To All Things An Ending…

After two years of writing two blogs, an online column and a book (that no one appears to want to buy!), it appears I have to accept my limitations.

I hate to admit it, but The Hook is only human.

And so this is the last post I’ll be filing on this particular page, folks. You’ve Been Hooked! will remain open for business, but between my failed attempts at marketing The Bellman Chronicles and trying to be a decent husband and father – and a full-time bellman to thousands of ungrateful travelers – I’m burnt out.

I started my blogs as a way to build an audience for my book, but the sad truth is this: I have over one thousand subscribers but I’ve barely sold thirty books online.

Even my giveaway – 6,059 downloads in total – hasn’t resulted in any sales.

Am I giving up? Not really, but I’m only human and as such, I’m fed up and so its time to take step back and rethink my strategy. Thank you to everyone who has supported this blog. I’ll see you over at You’ve Been Hooked!

Take care, folks.

MOVING ON…

I have the best readers in the world.

• When I asked you to read my blog, you answered: I have over 1,000 readers between both blogs!
• When I asked you to download my book, you did so: 6,059 downloads in total!
• You even sent your good wishes my way when I was stricken down with the flu.

Now I need your help again. I know, I know, I’m needy…

Steven and Chris is a Canadian talk show that covers all the bases, from cooking, home decor (both hosts are design gurus), fashion, health to the usual celebrity appearances. Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman never acknowledge it on-screen, but they’re a couple – and it shows! Their chemistry sets the show apart from the pack (it seems like there is a million talk shows out there these days, right?) and millions of Canadians – of both genders – love them.

Naturally, an appearance on their show would breathe life into my barely-breathing writing career. And so I turn to you.

I need your help to convince the powers-that-be at Steven and Chris that The Hook would make a worthwhile guest. I may not seem like an ideal fit for their genre, but I guarantee every single member of their audience has stayed in a hotel at least once in the past. My work appeals to EVERYONE. I just need to convince Steven and Chris of that!

stevenandchris@cbc.ca is their e-mail address and I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a short statement that you can “cut and paste”. I can be very thoughtful sometimes, right?

I am a fan of the Canadian bellman/author Robert Hookey, also known as “The Hook”. I think his particular brand of humor would appeal to your audience. His first book, The Bellman Chronicles, contains subject matter that everyone can relate to. Not only that, he’s housebroken, which is always a plus…

Appearing on this show would launch me to a whole other level – and hopefully allow me to sell more than 100 books! Perhaps I could even eat at a restaurant that doesn’t have a drive-thru window… Maybe.

I’d also like to extend an offer to anyone who decides to give me a few minutes of their time; if you can spare some time to help me out, I’d be open to hosting a guest post. If anyone has a tale of a vacation gone awry, or anything funny, let me know!

Thank you in advance, folks. You rock.

TIME FOR OTHER BUSINESS..

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

CHECK IT OUT!!

Related articles

• Want To See The Hook on Steven and Chris? The Hook Does… (youvebeenhooked.wordpress.com)

Never Mind The Middle East, a REAL Crisis is Looming…

Bacon and eggs plate 4 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s a tough time to be a modern Alpha Male. There are challenges around every corner. And now even breakfast is poised to change, perhaps forever…

A British farming organization is predicting a worldwide shortage of bacon and pork next year. The National Pig Association says global drought conditions are driving up the price of grain, a major staple in hog feed. This has caused farmers to thin their herds in order to cover their rising overhead.

For some bacon lovers, the end result is too terrifying to consider…

• No more “Bacon and Eggs” on restaurant menus?
• No more chocolate-covered bacon at state fairs?
• No more bacon vodka?

What has happened to the world?

Governments are actually reacting to this looming crisis: the US government has introduced a pork-buying program in a bid to keep its pig farmers in business, and the Chinese are putting pork into cold storage, as a buffer against shortages and high prices next year. There are millions of homeless people all over the world, but the possibility of a bacon shortage has governments scrambling.

I love humanity.

MOVING ON…

I have the best readers in the world.

• When I asked you to read my blog, you answered: I have over 1,000 readers between both blogs!
• When I asked you to download my book, you did so: 6,059 downloads in total!
• You even sent your good wishes my way when I was stricken down with the flu.

