A Is For Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Hello and welcome to my inaugural post for the big 2012 A to Z Challenge. When I thought about what my theme would be, I decided that being an ardent feminist I would bring to light strong women, women who changed history, women who are making their mark on this planet. I'm also including some Fun Factoids about the accomplishments of women.

My entry for A is a whole bundle of courage and controversy. Feminist, activist, politician and writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia to a prominent political family. She is the creator of the AHA Foundation, a non profit organization for the defense of Muslim women's rights. The goal of the organization is to fight crimes against women such as forced marriages, honor killings and female genital mutilation. Ayaan was herself, a victim of this horrific tradition at age five. Her grandmother had the procedure performed on her in defiance of Ali's father, who had been jailed at the time for his activism. Ali's AHA Foundation also focuses on education and fighting Sharia Law.

 In 2002, while living in the Netherlands, she became an avowed atheist and began to write articles criticizing Islam. She also started appearing on television and as a regular speaker at public debate forums. Her first book, The Son Factory, was published in November of that year. Soon after she started receiving death threats. She did not let the threats stop her work and continued her activism and writing. Ali wrote the script and did the voice-over for Theo Van Gogh's film Submission, the project for which the director was murdered.

Despite the almost constant threats to her life, Ayaan continues her fight. In 2005 Time Magazine named her one of their 100 Most Influential People. Her sheer determination to carry on her work is quite simply astounding.

Fun Female Factoid

Appreciate those windshield wipers on your car in a downpour? Thank Mary Anderson who invented a single arm rubber blade design in 1903.

Thanks for visiting, I appreciate it very much. To see more exciting entries on this wonderful fest, please click here.

She's So Sexy...Author Vonda Norwood

Happy Friday!! I am very excited to kick off the weekend with fun and sexy wild new author, Vonda Norwood.  

Your current book is Indie Authors Make Better Lovers. That is such a catchy title, tell us a little bit about it and what was the inspiration behind it:

The title was easy. What makes a person a good lover depends on a person's own sexual needs. In my case, in this story, the need was to realize a fantasy to completion. Trying on my own wasn't working out for me and that gave me a feeling of hopelessness. In the end, another author offers hope and I realize that by working together, my need could be fulfilled. All in all, it's a story about helping each other and working together to give each other a reason to hope. The idea came to me little by little while tweeting with a group of wonderful people. My main thoughts were about how a lot of people think of me as someone who gets a lot of flirtations and is someone who's online having affairs. A lot of people ask me about that because I promote myself as obnoxiously provocative. I knew it would happen, so I promote in a way that makes the men shy away (they're afraid of me)and I can get away with a lot of obnoxiousness. Yea, I'm proud. :-D We all want to call attention to our projects and I see a lot of people grouping together to help each other out, but the end result is that we authors are all becoming very familiar with each other, but we don't really have a purchasing audience. I could never pretend to know a complete solution, but I do see it as a big brick wall for us all. Putting those thoughts together, I came up with Indie Authors Make Better Lovers.

How did you start down this path of writing for publication?

I think that most people write stories with hopes that someone will read and enjoy it as much as they do writing it. I laughed to think of someone reading any of my stories and hope that they'll identify with the characters and plot. My eldest daughter told me to self publish on Amazon and so I did. Then she told me that I should try to advertise on Twitter.com, so I am.

If we looked at your bookshelves or your Kindle/Nook, what are some titles we would find?

I have over 20 books in that one library and about 10 in my smashwords library and many new paper backs at home. I couldn't name 1 with out naming the others. All of the books are of a wide range of genres written my great writers, all of whom I've met on twitter. I would hate to give anyone a feeling of being left out of a mention.

What is next for you?

