Tag: bloggers

An Appreciation Bouquet for 2017

Published on by J. Kelland Perry37 Comments

Happy 2018!

With the start of January, many bloggers like to share a statistical overview of their blog’s traffic and engagement for the previous year. I’ve chosen not to bore you with share my numbers, because personally, I value the quality of blogger/ follower interaction over the quantity of views, likes, follows and comments.

In the spirit of that, I’d like to throw out a bouquet to all of you who consistently stopped by and liked my articles, updates and photos throughout the year, but particularly I wish to thank my most frequent commenters of 2017. You know who you are, and I hope you also know how much I value your visits and our conversations! 🙂

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December 31, 2017 marked my sixth blogging anniversary.

How long I will continue to blog? I suppose I’m still getting something out of showing up here, so I haven’t the faintest idea, really!

I’ve seen other bloggers come and go over these six years, and some of them I truly miss. And as recently as this past week, two of my favourites have decided to close their blogs, one dealing with grief over the loss of her spouse, and the other citing lack of time due to her job and her art. Both of them have been here on WordPress at least as long as I have, so naturally, their absence will be deeply felt.

How long have you been blogging, and how long will you continue?
What do you like the most – or the least – about it?
Have you lost some of your own go-to bloggers?
Please share your thoughts with me.

Christmas and The Great Coast

Published on by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

The Yuletide is upon us! To my friends, followers and bloggers all around the world, I wish for you and your loved ones a holiday filled with all the joy the season has to offer.

Today, I’m sharing “The Great Coast,” a 3-minute short film by One 50 Canada Society, documenting their epic sea journey from St. John’s to the Torngat Mountains and to Nunavut, the newest, largest, and northernmost territory of Canada.

I love how the photo below introducing the video is of where I live: Newtown, Bonavista Bay, NL, and at the 1:36 mark we get an aerial view of Newtown. Great coast, indeed!

Stay safe, have fun, and see you all again in 2018. ❤

Where’s My Backpack Travel Theme: Love

Blogger Bouquet #50

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

Raimey Gallant is a Canadian writer I recently discovered here on WordPress through the Insecure Writers Support Group.

From her Welcome page:

“I’m an activisty, feministy, world-traveling, wannabe comedian who writes crime thrillers and YA contemporary…I’m also a marketing and fundraising consultant, and zumba champ.”

Raimey’s blog includes a collection of tips and tricks on the craft of writing, as well as advice on the marketing side of writing. If you’re a writer, you just might want to follow her too!

Here’s a helpful article on the creation of a fictional villain:

Five Ways to Find Inspiration for the Next Great Villain

Comments are closed here but you can leave one on the blogger’s page.

Have a great weekend, everyone.
❤

Blogger Bouquet #48

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

Norm 2.0 is a “born and raised bilingual Montrealer” who I’ve followed for the last few years here on WordPress, and more recently on Instagram.

I particularly enjoy his weekly photography feature, Thursday Doors, “allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world.”

From his About page:

“Among my many interests, I like to write, travel, bake, work wood, enjoy wine, play tennis, grow vegetables and take pictures.

This blog is my creative outlet to share any of the above and so much more.”

I selfishly chose the following post of Norm’s to highlight because it’s his Thursday Door post from right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. The photos are from his recent trip to Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of the province.

Thursday Doors – September 21, 2017:
The Doors of Woody Point, NL

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have a great weekend, everyone.
❤

Blogger Bouquet #47

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

Kristine over at candidkay is a journalist, marketing exec and mother of two.
From her About page:

“I write about life as I know it. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious. But always interesting.”

Kristine recently shared “one small slice of life on a Sunday afternoon that deserves a bit of limelight.” And I wholeheartedly agree. When you are part of a two-household family and you realize that an important lesson in values – namely, kindness to others – has gotten through to your child, it gives you pause to be thankful for good role models.

“Oh, waitress”

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have a great week, everyone.
❤

Blogger Bouquet #46

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

D. Wallace Peach (aka Diana) is a delightful blogger and fantasy writer that I’ve discovered only recently and am now following.

From her Myths of the Mirror blog About page:

“I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show.
Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit.

Tolkien … literally changed my life.”

Seeing as I’m taking a short break from my own blog for the next couple of weeks, I’m highlighting a timely post of Diana’s today where she asks: “How does anyone keep up with blogging and not burn out?” Check out the useful tips and tricks she shares in the link below.

The Benefits of a Blogging Break

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have a restful weekend, everyone.
See you all in August!
❤

Author Blog Hop: Twenty-Four Days

Published on by J. Kelland Perry8 Comments

Fellow blogger, author, and e-friend Jacqui Murray has a new book out:
Twenty-Four Days.
It’s the exciting sequel to her first novel, To Hunt a Sub.
Here’s the scoop on it, as well as my review.

Short Synopsis of Twenty-four Days:

A former SEAL, a brilliant scientist, a love-besotted nerd, and a quirky AI have twenty-four days to stop a terrorist attack. The problems: They don’t know what it is, where it is, or who’s involved.

