Q is for Harley Quinn

The details and the sign-up list for the 2016 A - Z blogging challenge can be found HERE.

For my A - Z Blogging Challenge, I'm sharing comic book/graphic novel covers that capture my eye.

H is for Harley Quinn

Blurb from Amazon:
The first rule of Skate Club is...you do not mess with the Mistress of Mayhem! Harley stumbles across an underground fight club where big money winds with a body count. She's in...and she's making Sy Borgman her agent for the fights. And what would happen if the demented Clown Princess of Crime visited the most popular comic con out there? Find out when Harley Quinn invades Comic-Con!! 

I is for Illuminati (The New Avengers)

The details and the sign-up list for the 2016 A - Z blogging challenge can be found HERE.

For my A - Z Blogging Challenge, I'm sharing comic book/graphic novel covers that capture my eye.

I is for Illuminati (The New Avengers) ...and the ladies have it! yay!!! Diggin' this cover! Thanks to Cynthea at whispers, lies and dreams of everyday life, for sharing these awesome covers with us all.

D is for Dimitri Belikov

Dimitri Belikov is a character in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series.

8 Facts about Dimitri:

*A dhampir (half human/half vampire)

*Of Russian origin

*Raised by his mother and grandmother
*A guardian (protector) of vamp royalty

*Enjoys western novels

*Likes 80’s music and country

*Skilled in martial arts

*In love with Rose, who’s also a dhampir and the main protag in the series

Go HERE to check out other bloggers participating in the A - Z Blogging Challenge. It's going on the whole month of April.

C is for Cooper Wanderman

Cooper stopped by my blog for a little chat. 
He's a character in Toni De Palma's YA novel, The Devil's Triangle.

Hi, Cooper! Describe yourself in one sentence.

"Uhm...screwed up. See, here's the thing. I died and now Lucy - she's the devil's sister - is giving me another shot at heaven so she sent me back to earth or life or whatever this place is. All I have to do is find a girl named Grace. Lucy was low on specifics though so, once I find this chick, I have no clue where to go from there. Between you and me, I just hope she's hot."

"Sorry, you said a sentence. One thing about me is, I get kind of carried away."

Describe Grace in one sentence. 

"This one's easy. The girl is mega-wow!"

In what way or ways has Grace changed you? 

"Don't tell anyone this, but she like sees the good in me. Yeah, if you can believe it, she's convinced me that I'm an okay guy. A guy a girl like her might even see herself loving. If she could just drop that jerk boyfriend of hers. This is going to sound so cliché and chick-flick-like, but that girl completes me."

It’s date night… dinner and a movie or something else? If something else, where?
"My life has been less than normal so I don't typically do dates. In fact, the only place Grace and I can be safe is in her room. A date in Grace's room is perfect to me."

What’s your fave song or band? 

"My favorite band is Train because they have this song called Drive-by. I like to hum it in my head (don't want the guys on the team to hear me). It's about a guy trying to convince a girl that he sees her as more than just a one-night stand. He loves her."

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy,

the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him. 

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out. 

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

The Devil's Triangle Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads

Toni's hangouts:
Toni's webpage
Toni's blog
Toni on goodreads
Twitter

Go HERE to check out other bloggers participating in the A - Z Blogging Challenge and to see the deets. It's going on the whole month of April.

Z is for Zombie (The Walking Dead video game)

Well, it's the last day (night) for the A to Z Challenge. Actually, in about five minutes, it's all over. It was fun while it lasted, but I welcome the break. And I know if I do this next year, I will for sure write more of my posts ahead of time.

The Walking Dead comics, TV series, and now a video game. It just came out, and I'm totally addicted to it.

The POV in the video game is Lee Everett.  This game isn’t all about action, but more about how you, as the player, make Lee react to certain situations. 


For example, there are time limits. If the game gives Lee a choice, and he doesn’t make up his mind in a hurry, he could die or be attacked or give one of the survivors the wrong impression of himself.