The month of April is taken up for a blog tour called "30 days of...some sort of misery" I like to tease Christopher Starr about that. He's (the crazy head pal of mine who came up with the idea) It's blogging for 30 days and I know it's gonna drive me nuts and be a ton of fun!!! By April 2nd, I will re-release "Facebook breaks up marriages.lol" I am in he middle of writing book 2, titled "Facebook can also make ya go to jail". I have a novel titled "Romancing Charlie" that I need to edit and post. That one is more of a drama/adventure with a little romance. Then there's my idea for a comedy series. I'll begin the series after "Facebook can also make ya go to jail". In between those, I'll probably pop up with some sort of a little too sexy and yet NOT erotica kind of stories. I get inspired easily and enjoy sharing.

Links

Indie Authors Make Better Lovers

amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OON1W4

Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/140487

My YouTube Channel: I call myself The Sexy Video Comic:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sexyvideocomic?feature=mhee

I'm Doomed!

The Big A to Z Challenge starts this Sunday and I can't get my Schedule Post to work. I follow all the little steps and nothing. I have to get this problem fixed because I am moving on the 14th, right smack in the middle of the Challenge. And you will also have to forgive me as I won't be commenting during that week too much with packing stuff and other coordinating efforts. I hate when I am stressed and I am getting there. This schedule post problem is yet another step toward utter madness. By Move Day, I am going to be a raving lunatic, sitting in a corner, pulling my hair and rocking back and forth. Either that, or I'll be yelling as I run through the streets with the cops in hot pursuit. That sound you hear now is my head smacking against my desk. I'm Doomed.

The Obsession and the Sting by Xavier Axelson

First of all thank you to Melissa for having me…again! I love this blog and am super grateful to be part of it. I love the opportunity to guest blog after one of my works has been released and the reviews have started coming in as it gives me the chance to look at my work through the eyes of the readers. Earthly Concerns is my 7th novella; 7 being my lucky number I was super excited to see this story come to fruition. It is paranormal, it is M/M and it is sexual; actually it has one of my favorite sex scenes to date within its virtual pages. I loved writing that sex scene! And honestly, sex scenes are not my favorite things to write. Earthly Concerns is the story of two men brought back together by an unexplainable and horrific event, a disappearance.

As Earthly Concerns became known and people began reading it, I soon found myself exploring the themes behind the story. It has been called odd, dark, creepy and mysterious (all words I love) and I agree it is all those things. Another reviewer touched on Anson (the protagonist) as being obsessed with Barrett (the antagonist) and I LOVED that this reader picked up on this as he certainly was/is obsessed with Barrett; it was a subtlety I didn’t even want to admit to myself as I was writing the story but as is the way, someone figured me out. Obsession is a dangerous thing, especially when you are obsessed with someone who is vague and confusing. It plays tricks with your mind and can lead further down the rabbit hole; it was after all obsession that led Alice to follow after the white critter only to fall smack dab in the middle of Wonderland.

 If Anson is obsessed with Barrett then how can he be the antagonist? Is Barrett the hero? Could I have gotten it all wrong? It’s an interesting dilemma and it wasn’t until I read this review that I considered how this story would play out if in fact it were the other way around. It’s these reflections that reviews allow me the opportunity, or second chance to rejoin the story and reunite with my characters and look at things from a fresh perspective. I find reviews and criticisms invaluable in this way; granted do they sometimes sting? Absolutely, but it’s the lesson learned after you step on the bees nest that makes the whole experience worth it. It also teaches you who has the hose and soothing words to drive the bees and the sting of pain away.

Earthly Concerns is an erotic nightmare, with a fable element.  It really is a story about the power of generosity, generosity of spirit and the price of selfishness.  While there is an erotic romance involved, there are forces at work in the story that scare me and hopefully will frighten readers too.

Buylink:

http://www.seventhwindow.com/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=&products_id=42

Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUiS_C1ifNs

Blurb:

Between love and loss, there is obligation…

It was a peaceful night when Barrett and his daughter were driving home… then something happened.  Something sinister.

Between shadow and light, there is uncertainty…

Now the only person Barrett can turn to for help is Anson, a man gifted with psychic abilities beyond reason. But Anson is also his ex-boyfriend, a man whose heart he’d already broken.

If you can see, you have to help.

