Pat and the Cat - Festivals for All! Plus Trivia, Ninja News, and National Wormhole Week - Wormfest!

Today I have for you a special treat
A funky rhyme that can’t be beat.
Because today Pat and his cat
Are here to amuse at my mat!

Please welcome Pat Hatt of It’s Rhyme Time, who will show you a proper rhyme.

Festival Time In Rhyme!

So since the cat is all done the A to Z he figured he'd fill some time with a guest post for the ninja wannabe. But what could he do? Why give festivals to visit for all of you.

Frozen Dead Guy Days.
Catch some sunny rays,
In dead guy land.
Wouldn't that be grand?

Tomato Fight Festival should be on your list.
Then just make sure you are good and pissed.
Take a tomato and whack one in the head.
They could join the above if they turn out good and dead.

Monkey Buffet Festival sounds yummy.
Don't you want monkeys in your tummy?
Could get a neat disease,
Or maybe just fleas.

This one I'd avoid,
Of them the cat is paranoid.
Although Crying Baby Festival may be for you,
Especially if you have one or two.

And if that isn't your cup of tea,
You can grab your baby and flee.
Going to the Baby Jumping Festival around the corner.
Just don't step on little Jack Horner.

I bet some could pass this test.
They have such zest.
They would prove they are the best,
By winning the National Hollerin Contest.

Don't come near my OCD, bud.
I do not want any mud.
But Boryeong Mud Festival could be fun,
If you like that type of thing under your sun.

This one will be all the craze.
You will get there and gaze,
Maybe even graze.
Soaking up Mike The Headless Chicken Days.

I'll skip the Festival of Near Death Experiences this year.
Although I have been there I fear,
The dress code is rather strict.
Bring your own coffin the rules depict.

Ewww ewww ewww.
But that is all the more for you, 
As you go to the Testicle Festival event,
Joining 10,000 people eating 4,000 pounds of bull testicles under a tent.

See, there are lots of other fun things to do, and surprisingly, none of these were made up at my zoo. So if you ever need a good festival at your sea, you can now find one thanks to me. On most though I would pass, especially the last one, as it scares my little rhyming ass.

Enjoy your winter, smash a printer.

Pat is the author of over twenty books and his latest is Fight for the Light, available on Amazon.

He also had a little fun with his IWSG post last week!

(Sorry, it’s not real!)

Trivia Time!

And in honor of Pat and his cat, today’s trivia is all about cats.

1 – How fast can a housecat run?

2 – True or false – cats can drink seawater.

3 – What’s the technical term for a hairball?

4 – How many different sounds do cats make?

5 – Which pet is more popular in North America – the dog or the cat?

Answers on Wednesday!

Ninja News

Thanks everyone for another amazing Insecure Writer’s Support Group post day. I wish I could visit every person on the list, but I do give it my best effort to reach as many as possible.

Bish Denham released her first book last week, Anansi and Company. Congratulations, Bish!!

Cate Masters’ latest is out now, A Wedding at the Blue Moon Café. Congratulations, Cate!

Angela Orlowski-Peart revealed the cover for her next book, Almost Broken Up. Looks great, Angela!

Chasing Anya by JL Campbell

Available today!

Been there. Done that.

Feisty and independent, Anya Davies lives by her own rules. The one thing she’s hell-bent on avoiding is a conventional relationship.

Enter Christophe Mondesir…

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material. Find her: Website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Amazon.

Michael di Gesu is hosting the Coffee Hop this Friday!

Visit him for details and your chance to win Columbian coffee.

Wormfest! 

That’s right, it’s back – National Wormhole Week, March 10-16!

Hosted by Stephen Tremp, L. Diane Wolfe, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Kicking off Wormfest week will be the release of Stephen’s third book in the Chase Manhattan trilogy, Escalation.

2014 National Wormhole Week: Name one thing where science advances mankind, and one where technology will go too far and set us back. They can be the same thing or different.

Example:
De-extinction or bringing back extinction species through backbreeding, genetic engineering, and cloning.
With all the breakthrough discoveries mankind is on the cusp of, are we playing God?

