TMI: 26 Things About Me Blogfest

Today's post is rather a cheat, but I couldn't resist.

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The 26 Things About Me (TMI!) Blogfest, was invented by Doglady Debbie D. Sign up before July 13 and joy the fun!

A-Age: I'm as old as these hills, or getting pretty darn close!
B- Biggest fear: Dying alone
C- Current time: 11:33 AM
D- Drink you last had: Mango Aloe Vera King
E- Every day starts with: A cup of tea or coffee and the local newspaper which I turn almost imediately to the puzzles - suduko, crossword etc - and the comics.
F- Favourite Song: All my favorite songs are my favorite songs!
G- Ghosts, are they real? I'd probably be lying if I said no.
H- Hometown: Virgin Islands
I -In love with: my hubby and life
J- Jealous of? Nothing. I learned long, long ago jealousy is a waste of time, and kills love
K- Killed someone?: Thank God, no.
L- Last time you cried?: About a week ago, missing a best friend who has moved away, feeling sorry for myself
M- Middle name: I'd have to kill you if I told you which would negate K.
N- Number of siblings: 1 older sister whom I dearly love
O- One wish: World peace
P- Person you last called? My sister
Q- Question you’re always asked: (In regards to my name, Bish) How do you spell that? What did you say?
R- Reason to smile: Being alive
S- Sounds that annoy you: Maybe snoring, but I just nudge him and it stops
T- Time you woke up: Around 6 AM
U- Underwear colour: Blue (definitely TMI!)
V- Vacation destination: Scotland
W- Worst habit: Procrastination, picking my nails and cuticles
X- X-Rays you’ve had: Too many to count
Y- Your favorite food: Lobster, chocolate, Puerto Rican beans and rice... too many to name
Z- Zodiac sign: Cancer

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And now, a word from the sponsor.
If you would like to help reveal the cover for my book, The Bowl and the Stone, sign up below. I'm looking to spread the love out through the month of August. There's a place to put in a date that works for YOU! Thanks to everyone who signed up on my other form!

Blood, Boobs & Carnage Blogfest

It's the Blood, Boobs and Carnage Blogfest!

Hosted by Heather Garner and Alex Cavanaugh.

It can be any genre that fits the bill - fantasy, science fiction, action, adventure, western, thriller, etc. It can be a movie, a television show/series, a book or all three. You can visit other participating sickos HERE.

MOVIE

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, was published in 1962. I read it around 1967 or 68 and saw the movie when it came out in 1972. By today's standard's, it's pretty tame. But when I saw it, I was rather traumatized and it was many years before I watched a movie with much in the way of violence it in.

Television

I suppose Deadwood is mild compared to Game of Thrones. I haven't watched but half a dozen or so episodes of the latter and in every single one people are flashing boobs and butts, or being maimed, tortured, and/or killed. As violent and gritty as Deadwood is, I liked it because it's based on actual historical events and people. Yes it's been "Hollywoodized" but still, Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant as antagonists? Who could ask for more? By the way Justified with Timothy Olyphant is a good candidate for this blogfest, as are The Borgias and Da Vinci's Demons.

Book

I can't think of the last time I read a book with much in the way of blood, boobs and carnage. Since I mostly read middle grade and some young adult, the BB & C is kept to a minimum, which is just fine with me.

Got a favorite violent movie, TV show, or book? Don't be shy, do share.

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And now, just in case my friend farawayeyes happens by, I will soften this BB&C post with a little soothing tropical eye candy. :)

International Potluck Blogfest

It's the International Potluck Blogfest!

Hosted by Beth Fred, Medeia Sharif and Lexa Cain 
Here are the rules:
~ Put the bloghop badge on your post.
~ Post the cover of a book you love (it can be your own) with a food and/or recipe from the book, or a food from the MC's region, or a food you just like!
~ Link back to Beth, Media, and Lexa. All three of us.
~ A copy of Beth's Finding Hope, Medeia's Snip, Snip, Revenge, and Lexa's Soul Cutter, plus a $10 Amazon gift card will be given away via Rafflecopter!

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This should be fun! And who better to share a favorite recipe than the Trickster of Caribbean, Anansi the Spider, who loves ANYthing that has to do with food. One of the dishes mentioned in my book, Anansi and Company, is classic.

Kallaloo 

(There are as many ways to cook Kalaloo, Callaloo as there are to spell it. Kallaloo is a leafy green, a West Indian spinach.)