Now I need your help again. I know, I know, I’m needy…

Steven and Chris is a Canadian talk show that covers all the bases, from cooking, home decor (both hosts are design gurus), fashion, health to the usual celebrity appearances. Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman never acknowledge it on-screen, but they’re a couple – and it shows! Their chemistry sets the show apart from the pack (it seems like there is a million talk shows out there these days, right?) and millions of Canadians – of both genders – love them.

Naturally, an appearance on their show would breathe life into my barely-breathing writing career. And so I turn to you.

I need your help to convince the powers-that-be at Steven and Chris that The Hook would make a worthwhile guest. I may not seem like an ideal fit for their genre, but I guarantee every single member of their audience has stayed in a hotel at least once in the past. My work appeals to EVERYONE. I just need to convince Steven and Chris of that!

stevenandchris@cbc.ca is their e-mail address and I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a short statement that you can “cut and paste”. I can be very thoughtful sometimes, right?

I am a fan of the Canadian bellman/author Robert Hookey, also known as “The Hook”. I think his particular brand of humor would appeal to your audience. His first book, The Bellman Chronicles, contains subject matter that everyone can relate to. Not only that, he’s housebroken, which is always a plus…

Appearing on this show would launch me to a whole other level – and hopefully allow me to sell more than 100 books! Perhaps I could even eat at a restaurant that doesn’t have a drive-thru window… Maybe.

I’d also like to extend an offer to anyone who decides to give me a few minutes of their time; if you can spare some time to help me out, I’d be open to hosting a guest post. If anyone has a tale of a vacation gone awry, or anything funny, let me know!

Thank you in advance, folks. You rock.

TIME FOR OTHER BUSINESS..

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

Related articles

• Want To See The Hook on Steven and Chris? The Hook Does… (youvebeenhooked.wordpress.com)
• Group warns of looming world wide bacon shortage (1045wfla.com)
• Group warns of looming world wide bacon shortage (schnittshow.com)

Want To See The Hook on Steven and Chris? I Do!

I have the best readers in the world.

• When I asked you to read my blog, you answered: I have over 1,000 readers between both blogs!
• When I asked you to download my book, you did so: 6,059 downloads in total!
• You even sent your good wishes my way when I was stricken down with the flu.

Now I need your help again. I know, I know, I’m needy…

Steven and Chris is a Canadian talk show that covers all the bases, from cooking, home decor (both hosts are design gurus), fashion, health to the usual celebrity appearances. Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman never acknowledge it on-screen, but they’re a couple – and it shows! Their chemistry sets the show apart from the pack (it seems like there is a million talk shows out there these days, right?) and millions of Canadians – of both genders – love them.

Naturally, an appearance on their show would breathe life into my barely-breathing writing career. And so I turn to you.

I need your help to convince the powers-that-be at Steven and Chris that The Hook would make a worthwhile guest. I may not seem like an ideal fit for their genre, but I guarantee every single member of their audience has stayed in a hotel at least once in the past. My work appeals to EVERYONE. I just need to convince Steven and Chris of that!

stevenandchris@cbc.ca is their e-mail address and I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a short statement that you can “cut and paste”. I can be very thoughtful sometimes, right?

I am a fan of the Canadian bellman/author Robert Hookey, also known as “The Hook”. I think his particular brand of humor would appeal to your audience. His first book, The Bellman Chronicles, contains subject matter that everyone can relate to. Not only that, he’s housebroken, which is always a plus…

Appearing on this show would launch me to a whole other level – and hopefully allow me to sell more than 100 books! Perhaps I could even eat at a restaurant that doesn’t have a drive-thru window… Maybe.

I’d also like to extend an offer to anyone who decides to give me a few minutes of their time; if you can spare some time to help me out, I’d be open to hosting a guest post. If anyone has a tale of a vacation gone awry, or anything funny, let me know!

Thank you in advance, folks. You rock.

TIME FOR OTHER BUSINESS..

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy An iPhone 5…

The “techies” are going to hate me, but who cares?

