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Come on and join author Melissa Bradley as she sets off on her latest adventure...

WARNING

If you are not 18, please exit stage left. While there is normally nothing naughty here, I do write and review erotica so there are links to spicy stuff and the occasional heated excerpt.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

A Visit With The Peanuts

Happy Friday, Imaginarians! Today's post is all about one of my favorite things in the whole world, The Peanuts Gang. Back in February, I had the opportunity to visit Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry with my sister and nephew. We went to see the Charles M. Schulz traveling exhibit which was on loan from the Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, California. This was a trip down memory lane, a celebration of my longest relationship ever. Yes, even Steven Tyler and Johnny Depp cannot replace Charlie Brown in my affections...37 years and counting.

They had memorabilia such as the Emmy award won in 1965 for "A Charlie Brown Christmas." They also had Schulz' office recreated with the actual furnishings. It was very cozy, yet just a bit plain. The entire collection of Snoopy ornaments was on display, including some that were never released. I was drooling over that, especially the WWI flying ace on his Sopwith Camel doghouse. That is my favorite Snoopy incarnation.


I loved the numerous wall displays for each character. Their full name was given and when they were introduced into the strip. I had no idea Lucy and Linus were Van Pelts. Peppermint Patty was really Patricia Reichardt and was Schulz's response to the burgeoning women's movement. Franklin had been been introduced after the assassination Martin Luther King, Jr. in response to a letter from a teacher who requested a black character for her students. And of course, Woodstock, who was indeed named after the rock festival, but he didn't get his name until 1970, after being in the strip for three years.

My favorite part of the exhibit was Snoopy's doghouse. They had a complete list of everything inside, including bunkbeds, a color television and tons of empty root beer cans. They had an interactive exhibit where one could wear all of Snoopy's personas and I could not resist wearing the goggles and leathers of a WWI ace. I have fantasies of hunting the Red Baron myself.

There was also an interactive animation station where kids learned how to draw the characters. They learned about the animation process that was used for each of the Peanuts animated specials. Back then it involved hand-painted cels rather than digital technology. They even had a few of those cels on display. True artwork they are.

I could not believe the amount of trivia that I learned. Did you know that the Apollo 10 Lunar Module and Command Module were named Snoopy and Charlie Brown respectively? Following the Apollo 1 fire, Snoopy became the official mascot of aerospace safety and the Silver Snoopy award is given to space program worker who has gone above and beyond in pursuit of safety and quality. Did you know that both Linus and Shroeder were introduced as babies while Shermy and Patty (not Peppermint) were Charlie Brown's first best friends?

I wanted to go again and again. :)

So what is everyone doing this weekend? I'm hoping to catch a good movie and do some writing.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Monday Morning Blues

I always hate Monday mornings. I can never seem to get my act together without an IV of caffeine. Last night was exciting as the Oscars aired. I did a live blog during the ceremony with my awesome friend, Matt Vanacore from one of the finest film sites ever, FilmMattic. We bantered back and forth about the winners, the losers, the snubs and the surprises. It was tremendous fun and I can't thank Matt enough for the opportunity.

SPOILER AHOY!!!

Since I watched the Oscars that meant I had to DVR The Walking Dead and watch after the main broadcast. OMG!!! Andrea needs to get her shit together and take a stand. Is she going with Team Prison or is she sticking with Team Woodbury? She can't have it both ways. There is no negotiation in the Apocalypse for crying out loud. And holy guacamole did Carol come up with that cold-hearted plan to bang then stab the Governor? Hell yes, it was. Ol' Carol is turning badass and it is about time. Daryl is a killer influence it seems.

And I love how Carl stood up to Rick and told him that he needed a break from being the leader. Carl is the man and I agree with him. Rick is going crazy, seeing the dead Lori, so yeah  he needs to come off the Ricktatorship for a minute or ten. And besides poor Carl had to shoot his own mother. He's keeping it together so why can't his dad?

