Challenge Tip – How to Make Friends! Plus the Challenge Theme Reveal is Today

One of the goals of the Challenge, besides posting daily the letters of the alphabet, is to make friends.

The very first Challenge, there were only a hundred of us. We got to know one another over the course of the month and made lasting friendships.

Has that changed now that there are thousands of participants? No! The same opportunity to connect is there. And despite the numbers, I’ve managed to make many new friends every year. So can you.

Here are some tips on how to make friends next month:

Explore the list. Not everyone uses the coding system, but even with just blog titles, you’ll have an idea what to expect. We encourage everyone to visit five new blogs a day, starting with the one right after your own, anyway. Go through the list and note those blogs of interest.

When you find a blog of interest, follow it. Most blogs have one or more follow widgets, or an RSS Feed at the very least. Click on that Google Friends Connect, Linky Followers, or Networked Blogs widget. Show the blogger you are genuinely interested.

Comment on that person’s blog. Friendships are all about interacting and the exchange of thoughts and opinions. Comment on what that person posted about and let him know you read his post and it mattered. Blogging is all about community. Hits and visits don’t tell us much or lead to connections. Comments do.

Return comments on your own blog. That’s someone who stopped by and was interested enough to respond. Return the gesture. Continue the lines of communication. That’s how friendships are formed.

Connect with that person on other platforms–Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, etc.

Continue visiting after the Challenge ends. That’s the real test – who keeps coming back? Who wants to continue the communication? If you made a connection during the Challenge, don’t let it fade away in the months following.

Friendship takes effort. But it offers the greatest rewards. Next month, make it your goal to make some friends!


Co-host Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh is the author of Amazon Best-sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm, and his blog can be found HERE

And don’t forget – the great Theme Reveal is today!

Looking for some cool themes to follow during the Challenge? Here’s a great list to get you started:

A Roadside Attraction with the Mighty A-to-Z Challenge Assets!

Thanks to all who have been doing the 4^th annual Post-Challenge Road Trip. While we've racked up a lot of mileage visiting blogs between May and April, the last stretch of highway is a must-see before packing it in for this season. 

Speaking of the seasons changing, Stormy the Weather Gnome took Heather Gardner into their garage to unpack their road trip co-hosting activities. They will both be missed out here on the road; be sure to keep a lookout for them during the A-to-Z Challenge, as they embark on new adventures!

In the meantime, say hello to the assets of Nicole’s Mighty Minion Bureau! These ladies were in positions #53, #63 and #66, respectively, on last year’s signup list for the A-to-Z Challenge and are returning in 2015 for another year of blogging every day in April. As members of my Mighty Minion Bureau, they are also are a carefully selected team of dispatchers who keep the alphabet juice flowing through participants of the challenge.

“Special Agent” SydneyAaliyah Michelle blogs about tattoo stories, movie quotes and contemporary romance novels – including her own Hope series and Another New Life.

Vidya Sury is doing the A-to-Z Challenge with three blogs this year, including Collecting Smiles where she writes about positive messages on parenting, happiness, traveling and food.

Melanie Shultz blogs about life as an indie author and her five-year goal of building a world class publishing company; she’s already on her way, having released an alternative diction series about a private high school where students are trained to become rulers of tomorrow.

Want to know an easy way to speed through the road trip? Here's how...

If you visit every blog mentioned in this entire post today, you’ll have completed the five-blog minimum necessary for surviving the 2015 Blogging from A-to-Z Challenge. It’s a great way to develop and exercise those blog visiting muscles for April!

A-to-Z Challenge Co-Host Nicole Ayers writes about epic kissing scenes, gratitude and bathroom selfies in the workplace at The Madlab Post. Chat with her on Twitter @MadlabPost 

Meet Your A to Z Co-Host Stephen Tremp

Hi everyone, as an A to Z co-Host, today it’s my turn to do a Getting to Know Me Post. Thanks everyone for posting a question on my blog earlier this week. Okay, here we go. Everything you wanted to know about me, for better or worse. 