1. You can’t afford it! $649 without a plan? Come on! You still need to eat, don’t you? Your kids will be paying the thing off!
2. It’s mostly sizzle and little steak. The phone’s “upgrades” aren’t all that significant… But the hype sure is!
3. The frenzy may kill you! Unless you have a death wish, you really shouldn’t be irrational enough to enter a store filled with fruitbags who have spent hours in line to buy the latest “Must Have” device. God help you if they run out…
4. Do you really need another device? According to Apple… yes! Seriously though, most people have more tech strapped to their person than Iron Man!
   
5. There may actually be events of greater significance to concern yourself with this week. I have no idea what they are, but I’m sure they’re out there…
6. The iPhone 6 will have been released by the time you get home from the store…

ONTO OTHER BUSINESS..

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

Related articles

• Why people line up to buy an iPhone? (amanwithaphd.wordpress.com)
• iPhone 5 to sell 58 million iPhones this year? (smartphone.biz-news.com)

#101: Aquaman KILLED a Guy – And Nobody Really Noticed…

It’s true. Regardless of what they boys on The Big Bang Theory say, the King of Atlantis is a badass.

He killed a guy.

Black Manta (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Specifically, one of Black Manta‘s henchmen, who will now and forever be known as “The Unluckiest Henchman in Comics Because He Got Killed By Aquaman“

I doubt the details are all that important to most of you, but here goes:

• The act in question took place in Aquaman #12 (DC Comics), which is a part of the company’s “New 52″ rebooted universe in which the Powers That Be are trying to make their lamest character – in the eyes of the world, that is – into their coolest.
  
• Aquaman and Black Manta (The guy with the punch bowl on his head and the glowing red eyes) are facing off over… Well, one’s good and the other evil, so its obvious just why they’re fighting, isn’t it?
• An innocent scientist, Dr. Shin, is about to be wiped out by one of Manta’s nameless underlings, at which point Aquaman stabs the underling to death by throwing his trident through his back.
• Take that, world! Who’s a wimp now?

This development has gone largely unnoticed in the fanboy community; a few sites have discussed it, but I haven’t seen any major mainstream coverage. I guess even a badass Aquaman still needs a publicist.

My daughter, Sarah, found the whole situation puzzling, to say the least.

SARAH: But Aquaman is supposed to be a hero! Don’t they have  standards to live up to?

THE HOOK: I think he’s more concerned with being cancelled again to worry too much about remaining true to a set of values most people consider outdated in this day and age.

SARAH: Yeah, Raj on Big Bang always says, “Aquaman sucks”! I guess that hurts after a while…

OTHER BUSINESS…

This installment brings us to the end of yet another slightly-off countdown. As for the future, I think I’ll simply stick to discussing terrible things without actually adhering to a system. I hope you’ll continue to stick around, I’d miss you if you left…

EVEN MORE BUSINESS..

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

 

 

The Blog Hop is over but I’m going to leave the links up for anyone who feels like checking out some of the variety the world wide web has to offer…

