly possible, I get a glimpse of your schedule. Wow, Egypt sure has taken on an ambitious plan. Looking forward to some cult classics/

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Shell, glad you got that joke!

Lee, we can only pray for that change to happen.

Tyrean, thanks!

Chrys, and I appreciate that!

Jay, I know I'll be exhausted when it's over...

Susan, I have taking on too much covered...

Angela Brown said...

Congrats to the new releases and Mark for his book deal. WOOT!

And that new city in Egypt may just be the beginning of a slew of new metro-city-upgrades if they prove to the world they can pull it off.

Let's get ready to rumble with the A to Z blogging challenge!

Leovi said...

Delicious idea hope your good advice to make friends!

Anonymous said...

The new city in Egypt looks beautiful, but I can't help thinking the money would be better spent on those in need. The cult classics theme sounds like fun. I'm doing more of my Fictional Favorites. I checked out your posts on Curiosity Quills and A to Z, and the futuristic links. Love the cars! Congrats to all the new releases! Looking forward to A to Z! Stay sane, Alex!

Empty Nest Insider said...

I agree with Angela about the plans for the new capital of Egypt. You've chosen another fantastic theme, Alex! I know that you'll knock it out of the ballpark in April with both A to Z and Dragon Of The Stars!
Congrats to all of the authors!

Julie

Suzanne Furness said...

So much going on! I'm looking forward to being involved with the Scavenger Hunt.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Good luck on your book release and Egypt getting a new capital like that is really exciting. I wonder if it will rival Dubai.

Mark Means said...

Congrats to Mr. Koopmans and love the sound of your theme.Sounds like a fun one :)

Liesel K. Hill said...

Looking forward to your A to Z theme. I'll hop over and check out your post at Curiosity Quills. Happy Monday!

Andrew Leon said...

Everyone knows things are better when they go to 11.

Sarah Ahiers said...

ooh! Fun theme, Alex! I'm excited to check it out

CA Heaven said...

That's a cool theme.
I'm looking forward to see what you come up with >:)

Cold As Heaven

Sarah Foster said...

Cult classics are always good! Looking forward to your posts :)

Elephant's Child said...

A whole new capital? A very brave undertaking. I am pretty certain that we could never reach agreement here - and there would be a huge budget and time overrun.
Love your challenge theme.
Hi and nice post.

Ella said...

Alex,
I am ready to be cloned-lol!
Holy smokes of dragon ball Z...how do you manage it all?!

Wow, big release is coming up fast-I am excited for you~

You always have cool challenge themes-that is why you are Captain AC ;D

Missed you more! I wasn't chilling I was illing~

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Now, that's a fun theme. :-)

Sad about that new Egyptian capital. Why sad you ask?

Those who read the 13th chapter "PARIS BY THE NILE" of The Stars Bleed At Midnight learned how Khedive Ismail traveled to Paris and returned, determined to re-shape Cairo into a gem of civilized beauty.

At first he did it with the increased cotton money come to his country by our Civil War taking our cotton from the world's markets.

(Egyptian cotton's export value went up from $16 million in 1862 to $56 million in 1864!)

Eventually, he did it with European money that would eventually steal the common Egyptian's freedom and give it to the great banking empires of the West.

Ismail decided to build an entirely new city just west of the old one.

The cotton boom of the 1860's died and Ismail increased taxes on his people and loans from European banks ... at exorbitant interest of course.

Cairo became a city meant to be magic become one of foreign occupation, heartbreak, and harsh living for most of its people. England ruled defacto to prevent Egypt from failing to keep its debts.

History is a cycle. Sigh.

Intangible Hearts said...

Cult classics like the Tomato that Ate New York or the Attack of the 50ft. Woman? LOL Sounds funny but I'm not clear on the concept since I didn't watch too many of those things. Maybe I'll learn something!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Angela, let's see if they can pull it off.

Lori, sanity may be optional.

Suzanne, thanks for helping with it!

Andrew, of course!

Ella, sorry you were sick!

