Oh how I miss you!

Oh, how I miss you blogfest is hosted by Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish make sure to stop by their blogs and say hello!

This blogfest is all about the bloggers we really miss…and the ones we would really miss!

Do you have a couple blogger buddies who aren’t posting as often? Those who’ve pulled back and seem absent from the blogging world? Do you have blogger buddies you are grateful they are still around and would miss if they vanished? Now is your chance to show your appreciation and spotlight them! Just list one to three bloggers you really miss and one to three bloggers you would miss if they stopped blogging. Then go leave a comment on those blogs.

Our blogger friends are special – time to let them know!

Melynda Fluery had a blog called Crazy World. Her world was crazy, chaotic, fun and full of humor. She was one of my first blogging friends and my first critique partner. Unfortunatley after she lost her eyesight, the struggle of maintaining a blog became too much for her and she had to stop. Melynda, if you happen to trip over this post, I MISS YOU!

It goes without saying that everyone would miss Alex if he stopped blogging. There are two special men  that I would miss terribly if they stopped. One is my cyber brother Michael Di Gesu and the other is my spirit brother Roland Yeomans. I hope neither of you ever stop blogging, but if you do, I know you will be my friend forever no matter what. If you haven't already checked out these incredibly talented writers you will find them IN TIME and WRITING IN THE CROSSHAIRS!

So who would you miss? Hope everyone has a fantastic week-end!

Troll Party With Minnie

Here we go Minnie fans! Finally she gives up looking for more gamers and ends the story on her own. This is how she and her loyal friends made a story about a lonely troll.

The Troll

 

The troll wiped the snot from his smiling face. He flung it at the mushrooms growing out of the walls of his tiny cave and stormed towards the exit, hoping they would follow him to the movie theater--- Maybe if they saw the dancing mushrooms in Fantasia, they would also start to dance. But the mushrooms had other ideas. they didn't appear to want to dance, in fact they didn't seem to want to do anything remotely fun. 

"You ain't no fungi!" the troll sniffed. "I'm going to squash you into the ground with my club." 

The troll raised his trunk-like club, swung, and missed the mushrooms as they flared into bright green hulk sized terror with snapping jaws that quickly approached him. The troll laughed, he had another plan as he threw down his club and dug in his nose for some more snot. He threw it against the far side of the cave and the music began to play, colored lights filled the once dark space around them, the magic snot made Sponge Bob appeared and the mushrooms couldn't help themselves but want to dance.

Finally the lonely troll had company for a party!

Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh, Suzanne Furness, and Michael Di Gesu for playing!

 

This is Gibberish, come back on the last friday of this month if you want to play!

Time for Travel!

When I found out that my brother was planning on taking a trip to Paris without me knowing I was upset! Oslo and Paris are not so far apart and after living in europe for over 20 years I still have not been to Paris!

I said something like this to him:

"Now I have been waiting years to sip wine at a french bistro on the Champs-Élysées and travel the halls of the Louvre, but little brother Castles are a must. Whether you like it or not I am meeting you in Paris and we are going to spend some time at the Grand Palais.

Now you may think you are sneeky, but I got a hold of your travel plans ...yes, I have inside sources... and I have a treat for you! We are having dinner with the president of France, Marie François Sadi Carnot, so make sure you pack something nice to wear! It's not every day you get to travel back in time!"

There was a lot of static on the phone line. He wouldn't leave without me...would he?

Michael.....You There?

***

Today is the big cover reveal and blog hop celebration for PK HREZO'S New book!

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated

We are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Conference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.  

********************************************************************************
So, the question is, if YOU could walk into Butterman Travel, Inc. and book a time trip, where and when would you book it to? Now, in the story, there are rules and regulations--you can't just book a trip anywhere/anytime, which is why you need a certified time-craft pilot and trip guide. There are paradox factors and parallel shifts to consider, and if the government catches you in a violation, you better believe you'll be in some deep doo-doo. 

But for the purpose of this blogfest,PK set those rules aside so everyone can be free to have some fun. To learn more about how commercial time travel operates, and how the government wants to have full control of it, pick up your copy of Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. when it launches on 

                            November 12, 2013
                      

Here's the list of all those participating in today's theme. Hop around and see where they'd pick their time trip to. Should be very interesting and loads of fun!

Norse Gods on Tour and Giveaway!

 

The Norse Gods go on tour this week to celebrate the release of my new book, Secrets of the Ash Tree.To start off my blog tour is the amazing and talented Michael Di Gesu who I was fortunate enough to have illustrate my book cover. I couldn't be more proud or happy to call him my cyber brother, he truely is the best brother one could ever ask for. Please stop by his blog In Time and see what the Norse gods have to say today.

