#atozchallenge A is for Alex, All Kinds of Animal Families, Alpha Goddess , Avoidables, TBR or AR, #GiveThanksNotPranks

A is for https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/
I love Alex's blog because:

• Movie reviews! I often find out about films I haven't heard of or there's a discussion about a new movie that I enjoy. 
• Book releases! Often by indie authors I've heard of and want to add to my TBR. 
• Alex was on the A to Z Team back when I first took part in the challenge, and the next year when I became one of Arlee's Ambassadors. (I was upgraded to a full team member in Jan 2017, the same time Alex stepped into the consultant role and declared "No Linky List!".) Alex had kept the linky list clean, a task that took many hours every April. He runs the IWSG now- please check back on Wednesday for my post for that.       

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“All Kinds of Animal Families” is new to Usborne this year. This book features the diversity of family life through the stories of animal families. This inclusive book addresses topics of families with two moms or two dads, grandparents, adoption, and more, and is packed with animal facts as well!

https://d10323.myubam.com/p/8814/all-kinds-of-animal-families?e=2068440

"Shipping only available to USA and  military bases from the provided Usborne link." - Kathryn Mowers (Consultant for the Dorner family)

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A is for these books on my TBR pile:

• Alex Finch: Monster Hunter by Cate Dean
• Buffy Meets Supernatural in this exciting YA paranormal mystery.
• Free on Amazon
• Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard
•  immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence
• the myth of Rama and Sita’s love story - famous Hindu myth.
• Avoidables 1 (City of Unwanted Faces) by Rachel Medhurst
• In a future where people who are deemed ugly or unique are banished
• angels come to Earth to infiltrate
• Work to help the angels bring back humanity

 

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About Me question:
My theme survey results included three questions about me. Today I'll answer the first:

"Which is bigger, TBR or AR?"

Well, I never kept tracked when I was younger. In fact, I only started keeping track when I joined Goodreads in Dec 2011, about a decade ago. I read about 100 books a year in part of my teen years, and have about 250 books reviewed on Goodreads. To wager a guess, I'd say I've read about 1,500 books in my lifetime. There are about 1,200 books on my TBR (half of which I own). So I guess my already read pile is higher, though the TBR pile does grow faster than the AR pile, so it's only a matter of time... 📚📚📚📚📚📖🔖

 

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QUESTIONS: 

• Have you been to this favorite blog of mine?
• Have you read these books?
• Have you read more books than you want to read one day?
• What's your favorite flavor apple? 🍏 I like Granny Smith.

        

Please consider getting a shirt.

Thanks to:https://unsplash.com/photos/lUaaKCUANVI , https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ , https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0

*taps 🎤* Ah-hem. This is NOT a prank.

For every tweet with #GiveThanksNotPranks we give $5 to a classroom in need. pic.twitter.com/SqDYzDv0pt

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) March 30, 2021

2021 #atozchallenge Theme Survey Results

 

Thank you to the 23 readers who stopped by to answer my survey. 

I will spend April doing a mixed theme. I'll post about my favorite blogs, my TBR, answer the three questions (though I don't know what "Why did he do that?" means yet), have some flash fiction, and also recommend books for children. (I'm not a parent, but in non-Covid times I did work with children.) 

As for games, check out the main A to Z blog on THURSDAYS this April. I have a fun month planned.

J's Survey for the Theme Reveal 2021 #atozchallenge

Oh no! I spent so much time and effort on A to Z for the main blog and the Operation Awesome blog, that I forgot about my own blog! So I shall turn to you -- what should I do as my theme for April? What would interest you?

CLOSES MARCH 18

Reading Preferences and Motivations #IWSG

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!

March 3 question -

Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?



As you can see from my (pathetically small) finished book list from last year, I read from many genres. I read (or had read to me, actually) a lot of young children's books at my pre-covid job. (I only add them to my lists if I remember to write a review.) So not only do I read a wide range of genres, but I'm also willing to jump into differentt age groups. 