As Anson delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding Barrett’s accident, he begins to realize that he’s not only in a race against time, but in a battle against his own broken heart and the terrifying understanding that whatever has taken Barrett’s child is a force of evil beyond anything either man has ever encountered.

And between decision and consequences, there are… Earthly Concerns

Excerpt:

Earthly Concerns

How could I just go over, and if I did, would I just be stumbling back into the pit of snakes I had just narrowly escaped the first time?  I thought this and a hundred other dangerous thoughts until I saw him begin to stand up. I waved him down, then went over and sat down.

Apparently, I thought the best course of action was to dive right in, avoid any further uncomfortable thoughts from belching up from the cesspool that I was creating in my skull.

“Tell me everything,” I blurted, trying to avoid looking into his eyes.

“You look good, all hot and cute,” he said, trying to maintain his smile, but the weight of his sadness was too intense. Instead, he managed a pained grimace.

“Thanks.” I wanted to say more, return the compliment, but found I couldn’t; he was a keen listener and would be able to detect any false sentiment I might throw out. I stared down at the menu and tried to ignore my heart, which had once again taken up its incessant thrumming.

“Thanks for coming,” he said.

I didn’t look up, but could feel him staring at me.

When the waitress came over, we ordered. Without the menu to stare at, I looked up and past him.

“Anson.” He said my name like it was some sort of invocation.

Did he believe he was dreaming?  I could only imagine the nightmare of not knowing where your child is and if she would ever come back.

“Tell me everything,” I repeated, my voice steady. I lowered my eyes and faced him; and seeing his sadness, I swallowed hard.

“It’s unreal,” he said, this time looking away from me, his eyes glistening. “I’m not sure I know what’s happened.”

The waitress arrived with two small cups of clear broth with some vegetables in them and refilled our waters.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my eyes riveted on him. I couldn’t believe I was sitting across from him in the same place I had met him once before; the day he wanted to return a t-shirt I had left at his place after one of our interludes.

Even now, looking beaten and tormented, the man somehow managed to provoke me in ways other men hadn’t. I saw him as beautiful and felt my stomach lurch. I looked at his brown eyes that I remembered looking gold in the sun, and his oddly handsome face. Not a traditionally good looking face, but handsome in a bookish, learned way. I felt my body begin to respond.

Where to find Xavier Axelson:

http://www.facebook.com/xaviersaxel

http://www.twitter.com/xaviersaxel

http://www.examiner.com/la-in-los-angeles/francis-xavier

http://www.xavieraxelson.com

Troll Fest And My Very First Post

My good friend, Siv, over at Been There, Done That is celebrating her first blogoversary this month with a Troll Fest. She was curious about her followers and how and why we started blogging. Isn't that just the coolest? What a great pillar of the community she is. Below is what I posted on my first Imaginarium post way back on June 25, 2010.

Welcome one and all to my little corner of the Net, The Imaginarium, a crossroads where the imagination meets the intellect. Pull up a chair, stay awhile, take a look at my work while you're here. You never know what might happen.

So how did all this come about, you might be wondering? I wanted a place to fully express my creativity and to indulge my passion for all things books and writing. I also wanted a place where I could discuss anything under the sun. So here I am at this wonderful new blog.

I hope you'll stop by whenever you can to see what's going on. One day there could be a hot movie discussion, another, an author interview, maybe an excerpt, perhaps even a free story or three.

That sounds so nice doesn't it? I think I've turned into a blogging monster with all my rants, reviews, and other wide-ranging topics. I was so tentative and now, it is all out there. I've come a very long way since this first post. Words cannot express how happy I am that I stuck my toe into the shallows, then plunged into the deep end. I am so thankful for all my friends, followers, readers and anyone who clicks over here for even a minute. You have given me a tremendous gift.

On Music And Writing... Author Jeffrey Beesler

I am very excited to be hosting author Jeffrey Beesler today. The Imaginarium is the latest stop on his great and powerful blog tour for his debut fantasy novel, Spell of Enchantment. Take it away, Jeffrey...