Roland, you may be right.

Hearts, most will be good classics, but a few films will be classic stinkers.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with April, Alex. I'm sure you're going to need it. =)

Karen Lange said...

I have to agree with your comment on my blog - if your blog had any more variety, it would explode. You keep us coming back with great news and insight. :) Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

Birgit said...

OK love that Redemption won. You have a jam packed April but you will survive(thinking Gloria Gaynor). I can't wait to see your A to Z and am so looking forward to it.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I'll be learning a lot from you in April. Then again, I always do.

Cherie Colyer said...

Lots going on! Congrats to Mark on his book deal, and to everyone with new releases!

Great theme for the challenge. I'm looking forward to following your posts.

mooderino said...

Looking forward to your theme, I love discovering odd books and films that never got the exposure they deserved.

mood

Huntress said...

How in the world do you do it?

Seriously feeling a little overwhelmed just reading about your April plans.

As Always, congrats to all the writers you encourage on your blog.

cleemckenzie said...

Good thing you're a Ninja or I'd be worried about you. You've taken on quite a load in April. Love the theme you've chosen. It will be fun to visit here daily.

I read your post at Curiosity Quills and couldn't agree more. Excellent.

Thanks for helping me with the Giveaway for Great Time Lock Disaster! Much appreciated.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Alex, I do not see how you do all you do. I simply do not have the time to do even a modicum of what you accomplish. My own theme reveal is up now. :-)

L.G. Keltner said...

It's going to be a busy month for you! I love your cult classics theme!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Alex, after all these years, you never EVER cease to amaze me! I would so love to meet you in person and your wife, too! She must be amazing, too!

Elizabeth Mueller
AtoZ 2015
My Little Pony

Julie Flanders said...

This may be your best theme yet, Alex. What a month you're going to have!

Murees Dupè said...

I'm not participating in A-Z this year, but I know you will do great. It does sound like you're going to have a crazy busy April though. Wishing you the best.

Sandra Cox said...

On my way over to Curiosity

Stephanie Faris said...

COOL! It sounds like a great theme for this year. Can't wait to read them.

Melissa Sugar said...

Excellent theme, Alex. I swear, when I read through your blog post and all of the book promotions you do for others and the guest interviews etc., i have to wonder: how do you do it? Do you have the same number of hours in your day as the rest of us mortals? You get so much done. I am always amazed. And always impressed.

kimlajevardi.com said...

Just reading all that you have planned in April has me exhausted. Don't mind me while I slink off to curl up with a book and watch from the sidelines. :) Congrats on your release and double up those coffees. Do they have anything larger than a double venti?

Anonymous said...

Love this theme. I'll be paying attention.
Happy A to Z Blogging.

J E Oneil said...

I can't wait to see your cult classics. Just over a week away now!

Donna McDine said...

Phew, you exhaust me. I can't imagine waiting to schedule my posts the night before. I let out a sigh of relief when I finished writing and scheduling my posts on Saturday! Happy blogging!

Ray Rousell said...

Cult classic movie. 12 Monkeys
Cult classic album. Eddie Cochran Memorial Album
Cult classic science fiction book. LotR
And of course, a featured blogger buddy. Gotta be my long lost pal The Lurker
Plus, a term from Dragon of the Stars. errr........?

Unknown said...

Woohoo, cult classics. Your theme's going to rock, Alex. I was just watching some old cult films the other night: "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", lol. I'm looking forward to your posts next month!

Helena said...

I hadn't heard of the Egyptian city plan but it's intriguing. I've been to Cairo and it is very congested, very trashy, and terribly overcrowded. Egypt could certainly use a new, highly eco-friendly city that runs on solar (Egypt! Almost no cloudy days!), but it also desperately needs family planning. Anyway, I like Egyptians and the country has been building cities from scratch since about 3,000 B.C., so maybe they'll pull this off.

Meanwhile, you've got a very busy month ahead of you, Alex.