Long Synopsis of Twenty-four Days:

What sets this story apart from other thrillers is the edgy science used to build the drama, the creative thinking that unravels the deadly plot, and the sentient artificial intelligence who thinks he’s human:

An unlikely team is America’s only chance

World-renowned paleoanthropologist, Dr. Zeke Rowe is surprised when a friend from his SEAL past shows up in his Columbia lab and asks for help: Two submarines have been hijacked and Rowe might be the only man who can find them.

At first he refuses, fearing a return to his former life will end a sputtering romance with fellow scientist and love of his life, Kali Delamagente, but when one of his closest friends is killed by the hijackers, he changes his mind. He asks Delamagente for the use of her one-of-a-kind AI Otto who possesses the unique skill of being able to follow anything with a digital trail.

In a matter of hours, Otto finds one of the subs and it is neutralized.
But the second, Otto can’t locate.

Piece by piece, Rowe uncovers a bizarre nexus between Salah Al-Zahrawi–the world’s most dangerous terrorist and a man Rowe thought he had killed a year ago, a North Korean communications satellite America believes is a nuclear-tipped weapon, an ideologue that cares only about revenge, and the USS Bunker Hill (a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser) tasked with supervising the satellite launch.

And a deadline that expires in twenty-four days.

As America teeters on the brink of destruction, Zeke finally realizes that Al-Zahrawi’s goal isn’t nuclear war, but payback against the country that cost him so much.

My Review:

5 out of 5 stars: Fast-paced suspense in this page-turning sequel
Format: Kindle Edition
What a wild ride! This was an enthralling followup to To Hunt a Sub, which I also read; I loved the characters, including Otto the AI (I actually would have liked to read more about him), and the edge-of-your-seat suspense as the book built to a riveting climax. I also appreciated how strong and capable the female characters in the story were drawn, especially LT Paloma Chacone. Refreshing to read of this brand of heroism from both genders.
It boggles my mind to think of the research it must have required to tell this tale. I’m sure fans of the thriller and military genres would enjoy it.

Kirkus Review:

A blistering pace is set from the beginning: dates open each new chapter/section, generating a countdown that intensifies the title’s time limit. Murray skillfully bounces from scene to scene, handling numerous characters, from hijackers to MI6 special agent Haster.
… A steady tempo and indelible menace form a stirring nautical tale.

Book information:

Title and author: Twenty-four Days by J. Murray
Genre: Thriller, military thriller
Cover by: Paper and Sage Design
Available at: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada

Author bio:

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular
Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, and the thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and  Twenty-four Days. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer,  a columnist for TeachHUB, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.

Social Media contacts:

http://twitter.com/worddreams
http://facebook.com/kali.delamagente
http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
http://linkedin.com/in/jacquimurray
https://plus.google.com/u/0/102387213454808379775/posts

Blogger Bouquet #45

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

Cindy Knoke is a popular blogger, photographer and world traveller with a loyal following on WordPress. When you check out her collection of breathtaking photo captures, many of them from nature, you will see why. She even has her own National Geographic page!

From her About page, I Blog, Therefore I Am:

“I retired early after 27 years as a psychotherapist/mental health director and moved to the outer limits of no-wheres-ville to a home I call “The Holler. …This is our little bit of heavenly Appalachia right here in rural California.
I like to write and if something strikes my fancy, usually something odd or unusual, you will learn about it here. And thankfully, at The Holler, almost everyday is odd and unusual. So “Holler Happenings” including photos of flowers, birds, and wild animal interactions, are included too.
I travel three-four months a year so you will find my photos and honest reviews of locales, attractions and accommodations from all over the world. The good, bad and the ugly.
So put your feet up and let’s devote our attention to the best things in life, our leisurely pursuits!”

Check out Cindy’s latest post, where she shares gorgeous images of “the remarkable and endangered” Saker Falcon.

Saker Falcon

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone!
❤

Blogger Bouquet #44

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

I’ve been visiting Elisa Ruland’s beautiful travel blog for a few years now, and I am always amazed by her breathtaking photography, her enjoyable narratives and her knowledge of historical destinations. Love her tagline too: “All you need is love…and travel.”

From Elisa’s About page:

I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend from Atlanta, Georgia, doing my best to live in the moment. A passionate Francophil, I love to travel, I adore the ocean and am weirdly fascinated by maps. I’ve been told many times that I walk too fast.”

I chose to highlight this recent post of hers because of the photos, the info, and because I just might visit there next year, if all goes well.

Day Trip to Canterbury

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone!
❤

Blogger Bouquet #43

Published on by J. Kelland Perry1 Comment

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One of my favourite bloggers is George over at The Off Key of Life.

George’s About page is a delight in itself. Here’s just a snippet of it, which shares some of his Likes:

 “I love chocolate…I also enjoy desserts, especially anything with chocolate in it. I also love sitting on a beach, the state of Maine, (no, I don’t live there), practical jokes, people who have an unfiltered sense of humor, traveling, the innocence of children, the sound of laughter, anticipation, warm bread, and common sense (though that seems to be in steep decline these days).

It was a challenge to single out just one of George’s posts to share, but I finally settled on one that taught me something about a band I grew up listening to, thanks to my dad: the Beatles. I hadn’t known about all the firsts the band was known for within the music biz. Did you?

Meet the Beatles

Comments are closed here but you can leave a comment on the blogger’s page.

Have an inspiring weekend, everyone!
❤