Thank you so much to everyone who entered the guest blog contest! There were over 250+ entries and they were awesome. Very awesome. Some were personal, some were wacky, some were touching, some were hilarious, but all were good in their own way. This was actually one of the most difficult contests I’ve yet had to judge and I spent a really long time agonizing over the choices.
So — let me say again, thank you so much to everyone who entered. I wish I had time to thank everyone personally, but… well, I have a plane to catch. So THANK YOU everyone.
You will be in great hands next week. I intentionally chose a variety of publishing topics and authors representing different perspectives, so there will be a little bit of everything.
Without further ado, next week’s guest bloggers will be (in no particular order):
Eric
Kiersten White
Jordan McCollum
Victoria Mixon
Steph Damore
Also, please note that all opinions expressed by the guest bloggers are their own and may not necessarily be shared by me, Curtis Brown Ltd., the Internet, and/or Ryan Seacrest.
Enjoy!
Mira says
Me, too. Thanks for sharing! I left comments.
This is fun. It's fun to see samples of people's actual writing. 🙂
Laura Martone says
Oops, Rhonda.
I think I messed up and posted two comments on your site – please delete the second one. Teehee.
–Laura
Anonymous says
How nice!
I see I have several more blogs to visit this week.
I am looking forward to visiting each of you.
AM
Anonymous says
Me too!
Rhonda says
Sorry about the comments not posting on my blog. I set it up to moderate them. The topic of cochlear implants can lead to some words that I wasn't sure I wanted my son to happen across. I may change the settings (if I can find where I did it again). So your comments did go through. I just had to approve them first. Thanks for checking it out!
Jen C says
Hi, A misinterpreted wave, I have one of those sisters too. Thank god!
A misinterpreted wave says
Phew … just finished following you lot around blogger. I've commented too, and really enjoyed reading and 'getting to know' you guys.
Still waiting for the winning posts, but have no idea when to expect them due to time difference.
Thanks Nathan for a fantastic way to get loads of blogs to attach ourselves to.
A misinterpreted wave says
Jen C do you have a blog? If you do, I'm either blind or struggling to navigate today.
Anonymous says
ahem.
waiting…….
Laura Martone says
Ooh, the excitement is unbearable – I wonder whose post will be up first!
–Laura
P.S. Rhonda – I'm sorry again about posting two comments on your blog. After the second, I realized that I'd missed the "moderation" note. It's no big deal, you know – I, too, moderate comments on my blog (not so much because of concern for nasty posts, but because my last wordpress blog got inundated with spam – I've been seriously thinking of using Blogger instead). So, please don't change on my account – I was just too clueless to notice the little "moderation" message.
Ink says
Where have all the guest bloggers gone… (well, it needs the music to make it work).
I wonder if the autmotic posting is still down? So sad, after all the build up. Ah, the tyranny of technology.
Ink says
Laura,
For what it's worth, I'm on Blogger and I've never had a spam comment.
dan radke says
I like blogspot. I've been on it almost a year. Only one spam comment so far.
Then again the auto-publish doesn't seem to be all that reliable…
Laura Martone says
Bryan –
Thanks so much for the tip. I'm glad to hear that your Blogger experience has been spam-free. I used to have a travel writing blog (through WordPress) on my wanderingsoles.com site – but I've since abandoned it. Not because I stopped caring – I loved writing that silly blog – but because over 30,000 spam comments was too much to bear. 🙁
Given your own experience, I think I AM going to switch to Blogger – I already have the account, I just need to start the blog… and I so miss my travel one. So, thanks again! You're a god among bloggers.
Ink says
I really think more people should call me a god. Some sort of ratification vote, maybe…
🙂
Kandy Harris says
Managed to crank out an entry to this about 15 minutes before the deadline time. Thanks for the opportunity to hastily write! It's excellent practice!
Mira says
Maybe he set it to post at noon?
You would think one of his colleagues could post it….you know whoever is watching the blog……hello, anyone there? Surely it's not…..unsupervised again.
Oh no. Not unsupervised.
Oh no. I got in enough trouble once. I'm not going there again.
Mira says
Ink – lol. Although I don't think Gods are voted in. I think they just create worlds and then demand everyone sacrifice their goats in the God's honor.
I've always thought that was hard on the goats.
Bryan, when you're a god, be nice to the goats.
Ink says
It's okay, I've never been too fond of lamb. I make no promises about ducks, however.
Mmmmmm….
Laura Martone says
Oh, no, God of Bloggers, don't sacrifice the ducks. If ill-prepared, they're much too greasy.
