Blog Stew--Where's the Beef?

Pepper Pot stew, slow-simmered with diced tomatoes, black beans, and seasonings. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       With the cold weather of winter coming upon us (or already upon you depending on where you are), some of us may be thinking of a nice comforting bowl of hot stew.  Even those in the southern parts of the sphere might not mind a dish of stew.   Perhaps not what your belly might be craving, I offer now some mental stew blog-style with some meat to greet your week-end.

Say It Again!



            The Deja Vu Blogfest is being revived this year by D.L. Hammons and Nicole Zoltack.  This is when you can repeat one of your blog posts from the past year that you felt was neglected and give it new life.  Even better to my thinking is that this is a great way for an underperforming blog to give readers a taste of the best of what your blog has to offer.   One day of content with minimal effort can be a win-win situation for you and your readers.   I've already signed up all four of my blogs and have 3 of the posts ready to go.  It all happens on Friday December 19th.   Sign up now!  You can find the Linky List at D.L.'s blog.


Play It Again!

        If you've been shying away from the Battle of the Bands posts I think you're missing out.   A number of music lovers have been joining us regularly to vote on their favorite versions of the songs presented in each post.  You don't have to know the songs or the groups to determine which ones you like best.  You just listen to the choices and pick the ones you prefer.  The participating bloggers add interesting bits of information about the songs and artists featured.  I try to tie in themes concerning topics that are on our minds--or at least my mind--to encourage readers to think beyond the music and stimulate discussion.  Next Battles will be coming up on November 1st so I hope you'll come over and vote for your preferences.  For more information including a participant list please visit the blog Stephen T. McCarthy created especially for this event Stephen T McCarthy Presents "Battle of the Bands".


Sleepy Sheepy Update


         I'm still helping my friend Dan Holom promote his children's book Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel.   I previously blogged about it here, here, and here.  In short, this is a clever retelling of the popular Bible story of Daniel in the Lions Den.   Dan's partner in this endeavor is illustrator and Disney animator Mark Henn. In the few weeks since its release, their book has gotten over 40 rave reviews on Amazon.  They're still looking for reviews for the book so if you'd like to help please get a copy and add your own review.   I talked to Dan just the other day and he told me that the second book of the series should be coming soon.  An informative radio interview with Dan and Mark about the process of creating their book can be found at Shine FM Chicago.  All writers--and especially writers of children's books--will find this interview very helpful.  Listen and get inspired.

Haunting Time Is Nigh



      I caught part of Tui Snider's interview on BlogTalkRadio this past Wednesday night.  What a bubbly dynamo of energy she is!  Tui's 2nd book was released at the first of October in time for the Halloween haunting season.  It appeared on the Amazon Best Seller's list soon after its release.   This book is called Paranormal Texas. It is a travel guide to haunted places near Dallas and Fort Worth.  For more information about Tui you can visit her blog.





Get Ready to Write!


          With NANO around the corner many minds will be turning to thoughts of writing and many of those writers will be consulting books for ideas, practical advice, and inspiration to write the novel they will be laboring over.   You might want to check out Story Sprouts: Voice from the Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles.   On Monday I'll tell you about the launch party that was held October 11, 2014 with a few photos for your' enjoyment.  In the meantime I hope you'll check out the book on Amazon and maybe even buy a copy for you NANO November.



Be watching the A to Z Blog for a special announcement soon to come.

        Are you planning to do NANO in November?   Are you interesting in exploring paranormal locations?  If you stay away from Battle of the Bands is there any certain reason why?

Related articles

• Be a Better Blogger: Learn from the Pros
• The Process Of Creation
• Ghosts, crusaders & aliens on fall's new-book shelf
• These 5 Writing Tools Will Help You Survive NaNoWriMo

Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel and Other Stuff

Is It or Isn't It?

Taken over the wall behind my house.

        When I saw the "NOW OPEN" sign in the window of the Habit Burger last Friday I was excited, but there seemed to be a dueling message.   Was it really open or was it "COMING SOON"?   I walked over to see for myself.  The sign on the front door said they were going to be conducting job interviews from October 13th until the 17th so I guess someone put up the "OPEN" sign too soon.   That same afternoon the "NOW OPEN" sign was replaced by "NOW HIRING".   Maybe they'll be open the following week?

        If you're wondering what this is about then you might have missed my earlier post about Habit Burger which you can find here.   I'll give a report on the establishment once I've tried it.   There is another Habit Burger being constructed a couple miles away from me in Downey.  They must be doing a real push to expand the chain.

New Book Arrival

        The 2014 compilation from Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles is here.  I was fortunate to have been invited by Nutschell Anne Windsor and Alana Garrigues as a special guest to their book release party this past Saturday October 11th.   It was an event royale.  I'll be having more on the event and the book in an upcoming post when CBW-LA does their official book release blog tour.  Some of you will be undoubtedly be contacted to help out with the tour.  

        To buy the book so you can add your review and write about it on your blog, be sure to visit Story Sprouts: Voice at Amazon.   Support this wonderful group--all book proceeds go to help out with their education programs.  The book will be a welcome addition to anyone's library.

Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel

        If you follow my blogs Wrote By Rote or A Few Words you may have read about the recent release on Kindle of the children's book Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel.   The book was originally published in 2008 and has recently been released via Amazon on Kindle.

         Since I'm always willing to help out my writer friends, I've given author and my good friend Dan Holom reviews on the book as well as spreading the word on social media.

Read more about the book in my Goodreads review:

Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel by Daniel Holom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This charming rendition of the Bible story of Daniel in the lions den is one that will delight children and parents. Illustrated by renown Disney animator Mark Henn, the visuals will captivate all who enter this story. The narrative by author Dan Holom is intelligent, but easy to understand.

"Sleepy Sheepy and Daniel" is the first of what will be a series of Bible stories presented in a similar manner. Sleepy and his animal friends Sifter, a wise old horse, and Coco, a comical camel, are characters that are apt to become classics of children's literature.

Anyone looking for values based stories that interpret the Bible in a way suitable for children will welcome this book and the others to follow. The message is not heavy handed so it should not be particularly offensive to those who are not religious. This is the kind of book that will do kids good without being too serious in doing it.

View all my reviews

          Dan and Mark hope to see a series of books after this, but a lot depends on the market.  If you'd like to support this kind of series I hope you will purchase a copy and then leave a review on Amazon and wherever else you think might help.  Check out the book on Amazon and see what you think.

          And don't forget to help us promote this by sharing this post and all of the other pages on social media as much as you can.    If I can convince Dan of the power of social media I might even be able to talk Dan into starting a blog so you all can communicate with him.

           Do you tend to leave book reviews and the like?    Where do you leave most of your reviews?   Has anybody tried Habit Burger yet?

Related articles

• Teaching Our Children
• Parallel Roads: Friendships That Span Time