WISE/WEIRD - A to Z Challenge

It’s the third A to Z Challenge! Blog the letters of the alphabet in order every day except Sundays The participation list is HERE – start with the blog after yours and visit at least five blogs a day. Mostly, make new friends and have fun!

My theme – I have selected a word for each day and will present to you blogger buddies who fit that description, along with movies, music, etc. My theme is to give back, highlight some awesome bloggers, and have fun in the process.

And my apologies for missing so many posts yesterday! We had meetings at work in the morning and a project I HAD to complete, so I didn’t make it to many of you. Forgive the Ninja? 

WISE/WEIRD

Clarissa Draper
Sometimes the best thing in the world is a broad and gentle wisdom. Clarissa possesses that and then some. She is sharp when it comes to all things concerning writing and is an expert editor. But you soon realize her wise thought extend far beyond the written word. I can easily picture Clarissa as the wise woman of the tribe, with everyone gathered around, waiting anxiously for her next words. Yes, I’m sure I just made Clarissa laugh with that sentence! But she really is one of the wisest people I know.

Jesse at Not Worth Mentioning
Since Clarissa is wise, then you probably assume Jesse gets the weird honors. The dude gets both! Yes, his posts are out there, on the fringe and poised ready to go over the edge. Nothing is sacred to Jesse. But the man is a genius. He knows how to push his topics to that line without shoving them so far that his followers abandon him like rats from a sinking ship. And that’s not an easy feat! Jesse my weird and wise friend, I salute you!

Tetsuo the Iron Man
If you think Lynch’s Eraserhead is the weirdest movie in the world, then you haven’t seen Tetsuo. You’ll watch with equal amounts of shock, revulsion, discomfort, and downright unease. Nothing about this movie will make you feel normal or good. And when it’s done, you’ll still have no idea what on earth you just witnessed. You have been warned…

NINJA NEWS!

Tracy Jo recounts her triumph over Dystonia in a post that is a testimony to the power of a great attitude!

MoonWynd is one of my new followers and she’ really struggling to connect with others in the Challenge. So if you could visit her site, I would greatly appreciate it .

NINJA CONTEST!

To celebrate 1500 followers, I’m holding a giveaway – a copy of CassaStar and CassaFire! The books will be donated to the winner’s choice of public or high school library, along with a selection of bookmarks. (The winner also gets bookmarks.)

How to enter: (and must be a follower)

Comment on my posts (just once each) U-X (Tuesday through Friday) – one point

Ten extra points for the first comment (please don’t melt my blog)

Ten extra points if you blog about this contest (leave a link so I know)

Winner will be announced Monday during the Z post!

Following Clarissa and Jesse? Ever seen Tetsuo? (If not, do you dare?) Still trying to be the first to comment? Forgive the Ninja for not commenting yesterday? And name you favorite wise or weird person or thing.

Making Great Connections

I am a guest today over at Lisa’s Flash Fiction. Well, not really me – Byron is the guest. He’s the one being interviewed. So please stop by for his sometimes serious, sometimes snarky answers.

Since I ended my followers series with connections, today I thought I’d give you examples of making good ones. (Because Friday is the big kick-off tour announcement and it’s really damn cool!)

Making great connections…

Through good humor

Being a comedian online shouldn’t mean being rude or offensive. One can be funny with style and manners. No one does this better than Jesse. (Copyboy) Nothing is really sacred on his blog, but his posts are always tongue in cheek – and his comments are positive and supportive. Jesse is an awesome blogger buddy and he searches the Web for those unique items so we don’t have to!

Through effort

Sometimes we don’t relate to someone right away. I read Roland Yeomans' posts often but rarely left comments. His posts were deep, and often I wouldn’t grasp the full meaning in one read. I realized that if I was ever going to make a friend, I had to put forth extra effort – even if it meant reading his posts twenty times! Considering the wisdom I gather every time I visit, I’m now proud to call Roland a friend.

Through time and consistency

I’ve been friends with Arlee Bird Arlee Bird longer than anyone. Through two (soon to be three) A to Z Challenges, numerous blogfests, and many features, he’s been a steady and consistent buddy. We’ve maintained contact through blogging and emails, and I’d trust him with anything. No matter what happens, I know Lee always has my back!

Through love

That’s right – love! And I can think of no better example than Yvonne Lewis. I met her during the first Challenge and she possesses such motherly love. Providing a blurb for her latest book meant the world to me. Yvonne’s beautiful words would be missed; hope she never gives up. She will always be my online ‘mom.’

Through mutual interests and admiration

It’s not difficult to find others who share our interests, but add mutual admiration and it’s awesome. Not everyone relates to my tastes in movies, music, and genre, but Rusty Webb understands. He’s also a sheer genius when it comes to writing a compelling story. (Something he tells me as well but I don’t believe him!) The man with a wicked sense of humor still owes me a beer and I intend to collect one day.

And so many other ways to connect! I have movie buddies like George and Melissa; science fiction writing buddies Jeffrey and M. Pax; joking buddies Robyn and Gail; happy buddies Talli and Nancy; and my greatest supporters Chuck and Edi. I hate to leave anyone out, but my list of special friends is long. Let me just say I thank God for each and every one of you!