1.	Romance At Random	2.	Ruthie Knox
3.	Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews	4.	Reading Reality
5.	Storm Goddess Book Reviews	6.	Manga Maniac Cafe
7.	Full Moon Bites	8.	Reading with Holly
9.	Bookie’s Book Reviews	10.	All Things Books
11.	Good Choice Reading	12.	The Write to Make a Living
13.	The Book Diva	14.	Bea’s Book Nook
15.	Shawntelle Madison	16.	Elisabeth Barrett
17.	Socrates’ Book Review Blog	18.	Shelley Munro
19.	Insane Hussein Reviews	20.	Books R Us
21.	Jessica Scott	22.	Book Flame
23.	Manic Readers Guest Blog	24.	My Book Addiction and More
25.	SOS Aloha	26.	Pump Up Your Book
27.	Sharon Cullen	28.	Under the Covers Book Blog
29.	The Book Tart	30.	Reviews by Molly
31.	Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews	32.	Seductive Musings
33.	Romance Junkies	34.	Love To Read For Fun
35.	Cassandra Carr	36.	BookHounds
37.	Otterwise	38.	From the TBR Pile
39.	Love Saves the World (INT)	40.	Sharon Cullen
41.	So You Think You Can Write	42.	Babbles From Scott Eagan
43.	Bronwyn’s Writing	44.	TE Garden of Book Bloggers
45.	Bookshelf Confessions	46.	Review From Here
47.	Celticlady’s Reviews	48.	Labor Day Hop
49.	Romantic Reads and Such	50.	In Love with Romance
51.	The Bookpushers	52.	Reviewing Romance
53.	Queen of The Night Reviews	54.	Queen of All she Reads
55.	Romantic Crush Junkie Reviews	56.	Saucy & Sinful Reviews
57.	Romancing the Book	58.	Book Faery
59.	Harlies Books	60.	Love, Laughter, Friendship
61.	Ramblings From This Chick	62.	My Secret Romance
63.	Rambling Reads	64.	Delighted Readers
65.	suzy henderson	66.	Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance
67.	Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe	68.	HEA Romances With a Little Kick
69.	AJ’s Reading Nook	70.	Blackraven’s Reviews
71.	The Readers Roundtable	72.	Dark Divas Reviews
73.	T B R	74.	Romance Book Club
75.	Seaside Book Nook	76.	Cheeky Reads
77.	Mimmi’s Musings	78.	Kindle Fever
79.	Not Now…Mommy’s Reading	80.	herding cats & burning soup
81.	Kindles and Wine	82.	Harlequin Junkie
83.	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews	84.	Sara Jane’s Eclectic Reading Blog
85.	Sharon Hamilton Author	86.	Coffey Brown Books
87.	From the Bootheel Cotton Patch	88.	Teena in Toronto
89.	Me and Reading	90.	The Romance Dish
91.	All Things Books	92.	Amber Kallyn
93.	Book Review Diva	94.	Leigh Ellwood
95.	Me Want Food	96.	Captain marketing
97.	One Word At A Time, Joan Swan, Author	98.	You’ve Been Hooked
99.	The Things You Can Read	100.	The Autumn Review
101.	Day Drmzzz	102.	Confessions From Romaholics
103.	The Book of Terrible

Related articles

• JUSTICE LEAGUE and AQUAMAN Crossover in Dec. (comicvine.com)
• Aquaman #12 Review (worldofblackheroes.com)
• SDCC 2012: GEOFF JOHNS Teases Aquaman, GL, JL Future (newsarama.com)

A Not-so-Terrible Thing: THE BELLMAN CHRONICLES IS FREE FOR 2 DAYS!

The cyber-flood gates have opened and now (“now” meaning 12:01 a.m. Sept. 10 – 12:00 a.m September 11) my “love letter” to the Niagara Falls hospitality industry is free (September 10 – 11, to be clear) to anyone with the means to download it.

Even the douchebags.

In fact, they should download multiple copies; after all, they owe me for the last fifteen years! But right now, my gentle readers, you’re probably thinking about something else.

• The guys are thinking, “Does reading Fifty Shades of Grey automatically make me gay?”
• The girls are thinking, “Will Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson patch things up in time for the  premiere of the next Twilight film?”

But after those thoughts have run their course, you’ll all be thinking, “Why is The Hook giving his book away? Has he finally snapped after slugging one laundry basket too many for some ungrateful douche-monkey?” While I will no doubt eventually snap, that day hasn’t arrived yet. The truth is this:

You can actually make money by giving stuff away.

• Every single download – whether the reader has paid for it or not – counts as a sale on Amazon and raises the author’s ranking, thus propelling him or her higher up the Amazonian food chain.
• If an author is truly blessed, those readers who have taken advantage of his giveaway will submit a review; you need review to draw the attention of certain book reviewing websites.
• When all is said and done, an author can only pray his giveaway will draw attention that will last long after the promotion ends and which will result in actual sales down the road.

And believe me folks, this is a long road that I’m traveling. I’ll keep slugging away long after my giveaway ends and hopefully in the end, I’ll actually sell more than twenty copies of The Bellman Chronicles.

CLICK HERE TO “PURCHASE”!

MY THIRD MEDIA PLUG!