If you’ve known me for a while, you’re probably aware that I often speak about music on my blog. Heck, I’ve gotten to the point of punctuating my posts with a music video. For example, during a recent discussion on pronouns, I showcased Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop”. In measuring the distance I’ve gone through my writing journey, I shared Matchbox Twenty’s “How Far We’ve Come”.

Tying my posts to music isn’t the only thing I do with the stuff, however. I always listen to music while I write. I suspect many writers do the same thing, too, especially since I’ve read about them doing so. There’s just something about music that helps bind the writer to the creative act. I’m not quite sure why it works, but it does.

Here’s where I stray from other writers, though. I hear of them requiring their music to not have words in it whatsoever. This may work for them, but I actually thrive on songs. I need the words. They are our tools after all, right? You’d be surprised how often I change the words too and create new lyrics a la Weird Al Yankovic. While part of me might do so out of being a goofball, I also think doing this helps me to take something apart and rearrange the pieces into something new.

Almost like playing with Legos, I think.

Lastly, I’m also getting to the point where I’m thinking about what songs mesh with my characters. The Kinks’ “Don’t Forget to Dance” is a prime example of this. I have a character in one of my stories whose plight fits almost perfectly in tandem with their song. Such synergy makes my heart sing. Is yours singing?

Bio: Jeffrey Beesler was born on May 2nd, 1978. In addition to self-publishing his debut novel, Spell of Entrapment, he has had a short fantasy story published in Abandoned Towers #4, The Broken Pipes of Drei City. He is a graduate of the Long Ridge Writers Group correspondence course, Breaking into Print. His book can be purchased here:
Amazon:

Barnes & Noble:

Smashwords:


Blurb:
When a knight, Sir Patrew of Trava, infiltrates sorceress Embekah Mare’s home, a magical backlash renders her unconscious. She awakens to discover a spell of entrapment binding them both inside the manor’s walls. Now forced to live with him after twenty years of solitude and exile, she must navigate her way through alternating feelings of distrust and attraction.

As the weeks pass with no end in sight of the hex, a shape-shifting spirit arrives inside the magical barrier’s walls to target Embekah specifically. When she seeks out Patrew’s help against this new threat, she uncovers a secret in his past that could very well destroy her future. With the help of her trusty toad Halscrad, Embekah must see through the deceit and find something long lost to her.
But not everything is as it seems. With lies all around her, Embekah finds the truth to be more elusive than the freedom right outside her manor. Can she survive long enough to figure out what’s real and what isn’t?

The Week Is Over!!

Just think, my last post I was thankful for Monday, LOL. Well, I have had a hideously busy week and not much time to stop and smell the roses or in this case, visit my buddies out in the blogosphere. I'm hoping to make the rounds over the weekend.

Some awesome news, fantastic author and friend to the Imaginarium, Jeffrey Beesler will be here tomorrow. Yay! He's currently on a blog tour to promote his magnificent new novel, Spell of Entrapment, which you should pick up, immediately.

In some film news... Let The Hunger Games begin. I am excited to see this movie as I have just finished the first novel. Talk about a breath of fresh air for girls. Katniss Everdeen is the polar opposite of dopey Bella Swan and should be held up as a heroine girls can look up to. She's smart, athletic, and best of all, can take of herself. No sparkly vamps and puppies need to make her decisions for her.

Anyway, I am off to the grind. I'll be later and get back to visiting you all. Have fun this weekend, my friends, you are all amazing to me. :)

*The awesome kitty graphic comes Graphics Hunt.

It's Monday...

Gawd, I am soooo happy it's Monday. Why, in the name of all that's holy, is this true? Well, my weekend could qualify as a giant crazy disaster. The kind of weekend that leaves you screaming and tearing your hair out as you gas up the chainsaw to destroy everything in your path.