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

Wow! You are going to be busy, Alex! Good luck with all of it!!!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Karen, I do my best. Just don't want to explode.

Robyn, next month I am teaching you how to overdo it...

Carol, if it weren't for the clones...

Lee, you're welcome!

Roland, I saw that - awesome theme!!

Elizabeth, she is even more amazing than I am.

Julie, that's good to hear!

Melissa, thanks. Yes, same amount of time. I just try to use it wisely.

Kim, if only I drank coffee!

Donna, that's how I've always rolled...

Ray, where is Fran these days? Miss the old dodger.

Lanise, I hope it entertains you.

Helena, good point.

shelly said...

Hi, ALex!

How do you do it all?

Susan Kane said...

I feel there is no way I can skip around through blogs AND reply to comments on my own page. What to do???Advice!

Heather M. Gardner said...

It goes up to 11!

Hi Alex!

Great theme idea! I bet that was very challenging to put together!

Please let me know if there is absolutely anything you need from me for your book release!

It will all come together.

I noticed some people voted for Elton! It is a great version!

Heather

Unknown said...

Wow, that's a cool and challenging theme! Best of luck with it! And I'm wondering about the Egypt city... sounds really cool, but I hope it won't end up being another planet killing project like Dubai ... which is super cool and I'm always in awe at the pictures, but can't help but think about how many precious resources it wastes ... sorry, I'll stop here before I become being boring.

Karen M. Peterson said...

That's a great theme. If anyone can do it, it's you!

Anonymous said...

We don't sleep in April!

Cathrina Constantine said...

Classic Cults!!! Good One! My husband will love those! Now off to Curiosity Quills.

S. L. Hennessy said...

This may be my favorite theme you've come up with yet. I have a few cult favorites of my own I'm wondering if might make an appearance!

Tara Tyler said...

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

cult culture, eh? of course and the best, and will bring back memories, i'm sure!

and love your clever teasing leading up to your release!

stephen Hayes said...

You manage to keep a lot of plates spinning at one time. Very impressive.

Anonymous said...

Wow, you have a busy schedule! Congrats on the book release. That's fantastic news. And I love your theme. Cult classics: ya can't go wrong with that one! Looking forward to checking out your daily A-Z posts. Sounds like great fun!
Michele at Angels Bark

Liz A. said...

So, May 1st, you'll disappear in a heap of exhaustion?

New capital city. That didn't go so good for Brazil, did it? (It was Brazil that tried it, I think.)

And if you're still looking to feature something for Z, let me know...

betty said...

Interesting theme!! How will you get everything done in April? Good that you have the A/Z posts done, but still seems like lots on your plate in the month ahead :) Enjoy it all!

betty

Cynthia said...

I visited the recent A to Z blog post, and it inspired me to make an effort to visit the A to Z blogs in April, even if I can't do A to Z this year.

Congratulations to Mark!

ilima said...

Cult classic science fiction books? That should be interesting. Great theme!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I love your A-Z theme!! brilliant!!!!!!!!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Cult classics are fun! I'm often interested in what makes them popular after the fact, and why they didn't work in the first place.

Unknown said...

Tuesday March 24th, 2015

Dear Alex,

Cool idea, Classics. Can't wait.

By the way, Alex. Please don't remove my name from the IWSG-list for not posting for March. I will post my March post (which I actually wrote in January) and will put a link on my April-IWSG-post (if we are having IWSG for April).

I am drowning in things to do and write for the university. I've decided to add history as one of my teaching subjects.
Against my better judgement, I have decided to do the A to Z anyway, but in very, very short posts.

Take care!
Anna

Sean McLachlan said...

A to Z is coming up already? Sadly I won't be doing it this year. I'm on a research trip to England, then Eastercon, plus heaps of nonfiction deadlines. I'll be reading though!

Misha Gerrick said...

The new capital looks cool, but it all feels very Keynesian to me. (Government boosting spending by A LOT in an attempt to stimulate the economy. Hardly ever works out that way, though.)

Nick Wilford said...

