Achievements, News, and “Magic” with the FFW

(An 8.9 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan, causing a massive tsunami. Prayers for them.)

It’s been a busy week in the blogging world!

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry hit 300 followers this week. She’s an amazing poet and I’m thrilled 300 other people besides me think so as well.

Nebular at Cinemarvellous just celebrated his birthday! He runs an excellent movie review site (and does a far better job than me) so if you are a movie buff, you’d benefit from following Cinemarvellous.

Talli Roland’s new book came out in paperback this week! Go show her some love. And tell Talli she’s the cutest Canadian-Brit ever. (This has been verified.)

Don’t forget the A to Z Challenge! We’re over 400 participants and cruising toward 500. And Monday I have a treat – the A to Z master himself, Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out will be here to share how the Challenge began. (He’ll be hosting a gaming blogger that day – now that’s cool!) More Challenge tips to follow next week.

And Roland Yeomans of Writing in the Crosshairs has been touring this week for his new book, so hopefully you’ve caught some of the stops.

Today is another edition of Fantastic Friday Writers! I invite your to check out my Fantastic Friday Writers partners - Elizabeth Mueller, Anastasia V. Pergakis, J. D. Brown, and Deirdra Eden Coppel - for their take on this subject. I’m sure it’s better than mine!

Magic and Magic Rules

Nothing like asking the science fiction writer about magic! Here’s the short and sweet: The cool thing about magic is you can make up any rules. The sky’s the limit! But those rules must be consistent in your world’s setting.

If I were writing fantasy, these would be some of my rules:

Good and evil magic must be balanced

Objects can be imbued with magical powers but can’t be in of themselves magic.

Magic cannot be used to force people to do things against their will.

Magic is an innate ability to be trained - one can’t learn it just by studying magic

Real warlocks have three nipples. Just kidding! Wanted to see if you were still paying attention.

So, what are some of your magic rules?

Gotta run - I got a date at 5 o'clock with a new iPad 2!

From the Challenge Veterans

Today’s post is a little different – and really special.


I’d like to welcome two bloggers from last year’s A to Z Challenge, Patricia and Yvonne. I met both of these amazing ladies last year during the Challenge (see – you’ll make some great friends this way!) and they’d like to share their thoughts with you.

From Patricia Stoltey:

The 2010 A to Z Challenge was such fun that I hope to do it every year. In addition to the usual things we say about making new blogger friends and sticking to a schedule, I found the challenge helped me think and plan ahead. I worked to create and stick to a theme for my 26 posts, and I wrote most of the posts in advance instead of the last minute. So come on, April challenge. I'm ready.
- Patricia Stoltey

And from Yvonne:

THE A TO Z CHALLENGE 2010:

Last year I decided to take part

In the Blogfest called A to Z.

It was the brilliant brainwave of Arlee Bird,

And what a difference it's made to me.

You see I had been blogging for a few years,

And followers only a few.

When I had finished the Challenge

They had more than doubled, this I relate to you.

It was the best decision I had made

To get my poetry on a wider scale.

I've made some wonderful friends into the bargain

But that's another tale.

If you're still unsure whether to participate

Take a tip from me.

You'll be pleasantly surprised at the outcome,

This I can guarantee.

Yvonne Lewis

from

Welcome To My World Of Poetry

For those of you still on the fence. take the plunge! What have you got to lose? Nothing. But you’ve a wealth of friendship, experience, and knowledge to gain…

Oh, and there’s a rumor going around… I’ll address it on Wednesday.

Friends for the Journey

Last weekend, Michelle Gregory at Beautiful Chaos created a special badge for those who’s helped her on the journey. I was honored to receive the "Friends for the Journey" Blog Encouragement, and now it’s my turn to pass it along.

I’ve deliberated about this all week. Crap, who do I select? Even worse, who will I leave out? So many of you have encouraged me, sent emails, left comments, read and featured my book… I finally selected, but if you’re not one of the seven, please don’t feel left out. You’ve all helped me so much!

The Rules for Passing It On:
1. Pass it on to 7 other bloggers and tell how they've encouraged you.
2. Please let your recipients know that it started at Beautiful Chaos.
3. Leave a comment on this post when you've posted on your blog.

Kitty at Ten Lives and Second Chances
This woman never has a bad day – I don’t think it’s possible! She’s cheery and upbeat in her posts and comments. Kitty’s silly joy is infectious and her presence makes everyone’s day just a little brighter. You make me laugh, Kitty! And often when I need it the most.

Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out
Lee’s pushed me with blogfests and challenges. He’s pushed me with my writing. (Dude, CassaStar’s sequel takes place on a planet and there’s a RIVER – water issue solved!) Lee goes to great lengths for his blogging buddies and for the whole community, and I appreciate his efforts.