Where do you see science moving us forward and where do you see it moving us back? Feel free to quote a movie. (Jurassic Park is a great example.)

Join us below for Wormfest!



Follower of Pat and his rhyming cat? Know any of the cat trivia? Excited about the new releases? And who’s up for Wormfest?

Mini-Alex on Vacation, Upcoming Events, Ninja News, and the Big News – CheersFest 2.0 Roastee!!!

Vacation and Mini Alex Photo

I’m back!!!

The wife and I had a great time seeing the sights and consuming food. (Don’t worry – we were go-go-go all week and I worked off all of my indulgences.) Actually had a couple chilly days – should’ve gone farther south!

Mini-Alex went along although he spent most of the time chilling in the hotel room. (Probably watched Sports Center and drank beer all day while we were gone.) He did slip out one day and posed by the river, but otherwise he preferred to stay indoors.

I missed everyone and tried to check in every day, although thirty minutes isn’t enough time to visit more than a few blogs and my email. However, I did work more on my outline and will pull back a day or two from blogging to start writing again.

Upcoming Events!

Tuesday, I am visiting Jessica Bell at the Alliterative Allomorph. I talk about the journey beyond your book’s release and how the stories in Indiestructible can help you down that path.

Wednesday I have the honor of participating in the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Chat on Twitter! These weekly chats with authors, publishers, editors and others discuss relevant topics for SFF writing. They are hosted by author-editor, SFWA affiliate member, and SF Signal contributor Bryan Thomas Schmidt and reposted at the SFFW Chat Website. The chat is one hour and begins at 9:00 pm EST. Follow along with hashtag #sffwrtcht and @sffwrtcht or @BryanThomasS.

Ninja News

I’m sorry I missed most of the Realms Faire last week, but it appeared to be another successful and fun time this year. (And I believe the winning knight will be announced today.) Congratulations Mary – you’ve started an incredible event that will only continue to grow.

Rachel Schieffelbein’s Run for the Roses comes out Tuesday. The tour kicks off this week, so visit her site for details. Congratulations, Rachel!

Angela Orlowski-Peart’s latest, Almost Matched, is out now! She’s offering a great giveaway including books from other authors, so see her site for more information. Congratulations, Angela!

Crystal Collier’s latest is out, Moonless. Her blog tour for this historical paranormal YA story goes through the end of the month, so check it out. Congratulations, Crystal!


Last week I left you with some deep questions. (Not really!) The one I need to clarify was my question about people who don’t return comments. What I mean were those who don’t visit your blog after you comment on theirs. Not just one random comment, because I know those are easy to miss, but those who don’t return multiple comments. (And these can be seasoned bloggers, not just newbies.)
Hope that makes the question clearer.
And it really only takes three licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop.

Friday was amazing – so many balloons were released in Andrew’s honor! Kyra made a video for Nick Wilford’s family and Andrew, and it’s very touching:

CheersFest 2.0

“Ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the one person who was always there for you during the past year. You’d thank them for being such a RockStar, right?”

So began the inaugural CheersFest (aka AlexFest) when our Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh, was roasted and toasted in December 2012.

Everyone, including A-Cav had such a great time that we’ve decided to do it again.

(Tears really big envelope with a flourish…)

“Ladies and gentlemen, the 2013 recipient of CheersFest is none other than Arlee “Lee” Bird.”

On his main blog, “Tossing It Out,” Lee describes himself, in part, “as a writer, speaker, entertainer, music lover, collector, husband, father, grandfather, friend, traveler, seeker of truth and wisdom.” He majored in English while at the University of Tennessee, has blogged since 2008, and currently has six blogs that delve into his diverse mind.

The original brains behind the annual A to Z Challenge, Lee can be counted on to pay it forward and is a well-respected member of the blogging community.

Hosted again by Mark Koopmans, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King, Stephen Tremp and The Ninja Captain himself, CheersFest 2.0 will go LIVE! Dec. 9, 2013.