My new best friends at NIAGARAHUB - Niagara’s Information Source were generous enough to run a feature on The Bellman Chronicles on September 5. Check it out here..

BACK TO BUSINESS…

Here is a brief list of some of the stranger things I’ve hauled around the hotel on my bell cart. What can I say? I was feeling nostalgic…

• A sleeping six-year-old. It was 5 a.m. and his parents didn’t want to wake the little rugrat as they were checking out. its all about the service, people…
• A pair of antlers. Hunters, right?
• Two drunken bridesmaids who wanted to make a”bitchin’ entrance” when they were introduced at the reception. Chicks, right?
• A goldfish and a canary. But not on the same cart; that would be nuts, right?
• Various forms of “erotic baked goods”, blow-up dolls and sex toys. I’ve transported so many penis cakes that it has become second nature. I need help, don’t I?

AND FINALLY….

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

And now… My first Blog Hop!

Starting 9/1 through 9/15, Romance at Random, & the participating sites below, are hosting a blog hop with FREE books! Enter your name into the Rafflecopter & you could be chosen to win:

• A Free Romance book! (10 winners in all)
• Be one of 5 winners to win a prize pack from author Elisabeth Barrett (check out her new release, BLAZE OF WINTER, below)
• Grand Prize is a $25 eGC

Happy Hopping!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1.	Romance At Random	2.	Ruthie Knox
3.	Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews	4.	Reading Reality
5.	Storm Goddess Book Reviews	6.	Manga Maniac Cafe
7.	Full Moon Bites	8.	Reading with Holly
9.	Bookie’s Book Reviews	10.	All Things Books
11.	Good Choice Reading	12.	The Write to Make a Living
13.	The Book Diva	14.	Bea’s Book Nook
15.	Shawntelle Madison	16.	Elisabeth Barrett
17.	Socrates’ Book Review Blog	18.	Shelley Munro
19.	Insane Hussein Reviews	20.	Books R Us
21.	Jessica Scott	22.	Book Flame
23.	Manic Readers Guest Blog	24.	My Book Addiction and More
25.	SOS Aloha	26.	Pump Up Your Book
27.	Sharon Cullen	28.	Under the Covers Book Blog
29.	The Book Tart	30.	Reviews by Molly
31.	Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews	32.	Seductive Musings
33.	Romance Junkies	34.	Love To Read For Fun
35.	Cassandra Carr	36.	BookHounds
37.	Otterwise	38.	From the TBR Pile
39.	Love Saves the World (INT)	40.	Sharon Cullen
41.	So You Think You Can Write	42.	Babbles From Scott Eagan
43.	Bronwyn’s Writing	44.	TE Garden of Book Bloggers
45.	Bookshelf Confessions	46.	Review From Here
47.	Celticlady’s Reviews	48.	Labor Day Hop
49.	Romantic Reads and Such	50.	In Love with Romance
51.	The Bookpushers	52.	Reviewing Romance
53.	Queen of The Night Reviews	54.	Queen of All she Reads
55.	Romantic Crush Junkie Reviews	56.	Saucy & Sinful Reviews
57.	Romancing the Book	58.	Book Faery
59.	Harlies Books	60.	Love, Laughter, Friendship
61.	Ramblings From This Chick	62.	My Secret Romance
63.	Rambling Reads	64.	Delighted Readers
65.	suzy henderson	66.	Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance
67.	Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe	68.	HEA Romances With a Little Kick
69.	AJ’s Reading Nook	70.	Blackraven’s Reviews
71.	The Readers Roundtable	72.	Dark Divas Reviews
73.	T B R	74.	Romance Book Club
75.	Seaside Book Nook	76.	Cheeky Reads
77.	Mimmi’s Musings	78.	Kindle Fever
79.	Not Now…Mommy’s Reading	80.	herding cats & burning soup
81.	Kindles and Wine	82.	Harlequin Junkie
83.	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews	84.	Sara Jane’s Eclectic Reading Blog
85.	Sharon Hamilton Author	86.	Coffey Brown Books
87.	From the Bootheel Cotton Patch	88.	Teena in Toronto
89.	Me and Reading	90.	The Romance Dish
91.	All Things Books	92.	Amber Kallyn
93.	Book Review Diva	94.	Leigh Ellwood
95.	Me Want Food	96.	Captain marketing
97.	One Word At A Time, Joan Swan, Author	98.	You’ve Been Hooked
99.	The Things You Can Read	100.	The Autumn Review
101.	Day Drmzzz	102.	Confessions From Romaholics
103.	The Book of Terrible

