Send an Unexpected Valentine: Join DL Hammon's Blog Blitz Team

Getting Blitz-ed by DL Hammons Blitz Crew is like getting an unexpected Valentine, on any given day.

DL started the Blog Blitz last year.  Here are his words:

What would it be like if the support, encouraging nature, and community spirit of the blogosphere were ever focused on a single blogger? A few of us have experienced that sort of attention via book launches or other publishing announcements, and still others have achieved that level of awareness through the popular blogfests we host.  In most cases there is a lot of work that goes into generating that amount of interest.  What I'm talking about is being suddenly thrust into the spotlight, without even lifting a finger. What would it feel like to be the recipient of that kind of exposure? Could something like that even be possible? Can the power of the blogosphere be harnessed and directed?

You can read his whole post about it here.

I’ve been a blitzer since almost the beginning, and I gotta say, this is a neat gig he’s got going.  Sometimes I feel like I’m Santa sneaking into someone’s house and leaving a little note for someone to find.  Or truthfully, on the average blitz day, like a tired-just-got-off-work-and-almost-forgot last minute arrival at a party that’s been going on all day.  Either way, I’ve gotten to meet some really interesting, deserving, special, struggling, overcoming, surviving, and completely surprised bloggers.

Can you imagine a blog post all of a sudden getting HUNDREDS of comments, out of the blue?  Wanna play?

The rules are simple.  DL picks the bloggers.  He sends out the link to the team a few days ahead of time, and sometimes the reason for the Blitz Victim.  Other times it’s a random number generator recipient.  We go read and comment on the post.  He’s even kind (and smart…) enough to send out a mid-day reminder on Blitz Day in case our calendars are malfunctioning or our day is.

The only way you can GET BLITZED is if you’re on the team out there also doing the work of surprising the bloggers.  He’s currently working on a goal of 500 participants.  At last peek, the list was at 392 participants.

I think a wonderful Valentine for DL would be a lot of people signing up TODAY.  It would be like HE’S getting blitzed.  Of course, for that I need your help.  I’ve never asked this before, but would you tweet about this?  Here’s the bare link:

http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-blitz-wanna-join.html

Here’s a sample tweet for you to copy:

Join @DL_H Blog Blitz team: http://dlcruisingaltitude.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-blitz-wanna-join.html

I’d love for him to hit his goal soon.  He’s currently on a blogging break to finish one of his novels, so it would be a great surprise.

Spread the love.  Join the team.  Spread even more love: invite others to join the team.  You just might be the next recipient of a whole load of bloggy love some unexpected day.

~Tina

P.S If you join, grab the badge and link it the same link I provided because it has the sign-up list.  THANKS.  Just like the A-Z Challenge, this is about community and supporting one another and holding each other up and encouraging one another...in other words, TWUE WUV!  Happy Valentine's Day.

A Big Thanks To My Readers

I want to thank all of you who prayed, sent your thoughts and good wishes and did what your faith (or not) calls for in a situation like this.  Your personal emails touched me and brought me much comfort. This is truly a supporting community and I thank you for making it that way.

Home feels so good.  I know I was needed where I was, but it was a difficult time - one of the most difficult times of my life.  So much grief, so many ways of expressing it.  So many personalities, so much conflict.  I will unfortunately not be writing about any of it at the request of those involved.

I just wanted to send you this quick note to wrap up the blogging part of the crisis we went through because tomorrow it's off to the races full speed, and what I'm talking about today wouldn't be appropriate tomorrow, nor is what happens tomorrow appropriate to talk about here.  Yes, that's cryptic.  Sorry.

Just come back tomorrow, as early as you can, and you'll instantly know what season has begun.

With much love and gratitude to all of you wonderful folks,
~Tina

IWSG: I Sold My First Story!

I have exciting news this month. Sorry for the repeat for my awesome regular readers, but I really want those who are new to Life is Good to know this. Persistent blogging and making real connections in the blogging community is valuable. I sold my first story!

Yes, I have already published my first story, in 2012. You can read about that here on the April A-Z Challenge blog. However, in MY vocabulary, here's how I define my writing path:

• WRITER: A person whose passion is writing, must find an outlet for that passion, and writes whenever possible
• AUTHOR, STEP 1: A person who has his or her work published (in whatever format – it's out there for the public to consume) and IT isn't on their own blog, if they have one
• AUTHOR STEP 2: A person who has received monetary compensation for publication

That's the step I'm on! I haven't defined the rest of the steps. I'm a pantser with this as well. However, I feel that I've made another leap towards my ultimate goal (which may have more steps to it than I think) of publishing a novel.

This is how I ended up published for money. I've made friends with the awesome Andrew Leon of Strange Pegs

(you must read his blog, it's so good, so varied, and always sparks discussion in the comments.) Through Andrew's comments, I met another amusing blogger, Briane Pagel, who has a lot of blogs. I started to read and make friends with him.

Briane decided, and these are his words, “to start a publishing empire”, and began soliciting stories for his online magazine called “lit”. I submitted mine for consideration, and get this. HE LIKED IT. Those were his words: I like it. 

You know how wonderful it is to hear those words, and not from your mom (I love you mom!) or a relative or friend who is pretty much obligated to praise you, but from someone STARTING A PUBLISHING EMPIRE and wants to give you cash moneys for your story!

So here's my story, if you care to read it. He labeled it eerie speculative fiction. I was just thinking creepy Twilight Zone, but I guess that's not a real genre...

So my point? Make friends out there. Of course, if you'd like to join Briane's publishing empire, directions for submitting stories (and almost ridiculously meticulous legal stuff is outlined at length, but then again, he IS a lawyer, so what do you expect) in tabs at the magazine. Lit. It's where it's at. It's where I sold my first story!

~Tina

Alex “Ninja Captain” Cavanaugh  is our leader for this wonderful, supportive group. Don't forget we even have our own website now.  Be sure to check it out if you haven't already, and "like" our facebook page, too. I'm so impressed with what these talented folks are doing to promote this group! Encouragement month long is now just a click away! 

Calling for Volunteers

Wanna help us out? We're seeking minions to help do some of the behind the scenes grunt work with us. You'd get a special badge emailed to you so that no non-minion could have one. Perhaps you object to the word minion. Of course, we'd never call you that in public. It would be a secret between the team and you priceless minions. You'd get the prestigious title of “volunteer administrative assistants” in public.  (You'd be listed as an assistant on the A-Z Blog and that would probably bring you more traffic.)

Are you game? Here's how it works. Each team member wants their own number of volunteers, and will choose their volunteers in their own way. No, even though it sounds like it, it's not a popularity contest. 

What it really boils down to is what we've been trying to show bloggers about this challenge, and about blogging itself. It's a community and friend building activity.  For example, I have a lot of blogger buddies I know well and trust. I know they'd follow the guidelines, I know they'd follow through. I know who to pick if they volunteer.  Consider it a perk of being an active part of the blogging and A-Z community.

So! If you want to be a minion/volunteer/list checker, etc. Here's what you do. Leave a comment saying you volunteer.   We'll let you know by private email who we've picked, and then once all is settled, we'll put your names up as minions, I mean volunteers!

Questions? Stick 'em in your comments.

~ Tina

P.S We left out most of the details on purpose...but if you go check the comment chain at the A-Z Blog for today's (identical) post...you'll get a lot of your questions answered,