Z-End - A to Z Challenge

Last day of the A to Z Challenge!

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.

Z-END!

And today is for those that need to know it’s not the end, it’s the beginning!

Angela Brown
A single mom trying to fit writing into her busy day. Do not give up on that dream, Angela!

Katie at Creepy Query Girl
She’s had some setbacks and been at this query thing a long time. Katie, you are so close – don’t doubt who you are!

Liza at Middle Passages
She began her blog after suddenly finding herself unemployed. Liza, we’ve grown with you on this journey – keep moving forward!

Ted Cross 
An epic fantasy writer trying to find a fit. Ted, don’t give up on that book!

EPIC NINJA THANKS!

A big thanks to everyone who visited and commented during the Challenge! At over a hundred comments a day, I know I couldn’t keep up with all the new people. Thanks to those who visited the bloggers I highlighted – it was awesome to see those people with new followers from the Ninja Army.

Special thanks to the A to Z Team, starting with Arlee Bird. Lee, two years ago you invited your followers to join you on this wild ride, and a hundred of us fumbled our way through the letters. But that first Challenge changed my blog forever and I am in your debt!

It took one heck of a team to pull off the Challenge this year. Jeremy Hawkins created many of the badges and banners, and he jumped in several times to help with emails and such. Tina Downey managed the Challenge email and kept us straight with posts. Damyanti Biswas was our Twitter Master. And everyone else who helped with the project - Stephen Tremp, Jenny Pearson, Matthew McNish, DL Hammons, Shannon Lawrence, Konstanz Silverbow, Karen Gowen, and Elizabeth Mueller. You guys rock!

NINJA NEWS!

This Wednesday, May 2, is the next posting for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! I was able to clean up the list so we have a good core group of participants now. If you haven’t signed up, please join us!

Next Monday is the A to Z Challenge Reflection post. Let us know what you thought of the Challenge – the good, the bad, and the surprising.

The following Monday is my First Loves Blogfest!

And the winner of my Epic Ninja 1500 Followers Giveaway is...Arlee Bird!
Congratulations, Lee! Now is that not fitting?

Whew! We made it. Feeling sad that it’s over? Ready for a nap? Going to share your thoughts on the Challenge during the Reflections post? Ready for Wednesday’s IWSG post? (Hey, you get Tuesday off! You can do it.)

YOUTHFUL - 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.

YOUTHFUL

Nicki Elson
Nicki is an 80’s child. She revels in the music, the lifestyle, the fashion, the bad hair… (Maybe not the hair.) But with that mischievous smile of hers, you just know there is a youthful teenager inside, ready to break out in dance and song. Nicki always makes me feel young again. (And without having to go back and endure the horrors of school.)

Mary at Play off the Page
Mary’s youthfulness comes in a different way. She is spirited and determined. Her enthusiasm for plays, both attending and writing them, comes through loud and clear in her blog posts. And I think that is the secret to youth – enthusiasm. Mary, don’t ever lose yours!

Super 8
Coming out last summer, this movie focused on a group of pre-teens shooting a movie and a strange alien creature. My favorite film of 2011, this movie took me back to my own youth, as I was very close to the age of those kids in 1979. Evoking a style reminiscent of a young Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams perfectly captured the tone, look, and feel of the movies of my youth.

NINJA NEWS!

One of my best blogger buddies and a fellow Challenge Co-Host, Jeremy Hawkins of Retro Zombie’, had some exciting news – He’s officially been added to an independent record label called "Howlin' Wolf Records" to run their on-line magazine. Congratulations, Jeremy – you rock, dude!

Ciara Knight’s book, Rise From Darkness, is available for free on Amazon through today. So hurry!!!

Laura Bambrey’s 101 Blog Prompts is half off this weekend!

The Pirates
I went in wanting to love it, but just couldn’t. After watching Flushed Away last weekend, I was really expecting some humor. It’s cute, but not really funny. After so many Ardman Animations winners, I think this will go down as their first dud. Sad, because the claymation and effects are really good.



Following Nicki and Mary? What did you think of Super 8? Downloaded any books lately? Seen Pirates yet? Only one more day of the Challenge – are you ready? And who do you know is youthful? (Not me – I am really starting to feel my age…)

XTRA SPECIAL/X FOR MOVIE SIGN - 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.

XTRA SPECIAL/X FOR MOVIE SIGN

Ali Cross
She is the original Ninja! The DoJo Master leads her own army of Ninjas in training through a website, chats, and an online conference. The author of Become was also one of my first blogger buddy to review CassaStar, and she even did a video review. (Complete with space ship sound effects!) Get to know the Dojo Master – she is a sweetheart!

And now the upcoming big movies for May! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.

4 -

The Avengers
Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.
Director: Joss Whedon
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Joss Whedon? All of the Avengers? Are you kidding? There’s only one other movie I’m more excited about than this film.

8 -

DVD - Underworld: Awakening - What could be better than Kate in 3D?

11 -

Dark Shadows
An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter

While the Burton-Depp pairing is usually great, I’m not totally sold on this one yet.

15 -

DVD - The Grey - Excellent drama
DVD - Chronicle - Dark and effective

18 -

Battleship
A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.
Director: Peter Berg
Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson, Rihanna

Funny, I don’t remember aliens landing on the board and melting my plastic ships when I played this game as a kid…

25 -

Men in Black III
Agent J travels in time to MIB's early years in the 1960s, to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Stars: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Alice Eve

Can you believe the first one was fifteen years ago? Whoa…

NINJA CONTEST – LAST DAY!

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 Ali? See any movies that perk your interest? Don’t forget, last day to enter the giveaway! And who in your life is xtra special?

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.