For example! Here's a book I've added to my Amazon wishlist. It's by my fellow Operation Awesome team member, Kate. Chasing the Taillights has a combination of a sibling bond story and an LGBTQ 🏳‍🌈 guy who has a secret crush on his best friend, and this me wanting to read it. (Knowing the author is a cool bonus.) Here's more about the book:

 Chasing the Taillights

Chasing the Taillights

Lucy and Tony share nothing except genes. Tony’s the champion diver destined for greatness. Lucy’s biggest concern is getting Cute Guy from the burger joint to ask her out.

After an accident kills their parents, the siblings are forced to rely on one another—and decide whether to reveal their secrets.

Lucy can’t tell Tony what she knows about the accident for fear of destroying the tentative bond between them. If she doesn’t confess, she might lose her mind. If she does, she might lose the only person she has left who loves her.

Tony has problems too. Between diving practice, classes and concealing the crush he has on his best friend Jake, Tony needs to find room in his life for his sister, but his own stability dwindles with every passing day.

As the siblings struggle to overcome a lifetime of past conflicts and jealousies, they discover they might have more in common than a love of rock music.

Add Chasing the Taillights on Goodreads.

Or purchase at any of these retailers.

Evernight Teen

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Some reviews:

"A heart wrenching story of survival, of hidden truths, of loneliness, confusion and guilt as two teens struggle to overcome both their loss and the barriers that have kept them strangers. Emotionally charged, filled with great dialogue, both inner and outward, the struggles feel real and powerful." - Tome Tender

"Packed with plenty to keep you gripped, this is impossible to put down." - Bibliophile Ramblings

Excerpt:

And then he’s there.

He steps into the room, his huge frame filling the doorway. He starts toward the bed then stops, his lips pressing together into a thin, white line. He drops his brilliant blue-eyed gaze to the floor for a moment and swallows hard before he looks up again. The scruffy beginnings of a beard shadow his chin.

“Hey, Lucy.” He tries to smile as he crosses to the bed, but his lips tremble too hard for it to be convincing. A muscle jumps in his jaw like a tiny fish trying to escape. “Thank you for being here, Peter.”

“I wish I didn’t have to be.” Peter gets up and gives Tony a brief hug. My brother’s arms don’t move, just hang stiffly at his sides, hands clenched into fists. 

Peter lets go and moves aside to let Tony sit next to me. “I’m going to get some coffee. I’ll be back soon.”

Tony watches him go, not turning back to me until Peter’s tall, lean figure has vanished into the hallway. When he does, his eyes are red-rimmed and exhausted. Purple crescents lie beneath them. He looks like shit, but something about the way he’s studying me makes me certain I look worse.

“Oh, Jesus, Lucy.” He shakes his head, a pleading expression on his face. “I have no clue what I’m supposed to say right now.”

I blink up at him. I need him to tell me what happened. I need him to explain it to me. I try to form the words, but they won’t come. My mouth, stitched up like a quilt, won’t shape what I need to say.

“Dad?” I manage after a long battle. “…Mom’s…” I can’t say it. If I speak it aloud it’ll be true.

I’m holding my breath. My chest aches and I let it out in a gasp. The pain is back, sharp and stabbing at my side, a dull throb in my neck and shoulder. Tony reaches out and touches the side of my face. I flinch, hating myself for it when his fingers are as gentle as rain.

“They’re dead, Lucy. They’re both dead.” His eyes lock onto mine and I know he’s telling the truth. The bleak, stunned look on his face tells me more than any words could. A sob escapes him and he starts to turn away.

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EW100 (100% off March 7 thru 13)
Writing Book Reviews As An Author by J Lenni Dorner https://j.mp/2HEn84B

PLEASE SHARE!

Operation Awesome: March 2021 Pass or Pages Entry Form! https://t.co/7UOle5Utu6#WeNeedDiverseBooks #LGBTQIA #romance #querycontest #queryletter

— J Lenni Dorner (@JLenniDorner) March 3, 2021

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Are you ready for April?

Blogging Friends #IWSG

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Louise - Fundy Blue , Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins at Womagwriter, and Nancy Gideon!

February 3 question -

Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?



It seems like such a simple question. Yet I've been struggling with it all day! And, as you can see, I've done some research. I've been in situations before where someone was surprised to learn I thought of us as friends. 😖 That is not a good feeling. 😨 And what if I left out someone who feels like we're friends? 

Yes, this month's question has found my insecurity and dragged it right to the anxiety surface. 

