Eclecticist ( #AtoZChallenge )

Eccentric might be how some people think of me, which is okay considering that there probably aren't that many people who actually think about me...

 

Basement stairs in the Jackson house (photo by Arlee Bird)

The Eclecticist


         During my high school years and for several years after graduation, one of my main retreats was the basement of my parents' house. I had my stereo set up down there and places to sit and hang out. There was a fireplace to warm the place in the winter cold and it was cooler during most summer days.   It was a comfortable place to be.  That's why during my college years a lot of friends start coming there to hang out.  It was like a club.  Bring your own stuff, enjoy the company of like minded people, and save money.

        Aside from having the company for myself, I especially enjoyed acting as the DJ for these evenings.  I would spin the discs on my modest stereo with the intent of entertaining guests as well as providing mental stimulation  My friends would have not been surprised to hear the Beatles, the Band, or Neil Young with a bit of Bach, Bebop, or Bedouin music all mixed up throughout the evening.  I liked to play with the atmosphere of the gathering through the music and provide surprises of new and unique sounds whenever I could.  After all, I'm an eclecticist.

         For as long as I can remember, I've had a roving curiosity about what things are and do, how they work, and what's on the other side of the mountain.  I liked reading because I could learn about new ideas.  My favorite books were reference books like encyclopedias.  Talk about eclecticism.  One can pick up any encyclopedia volume and read about many many topics.  It's a fun tool for gathering data for trivia contests if you can remember it.

         My taste in music is very wide ranging which comes in part from my musician background.  Then there is the show biz background that tends to create an ear for what might sound good for performances.  One look at my parents' record collection and you likely would have first been struck by the eclectic nature of the music.  Then, if you thought about it a bit, you might realize that most of the music was that which would be good to use as juggling music--since my parents were jugglers--but this would have applied if they had been dancers, acrobats, or had a magic act. 

         Music sets the scene for performance.  There is a soundtrack of my life.  Even if those around me cannot hear my soundtrack, there is still music in my head--songs that sing me through my days. The music is eclectic, but there is much that interests me.  Eclecticism is the essence of my nature.

          An Eclecticist--This Is Me!

    Do you tend to only accept a limited number of musical styles or would you prefer to mix things up musically?   Does eclectic thinking tend to distract you from accomplishing as much as you want to?   Do you consider yourself to be an interesting person or more of an interested person or a bit of both?

                                                                                                                                                                 

The End of a Run (#BOTB Results)

        After one race has been run then the next thing is to start getting ready for the next race.   Never give up!  Keep running on...

The End of a Run

         If you haven't been following my past several posts, I wrote a song called "Let's Run" back in April/May.  Not being a runner, using the subject of running for a song seemed odd at first.  Still as I began writing my song the lyrics went from the actual act of running to the metaphorical marathon of life.  My song "Let's Run" was inspired by the metaphor more than the act.   You can find the lyrics to the song at this link.

        As fortune would have it, a couple of my neighbors helped me record a rough version of the song.  Schemer that I am, I asked for other covers of the song from anyone who might be interested. A friend of mine from Tennessee, Lonnie Carver, offered his version.  Then I came up with my own experimental version.

         Voila!   A Battle of the Bands was at hand.  If you need reference then here is that link.

        This past week the Battle has been running and votes have been decent.  Now it's the end of the run and time to announce the verdict...

Battle of the Bands Results

         The Battle of "Let's Run" was between versions by:   1)Arlee Bird, Ricardo Palma, & Nathan Lucero   2) Lonnie Carver  and 3)Arlee Bird/Take Too

           There were many nice things said about all participants and I do appreciate the many very nice and helpful comments.  Even my wacky experiment got a few votes and honorable mentions.  But the real horse race was between BPL and Lonnie Carver.  I'm not voting on this Battle because I just can't--I like all the versions for different reasons.   Thanks to everyone for one of the best voter turnouts I've had.


Final Vote Tally

Bird, Palma, & Lucero             22   

Lonnie Carver                          19

Take Too                                     5


Next Battle of the Bands post on Saturday September 15th

         I'd better get started putting this one together since I don't have my Battle picked yet.  I will keep everyone posted on anything that happens about "Let's Run".   If anyone wants to go give me likes on YouTube and maybe even share then I leave video links below.  And if you do go there, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.  I'm sure that would help some.


Let's Run   by BPL

Let's Run   by Lonnie Carver

Let's Run by Arlee Bird


I'm still accepting cover versions of "Let's Run" for anyone who'd like to be included in a future battle with that song.   I think a couple may be on their way to me soon!