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry
We’ve faithfully visited each other’s blog since last year’s A to Z Challenge. Yvonne doesn’t listen to my type of music or watch my kind of movies and I have no idea how to write a poem. But our friendship is formed out of mutual respect and admiration, and Yvonne is the most devoted person I know. And the woman loves playground slides! How cool is that?

Edi at Edi’s Book Lighthouse
Edi was part of my blog tour last year with a review and feature. And he could’ve just left it at that. But he’s continued to support and encourage me, often inquiring of the sequel. Edi, I really, really appreciate that!

Jeffrey at World of the Scribe
He’s plugged my book, my trailer, my site – he’s the Dude! His commitment and enthusiasm keep me going and he always knows when a friend needs a boost. It will be an awesome honor when his first book comes out for me to return the favor!

Lynda at W.I.P. It and Fearfully and Wonderfully
Lynda is the type of person I’d call a quiet, stable presence. Both of her blogs are encouraging and her comments reflect that spirit. I always look forward to your positive words, Lynda!

Patrick Tillett Patrick is one of those individuals who doesn’t make a big splash and sometimes flies under the radar. But he’s consistent and steady, like a giant rock in a raging river. Dude, your support has not gone unnoticed and I appreciate it!

Who’s encouraged you on your journey?

And yes, the next gen iPad March 11 – I am so there!

How to Improve your A-Z Challenge (and Blogging) Experience

As we gear up for the A to Z Challenge in April, I and the other co-hosts are posting tips. Today I am tackling comment boxes and word verification, and how to speed up the process and encourage more comments. Remember, these are just suggestions. No one throw crap at Captain Ninja Alex! However, Hot Tamales are always welcome…

There are a dozen different ways to do the comment box, but here’s where it becomes challenging. Some blogger backgrounds load and scroll slow. Some blogs load slow due to graphics. (Yes, I am aware mine is one of them!) But what really cripples this process is an embedded comment box, because the page needs to reload again. (And if there’s word verification, three times!)

The solution? If you like your background or don’t want to remove all those images, change the comment box. Try using a pop-up box like mine or a separate page like Stephen’s.

Next is the issue of word verification.

If at all possible, drop it.

The solution? Blogger's spam filter works great. (I almost never receive spam comments.) If you’re still concerned, you adjust the settings to not allow anonymous comments like Hannah or require blog owner approval like Yvonne. You can also require blog owner approval on older post comments.

There are only so many hours in the day to visit blogs, and those two issues can really slow down the process. During the A to Z Challenge, time will be important as we try to visit as many blogs as possible. Make it easy for people to leave comments!

Any questions? Thoughts? Hot Tamales you’d care to throw?

Starting the New Year off with a Smile!

Happy New Year! Today, it’s all about the smiles…

Today is the Eye Candy Blogfest, hosted by Vicki at Rambles and Randomness “Post a favorite picture - something that makes you smile every time you see it.” Be sure to check out the others entries as well! I thought long and hard (and almost hurt myself) over which picture to select. Yes, my first thought was Kate Beckinsale. I won’t deny it. But ultimately, I selected an image that holds a special meaning for me. This is Frank Frazetta’s “Battlestar Galactica,” created for the original TV show:  Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars were big influences on my original idea for CassaStar. This painting sparked my imagination more than any other medium. I could see the Cassans and their ships, and the adventures of Byron and Bassa came to life. The desolate, rocky planet in the painting even became a scene in my story, and the only one to survive the rewrite. (I’m sure those who’ve read the book know the scene, as it was also the most difficult to write.) So when I look at this picture, I smile – the raw beginnings of CassaStar!

I also received the Making Smiles on Faces Award from L’Aussie. Thanks so much! Most of my blogging friends are good at making me smile! (Which made narrowing it down REALLY tough.) But I couldn’t list everyone, so I just selected a few special charmers: Abby at Above Water Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry Old Kitty at Ten Lives and Second Chances Jules at Trying to Get Over the Rainbow Thanks to everyone who voted for my trailer at Parajunkee. She’ll announce the winners soon! Meanwhile, the book trailer contest voting at Spunk On A Stick’s Tips starts today! Mine’s one of almost twenty trailers. If you think it’s the best, hop on over and vote! And a special thanks to Edi’s Book Lighthouse - he just posted the best books of 2010 and CassaStar was in the top three from small publishers. Thanks, Edi – that definitely makes me smile!

Blogfest, NaNo, Award, and Ask Me if I'm Naked...

