Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

Ready to stick a fork in this A to Z Disney Trivia? Me too! Q: In what months does Disney's Hollywood Studios host Star Wars weekends? A: May and June Q:  Name the two actors who played a role in one of the 80s TV Shows featured in my A to Z posts last year AND voiced a character in all three Toy Story movies. A: Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies/Woody) and John Ratzenberger (Cheers/Hamm) Q:  Besides Ellen DeGeneres, name the three celebrities in the opening movie for Ellen's Energy Adventure. A: Bill Nye the Science Guy, Alex Trebek, Jamie Lee Curtis Bonus Question: If they were to ever redo the opening movie for this ride, which cast of characters from a currently popular TV show do I think should totally be in it? A: The guys from Big Bang Theory Q: In what city was Walter Disney born? A: Chicago Q: As I reported in my Disney World postmortem, I took the "Which Disney Character Are you Quiz" last fall---who did I get? A: Maleficent Q: Wha...

The talented and wonderful Anne Gallagher has invited me over for an "Inside the Writer's Studio" sort of thing at her Piedmont Writer blog, so please stop over at Anne's if you have the time and join the discussion.

It is my pleasure to bring you this guest post by the ever interesting and informative, Susan Kaye Quinn , who today celebrates the release of her latest novel, Closed Hearts ,  the 2nd book in the Mindjack series. Congrats, Susan!   By Susan Kaye Quinn I've talked before about  Thinking vs. Feeling , and  Sherrie  brought up an excellent point: boy characters think/feel differently than girl characters. First, let's not stereotype: boys certainly have feelings just as much as girls do, and your character should be true to who THEY are more than what their gender is. But, in general, what boys do with feelings can be quite different from girls, and accurately portraying that in words on a page is the key to a realistic character. Here's a girl thinking  (Ever in Evermore, contemplating a small lie to her friends):  They're making such a big deal I'm thinking it's my only way out. Only I can't. Not to them. Haven and Miles are my be...

Answers to questions posed during last month's A to Z challenge.  My fancy black bars will allow you one last chance to make your guess before scrolling over to reveal the answer. I hope you're all having a splendid Monday (if there is such a thing). Q: A certain type of Disney souvenir can be traded with employees, or "cast members," throughout the property---what type of souvenir is this? A: Pins Q:  What new Walt Disney World hotel is slated to open in 2012? A: Disney's Art of Animation, Value Hotel Q:  Walt Disney World has Mickey Mouse---who's Wally World's mascot? A: Marty Moose Q:  What Magic Kingdom restaurant did I say "actually has a fairly interesting menu for a fast food place"? A: Columbia Harbour House Q:  How many chocolate covered Mickey Mouse ice cream bars are sold every year at Walt Disney World? A: 3.3 million (source: disneybythenumbers.com) Q:  Including the two water parks, name the six parks on Walt Disn...

Today I'd like to introduce Lisa Sachez, a great girl whom I've met through my adventures in publishing.  She was one of the very first people to read & review Three Daves and I've been  lucky to include her in my pool of supportive author friends ever since.  She's been quite busy these last couple of years and has just released her 5th novel, Faythe Reclaimed .  I find the premise of this book quite intriguing and so I invited her by to discuss it a bit more. Take it away, Lisa... Oh, wait, one more thing - today's the last day to match the man w/ the manuscript in Bookish Temptations Men of Omnific giveaway .  Now take it away, Lisa... First off, I’d like to say how thankful I am to be here chatting with all of you today. Woot! When Nicki asked me to talk about the title for Hanaford Park #3 and it’s double meaning, I’ll admit, I was a little giddy. Faythe Reclaimed is a definite play on words, and speaks not only to the plot, but also to the journey...

Disney has its princesses and Omnific Publishing has its handsome princes -- if you'd like to get a gander at how the authors visualize their leading men and want to try your hand at matching man to manuscript, hop over to Bookish Temptations , where you can WIN the books featured!  One of the Daves from Three Daves will be featured later this week. I had lots of Disney World trivia throughout April during A to Z, so I'll break the answers down into three posts. Scroll over the black bars for answers.  I'll give you the breakdown of the correct answerers on the final trivia post. ;) Disney World Trivia Answers Part 1 Q: In what year did Walt Disney World officially open? A: 1971 Q: When the new Fantasyland is completed, which classic Disney World ride will we be getting TWO of? A: Dumbo Q: Which Disney movie is given a nod at this nautically themed Walt Disney World restaurant via a song from its soundtrack and a painting of a scene?  A: 20,...

This is part of a group-posts bt A to Z 2012 Survivors in which we reflect on all things A to Z.  If you'd like to join, write your post and then link its URL here . Since it's all about the letters, I'm going to give myself letter grades on my participation.  For A to Z 2012 Posts: A+ I posted every day, most days at :01 CST, and posts were kept short & wildly entertaining (oops, change that "w" to an "m").  Pre-writing and scheduling was KEY, and using a theme helped me keep individual posts brief because I looked at A to Z as one giant post broken into 26 bite-sized pieces. Also, the Disney World theme was totally fun to immerse in.  I loved hearing about other bloggers' past & upcoming trips to Disney World (I hope at least some of my tips will prove useful).  And I was tickled pink when DL Hammons told me his "Disney Diva" wife, who happens to be an expert travel agent, had requested the link to my posts!    Fo...

One of the keys to happiness in this life---and I think it applies to us writers most of all---is the ability to laugh at ourselves.  In this industry fraught with so very many varieties of rejection, taking yourself too seriously is the surest way to misery. But no worries, I'm here to help. If you're not sure how you're doing, watch the video below: <p>N</p> Now, which of the following most closely describes your reaction:  A) You started laughing as soon as you caught baby Stewie's drift, you're still laughing, and you can't wait to pull the same schtick on all your writer friends. If your reaction was A, scroll over the bar below for your assessment Congratulations! You're going to be okay, kid. ;) B) You were laughing by the end, but it took a minute, and right now you sorta feel like punching something. If your reaction was B, scroll over the bars below for your assessment Don't worry.  This is...