Meet Your Co-Hosts – Mini-Alex Introduces Ninja Captain Alex #atozchallenge

Mini-Alex here!

I’m to give you the inside scoop on A to Z Challenge Co-Host, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Why me? Because I’m not afraid of the spotlight. Alex likes his privacy and stays in the shadows. I guess Ninjas aren’t supposed to be seen, right?

So it’s up to me to tell you about him!

Alex started blogging over four years ago when his publisher told him to get his butt online. He participated in the very first Challenge in 2010 and has been a co-host ever since. Says that first Challenge changing his blog forever.

Alex is also the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. IWSG for short. Writers with blogs post the first Wednesday of every month. They can also join the Facebook IWSG. There’s also a IWSG Website - a database of sites and information for insecure writers. About a thousand people participate one way or another. (Writers are an insecure, squirrely bunch, aren’t they?)

I mentioned his publisher earlier. Yeah, Alex is an author. He has a space opera trilogy - CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm. They’re all Amazon Best Sellers. (Not sure how when I’m not in any of the stories, but we’ll let that slide.) He’s working on another book now. And to think he didn’t even want to be an author!

That’s probably because he’s also a musician. Alex plays guitar in a Christian rock band. He has a lot of guitars, but none are as cool as mine.

If you visit his blog, you’ll discover he likes to talk about movies, music, games, and other geek stuff. Alex also has a feature called the Ninja News where he highlights the achievements of his blogger buddies. He’d rather put the spotlight on others than himself.

And sorry Ninja SAM, he’s also married.



There you have it!

Now, where’s that Mini-Kate you promised?



You can find Alex: Blog, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Want to Grow your #Blog via the #AtoZChallenge ?

Today we have Mary Wallace talking to us about how A to Z April Blogging Challenge helped her blog, and what an  A to Z  first timer can do to reap benefits from the challenge!
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When I first started blogging, I did so with a very specific purpose in mind, which lasted about five minutes. I started blogging, because at the time, I was homeless and thought that I had GREAT and IMPORTANT things to say about that. It turns out I didn’t; or at least not in any way that was interesting. So, I told stories and the stories turned out to be pretty damned amusing at times. Last year, in 2013, I found the A-to-Z Challenge and really enjoyed it—it helped me focus on my blog.

There are a few things about the A to Z Challenge that sets it apart from others, and I believe they help immensely in “growing” your audience, or at least offering the opportunity to do so:

• The challenge is a month long and requires precisely 28 posts. The posts should be short and punchy (Or not, if your niche audience is happy with long posts). They can be funny, lyrical, whatever.
• You can pick a “theme” (Join the A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal if you do), or not.   
•  By participating, you’ll meet people from all over the world with so many different interests and varied cultures and it will give you a chance to learn and share with your new friends!
• By meeting new people and interacting, they will be sure to spread the word about your blog: Don’t forget to use Twitter, G + and Facebook!
• If you are new to blogging, this is THE PERFECT CHALLENGE because the rules are short and sweet and there are scads and scads of people to help you along the way!
• Here are a few posts that will make it easy for you to do the challenge once you sign up:

1. Reading the A to Z Challenge FAQ post by Nicole Ayers
2.  Oodles of Ideas for Finding Your AZwords by Tina Downey
3.  Make Commenting Easy by Alex J Cavanaugh
4. Pre-schedule Your Posts by Damyanti Biswas
5.  Ace the Challenge through Social Media by Vidya Sury
6. How to get more Followers for your blog by Arlee Bird 
7. Get your Google Profile Right by MJ Joachim 
8. Make Lasting Blog Relationships through A to Z Challenge by Guilie Castillo Oriard 
9.  Don't get busted by the Photo police by Pam Margolis
10. The Dreaded conversation about CAPTCHA by MJ Joachim
11.  10 Tips to Ace the A to Z Challenge by Damyanti Biswas
12. How to Hyper Blog like a Pro by Nicole Ayers

So, there you have it! There is no reason NOT to sign up for this challenge. I had so much fun last year and made many new friends. I am a bit different in that I am “retired” which is a polite word for disabled and I do not blog to make money, but I associate myself with the very best in the business, as I did when I worked.

The co-hosts set high standards and this is a chance to prove to yourself that yes, you can blog from A to Z and write wonderful posts and have fun doing so!
 
Have you joined the A to Z April Blogging Challenge yet?

Have questions? The first ever Twitter chat for Blogging from A to Z April Challenge will happen today, 28 February, at 6PM EST on the hashtag #AZchat. Come chat with us, exchange A to Z challenge tips and tricks, ask questions of A to Z challenge veterans and co-hosts. See you on Twitter this evening!

Getting to Know Your Fellow #bloggers #atozchallenge #foodblogs

Featuring Food Blogs

What better time to celebrate food than than with the weekend coming up? Well, if you’re like me, you might want to celebrate food every day of the week. There are so many good things to eat, ways to make them and then add in the idea of growing your own food. It’s a done deal! You won’t be disappointed when you visit these fine food blogs!

Hungry Enough to Eat Six: It’s all about recipes sure to make your mouth water on this food blog. Easy organization, complete with recipe index and recipes by category will make finding what you’re looking for a breeze. Having browsed through quite a few of these recipes, and knowing my way around the kitchen a bit, I believe it’s safe to say, you won’t be disappointed.


Service from Heart: If you enjoy oriental food, you’re in for a treat with this blog. The recipes are detailed with lots of pictures; the presentation is delightful. Visitors are also treated to intriguing stories about Singapore and the surrounding region. Service from the Heart is truly a unique food blog, with lots of things to share and enjoy.


Growing Our Food: Enjoy the lessons brought to you from a food & garden blogger in South Africa when you visit this blog. If you’re interesting in self- sustained living, growing your own food is a great way to do it. You’ll learn about gardening, food preparation and preservation.  Growing Our Food shares resources and lots of information to help you succeed in the garden. It doesn’t matter where you live, this blog provides valuable information for all.


Notes from the Tomato Lady: Who knew there were so many varieties of tomatoes out there? The plants are exquisite, the garden tips divine and the recipes sound positively delicious! It’s not just about tomatoes however. This blog also has recipes and tips about peppers and onions too. One of the things I like most about this particular blog is the organization. It’s so easy to find whatever you might be looking for here.


Jo on Food, My Travels and a Scent of Chocolate: My mouth practically waters every time I read the recipes Jo shares on her blog. Saturday is a designated recipe day over there, so get ready for some mouth watering food! Truth be told, Jo shares recipes on way more days than Saturday. Jo provides clear instructions, along with photos that will make you want to stop whatever you’re doing to whip up a batch of whatever she’s making. More than that, you get a bird’s eye view of Jo’s wild side, as she shares humorous anecdotes of her journey through life.

So there you have it. Betcha can’t wait to warm up your frying pan and start sizzling in the kitchen. Sounds like a plan to me!

M. J.

©2014 All Rights Reserved
Photo credit: David Lorenzana, Rueda de los alimentos, CCA-Share Alike 2.5 Generic License