It started on Friday. I got a ride home a very nice lady I just started working with and my left over olive salad leaked onto the backseat of her car. I wanted her to stay so I could clean it, but that seemed weird. She was great, kept telling me don't worry, but yeah well...awkward. Now I have to see her at work this morning. Ugh!

Saturday night, my sister and I went to friend's house on the North Side, which is the polar opposite of where we live in Chicago. We started the drive home at about 11PM. We cruised along for about five minutes when the transmission light blinked, then everything crapped out. Stranded on Sheridan Road. Yay! And being a Saturday night, we could get a hold of no one to come and get us. At least anyone who would have been sober enough at this point. An our later, the tow truck guy arrived, and he offered to give us a ride, but his truck was rather small. Scratch that, it was like Hot Wheels toy truck sized with a single bench seat. With his kid already taking up some space. No way are me AND my sister fitting in there. My sister was the payee insurance holder so she got the remaining life boat seat. You can guess where I'm riding. My conversation with the driver went like this:

Driver to me: "No problem. You can ride in the in the back of the van."
Me: "You mean the van that has to be hooked up with the chains and hook thing and towed?"
Driver: "Exactly. It'll be fine. And since I don't want to lose the van, I'll hook her up good and tight."
Me, heart pounding in my throat as I eye the rust spots on the chains and the big hook thing: "Is that safe?"
Driver with evil smile: "Sure. Just strap in tight and don't move around."
Me, like an idiot: "Umm, okay."

So there I am, white-knuckling the arm rest, praying to Jesus, God, Odin and every other spirit I could think of as we careened down Interstate 90. I fervently hoped that the next bump wouldn't send the van (and me) flying into speeding traffic or off of the very high overpasses. We made it home at about 1:00AM. I kissed the ground as soon as I got out of the van. Of course, I then had to walk the six blocks to my house. But, I stuck to the shadows like any smart hood rat. Because yeah, those lighted areas, only tend to point you out as bait for the bad guys.

My weekend was not finished with those episodes, oh no, siree. Yesterday was a lot of little problems that snow-balled and resulted in me wasting a lot of time doing stupid things. Arrgh!!

On the other hand, I did get to see the season finale of Walking Dead and it was total kick-ass. Those first twenty minutes or so had me sitting at my TV, jaw agape. However, I just have to say that more than ever, I want to beat the crap out of Rick's wife, Laurie, Miss "The men have it handled" and ring the dinner bell for the walkers.

What's Your Number?

What's Your Number? was an all right little rom com that I unexpectedly enjoyed. Anna Faris and Chris Evans had great chemistry and well Chris was wearing nothing more than a towel on several occasions. Rawr!

I was however, more intrigued by the subject matter. How many sex partners does it take before one (that one being a woman) is considered a slut? Sex and the City did a similar themed episode involving Miranda having to track back her partners. In this film, Faris' Ally reads a magazine article which says that the average woman will have at most 4 to 5 sex partners with a very few going as high as 10. She immediately starts writing down all her partners and worries when that number hits 19. Why? Well, her friends, for one, are very sniping and close-minded. One of them admits to eight partners and the other three start calling her a slut and a whore. You see these bitches are all 4 or lower and proud of their lack of experience. Proud, scratch that, make it smug that they've been good girls. So, of course they are appalled that poor Ally has had 19 partners. What a whore!

An ardent feminist, I could not take this lying down. Why do we women look down on our sisters for enjoying themselves? Hell, why do we look down on ourselves for going heels to Jesus whenever the fancy strikes? Seriously, this is 2012. I don't remember an 11th Commandment that reads "Woman, thou shalt have at most four sex partners in thy lifetime and one of them better be your husband."

Women are the nastiest bitches on the planet when it comes to judging our fellow females. We are murderous if our friends or co-workers go over some magical good girl sex number. We are first in line to condemn and throwdown the epithets slut and whore. Hell, if our current man cheats, we blame the other woman.