#102: Having To Wake The Beast…

7 A.M., ANY WEEKDAY MORNING:

• You tread carefully. As if it’s going to make any difference, considering what’s about to happen…
• You approach the closed door, careful not to show any fear; they can smell fear.
• The door slowly opens, as beads of sweat begin to form on your brow. You think, “How did it come to this? I had dreams once; now here I am, about to die for a cause I barely understand. Why?”
• Finally, you speak the words every parent dreads speaking…

“Time to get up for school, honey..”

THE BEAST AWAKENS!

Time to make peace with whatever deity you foolishly choose to worship… You poor bastard.

School’s back in session. Have fun, folks.

I know I will.

AND NOW… SOME FREE SWAG!!!

Mark your cyber-calendars, folks…. My first free giveaway of The Bellman Chronicles runs September 10 – 11! As part of Amazon’s KDP Select program, I get a five-day window to share my work with the world for the low, low price of absolutely nothin’!

More on this in the future, but get ready to enjoy my masterpiece for FREE – and be sure to tell your friends! I need reviews, people!

AND FINALLY….

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

And now… My first Blog Hop!

Starting 9/1 through 9/15, Romance at Random, & the participating sites below, are hosting a blog hop with FREE books! Enter your name into the Rafflecopter & you could be chosen to win:

• A Free Romance book! (10 winners in all)
• Be one of 5 winners to win a prize pack from author Elisabeth Barrett (check out her new release, BLAZE OF WINTER, below)
• Grand Prize is a $25 eGC

Happy Hopping!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1.	Romance At Random	2.	Ruthie Knox
3.	Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews	4.	Reading Reality
5.	Storm Goddess Book Reviews	6.	Manga Maniac Cafe
7.	Full Moon Bites	8.	Reading with Holly
9.	Bookie’s Book Reviews	10.	All Things Books
11.	Good Choice Reading	12.	The Write to Make a Living
13.	The Book Diva	14.	Bea’s Book Nook
15.	Shawntelle Madison	16.	Elisabeth Barrett
17.	Socrates’ Book Review Blog	18.	Shelley Munro
19.	Insane Hussein Reviews	20.	Books R Us
21.	Jessica Scott	22.	Book Flame
23.	Manic Readers Guest Blog	24.	My Book Addiction and More
25.	SOS Aloha	26.	Pump Up Your Book
27.	Sharon Cullen	28.	Under the Covers Book Blog
29.	The Book Tart	30.	Reviews by Molly
31.	Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews	32.	Seductive Musings
33.	Romance Junkies	34.	Love To Read For Fun
35.	Cassandra Carr	36.	BookHounds
37.	Otterwise	38.	From the TBR Pile
39.	Love Saves the World (INT)	40.	Sharon Cullen
41.	So You Think You Can Write	42.	Babbles From Scott Eagan
43.	Bronwyn’s Writing	44.	TE Garden of Book Bloggers
45.	Bookshelf Confessions	46.	Review From Here
47.	Celticlady’s Reviews	48.	Labor Day Hop
49.	Romantic Reads and Such	50.	In Love with Romance
51.	The Bookpushers	52.	Reviewing Romance
53.	Queen of The Night Reviews	54.	Queen of All she Reads
55.	Romantic Crush Junkie Reviews	56.	Saucy & Sinful Reviews
57.	Romancing the Book	58.	Book Faery
59.	Harlies Books	60.	Love, Laughter, Friendship
61.	Ramblings From This Chick	62.	My Secret Romance
63.	Rambling Reads	64.	Delighted Readers
65.	suzy henderson	66.	Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance
67.	Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe	68.	HEA Romances With a Little Kick
69.	AJ’s Reading Nook	70.	Blackraven’s Reviews
71.	The Readers Roundtable	72.	Dark Divas Reviews
73.	T B R	74.	Romance Book Club
75.	Seaside Book Nook	76.	Cheeky Reads
77.	Mimmi’s Musings	78.	Kindle Fever
79.	Not Now…Mommy’s Reading	80.	herding cats & burning soup
81.	Kindles and Wine	82.	Harlequin Junkie
83.	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews	84.	Sara Jane’s Eclectic Reading Blog
85.	Sharon Hamilton Author	86.	Coffey Brown Books
87.	From the Bootheel Cotton Patch	88.	Teena in Toronto
89.	Me and Reading	90.	The Romance Dish
91.	All Things Books	92.	Amber Kallyn
93.	Book Review Diva	94.	Leigh Ellwood
95.	Me Want Food	96.	Captain marketing
97.	One Word At A Time, Joan Swan, Author	98.	You’ve Been Hooked
99.	The Things You Can Read	100.	The Autumn Review
101.	Day Drmzzz	102.	Confessions From Romaholics
103.	The Book of Terrible