If anyone can survive that schedule in April, you can. Go Alex!

I won a copy of The Great Time Lock Disaster, so I'm happy.

Great promotion for the A-Z on your guest posts.

And if the Egyptians pulled off the engineering feat of the pyramids with the technology available then, I'm sure they can build this city!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, skip replying on your own blog then. Next month, it will be too much.

Heather, another four-five hours per post theme. And thanks!

EE, you're probably right.

Lauren, we'll find out!

Stephen, I know how to juggle.

Liz, yes!! And I have Z covered, believe it or not.

Betty, I will be very busy...

Lynda, thanks!

Shannon, because some of them are just plain awful.

Anna, we are posting for April and I won't remove you!

Anonymous said...

That city sounds expensive. It'll be interesting to see what happens with that project.

Awesome book news.

I can't wait to read your A to Z posts.

Unknown said...

I bet you will be drinking lots of energy drinks next month, you will have to to keep up the pace you have decided to undertake. lol.

Congrats to all those with new releases!

Yvonne Ventresca said...

Wow! It sounds like a busy month for you. I like the theme of cult classics. My theme is productivity tips and techniques, especially for creative people.

Yvonne

Haneen Ibrahim said...

let me say your theme is so you :D I'll sure be checking on your blog in April, it sounds like you're going to do me a free research for my books heheheh

Tonja said...

What kind of vitamin supplement are you taking to keep you going at this pace all these years without any pause at all? WHAT IS IT? I need it....

To build a city from scratch would be amazing. I think they should design it in Minecraft and make it all squarish. Even the statues. And the pigs. No?

Bob/Sally said...

No surprise that Dream Theater came out on top - that's hardly a fair competition. :)

Great theme with Cult Classics. Gives you a lot of flexibility, and I'm really curious to see what you come up with.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'll be looking forward to your cult classic posts, Alex. I'm especially on the lookout for movies I can stream through Netflix. I'm operating as a bystander to the A to Z this year so hope to get to a lot more blogs and leave a lot more comments than usual.

Vanessa Morgan said...

A book release + an A to Z challenge in the same month? That's going to be a lot of stress :)

Jeff Chapman said...

Looking forward to your A to Z posts. I'm participating in A to Z with the UR team.

Emily R. King said...

Your theme sounds fun, Alex! And I have no clue what Kargrandes are. Maybe something to do with car bombs?

Huge congrats to Mark!

Dean K Miller said...

Your ambition and drive can only be admired, Alex. thanks for all the info and work you do. Cool the Thunderclap is a go!

Dean K Miller said...

Your ambition and drive can only be admired, Alex. thanks for all the info and work you do. Cool the Thunderclap is a go!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

If I can do one quarter of what you do next month, I'll be happy. You're amazing.

Michelle Wallace said...

What an industrious theme, Alex!
Sounds like lots of work...
But I know you'll ROCK it!
I'm glad to hear that Thunderclap is a go!
Congrats to Mark!

I'm off to tweet and to visit the A to Z blog, as well as Curiosity Quills----------------- *whooshes away*----------

Maurice Mitchell said...

A great theme and Alex and congrats on the Thunderclap campaign! There were some great cars in the 70s and they just don't do it like that anymore. My fav is still the Delorean.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Carolyn, tons of energy drinks!!

Haneen, thanks!

Tonja, that made me laugh! And my secret? Besides clones? I eat healthy, I exercise, and I don't have kids.

Bob, it was fun putting it together, although science fiction books were tough to find.

Patricia, I've got your NetFlix fix covered.

Vanessa, that's an understatement.

Joylene, if I can do half, I'll be stunned.

Maurice, imortalized forever in Back to the Future...

Susan Kane said...

I would imagine Egypt needs a new capital.
Looking forward to your theme. Say SyFy, and you have me.

LuAnn @ BackPorchervations said...

Excellent theme, Alex! I sense that I will be trying to guess what your daily topic will be. :O)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

You have quite the challenge to the challenge, but I have no doubt you'll rock it.