You've Been Given The Bird!

Hey!   Wake up dodo bird!

C'mon Arlee wake up and face the music!  And I'm not referring to any Battle of the Bands.

        While I was sleeping I was chosen as the honoree of a special event.  Maybe you've heard about it.  If not, I'm going to tell you about it.  Cheersfest was started by Mark Koopmans last year when we roasted Alex J. Cavanaugh. Yeah, we all had a fine time with that.

        Now I'm in a fix and you all are in the driver's seat.  Time to dish it out to the Bird and I ain't talkin' turkey.   It's time for the second annual Cheersfest blogger roast and I am this years roastee.   Come on and give me the business.  Have fun while you make me squirm.

"They like me!  They really like me!  Or wait maybe they don't like me.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.  Maybe I'll cry.  Everything's a blur."

 What's a Cheersfest? 

        Here's the way originator Mark Koopmans puts it:

“Ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the one person who was always there for you during the past year. You’d thank them for being such a RockStar, right?”

So began the inaugural CheersFest (aka AlexFest) when our Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh, was roasted and toasted in December 2012.

Everyone, including A-Cav had such a great time that we’ve decided to do it again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the 2013 recipient of CheersFest is none other than Arlee “Lee” Bird.”

On his main blog, “Tossing It Out,” Lee describes himself, in part, “as a writer, speaker, entertainer, music lover, collector, husband, father, grandfather, friend, traveler, seeker of truth and wisdom.” He majored in English while at the University of Tennessee, has blogged since 2008, and currently has six blogs that delve into his diverse mind.

The original brains behind the annual A to Z Challenge, Lee can be counted on to pay it forward and is a well-respected member of the blogging community.

Hosted again by Mark Koopmans, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King, Stephen Tremp and The Ninja Captain himself, CheersFest 2.0 will go LIVE! Dec. 9, 2013.

What Do You Do?

In order to proper cheer (or roast) the Bird, here are four questions for you to answer on CheersFest Day, but please keep the retorts short – (no longer than 20 words each):

· Why did Lee come up with the A-Z Challenge?

· If someone dreams about being a juggler, what does it mean?

· Is a post by Mr. Bird worth two in the bush?

· Who could play Lee in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

· Bird

· Juggler

· Challenge

· Brown Jacket

· Tossing



For Bonus Points:

· In +/- 40 words, can you come up with a caption for Lee’s Facebook picture?

As usual, the Very Demanding Rules of CheersFest include:

· Join the Linky List *below*

· Have fun

· Post your 200 (total) word contribution ON Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.

· No, seriously. Have Fun!


There Will Be Big Prizes!

After all entries have been carefully scrutinized for entertainment value (or if it makes me cry because it's so beautiful), I'll be picking two winners who will be winning extraordinary prizes:

· An autographed color photo of Arlee Bird appearing as the Court Wizard in the World of Fantasy Players production of The Magic of Cinderella.   Also included in the first prize pack is an assortment of promotional materials from Lee’s show biz days with a personal letter and a brief history of his entertainment career.

· A personalized graphics design from Jeremy at Being Retro for the winner’s blog. (Jeremy will design a header, badge, button, banner, or whatever might appeal to the winner.)

Okay so I don't have a book to autograph and I'm not going to be baking cookies.  But the prizes will still be fun!

So are you ready to face the Blogman?



If so, the Linky is now open. Sign up below and we’ll see you on Dec. 9th

...
       C'mon now--no excuses.   It'll be fun!  Not going to be around?  You can always preschedule your post.   And it doesn't have to be some literary masterpiece.   Just hack it out if you need to.   The more entries we get, the more work I have to do.  You want me to work don't you?

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My Tribute to a Very Special Blogger

Yvonne Lewis with Arlee Bird who proudly shows off his autographed copies  of  her two poetry books.

This Thursday past I had an experience extraordinaire.
I met a blogger whom most all of you do know.
The lovely Yvonne Lewis of poetry world fame
Was here in L.A. and to see her I did go.

She was staying downtown, so I took the train
And consequently was early to the place.
So I decided to look around the hotel,
When in the lobby I saw Yvonne's smiling face.

I was there early and so was she,
But we recognized each other right there.
We hit it off like long time friends--
We had so much conversation to share.

We talked about traveling, and music, and squirrels;
Of Daniel O'Donnell, and blogging of course.
Then we were joined by Yvonne's brother, Keith--
Who is a musician who plays the keyboards.

They opted to visit that famed tinsel town--
Hollywood.  It's just a short trip away.
The day was just right.  It was sunny and mild.
We walked from the hotel to catch the subway.

