Thursday Thanks - 2012

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked! Today we usually do #ThursThreads, but since I'm official visiting family this week, I didn't want to let you all down by not being present for my own challenge. So instead of the usual post where you write as story for a judge, I thought I'd give my thanks for the many writers who have touched my world this year, and especially those who come back week after week to tie on a tale.

I've listed them below (and while I can't mention all of you, know you're in my heart), and if you don't know them, check them out by clicking on the links on their names. These people have encouraged me, befriended me when I was just another name on Facebook, and promoted me for no other reason than their generosity. Some have been participants of #ThursThreads, others only judges, but all of them have made my year in one way or another.

Cara Michaels has seen it all, blogging, editing, writing, rewriting, de-wasifying ;) and even website reconfiguration. But most of all, she has helped me when I asked for it, edited me without pity :D, and helped me write better stories. She has also judged #ThursThreads and won a few (six) times. :D Thanks, Cara, for everything.

Three gentlemen who have made my #flashfiction career so fun and rewarding are Jeffrey Hollar, J. Whitworth Hazzard, and Wakefield Mahon. Not only have they routinely come to #ThursThreads to write some #flashfiction, but they also have shouted my name into the Twitterverse and made me laugh, but they've also cheered me on when things looked bleak from this end. I suspect they have no idea when they've done so, but just know I'm grateful, gentlemen. Thanks so much! :)

To my long lost Canadian cousin Kris Norris, honey, without you, AADNOLA would have been downright staid and proper. You lit up my trip and made me laugh so hard I could barely take a breath. May your holidays be warm, your company warmer ;) and remember, you can't outrun a bear in snowshoes, but you can outfly them in a helicopter. I'll go with you! :D

There are three ladies who have enticed me with their stories, encouraged me when I swore I'd throw in the towel, and chatted with me online a few times. Two have joined me on Six Sentence Sunday (which is where I found their books and had to go read them!) and the third shared time on Second Life with me. Gem Sivad, I'm still waiting for River's Edge! :D Karla Doyle, how about a game of Scrabble? I'm sure you'd kick my butt at it. ;) And Nara Malone, thank you so much for all your help with negotiating an avatar in a mall. Who knew it could be so difficult to get dressed? :D

One last author I want to thank is Goran Zidar. He has judged #ThursThreads and participated in Six Sentence Sunday by writing a serial story six sentences at a time. If you get a chance to see his tale stop by his blog on Sunday and catch up on the story. But most of all, he has been so encouraging and fun to talk to (even if he's halfway across the world in Australia.

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and may your New Year be filled with joy, good friends, and great adventures. Happy New Year and happy reading! :)

#CampDuctTape is a Year Old!

Good morning! Today is the first birthday of #CampDuctTape. Woohoo!:D

What is #CampDuctTape, you might ask? It started from a fun Twitter conversation between me, Cara Michaels, and Wakefield Mahon, and slowly evolved into a catch phrase for all things science-fiction/paranormal romance with a splash of BDSM elements.

So today, I'm celebrating with brightly colored streamers

And party favors for all the guests

I have traditional (and manly) sets for the guys out there

As well as more brightly, merrily colored sets for those who walk on the wild side.

There's been talk (well, whispers, really) of an anthology about #CampDuctTape between Cara, Wakefield, and me, but like those in the BDSM lifestyle, it's still hush-hush until we're ready. ;)

So stay tuned and enjoy a little duct tape on me today. And remember:

Happy reading! :)

Saturday Souvenirs: The Kreativ Blogger Award

So this week has been a great one with the release of Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack, my Siren debut. Not only that, but I was awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by Chessny Silth, a wonderful YA writer from Norway (this will become important in a moment).

Thank you, Chessny! I really appreciate it. :)

Part of this award requires me to tell you ten things about myself before I pass it along, and then pass it to five more people. :)

1. I have a master's degree in geology, emphasis in paleontology (that's right, I dig up dead things).
2. My uncle's family is from Norway (see, I told you it was important), and my cousin carries the name of a town there.
3. I can speak three languages and I'm learning a fourth, Hungarian, one of the hardest in the world.
4. On one international trip, I went to India and Italy, and on another I went to Alaska and Australia.
5. I don't like red sauce for my spaghetti, and can't stand cooked cabbage.
6. I have written a scientific thesis project that is as long as one of my novels, and in which I made 10,000 measurements on the comparative specimens for it.
7. I didn't learn to read until I was 9 years old.
8. My grandfather was a mechanic for the machine gun turrets on the old B-29 bombers from World War II.
9. I was a mime for the Colorado Renaissance Festival for two years.
10. I was an extra in a movie when I was a kid (you can see my ponytail silhouette at the front of the stage in a concert scene).

The five people I'd choose for the award are:

Wakefield Mahon, Nichole Severn, Shannan Albright, Zee Monodee, and Cara Bristol.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I welcome comments. If you are one of the recipients, just copy the badge from my site and take it to your own. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 22 - Winners

Week 22 of #ThursThreads had some great tales! Thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your stories. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us along with our returning regulars. Great thanks also goes to judge Angelica Dawson for reading all the tales.

Entries:

• Raymond C. Morris | @iwrites
• Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
• Angelica Dawson | @AngelicaDawson
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Nicole Wolverton | @nicolewolverton
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Sam Webb | @sammyjwebb
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Samantha O'Brien | @QuillsWithin
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Miranda Boers | @PurpleQueenNL
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Jalisa Blackman | @J_M_Blackman
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Rebekah Postupak | @postupak
• @LupusAnthropos
• @Phoenixlavan

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman

Angelica says: Shiver at your ending! You lead the reader perfectly down the path of experimental operations and then kick us in the pants with a frightening end!

 

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil

Angelica says: Wonderful poem, very moving. I suck at poetry so I'm always impressed when it can be tailored to a theme like this.

 

Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi

Angelica says: I love a Librarian. Poor neglected know-it-all. Best resources we have.

Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ

Angelica says: You put ME in your story?! Squeal! How could I not pat you on the back after that? :)

Week 22 Winner

 

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

 

Angelica says: His brief piece took me right into the heart of a child for their caregiver and then smacked me by making them both robotic and true mother/daughter. Pow! Great piece.

Faded Memories

Ramey, put on a containment suit, gloves and a mask before she walked into the room. She trembled as she stared at the most important person in her world.

In her time, Nana was the most advanced nanny-bot on the market, nearly human in appearance with the first fully functional emotional array. Best of all, she willingly devoted herself to all of the human children she helped raise.

No matter how much work Nana had to do, she always managed to make Ramey feel special. It was so long ago, but the memories hadn't faded. Seeing her like this broke Ramey's heart.

"I'm terminal, not contagious. Even if EOL was viral, there hasn't been a machine to flesh infection in over two hundred years. I'm not THAT old!"

"I'm sorry Nana, I didn't mean to insult you." Ramey's tears overflowed rendering her goggles opaque.

Nana swiveled her head and offered a sympathetic if crooked smile. "There, there child; it's alright. You humans are so emotional, I don't think they could give me enough upgrades to keep up."

"It's your memory Nana."

"What do you mean? Sure, they don' t make my memory chips anymore, but the upgrades are lightweight enough. I just don’t think my central processor could keep up."

"No, I mean your memory is failing." Ramey choked back a sob. "I'm not a fleshy, Nana, I'm your daughter."

Congratulations  two time winner Wakefield, Ryan, Sheilagh, Jeffrey, and Chuck! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)