National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence: Bloggers Join Forces ...

Today is the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, and a few fellow bloggers are joining forces to take a little action. As Sheri Larsen, who initiated the idea, said, there's strength in numbers, right? So if you have ever been bullied, know someone who has been bullied, or simply believe in taking action for a worthy cause, today is the day to tell the world, or even your next door neighbor, to take a stand.

My experience:
I was never beaten, pushed or called names ... well, I was sometimes, especially on out-of-school-uniform days when I'd come with rainbow-coloured tights and get called a fruit-loop -- little did they know it had a double meaning. But ... I was ignored and manipulated and tricked by other kids, which is just as horrible as being picked on. I was in tears at the end of every single recess and lunchtime. Either due to kids blatantly running away from me, or from being coaxed to be 'it' in hide-and-seek and having everyone run off on me when my eyes were closed. Sometimes, though, kids would let me play with them. But it would always be a role-play game in which I was someone such as a victim of a kidnapping. Of course, that entailed many hours of loneliness in the school yard, because "it was realistic to the situation". For the majority of the time, however, I just sat on a school bench, watching my feet swing backward and forward. No one liked me because I was shy.

I was alone for pretty much my entire school life. Even in high school. Because my shyness was mistaken for snobbishness. Until one day I started dressing like a goth. Then everyone was just too apprehensive to approach me. But at least then there was a reason to be ignored. And it felt good to have control of it. At least that's how it made me feel then.

No kid should feel this way in school. It should be an environment in which children are able to grow in every aspect of living, not just educationally. Luckily, I was strong enough to overcome such ill-experiences, but there are young people out there who aren't as strong as others. Bullying can have all sorts of effects. Even suicide. And I wouldn't be surprised if it is linked to adult depression either.

Bullying must stop.

Let's take a stand. Together.

Stand up to a bully today and make a difference. Even the smallest difference counts.


The following bloggers are also taking part today. Please drop by and say hi:

Sheri Larsen - http://www.writersally.blogspot.com/
Dawn Dalton - http://www.dawnmdalton.blogspot.com
Talli Roland - http://talliroland.blogspot.com/
Candace Ganger - http://themisadventuresincandyland.blogspot.com/
LM Preston - http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
Donna Martin - http://www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Jonathon Arntson - http://jonathonarntson.blogspot.com/
Nicole Zoltack - http://www.NicoleZoltack.com
PK Hrezo - http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com

Music for the A-Z April Challenge ... #atozchallenge

Dawn Ius and I are partnering up this year for the April A-Z Challenge (surprise, surprise, yeah yeah, I know ...).

To put it simply, we're posting about musicians/bands that have inspired us creatively in some way throughout our lives. We'll keep the posts short and sweet, and also try to include YouTube tracks so you can hear them too.

Dawn, apparently, has already started scheduling her posts. I think I'd better get a move on! (Silently freaking out here.)


I participated in this the last two years and, despite it being quite hard on my fingers, eyes, brain and stomach (I won't get into that last one), I had a great time and met some WONDERFUL new bloggers through it.

I can't fathom missing out on the fun. So I'm going to do it. Even if it's a struggle. I think I can I think I can I know I can ... 


~breathe~

Oh, and hey, how can I resist an event logo that matches the colour scheme of my blog?

Are you participating? All prepared? Or shaking in your boots like me?


*Book on my bedside table: Room, by Emma Donoghue


(Yep, stole your sign-off Dawn, couldn't resist. :o)

Wow. So I'm back. In full swing ... from a string that's strong, but wearing thin ...

Dawn and me in the back of her car
in -16 degree Celsius temperatures! :o) Can't
you see I'm all rugged up?

Right ... where were we?

Um ... yep ...

Oh Canada
With your face sketched on it twice
Oh you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet

Oh I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
oh I would still be on my feet ...

I had a MARVELOUS time with Dawn in Canada. No, we didn't leave the house much (except when going to her office to do some work -- yep I had to take it with me -- boo), but, oh my gosh, did we get along like a house on fire. Lucky, because we really needed the heat in the blizzardy weather :o)

Yep, it was blizzarding when I arrived and it was blizzarding when I returned. We had planned to go on a trip to Jasper and Banff but never made it because this (on the left) is pretty much all  I could see. We also didn't want to get stuck in the mountains when I had a plane to catch ... not that that would have really mattered, because my flight, due to maintenance issues was cancelled ...

