Monday, June 30, 2014

In Praise of Others: Blog Hop 2014

It is 2:47 pm

  Its a hot and humid day here in SE Michigan,the rain is coming in both showers and downpours.
I have my ceiling fan on for the first time and am enjoying a cup of iced coffee ( dedicated to Debbie Rochon) while I am typing this entry.
  So I got a message from a fellow blogger,Paula,who just recently found my blog through a very supportive blogging group on Facebook called Awesome Bloggers. In her message,she asked me to partake in my first blog hop.
 While I had seen the term before,I didn't know what it was until Paula explained it to me. Then I was quite honored because what it is....its a invitation to not only share your blog but other writers who have touched or inspired you in some way.
   So I decided to do the blog hop and I hope you enjoy it and please,please support the writers I am highlighting,they are much better at this then I am.....

My deepest thanks to Paula Parker and her cool blog Poems & Quotes Finder.


1. What am I working on?

Right now I am working on my next "8 Questions with....." interview. This was a series I started when I blogged on MySpace. I ask random people to be interviewed,send them 8-10 questions and let them answer in their own voices.
The interview I am working on now is my biggest one so far and I am pretty excited to get it up and share it with folks.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My blog is a personal one and I tend to write about a lot of different topics. I don't post everyday and I am starting to have guest bloggers come visit when adds depth and a fresh POV for my regular readers. Plus I am the only blogger I know who has had a panther and now a cheetah as a mascot.


3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I started The Inner Circle blog on Facebook but since FB doesn't really support blogging,I moved it here. I started writing as a way to cope with my wife Lori's cancer and if you go back and start from the beginning,you can how our journey went...with its highs and lows. I never really shared my blog for the first couple of years,it was just my way to release the pain I was going through as Lori got more ill.



4. How does your writing/creating process work?

Good question and one I ask writers such as Jan Romes whom I interviewed here.
I don't have a set agenda,I write when I feel the urge to,when my emotions and sadness start to really invade my safe area,I need to write to release that. I am somewhat self isolated now so I write about my new favorite section of my blog,Dollar Tree Theater,which seems to have tickled a lot of folks.
I write in my den,often with music playing and a glass of green tea or iced coffee. Once in a while the cheetah will come in for a minute of playtime and then off back into writing.



The three blogs I picked to write about mean a lot to me,the writers are friends and have walked with me through my journey with Lori. They have comforted me,talked with and supported me in many ways and I love them all....









http://sanctuaryofstyle.net/ Tiffany Hendra is one very special woman. She was a hard working actress in Hollywood when she decided to change course and start helping women to empower themselves by creating the Sanctuary of Style. Tiffany films webisodes from her home highlighting the best in fashion tips,smart shopping tips and encouraging women to believe in themselves. 
So how does this apply to me I can hear you asking....
When Lori had to go into chemotherapy,she lost her hair and had to wear a wig. I noticed a lot of women cancer patients struggled with looking cute and fashionable,they didn't want to seen as a sick person.
I emailed Tiffany and asked her if she could address this and sure enough,she produced a webisode of the Sanctuary of Style that covered how women could still rock it out despite their illness. 
Her blog is full of fun,positive,uplifting topics and she also runs several fun giveaways as well (I know,I won a book for Lori).


http://lisabadams.com/ I am drawn to Lisa Adams because of her spirit. While making my way around some cancer webpages,I came across her blog. I started reading it and I was moved very deeply by Lisa's courage and her frankness. Lisa is dying of breast cancer. And while she keeps fighting for life,she is candidly writing how her journey is going. Its a journey that is extremely personal for me as many of my long time readers know and many of my newer ones will eventually find out about.
  Lisa doesn't ask for pity,she is merely sharing what she is going through...I don't know how long she will be able to write her blog but I encourage you all to stop by and read her story.





http://www.brushbackpitch.com/author/brad-beneke/ While on the surface you may think Brad Beneke writes just a baseball blog but you wouldn't be more wrong. Brad is a superb poet,essayist and a modern day raconteur. I have known Brad for many a years as we have many common interests such as family,music,that Derek Jeter is the best shortshop to ever play the game..
What I enjoy about Brad's writing is the seamless way he combine passion and compassion in describing the human condition that we are living today.
We both have been touched by different levels of tragedy but have overcome (Brad a LOT better then me) and are looking for the good in people and in life. Brad writes from the heart and his poems are blistering in both heat and tempered by a good sense of humor.