Also, there’s a part where he (you) must choose another game character’s fate. Will a survivor get eaten by zombies or will you save them? Based on your choice, the plot will go in a different direction.

Lee meets a little girl who’s alone. He becomes responsible for her since he’s pretty sure her parents are toast. Are they? You'll have to play the game to find out.

The only characters from the comics and TV series that I’ve came across are Hershel and Glenn. But this is only the first episode of the video game. There are five epi’s total, but the other four aren’t available yet. I cannot wait!!!

Here's a trailer for the game.

Check out other bloggers in the A to Z Challenge.

Y is for Yesterday

So yesterday was supposed to be my Y blog post, but I'm posting it tonight. . .

I heart The Beatles, but also love their separate works as well.

"Yesterday" was soley written and played by Paul McCartney. 
"Scrambled Eggs" was the working title until Paul penned the lyrics to the melody.
It marked the first time a Beatle recorded without the rest of the band. This was a major move in their start to individual accomplishments.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote the groups earlier tunes together. By the mid 1960's, most of their songs were written by one or the other, but they continued to credit all their work like they wrote it together.

Check out other blogs in the A to Z Challenge

W is for Weird

The things below are what I've been told that make me weird. You may or may not agree.
Either way, I'm okay with that. :D

• I don't like pop tarts.
• I dip my fries in mustard.
• When I was little, instead of bread and butter, I'd replace the butter with mustard.
• I don't like Twinkies.
• Deodorant routine: 7 swipes under each arm. Hey, don't judge. It used to be 10 each.

• I'm cold most of the time and tend to wear hoodies a lot (unless I'm outside in 80 degree weather.) 
• When I grocery shop and go to grab a box of, let's say crackers, I'll move the 1st box aside and take the 2nd one. I do this with anything I buy in the store.
• I twirl my hair, but sometimes, I'll be twirling it so fast that it flips across my forehead and hits me in the eye. I'll say, "Ouch! Why do I always do that?" My hubby will laugh every time.
• Speaking of eyes.... my eye does this weird thing when I'm tired. It freaks people out so if I feel it start to creep up, I'll blink a bunch of times so that it won't wander. But sometimes, it does it before I can do anything about it. Case in point, the pic below.

Any "weird" things you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them.


Check out blogs in the A to Z Challenge here.


And don't forget to sign up for the super awesome First Fight/First Kiss Blogfest.
Click on the pic below.

V is for (The) Vampire Diaries

The TV series, set in Mystic Falls, Virginia stems from the books written by L.J. Smith. Kevin Williamson took the novels and put his magic to work.

It follows the life of 17 yr old human, Elena Gilbert. She falls in love with Stefan Salvatore, a vampire,

but also has feelings for his older vampire brother, Damon.

While Stefan is sweet, gentle, and giving, Damon is wild, sarcastic, and malevolent. The brothers fall for Elena, partly because she resembles one of their past loves, Katherine, a long distant relative of Elena’s.

All of this drama stems from the founding families who “protect” Mystic Falls from vampires, but they should be concerned with other paranormal beings lollygagging about…. ghosts, witches, and  werewolves.

I LOVE this show...  the vampires and magic and love triangle. I'm Team Damon, though, there are times I feel like Elena belongs with Stefan.


Check out other A to Z Bloggers of the challenge.

And please take a look at the

First Fight/First Kiss Blogfest.

I'm co-hosting it with Dani @ Entertaining Interests. We're excited and can't wait to read your entries!

Click on the pic below to sign up!

T is for Tattoo

For centuries, tattooing has been practiced in many cultures. Despite taboos surrounding tattoos, the art continues to be popular throughout the world.

Mummies, dating from the end of the second millennium BC have been discovered bearing tattoos. In fact, Otzi The Ice Mummy (3350 - 3100 BC) was discovered in the early 90's, preserved fairly well and with 50+ tattoos covering his body. Scientists feel the tats were for some sort of healing ritual similar to acupuncture.