And the media helps lead the charge. The article in the film may have been fictional, but I have seen at least thirty similar titled features in the last year alone. I've even read a few and they are quite stuffy in their opinions about women and the mythical perfect number of sex partners. For the most part, according to these articles, written by other women, mind you, women do not enjoy sex for sex unless it's with a partner they trust and care about. That women who sleep around with random guys somehow have low self-esteem. Although, the more enlightened allow for "that unexpected encounter." Really?

Then there's the "How Slutty Are You?" quizzes that crop up. Women read these and go crazy. I have good friends, normal, intelligent women who go bonkers when they think about their sex life and worry about how many partners they've had. It's scary to listen to them run on and stress over what their current guy will think if he finds out, my gawd, that they've had more than 5 partners. Or even engaged in a little kink. Remember Chasing Amy when Ben Affleck finds out Amy was with two guys? Talk about epic temper tantrum.

I seriously have had guy friends who have freaked the hell out when they found out the woman they had been dating had lots of partners. I asked one of them, what was wrong with his new lady having had 12 partners. He himself had had well over 20. You know what he said? "It's different for a guy." ROTFLOL!!! I, of course, caved in his skull with the nearest blunt object for that tired, chauvanistic response. I will allow that men and women think about sex in different terms, but come on, if you're going to have a dozen partners, why shouldn't your woman? Do guys really think that every woman they have sex with, they're only like one of four total partners for her in her lifetime? That's nuts.

I am of the mind that how many times someone does the horizontal mambo is no one's business but their own. And there is no slutbag number either. It's ridiculous and unenlightened. Sex is part of the human condition. Whether you prefer it with a caring partner, a random pick up, a friend with benefits...It's a good time, so let's stop worrying.

TGIF

It's the end of the week and I am slap happy. It's been a while since I've been this enthusiastic about a weekend, but there you go. I'm planning on hanging with some friends, go to my writers group and pack for my big move on April 14. I do not want to be one of those up all night, last minute packers. I'm also going to be purging things. Donating clothes, books and other things I don't need any more.

To kick things off, I want to wish my dear friend George from the awesomely cool Cinemarvellous, a huge Happy Birthday. He rocks and always has my back. Plus, he's got some of the best reviews around.

For my You Should Know Friday, I want to spotlight Sloane Taylor, a writer friend of mine who is returning to the blog scene. She is launching her blog, Sloane Taylor. She will be blogging twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, with Monday being a writing and whatever strikes her fancy day. Wednesdays are What's Cookin' days as Sloane is a terrific chef. Best of all, she includes recipes for the entire meal, not just a dish or two. She has a fabulous menu up right now for eye of round roast. I'm definitely going to be bribing my sister into cooking this as I prefer batting clean up and try not to do anything with food other than eat it. She is a fabulous writer, too. One of my favorites. Go check out her amazing website as well.

So have a terrific weekend, my friends. At some point, I'll be hoisting a good beer or margarita and one of them will most definitely be to all of you. You Imaginarians are the Best!

11 Random Questions And Some Fun News

Good Afternoon!! I should have posted this earlier in the day, but since I had today off, I elected to go to bed a it early and sleep a little later. I'm starting off with some fun news. It's Cherie Reich's birthday today and she is celebrating by giving al of us the present. Her new novella, Defying Gravity, is a free download today only over at Amazon. So go snap up a copy and spread the word about this amazing space fantasy romance story. Cherie is also making the final stop of her blog tour over at the awesome Christine Rain's blog today. Whoo Hoo!!

You remember yesterday when I mentioned that crazy cool writer and fellow blogger Julie over at Gypsy In My Soul asked me to answer 11 random questions? Well, now I'm going to give you those answers. Cue the Dragnet music...

1. Paper or plastic? Hmm...Depends on where I shop. Sometimes I shop at stores where my own canvas bag is the only option. I do recycle the plastic bags, though.

2. What cartoon do you still secretly enjoy watching? I never gave up cartoons. I still watch loud and proud. Fave oldies are Scooby Doo, Looney Tunes, Galaxy High and Speed Racer. Fave new ones are Spongebob Squarepants, Phineas and Ferb and Kick Buttowski.