Related articles

• Here It Is, My 2nd Media Interview – And My First Blog Hop! (youvebeenhooked.wordpress.com)
• Blog Tour: Shift (Firstborn Trilogy #2) by Raine Thomas (thebookhookup.com)

#103: When Disney Goes Softcore!

When you think back to your childhood, especially the movies that made your little eyes go wide, you think Disney.

Even the toughest, most burly Alpha Male has fond memories of a Walt Disney feature – and Mickey and the gang, of course. They were cute, innocent and pure, just as Uncle Walt had envisioned – when he wasn’t hating Jews, that is.

Okay, so the Disney legacy has a few rough spots, I concede that point, but they’re responsible for creating some of the finest animated characters on the planet. I don’t think anyone can argue that point, right?

Well, maybe now they can…

Barneys New York is partnering with The House of Mouse for their festive holiday campaign – yes, its almost that time of year already – extravaganza. Photos and even a short film picture iconic characters like Daisy Duck walking the runway in designer clothing, but there have been a few tweaks added to our beloved friends – to say the least.

Just think what would happen if Vivid Video won the licensing rights to Disney’s character catalog and you’re on the right track… I don’t know what they had in mind with this look, but the folks at Barney’s need to take a cold shower.

Or ten.

I can only imagine the path my childhood would have taken had I been watching a Jenna Jameson/Daisy Duck hybrid for years. I know one thing, I would have gotten more action… Nah, who am I kidding?

But most kids would have. Bottom line: somebody messed up here – Big Time. I can’t wait to see their Valentine’s day campaign…

AND NOW… SOME FREE SWAG!!!

Mark your cyber-calendars, folks…. My first free giveaway of The Bellman Chronicles runs September 10 – 11! As part of Amazon’s KDP Select program, I get a five-day window to share my work with the world for the low, low price of absolutely nothin’!

More on this in the future, but get ready to enjoy my masterpiece for FREE – and be sure to tell your friends! I need reviews, people!

AND FINALLY….

A shout-out to my newest blog buddy, Kristen Lamb and her best-selling tome, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media. Give it a try, folks. You won’t be disappointed…

And now… My first Blog Hop!

Starting 9/1 through 9/15, Romance at Random, & the participating sites below, are hosting a blog hop with FREE books! Enter your name into the Rafflecopter & you could be chosen to win:

•  A Free Romance book! (10 winners in all)
• Be one of 5 winners to win a prize pack from author Elisabeth Barrett (check out her new release, BLAZE OF WINTER, below)
• Grand Prize is a $25 eGC

