What Would YOU Like to Know About Your #atozchallenge Co-Hosts?

You may have noticed that we've already had some of the co-hosts introduce themselves to you. We like to do this each year so that you have an idea of who we are, what we do, and so that you can find out some just plain fun or silly facts about us.

In the past, we used a question/answer format where each co-host chose from a list of questions as a basis for how they wrote their “About Me” posts. We're doing it a little differently this year. We are – gasp – free-styling it! Everyone is doing his or her own thing.

For example, since Jeremy was literally laid up with his ankle, we wrote his for him. (In case you were wondering, all million or so of you who left such nice comments, he was really touched by the tremendous support you showed him. As a Team, we are very grateful and say THANK YOU.) Heather's buddy Stormy the Weather Gnome introduced her.

There are still some of us who like the question/answer format and that's where you come in. YOU get to ask the questions! Just as a sample, here are some from the past:

"When writing, do you prefer to compose your first-draft by hand, on your computer, or using Morse Code?" (Mina Lobo)

"If you could sing any song with the artist who wrote/performed it, what would it be and with whom?" (Tracy Bermeo-A2Z Mommy)

"What's more important, space exploration, or under-sea exploration?" (Matt Conlon)

"Name an item that you have too much of." (Nicole)

"Favorite childhood memory" (Tina)

We currently have 34 questions. We are greedy. We want more. We want fresh questions!

We have a great chance for that since we have so many new to the A-Z Challenge participants! As co-hosts, we just love it that more and more people are hearing about this Challenge and joining! But wait! It gets better. This year we have many people who aren't just new to our April adventure, but also new to blogging! Brave people who aren't afraid to say, “Yeah, sure, I'll try that!

We're also just as excited that so many are returning. We have bloggers who are doing this for the 4^th and 5^th time. In case you haven't heard – this is year 5. It's fun to wander around the list meeting people (you are doing that, right?) and seeing the “A-Z Survivor” badges which you get when you're done. I think they're kinda like gold medals...

So hit us with your best questions. Anything goes. Not saying that a co-host will be brave enough to answer your outrageous question...but there's always the chance. (Honestly, it will most likely be me since I'm NOT the shy one in the group...)

~Tina, for the A to Z Team

Our other favorite Blog Hops!

If you are like us co-hosts, you may be looking at your calendar thinking, "What am I supposed to do with the next 39 days until the April A-Z Challenge starts?" Well, it is just your lucky day because we have some suggestions! Here are some of the co-hosts' favorite ongoing blog-hops. We do hope you'll stop by and join in the fun.

A-Z Theme Reveal Blogfest!
In its second year, the A-Z Theme Reveal Blogfest is a "hop within a hop" - an opportunity to join with other A-Z'ers to share what your theme for the month will be (if you have one, which you totally don't have to do. We <3 pantsers too!). This year the big day is March 21st! Hope to see you there!

Insecure Writer's Support Group
This is a great group of people, sponsored by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, whose goal is to help one another, "rock the neurotic writing world." Known as IWSG, this hop happens the first Wednesday of every month. If you've ever worried if you're the only writer who feels nervous, insecure, insufficient, or just plain weird, this is the group that will tell you that you are NOT alone. And they'll tell you in funny, insightful and wonderfully supportive ways.

Blog Blitz
Hosted by the incredibly kind and talented (and previous A-Z co-host!) DL Hammons, the Blog Blitz is an opportunity to show lucky bloggers some love, in a BIG way. Periodically DL will select a member or two of the team and email everyone their website, and then we ALL show up and leave comment love on that person's most recent post, on the same day. It's a great way to meet new bloggers, and who knows? You might get selected and have your day in the sun! (Co-host AJ was selected last April and can verify - it's quite the rush!)

Here are a couple of smaller, weekly hops that we think are pretty rad:

• For all you movie buffs, co-host Nicole hosts the Monday Movie Meme.
• On Fridays you can join VikLit in Celebrating the Small Things.
• And if you want to take Saturday as a bit of a rest day, join Cate for Six Word Saturday.

And if you're really searching for something to do, several of the co-hosts are not only great bloggers, but also have books published!

• Alex recently had some exciting success with his book CassaFire, but make sure to check out CassaStar and CassaStorm, too!
• MJ has two collections of her flash fiction, FlashTyme volume I and volume II. She also wrote Beyond Our Words, reflections on Catholic prayers, and The Merciful Victory of the Cross, which is reflections on the Stations of the Cross.
• AJ wrote an interactive fiction book (think Choose Your Own Adventure) called Armageddon: Pick Your Plot, which pits you against apocalyptic events from fire hurricanes to nanobots to alien invasions.
• Jeremy has several art books including Retro-Zombie: Art & Words, which is both a coloring book and poetry compilation. So cool!
• Stephen has published the first two books in his Breakthrough Trilogy: Breakthrough and Opening. Check them out before the final book, Escalation, comes out on March 10th!