Each day this week I will be giving away prizes which include an autographed copy of Secrets of the Ash Tree including a print of the Freya illustration, a 15 dollar gift certificate from Amazon, assorted norwegian chocolates and trolls. Come back tomorrow for a peak at my inspiration for writing the Secrets of the Ash Tree and a trip to the most unusual club called Meilori's.

See the raffle giveaway below.

Did you forget something?

The days are getting shorter, the nights longer, and with this darkness there comes this nagging voice inside my head that repeats itself-----"YOU are forgetting something..."

With all the blogfests, book releases, giveaways, and blog tours this month it is hard to keep track, isn't it? I don't know about you but I pretty much depend on a certain ninja to keep me informed about these things. Now when it comes to my personal life that's a different story, I know that I have forgotten something because someone is always reminding me of that.

"Did you forget to wash my favorite jeans?"-------"Did you forget to take out the trash?" -----"Did you forget about your dentist appointment?"--------"Did you forget to record that show?"

"YES, OK I FORGOT! I was busy writing, I forgot to make dinner too if that makes you feel any better!" 

Sound familiar? Sometimes a reminder helps so today I am reminding all my friends that next week is the official release of my new book Secrets of the Ash Tree. All week long I will be taking the Norse Gods with me on tour. First stop is this Monday at In Time with Michael Di Gesu.You can see the rest of the schedule on the side bar of my blog. Find out what Odin, Thor, Loki and Freya really think as you get the inside scoop each day. I hope to see you there!

 Secrets of the Ash Tree Available Now

Available at Amazon.com

In the realm of gods and fairy tales the mystery of life is an endless path with many secrets to be discovered. Some secrets are like dreams, just waiting in darkness hoping to get into the light.
 

Have you ever held a secret that you were dying to share, but couldn’t? Have you ever uncovered a secret that you wished had remained buried? What if secrets could change your life and everything that you believe in?

‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ is the story about Liv, a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of hidden secrets. Her adventures begin when she digs up a chest that was buried by her father under the old ash tree in her garden. What she finds inside the chest changes her life forever.  Liv discovers one secret after another and is thrown into a world full of dangerous and strange creatures, mighty Norse warriors and perils beyond her belief. What started out as a fairy tale in her father’s journal was to become her legacy, a guide line to survival, and a map to the world she was about to enter. Each day, each mystery, each encounter will ultimately reveal her true destiny and behind the edge of a sword awaits a young god who is willing to share that destiny with her.

“I’ve been fascinated by Norse tales since I was a child and it was a delight to discover I can continue them as an adult. Reading ‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ was like rediscovering old friends yet this tale is darker than the simple ones I used to read. For example, Thor is much deeper than the character I remember who threw a hammer and lightning bolts about. Odin and Freya are fully rounded figures, truly life-like yet inhabiting a world far more colorful than our own and full of raw power. The author does not hold back on the scheming, evil Loki or on the cruel Frost Giants. Expect to meet an array of malevolent as well as benevolent dwarfs and Nidhogg the dragon.

This is a story of the tenacity, sacrifice and courage of a young woman, and of good versus evil in which the gods struggle to maintain their grip on the world. I thoroughly recommend it to those who love Norse tales.”--- Susan Roebuck, author of Hewhay Hall and Perfect Score

Have a wonderful week-end everyone and stay safe!

IWSG: RULES FOR BEING A WRITER and SOME NEWS

Another first Wednesday of the month, proving once again just how fast time flies. As usual my blog calendar is marked off for the Insecure Writers Support Group, and this month I am reposting my most popular blog post (according to blogger stats) Minnie has some words of wisdom (Minnie-isms) to share with you. I do not always agree with Minnie but one thing is for sure, she is the least insecure “person” I know of.

 

Rules for Being a Writer by Minnie:

1.       Be true to yourself. There is no point in trying to be a copycat.

2.       Dress yourself in the style you are comfortable in, not what others tell you. This is YOUR fashion statement!

3.       Go somewhere new and exciting every day, even if it is only in your mind.

4.       If you are going to write bullshit then you should be prepared to get bullshit back. In other words, be prepared. Know what you are writing about.

5.       Not everyone is going to like you. Who cares? You don’t like everyone either! There is always someone out there that will like what you write, so don’t give up looking.

6.       If the water is too deep then learn how to swim. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or learn a new skill.

7.       Practice makes perfect. Don’t expect a magic genie to appear and do all your work for you.

8.       Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses. How you get to the finish line is more important than when you get there.

9.       Too many weeds strangle a garden. Get rid of weedy words and unnecessary flourish so the reader can better enjoy his journey through your story without getting Poison Ivy.

10.   Remember there is always a beginning, middle and an end. Stay on the path and don’t get distracted. Most of all….WRITE!

Want to see what others in this group have to say, check out the Insecure Writers Support Group.