3. If you could pick up an instrument and immediately know how to play, what instrument would you choose? Electric guitar. I have always longed to be lead axe in a hard rock band. Can you see me rockin' out on stage ala Joan Jett, Joe Perry or Slash?

4. What is the song that most defines your personality? Hmmm... I don't think I could pick just one, but I do think at this stage in my life after the road I've traveled, it would have to be Bad Reputation by Joan Jett. I'm tired of worrying about what other people think about me and the decisions I make. It's my life after all and I'm the only one who has to live with my choices. Highway to Hell by AC/DC is a close second, though. ;)

5. What is your anger style? I wish I could say something like I have a volcanic temper that erupts when I am angry, but the truth is I'm more of a slow simmer. I don't get angry easily, I tend to let a lot roll off my back, but when I do get mad, I get sarcastic. Nothing like yelling sarcatic insults at the top of my lungs.

6. What do you think will be the downfall of modern society? Reality TV. The shows multiply like cockroaches and every one of us is addicted to at least one. Myself included. Project Runway is my crack.

7. What is the best character name you have come across? I love the names in Tolkien and Rowling. They're so appropriate and roll off the tongue. C.S. Lewis has some good names as well. The worst are the unpronoucable names with no guide to pronunciation.

8. What is your most bizarre beauty ritual? I don't have one. I mean wash my face, shower, condition and color my hair. Nothing too bizarre...All right who found out about the virgins in the basement for my weekly blood bath?

9. What is your favorite scent? I have two, leather and cinnamon. Don't ask me why, but there you go.

10. Could your Significant Other identify you by one body part and if so, which one? Not applicable as I have no Sig Oth right now. I do have a rather fetching tattoo on my shoulder, though.

11. What moment in your life would have won the $10,000 on America's Funniest Home Videos? I have several epic falls that would probably qualify along with a header into a snow embankment that left me drowning in the white stuff and my fat little legs kicking in the air. Keep in mind I was 25 at the time, far past the age where falls in the snow are cute or make people go "aww" and help. No, my friends laughed uproariously at my expense for weeks after.

Now for my turn at 11 questions

1. Do you experience road rage or commuter rage if you don't own a car?
2. What do you do when you're rolling along in an argument and realize you're wrong?
3. Cookies or cookie dough?
4. Movie quote that best sums up your current situation.
5. What pet peeve drives you homicide crazy?
6. What was the most outrageous lie you ever told that someone believed?
7. What guilty pleasure movie or CD people would be shocked you own?
8. When was the last time you went to the movies alone and what did you see?
9. What item did you have to have, but had huge buyer's remorse after purchase?
10. Favorite condiment
11. If you could bar none get away with it, would you have some illegal fun?

Okay and the folks I've chosen for this me-me are...Because I am very curious to know. You can answer none, one or two or all of them, it's up to you.

Rusty at The Blutonian Death Egg
Kelley at Writtled
Jay Noel
Christine Rains
Robyn at Life By Chocolate
Donna Hole
The Botanist at Views From The Bald Patch
Jenny at Pearson Report
Karen G at Coming Down the Mountain
Caledonia Lass at Writings, Musings and Other Such Nonsense

Insecure Writers Support Group

Where did Febraury go? I feel like I've been on Fast Forward, sheesh! So it's time once again for the Insecure Writers Support Group, a fantastic group founded by the amazing Captain Ninja, Alex J. Cavanaugh. We air out our insecurities, triumphs, frustrations and we support and encourage each other. If you're a writer, you need to join, you'll be happy you did.

I wish I could talk about something profound and encouraging today, but the ugly truth is my life has been a real stew of stress and problems of late. I am having a hard time creating anything beyond my blog posts. My writing has gone to shit. I have allowed all of this outside ugliness to fog up the view, narrow my vision. My characters have been left to their own devices and they certainly aren't talking to me anymore. They're mad as hell and I don't blame them. I sit at my computer, day after day, staring at my story and I feel nothing. In all honesty, I want to shut down and go to bed.

