The A to Z Blog Is Stirring!

It looks like we've gotten our blog domain issues fixed and previously existing links should be working fine.

Things are happening!

April is coming!

Get ready for the 9th annual April Challenge!

Watch for more information in an upcoming post as well as updates to the blog for 2018.

SEE YOU SOON!!!!!

Do the Holidays Influence Your Blog

December is ripe with holidays from several religions and cultures. Has any of the celebrating come to your blog? Some bloggers adopt a new color scheme (red and green or blue and silver). Others add holiday music that plays on page loading. I've even seen my mouse pointer turn into Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

So tell me, A to Z bloggers, who among you is bringing the holiday spirit (or anti-spirit in some cases)?

• Where can I click to find kittens in Santa hats?
• Has anyone done a book review guide on the best eight books to give this Hanukkah?
• Is there a craft blog with instructions to make a shimekazari for Omisoka?
• Is there a recipie for a Kwanzaa dish?
• Any blog posts out there with tips on what card to send to my favorite atheist scientist?
• How about a list with the very best movies to watch this month?
• Is anyone posting about the best games?
• What about the mythology behind all the December celebrations?
• Who has the best history post about the Greek letter "Chi"?
• Is there a web comic to explain Boxing Day to Americans?
• Any lifestyle bloggers giving insight to the fasting, introspection and prayer that takes place during Ramadan?
• Is there a great personal blog out there with posts about what a certain holiday means to that blogger?
• Which photography blog has the best pictures of the Rockefeller Center tree, and which has the most unique pictures of another December icon?
• Have any of you poetry bloggers written a poem to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe?
• Has there been a travel blog post showcasing a Saturnalia traditions?
• How many writers out there have a sale special going in December? (Perhaps a naughty special from the Adult Content bloggers?)

The holidays in December are a wonderful time to explore our diversity and to show the very best parts of our religions and cultures. Be good to each other this month. And please share some links to entertain me!


by J Lenni Dorner
Reference and Speculative Fiction Author
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Operation Awesome Debut Author Spotlight Organizer

Temporary Site Disorder

Frame of the actor and comedian Larry Fine from "Disorder in the Court" (1936), in public domain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

          For those who have had problems getting to the A to Z Blog we are having some temporary difficulties.  The site is still here (and if you are here at the blog reading this then you know that), however we've had to revert back to the Blogspot domain address. 

         I'm currently trying to reestablish the old a-to-zchallenge.com address so bear with me.  Hopefully this issue will be taken care of soon.  In the meantime you can still find us at a-to-zchallenge.blogspot.com.   If new posts appear this address will take you to them.  In fact the blogspot address even works if the custom domain is in effect.

          So if anyone is wondering, A to Z is still alive though we might be a bit dormant for a while.  If you are interested in contributing an A to Z relevant post then let us know and we can make the necessary arrangements.

         Thanks for your patience and continued support!

Wake Me Up When September Ends

How is life treating you?

It's Autumn in my area. The time when people take mini-vacations to look at leaves that have changed color. (Yes, it's a thing. They're called "leafers" or "leaf peepers.")
"Autumn is the third season of the year. This is when crops and fruits are gathered, and leaves fall. In the northern hemisphere, it is from September to November." (Thanks, Google.)

September has been especially hard for several areas. In my newsfeed, I see:

• Montana suffering from fires.
• Texas still taking hits from the horrible weather.
• The historic destruction in Florida.
• Puerto Rico facing months of devastation.
• Fallout from the earthquake in Mexico.

I'm sure there are more stories like this all over the world. These are just the headlines where I live. It's been terrible. As Green Day put it, "Wake Me Up When September Ends."

Then there's happier news:

WMMR, a radio rock station in Philadelphia (PA, USA), was voted the best rock station of all time.
I heard about this while checking out the A TO Z event they held.
http://wmmr.com/event/back-to-school-a-to-z/



Cool stuff! I was listening to tunes while finishing the publication of my debut novel, an urban fantasy titled "Fractions of Existence."

Operation Awesome (a blog in the 2017 A to Z Challenge) had team member Kara interview me. Usually, I'm the one interviewing debut authors, so this was an interesting experience!

If you happen to be a writer, I suggest checking out this IWSG post. Not one, but TWO contests! What??? That's amazing!

Have you encountered any A to Z fun in a non-blog place?

Are there any books by debut authors you're looking forward to in the coming months?

Do you have any big news to share?

Back to Stationery Shopping

In my neck of the woods, it's the time of year when all the stores overflow with stationery, all of which is on sale. For parents and children, this is known as "back to school shopping."

For writers, this is known as "fueling for the addiction." (I'd tell you I'm kidding, but my wallet would disagree. Also, I have habit of sniffing... deeply inhaling... new notebooks. That scent is "the good stuff." Am I alone in this?)

Here's an A to Z stationery shopping list:

• A is for — activity books

• B is for — books ~~~ If you enjoy reading, check these out:

Bout of Books Read-a-thon — August 21-27.
The Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon — September 11-24

• C is for — crayons
• D is for — dictonary

• E is for — erasers
• F is for — flashcards

• G is for — glue
• H is for — hundreds of index cards
• I is for — ink filled pens

• J is for — jump drive (USB flash drive, data stick, pen drive, memory unit, key chain drive and thumb drive)
• K is for — kicks (sneakers, tennis shoes)
• L is for — lined paper

• M is for — measuring devices (rulers, protractors)
• N is for — notebook, spiral bound
• O is for — object to carry books and such in (backpack)
• P is for — pencils

• Q is for — Quaker oatmeal, cereal, fast breakfast foods
• R is for — reward stickers

• S is for — stapler

• T is for — thesaurus

• U is for — utensils
• V is for — variety of three-ring binders
• W is for — wireless notebook

• X is for — Xbox lunchbox
• Y is for — yellow highlighter
• Z is for — zit remover

I admit this alphabetical list has strayed from stationery in places.
What words might you suggest for K, Q, U, X, or Z?


Have an idea for an A to Z post? Are you a past participant who would like to be featured? Let me know!

by J Lenni Dorner
Reference and Speculative Fiction Author
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Operation Awesome Debut Author Spotlight Organizer