Hmm, a city from scratch. I suppose they managed the pyramids...why not this?

Lisa said...

Wonder how they plan to power that new city? Interesting idea, but strange place to put it, especially with all the problems the area is having right now. Loved the post on Dark Roast about the cars! I'd love to have one of the Citroens! Love your theme and looking forward to it!

Chemist Ken said...

I'm glad you hit your quota on Thunderclap. Good luck with the A to Z challenge. I just couldn't write enough to put out 26 posts in a row!

Julie Dao said...

Okay, that city in Egypt is a CRAZY idea. It'll be interesting to see if it actually comes to fruition! I wonder whose great idea (and wallet) that was?

Tonja Drecker said...

Wow, all the things you have planned made my head spin. Here's wishing you tons of ninja endurance! And yay to Mark, and everyone else with releases!

Hart Johnson said...

Cult Classics! I love it! And April 7 is perfect--I can post a short review on D (the 4th!)--And got your answers for Q, too!

Leovi said...

We will be happy to hear your cult movies!

Sandra Cox said...

Just hopped over to A-Z. Great post.

Toi Thomas said...

Whoa Alex, so much going on here and next month looks crazy, but if anyone can do it, you can. I'm so excited.

Loved your tips for making friends and am glad to hear the thunderclap is a go.

It has taken everything within me not to share my Mini-Alex yet. So ready for the scavenger hunt.

Rachel Schieffelbein said...

I hadn't heard Mark's news yet!! That's awesome!

DL Hammons said...

Us old guys LOVE reading about the classics!! :)

Denise Covey said...

No surprises with your theme Alex. Cool. Congrats to Mark Koopmans on his contract. How exciting! Lots of other great blogger books out. So much energy!

Kirsten said...

Oh My Gosh, are you ever going to be busy, Alex! Sounds like an exciting month coming up for sure.
That's awesome that Mark K's book is heading for publication. It's a great story. :)
Will visit A to Z now! (Going to pick up my A to Z supporter badge too. :) )

Patsy said...

There are loads of interesting sounding challenge posts. My own personal challenge will be to try to visit as many as possible.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, good point.

Julie, I imagine the wallet part will come from the people.

Hart, awesome!!!

Thanks, Sandra.

Toi, keep Mini-Alex under wraps!

TBM said...

I love your theme and looking forward to finding some gems. And geez, Alex, do you ever sleep? So much going on.

Charles Gramlich said...

Concept motorcycles. That's what I want to see. I can't wait for my first hoverbike.

Stephanie Bird said...

Awesome theme. I'm looking forward to your A to Z cult classic posts. Thanks for the reminder about IWSG as well.

Loni Townsend said...

You've got a great theme for A to Z. I totally flailed around, so I have no particular theme for April.

So exciting! Your book is almost released!

Bevimus said...

As always, I am awed by your ability to keep all this up- updating the Ninja News Scroll everyday seems a daunting endeavor in itself, doing all that movie/album/blogger buddy matching up on top just seems insane. Godspeed to you, indelible leader!

Sherry Ellis said...

There's a Goat on My Boat looks cute. I'll hop over and visit you on the other blog.

Liz Blocker said...

Congrats to everyone!! I love the science (non)fiction news. So cool. And psyched to see what you come up with for the A-Z Challenge!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

TBM, I do like my sleep now!

Beverly, it just might be insane...

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Love, love, love your theme. Can't wait to read your posts.

M Pax said...

Great theme. Have a fun time. I'll be trying to finish my book.

Anonymous said...

That's a great theme. I'll be stopping by as much as I can to see what you've posted.

Melissa said...

I don't know how you do it.

Congrats, Mark!

Leovi said...

Impressive project The Capital: Egypt Plans From-Scratch Largest City in History !!

SpacerGuy said...

Pretty radical Egypt building a new capital. So looking forward to making new friends. My AtoZ theme? Cool Sci-fi stuff.

Lydia Kang said...

