The 2014 A to Z Challenge!! Plus Jamie Ayres on Failure and Darth Vader, Truths and Lies, and the Ninja News

The A to Z Challenge list opens today! 

But first…

Jamie Ayres on Failures and Darth Vader.

We all have, “Luke, I am your father,” moments. But when we’re hit with bad stuff, remember something beautiful can come out of it. I don’t claim to be an expert on much (okay, I do, but pretty much all writers are pathological liars), but I know how to fail. In 1984, my cousin dared me to jump in our ruptured septic tank on the farm, and I did. Can you say gold star? That’s why Mama’s always said I’m full of crap. HA! I could’ve died! But instead of ending up on Jay Leno’s stupid headlines (“5-year-old Girl Willingly Jumps Into A Pile of Poop and Suffocates to Death”), I got to use it as a funny anecdote in 18 Things instead, the first installment of my trilogy. You’re probably wondering why I did such a thing in the first place?

Pride. Many times our failures are rooted in pride, just like mine, just like my heroine, and just like Anakin. Spoiler Alert! Anakin was manipulated his whole life by the emperor, but somehow, he redeemed himself in the end. George Lucas said, “Even when Anakin became Darth Vader, he was still the chosen one.”

I’ve good news for you! Everyone loves good news, right? If you don’t, then slap yourself. Or drink coffee and eat chocolate! Trust me, I’m a doctor (not really, but I thought I’d say that just once while I have a captive audience. Thanks, Alex!) Okay, ready now for the most super BIG TRUTH ever? Our destinies aren’t thwarted by failures. We’re not bound to our mistakes. I don’t know most of you, but I can tell you no matter what happens in your life, the universe isn’t done with you yet. We’re all created equal (unless you’re a Jedi, then you’re more equal than the rest of us), and we all have a destiny to fulfill. I can’t deny the ugly stuff in life made me the person I am today, set me on the path I was meant to take. The same goes for my heroine in 18 Truths. She has many “EPIC FAIL” moments in the second book. But hey, everybody has a little Darth Vader and Anakin in them . . . we just have to remember our failures still serve our purpose in life.

Do you agree the “tough stuff” produces something shiny in the end we can chase?

With the lessons the 18 Things life list taught her engraved on her heart, Olga embarks on a new adventure as a spirit guide, but nothing prepares her for the chilling truths she’s learning along the way.
Add 18 Truths at Goodreads and watch the trailer on YouTube

Jamie Ayres writes young adult love stories by night and teaches young adults as a middle school teacher by day. She lives in southwest Florida with her husband and two daughters. Her books include 18 Things and 18 Truths. Visit her website HERE

Can You Handle the Truth – The Answers

Today I reveal the truth for Jamie Ayres’s blogfest.

1 – I saw Rush five times on one tour alone. Yes, I am a die-hard fan! I’ve seen them multiple times on several tours, including five times in one tour. Total truth.
2 – I partied with the band Night Ranger at a bar. After going to see Y&T perform, we turned around to discover that Night Ranger was also there enjoying the show. So we hung with them for a while and I got Jack Blade’s autograph. Big surprise, but this one is true! (And even then I really didn’t drink much.)
3 – I got to jam with Rik Emmett of Triumph once. The lie – but a good friend of mine did jam with Emmett before a performance. (Lucky bastard.)

Only a handful of you guessed right! And I do believe it was Mark Koopmans who said “you soooo didn't do #2 and if you did... I will find and post a picture of me in a grass skirt.” Time to scare the masses, oh Baldinator!

Ninja News

David Powers King and Michael Jensen signed a deal with Scholastic for Woven! Congratulations, guys.

My dear friend Roland Yeomans is facing expensive surgery for cancerous growths. He is in need of prayer and support, now more than ever.

The Marine's Heiress by Susan Kelley
Sequel to the bestselling The Marine's Queen, a science fiction romance.

A Recon Marine set on vengeance finds duty, honor and love instead, but it may be too late to stop the explosion of violence he has set in motion.

Find the Marine’s Heiress at New Concepts Publishing

And the Epic 2000 Follower Giveaway is still going!
Less than thirty GFC followers to go and someone will win books, iTunes cards, and a t-shirt.
BIG thanks to those special friends who have spread the word for me.

The 2014 A to Z Challenge List is Open!

Please read and follow the sign-up instructions outlined below so you sign onto the list correctly!

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. You can use a theme for the month or go random – just as long as it matches the letter of the alphabet for the day.

We recommend short posts, turn off Word Verification, and visit five blogs (or more) a day beginning with the one after yours on the list.

To streamline legitimate blogs from advertisement blogs, the Co-Hosts will be visiting each blog on this list throughout the Challenge. Blogs on the list showing no activity once the Challenge starts will be removed.

