C. Lee McKenzie's Blog, page 41

Hats Off Corner Welcomes J.H. Moncrief

Good News Riley Gets a Home

When shelters become overloaded with unwanted animals, those animals are euthanized.  Over 4 million a day! But Pilots N Paws is helping by shuttling these at risk sweethearts to places people want to adopt. You can help, too. Here's the LINK to take you to their page. I donated and will do so again. My trip to Burma has made me even more aware of animal needs.



Something in the Middle Beware the Little White Rabbit is his hosted at Thornton Berry Shire Press. Please stop by and say hello. I'm at the bottom, but there are some other authors you might enjoy along the way, too.

T.B. Markinson is giving some books away! Enter to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway 







Hats Off Corner Welcomes J.H. Moncrief
Sometimes evil looks like a fuzzy teddy bear.
Still grieving the untimely death of his dad, ten-year-old Josh Leary is reluctant to accept a well-worn stuffed teddy bear from his new stepfather. He soon learns he was right to be wary. Edgar is no ordinary toy...and he doesn’t like being rejected. When Josh banishes him to the closet, terrible things begin to happen.Desperate to be rid of the bear, Josh engages the help of a friend. As the boys’ efforts rebound on them with horrifying results, Josh is forced to accept the truth—Edgar will always get even. 

Raised in the far north, amid Jack London’s world of dog sleds and dark winters, J.H. Moncrieff has been a professional writer all of her adult life.During her years as a journalist, she tracked down snipers and canoed through crocodile-infested waters. She has published hundreds of articles in national and international magazines and newspapers.When she’s not writing, J.H. loves to travel to exotic locations, advocate for animal rights, and muay thai kickbox. She’s an avid reader of many different genres, including thrillers, suspense, true crime, memoirs, cookbooks, women’s fiction, and horror.
Want some spine-tingling? Take a peek at this trailer:


Buy Now Amazon US  Amazon UK Amazon Canada  Kobo  B&N  Samhain

Quote for the Day: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act: the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia EarhartWill you consider helping out the animals in need? Did you hop on that Rafflecopter to win a book? And don't forget to click on one of J.H, Moncrief's links to buy her book. Have to read this one on a dark and stormy night. 
Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

Reflections on AtoZ Blogging Challenge

Reflections on the AtoZ Blogging Challenge


Well, it's over. Everyone who stuck it out from A to Z is well aware of that, I'm sure.  So now it's time to Reflect. I divided my Reflections into three categories: What I Loved. What I didn't Love. What I'd do Differently.

What I Loved


My Muffin Commando Squad Team. They rocked.  Thanks to Matusic
Yvonne Ventresca, Patricia Lynne, Elizabeth Seckman, Tammy Therialut, Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Donna McDine, Carrie Butler

Visiting my already favorite blogs daily or almost daily. 

Hilary's posts  about Cornwall were amazing and informative. I've marked a few to return to. 

Julie at Empty Nest Insider always is entertaining and poignant. She was that and more from A to Z. 

Alex gave use something fun, informative and interesting daily. 

Untethered Realms made up a great team and served tantalizing teasers to their books. 

And speaking of teams, I thought L. Diane's beautiful photography along with Writer In Transit's (Michelle's) short fiction was a super theme. 

Chrys Fey terrified me with her AtoZ catastrophes, so, of course, I went back again and again. 

Zalka's Multicolored Diary intrigued me with myths I'd never heard of before. 


Discovering new favorite bloggers was something else I loved.

J.H. Moncrief's Tales of Terror and Suspense was a thrill a day.

Kern Windwraith's The Odd Particle Review is so well written and interesting that I've marked it as a blog I'll visit frequently.

Maui Jungalow is clever, perky and informative. I'll be back there for sure.

Brigit at BB Creations went through some fabulous actors from bygone eras and filled us in on their lives. So interesting.

Scribbles From Jenn took us back through the Twilight Zone, and that was quite a trip. Well written. 

What I Didn't Love and what might be in the Guidelines for 2016


Some blogs had font that was so small or complicated I couldn't--and finally wouldn't--stop by. I soon hated the black background, especially with green font. Be serious! My eyes just couldn't take it.Never appreciated the comment "Thanks for sharing." That's a Red Flag and means: "I didn't bother reading or even skimming your post."It was sometimes so hard to figure out where the comment link was on some blogs. It would be great if bloggers would configure blogs so that feature was easy to find. 

What I'd Do Differently 

I'd always include a direct link to my blog with my name at the bottom of my comments. I didn't always do that.

I'd try to find MORE blogs I'd never visited before. This is always a challenge during the Challenge.


******

Did I touch on any of your favorite bloggers? Your peeves about blogs your visited? What would you do differently?

You might like a Survivor T-Shirt. Take a look at what Jeremy Being Retro has designed for the intrepid bloggers who finished the AtoZ Challenge and are proud of it.