1/2 lb - Pig's tail*

1/2 lb - Salt beef*

1 - Ham bone

5 cups - water

1/2 lb - Snapper, cleaned and boned

1/2 lb - Grouper or goatfish, cleaned and boned

1-1/2 lbs - Kallaloo or fresh spinach, washed and torn

1/2 lb - Okra, frozen, thawed, drained, chopped

1 - Onion, chopped

1 tbsp - Thyme, fresh, finely chopped

1/2 tsp - Allspice

2 - Hot peppers, seeded, finely chopped

1 lb - Lump crab meat, finely chopped

2 tsp - Vinegar

*Note: Substitute 1 lb boneless ham for the pig's tail and salt beef and omit the overnight soaking.

Place pig's tail and salt beef in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover. Soak overnight. Drain water. Boil meat in 5 cups of fresh water, until tender. Remove and keep stock. Cut meat from bones and finely chop using a food processor. Return to stock.

In another pot boil snapper and grouper for 5 minutes, drain, cool, debone and finely chop. In a separate pot cook kallaloo or spinach; add chopped okra, onion, thyme, allspice, and hot peppers. Mix together then add to the pot with the meat. Add Crab and vinegar; boil/simmer all ingredients together over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Anansi says, "Enjoy!"

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Traditionally, Kallaloo is served on Old Year's Night (New Year's Eve) for good luck.

Think you'll try cooking up a batch of Kallaloo? Have you visited other participating blogs and found an interesting recipe?

Wormhole Week Blogfest

2014 Second Annual National Wormhole Week Blogfest: 

Presented by Stephen Tremp and hosted by

Captain Ninja Alex Cavanaugh, and L. Diane Wolfe 

In this blogfest we are to name one thing where science advances mankind, and one where technology, with unforeseen consequences, will go too far and set mankind back. Example: De-Extinction, or bringing back extinction species through back breeding, genetic engineering, and cloning. Something where science takes a huge leap forward, but also backfires.  With all the breakthrough discoveries mankind is on the cusp of, are we playing God?

I think the work being done with DNA in discovering the causes and cures of genetic diseases is one of the greatest advancements in medicine that we are seeing happen in our lifetimes. It's a wonderful thing.

There are also things being done with genes that are quite interesting, like spider genes in goats. Their milk has a protein in it which, when processed, produces spider silk, the strongest fiber known to exist. If this kind of silk can be produced cheaply and plentifully its uses will be numerous.

However, I think there's a danger in taking genetic engineering too far, particularly in humans. Should we allow parents to pick and choose the genetic qualities they want in their children? How far should we let genetic manipulation go? The line between "good" and "dangerous" science seems hazy and gray to me. We could inadvertently create monsters if we aren't careful. 

This week just happens to coincide with the release of Stephen Tremp's new book and third in his series, ESCALATION.

Escalations Synopsis: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Albert Einstein I.

In Escalation, the final installment to Stephen Tremp’s Breakthrough Trilogy, a seemingly innocent discovery in Einstein-Rosen Bridges, or wormholes, becomes a Pandora’s Box—opening doors to other unexpected and unpredictable realities such as parallel universes, time/space travel, and an evil hitchhiker from another dimension.

Chase Manhattan has survived attempts on his life from numerous sources in his effort to destroy the technology. But he is far from safe. Now Chase and his comrades must not only break world renowned physicist Professor Nicholas Fischer out of prison a second time, but also smuggle him across hostile borders in Europe and the Middle East to prevent events threatening to spiral into World War III.

Congratulations, Stephen!

Click HERE to join and learn
all about the challenge!

As a member of M.J.'s AZTechs, I'm here to remind you about the A to Z Challenge.

We are just FOUR WEEKS away from April 1st. Have you got a theme? Do you have any of your posts scheduled? 

Come on people! JOIN THE FUN. Sign up and go insane with the rest of us.

A Moonless Fest!

Crystal Collier is celebrating the release of her book Moonless with a fun Blogfest! Congratulations, Crystal.

     

In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.

Her nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

BUY IT HERE

PLUS!

As a thank you, Crystal's publisher is offering a $2.00 coupon until February 14^th that you are welcome to to take advantage of.

Book link: https://www.createspace.com/4550104

Coupon code: LQJM3F84

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So here's the question: If you lived in a society where arranged marriages were a la mode, whom would you beg your parents to set you up with? Why?