In order to proper cheer (or roast) Lee:

Here are four questions for you to answer on CheersFest Day, but please keep the retorts short – (no longer than 20 words each):

·                     Why did Lee come up with the A-Z Challenge?

·                     If someone dreams about being a juggler, what does it mean?

·                     Is a post by Mr. Bird worth two in the bush?

·                     Who could play Lee in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

·                     Bird

·                     Juggler

·                     Challenge

·                     Brown Jacket

·                     Tossing

For Bonus Points:

·                     In +/- 40 words, can you come up with a caption for Lee’s Facebook picture? 

As usual, the Very Demanding Rules of CheersFest include:

·                     Join the Linky List *below*

·                     Have fun

·                     Post your 200 (total) word contribution ON Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.

·                     No, seriously. Have Fun!

Two winners – chosen by Lee – will each win a prize:

·                     An autographed color photo of Arlee Bird appearing as the Court Wizard in the World of Fantasy Players. Also included in the first prize pack are an assortment of promotional materials from Lee’s show biz days with a personal letter and a brief history of his entertainment career.

·                     A personalized graphics design from Jeremy at Being Retro for the winner’s blog. (Jeremy will design a header, badge, button, banner, or whatever might appeal to the winner.)

·                      

Excited to roast and toast our blogger buddy, Lee?

If so, the Linky is now open. Sign up and we’ll see you on Dec. 9^th

Did you miss me? Ready for a vacation? (I think I need another one.) Excited about the new books? Did you release a balloon for Andrew? Know why some people don’t comment? And are you ready to roast Lee this year for CheersFest? I’m ready to be on the other side of the roasting this year…

Don’t forget to visit Jessica Bell on Tuesday and follow the #sffwrtcht chat on Twitter Wednesday evening from 9-10:00 pm EST!

Music Influences, Book Trailers, Ninja News, Touche Cleveland Browns, and Wednesday Movie Quote

Ninja News

Special sale and giveaway through July 15!

The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson

All Tyler Karras wants is to enjoy life with his expectant bride. What he gets instead is a graveside seat at her funeral. With the woman who killed her uncharged and still free, all Ty wants now is revenge….

Purchase it for only 99 cents at Amazon or Barnes and Noble and enter the giveaway for an Amazon gift card at Nancy’s BLOG.

Best book I read last year!

Angela Orlowski-Peart’s latest book is out today - Forged by Legacy: Beginnings.

Congratulations, Angela!

Roland Yeomans also has a new book out – The Soul Flies Free.

Congratulations, Roland!

Be sure to check out all of his audio books as well.

Available now - The Prophecy by J.A. Joshi


In the land of Bharat, Mathura was an kingdom oppressed by the tyrant King Kansa. All the people cried out for deliverance, from the sages in the forests to the servants in the royal palace. Then a prophecy was made that a savior would be born, born to a couple no one expected...

If you’ve never read her stories, they are amazing!

Cover reveal – Kinetic by SK Anthony
NA Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 2013

Being strong is one thing. Being an unlimited source of power is quite another…

Add it to Goodreads.

And this is an awesome year for geek movie fans! Pacific Rim comes out this Friday. Del Toro, giant robots, and giant monsters. Reviews say the action scenes are incredible. Downside is cheesy dialogue, but as long as George Lucas didn’t write it, I’ll live. Bring on the battles!

Wednesday Movie Quote

Today it’s a free-for-all! Name one of your most favorite movie quotes.

Going with The Usual Suspects and one of the truest, most profound things I’ve ever heard:

“The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

And we are taking a break for a couple months! Thanks to everyone who has played along and left quotes in the comments.

Just for Laughs

True story! A lifelong fan of the Cleveland Browns made a final request in his obituary.

The man "respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time."

Touche!

Read about it at ESPN.

Early Musical Influences

Since there were questions Monday, I thought I’d share a little bit of the music side of me today.

Most people enjoy music and were influenced by what they heard as teens. My love of rock music started early with bands such as Rush, Kansas, Boston, Yes, Judas Priest, Triumph, ELO, Van Halen, and Blue Oyster Cult. Even back then I liked the progressive edge and my favorite songs from each of those bands were never the radio hits.