 

Now that Minnie got all that off her chest, I have some news for you. My blog tour with the Norse Gods celebrating the release of my new book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, starts next week on Monday October 7th. Also, there will be a Norse Gods birthday blogfest(Co hosted by Capt. Ninja himself, Alex Cavanaugh) and giveaways all week so make sure to sign up and stop by! Here is the schedule:

 

So What do you think of Minnies rules? All signed up to party with Captain Ninja and the Norse Gods?

EYE SPY GOOGLE SPIDERS!

Have you ever watched some of those TV shows like American Idol, So you think you can dance, or any other show that asks the public to vote for their favorite? Do you ever check your blogger stats and find yourself amazed at the results? Eye Spy's Pink Panther has been on the prowl again and he has found out some interessting things. Go ahead, look at your stats and let me know if you found anything surprising!

This is what he found out:

The countries that visit me most are in order: The United States, Russia and the United Kingdom. Lately for some reason Russia has moved to number one and France has replaced the United Kingdom. Norway is always trailing behind as number four; fighting for this position with Sweden…..I would have never guessed…

The blog post most visited all time is THOR…No surprise, followed by the Games Blogfest  hosted by Alex Cavanaugh….Lately the post that has been getting the most hits is one made by Minnie, she seems to have gone viral, it is a post for The Insecure WritersSupport Group made almost a year ago! It seems that Alex, being the Ninja that he is, has boosted my blogger search results. Make sure you visit the Insecure Writers Support Group next Wednesday, maybe you will get the most votes from whatever spider is lurking in the mighty Google search engine!

For some more news, go visit Michael Di Gesu’s blog. He has some exciting news today so go to his blog and wish him some of your good luck! Minnie is also sitting around watching the sunset disappear. She needs some help finding it so please pay her a visit!

What has your stats revealed? Do you love my new book illustration by the talented Michael Di Gesu? What about poor Minnie, should she continue with Gibberish stories or is she a lost cause?

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Secrets of the Ash Tree Cover Reveal

Today is the day for the big book cover reveal and I am so excited to show it to you! Michael Di Gesu stepped in and saved the day when my original plans for a cover fell through. Michael is a wonderful friend and a special kind of brother. He has given me the kind of support and encouragement that only family can give. We may not share the same blood, but our souls truly do connect from Chicago to Norway. Make sure you visit his BLOG  and tell him what you think of his cover design. Maybe he can do yours. He also offers other wonderful services like writing blurbs and intros.

 Michael has a special treat for you today. Not only is he revealing the front cover but he has the back cover illustration posted on his blog as well!

SO HERE IS THE BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION MICHAEL DID FOR MY FIRST BOOK!

 

A teaser from 'Secrets of the Ash Tree.'


As she approached the closet and slowly opened the door, a stench filled the room. Panic stopped her from moving any further and raised every hair on her body. Through the darkness and inside the shadows lingered a half human shape of what must have been a man. Slowly, with clawlike fingers, it cranked up one of her old toys, and his yellow eyes glowed with evil as he laughed again before singing along in an odd inhuman voice.

"Round and round the cobbler’s bench
The monkey chased the weasel,
The monkey thought ’twas all in fun
POP, goes the weasel!

      Just then, the music stopped, and the small figure of a clown jumped out of the jack-in-the-box, causing Liv to startle and tip over the glass on her desk. Standing there like a puppet frozen in time, she watched as the toy master turned his glowing eyes toward her. Not a single inch of her body listened as she stood there begging to run. Out of the shadows and closer he came, until he stood there in front of her. Pieces of long black hair clung to patches of skin that hung from his head and face. Towering over her, he put his large claws on Liv’s shoulders and drew her near. His foul breath lapped at the air as he said, “So nice to finally meet you, Princess.” He made a crooked bow and then continued to speak with a strange drawl as if half drunk, or as if the words felt strange on his tongue. “Let me introduce myself. I am the one and only blood brother of the almighty Odin, father of all gods. You may call me Loki.” When Liv didn’t say anything, Loki continued to speak.
      “My, you are a pretty little thing. Not what I expected at all.” He paused then took one of his knifelike fingers and traced it slowly over Liv’s breast. “I can feel your heart beating like a scared little rabbit underneath that pale pink skin of yours.” Tilting his head, he leaned over and smelled the small of Liv’s neck, and she shivered as his long tongue swept over her skin, tasting it like a piece of candy. He pushed Liv away, took a step back, and made an attempt to pout.
      “You can make this easy and just give me the necklace. I know you found it . . .” On the verge of tears, he pulled off a chunk of his hair and squawked, “Just look at what’s happening to me!” He then peeled away a small part of his face and exposed an open sore that oozed with puss. Slowly, he composed himself and continued, “My own daughter, Hel, did this to me, and you, my scared little rabbit, are going to help me fix it. All I need is that necklace, and I can get rid of this wretched curse!” Loki backed away and studied her closely, and then tilting his head to the side, he said, “You don’t know what you are, do you?”