Yvonne Lewis and Arlee Bird on Hollywood Boulevard across from Graumann's Chinese Theater

Preparations had started for the Oscar Awards.
Bleachers were set up on the renown Boulevard.
Hollywood was abustle with hustlers in costume,
With tour guides and tourists from around the world.

We walked several blocks looking at stars--
And by that I mean those stars on the walk--
To see who we knew and who we did not
And as we walked, we talked and we talked.

When we reached the next subway station,
We boarded the train with feets all aweary.
Back at the hotel some last photos we took,
And though we were tired we still felt quite cheery.

We bade fond farewells and said our goodbyes.
It was nice to meet Yvonne after all of this time.
After all she was my first A to Z sign-up in 2010
And now she has me blogging in rhyme.

Back to the hotel after our tiring Hollywood trek we bid fond farewell.

          I want to thank Yvonne and Keith for a lovely visit and hope we will have the opportunity to meet again.  I hope you had a good holiday in the States.

          Now let's head on over to Alex J Cavanaugh's blog and see what he's cooked up for us.

Related articles

• Poetic Praise from Yvonne Lewis (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Guest Poetess Yvonne Lewis Visits (afarawayview.blogspot.com)
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• A Walk on Hollywood Boulevard (breathelighter.wordpress.com)
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A Twist on Additional Dimensions: Stephen Tremp's Openings Home and Away Tour

      My guest today is Stephen Tremp, a blogger and author who needs little introduction to my blog audience.  Stephen is one of my earliest blogging friends as well as an A to Z Challenge co-host for the second year.  He is also an author for whom I have much admiration.  This is what brings him here on Tossing It Out today.   


       Stephen Tremp has released the second installment of his Breakthrough book series.and is starting his book tour today on my blog.  So I'm honored to present to you--Stephen Tremp:


A Twist on Additional Dimensions

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first stop of my Grand OPENING Tour! Thanks to Arlee Bird for helping me kick off this event on a most positive note. Arlee read an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of OPENING and gave me invaluable feedback. Thanks Lee!

This post is on a topic that I’m very much passionate about. I think many others are too. Enjoy the post and I look forward to what other people think about people who seem to have abilities above and beyond that which we call normal.

Okay, getting back to my Science, CERN, and the Bible series ...

You’ve probably met someone who seems to have special “abilities” that are generally perceived to be above and beyond what we would consider normal by our five senses: seeing hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Every society since the dawn of mankind has had people they consider to have special “abilities.”

These people can “see” or discern things that most people cannot. These perceived abilities can be filed under various labels such as paranormal, prophecy, extra sensory perception (E.S.P.), gifts of the Holy Spirit (word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits), demonic possession, out of body experiences, or dreams that are more reality than fantasy. They are called seers, prophets, or mediums. Some would say people who claim to have paranormal abilities are frauds altogether, they are good guessers, they use the power of suggestion, or they’re just plain lucky.

How would you describe the ability to “see” beyond our five senses? One theory is that since the reality we live in is a three-dimensional spatial world (length, width, and height), our senses were created or have evolved within this reality. This is all we should be able to comprehend. We are not conscious of anything else.

Example: If you are hunting a charging bear to feed your family, you need to be able to look at the bear and judge how far away he is, how fast he is closing in on you, and the best moment to throw your spear at him. They say nature is very efficient and generally gives us only what we need to survive.

However, some proponents of M-Theory (ten actual dimensions along with time) think our minds can actually navigate through these additional dimensions (if they do indeed exists), yet our minds are construed to filter information through our five senses and emotions. This is why information and insights are partial rather than whole.

Could it be that there are some people who are more in tune with these additional dimensions and can thus get a glimpse of information that we would consider to be prophetic or of an extra sensory perception? Many people claim to be aware of angelic beings or demonic forces. Some can “read your mail” so to speak. Others have an acute sense of what an investment will do in thirty days and are very accurate in their predictions.

Questions: What are your thoughts? Do you think some people have abilities to “see” beyond our normal five senses?

Stephen Tremp is author of the recently released suspense thriller OPENING, the second book in the BREAKTHROUGH series. You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs.  Opening is available for download at:

Amazon for $1.99
Smashwords for $1.99

       

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge-- 2012 Edition

            

       The big Challenge month of April is coming upon us.   We've gotten an early start for this edition as those who have been following the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog.  Over the past few weeks previous participants and even a few who will be new to the Challenge in 2012 have been giving some of their thoughts about the Challenge.  Today's post is the next big announcement about the A to Z Challenge of 2012.