TWICE!

And I was in Calgary. In an airport, four hours drive away from Dawn, (she lives in Edmonton) so I couldn't even go back to spend the time with her. :o( I didn't leave Canada until a full 24 hours later than scheduled and I'm really behind on my work, but ... ho hum, never mind, it was TOTALLY worth it.

For the past 1.5 years, Dawn and I have been chatting on Gmail EVERY SINGLE DAY. I knew our friendship was a very special one. I knew she would take up a big chunk of my heart for the rest of my life, but I had no idea the feeling could get even more special, until I met her face-to-face. Now the chats do not really suffice. We've got a taste of this friendship in "real life" now, and it's going to be very difficult to adjust to this "internet thing" again. Woe is me ...

Dawn, if only I could call you up and say, "Wanna meet at Tim Horton's for a coffee after work despite the coffee tasting like shit?" (Sorry, Tim Horton, but after drinking European coffee all these years, yours sucks.)

Dawn. I miss you! And you had BETTER make it to Greece this summer! Or ... or ... or ... I'll kidnap your dogs somehow and you'll just have to come and get them.

Have you ever met any friends you've made blogging face-to-face? How was it?

Stuff:

• Check out one of the most interesting interviews I have ever participated in over at Eight Cuts Gallery. Wow, this guy really knows how to craft a question!
• Also, I'm in the process of compiling my life's work in music to sell on Bandcamp.com. Well, whatever is friendly to the ears ... so stay tuned.
• And pretty please with a cherry on top, if you are on Goodreads, could you do me a quick favour and add String Bridge, and Twisted Velvet Chains, to this Listopia list? It will help people find it better! Thank you!

PS: I did have a reason for the title of this post, but I seem to have lost it ... hmm ... *rubs jet-laggy eyes*

*Lyrics: Joni Mitchell, A Case of You 

From the Mundane to the Sublime: a guest blog by Magdalena Ball

I know you're all probably wondering how my trip to Canada was (WONDERFUL! And I miss Dawn like hell already). And if you follow me on Facebook, you probably know my flight back home was cancelled twice and I spent two days in airport limbo. I am probably still on the plane as you read this as I scheduled it while waiting at Heathrow airport!

But I'll give you more details next week because today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Magdalena Ball. She is an amazing author and I am a HUGE fan of her work. And this blog post is a part of her blog tour for her latest novel, Black Cow.

Drum roll ... welcome Maggie!


As a writer, I've always been intrigued by the mundane. By mundane, I'm thinking, not of dull or tedious, but rather of it's alternative meaning of being 'of this earthly world', secular, temporal. These are the details of our lives - those things that other readers will recognise - the day to day world that surrounds us. Most of the time we're too busy to stop the endless doing and observe and perceive. But this is a writer's job. To look closely at those moments and allow them to morph into something extraordinary. Morph? What is that? Are we talking magic realism or sci fi here? No, this is real life, such as the observation of a common beetle or bird in the garden - something utterly ordinary. In that moment where we turn our gaze deeply into the thing, we suddenly transcend the limits of our human condition and see things with a certain transformative eye where the detail contains the whole.In Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg puts it this way: "Go so deep into something that you understand its interpenetration with all things. Then automatically the detail is imbued with the cosmic; they are interchangeable." That all sounds grand and esoteric, so how, specifically, as writers, do we create this kind of transcendence, without making the work so dense that it loses its connection to the everyday?

Here are a few tips:

• Use of point of view. We all come to each situation we find ourselves in with a welter of memories, issues we're currently grappling with, and desires. In short, at any moment we're all in the 'midst of life'. If you take that 'midst', in other words the situation of your characters, and filter it into those things that surround them - the butterfly landing on their hand, the rain that just won't stop, or even the dishes that are being done, the mundane suddenly is infused with the whole of your character perspective. In the early twentieth century, this tended to sit with stream of consciousness writing, where the inner thoughts of characters become apparent to the reader, but it doesn't have to be a random stream. Those thoughts can be anchored in the moment, and reasonably logical, while still coasting across all those desires that make up any character.