Q: Are you secretly working on your own Large Hadron Collider? Alex Cavanaugh 

A: Yes, I am. But I can neither confirm nor deny as it's a secret. Shhhhhhh.

Q: Where DO you stand on the Pluto issue? Barbara in Caneyland A: Glad you asked. According to Pluto’s note to NASA: Your Mom Thought I Was Big Enough, Sincerely, Pluto. So there it is directly from the source. 

Q: If given the opportunity, would you travel to outer space? Betty A: In a heartbeat. Civilian space travel is going to be very expensive, so it’ll have to be as a stowaway. I’ll lock myself in the bathroom. 

Q: Do You play "Spore"? Dr. Theda 

A: My kids do and I watch as we have one room dedicated to computers for the family. It’s hilarious as the evolving species had to adapt and keep from being eaten. 

Q: Now I'm wondering about your webbed feet. Arlee Bird 

A: Arlee, wonder no more. The answer is, oh look, a squirrel with a fuzzy tail. Um, who are we talking about again? 

Q: Are you able to be human with so many wormholes around? Hilary Melton Butcher 

A: I did go back in time and once smashed a mosquito. That one misstep changed everything in our modern day, including people. So technically, although we think we are people, we are really an entirely different race compared to what we used to be living in a perfect utopian society with no crime or disease. Sorry about that. 

Q: Can you play the guitar like Alex? Nashvullecats2 

A: I can play, just not like Alex. 

Q: You're writing a book about cats - do you have a cat of your own? L. Diane Wolfe 

A: We had cats growing up and I love them. But wifey is terribly allergic to them so we do not have a cat. 

Q: Any merit badges? C. Lee McKenzie 

A: Actually, those were demerit badges. But I’m damn proud of my Beverage Drinking Demerit badge, followed by my Belching Demerit Badge. 

Q: When were first fascinated by science? Elizabeth Spann Craig 

A: When I burned the first house at the age of five. Oops. I wonder of the statutes of limitations has run out. 

Q: Which came first? Your interest in all things related to science in space or your desire to write speculative fiction? Susan Gourley / Kelly 

A: The space and science came first and manifested in the form of art. The writing came quite a bit later. I always thought I would make a living off art. Roger Dean, artist of Yes albums, was my inspiration. Life is full of surprises. 

Q: When are we going to Mars? David P. King 

A: You and me? Dude, let’s go this weekend. We'll have an intergalactic kegger! 

Bonus Points If You Name This Movie

Q: How many other versions of you are there that exist in alternate dimensions? Dl Hammonds 

A: Since there are infinite dimensions, there are infinite Stephen Todd Tremps out there. I hope they all don’t find a wormhole and come here. Think Multiplicity with Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell. 

Marshawn Lynch: Definitely an Alien

Q: Do you believe life (extraterrestrials) exist in other parts of the universe? Chrys Fey 

A: I think they’ve arrived here and have taken over people such as politicians, famous athletes, and entertainers. Obama, Hilary, all the Bushes, Marshawn Lynch, the Kardashians (Spoiler Alert: the Kardashians are actually the Kargrandes from Alex Cavanaugh’s What Are The Kargrandes. 

Q: If you had a one time use wormhole in a suitcase when you were younger, in what situation would you have used it as an escape route? :) Jemi Fraser 

A: Getting that restraining order from Farah Fawcett. And Mary Tyler Moore. And Ginger and Maryann. Genie to. 

Q: What do you see as the next likely evolution of our species? Samantha Dunway Bryant 

A: We are all DEVO. D-E-V-O. 

Q: Do people with webbed feet still use swim fins when scuba diving? LD Masterson 

A: How the heck did that rumor get started? Oh yeah. Me. 

Did You Know: In July 2015, NASA’s spacecraft New Horizons will complete a nearly-decade-long journey to fly by Pluto, and reveal humanity's first close-up look at the distant dwarf planet. 

Fun Fact: Pluto never made a full orbit around the sun from the time it was discovered until its declassification. 