        When I started the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2010 it began with a modest near one hundred participants.  The Challenge took off and generated a good bit of buzz.  Friendships were established and followers increased for those who joined in that first year.  The event was a hit from its humble beginnings.

       Last year I knew the Challenge would be bigger so I enlisted the help of seven other top-notch bloggers.   And did it ever take off!  Reaching nearly 1300 sign-ups--most of whom finished the challenge--the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge had established itself in the blogging community.

        With last year's experience duly noted, we've assembled an amazing cast of bloggers to assist in this year's challenge.  I think we've outdone ourselves this time.   Take a look at the bloggers who are on board to host the 2012 Challenge:

        In addition to me (Arlee Bird), Alex J. Cavanaugh and Stephen Tremp will be returning to act as guides and motivators to encourage participants through the alphabet in April.  

        And there are more!  Damyanti Biswas published an e-book of her A to Z entries last year.  She knows what she's doing in the Challenge and she'll be here to help.

        Tina Downey and Shannon Lawrence started a Post Challenge Challenge last year to encourage others to visit all of the blogs that had been signed up for the A to Z Challenge.  They too know a bit about this blog event business and are great encouragers. 

          D.L.Hammons also knows a thing or two about blogfests, having been involved in several.  An immensely popular blogger, D.L. will be a valuable addition to the team.

           Jeremy Retro-Zombie will be  adding his creative influence and blogging expertise to our 2012 team.  If you haven't seen his blog you ought to check it out--it's pretty cool.

           Matthew MacNish has a special eye for words and has a fun and informative blog; while Elizabeth Mueller displays a flair for visual art in addition to the art of words. 

            Jenny Pearson may have stopped by your blog already--I feel like I've been seeing her comments all over the place.  She writes some very nice stuff.  Check out her link below.

            Konstanz Silverbow is relatively new to me.  I'm anxious to know more about her and I hope you are too.   Her link can be found below.

            But heck, why am I rambling on when you could be checking out these great bloggers yourself.

             Don't forget that the A to Z sign-up list will appear on January 30, 2012.  Keep watch on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge Blog and on all of the blogs of the A to Z Team

             Here's the Team:      

       

Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)

Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)

Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)

Life is Good (Tina Downey)

Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)

Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)

The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)

The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)

Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)

Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)

No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)

Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)

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What's In A Name?: The Story of a Pseudonym

      A recent post by Lisa Kramer at Woman Wielding Words pondered the topic of real names versus pseudonyms.  I've mentioned before that I use a phony name--like anyone might not have guessed it. This is as good as time as ever to explain the name.  In deference to Stephen T. McCarthy, who asked me about this many blogging months ago, I give you the origins of the Arlee Bird name.

      It was long before Google was around, so search engine status had nothing to do with the pen name.  I was in college and trying to become established as an author.  It was obvious even without the benefit of Google that I had a very common name.

        I've never made a point of trying to hide my real name on my blog.  Actually it can be found in several places, but most readers have probably never noticed that I was born with the name Robert Lee Jackson.  It's a name that perhaps is a few Google notches short of John Smith, but my real name is shared with a lot of people living now and who have lived in the past.   Check your phone book and I'm sure you'll find at least a few of them listed in your town.

         So trying to break in as an author I felt like I needed a name that would not be shared by thousands of other people and would be somewhat unique.  At first I submitted stories as Lee Jackson, but the name just didn't work for me despite being the name I'd gone by all of my life.

          Then I began to experiment with names.  I began to sign my writing as Ohio Franklin Jackson--after all it was the early 70s and people were experimenting with unusual names.  Having been born in Ohio I adopted that as my first name and Benjamin Franklin was one of my heroes at the time so I paid tribute to him.  I decided this name was maybe too quirky.

Image via Wikipedia

           Using just my first initial I went back to my real name as R. Lee Jackson.  There was a very brief period when I got the idea that it might be easier to have a short story accepted if I were female and I tried writing under the name of Mary Tipton.  Where'd that come from?  That didn't last long and I returned to the R. Lee Jackson tag.

           Feeling that starting a moniker with an initial didn't sound quite right, in early 1975 I went from R. Lee to Arlee, since it sounded the same when spoken.  For the next several years I wavered between those two opening names attached to the Jackson surname.

           In mid-1975 I joined a magic show and decided to focus my career on juggling and show business and basically put writing for submission purposes on the back burner.  My business card and all promotional material used R. Lee and I dispensed with actually using Arlee for a while.  I also used the alias of "Jack Clark" when I was acting in behalf of my alter ego of promoter for R. Lee Jackson and his professional activities.  Hey--I felt like I had to wear different hats sometimes in order to make people think I had representation.

