Next Stop and Fuzzy Statistics

Day Two of my virtual tour and I'm visiting Sia McKye’s Thoughts Over Coffee. I talk about my goals with writing, venturing online, and how it's affected my world.

Don't forget about my CONTEST to win a free copy of CassaStar! And see my sidebar for another CassaStar giveaway.

I'd also like to share some odd and fuzzy blog statistics with you.

First up is the subject of blogfests. Participation in a blogfest usually increases visitors to your site. However, the size of the blogfest doesn't seem to affect the grand total.

There were 83 participants in the Top Ten TV Shows blogfest on September 20 and almost 200 participants in the Creating Compelling Characters blogfest on September 24. I commented on every blog for the first one and almost every blog for the second. The amount of comments on my blog? 115 for each one. Exactly. Not sure how that happened.

Second fuzzy statistic - word verification. Nine out of ten bloggers don't like it. (Based on comments I received on a post about this topic.) However, as I traveled through the blogging world and leave comments, I noticed something odd - five out of ten bloggers use word verification. Now that's some fuzzy math!

Any other fuzzy stats you'd like to share?

Blogfests, Stoked, and Double Vadar

Whew! What a week for blogfests. The Top 10 TV Shows was a big hit. Everyone enjoyed discovering new and old favorite shows. The Great Blogging Experiment with Elana Johnson and Jennifer Daiker at Unedited was even bigger! I’m still reading entries. Thanks to everyone who participated in those blogfests. Special mention – Michele at Southern City Mysteries hosted her Blog Birthday Fest on Friday. Sorry I didn’t get to participate, Michele, but I did read some of the entries. A really big thanks to all who answered my call for help on October 19 this week! The sheer number of bloggers who responded humbles me. You’ve done wonders to alleviate the anxiety of a new author – thanks! My publisher sent me a copy of the Library Journal page upon which my review appears this month: Yes, I’m stoked!!! Grinned for hours after I received it. And I’m a guy – I rarely smile! Next post will contain several movie reviews, including Legends of the Guardians and SHARKTOPUS!!! You didn’t forget to watch that train wreck of a movie last night, did you??? In the meantime, enjoy a rundown of characters who appeared at Dragon Con this year, courtesy of Chad Vadar!

It’s a Wrap! And a Call for Help…

First, a BIG thanks to all eighty-three Top 10 TV Shows blogfest participants! Many of us discovered shows we had in common and shows that were new to us. Some of the lists were so original, too! I was trying to monitor the most mentioned show and I finally concluded that Firefly was the winner. (Hear that FOX? Bring back Firefly!!!) Many of you received lots of comments and new followers, which is awesome. Overall, I had a blast! Hope everyone else did, too.

I moved the participant list to its own page - see tab above. All links go directly to the blogfest post and non-participants were removed. Some posted early Tuesday, so check for those you may have missed.

There’s also the Great Blogging Experiment this Friday! During our week of blogging tips, Elana, Jen, and I planned September 24 as day to blog about “Writing Compelling Characters.” (Okay, the ladies planned it - I just created the blogfest linky signup.) See Elana’s BLOG for details or sign up at the bottom of my blog.

And now my call for help…

A full blog tour is planned around my book release next month - see tab above for stops. I was honored with more offers than I could accommodate and I appreciate those friends so much! However, with the release date looming closer each day, I’ll admit it - apprehension is setting in.

Spurred by Talli’s 1000 Blogs quest on December 1, I am asking for help. It would be so awesome - and humbling - to see my book (or book trailer) appear on blogs across the web on October 19. I have this fear that date will come and go - and no one will know about CassaStar!

If any of you (besides those already hosting me on my tour) are willing to blog about my book on that date, please let me know! I can supply you with the cover, the synopsis, the html for the trailer, a bottle of wine - whatever you need. I’m not above begging, either! It’s not a pretty sight, but I’m willing to grovel…

Top 10 TV Shows Blogfest!

It’s today! Time to share YOUR ten favorite TV programs, old or new. Please visit others who have signed up for the blogfest today – I bet you find a TV treasure you’d long since forgotten about… And now, my Top 10 TV Shows (in no particular order) celebrating the endless hours I’ve spent in front of the idiot box and watching Hulu and NetFlix…

1. Firefly - A brilliant cast, crisp dialogue and great stories made this one of my favs. Fox royally screwed up when they didn't give this show a chance to establish an audience.

2. Stargate SG1/Stargate Atlantis - I am such an unabashed fanboy that I could spend paragraphs gushing over how much I love these two great series. (Don't get me started on the craptacular Stargate Universe. I’m not sure even McKay and Woosley’s guest appearances will save it.)

3. MASH - Simply put, the best sitcom ever. (Sorry Seinfeld.) Just as funny and biting today as it was 36 years ago.

4. Mystery Science Theater 3000 - If I were putting these in order this would be my number one show. If laughter is the best medicine than everyone should have at least two doses of this hilarious show every week.

5. All Star Treks (Original, Next Gen, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise) - I've seen every episode, multiple times and I look forward to many more repeat viewings.

6. The X-Files - "Spooky" Mulder and Dana Scully had me from the very first episode. Not even a questionable last season can erase my respect for this show.

7. CSI - The original is still the best (even without the great William Petersen). The formula definitely works and keeps me coming back every week.

8. The Wild, Wild West - When I was a kid, I wanted to be James West. I still want to be James West.

9. Eureka - This is such a fun and entertaining show that I just had to include it. Can I be James West and live in Eureka?

10. The Big Bang Theory - I thought the sitcom was just about dead when this hilarious show came out. Full of great geek references, this quickly became a fav of mine.

Bonus Show, because I can! 11. Burn Notice - His name is Michael Weston. he used to be a spy until...he got a burn notice. This fun show that takes you inside the world of covert ops and includes one of my all time favorites, Bruce Campbell. Big thanks to those who promoted this event and/or participated today – you guys rock!!!

You Have Been Warned! Er, Reminded!

The Top 10 TV Shows Blogfest is the 20th - THIS Monday!! If you've not signed up, now is the time to do so! (See Linky above - not that you could've missed it.) Take a break from writing and other things to spend a day reminiscing about your favorite TV shows, old and new. Doesn't have to be complicated or long. The Movie Dirty Dozen had sixty participants - I'm aiming for seventy now. Tell all your friends! And for my writer friends, Elana, Jen, and I have The Great Blogging Experiment blogfest this Friday and it's all about our characters. Sign up at Elana's site HERE! Come on couch potatoes and TV geeks - who's with me???

And I just realized CassaStar's release date is in one month - time to panic!!!