As always, so many great things going on here on your blog! :)

Sandra Cox said...

Interesting about Egypt's from scratch city. I hadn't heard about that.

Mason T. Matchak said...

The Egypt city project sounds fascinating. Though considering the sci-fi-esque concept art, I can't help wondering if it'll turn out to be the utopia it's presenting, or fall into dystopia shortly after it's finished. Because no, no major project has ever had that happen... >_<

Best of luck with the A to Z Challenge - considering how busy you always seem to be, I think it's insane that you're doing this too, but hopefully it works out well. ^_^

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ann! Good to hear from you.

Spacerguy, but of course!

Mason, no, that never happens. And hoping it all comes together.

Sandra Cox said...

Congrats on the double releases, Pat.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the news about Egypt!! I think it's a modern pyramid idea -- if your populace is buckling under high unemployment, a huge construction project can put them to work and put food on their tables. Luckily, Egypt has really rich "friends" to come up with the money - as long as they use their armed forces to protect said friends from encroaching armies. Gotta say, Al-Sisi is a very smart and pragmatic man.

Congrats to Mark on his book deal, and congrats to Pat and Brinda on their new releases!

I love cult movies - great theme, Alex!

A Daft Scots Lass said...

I just popped in to say Hello...

River Fairchild said...

Hi Alex! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi. My blog isn't doing the AtoZ this year but I am doing a few letters on Untethered Realms blog for the event. Your friend Jezebel is even doing "R" day!

Morgan said...

Yussssss to Koopmans' book deal!!!!!

So very, very HAPPY for him. Incredible story.

And Alex. Sigh. I need to start blogging more than once a month. I miss out on too much. Though I suppose as long as I don't miss out on any mini Alex posts that's what matters… ;-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lexa, since you are there, keep us posted on the progress.

Hey, Lass!

River, I will be sure to catch her post then.

Morgan, then don't miss April 7...

Catherine Stine said...

Building a city from scratch could be very cool. Dubai has some of that quality. And as far as concept cars, I love going to auto shows. One of my fave concept cars was a Nissan car a few years back that looked like a combo of a spaceship and an old VW bus. I guess it was way too weird, because they never made that car for reals.

Sharon Himsl said...

That will be an interesting (a-z) list to read. Congrats on your upcoming book release too. I don't know how you keep up!

Intangible Hearts said...

Here from how to make friends and I agree with so many things you wrote. I love commenting but too many people just stop by and forget to comment. Too bad. I need all the friends I can get!

Pat Tillett said...

It makes me tired, just reading all the things you do. I wish I had some of your energy Alex.

The blurb about Egypt building a new capital city has got me reeling. Like how, when, where, and most importantly, WHY? I'm off to check it out...

Unknown said...

This is going to make me sound so ignorant, but Egypt built a new capital? Need to go look that up now :P

msmariah said...

Alex! I hope you're well. I'm taking a slight hiatus from the blogosphere...just for a little while. Let's just say I'm really looking fwd to summer time!

Good luck with your book launch and the blog tour!

Anonymous said...

All kinds of good stuff, Alex. I'm a fan of many cult classics, so I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Good luck with the big release next month!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Catherine, that's an odd combination.

Sharon, some days I don't know either.

MsMariah, thanks!

Blue Grumpster said...

From-Scratch still beats Rebooted... Ever seen the Supertrees in Singapore? Click HERE. I need to get my nephew that Goat In My Boat.

Hope you're doing fine. What do you think of my new movie poster? CLICK and scroll down. Yep, a movie based on your books sounds like a plan to me, Alex.

Sandra Cox said...

Scavenger Hunt sounds fun.
Hope you had a good weekend.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Mark, Pat and Brinda on their books! Way to go and best wishes for every success! Sounds like quite the theme this year, Alex. Wishing you every success too!

Carrie Butler said...

I actually mentioned the Challenge in the (upcoming) online publishing course I'm teaching. :D

Mina Burrows said...

I can't wait for that theme! It will be AWESOME!!