          When I decided to get off the road in order to start my kids in school and lead a more normal life, I started an entertainment business in Tennessee.  When I was putting the business together I began thinking of a name.  I don't recall exactly how it came to me but I envisioned a logo of a bird tugging at a worm in a hole which  would resemble a music note.  This made me think of the expression, "the early bird gets the worm."  Bingo!  Early, Arlee--Arlee Bird Entertainment.

           Nearly twenty years later when I started Tossing It Out, I decided not to use my real name.  The name that immediately came to me was my old entertainment business name.  I figured there couldn't be many people with that name and it would be unique.  I googled the name and found one guy with that name in Florida, but that was it.   I took it.

           It's kind of an odd name, but it is different.  Now I've taken over Google with the name.  I don't know what happened to the guy in Florida.  It's my writing name now and silly though it may sound I am now Arlee Bird in my literary and blogging life.  I guess I might as well keep the name now.

     **************************  


       While I'm at it I might as well acknowledge an award given to me by The Word Nerd.  Since I'm telling you stuff anyway I'll play along with this one.  I know I'd said a while back that I wasn't going to do these award things, but what the heck--it's Christmas and I'm being nice.

        And I'm spilling beans.  So in keeping with the rules of the award here are seven things about me that I intend to blog about someday:

1.  I used to be an avid stamp collector.  I still save stamps and have my stamp collection, but I'm not active with it like I was when I was younger.

2. I also have a postcard collection that mostly consists of cards I bought when I was young, but if any of you ever send me a postcard it will go into my collection.

3.  At one time I had a fairly decent pencil collection, but I used all of the pencils back when I was still in school.  Gosh, does anyone use pencils anymore?

4.  Another collection that I once had that was rather sizable was matchbooks.   I won't go into detail about what happened to that--let's just say it went up in smoke.

5.  I joined my first book club when I was about thirteen--Doubleday.  I joined several other book clubs over the years which accounts for my extensive collection of books.

6.  When I was on the road I accumulated hundreds of cassette tapes, most which I still have and are playable.

7.  There is a real possibility that I am a hoarder.

          And I guess Word Nerd knows I that I'm not passing this on to anyone else.  This branch of the chain ends here, but I'm sure it continues through several of the other recipients.  But I will wish everyone

Merry Christmas!

Related articles

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• 
  
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A Matter of Life and Death: Another A to Z Story

          Today I am honored to have as my guest D. Biswas, who most of you know as Damyanti.  Her blog Daily (w)rite was a popular flash fiction site during the 2011 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In this post she tells how her challenge entries came to be published in book form.   


Meeting the Challenge


          First of all, let me thank Lee for welcoming me on his blog. I’m here to talk about my experience of the A to Z challenge, which Lee has been organizing for the past two years. If you follow Lee, you already know about the challenge.

         This year, I signed up my blog Daily (w)rite without much of an idea of the challenge’s history, or its potential reach. I was the 15^th participant, and the final count was more than 1200, if I’m not mistaken.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the A to Z challenge asked its participants to post on 26 days of April on their blogs, except the 4 Sundays.

        Signing up for this was where it all began, because that is where A to Z Stories ofLife and Death, my debut collection of flash fiction, was born.

       Being me, the eternal last minute improviser, I was scrambling for ideas on the morning of April 1^st. I had no clue what to do, but since I’d written small pieces of fiction on Daily (w)rite before, I decided maybe I should give that a shot.

       Writing flash fiction on Daily (w)rite usually involved picking up a random word or picture prompt, setting the kitchen timer to ten minutes, and writing non-stop and without thought till the alarm went Tiing! I polished up whatever emerged and put it up.

        After I similarly posted the first two or three pieces for A to Z, I got positive responses and returning readers…which made me ask my readers for prompts. This gave the readers room for involvement, and challenged me to come up with something completely random.


A Book Is Born

       Near the end of the challenge, I had regular, returning, encouraging visitors—some of whom suggested I compile an e-book.

       I did.

      Which is to say, I kept rejecting and re-writing the original pieces based on feedback by beta-readers till I was moderately pleased with the result (I’m never completely pleased with my work. Le Sigh.) I approached Jake Garn for the cover image and Marcel Heijnen for the cover design. (Both were amazing in their work, and I highly recommend them….Marcel is your man if you need your e-book cover designed.)

       This took me two months, and then in August, with the help of my tech-whiz and immensely supportive husband, I uploaded A to Z stories of Life andDeath. It has got good reviews on Kindle, and is selling a few copies every once in a while. I would love to have more reviews, obviously, and I have a few more stories in the pipeline based on some of the pieces in the collection.