What are your favorite blog hops? We know some of our participants are authors and artists, too - take this opportunity to share a link to your work!

Just How Old Is Our Earth and Universe, 3.8 billion or 6,000 Years???

The Debate Continues: On February 4, Bill Nye (The Science Guy) debated creationist Ken Ham for two and a half hours regarding a number of topics that many followers of science and the Bible struggle to reconcile.

 

The age of the Earth and the universe is one subject that causes no end of frustration for both sides. Did our space time continuum come into existence 13.8 billion years ago, or six thousand years ago? This is a very important question, and in many instances vital (necessary for life) when it comes to where we spend eternity.

 

Science uses a myriad of physical evidence to conclude the universe we live in is 13.8 years old, give or take a few years. Reference

 

Those who promote it is 6,000 years old use the geneologies of man going back to Adam from the Bible to date the Earth. They also conclude the six days of creation are literal twenty-four hour periods. Dinosaurs and cavemen and everything that left behind a fossil also lived during the past 6,000 years. Herein lies the prolonged contention.

 

They will also state it was the Great Flood during Noah’s time that caused the physical features like the Grand Canyon and such. But even a flood of this magnitude cannot cause the extreme features our Earth exhibits. Perhaps some. But it cannot come close to explaining what would take hundreds of millions of years to make.

 

The Answer Is Quite Simple: The time between the verses of Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 holds the key. Some people call this the Gap Theory. I’ve heard both sides of the argument in great detail. Let them argue.

 

No one knows how much time transpired between these verses. It could be one day. Or it could be 13.8 billion years.

 

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 

Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

 

Important Note: God did not create everything we see around us during the "Six Days of Creation" detailed in Genesis chapter one. He created everything that makes up everything during Genesis 1:1. He simply spoke into being what we read in the following verses and this is what we see and experience every day. The stuff that makes up the stuff in our universe already existed. He simply spoke it into an orderly fashion for us to live in 6,000 years ago. Everything else, including dinosaurs, cavemen, and Pangaea occurred between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.

 

Science and the Bible have had a long standing feud. Lots of people were killed because they took a stance different from what the established Church at the time held. Example: for centuries people held an Aristotelian geocentric view of our universe, mainly that the Earth was the center of our universe and everything including our sun revolved around it.

 

Galileo: When Galileo championed a heliocentrism view (the sun being the center and Earth revolved around it) he was persecuted by the Catholic Church. Simply because he used science to stand up to long held Church tradition.

 

The same can be said today. Many who hold to a centuries old tradition of a 6,000 year old universe will draw a line in the sand. I’ve even been told I can’t be saved if I do not accept the 6,000 year theory. Huhn???

 

Why Does It Matter? I have heard far too many people state they would love to believe the Bible and its message of salvation. But, because of the 6,000 year tradition they know is false, they simply cannot regard the Bible as truth. They see an error here, and conclude the Bible may be a good book, but cannot be taken literally.



Meet the Author. No, not Dean Koontz. Me.

 

The result is many people die in their sins and spend an eternity separated from God. How many when it is all said and done? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Millions? Why? Because of the 6,000 day theory that the Bible does not teach. Man does. Tradition does. But the Bible does not.

 

So you can see why I am passionate about this topic. Science and the Bible can co-exist just fine, thank you very much.

 

To see the debate CLICK HERE

 

Action and Modern Day Sci-fi writer Stephen Tremp is the author of the Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan trilogy. His third book Escalation is the final installment in the series and is set for release March 10, 2014.

 

Escalation is an epic clash where science and the supernatural take center stage for mankind’s destiny. The setting is global and the adrenaline-charged action is non-stop. You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs.

#atozchallenge -- Stormy the Weather Gnome introduces Heather M. Gardner

This is Stormy the Weather Gnome coming to you from the wild snowy tundra, otherwise known as Heather's front yard.

Heather is annoyingly shy so when the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge hosts mentioned she should write an 'About Me' post she got all flummoxed. Maybe even a little Hasenpfeffered.

So, I thought I would help her out cause, I ROCK, and that's just the kind of Gnome I am!

Heather is old and kind of wrinkly. She lives in a small town in New York with her family and a bunch of really frightening cats (they tried to eat the gorilla glue holding my feet together!)

Heather always wanted to be a rock star, and although she doesn't sound bad singing in the shower, she can't pull it off in front of real people.

Heather works part-time for the local volunteer fire department where she also joined the Auxiliary. She makes a general nuisance of herself around town as much as possible. You know the kind, always organizing events and begging for blood and money from the community. Literally. 