Happy Hopping!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1.	Romance At Random	2.	Ruthie Knox
3.	Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews	4.	Reading Reality
5.	Storm Goddess Book Reviews	6.	Manga Maniac Cafe
7.	Full Moon Bites	8.	Reading with Holly
9.	Bookie’s Book Reviews	10.	All Things Books
11.	Good Choice Reading	12.	The Write to Make a Living
13.	The Book Diva	14.	Bea’s Book Nook
15.	Shawntelle Madison	16.	Elisabeth Barrett
17.	Socrates’ Book Review Blog	18.	Shelley Munro
19.	Insane Hussein Reviews	20.	Books R Us
21.	Jessica Scott	22.	Book Flame
23.	Manic Readers Guest Blog	24.	My Book Addiction and More
25.	SOS Aloha	26.	Pump Up Your Book
27.	Sharon Cullen	28.	Under the Covers Book Blog
29.	Musing Of A Bookworm	30.	The Book Tart
31.	Reviews by Molly	32.	Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews
33.	Seductive Musings	34.	Romance Junkies
35.	Love To Read For Fun	36.	Cassandra Carr
37.	BookHounds	38.	Otterwise
39.	From the TBR Pile	40.	Love Saves the World (INT)
41.	Sharon Cullen	42.	So You Think You Can Write
43.	Babbles From Scott Eagan	44.	Bronwyn’s Writing
45.	TE Garden of Book Bloggers	46.	Bookshelf Confessions
47.	Review From Here	48.	Celticlady’s Reviews
49.	Labor Day Hop	50.	Romantic Reads and Such
51.	In Love with Romance	52.	The Bookpushers
53.	Reviewing Romance	54.	Queen of The Night Reviews
55.	Queen of All she Reads	56.	Romantic Crush Junkie Reviews
57.	Saucy & Sinful Reviews	58.	Romancing the Book
59.	Book Faery	60.	Harlies Books
61.	Love, Laughter, Friendship	62.	Ramblings From This Chick
63.	My Secret Romance	64.	Rambling Reads
65.	Delighted Readers	66.	suzy henderson
67.	Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance	68.	Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe
69.	HEA Romances With a Little Kick	70.	AJ’s Reading Nook
71.	Blackraven’s Reviews	72.	The Readers Roundtable
73.	Dark Divas Reviews	74.	T B R
75.	Romance Book Club	76.	Seaside Book Nook
77.	Cheeky Reads	78.	Mimmi’s Musings
79.	Kindle Fever	80.	Not Now…Mommy’s Reading
81.	herding cats & burning soup	82.	Kindles and Wine
83.	Harlequin Junkie	84.	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews
85.	Sara Jane’s Eclectic Reading Blog	86.	Sharon Hamilton Author
87.	Coffey Brown Books	88.	From the Bootheel Cotton Patch
89.	Teena in Toronto	90.	Me and Reading
91.	The Romance Dish	92.	All Things Books
93.	Amber Kallyn	94.	Book Review Diva
95.	Leigh Ellwood	96.	Me Want Food
97.	Captain marketing	98.	One Word At A Time, Joan Swan, Author
99.	You’ve Been Hooked	100.	The Things You Can Read
101.	The Autumn Review	102.	drmgrl99@yahoo.com
103.	Confessions From Romaholics

#106: The New Demonic Duo…

Canadian rockers Avril Lavigne and Nickleback frontman Chad Kroeger are engaged to be married.

This is the musical equivalent of Satan marrying Lizzie Borden. Seriously, people hate these two individuals – at least, everyone I know does….

I wonder if this qualifies as a sign of the Apocalypse?

AND NOW… SOME FREE SWAG!!!

Mark your cyber-calendars, folks…. My first free giveaway of The Bellman Chronicles runs September 10 – 11! As part of Amazon’s KDP Select program, I get a five-day window to share my work with the world for the low, low price of absolutely nothin’!

More on this in the future, but get ready to enjoy my masterpiece for free – and be sure to tell your friends! I need reviews, people!

Related articles

• Avril Lavigne Is Engaged To Nickelback Singer Chad Kroeger (buzzfeed.com)

#111: The Most Terrible Invention in Human History…

Here is my pick…

Did I mention I’m a bellman? It was a dark day when they added wheels to suitcases, but now they want you to strap your rugrat to your luggage as well?

Do you know why this is a bad idea?

• You can’t see the actual child. What if they choke?
• Most suitcases are heavy enough on their own… Never mind fifty extra pounds of booger eater!
• People drop their suitcases all the time! Think about it…

Yes, this was a terribly self-indulgent post, but I figure I’m entitled…

SPEAKING OF SELF-INDULGENCE…