     To give you an idea about the book, here’s the blurb:

Twenty-six A to Z stories, based on the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, question our moral compass: How do you judge a teacher toying with the sexuality of her teenaged student? A boy who decides to murder his mother? What thoughts rage inside a pedophile serial killer before he shoots himself? They challenge the concepts of beauty, truth, and morality, by revealing the face of the other side.
The stories focus on a crucial juncture when a character's life changes, for the better or worse, because of a choice or decision. Some of the characters in the stories confront death, others talk about life with its quirks and whimsies. Each voice, ranging in age from a six-year-old to a centenarian, has its own riveting story to tell. Together, this collection of stories at over 12000 words attempts to prove that when it comes to stories, depth can sometimes replace length and breadth.

   What's Next? 
      
         I’m definitely going to participate in April 2012, and if all goes well, I shall have a second book in the A to Z series. All of this from the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge by the tremendous Arlee Bird.

        Speaking of challenges and blogfests, I’d like to end with an invite to The Rule of Three Blogfest, a month-long shared-world fiction extravaganza in October with some great prizes, and of course, a lot of exposure for your writing.

       This is one Blogfest fiction authors ought not to miss, because it is open to all genres, and provides an excellent showcase for an author's craft. Go ahead and sign up!

      In conclusion, a big hand to Arlee Bird, and to A to Z! Mark your calendars for April 2012, because this challenge is going to get bigger and better!!

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Writer Bio: D.Biswas lives more in her head than in this world, adores her husband, and loves her pet fish and plants. She is an established writer for magazines and journals. Her short fiction has been published in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, Muse India and in print anthologies by Marshall Cavendish, Monsoon Books, and MPH publications. Her book, A to Z Stories of Life and Death, is available for download at Amazon Kindle and Smashwords.

Twitter: damyantig

Website: http://amloki.com

Blog: http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com

            I'm thrilled to have featured another success story from the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and want to thank Damyanti for taking the time to tell her story.   We now welcome your comments and questions.



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A Sure Thing

           To close out my week's tribute to the great Flannery O'Connor I offer you a short piece of fiction that I've prepared specially for this occasion.   This is by no means as good as O'Connor's writing, but the story was inspired by it.  I hope you will enjoy it.





                               A Sure Thing

           When the Preacher heard that Old Man Sweeney's demise had been prognosticated by the doctors at the VA hospital, he decided he should go to call on him.  It was late in the afternoon when the Preacher found the grizzled Old Man sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the run down house.

           The Old Man scowled, "If'n yer here to tell me bout Jesus and me gittin' saved then I don't wanna hear none about it and you can jest turn around 'n go right now."

           "I heard the news about your cancer and wanted to see how you were doing."  The Preacher pulled up a tattered cane chair next to Sweeney and sat down.

            "I'm jest fine and I ain't goin' nowhere."  The Old Man gazed at the dirt road that led to the highway beyond their sight.

            "Mr. Sweeney, I hope you're with us for a long time," the man of God said in his best pastoral voice, "but I thought you might like to reconsider what Jesus can do for you after your time on this Earth."

            Sweeney sat forward abruptly and glowered. "Listen here Preacher--there ain't no Jesus.  Never is and never was.  You ain't seen 'im.  I ain't seen 'im. Jest cause you read about some Jesus in a story book you read on Sundays don't make it true.  What makes you so certain there's Jesus if you ain't never seen 'im fer yerself?"

           Spittle flecked the Old Man's peppered chin whiskers as he looked at the Preacher expectantly waiting for an answer.  A unseen peafowl screeched somewhere in the distance.  The Preacher wanted to say something about having faith, but decided there was no sense arguing with Old Man Sweeney.

           Changing the subject, the Preacher said, "You out here waiting on someone?"

           Sweeney spat.  "Waitin' on the government man.  He's bringin' me a check for ten thousand dollars."

            The Preacher tilted his head with a questioning look on his face.  "A check for what?"

            "Some sort of 'sessment--I'm not sure fer what.  I sent in my hunnert dollars processin' fee and they said a government man would bring me a ten thousand dollar check right to my door."

             Exhaling a deep sigh the Preacher said, "How do you know they were from the government?"

             "They said so.  That's what they tol' me and I know they're comin'"

              "Mr. Sweeney..." the Preacher's voice drifted off in exasperation.

              Sweeney clenched his fists and blurted, "What are you sayin' Preacher?  Are you callin' them liars?  The man from the government said they was comin' and I believe 'im.  If you can't believe in the government then who can you believe in?"