That being said, I'm going to name some people who I check in with about once a month, and who generally reciprocate. That's as near to the definition as it gets. Also, these are bloggers who I met via blogs, not people with whom I'm friends with who also happen to blog. (No special order.)

https://asmile4ufromjanet.blogspot.com/  - Janet is one of the nicest, kindest, warmest people in the blogosphere.

http://positiveletters.blogspot.com/ - Hilary Melton-Butcher has a blog where I always feel like I've learned something, and I love that about her.

http://jemimapett.com/blog/ - Jemima is so creative. I love visiting her site and finding she has published yet another book.
Misha Gerrick - She hasn't blogged in a year. But I hope she'll come back someday. We've had a few good discussions. 

https://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/ - Ronel and I connected during an A to Z Challenge. I love her writing style and her insights.

http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/ - Arlee and I have vastly different opinions on politics, but we both believe in blogging and the strong community it can build. Plus, he knows more about music than I'll ever learn, and that's cool. 
https://lgkeltner.blogspot.com/ - L.G. and I might be friends, or I might just be a fanboy who loves the books of hers that I've read. 

https://www.damyantiwrites.com/ - Damyanti Biswas has an incredible book out. I love her take on the world and admire her advocacy. 

https://www.dlhammons.com/ - DL and I have talked about writing several times. 

https://theoldshelter.com/ - Sarah is always fun to chat with and I love the research she puts into her writing.

https://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/ - C Lee is always great to chat with. I love the pictures she shares.
http://www.karareynoldswrites.com/index.html - Kara I met through Operation Awesome. We've had many long chats online.
https://twitter.com/CrystalCollier1 - Crystal has been away. 🧀 I shall leave out this block of cheese for her.

And finally, our Ninja Captain Alex. 

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Check out the IWSG book club on Goodreads! 

I'm honored to have written the writing craft book that's being read for Dec/Jan/Feb.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/214387-the-insecure-writer-s-support-group-book-club

#IWSG Unfinished Books #Reading

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Sandra Cox http://sandracox.blogspot.com/
Louise - Fundy Blue http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/
Ronel Janse van Vuuren http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/
J Lenni Dorner YOU ARE HERE!!! 😎
Gwen Gardner http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check out the IWSG feature on Operation Awesome.
https://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2021/01/oa-recommends-insecure-writers-support.html

January 6 question -

Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?

What most often stops me is basic spelling errors. There are dozens of free ways to check spelling. Anyone who can figure out how to upload an ebook can figure out how to run a spellcheck. I'll grant you that there are dialect variations of words, homophones trip everyone up from time to time, and typos do happen. But if I've spotted five simple errors in the first two pages, I'm done.

Offensive works are my next big issue. I returned a Kindle book for the first time ever in 2020. I couldn't make it past the first few pages. The way POC were being described made me want to vomit. 🤮 It was a YA book published in the last three years. In a rare move for me, I didn't even leave a review. I probably should have, to warn others, but I didn't. (It was 2020 and I had enough on my plate.) 

There's a Steampunk book I actually did enjoy, but not until I found out what Steampunk is. I was thrown out of the book at first because I didn't understand why certain things would co-exist in a world. I'm still not part of the fandom, but once I understood what was going on and why, I was able to enjoy the book. 

Are you a writer with real worth, even if you feel insecure?

(I vote yes.) 

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Check out the IWSG book club on Goodreads! 

I'm honored to have written the writing craft book that's being read for Dec/Jan/Feb.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/214387-the-insecure-writer-s-support-group-book-club

#IWSG Productive Writing Months

Shout-out to the awesome co-hosts for today: Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre!

December 2 question - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

Yes!

November is my most productive writing month, thanks to NaNoWriMo. 
April is my most productive blog-writing month, thanks to the A to Z Challenge. 

I've written almost half a million words during NaNoWriMo. (Don't look too closely at how many I've chucked out, especially from Proof of Existence. The third book is easy, the second book is freaking difficult! Arggh.) 

Do you take part in either of those?

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Are you in the IWSG book club on Goodreads? I'm honored to have written the writing craft book that's being read for Dec/Jan/Feb.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/214387-the-insecure-writer-s-support-group-book-club