A to Z Co-Host Bio: Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and to write one of a kind thrillers. His novels are enhanced by discoveries, breakthroughs and current events in many fields of science. Understanding Albert Einstein’s famous equation E=MC2 explains how the natural and the supernatural co-exist and compliment each other. 

Stephen Tremp has a B.S. in information systems, an MBA in Global Management and a background in information systems, management, and finance. He draws from this background to write one of a kind thrillers. He lives in Orange county, CA with his wife and two daughters, a maltepoo dog, parrot, and hamster. 

Target Readers: My books will have strong appeal to 18-44 year old men and women with some college education. In addition, since the novel is written in an amalgam of genres, it will please a wide variety of audiences including thriller, science fiction, suspense, young adult, and even a little romance. 

Finally: Don't forget about the Weekend Follies at my blog. You need a good chuckle for all the hard work you put in during the week! Well, that’s it. Now you know me a little better. Thanks for stopping by. You can visit me at my Website Breakthrough Blogs.

Spring Flooding

Only two weeks left until April 1st. There's been lots of advice from veterans of the challenge and I'm here to day to offer two more bits for any and all to use or ignore.

How's this statement? Prepared to be unprepared for what happens. There are going to be days where something happens and you just can't keep up with visiting new blogs or returning comments. All of us will have days where we're flooded with other responsibilities such a family, the day job, or even the business of spring chores.

Yes, I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that winter will end. Where I live, we're getting a late start on spring cleanup and I have a sizable property to take care of. It will take me at least an entire day just to pick up all the branches that have fallen off the trees in my back acres. As soon as the snow drifts melt, I'm going to get on that.

Unexpected things are going to happen so don't stress about it. Make up for it on another day. Everyone is going to understand if you're more active on the challenge some days than others. And don't compare yourself to others. You'll visit some blogs that have dozens of comments when you get there or someone will mention that they're visiting a hundred blogs a day. Work at your own pace. It's not a competition.

One of my Dragon Soldiers, Sabina Leybold, asked as a joke on our weekly #azchat on Twitter if it was cheating to have guests during A to Z. Only if being smart is cheating! Having guests could save you lots of time. So far I only have one, but that could expand.

For you veterans, what unexpected event has disrupted your A to Z in past years? Has winter put back your usual spring chores? Are you having guests during April? Have you joined us at all on the Twitter chats every Thursday, 1-2 pm and 8-9 pm?

Meet the wHooligans!

Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone!

Hope you are all enjoying the day of green, orange, and blarney! Since my team is the wHooligans, and hooliganism is a favorite Irish pastime, I figured today to be the perfect day to introduce ourselves!

My name is AJ Lauer. I'm an author and educator based in the Front Range of Colorado. You can find me at my site, or on Twitter @ayjaylauer. I wrote an interactive apocalyptic fiction novel called Armageddon: Pick Your Plot in a crazy two week writing spree with a friend. It's great fun. You should check it out :)

Here are my answers to some of the questions posed by our readers a couple weeks ago:

Q: What is THE Tip you would like to share with the people who would be doing the A to Z Challenge for the first time?

A: Visit, visit, visit! Our list contains so many talented people with great ideas. Go see what is out there :) 

Q: How do you manage your time during the A to Z Challenge? 

A: Very carefully! So usually I've got about 60% of my posts written before April starts, and I do the other 40% on the fly. This year my theme involves audience participation, so I'll be writing every evening. I find that visiting folks is great to do during my lunch hour at work. It's a nice way to pass an hour.

Q: After you successfully complete the 2015 A to Z, and they stick television cameras in your face and ask "So, what are you going to do now", what will you answer?

A: I just did something that is perhaps a little crazy. I signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo, which is also occurring in April. So I will probably just grunt and grumble something about words before shoving my head under my pillow.

Q: Isn't it phenomenal?

A: I am awed by how phenomenal it is. I get out to appreciate our world whenever possible. (see the above picture!)

And now... A brief introduction for my wHooligan team!

