November Winner - Ally's Street Team's Monthly Drawing

November 2012 Hi everyone! We have a winner for the monthly drawing in my street team. This was a random drawing for the month and I drew one name from the 50 members in the street team.

This Month's Winner is Kristen H.

Kristen has won a Vampire from Hell car magnet and signed paperback of "The Vampire from Hell (Parts 1-3): The Volume Series #1". If you are interested or just want to learn more, read Join Ally's Street Team,  February 2013 Team Drive The next Team Drive will be for the month of February. To learn more about this upcoming team drive, read more here. About the Graphics Special Thanks to Kellie, George and Sunny for their help with designing, creating, and promoting these images for the Vampire from Hell Street Team! Original design for the Fire Vampire was found by Kellie at Dezignwithaz.com.

Temptation found me

Temptation found me today and I was away from my desk. I was at lunch. When I returned, I knew what it was. That raw power of glee, excitement, fear, guilt - all rolled into one. I had taken a detour to the kitchen for a cup of motivation. And there T was, sitting at my desk, smiling, waiting, admiring, me.

"Well, don't you look nice today? All dressed up in business attire. That's different."

I placed my tea on my desk, without responding.

"It's been a long time? Hasn't it?"

I sat on the side of my desk, while T relaxed in my chair. I calmly glared at T.

"You've missed me, haven't you?"

"What do you want," I replied, hoping my co-workers wouldn't hear my talking to what appeared only myself.

"It's about time, isn't it? Haven't you missed me? I've certainly missed you."

"We're not doing this again."

T stopped grinning and leaned closer to me, "Oh no, you don't feel that?" He paused for effect. Then continued. "Deny it if you will, but it's there. One moment, one second, and you'll be hooked. I know you."

He settled back in my chair.

I clenched my teeth. Slowly I picked up my cup of hot Earl Grey tea and poured it into my office chair where T sat. Immediately he jumped up screaming and disappeared.

A co-worker popped his head over the cube. "You okay, Amanda?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just spilled my tea."

Shark Attack!

Shark Attack! Bowling a 162 on the Shark pattern...

It was a Tuesday night and we were bowling as we have been doing every Tuesday night since this January. Many people were out in Las Vegas at the lastest open event so it was a quiet night. A still, even somber night. No real chatter from the bowlers or high fives, just the drumming sound of pins being knocked down. That wonderful crashing sound I'm growing to love.

My team was preoccupied with a little conversation about work so they gathered in a corner and approached thearea only when it was their time to bowl. For amateurs, we were really bowling well, but few seemed to notice.I'd hit a few strikes, a spare or two. It was a magical, very odd thing for my being a first time bowler and beginner on a sport bowling league. I tried not to notice or focus on the fact that I was bowling well. Instead I concentrated on my stance, my form and played around with following through on swinging the ball, my backswing and push I think the bowling terms are called.

It was in the last game, the third one for the night when our attention gathered and both of our teams knew we were almost done for the day. Leaving work to go bowl means for a long day and the third game is always theone that pays for it. But somehow, I was warmed up, really at ease and started the first frame out with a strike. Then a spare. Then a strike and another strike! I ended up bowling my best to date (ever) game coming in at a 162. The other two games had been 122 in that night's series.

My team mates bowled well too and game in with high scores of 130 and 139. The whole quiet night was a lovely experience and one I hope that we can repeat next week, but I'm not holding my breath. It'll be a new sports pattern to play on and who knows how well it will go. But I can say that of all the patterns we've played on so far, I love the Shark the best :D

To learn more about Sport bowling and the patterns used, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_bowling

Also check out this video on youtube for bowling on the PBA Shark pattern at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHFOQdWhV7Q

Bowling for the Cure

Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time or maybe the right job in the right year. I'm thinking about that sort of thing this week since it's my 3rd month anniversary at my new job.

I'm beginning to realize that taking a Bowling elective in college was a great idea and is paying off :) I'm learning to bowl, going to tournaments (my first one is today), and enjoying the new work scene (after a year of working-at-home). Geek Alert! I installed IBowl as an app on my IPhone and it has actually helped my hand and eye coordination!

So far I've played two games in the company league where I scored over 120. Maybe that's not a score Walter Ray Williams, Jr. would be proud of. But for my game I'm improving. (For info on Walter Ray, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Ray_Williams,_Jr. )

Well anyways, today's a good day. Gonna get out and bowl for a good cause and enjoy a nice weekend with family. Let's roll, dude :D

Quote for the Day: "My night has become a sunny dawn because of you."--Ibn Abbad

Alley - start writing

"Speaking of writing... what more have you done?"
"Writing?! Yes, writing. My writing you mean?"
"Yes, your writing, your book! Where are you with that?"
"Uh..." She shifted in her seat and ran her fingers through her hair, yanking a few stranes free from her left temple.

Her friend admired her nervous reaction. Alley was always pulling at her hair.

* * *
It's about time I stopped my life to write some fiction and I've started doing that, but not before two of my other friends have written full novels themselves. 80,000 words plus! It's wonderful and I'm so proud of both of them. They've been kind enough to ask me to edit drafts of their works and that has given me motivation to do my own.

Why did I need motivation?
Well because I'm lazy. Another reason is because I doubt myself often, always, frequently. Well maybe just often. I keep thinking I have nothing of importance to say, and that's keep me on the sidelines for a long time now.

As my friends are finishing up their manuscripts, writing their query letters, I'm writing my first scene for my "story." I'm not calling it a book just yet. I'm thinking that when I have written well over 20,000 words, I can call it a "short story," when I have written well over 45,000, I can call it a "novella," and when I have written well over 75,000 I can call it "my first novel." :-) I believe in pacing myself and taking baby steps. LOL! You can see what I mean.

Funny thing with this whole writing thing is to figure out times when to write. Usually the best time for me is early in the morning when the house is quiet. Or late at night. But often my brain is tired at night and I can't focus.

Focus. Another problem of mine. I love to keep coming up with ideas. It's like I can't sit still long enough to write out a scene or slice of dialogue. I actually have two main story ideas that I'm thinking about. I write on one, think about the other, write some ideas on it, and then go back to the first one. Is that even normal?!

I'm also learning, from my friends, that it's a discipline too. Just like anything is: jogging, going to work, not smoking. It's what you decide you will or won't do. That's another one that I have trouble with, except working. I always show up for work. But that's cause I love my job so it makes it easy.