Secrets of the Ash Tree available soon everywhere!

If everything goes as planned the Blog tour will run from Monday October 7-14 with a real big birthday FEST on October 9th with Alex Cavanaugh. Giveaways and prizes! Spread the word blogging friends we are in for a big ROCK AND ROLL---LITERALLY! Mark your calendars for party time with Captain Ninja, and the Viking gods! There are some big surprises in store and a treasure chest waiting to explode. If you want to contribute to the secrets in the chest, let me know! Email me at sivmariaottem@gmail.com.

Are you ready to spread the word? Do you love the cover of my book? Do you want to party? Do you have some stash to put in the treasure chest? Offerings to the gods bring good luck!

Have a great week and check back to see what Minnie has been up to, she is in trouble and needs your help!

COVER REVEAL-SECRETS OF THE ASH TREE

Today is the day for the big book cover reveal and I am so excited to show it to you! Michael Di Gesu stepped in and saved the day when my original plans for a cover fell through. Michael is a wonderful friend and a special kind of brother. He has given me the kind of support and encouragement that only family can give. We may not share the same blood, but our souls truly do connect from Chicago to Norway. Make sure you visit his BLOG  and tell him what you think of his cover design. Maybe he can do yours. He also offers other wonderful services like writing blurbs and intros.

 Michael has a special treat for you today. Not only is he revealing the front cover but he has the back cover illustration posted on his blog as well!

SO HERE IS THE BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION MICHAEL DID FOR MY FIRST BOOK!

A teaser from 'Secrets of the Ash Tree.'

As she approached the closet and slowly opened the door, a stench filled the room. Panic stopped her from moving any further and raised every hair on her body. Through the darkness and inside the shadows lingered a half human shape of what must have been a man. Slowly, with clawlike fingers, it cranked up one of her old toys, and his yellow eyes glowed with evil as he laughed again before singing along in an odd inhuman voice.

"Round and round the cobbler’s bench

The monkey chased the weasel,

The monkey thought ’twas all in fun

POP, goes the weasel!

      Just then, the music stopped, and the small figure of a clown jumped out of the jack-in-the-box, causing Liv to startle and tip over the glass on her desk. Standing there like a puppet frozen in time, she watched as the toy master turned his glowing eyes toward her. Not a single inch of her body listened as she stood there begging to run. Out of the shadows and closer he came, until he stood there in front of her. Pieces of long black hair clung to patches of skin that hung from his head and face. Towering over her, he put his large claws on Liv’s shoulders and drew her near. His foul breath lapped at the air as he said, “So nice to finally meet you, Princess.” He made a crooked bow and then continued to speak with a strange drawl as if half drunk, or as if the words felt strange on his tongue. “Let me introduce myself. I am the one and only blood brother of the almighty Odin, father of all gods. You may call me Loki.” When Liv didn’t say anything, Loki continued to speak.

      “My, you are a pretty little thing. Not what I expected at all.” He paused then took one of his knifelike fingers and traced it slowly over Liv’s breast. “I can feel your heart beating like a scared little rabbit underneath that pale pink skin of yours.” Tilting his head, he leaned over and smelled the small of Liv’s neck, and she shivered as his long tongue swept over her skin, tasting it like a piece of candy. He pushed Liv away, took a step back, and made an attempt to pout.

      “You can make this easy and just give me the necklace. I know you found it . . .” On the verge of tears, he pulled off a chunk of his hair and squawked, “Just look at what’s happening to me!” He then peeled away a small part of his face and exposed an open sore that oozed with puss. Slowly, he composed himself and continued, “My own daughter, Hel, did this to me, and you, my scared little rabbit, are going to help me fix it. All I need is that necklace, and I can get rid of this wretched curse!” Loki backed away and studied her closely, and then tilting his head to the side, he said, “You don’t know what you are, do you?”

Secrets of the Ash Tree available soon everywhere!

If everything goes as planned the Blog tour will run from Monday October 7-14 with a real big birthday FEST on October 9th with Alex Cavanaugh. Giveaways and prizes! Spread the word blogging friends we are in for a big ROCK AND ROLL---LITERALLY! Mark your calendars for party time with Captain Ninja, and the Viking gods! There are some big surprises in store and a treasure chest waiting to explode. If you want to contribute to the secrets in the chest, let me know! Email me at sivmariaottem@gmail.com.

Are you ready to spread the word? Do you love the cover of my book? Do you want to party? Do you have some stash to put in the treasure chest? Offerings to the gods bring good luck!

Have a great week and check back to see what Minnie has been up to, she is in trouble and needs your help!