Get your A to Z Gear
And then there's that thing called Insecurity! Can't forget that, can we? But we can give it a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Go away. I don't want to be Insecure today. How easy that was. Try it. See what happens.
Alex Cavanaugh




Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

Get Ready for A to Z Reflection and Hats Off Corner with Chrys Fey

Good News Returns To The Write GamePhoto CreditDid you hear about Marcus MCoy who kept his cool, called 911, and directed them where he and his family were trapped by fire in the second story of their home? For 11 minutes he stayed calm and kept his sister, who was in the room with him, calm. Now that's something. And he's just 13 years old. Very good news.Something In the Middle Now's your chance to rehash, rethink and share your April experience. I'll post mine on Wed. 4/6.
Sign Up Now

Beware the Little White Rabbit Racks up 5 Stars.I've been reading the opening lines of several of the short stories and posting them on my fb page. If you'd like to catch a preview of what's inside the anthology, here's one example. They Call Me Alice.









Hats Off Corner Welcomes Chrys Fey
Chris says: When I write supernatural-themed stories, such as my newest short stories Ghost of Death and Witch of Death, there are certain songs and singers/bands that I gravitate to for inspiration. And yes, every time I write, I am wearing my headphones. :) I have always said that music is my muse.
10 Songs/Artists that Inspire my Supernatural Writing:



1. Evanescence (All songs!)2. Within Temptation (All songs!)3. “Superstition” by Alexz Johnson4. “Breath of Life” by Florence and the Machine5. “Dead in the Water” by Ellie Goulding6. “Slept so Long” by Jay Gordon7. “The Blood Legion” by In This Moment8. Delain (All songs!)9. “ET” by Katy Perry10. “Helena” by My Chemical Romance

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO 
Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case. Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.
Available for PRE-ORDER:Book Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK
Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series. 
When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way. You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!Author Links:Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads


Quote for the Day:"One must forgive fashion everything because it dies so young." Jean CocteauSliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:Z is for Za

LAST DAY HURRAY. WE DID IT.

But WAIT!

There's more.
Don't forget the Reflections Post. The Linky goes up May 4 through May 8.

Sign up. Create your post and put the permalink to that specific post on your blog.
Buddah carved from solid teak.
In the Burmese alphabet, the Za is written two different ways, according to the charts I saw. The two characters for Za are on the second line the third and fourth characters from the left.



A tonal language, written Burmese is over 1,000 years old. The tones aren't just simple pitch issues. Meaning changes with the duration a sound is held and whether the sound is voiced (e.g. Z) or voiceless (e.g. S). Good luck with those tones.
English is a Subject-Verb-Object language, but Burmese is Subject-Object-Verb, and to get really Linguistic on you, the Verbs can be "quasiagglutinative." So there you have it. Aren't you glad you read to the end?
And speaking of that. . .this is THE END. Adios AtoZChallege 2015! Now I'm off to collapse on the couch with my Burmese language tapes.
Question: What do you know about Yangon?
T 1. The Mons were the earliest inhabitants of the area now called Yangon. (The village Dagon was founded in the 6th century by the Mons.)

F 2. In the eighteen hundreds, the Burmese fought the British and won the battle of Yangon. (The Burmese lost badly. Only 7,000 of the 30,000 soldiers survived.)
Just in case you did some speed reading through my carefully prepared Z post, here it is again.


May 4-8 is the chance to REFLECT. Sign up on the Linky and tell everyone what you liked, what could be better, what you'd do again or what you'd do differently. Don't forget: permalink the post. 



Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:Y is for Yangon

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.

Yangon is a city of beautiful contrasts. Markets flourish along the crowded sidewalks, but they do have sidewalks, so that's a huge improvement from Mandalay where every step could plunge you into a sewer or oncoming traffic.


Everything from Shoes. . .



to Dessert is for Sale on the Streets of Yangon

View from a Pedestrian Over Crossing

View from the Other Direction Some Buildings from the Colonial PeriodI'm not a city person, but I do enjoy the kinetic excitement once in a while. Yangon didn't disappoint.

Question: What do you know about the xylophone in the Strand Hotel?

T  Authors such as Maugham, Kipling and Orwell were entertained by the music from the xylophone in the Strand lobby. (The Strand opened in 1901, and has hosted these notables along with hundred of others. I'm buying this history, so I can know more about one of the most famous hotels in the world.)


Collector ItemNOW what do you know about Yangon?

T/F 1. The Mons were the earliest inhabitants of the area now called Yangon.

T/F 2. In the eighteen hundreds, the Burmese fought the British and won the battle of Yangon

Answers tomorrow.Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:X is for Xylophone

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.
One Tired Pedicab Guy near the Strand

A huge treat for me was going to the Strand Hotel in Yangon. They've restored the old colonial building and it was a step into the colonial history of Burma. The warm wood paneling and elegant polished floors were so elegant.

In the lobby a young lady played the Xylophone, so while I sipped my very expensive coffee (5000Kyat which equaled $5), I listened to music and pretended to be in the early 1900's, back in a time when the city was called Rangoon, wearing an elegant gown, carrying a parasol on my arm.