My Answer

It's seems kind of serendipitous that yesterday, the 9th, was the 50th anniversary of The Beatles performing on the Ed Sullivan Show. I was a sniveling 13 year old... and I didn't even like The Beatles. I'd been weaned on jazz, big band and classical music. What was that stuff they were playing?

Still, even though I didn't like their music (that came several years later, now I'm a die-hard fan) George was always my favorite. I loved his wit, musicianship, and his spirituality. 

So, if I lived in a society where my parents arranged my marriage, I'd beg, plead, grovel and promise them anything if they'd just hook me up George.

Here's, Run of the Mill, one of my favorite songs... there are so many. :)

Find the rest of the hop below!

And while you're at it, enter to win one of these great prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anansi is taking a break this week. He's really been enjoying visiting everyone and trying out all the different kinds of food his hosts have laid out for him.

He says, "Tanks! I'll see you all again, nex' week."

Dream Destination Blogfest

To celebrate the launch of their books

Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah

Lexa and Julie invite you to a

Blog-hop and Giveaway!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Beaches of Hawaii? Slopes of Vail? Cancun, Paris, or Rome?

Where is your Dream Destination?

My dream destination is Scotland. Why? Because my ancestors came from there and I'd love to walk the land they walked and the places in between. I love their stubborn independence, tenacity and resiliency. Just think... the ROMANS, the conquerors of the world, couldn't subdue or "civilize" the Scots so they built a wall to keep them out. 

I'd like to spend a month or two... Consequently I couldn't pick just one picture.

Cliffs on the north side of Lunan Bay

The River Don

Dunnottar Castle

Lock Etive

Melrose Abbey

Sweetheart Abbey

Caerlaverock Castle

The village of Neilston with Glasgow in the distance.  

Edinburgh Castle

Glencoe

 Rosslyn Chapel

Standing Stones of Callanish (photo by David Kernow)

Lock Tummel

Scone Palace

City of Perth

Loch Lomond

North Uist

Today and tomorrow

Go to Lexa and Julie’s blog to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway

and use the Linky tool to visit the other bloggers

to see the wonderful places they want to visit!

*Lexa and Julie will give a special prize for the Best Picture*
Rafflecopter Prizes to be announced next week.

The Anti-Blogfest Blogfest, A Call for Help AND A Win

Announcing the "Anti-Blogfest Gary Fest" 

This blog hop honors Mr. anti-blog hop himself, Gary at Klahanie.

Hosted by Mark “Madman” Koopmans, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, “Life is Good” Tina,  Rockin’ Robyn Engel and Morgan “The Morg” Shamy. 

The rules are *very* simple. 

Create the titles of three PG-13 rated blogfests you would never join - and then add a descriptive sentence or two. That's it!

Here are my humble contributions.

Name Your Favorite Disease The winner of this blogfest will get one free visit to the specialist of his/her choice!


My Favorite Jellyfish Recipe If you didn't know you could eat jellyfish click HERE, where you'll find jellyfish recipes. (No kidding!)

Personally, I don't have anything against jellyfish, they are beautiful creatures. I'm just not sure about eating them....






Show Me Your Booger *Pick* the best booger out of your collection, photograph and post it. The bigger the better.

That was fun. :)

A Call for Help

Okay people, I'm finally trying to get my ya-ya's in a row and get my collection of Anansi stories published. You remember Anansi don't you? That lovable trickster spider? Well we need a little help.

I've just about got my MS as clean as I can get it. You know, commas where they need to be, no missing words, no misspelled words etc. etc. etc. (Can you tell I just saw a local production of The King and I?)

What I need now are fresh eyes to go over it, to proofread/edit. Is this something any of you would do? Or, do you know someone who can do it who's good but doesn't charge the moon? (Maybe I'm dreaming, but a girl can dream can't she?)

Once I have it as clean as possible I'm turning Anansi over to Diane Wolfe at Punk on a Stick  because my attempts at formatting have not been pretty.

PLEASE, leave a comment or email me if this is something you'd like to do or if you know someone. I surely would appreciate it!

Lastly I recently won an ecopy of Nancy LaRonda Johnson's book, Salted With Fire.

Thanks Nancy. 