 • Step out of the stream. Stop for a moment and let your characters see the bigger picture. You can do this with a third person narrator, or just allow the characters a momentary glimpse at the bigger picture. For example, a young girl may be struggling with bullying, but just for a moment in the midst of the highest conflict, give her a glimpse of the future or even of the broader context of her life and let her see the pain she's struggling with for what it is - momentary and transient. Those kinds of epiphanies are the stuff of character transformation and will progress the story perfectly.

• Use symbols. Symbols do exactly what we're talking about here. They turn the mundane into the sublime, by referring to something else. An office cubicle or conference room might symbolise oppression. A tourist visit to the Statue of Liberty might symbolise freedom. A bird song or plot of dirt might symbolise freedom or getting back to roots or even shaking off a depression that has become overwhelming.

All of these things are subtle, and have to be dealt with carefully, with poetic skill. But being able to use the everyday to hint at a deeper meaning; a secret sub-story below the surface, is what makes art. As readers, we instinctively look for it in the books we read. As writers, we're always aiming to create it.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the newly released novel Black Cow. Grab a free mini e-book brochure here.


For more about Magdalena visit her website.

 

Creepy Hollow Blog Tour Kick Off!

Today the Creepy Hollow series kicks off with the release of the first story, GUARDIAN!

GUARDIAN introduces readers to the magical world of Creepy Hollow, a realm where fae creatures — both safe and definitely-not-so-safe — dwell. Things are cool as long the fae stick to their own realm. It's when they find their way into the human world that things start going wrong...

1. Receive assignment.

2. Save a life.

3. Sleep.

4. Repeat.

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until one of her assignments—a human boy who shouldn’t even be able to see her—follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? But Nate and Vi are about to land themselves in even bigger trouble—and it’ll take all Vi’s training to get them out alive.

Buy from Amazon US
Buy from Amazon UK
Buy from Smashwords

The Creepy Hollow Series

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Book Trailer

Author Info

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Google+

To find out more about the series, the author, and the characters, check out the blog tour that’s happening over the next two weeks.

Click here for the blog tour schedule

CassaFire BLOG PARTY! Help celebrate the release of Alex J. Cavanaugh's latest novel!

Today is the Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh!

If you don't know who this awesome blog ninja is, then wow ... I think you must live on another planet! If that's the case, maybe he's already casted you in one of his stories ;o)

The goal today is to help CassaFire “catch fire” on the best seller charts and achieve the success of the first book, CassaStar. There’s also a special package of prizes being given away at the author’s blog (copies of CassaFire, CassaStar, tote bag, mug, and bookmarks) as well as book giveaways during his two-week blog tour, which runs from February 27 through March 9. See Alex’s site for details!

Please offer a helping hand today to plug the launch. I'm sure Alex will appreciate it more than you know! I will be posting a review of the book some time after I return from Canada, but for the time being, you can see what others have said about the book on Goodreads.

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…




Available today!

Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

Puchase links:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Amazon Kindle

If you'd like to tweet to help him promote, please use the hashtag #CatchFire

Off to Canada!

Source

On Friday morning I'm heading to Canada (a birthday present to myself) to spend just over a week with a great awesome brilliant genius friend of mine, Dawn Ius, so I won't be around very much until March 7th. I have, however, scheduled a couple of blog tour posts for the ninjamatic Alex J. Cavanaugh (Feb 28th) and the stunning Rachel Morgan (March 5th).

On my way to and from Canada I have to spend big chunks of time in London Heathrow waiting for my transfers, so guess who are coming to meet me there!?!?! The fiery J.C. Martin and the glamorous Talli Roland (I'm loving the adjectives today!). And before my return flight from Calgary, I'm planning to meet the talented Stina Lindenblatt, and hopefully the lovely Steena Holmes, too!

And check out the places (PLACE ONE), Dawn is planning to take me to see (PLACE TWO). My jaw has been perpetually dropped since seeing those pics for the first time ...

But, you know what I'm most excited about? Not the fact that Dawn is taking me to see CATS on Saturday night, or the fact that for my birthday this Sunday, we are going to a Oscar Night production (that is going to be funny), or the fact I get to see where Dawn lives and meet her family ... (don't get me wrong, I'm excited about these things too!) ... but I'm most excited about being able to sit down, face-to-face, and read through Vine Leaves submissions together while sipping on a nice glass (or two or three) of wine! Oh my gosh, it really is the simple pleasures in life that I treasure the most.

Do you like the simple pleasures? Or do you need adventure and excitement to feel like you're "really living"?