The Strand at Night

Girl at The Strand Playing the XylophoneQuestion: What do you know about this Lotus that's used for weaving?

T 1. While the lotus is used for weaving cloth, it's also a sacred plant. (The Padon-ma Kya. the Sacred Lotus is believed to bloom only in sunlight and the Kumudra (Gamod) Kya. a fabulous white lily. is said to bloom only with moonlight.)

F 2. The lotus flower is beautiful, but poisonous. (The seed of the lotus is edible. They are green and resemble a large peanut and come embedded in a cup-like bulb and is commonly called Kya-Khwet. (that is a lotus cup) on a stalk. It is a very tasty ingredient in steamed duck or as part of the stuffing in duck roast. They can also be eaten raw.)

NOW what do you know about the xylophone in the Strand Hotel?

T/F  Authors such as Maugham, Kipling and Orwell were entertained by the music from the xylophone in the Strand lobby.

Answer tomorrow.Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:W is for Weavers

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.

Weavers in Burma use, high grade cotton, silk and lotus to create fabrics.



Here the girl peels and shreds lotus that will be made into a very fine scarf or skirt. A lotus scarf costs about $35 US. A cotton one about $8. Silk is $25. 
Stripping Away the Outer Lotus Stem

NOW what do you know about this Lotus that's used for weaving?

T/F 1. While the lotus is used for weaving cloth, it's also a sacred plant.

T/F 2. The lotus flower is beautiful, but poisonous.

Answers tomorrow.





Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:V is for Villages

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.
This is a village on Lake Inle. The only way to reach the houses or the monastery is by boat. 




This is how you get around the villages of Inle Lake.



Another Inle Lake Village

Answers to what do you know about British Colonial Times in Burma?

F 1. Britain went to war with Burma in the early 1900's. (The war began in 1824 when Burma's Konbaung Dynasty tried to move into an area close to Britain's Indian.
T 2. The Anglo-Burmese War had a few causes, but the most commonly named are the British desire for access to teak forests in southern Burma and a port to ship from. (*It seems the causes for war are only different in the resources countries covet--teak in one century, oil in another. *This is a political opinion.) 

Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:U is for Unique British Colonial Influence in Burma

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.
Mandalay has so many 19th century British Buildings  Pyinoolwin was a British summer retreat. Many Colonial Houses still stand. It was cool mountain area.Answers to what do you know about tea in Burma?


T 1. When ordering tea, you should know what kind you want:sweet, strong, sweet and strong. There are many different combinations. (Think Starbucks and all the possible coffees you can order. It's about the same for tea in Burma: cho seh, bone mahn, baw hseent, jah hseent, pancho. It takes time to figure out which on suits your taste.)
F 2. You can order tea by the cup or bowl. (Actually you order it by the cup or "tankie," the Burmese adaptation of the word tank. It's not as big as a tank, but it's bigger than a cup.)
NOW what do you know about British Colonial Times in Burma?
T/F 1. Britain went to war with Burma in the early 1900's.
T/F 2. The Anglo-Burmese War had a few causes, but the most commonly named are the British desire for access to teak forests in southern Burma and a port to ship from. 



Answers tomorrow.Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew

AtoZBlogChallenge:T is for Transportation, Tea and Tea Salad

Join in the fun! It only takes a minute to visit more AtoZers on the Linky.
My theme this year is Burma AKA Myanmar. I used to live in Laos, so I looked forward to returning to Southeast Asia. I spent a little over three weeks exploring this country, learning a bit about its culture: its history, religion, and language. I thought others might enjoy some of what I learned and see some of what I saw.
Taxi Along the Irrawaddy RiverSomehow I missed getting the side of the wagon that had the sign painted on it. The driver had a very large dark one that said TAXI. I could see it as the boat pulled up to the shore. Photographer fail!




But I got this one from a friend!

It was a bumpy ride, but we got to where we wanted to go and back to the boat safely. The driver told jokes, but I didn't get them. I'm not good in Burmese.


Burma has no shortage of Tea! And it's delicious. 


So is the Tea Salad. I ate that for every meal. 

Answers to what do you know about stupas?
T 1. The origin of the stupa is India, and at the center of these there's usually some kind of holy relic. (Usually it's a Buddha statue, but in ancient times they often put precious stones or other items that lured looters. Bad Karma for them.)
T 2. Pagoda is an umbrella term that includes stupas along with temples and other Buddhist structures. (The stupa usually has distinctive bell-shaped dome, but it's also considered a pagoda.)
NOW what do you know about tea in Burma?
T/F 1. When ordering tea, you should know what kind you want:sweet, strong, sweet and strong. There are many different combinations. 
T/F 2. You can order tea by the cup or bowl.

Answers tomorrow.Sliding on the Edge, C. Lee McKenzie, WestSide Books, Spring '09
The Princess of Las Pulgas, WestSide Books, Fall '10
The First Time, Fall '11 (Anthology story: Premeditated Cat)
Alligators Overhead, Outskirts Press, Fall '12
Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Anthology story: Into the Sea of Dew