               The Preacher settled back into his chair pondering the scene before him.  The sun setting behind them cast a shadow of the rickety house across the barren expanse of land that passed for a front yard.   The dirt road led away from the house and disappeared into the dusty horizon.  The trees stood silently beside the road as though awaiting the arrival of a long awaited guest.


          If you missed my earlier posts about Flannery O'Connor this week, I hope you will go back and check them out.   And by all means please read at least one or two of her stories to see what you think.  I'd love to hear your thoughts after you have done so.



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...A Little Help From Our Friends: Helpful Bloggers to the Rescue

          As I have been teasing all week, today I have a special announcement.  And I guess it would be of little surprise to anyone that this announcement has something to do with the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  If this is your guess, then you are correct.

          The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is climbing toward 300 participants with a probability that we may go over this amount before the arrival of the start date.  Last year I was nearly overwhelmed by the almost 100 bloggers who participated in A to Z.  I knew that this year would be even bigger since we had a much earlier start to get the word out to the blogging community.

            Fortunately, popular bloggers Alex J Cavanaugh, Jennifer Daiker, and Talli Roland came to my rescue to make the Challenge easier to administer and be a greater success.  However we came to the conclusion that even we might not be able to satisfactorily pull this off to a point that would make the Challenge as great as it could be.  For this reason we are expanding the A to Z Team.

Here are the four added members of the A to Z Team:

Jeffrey Beesler from World of the Scribe....

Candace Ganger from The Misadventures in Candyland

Karen Jones Gowen from Coming Down the Mountain: From Reclusive Writer to Published Author....

Stephen Tremp from Breakthrough Blogs..

           Some of you may already be familiar with all or some of these bloggers.  I'll let you visit each of their blogs so you can say hello and get to know them better.  They each have their own unique strengths and talents which should help make the challenge more fun and more rewarding for all of us. 

           In the weeks to come, we will be offering our special Challenge posts to make your April a more successful race to the finish line.  Be sure to watch the posts of the A to Z Team as we present tips from our experiences in blogging, writing, and life in general.  It won't always be A to Z of course, but we hope the special posts we give you will be something you will find useful and enjoyable. 

          The A to Z Team will be here to answer your questions as best we can and provide support to your blogging efforts.  Let us know if you feel like you need some attention or any suggestions.  Don't forget though, we are also participating in the Challenge and even with the added members our capabilities are limited.  That's why there is one more team member who is the most important one of all.

           Who is that most important team member?   It's YOU!  Without the participation, interaction, and mutual support that only each one of you can give to the Challenge community as a whole, this run through the alphabet is going to be less than the best we can make it.  We're counting on you--every one of you--to see us to the end of April with a grand sense of accomplishment.

            I'll have more to say about all of this in the next few weeks.  I'm sure that our A to Z Team members will likewise have their own words of encouragement.  We're all friends here and never underestimate the power of friends.  We can do this challenge together--so let's do it! 

            There is one more request.  Over the next few days if there are any other bloggers that you think would benefit from this Challenge or who are still on the fence trying to decide if they should do it, please try to get them to sign up this weekend.  We can make it to our goal of 300 by Monday if we try.  Please do what you can.

            Now enough from me.  Head on over to the above links and visit the blogs of our A to Z Team members, say hello, and if you're not following them yet, do so now.  And don't forget to continue going through the Linky list and visit, comment, and follow.  In other words:  network, network, network. April will be here soon. 



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The Dog House

             The monkey watched us from a large cage on one end of the living room.  He watched us with wariness as he nervously nibbled peanuts, defiantly slinging discarded shells onto a worn carpet already layered with more of the same.  Two large untrimmed poodles quietly presided over the scene.

             The dogs were old and tired.  They had probably not been bathed in a very long time judging from the smell that emanated from where they stood eagerly awaiting the coming meal.  The dogs looked peaceful and benevolent.  They were like the angels of bad dog odor.

             I was sitting on a dingy couch that looked as though it had been bought years ago after having been used for more years by someone else.  Looking furtively about the room I could see that this seemed to be the general decor of this room and the rest of the house--except there had been no planning involved.  It was a chaos of frugality and bad taste.

             We were called to the kitchen where we sat at a large wooden table that was cluttered with the odds and ends of everyday life.  The dogs dutifully followed us and sat in the center of the kitchen with anticipation.  We were served a strange saucy Spaghetti from tarnished cooking pots on a stove splattered with dried remains of meals in the past.  The family scurried in the serving of the food as my friend and I sat at the table like visiting kings.