What were some of your favorite bands as a teen?

Book Trailer Overload

Just because I can post all three now! And maybe some of you haven’t seen the first two trailers.







See some new books to pick up? What's your favorite movie quote? Do you enjoy book trailers? Seeing Pacific Rim? And what are your early musical influences?

Ninja News, Recaptured Dreams, Touchy Question, Award, Guest Posts, and Music Trivia!

Ninja News!

The next installment of Andrew Leon’s book, Shadowspinner – Part Five: The Police Car, is free today on Amazon!

If you’re looking for an awesome t-shirt, Jeremy at Retro Zombie has a slew of great shirts available at the NeatoShop.

Angela Orlowski Peart’s new book, Forged by Greed, is now available! You can purchase the eBook on Amazon for the special price of $3.50 through Sunday morning and paperbacks will soon follow. Congratulations, Angela!

Steven Symes new children’s book, Gracie the Ghost Eater, is now available! Congratulations, Steven.

Special cover reveal from Atom Book Blog Tours:

Abandon by Elana Johnson

seduced by power,
broken by control,
and consumed by love...

Coming June 2013. Mark it to-read on Goodreads today!

And Mark Koopmans says save the date – November 19, 2012! See his blog for vague details.

Recaptured Dreams!

Now available – Recaptured Dreams by Justine Dell

Her favorite line from the book:
“Xavier had thought he was in paradise before. He’d been wrong. Sophia was more than paradise. She was the very reason he breathed.”

Find Recaptured Dreams on Amazon. Goodreads, and Facebook,

Find Justine on Facebook, her Blog, and Twitter. Contact Justine by email: dell.justine@gmail.com

Watch the book trailer on You Tube

Touchy Question

Word verification. I encounter it most often during blogfests and IWSG posts. Now, a couple of my blogger buddies have used it for years and I’m all right with that. But most blogs with word verification are newer blogs.

My question – since word verification is the default setting and most bloggers probably don’t even know they are using it, would it be wrong to let them know in the comments? Just a “Hey, did you know you have word verification on?” As a co-host, I did that a couple times during the A to Z Challenge, but I’ve been hesitant to do it since.

What do you guys think?

Award!

Livia gave me the Daisy Award – thank you!
I’m to list seven weird things about me:
1 – I don’t own a cell phone
2 – I’ve attended over a hundred rock concerts
3 – I want to replace my lawn with Astro Turf
4 – I can write with music blaring and the TV on
5 – I want rocket launchers mounted on the front of my car
6 – I own a Klingon Bat’leth
7 – I never intended to become an author

I’m passing this on to the delightful and quirky Robyn at Life by Chocolate!

The Reason for Guest Posts and Features

Most of you have read my guest post guidelines and know that they are reserved for my blogger buddies. (Most of whom are listed in my sidebar – I need to update it again soon.)

I do this to give back and show support for those of you who support me. There are millions of blogs online and you chose to come visit me. Thousands of authors and writers and you’ve chosen to feature my books. So many people willing to do guest posts and you invite me. That means a lot to me, which is why my blog is open to you. Anything I can do to give back and support my friends.

I do it because I believe in you. It’s not just your book or achievement –  
I believe in you.

Music Trivia!

Remakes – name the song:

1 – In 1995 Dream Theater remade this song by Elton John

2 – In 1998 Orgy remade this song by New Order

3 – 2002 by Shadows Fall, 2012 by Arjen Lucassen, and 2007 by Queesnryche saw the remake of this Pink Floyd song

4 – In 1999 Coal Chamber remade this song by Peter Gabriel

5 – In 1996 White Zombie remade this song by KC and the Sunshine Band (really!)

So many cool new books! Any going on your list? Would you let someone using word verification know? What’s your reason for letting others provide guest posts? And any idea on the music trivia? Go ahead and make a wild hairy guess – you might be right! And who else is seeing Dredd this weekend?

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…