I’ll get to that naked thing in a minute…

Jeffrey at World of the Scribe is hosting a Thanksgiving Blogfest on November 24! Visit his blog for details.

Still plugging away at NaNo – hit 26,637 last night. I’m on target, which means I’ll be one of those frantically trying to input my 50,000 words the evening of the 30th. But I’ve really hit my stride with this one and concocted some great twists.

Thanks to everyone who comes by here even when I slack on blogging! And big thanks to those of you who’ve purchased (or plan to purchase) my book. I really appreciate all the support. I don’t know about the other chains, but my publisher said Barnes and Noble is stocking CassaStar, which is cool!

Now about asking me if I’m naked…
Well, you can ask, but the answer is no!
However, I thought I’d give everyone a shot at a little Q&A with Alex. Whatever you want to ask about me, CassaStar, or my current project. (And if I get so much as one water question, I’m blaming you, Lee!) So go ahead! Make my day...
Just remember, I’ve already answered – I am NOT naked! Not right now, anyway. Later tonight, that’s a different story. (I’m married – it’s legal!)

And finally, Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me the Wholesome Blogger Award!

I’d like to pass it along to some wholesome bloggers who’ve continued to come by here even while I’ve lagged in my blogging and commenting due to NaNo:

Ellie Garratt She’s an awesome young lady and a fellow NaNo writer. She even had time for a blogfest this month!
Melissa at Through the Looking Glass Another awesome lady – and she’s hosting a Christmas holiday blogfest, so check it out.
Jai at Jai Joshi’s Tulsa Tree She’s a new blogger friend but never fails to comment and share. And Jai’s a really amazing writer!

There’s so many more of you, but I’m supposed to be writing!!

Remember, hit me with your best question - I can take it!

NaNo, Surprise Video, Movie Review, and Award

Two days of NaNo and I can already tell my hunt and peck style of typing is going to be a problem. (You think?!)

I hit 3179 words last night and sent out a couple Twitter messages regarding my progress. Each one begins as a Stardate log. Maybe when I’m finished I’ll post a few here. It’ll be like my account of Sharktopus. Maybe more painful…

This was a total shock! I found this through a Google Alert on Monday – Ali Cross did a video review of my book on YouTube! Complete with space battle sound effects. It’s really sweet and inspires me to make the next book even better.



Is she not cute? Go give her a hug for me! Oh wait, read the rest of this post first…

Movie Review - Harry Brown (From Netflix)

You may not be familiar with this small film but it packs a vicious punch.

When a crew of drug-dealing gang members takes the life of his only friend, Leonard (David Bradley), retired Marine and widower Harry Brown (Michael Caine) decides to take the law into his own hands -- but his old-school training might be overmatched. Helmed by first-time feature director Daniel Barber, this gritty vigilante thriller set in England.

Gritty is definitely the word that sums up this little gem. It plays out like the British version of Gran Torino, however Harry takes it to the next level. Slow and methodical but never dull, Harry Brown will stir your inner vigilante who, upon seeing numerous horrors, finally decides he's had enough. I found the film compelling and the work of Michael Caine to be understated and powerful. Check it out if you are comfortable with a film that turns very violent at times.

Colene at The Journey gave me the Irresistible Blog Award! Does this mean I’m charming? Or just my blog? Either way, thanks Colene!

Passing it on to:
Rayna at Coffee Rings Everywhere
Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry

Because I can’t go a day without visiting these two awesome bloggers!

Okay, back to writing…

NaNo, Giveaway, MIA, and Award

I’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo! I intend to use that time to complete the sequel to CassaStar. If anyone wants to be my ‘buddy,’ I am HERE



One of my virtual tour stops is giving away a copy of CassaStar! See Scribbler to Scribe for details. And Mesmerix created a really cool post for it, too. (Less than two weeks - I'm getting nervous!)

And one of you asked about a countdown widget!! It's in place now, but I don't remember who asked me. Sorry!

MIA!
Has anyone heard from Cassandra Jade? She’s not blogged in two weeks.
And, does anyone know what happened to Mr. Stupid? He’s not blogged in two months!!

And finally, Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me the “Go Away - I’m Writing” Award. (Please don’t go away though!!) Thanks, Yvonne!

I’m passing this on to three ladies who I know are either writing or revising right now:
Ali Cross
Karen Walker
Justine Dell

Anything I missed?

Blogging Idiosyncrasies III and Final Awards

Final round with the blogging junk, I promise! Comments from the first two posts spurred new ideas though.