Sue McPeak

TaMara Sloan @peedeemama

Shilpa Garg @shilpaagarg

LuAnn Braley @kentuckygal

Kripali Kulkarni @precarious_me

These ladies are fantastic. They'll be working hard all month to say hi to as many participants as possible, so go pay them a visit to say thanks in advance! :)

Themes. Themes. Themes.

The first year I did the A to Z, I didn't use a theme. To be honest, I didn't know that most people did use themes. I didn't do much advanced planning that year, either. Every morning I wrote a post, alphabetical, of course, so I got that right. And I visited as many blogs as my nimble brain and fingers allowed, then I patted myself on the back. Great job!

What I discovered was the bloggers who created thematic posts were the most interesting to visit. Guess what? The second year I had a theme.

To wax a bit nostalgic  here are some of the themes that I thought were the most exciting in the 2014. I couldn't get around to the hundreds out there, so I know there were others I would have put on this list.  Here are a few that I returned to daily and really enjoyed.

• Lexa Cain
• Hillary's Positive Letters
• Michelle Wallace's Writer in Transit
• J.L. Campbell's Character Depot

Why were these among my favs? Here are the qualities these bloggers brought to the Challenge.
They were

• informative
• humorous
• fun with puzzles or games to play
• short or with lots of white space
• well-written
• easy on the eye (no fancy dark background with green fonts or flashing gifs)
• no word verification

This year I'm looking forward to finding more favorites, and I have a feeling that the themes I'll gravitate to will have these qualities.

Ready? Set? Almost GO!

Post A to Z Road Trip! - Stormy and I Pahk the Cah in the Gahrage.

It's been almost a year since Tina and Nicole asked me to be a part of the Road Trip.

I was thrilled and honored to be asked by them, two women that I highly admire.

I still have all of Tina's emails, about the Challenge and the Road Trip, and I still get choked up when I see them.
We miss you, Tina.

Nicole did a fantastic job on the Road Trip. I enjoyed working with her very much.

Stormy and I had an incredible journey going through so many wonderful blogs. I hope we shared a few that you found interesting, informative, and fun. That was our intent.

Stormy and I will be putting the ol' Road Trip car in park and unpacking our bags, but we wanted to say thank you to those of you that came along for the ride.

Tom Cochrane - Life Is A Highway

You can come see us anytime at my blog, The Waiting is the Hardest Part.

Characters Who Blog

We're less than a month away from the kick-off of the A to Z Challenge, so I thought I'd give you a little inspiration in the form of one of the best literary and film characters of all time. He's certainly one of the most quotes, for his catchphrase is hard to forget . . . 

I hope you enjoyed my take on what Inigo Montoya's A to Z Blog might look like. And I hope it did it's part to get you a little more excited about the upcoming challenge. If you haven't already signed up, there's still time! 

And if you want to get people excited about your theme for this year's A to Z, don't forget to sign up for The Great and Powerful Theme Reveal blogfest happening on March 23rd. Sign up here and join us!

Happy Wednesday everyone, and as always, happy blogging!

S. L. Hennessy can be found blogging at Pensuasion. 

Meet Your Co-Host - J.L. Campbell

My name is Joy and I’ve been blogging since 2008. Since that time, blogging has become an important part of my online presence. The year 2011 was the first time I did the A-Z Challenge and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This year, I'll be a co-host during the Challenge, which is a first for me.

Somehow, I’ve never been able to write all of my posts prior to the start of the Challenge, but that hasn’t prevented me from participating fully each April. If I would take the time to collate my Challenge themes over the years, I’d have several books worth reading.

So a little about me …

I live in Jamaica and have been reading novels and writing stories since childhood. My books are published under the name/s J.L. Campbell and Jayda McTyson. I was lucky enough to get three publishing contracts in a short time span. Since then, I’ve self-published a number of romantic suspense, women’s fiction, new and young adult books. Needless to say, I love writing!

Some extras about me:

J.L. Campbell, A-Z Co-host

I can't stand seeing animals or children suffer

Documentaries that cover strange subjects fascinate me *don't ask*

I never go out without lipstick

Etymology fascinates me

I never go to bed early unless I'm ill, which is rarely

I’ve always enjoyed the Challenge and look forward to participating again this year. Have you settled on a theme yet? Written up all your posts?