There are categories for those looking for like-minded blogs. Select ONE category code and enter it after your blog’s title/name. The code applies to your blog, not your theme for the Challenge and is purely optional. However, if your blog has adult content, you MUST mark it (AC) or it will be removed from the list. Codes are as follows:

1. WRITING: (WR)
2. BOOKS: (BO)
3. FILM: (FM)
4. PHOTOGRAPHY: (PH)
5. GARDENING: (GR)
6. CRAFT: (CR)
7. ART: (AR)
8. MUSIC: (MU)
9. CULINARY: (CU)
10. LIFESTYLE: (LI )
11. FASHION: (FA)
12. PERSONAL: (PR)
13. SOCIAL MEDIA: (SO)
14. GAMING: (GA)
15. EDUCATION: (ED)
16. POLITICS: (PO)
17. HISTORY: (HI)
18. SCIENCE: (SC)
19. HUMOR: (HU)
20. TRAVEL: (TR)
21. MISCELLANEOUS: (MI)
22. ADULT CONTENT: (AC)

Be sure to grab the badge and display it in your sidebar so we know you are participating and link to the A to Z Challenge Blog.

For more information we recommend you follow the A to Z Challenge Blog and the hosts:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Author Stephen Tremp
Tina @ Life is Good
Damyanti @ Amlokiblogs
Jeremy @ Being Retro
Nicole Ayers - The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner
AJ @ Naturally Sweet
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian

We also have a Facebook Page
Email address is infoatoz2014@gmail.com
Twitter hashtag is #AtoZChallenge

I am also in need of five more Minions!!! If you are willing to be an A to Z Challenge Minion and can visit ten to twenty extra blogs a week, just let me know. Thanks to those who are already part of the Ninja Minion Army - Joy Campbell, Michelle Wallace, Susan Gourley/Kelley, S. L. Hennessy, and Rhonda Albom.


Sign up below and join us for a month of alphabet fun!

Do tough situations and failures result in good things for you? Were you surprised by my truths and lie? Did you enter the Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway? And who’s up to the 2014 A to Z Blog Challenge?!?!

Be sure to let me know if you want to be a Challenge Minion.

Sign up for the A to Z Challenge AFTER reading the instructions above!

Epic 2000 Follower Giveaway! Plus Genre News, 18 Truths, and Ninja News

Genre News

Blastr posted photos of a wall in London covered with Alien graffiti.

The cast of Godzilla recently talked about the film. It’s been confirmed that part of the 2014 Godzilla movie will take place in 1954, the same year the very first Godzilla movie was released. You can read more at KpopStarz.

And on JoBlo, they confirmed that Amazon Studios will be making a Barbarella television series.

18 Truths

In celebration of her upcoming release, 18 Truths, Jamie Ayres is hosting a special blogfest this week and it includes prizes:
Players tell two truths and one lie. The object of the game is to hop around the blogs and determine which statement that each blogger posted is the false one. Anyone who posts for the Can You Handle The TRUTH? blogfest between January 22nd-28th can enter to win a number of prizes donated by 18 terrific people.

My two truths and one lie:
1 – I saw Rush five times on one tour alone.
2 – I partied with the band Night Ranger at a bar.
3 – I got to jam with Rik Emmett of Triumph once.

Which is the truth and which is the lie? Answer on Monday.

Ninja News

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Online Marketing Symposium on Monday. There were some awesome ideas. All links lead directly to the symposium posts, so check them out. Special thanks to my fellow co-hosts, Arlee Bird, Yolanda Renee, and Jeremy Hawkins.

Juliana Haygert’s latest is out - Cup of Life. This novella takes place between book 2 and book 3 of The Everlast Trilogy. Congratulations, Juliana!

Cherie Reich revealed the cover for her upcoming novel, Reborn, Book One of The Fate Challenges.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.

Is that not a stunning cover? Congratulations, Cherie.






 

C. Lee McKenzie is participating in a contest and if she wins, she’ll sell one hundred copies of Alligators Overhead. She just needs a few more votes at Linked In

Tara at Feel of Something New just released a new book - Hands-on Therapy. Congratulations, Tara!

The Epic 2000 Followers Giveaway!! 

This blog is nearing 2000 GFC followers and to celebrate, I’m hosting a giveaway!

Here’s the rules: 

Must be a GFC follower. (If you’re following in another manner, time to click that GFC button!)
Open to everyone.
Open until the magic number 2000 is hit and holds for one day.

To enter:

Leave a comment. Current followers get five entries, followers after 1962 get ten entries, and follower number 2000 gets twenty entries. (One comment per person.)

Tweet about it – five entries.(@alexjcavanaugh)

Blog about it – ten entries. (Leave a link here. Bonus five entries for creativity!)

Prizes:

First place – Signed copy of one book, $10 iTunes card, and one book donated to the library (middle school, high school, public) of your choice.

Grand prize – Signed copy of all three books, $10 iTunes card, t-shirt of your choice from Neat-O-Rama, designed by Retro Jeremy Hawkins, and three books donated to the library of your choice.

There you have it! Bribing allowed – Hot Tamales always welcome.

Think the Graffiti is cool? Can you guess the lie? Learn a lot from the symposium? And are you feeling lucky…?