Then we have Tyrese and company. These poor people can't catch a break, caught between walkers and two crazy guys. Kicked off of Team Prison, they are now preparing to be second stringers on Team Woodbury. Should be interesting to see what happens.

SPOILER OVER!!

I also love to watch Talking Dead, the round-up show on immediately after WD. I learn alot about the inner workings of the show. Last night I learned that when the zombies come, make sure you have maxie pads, dental floss and condoms. Apparently maxie pads make absorbent dressings for wounds as well as thick shoe inserts. Floss can be used as fishing line and condoms can hold two gallons of water. Who knew? Something to file in the back of your brains for future use, my writer friends.

I also saw a couple of really good movies this weekend. Cedar Rapids was a really intriguing comedy with Ed Helms, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, John C. Reilly, Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. and Alia Shawkat. Tim Lippe is a naive insurance agent going to his first conference and is he ever in over his head. This was hilarious from start to finish. The other movie I watched was the creepy, but kind of dull The Fourth Kind. It's a mockumentary sci fi chiller about a psychologist who uncovers alien abductions in Nome, Alaska. Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas and Will Patton star.

So how was your weekend? Watch any good movies? Watch the Oscars?






Thursday, February 21, 2013

Cover Reveal, News and Thank You

It's FRIDAY!!! Yeah, Baby! Ok so I am in a great mood. I want to thank all of you out there for the incredible response to mine and Gwen Gardner's Writers 4 Writers event on Monday. I appreciate each and every one of your efforts. You made my entire month and did my heart good. So thank you. I am still working my way around for more personal thanks.

I have some news now...I find myself with the need to be more organized of late. To that end, the Imaginarium will now be going to Monday and Friday posts instead of as often as I can during the week. I'm hoping to be better at reaching all of you out there so I am limiting my posts here to that end.

Now for the BIG COVER REVEAL....

It is my great pleasure and honor to reveal to you the cover for Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh's third book Cassastorm
Isn't it gorgeous? Now here is a little teaser about the book and I am counting the days til release... 208 lol

Cassastorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Writers 4 Writers

Today is the Big Day, Imaginarians. Writers 4 Writers is here and the awesome people of this group are helping me and the incredible YA author, Gwen Gardner, promote our work on Amazon and around the Twitter/Facebook realms.

How this works is that I have some tweets below, which I would HUGELY appreciate if you could copy and paste onto Twitter and then send out to your followers. They contain links to my work on Amazon. The goal is to increase mine and Gwen's exposure on Amazon and hopefully boost some sales by reaching more people than we could with just ourselves.

Tweets for Maxie Briscoe: Werewolf

It's hard being a Beast among Prey MAXIE BRISCOE WEREWOLF http://www.amazon.com/Maxie-Briscoe-Werewolf-ebook/dp/B003HO5UYC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361126074&sr=8-2&keywords=maxie+briscoe%3A+Werewolf #Amazon #Kindle #Download #W4WS Please RT

Sex, murder and werewolves MAXIE BRISCOE WEREWOLF  http://www.amazon.com/Maxie-Briscoe-Werewolf-ebook/dp/B003HO5UYC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361126074&sr=8-2&keywords=maxie+briscoe%3A+Werewolf #Amazon #Download #Kindle #W4WS Please RT



Tweets for Nathan's Angel

What could be sexier than a werewolf and an angel? NATHAN'S ANGEL http://www.amazon.com/Nathans-Angel-ebook/dp/B005W8J0HO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1361164676&sr=8-8&keywords=nathan%27s+Angel #Amazon #Download #Kindle #W4WS Please RT

Sometimes, the laws of Heaven were meant to be broken NATHAN'S ANGEL http://www.amazon.com/Nathans-Angel-ebook/dp/B005W8J0HO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1361164676&sr=8-8&keywords=nathan%27s+Angel #Amazon #Download #Kindle #W4WS Please RT


Thanks everyone for doing this. I really love you all for your support. You mean the world to me and I would not be the writer/blogger I am without you.