I’m still looking for helpers, so if you’re reliable and can help with visiting blogs, do leave me a comment and I'll come stalk contact you.

For visits and such, my website is at www.joylcampbell.com and my Amazon author page is here.

Getting to Know Your Co-Hosts – Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

This marks my sixth year participating in the Challenge and my fifth year as a co-host. The very first year, it changed my blog forever, and I have been a big supporter ever since.

My followers nicknamed me the Ninja Captain, and those who follow my blog are part of the Ninja Army.

By day, I work in web design, graphics, and technical editing.

By night, I am a musician and play guitar in a Christian band. I’m also an author, and my genre is science fiction-space opera. My first three books, CassaStar, CassaFire, and CassaStorm, were all Amazon best-sellers in the US and UK.

My next (and possibly last) book, Dragon of the Stars, comes out April 7. (Yes, right in the middle of the Challenge! My hope is to just survive until the end of April.) I have a special site set up for the book – What Are the Kargrandes? – with new clues every Monday until its release.

I’m also the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. In addition to the monthly blog posts every first Wednesday, we have a website, a Facebook group. and the IWSG Critique Circle.




Other random facts:
I’m a big movie buff and feature reviews on my blog. My goal is to reach the end of NetFlix one day.
I can be bribed with Hot Tamales.
I’m a fan of all things science fiction, fantasy, and geek-related.
I’m a die-hard fan of RiffTrax and Mystery Science Theater 3000. (And even got to interview my idols HERE!)
I visit a lot of blogs in a day because yes, I do have clones.
Music has always been a part of my life and I’ve played many instruments. Wanted to be a rock star…

I’m a man of mystery, although Mini-Alex likes the camera.
I’m married, no kids, and a born-again Christian.
And ironically, I never even wanted to be an author…



From the questions asked: 

Barbara from Life and Faith in Caneyhead: What would you do if your pc died in the middle of the AtoZChallenge?

Implode? Actually, we have several computers and iPads, so I’d be all right.

Beth from A Bench With a View: How do you manage your time during the A/Z challenge? Other than having all written before the challenge begins, any other tips you can share?

Pace yourself. Don’t come out of the gates too fast or you’ll burn out. I also recommend clones…

LuAnn fromBack Porchervations: After you successfully complete the 2015 A to Z, and they stick television cameras in your face and ask "So, what are you going to do now", what will you answer?

Sleep for a week!

Everyone have a great time with the Challenge!

Find me here –
Blog, Twitter, Google+,Goodreads, What Are the Kargrandes? and at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Stormy's Sidekicks. They're real and they're spectacular!

It's time to introduce the most wonderful team a Co-Host could ask for!

I would let Stormy do it, but he's under a few more inches of new snow. I may or may not dig him out.


Sarah Foster from The Faux Fountain Pen! Sarah is a writer, reader, blogger and cupcake maker extraordinaire. She's very funny and doesn't give herself enough credit about her writing or her charm. She's been a great support to many on the Insecure Writer's Support Group and to me on my blog. Thanks for hookin' me up with your awesomeness, Sarah!



Jennifer L. Hawes from The Writing Game! Jennifer is the author of Free Runner, mother of two teenagers, photographer and former teacher. When she's not driving her sons around like a taxi driver, she's hard at work on her new novel.

Diana Gordon from Part Time Monster! This is a collaborative blog that's described as '...a community of monsters.' They talk about book, games, TV shows, movies, music, gaming and much, much more. Diana's super smart and already been a big help! I appreciate her willingness to jump in with both feet!

Let's give our friends a big mushy welcome hug! Thanks for joining my team!


(mmphhffpm)

What was that Stormy?

(mpfhgmmph)

Okay, I'll get the shovel.


Have you joined the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge yet?




