#atozchallenge Rocking the Challenge!

So, I think I've settled on a theme for the Challenge.

It's gonna be a really simple one. (I wonder if it may be too simple) But it will require help from the people who visit my blog. I think it will be an interesting way to gather information that I can use at a later date and people will probably have fun making their own contribution.

Usually, I choose to do something that will help others and since I've done the Challenge, I've collected enough data for several books. Alas, I haven't done any kind of compilation, which won't get done unless I put it on a list.

Never fear, we have time yet. But all the same, the Challenge isn't very far away! The next time I post here, I'm hoping to introduce my Joyful Brigade of helpers for the Challenge. We're getting ready to rock the Challenge. Are you? In the very slim even that you haven't signed up as yet, access the sign-up list here.

I haven't heard from a couple of my helpers, so if you're up for helping me check in on a set of blogs during the Challenge, please feel free to leave me a message here and I'll touch base with you.

So have you settled on a theme yet. Narrowed it down to a couple? Still waffling? Need more time because you still can't decide yet? 

W is for Willpower

The month of April has zoomed by at the speed of light, in my case anyway.

We're getting close to the finish line with only four W, X, Y and Z left before we can zone out and take a breather. So far, it's been a blast. I've come across many blogs with great topics. The only thing lacking seemed to be comments, which I can only assume is the result of two things, but I'll save those observations for my A-Z Reflections post.

Some of us will be zinging over the finish line come Thursday, others will be jogging over and some of us will be hanging on by a thread when we get there, but get there we will, because we can do it! Will-power to move forward is what has motivated many of us in this Challenge and another shot of will-power is what will keep us going until the 2015 Challenge comes to an end.

You may not have added 'writer' to your list of professional tags, but just in case you need a shot of energy or encouragement, here goes:

The life of the [professional] writer - like that of any freelance, whether she be a plumber or a podiatrist - is predicated on willpower. Without it there simply wouldn't be any remuneration, period.
                                                              
                                                                                     - Will Self

Have you written up all your posts yet? Ready to hit the visiting trail again this week? Scoping out any new blogs to visit?

O is for Optimism

If you’ve gotten to this point in the Challenge, it means you’re safely over the half-way hump and well on your way to joining the survivor ranks at the end of the month.

Although I intended to write all my posts before April set in, I was caught flat-footed because of a number of other projects I’ve been trying to straddle. At times, panic threatened to set in, but since I’ve done the Challenge for a few years, I was upbeat about the chances of being able to finish.

Optimism counts for a lot in anything we do. If we tackle challenges with a positive attitude and the feeling that we will be successful, then we’ve already won. Negativity tells us what we can’t do, but optimism says hey, I’m here, ready to make the most of each opportunity.

I know we’re on the side of having positive energy, right? So on we go to the next letter and the next ... you get the idea.

What are your strategies for keeping a positive frame of mind and believing for good things?

Meet Your Co-Host - J.L. Campbell

My name is Joy and I’ve been blogging since 2008. Since that time, blogging has become an important part of my online presence. The year 2011 was the first time I did the A-Z Challenge and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This year, I'll be a co-host during the Challenge, which is a first for me.

Somehow, I’ve never been able to write all of my posts prior to the start of the Challenge, but that hasn’t prevented me from participating fully each April. If I would take the time to collate my Challenge themes over the years, I’d have several books worth reading.

So a little about me …

I live in Jamaica and have been reading novels and writing stories since childhood. My books are published under the name/s J.L. Campbell and Jayda McTyson. I was lucky enough to get three publishing contracts in a short time span. Since then, I’ve self-published a number of romantic suspense, women’s fiction, new and young adult books. Needless to say, I love writing!

Some extras about me:

J.L. Campbell, A-Z Co-host

I can't stand seeing animals or children suffer

Documentaries that cover strange subjects fascinate me *don't ask*

I never go out without lipstick

Etymology fascinates me

I never go to bed early unless I'm ill, which is rarely

I’ve always enjoyed the Challenge and look forward to participating again this year. Have you settled on a theme yet? Written up all your posts?

I’m still looking for helpers, so if you’re reliable and can help with visiting blogs, do leave me a comment and I'll come stalk contact you.

For visits and such, my website is at www.joylcampbell.com and my Amazon author page is here.

J.L. Campbell -- Guest post Distracted Book Tour

        You've undoubtedly been seeing a lot of this lovely lady around the blogs and now this A to Z alumnus is here on our blog.   You've still got a chance to enter her contest and obtain a free book download.  And now I present to you J.L. Campbell.

I’ve done the A-Z Challenge now for two years and both times, I felt like the Little Engine That Could, “I think I can, I think I can…” Each time, the Challenge helped me do more than I thought I could in 26 days. By extension, some of the blog hops and challenges we participate in as a community help us organize and structure our work. For example, some pieces of flash fiction I’ve written for the Romantic Friday Writers will eventually go into a novel.

Distraction started life as my 2008 National Novel Writing Month project. The story is one of those that came as a gift and didn’t take long to complete.  In Distraction, Dionne, Kyra and Justine face a range of problems, however, with each other’s support they get though some difficult times.

I believe the organizers of the A-Z Challenge have come up with something that resembles the relationship these women share. The team hasn’t stopped at a post-event write up, but continued this blog; a home base and support system for those who participated and a hub to encourage new people to check out the A-Z. I see this effort as a touchstone for what can be achieved when we are disciplined, determined and resilient. Plus, the A-Z Challenge has been a great way to nurture new friendships.

My vision of friendship is encompassed in Distraction and I’d like to share that with you, along with some things Jamaican. In A Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Steps to Distraction, you’ll see Dionne, Kyra and Justine where they were a year before the start of Distraction. The book is a free download during the run of the tour.

Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win an e-copy of Distraction. At the end of the Friendship-is-Forever tour, I’ll be giving away a main prize of a Distraction note pad & pen and a $10 Amazon gift card. The second prize is a paperback copy of Distraction. Enter on the Rafflecopter here.

Thanks to the A-Z Challenge Team for having me. You guys rock!

J.L. Campbell on Amazon

J.L. Campbell on Facebook

J.L. Campbell on Goodreads

J.L. Campbell on Twitter

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican and the author of Contraband, Distraction, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, Giving up the Dream and Hardware (pen name Jayda McTyson). Campbell is always on the lookout for story making material, loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot. blogspot.com

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• Don't Get Distracted, Get Distraction: Hijacking by J. L. Campbell
• Contest & Distraction with J.L. Campbell