How meaningful are your connections? Who encourages you? Who do you admire, respect, and trust? Who has YOUR back?


Don’t forget to visit Flash Fiction! Byron is waiting…

You Can't Reach 1000 Followers by Being a Jerk

Happy New Year and I have a special feature today!

I know The Social Network told us we can't reach a million friends without making a few enemies. While that may be true, in the blogging world, you won't reach thousand followers by being a jerk.

All right, what do you need to be then?

You need to be an encourager. You need to congratulate those who are succeeding and support those who are struggling.

You need to give back to the community. You cannot take without giving.

You must be positive. No one wants to be around someone who is negative.

You must be consistent. You cannot be sweet and endearing in one forum while being rude elsewhere. When things don't go your way, you must maintain an even temperament.

You must be genuine. Your reasons for blogging cannot be self-serving. You are here because you genuinely want to connect with others. You are not here just to promote your product, book, site, or service.

You respect others and do not steal their joy. You don't bash another’s work, beliefs, or efforts.

You are humble. You realize you did not get here by yourself, but through the support and belief of others, and by grace.

You speak ill of no one. You understand karma and good will towards men.

You have earned the admiration of many. You understand that with much power comes much responsibility. And you are mature and wise enough to act appropriately.

And why am I telling you all of this? Because four of my blogging buddies are about to hit that milestone, and each more than qualifies:

Matthew at the QQQE
Matthew is the epitome of giving back. His site is dedicated to helping others improve their query letters. Matthew also participates in and creates blogfests designed to help others. Even on his down days, Matthew is still uplifting and genuine. He sees the bigger picture, which includes his impact on the future of many writers. Matthew does not take his responsibility lightly he is a true friend to many.

Copyboy at Not Worth Mentioning
His real name is Jesse, and his site is not for the faint of heart. There is some crude humor and no sacred cows. Or urinals. Or bizarre Amazon products. However, his comments are always positive, genuine, and thoughtful. Jesse really does care about his fellow bloggers, and it shows. He even designed a site called Bloggerdise that links products, authors, and bloggers together. Don't let his edgy humor fool you – Jesse has a heart of gold.

Nicole at Where Fantasy and Love Takes Flight
This fantasy author is about his down to earth as you can get. She has the wisdom of maturity with the sweetness of innocence wrapped in one package. Nicole is always sharing and giving to others. Right now she even has a Christmas Critique Giveaway, something she generously offers every year. Everything about her reflects peace, stability, and a place of refuge.

Roland at Writing in the Crosshairs
Roland is a writer who resides on a level far deeper than most of us will ever reach. He could easily be one of those authors who is haughty and aloof. Instead, every post is a gift of inspiration. He strives to give what he has learned to others. He is currently giving away all profit from the sale of his books to the Salvation Army, an organization that helped him when he was a child. Roland possesses a truly giving spirit.

These four friends of mine are amazing. They are all so close to a thousand followers, they can taste it. If you do not follow these bloggers, I’d highly recommend you get to know them. You just might learn some things about being a genuine person.

Do you follow these bloggers? Do you know anyone else who fits this description? Who? Tell the world – and be sure to tell them.

(And remember Wednesday is the Insecure Writer’s Support Group posting and the announcement of my giveaway winner.)

A to Z Challenge - N (and cool geekness!)

For the A to Z Challenge, I am featuring some awesome bloggers. These individuals have offered so much support of my book, CassaStar, and me on my blogger journey. Of course, I’ll be keeping up with the world of movies, music, and pop culture stuff as well! Ninjas are just talented that way...


Nerdville Rhapsody
Kelly is an agented fantasy writer and calls herself a certified nerd. (Nothing wrong with that!) She also digs science fiction, movies, and covers a wide variety of topics on her blog. Kelly’s a cool nerd in my book!

Not Worth Mentioning
He goes by the name of Copyboy, and his blog isn’t for the faint of heart. He touches on pop culture, the unusual and gross, and anything else that catches his eye. Copyboy is willing to sacrifice his dignity for a laugh. Just don’t tell his wife…

And Nicole Zoltack had a new book release this week! Go tell her congratulations.


Now for a little science fiction geek news. Caught this last week and it’s just too cool!

Artist John Martz created a poster – Trexels – that features 235 Star Trek characters in pixelated form:


You can view the high-resolution image on his site HERE

Can you name all of the characters from the numerous Star Trek series and movies? I named most of them…

One More Day!!!!!

TWO awesome stops today!!

Two unique interviews – one at SFF Hub and the other at Scribbler to Scribe. Both of these awesome bloggers reviewed my book, too.

Hope you didn’t miss the review yesterday at Edi’s Book Lighthouse. His site is really cool!

And don’t forget to enter my CONTEST for a chance to win a copy of CassaStar.

However, this is more urgent - prayers for Amity as she is now facing super typhoon Megi!

Vicki gave me the Strangely Irresistible Award. Somehow, with the word strange in the title, I just knew it would end up here eventually. Thanks, Vicki!

Passing along the strangeness to…

Copyboy at Not Worth Mentioning
Powdered Toast Man at Just the Cheese
TS Hendrik at The Non Review

I’m going to be up early tomorrow!! Wonder if I'll even sleep...