Develop a taste for mosquitoes instead – people hate those buggers – that way, it's a win-win for everyone. You, as the God of Bloggers, still receive your just sacrifice, and us writers won't be missing out on much. After all, the ducks on the lake outside my window are fun to watch – quite inspiring, really – whereas, mosquitoes, well, not so much.
Sincerely,
Your Lowly Writer Servant
Laura Martone says
Okay, now we're just getting punchy. Bring on the guest blogs already!
—–
Ooh, I love my word veri – realme – you could read it so many different ways…
Ink says
I concur on the mosquitos. Once my divinity fully blossoms I shall sentence them to an eternity in the god gullet. Which is good; my daughter puffs up like a melon whenever one even gets close to her. Plus they might taste good in chocolate. (I mean, everything tastes good in chocolate, right?)
Rhonda says
Chocolate or Ketchup. Just ask any kid.
Mira says
Um, Ink, I think your first act as a God should be non-discriminatory. What about the other insects? Cockroaches? Earwigs? Bedbugs?
How can you leave them out? You'll hurt their little feelings.
Are they not just as crunchy delicious as mosquitos? Do they not taste just as good in ketchup and chocolate?
And in case anyone wonders if this is on topic….errrr….this is my blog post I sent to Nathan. Can't see why it wasn't chosen.
Mira says
Hey! I just figured something out. I bet they are posting in the order that Nathan listed them.
That means tomorrow's you, Kiersten.
This is really fun. I'm having a fun time not only reading posts, but thinking about Nathan's choices.
This whole thing is so cool.
allegory19 says
Speaking of other insects, I vote for spiders. I got bit while camping this weekend and it itches like a dickens. I want revenge!!!
Mira says
omg.
There is a Victoria Mixon. Wow. That is just weird. Such a shame that Nathan wasn't here to clear that up.
Victoria D., I don't know if you're reading this thread anymore, but I'm sorry.
I'm sure your blog entry was just great.
Mira says
I'm sort of miffed that Victoria Mixon didn't drop in to clear that up.
Maybe she didn't read the comments….?
allegory19 says
Wow Mira, you're right, that is too weird.
Laura Martone says
Hey, Mira! Okay, you've written so much today that I feel the need to comment in return…
1. As to the mosquitoes, I'm not opposed to the God of Bloggers sacrificing all such pesky insects. I was just trying to save the ducks… so crunch away on the gnats, spiders, earwigs, and fleas of the world (with or without chocolate or condiments). As a Lowly Writer Servant, I give Bryan my blessing.
2. Yeah, I, too, had figured out the Victoria Mixon/Dixon snafu. Too bad we didn't figure it out earlier – now, I feel like a jack-arse. Sorry, Victoria D.
3. Just because Eric's was the first to post today doesn't NECESSARILY mean that Nathan gave us the names in order. But, ahem, you're probably right.
4. Lastly, I just want to say… You're a big fat fibber!!! Your blog post was so NOT about yummy insects. I read it, remember? Or did you think I was fibbing when I said I had?
Wink, wink.
Mira says
I know Allegory! Isn't that bizzare? That just sucks. Victoria D., if you're reading this, I'm sending you a metaphoric hug. I have so been there.
Laura, what do you mean I've written alot today? Only 6 posts….well, seven if you count this one. Um, and eight if you count the next one. But I'm not going over 25 posts, that would be excessive.
The insect one was the true blog post I sent to Nathan. I was talking about how the insects are taking over the world, so we should eat them. I was totally worried about it.
But now I know that Bryan is in charge, and will show great insect eating leadership, so I can relax.
That other thing I sent you is what I'm sending to Nathan as a welcome home gift.
Um, I really should stop posting here. I'm going to get in trouble….
Laura Martone says
But we're unsupervised! Yahoo! We can't possible get in trouble… um, right? Or is Nathan even in South America? Maybe he's just lurking… waiting for one of us to say something really retarded, offensive, or mean-spirited…
But discussing insects is still okay, right?
Mira says
Hmm. I suspect that we're being supervised. Probably his co-workers are taking shifts, and are just thrilled about it.
Mira says
Hmmmm….
It's after 12, and no new guest blogger.
Maybe the site is unsupervised.
Next time, Nathan could leave me in charge. I wouldn't mind. I would use my administrative priviledges very wisely and very well and very, very frequently.
allegory19 says
Must. Be. Patient.
But it's soooo hard!!!!
Anonymous says
Where's the new one?
Laura Martone says
Uh-oh, the Bransford blog is experiencing technical difficulties. Must… refrain… from… tantrum.
Guess patience really is a virtue. 🙂