Why I'm Thankful and Thanks-Giveaway Tuesday

So, my trusty Toyota Corolla decided to choke for me last week. I was subbing and decided to run out for a bite for my lunch break. Turned the key and nothing happened. My first thought is that I left a light on and it drained my battery. No, surprisingly that wasn't the problem. Come to find out it was the battery. Most batteries just die. My battery pretty much imploded, which was bizarre. Anyway, the point is that one unlucky turn of events yielded plenty to be thankful for. First of all, the car died in the parking lot and not in the middle of an intersection. Also, the principal who tried to jumpstart my car gave me a ride to McDonald's so I could get something to eat. I'm also thankful to have a mechanically inclined spouse who took off from work to pick up the new battery and replace it in the parking lot. Lastly, AutoZone was nice enough to give us a discount on the battery even though the warranty had already expired. My car runs perfectly now (as I knock on the biggest piece of wood I can find). The point that I want to reiterate is that as much as setbacks suck, they teach us to appreciate the little things that we probably take for granted.

What are you thankful for? The first person to leave a comment will receive a free copy of my short story Hannah Strong.

Why This Week Was Awesome

My schedule this week has been crazy (in a good way), so I'm running behind on blogging. My goal is to post three times a week. However, with the holiday season looming, I may have to aim lower. Also, I'm changing up my approach to weekly positive energy because it shouldn't be limited to just three things.

First of all, I've had my first Starbucks Peppermint Brownie cake pop of the holiday season. They are definitely one of the things I look forward to the most this time of year. I really don't feel too guilty about having one. I'm sure the Skinny Peppermint Mocha negates the calories anyway.

Secondly, I began subbing this week. It's not exactly steady income yet. After Thanksgiving, I should be able to pick up enough work to earn my keep. I worked at a high school, which I never thought I would be comfortable with. The kids were really great though. It was more of a therapeutic school than academics and the classes were really small. Overall, it was a really positive experience that I hope to repeat soon.

Lastly, I'm up to three positive reviews for Hannah Strong, which can be viewed here. I feel blessed to have secured help from some really fantastic book bloggers. My Goodreads profile is looking a little better, but I'm still working on it. Am I the only one who has a hard time navigating Goodreads? I've never found it very user-friendly.

I hope everyone is taking a much deserved break next week and spending time with family and friends. At the end of the day, that is what is important.

Four Good Things About This Week

My dog is adorable

1. Max (see above) makes me laugh on a regular basis. He really has no rhyme or reason, which makes him the perfect dog for me.
2. I worked a catering gig last night and the guy I worked with thought I was only 29 years old, which brings me to number 3...
3. I got carded for a bottle of Sangria at the grocery store today, which is awesome when you're six months away from forty.
4. Two four-star reviews for Hannah Strong on Amazon. Book bloggers are fantastic people. Treat them well because they deserve it.

Unfortunately, said bottle of Sangria went crashing to the floor today and I spent thirty minutes sweeping up the glass. My father-in-law took pity on me and sent me out for a new bottle, so that cancels out the negative.

I mean every word about book bloggers. If literary agents were the gatekeepers under the old publishing model, book bloggers are their equivalent under the new model. Anyone who wishes to self-publish should approach them with the same methodology as an agent. Study their submission requirements and don't get discouraged if they can't accept anything new. Most of them are swamped with review requests. If one turns you down, don't take it personal. Just move on to the next one. Be kind, courteous, and appreciative.

So now that I've totally highjacked my own blog post, I'm going to call it a night and blame the Sangria.

Hannah Strong is available at Amazon here for download

Reviews are always appreciated. If you are a reviewer, feel free to contact me and I will send you a free copy of the story.

    

Why is Everyone Loco for Loki?

Thor: The Dark World opens this weekend, so it seemed like a good opportunity to discuss disgruntled demigod Loki, one of the most fascinating characters in the Marvel Universe. What makes him so compelling? Why does he have a bigger following than Thor? Why was there a grassroots Internet campaign to convince Marvel to give him his own movie? Why is he so much more charismatic than the Marvel heroes? How does that headpiece not give him migraine scale headaches? Maybe that's why he's always in a bad mood.

I think one of the biggest things Loki has going for him is he is more antihero than villain and antiheroes are a huge commodity right now. From Breaking Bad and Mad Men on AMC to The Blacklist on NBC, they are everywhere. We aren't supposed to root for these people, but we can't help it. We want to see these broken individuals redeemed. It's why Breaking Bad achieved huge ratings in its final season and it's probably what will drive people to see Thor: The Dark World this weekend.

As far as Loki goes, I can't help but feel sorry for him. Daddy issues? Check. Off the charts sibling rivalry? Check. When Thor is your brother, what are you supposed to do to distinguish yourself? You become the god of mischief and you go (Spoiler Alert for a movie that's been out for going on two years now) Vlad the Impaler on Agent Coulson. That act seems like a moot point now if you watch Marvel's Agents of Shield. If the studio is wise, they'll find a way to incorporate Loki into the show's storyline and give Coulson some seriously epic panic attacks.

Loki was one of the best things about The Avengers and all of the credit should go to Tom Hiddleston. How many actors can hijack scenes from Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, two of cinema's greatest scene stealers? The bit when Loki gets smashed into the floor by the Hulk is more memorable because of his reaction. It's clear that Hiddleston has great fun with the character and that is what makes him so entertaining. Seriously, can Tom Hiddleston get any more awesome than he already is? If you haven't already, watch last summer's Comic-Con footage of him as Loki. If it doesn't convince you of Hiddleston's awesomeness, nothing will.

Three Good Things About This Week

1. Zachary's elbow has completely healed. Phenomenal how fast young bones heal!
2. No less than three interviews for the week. One today for a creative freelancing firm, a phone interview tomorrow for a technical writing gig followed by a substitute teaching interview. Good things are bound to happen. I'm optimistic that things will get better.
3. The lovely and amazing Hope Haugstad agreed to read and review Hannah Strong for me.

I've been feeling under the weather since the weekend. A trip to the doctor on Monday and some pretty good prescription meds have helped me feel a little closer to halfway decent. I am a bit behind on everything though. I re-published Hannah Strong on Smashwords and it finally made premium status today. It's available for free download for Thursday and Friday at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/340069.  Starting Saturday November 9, the price will go up to 99 cents at least until I turn 40 on May 29th 2014. Yikes, I can't believe I'm looking at four decades now. No wrinkles yet. Thank God for good genes and moisturizers.