Heather M. Gardner

Blog: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Twitter: @hmgardner

Facebook: Facebook/HeatherWritesRomance

Goodreads: HMGardner

Co-Host: Blogging from A to Z April Challenge

Member: Insecure Writer's Support Group

Member: Blog Blitz 2.0

Super Massive Black Holes and Other Cool Stuff

Yes, black holes are in the news again. Bigger and badder and better than ever. It is generally accepted that at the core of every galaxy lies a supermassive black hole (SMBH). These behemoths are many times the size of ordinary black holes. 

And unlike your garden-variety stellar-mass black hole, supermassive black holes didn’t form from a collapsing star; rather, they formed.... well, we actually don’t know how they formed. But we do know just how big they are. An ordinary black hole can have about five to several tens of times the mass of the Sun (solar masses), where our own galaxy’s SMBH has about four million solar masses. 

We know they're out there, but we don't know how they got there. A new SMBH has now been discovered with about twelve billion solar masses. By itself, that’s not unprecedented; others have been discovered with roughly the same mass. 

What’s astounding about the new discovery is the extreme distance of the SMBH—about 12.8 billion light-years from Earth—and hence, how quickly after the Big Bang it formed. To form within the first 875 million years of the Universe’s history, or a mere six percent of its age, has scientists scratching their heads as to how this could be. The more we discover, the more questions we end up with. Reference 

Did You Know: Scientists believe there are rogue black holes wandering around out there travelling, perhaps hundreds in our Milky Way Galaxy. Let’s hope one doesn’t come our way. That would be a bad day for our solar system. 

But Wait, That’s Not All: Astronomers have spotted what appear to be two super massive black holes at the heart of a remote galaxy, circling each other like dance partners. The incredibly rare sighting was made with the help of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. Let’s hope there are no rogue binary super massive blacks holes wandering around out there. 

Finally: I’m working on cover art for my latest book Salem’s Daughters and would greatly appreciate it if you could stop by my blog and give me your opinion on the three concepts I have. Thanks and hope you enjoyed today’s post. 

You can visit Stephen Tremp at his Website Breakthrough Blogs. Stop by Friday through Sunday for the Weekend Follies, a great way to get a few laughs as you wind down the work week.

Simulcasting Your Wordpress Blog On Blogger

I have two blogs... okay, I have one blog, The Sound Of One Hand Typing, and I simulcast it on a second blog, The Sound Of One Hand Typing FM. The difference between the two blogs is that the first runs on the Wordpress platform, the second on Blogger.
Why do I do this? A few reasons:

• Being a technical person at heart, I wanted to see if I could do it, and if so, what differences there would be between the more-familiar Wordpress platform and the Blogger platform.
• I wanted to increase my outreach. I went with Wordpress because it was easier to move to a self-hosted blog when I felt the time was right, and I liked its editor better. Still, I knew that Blogger was the more popular platform, and I also knew I probably wasn't getting my name out to Blogger users as well as to the Wordpress ones.

I wanted to make it easier for people to comment. It's easier to comment on a Wordpress blog if you're a Wordpress user, just as it's easier for Blogger users to comment on Blogger. The alternatives (e.g. moving commenting to Facebook, installing a third-party commenting tool like Disqus) were either impractical or impossible, and they would alienate people, what I wanted to avoid in the firsst place.
You're probably thinking I do a lot of work to maintain two blogs, but I don't, because I have help: If This Then That, IFTTT (rhymes with "gift") for short. IFTTT uses recipes that consist of triggers ("this") and actions ("that"), like this one:
If there's a new post on the Wordpress blog, post it on the Blogger blog.
Here's a video that shows how the process works.

So, I can use the Wordpress editor I like, write and publish my articles, and IFTTT takes care of reposting on the Blogger side. Usually...
There's a lot more technical information that I'll post on my websites (along with a few "gotcha"s), but that's an overview of how I'm doing it. Feel free to contact me on this blog, either of my blogs, or on Facebook or Twitter with comments, questions, complaints, deep thoughts, bowling scores, or just if you'd like to say howdy. ETA: The technical post is now up on my blog; you can find it here.