                                                                             Polynesian tribesmen with tattoos


The word tattoo (tautau) comes from the Polynesian language. Tat tat was the sound made by tattooing. The tatatau tools consist of a comb with anywhere from 3-20 "needles." They're carved from bone, shell, or shark’s teeth and are placed on the skin. The handle is tapped (tat tat) with a second wooden stick, causing it to puncture and insert the pigment.

In America, a needle is attached to a tattoo gun then dipped in ink. 

Symbolism of tattoos varies in different cultures. They can serve as symbols of spiritual and religious devotion, marks of status and rank, rites of passage, declaration of love, wounds of punishment, protection, marks of outcasts, honor a loved one, or celebrate friendship.

                                                                                                       Cyn & me

                                                                                                     me & Dani

Celebrity tattoos

David Beckham

Megan Fox

                                                                                                  Adam Levine **sigh**


Take a look at other A to Z bloggers in the Challenge.

S is for Stock

I was doing so well for this A to Z Challenge, and then somewhere around N, things started going downhill. But hey, I'm still here doing the challenge so that says something, right?

So, being in the flower biz and already doing blog posts in the A to Z Challenge on iris and rose, I decided to share my favorite flower with you . . . stock, also called gillyflower. It’s native to Southwestern Greece and the Mediterranean.

The name doesn’t sound very appealing, but the beauty of it and the fragrance make up for it. Stock can have a single or double flower bloom on them, with a 1-inch diameter. It has a sweet, yet spicy fragrance to it.

The colors range from white, yellow, peach, pink, lavender, purple and burgundy.

Vase life is three days to a week, depending on how the recipient takes care of them. This flower is temperamental and fussy, which is funny to me considering stock is supposed to be a symbol of happiness and contended existence. The water must be changed everyday and any foliage needs to be removed below the water line. If not, a foul odor coming from the water will overpower the beautiful scent of stock.

pink stock in vase mixed with lavender roses

If you visit your local florist, ask if they have stock. If so, take a whiff of it's fragrant scent. Then, take a bouquet home or send some flowers to a friend to brighten their day.

Take a look at other A to Z Challenge Bloggers.

R is for Rose

                                 Rose – cut flower

It's a popular crop for both domestic and commercial cut flowers. They ‘re harvested and cut when in bud then held in refrigerated conditions until ready for display at their point of sale.

 

                               Rose Dewitt Bucater

A fictional character from the movie Titanic, portrayed by Kate Winslet. She was a first class passenger who fell in love with Jack Dawson (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) a third class passenger.

                                      Derrick Rose

A pro basketball player born in 1988. Position: Point Guard. Since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls, Rose has led the team to the NBA playoffs every year. In 2011, at the age of 22, he was named NBA Most Valuable Player, surpassing Wes Unseld as the youngest player in league history to receive the award.

                                                            Rose McGowan

An actress born in 1973. She was raised within an extremist Christian cult called the Italian chapter of the Children of God. (No wonder she dated Marilyn Manson.) She’s been in a handful of movies, but the TV show Charmed is what sticks out in my memory. She played a witch named Paige.

                                    Guns N' Roses

A hard rock band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, CA. Then, the band consisted of Axl Rose (lead singer), Slash (lead guitar), Izzy Stradin (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), Steven Adler (drums).

Axl Rose is the only original member in G N’ R. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction, has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide.

Take a look at other bloggers participating in the A to Z Challenge.

Q is for Quotes

Thought I'd share some quotes that inspire me.

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.” - Christopher McDougall

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

"You should never be ashamed of your struggle
because you standing here is a sign of victory."
~ Christopher "Lil C" Toler



"It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does."
~William Faulkner

 

This last one may not seem all that inspiring, but it makes me laugh, which ... laughter is a form of inspiration, right?

"There's no secret handshake. There's an IQ prerequisite, but there's no secret handshake."
~ Troy Dyer from the movie Reality Bites

Are there any quotes that inspire you that you'd like to share?

Check out other A to Z Bloggers here.