About Salted With Fire:

Black magic, murder, insanity, humor, honor and devotion. Salted With Fire is a journey of flash fiction and poetry that shows my writing transformation from worldly to wanting to please God. Flash fiction is my passion; poetry is my release. I love creating a complete story, with a beginning, middle and end, with twists, humor, drama, compassion and horror, all under 1000 words. Salted With Fire isn’t just a book of stories and poetry, it is my journey as a writer, from writing only for the mere joy of it regardless of the message, to writing stories that highlight God’s will for people, even if the stories themselves are not religious in nature. Inside are fifteen flash fiction pieces and twelve poems with full-color pictures, and short Biblical discussions after each story.


Did you participate in the anti-blogfest? Are you good at proofing your own writing? Have you won anything lately?

Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest!

I know I'm not the only one participating in this blogfest from Alex Cavanaugh. It's just so much darn fun! 

I think the movies are supposed to be in some kind of order, like Dave Letterman's Top Ten List. But I am unable to do that. So, here, in no particular order are my top ten favorite movies. At least, these are the ones that came to me right off the bat.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: The cinematography for this movie on the early life of St. Francis, is stunning and the music by Donovan, beautiful.

To Kill A Mockingbird: Nothing to be said here. But did you know Boo Radley was played by Robert Duvall?

The Princess Bride: It's the best!

Lawrence of Arabia: I so fell in love with Peter O'Toole, and after seeing it I was inspired to try to read THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM, by T. E. Lawrence. I didn't finish it. After all I was only like 13 or so when I first saw the movie.

Raising Arizona: Laugh out loud funny. Probably one of Nicolas Cage's best movies. And Holly Hunter is fantastic.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Does that count as one?): When I first read the books I knew a day would come when a movie would be made. I kind of dreaded it because I had such clear pictures in my mind of what the characters and places looked like. I was blown away at how closely my mental images matched with the film maker's. Or maybe it's because Tolkien was clear in his story telling.

The Shawshank Redemption: Love this movie!

Babe: There's nothing like "rooting" for the underdog, err, underpig.

Dances With Wolves: So beautiful, so tragic. 

George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Sigh... my favorite. Wonderfully done, incredibly moving. 

Blogtoberfest!

(Notice new header picture.)

It's my Second Annual BlogtoberFest!
AND it's the first day of National Book Month

So what could be better than a book give-away to celebrate FIVE years of blogging and say THANK YOU to all my Random Followers?

That's right, five years! Who could have known I'd still be at it? Certainly not me.

To celebrate I've got a BIG give-away going on. Not just one, not just two, but FIVE prizes.

The rules are simple.

To win, all YOU have to do is leave a comment and tell me which ONE of the prizes you would like. That's it. AND you can enter as many times as you like, as long as you let me know in your comment which ONE of the prizes you would like.

Did I mention, you can only pick ONE prize at a time?

How's that for simple?

There's just ONE draw-back, this is only open to people living in the United States. (Sorry...)

So what are you going for?

Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

Island of the Aunts

 by Eva Ibbotson AND

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry 

by Mildred D. Taylor

ISLAND OF THE AUNTS

When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can't be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret - a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.) Don't miss this wildly inventive and funny read from master storyteller Eva Ibbotson. 

ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY

Why is the land so important to Cassie's family? It takes the events of one turbulent year - the year of the night riders and the burnings, the year a white girl humiliates Cassie in public simply because she is black - to show Cassie that having a place of their own is the Logan family's lifeblood. It is the land that gives the Logans their courage and pride, for no matter how others may degrade them, the Logans possess something no one can take away.

The Grim and Grimmer trilogy 

by Ian Irvine each book signed by the author!

The Fey Queen, Emajicka, is stealing the children of Grimmery for her Collection. She bathes in their nightmares to relieve her own. There is one nightmare she wants most of all.

If Ike had stayed home that Tuesday, he would not have betrayed a princess or robbed a murderous queen. He would not have been tied to an insane imp desperate to eat his liver. He certainly would not have floated across a strange land on an impossible rescue mission, powered by exploding manure. Nor would he have tried to escape via that disastrous troll-bum door...

But can he ever escape the Nightmare Queen?

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

In the valley of Fruitless Mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer. 

Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat, returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.

The Heart of a Samurai

by Margi Preus

In 1841 a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan’s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

Manjiro, a 14-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about this new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives there for some time and then heads to San Francisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the emperor to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai.

PLUS!

Each prize will be accompanied by a tatted bookworm bookmark (though not necessarily the one you see here.)

Winners will be announced on Monday, October 29th, the actual anniversary day.

Come one, come all. I'd be thrilled if you spread the word because as with any party, the more the merrier!