Heather has published her first contemporary romantic suspense book, Maguire's Corner. She is currently editing her second book in the series and hopes to have it published soon (or so she keeps telling me).

You can find Heather all over the inter-web.

Blog: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Facebook: Heather M. Gardner, Author

Twitter: @hmgardner

Email: hgardner28@gmail.com

So, that's Heather in a nutshell, although what she's doing hanging out in a nutshell I have no idea.

She's a pretty cool chick but if you want to laugh your little resin butt off then come to her blog during the A to Z Challenge to check ME out!

I'll be taking over for the whole month of April.

I guarantee, you won't ever be the same after I get done with you.

Do You leverage #Socialmedia for #blogging? 20 #atozchallenge Tips

 Today, one of #TeamDamyanti , Vidya Sury , tells you how to spread your blog far and wide via social media.

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A blog hop is all about interaction, making friends and getting to know new bloggers. The #AtoZChallenge is a readymade opportunity to connect, interact, and take your blogging motivation to new highs.

So you've signed up for the A to Z Challenge (do it now if you haven't), and perhaps even the  A to Z Theme Reveal Blogfest where you join a huge group of AtoZers to post your theme reveal post. You're also busy outlining your posts and scheduling them for April, so you can be free to party.

Yes, it is a month-long blogging party that will change your life forever!

So, besides visiting other bloggers, how can you amplify your blogging presence?

Use social media!

Social media is a great way to attract new readers and engage with your existing ones. As bloggers we cannot afford to ignore social media.

If you’re still wondering why you should use social media…it helps you

·      increase your reach on social media

·      build a loyal fan base

·      invite collaboration opportunities

·     get a book written (yes!)

·      create community

·      make new friends

·      get gigs 

and so much more!

How to get started?

1. Clean up your sidebars

2. Place your "follow/subscribe" buttons prominently so your visitors can find them easily and follow or subscribe to your awesome blog updates. 

3. Display Social Media Connect buttons for the networks you frequent. The most common are: Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and of course, email. You can get combinations of the set. Don't forget to customize the buttons with your own profile links.

4. Add Social Mediasharing buttons - so your visitors can share your posts on their social network of choice.

5. Have a Facebookfan page? Add the widget in your sidebar so you can build your audience right from your blog. All your visitor has to do is hit "Like."

6. Create readymade tweets so your readers can copy and tweet. Like this:

#atozchallenge tip: Visit AZ bloggers before Challenge begins, follow their blogs-build your network! www.a-to-zchallenge.com @AprilA2Z

Try clicktotweet so your readers can directly click to tweet.

7. Use a dashboard like Hootsuite to manage and schedule your social media posts. Install the Hootsuite “hootlet” for your browser to tweet/schedule a tweet for any page you are on. If you follow the blogger, don’t forget to tag them when you tweet. The Hootsuite dashboard lets you see your tweet stream, sent tweets, mentions and scheduled posts.

8. If you use Feedburner, use the “socialize” feature to autoshare your own post on social media as soon you publish.

9.  Use the #atozchallenge tag across all media to make them easily discoverable. Tag +April Hosteam on G+ (run by Pam), tag @AprilA2Z on Twitter (run by Nicole) and Blogging from A to Z April Challenge (run by Heather) on FB to get RTs and Shares of your posts.

10. Big on images? Add a Pin it button so your readers can share your gorgeous images on Pinterest.

11. Use LinkedIn? Import your RSS feed to your LinkedIn profile using the blog link application on LinkedIn to show off your posts on your profile.

12. Go to your Twitter settings - and set it up to share automatically to your Facebook profile.

13. Autopublish your Facebook Fan page posts to Twitter.

14. Spend some time every day acknowledging shares and engaging in social media. Thank people publicly, give them a shoutout!

15. And while you are at it, give your "About Me" page the once-over! Now is a good time to tweak that, too!

16. Don’t forget to TELL your readers to share your posts! For more tips: See this post by M J Joachim's Aztech, C. Lee McKenzie.

17. The A to Z Challenge is not just about you. Consider using Twitterfeed to auto-tweet your favorite blogs’ posts and you'll have a bunch of RTers for your own posts soon!

18. If you have a twitter account, consider joining Triberr.com. This will ensure a lot of bloggers RT your posts.

19. Use Roundteam.co to automatically RT tweets on the #atozchallenge tag, or from bloggers you like.

20. Finally, check that all your links work.

To summarize, sidebar must-haves:

• Subscribe / Follow button
• Social media connect buttons
• G+ button for your blog (different from the add to circles)
• Facebook Fan page Like Widget
• AtoZChallenge badge

Go forth and connect! Questions, problems? Ask away in the comments and Vidya will do her best to solve them for you!

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Have you signed up for the #AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal Blogfest?  Do it now!