I need to get my mojo back. I am hoping this move to a new place will be a start. Taking myself out of the drama around here will ease my stress alot and hopefully improve not only my creativity, but my health too.

What do you do to get your creativity going in times of stress? How do you find it within yourself to write when you feel tapped out?

Stay tuned tomorrow when I answer 11 crazy questions from the awesome Julie at Gypsy in My Soul. You're going to be surprised. And don't forget about Captain Alex's CassaFire tour.

My Teenage Dreams

Okay, so I'm a day late, a dollar short and didn't even get a chance to sign up, I've been so busy, but Vic Caswell, Emily White and Sarah Ahiers hosted the Teenage Heartthrob blogfest yesterday. It was fun to click around when I got home from work and see all the people that made one's teen heart race. I saw Jared Leto, Elijah Wood, Heath Ledger, Christians Bale and Slater, Jonathon Taylor Thomas and a Gwen Stefani. A great group of hotties to be sure.

I was teen in the 80's, yes I am an old bag. So here are my teen hearthrobs from back in the day.

The entire cast of The Outsiders

Oh, My. God. Back in 1983, I was a squealing tween in love with each and every one of these guys. I mean come on, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio and C. Thomas Howell. Holy Guacamole!

Cary Elwes

He made my heart go thumpity-thump as Wesley in my fave film, Princess Bride as well as the first time I ever saw him opposite Helena Bonham Carter in Lady Jane. Then when he donned the blue in Glory...Hell to the yeah!

Johnny Depp

There are no words. I have loved him since I first saw him in 21 Jump Street and as poor Glenn, who gets killed by his bed in A Nightnare on Elm Street.

Duran Duran

This was my boy band. Simon, Nick, John, Andy and Roger, what a quintet of deliciousness.



So who were some of your crushes? Go here to see more of the participants.

Zombies and Women's Work...Seriously?

I am a huge Walking Dead fan. Huge. This show makes my Sunday nights. I love, love the walkers, the drama... Heck, just about everything. I've also had my share of things I didn't like as well. Namely Laurie and Shane. I just want to smack them upside their heads. Anyway...

During the lates episode, though, my inner feminist was on the war path. This is the zombie apocalypse and two of the lead female characters, Laurie and Andrea, were having this argument about who does what for the group. Then ol'Laurie breaks out with this idea that the men hunt the walkers and the women do the laundry and provide "normalcy" and "stability," that Andrea should stop trying to defend the group and wash some clothes or cook some dinner.

Excuse me?

Oh hell to the no she didn't. I wanted to clock that Neanderthal-minded bitch. This is the post-Apocalypse future and she's running on about women's work. Good God and jelly crackers, are you serious? And she actually said to Andrea that the men had it "handled" and that she would be better off "taking a turn" in the kitchen. My turn in the kitchen would have included me swinging an iron skillet at her head, then staking her ass to the side of the road as zombie snack cakes.

If I'm trying to survive zombies there is no way in hell I am doing someone else's damned laundry and cooking someone else's freakin' food unless we are all (women and men) taking care of this. Partners in survival is my motto. Fellas if you all are on my zombie crew come 2013, you best believe each one of us responsible for our own clothes. I wash nobody's skid marked drawers unless you are under the age of 12 or incapicitated.

I am not saying that in a group there shouldn't be tasks based on skill sets. I get that. But every one in the group needs to know every task in order to survive. I mean, someone here today, could be zombie potluck tomorrow. Now, if Laurie had come at Andrea with the "yo, you're a bad shot so maybe you should practice more and help out with laundry until you get better aim" I would have gone along. But to tell her that the men can take of the walkers and she should cook or wash clothes was W-R-O-N-G on so many levels.

Okay rant over. LOL What do you think? Equal work all the way around? Or am I just a raving lunatic?

Oh, before I forget, today, you can find my short feature, March's Frightening Flicks over Static Multimedia. Have an aweosme weekend!