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Book Spotlight: L Diane Wolfe


HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK NOW!
By L. Diane Wolfe


Publishing and promoting made simple!


Have you always dreamed of publishing a book but didn’t know where to begin? 
 
 
 
 
 
This book walks you through the steps of identifying markets, budgeting, building an online presence, and generating publicity. Get the whole story on:
 
·         Traditional publishing,   Self-publishing
·         Print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution
·         Finding your target audience
·         Generating reviews and media interest
·         Networking and developing an online presence
·         Promotional materials and appearances
 
Uncover your ideal publishing path and numerous marketing options before you begin. Writing is your dream. Give it the best chance for success!
 
Available February 5, 2012
Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages, Dancing Lemur Press LLC
$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2
$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0
 
 
Congratulations, Diane! Have a great weekend, everyone. I'm hoping to get a new laptop this weekend. Yes, I am going from desk top PC to laptop. I'm slowly, but surely working my way into the 21st century. LOL You know, I still use a simple flip phone. No smart phones here and no texting. I think our atmosphere just lost a significant amount of oxygen from the collective gasp. Yeah, tech and me are not simpatico whatsoever. But, I'm hoping to change that this weekend so wish me luck.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Hanging In And Some News

Hey there Imaginarians, my friends, my online family...I have MISSED you all so much. I'm still out, but I found a way to at least keep in partial touch so look for me in the shadows, lurking about and leaving a comment or two before I go dark again. I'm hoping to have a new computer this weekend.

I wanted to share some news while I had the opportunity. First, W4W, Writers 4 Writers, is going to be co-starring Yours Truly and the awesome Gwen Gardner this month. Cue Kermit the Frog's wild cheering...Yay!!!! So on Februay 18, pretty please get ready to do some serious tweeting. I thank you tremendously in advance.

Next, we have an awesome blogfest from our Captain Ninja, Alex. The Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest blasts off on March 18. Go sign up, have fun, meet the other brilliant participants.




















The incredible E.J. Wesley has launched his Moonsongs blog tour See where he'll be and all the good stuff he's talking about.

Too cool for words Jessica Bell has released her newest, The Book. Go check it out, she's a great writer.

Last, but most certainly not least, is the awe-inspiring Overcoming Adversity Blogfest hosted by Nick over at Scattergun Scribblings. He is compiling the entries into a book and the proceeds will go to fund college for his son Andrew, who has cerebral palsy.Here is my entry:

Silencing the Crowd

The crowd roared, a thunderous boom as Tommy Pike went down stealing second. One out, one on, they were down two and crappy Frankie Cisco followed her. Man,  she had to get on base.

"Lani, you're up next." Coach Miller barked.

She huffed out an irritated breath. "I know."

"Just relax. Take your time, watch the ball. Clark's got some stuff on his curve and you always fall for it."

Much as she didn't want to take Coach's advice, Lani knew he was right. She always fell for that hanging curve like stupid Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty's fastball.

"Come on, Little Lady, speed it up. We ain't got all day around here."

She glanced over at Mr. Cisco, father of said crappy Frankie. He gave a her greasy smirk as he hoisted another slice of pizza into his big mouth. Lani wanted to gag. No wonder Frankie stunk.

The cheers grew louder as she grabbed her helmet from Coach and fit it on her head, grimacing at the pressure. She jogged to the plate, taking a couple of practice swings. The pressure on her ears increased and she stepped back, giving the umpire a "Time Out" sign.

She shook her head. How could she have forgotten something so simple?

Trotting back to the dugout, she winced as she removed her helmet. Coach held out his hand and she took off her hearing aids, settling them in his big palm.

The crowd immediately fell silent, the world now a quiet place where she could concentrate. She put on her helmet and smiled, a steely calm coming over her as she headed back to the plate. Time to swing for the fences...

Hope you enjoyed my little piece. It was inspired by one kick ass little girl, who plays on my nephew's baseball team. Not only does she play with the boys, but she does it without being able to hear the coach or the umpire when she bats.