          I had agreed to stay here rather than in a motel.  I had wanted to see my old friend.   I had not known where and how he lived.  I was glad the house was small.   I was glad that they offered me the camper trailer out in the front yard.  They could have offered me the couch--next to the monkey.   At least I was going to be out there away from the house.   And at least it was free. 

          A parrot sqawked from a bird cage on the opposite side of the room from the monkey.  Plates piled with scary spagetti were set before us, steaming with a sweet spicy smell.  My friend dug into his spaghetti with gusto.  I ate with cautious bites.  The dogs watched us as we ate.   And the monkey threw shells on the floor in the living room.

A Very Special and Exciting Announcement!

            Are you ready for the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge?

            I know that some of you are ready because you've told me.   Others of you may be thinking about it and I'm hoping that today's post will get you to thinking a bit harder about it.   And then some of you may be thinking, "What's a Blogging From A to Z Challenge anyway?"

             This challenge started last year to celebrate my reaching the 200 follower mark.  I had no idea that it would take off as well as it did in the short lead time I had in 2010.  Nearly 100 bloggers participated last year with many more keeping up with the progress.  In the end most of the participants were very satisfied with having been a part of the challenge.

How does the Challenge work?

             The premise of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge is to post something on your blog every day in April except for Sundays.  In doing this you will have 26 blog posts--one for each letter of the alphabet.   Each day you will theme your post according to a letter of the alphabet.

              You will only be limited by your own imagination in this challenge.  There is an unlimited universe of possibilities.  You can post essays, short pieces of fiction, poetry, recipes, travel sketches, or anything else you would like to write about.  You don't have to be a writer to do this.  You can post photos, including samples of your own art or craftwork.    Everyone who blogs can post from A to Z.

How can this Challenge help you?

             Ask someone who did it last year.   I invite any of you who Blogged From A to Z in April 2010 to leave a comment below telling how the challenge helped you as a blogger and otherwise.   Some of the benefits that I have seen mentioned and personally experienced were improvement as a blogger and a writer, greater self-discipline,  finding new blog friends, and increasing followers to each of our own blogs.  

             This year the Challenge is being announced two months ahead of time which gives everyone plenty of time to prepare.   Taking this in into consideration I anticipate having at least 300 bloggers joining in with us and I hope you are one of them.  


And here's the best news of all!

            Last year was nearly overwhelming for me to administrate the ongoing challenge by myself.  There is no way I can expand this Challenge to 300 or more participants and expect to do it alone.  That is why I've joined up with three of the most successful bloggers and blog event organizers that I know. 
            Just in case you don't know these great bloggers and writers, let me introduce them to you:

Star blogger Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the popular science fiction novel CassaStar.  We met in last year's A to Z and he'll swear by the Challenge.  He's already organized events such as the Movie Dirty Dozen, The Top Ten TV Shows Blogfest, and the current Top Ten Music Countdown-- each one of these an unqualified success.    Alex is determined to see A to Z go to 500 participants and with him on board I think we can do it. 

Power-blogger  Jen Daiker from Unedited  jumped right into blogging last April by joining up in the A to Z Challenge.   In her short span of blogging she has amazingly passed the 1000 follower mark--I still am flabbergasted by that feat.  Blog events she has hosted or co-hosted are the Guess That Character Fest, The Great Blogging Experiment (with Alex Cavanaugh and Elana Johnson), and The Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest.   If only all 1059 of her followers blogged from A to Z with us!

Talli Roland from her self-named blog and the author of The Hating Game , her recent novel which is still doing hot business.  When Talli did her Web Splash to coincide with the release of The Hating Game, there were hundreds of fans who helped kick off the campaign with their own blogs.   She'll be in charge of our international affairs since she currently lives in London, England.   And Jen is already building her army of followers while Alex is taking control of CassaStar and the universe--it's a busy crew here.

           And if you're a regular reader of my blog then you probably know something about me, Arlee Bird--there's plenty written about me in my blog pages.    I encourage you to click on the above links to three blogs and give your greeting and, if not one already, become a follower of each of their blogs.

          Whenever you are ready to join up with us, sign up on the Linky list or if you're not sure how to do that let one of us know and we'll  add your blog to our list.  

          
Linky list is no longer accessible on this page.



          Below is a badge you can add to your blog to help advertise to your readers. If you give us a plug on your own blogs now and then we wouldn't mind that either.  This lovely badge was created by Jennifer Daiker.

          Now let's hear about your A to Z experiences, opinions, or questions.    Help us make this a big success and you become a better blogger.

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