Blog-whoring
Dezz at HOLLYWOOD SPY coined this term. It refers to those who leave quick, short, meaningless comments just to get you to comment on their blog. It also puts me in mind of those who follow you, and you to follow back. but then no matter how many times you comment on that person’s blog, he or she never comments back. I have several of those right now. Now I admit, I’m not overly interesting and not every post appeals to every person, but did you follow just to get me to follow you? Do you have followers like that? Or ones who leave short or odd comments?

Mechanics of comment box
Judging from last week’s comments, this is a sore spot for many. Is the comment box embedded or separate? There appears to be numerous ways to set up one’s comment box – separate small box (like mine), entirely new page, or the main page reloads. Sometimes the latter occurs, only you don’t realize it also has word verification – and when it refreshes the page, it returns to the top of the page. I wonder how many comments never go through because the commenter doesn’t realize he needs to do the word verification? What are your thoughts on the placement of the comment box?

Okay, I’m officially done with that mess!

On to the awards! Of which there are many…

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me the Creative Writing Award! Yvonne, I am truly honored. I shall pass this on to just one person:

Ted Cross - don’t you dare give up on The Shard, dude!



Powdered Toast Man at Just the Cheese gave me the Super Commenter Award! I pass this on to:

Rayna at Coffee Rings Everywhere





iZombie gave me the Zombie Rabbit Award! Okay, I have to pass this on to someone who will appreciate it…

Rogue at The Roads of Autumn Dusk

Jules at Trying to Get Over the Rainbow gave me the Circle of Friends Award. Thanks, Jules! And Kate at The Scribbling Sea Serpent gave me the One Lovely Blog Award. Thanks, Kate! I’ve received both of these before, so won’t pass them on again.

Everything but the kitchen sink...

Because I am not about to take out our kitchen sink! Home repairs are not my specialty.

But as I cruise the world of blogs, I’ve noted some really cool things happening as of late…

Rogue at The Roads of Autumn Dusk was recently listed on the Horror Blogger Alliance He has an awesome site, so check it out.

Nebular’s site CineMarvellous just celebrated one year AND won the Top Movie Review Blog 2010 award!! Go check it out HERE

Powdered Toast Man at Just the Cheese decided to take my Movie Dirty Dozen one step further and posted an Actress and an Actor Dirty Dozen. His actor list is close to mine, but I need to come up with my own actress post!

Geof at Enter the Man-Cave is posting his very first book review on Monday!! So please show him some manly support.

My review of Fever Dreams by Preston and Child appeared this month in Prinkipria. If you’ve not seen this online fantasy/science fiction magazine, you need to check it out!

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me a special Friday the 13th Award! Thanks again, Yvonne. For those who don’t know Yvonne, she posts poetry every single day, and while I am not a poetry person, there is something about the way she brings her words together that is really amazing.

I pass this special award to:
Clarissa at Listen to the voices – she posts the best writing tips ever!
Nicole at One Significant Moment at a Time – she’s really cool!
Carol at Under the Tiki Hut – her Friday’s Top Ten posts are great!

RaShelle at a No. 2 Pencil Stat!
gave me the Creative Writer award – thanks, RaShelle! I’ve received it previously, so won’t bore you with facts & fluff.

Other than that, still playing Starcraft II and working on a sequel to my book. I have special guest on Tuesday you won’t want to miss. And some movie reviews are coming, too!

And snark! It was suggested that Simon at Constant Revision should have a nickname, and I think Snarktopus fits him very well.

IPad Game Apps and Awards

The ability to play games on the iPad is one of the best features - of course! Games range in price from FREE to $9.99. I've found some of the best games are under $2, and those I'd purchased for my iTouch were free for the iPad. (Except in special cases.)

Peggle is a game anyone can play. The object is to eliminate the red dots, and it's set up almost like a pinball game. It's also very addictive! The best part - when you clear a screen, celebration music explodes, along with fireworks. Makes me smile every time.

Zombieville is simple - shoot zombies! Who doesn't love to do that? Your character has to run down the street, entering houses for $ and ammo, and shoot all the zombies. This is not for the faint at heart - when you shoot a zombie, his head explodes! (It's all done in cartoon fun, though.)
Don't you wish YOU were shooting zombies right now?

I've also received some awards this past week:

Yvonne at Welcome to my World of Poetry gave me The Circle of Friends Award. Thanks, Yvonne!

B. Miller at B. Miller Fiction gave me the Superior Scribbler award. Thanks, Miller!

I’m passing this along to Karen at Coming Down the Mountain

And Shannon at Faith, Hope, and Love created this special award, I Just Love Your Blog! Shannon, I really appreciate that!

I’m passing it along to 1 Wasabi Mommy, who has a great looking site! And likes to blog about food – makes me hungry.

Be sure to tune in Thursday when I post an interview with science fiction author, David J. Williams!