Thanks for dropping by for my first blog hop. 


If you are on Twitter,follow me @Jinzo_2400

57 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading about the other bloggers on your hop. I agree that writing is a good way of releasing pent-up feelings. I can see how it would have worked for getting rid of grief.

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    1. Writing helps me quite a bit...this was pretty fun.

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  2. Clearly it serves you - so keep it up.
    Looks like you have some wonderful things in the mix

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  3. It was great reading about why and blog and how it started. Off to check out the other bloggers.

    Michelle F.

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    1. I actually think it was rather sad and heartbreaking myself....nothing great about it.

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  4. I love reading all the different blogs!

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    1. Maybe after you finish Teddy,you will do a blog hop,Sophie,love to see one on your blog!

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  5. Great blog hop. Thanks for the shout-out. I always enjoy your blogs. You do write personally on a lot of different subjects. Always a must read blog. Looking forward to checking out the three you recommended! They sounds awesome too.

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    1. Too bad I had one of my subjects have a cow because I mentioned how charming it was that she likes Hugh Laurie...don't need toxic reactions when I was only trying to showcase her talent. My next blog hop will be a bit more selective!

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  6. Very nice interview.. I really like learning about other people and what they do..

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    1. Thank you....and thank you for your support.

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  7. Thanks for sharing a couple of great bloggers! Its so nice to find new bloggers and what inspires them.

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    1. Samantha....you really should check out Tiffany's blog and website,some amazing things going at the Sanctuary of Style

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  8. What a fun idea. I just recently heard of this sort of blog hop. Thanks for introducing me to some new bloggers.

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    1. This one was my first and it was mostly a lot of fun

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  9. I love these blog hops you learn about so many more fascinating people. I know you are new to our group and I can't wait to get some time to read your earlier posts. I to am a caregiver although different circumstances. Bless you and I can't wait to read more!

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    1. I hope you enjoy some of the earlier posts...and who are you caregiving for?

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  10. This was really nice to see. I liked reading your blog hop and seeing others showcased on your blog.

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  11. I really admire people when they can show others how good they are. Great post. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you for reading....and hope you will check out the other blogs

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  12. Thanks for sharing those wonderful blogs and telling us more about them. I'm going to check them out. I love finding new blogs to read. Thanks for sharing them :)

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    1. Me too....there are a LOT of good creative writers out here....

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  13. I love new blog suggestions! And the power of suggestion here has made me want to try an iced coffee (which I have yet to date to do). :)

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  14. amazing! it was my original plan to interview other bloggers or people here in malaysia too and feature them on my blog.

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    1. Mary Jane....its a great concept and I really like doing my 8 Questions with... series. Interviewing fellow bloggers would be fun to see....

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  15. Nice to meet you, and thanks for the recommendations of other bloggers - I'll have to check them out!

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    1. Thank you for coming by and reading my blog Laurel!

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  16. It is a great group! I am going to have to a do a blog hop one of these days!

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    1. Agreed,Awesome Bloggers is extremely supportive and I enjoy reading the different bloggers (but not the ones who are paid to push a product,those are not my cup of tea)

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  17. What a great blog-hop. I love that it has the writing as theme. And wonderful blogs!

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    1. Thank you Joanna! This was my first invite....hope someone else will be inspired to do one on their blog as well

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  18. What a nice blog hop. I enjoy reading your interview. Thanks!

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  19. I love Paula's blog, too! Nice to read more about you and the other bloggers as well!

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    1. Paula's blog was amazing and I honored she thought of me for her blog hop!

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  20. I love reading about other peoples blogs especially when they have helped someone out with their writing. I've seen Paula around a lot and I love her inspiration.

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  21. This is wonderful. I love posts that are about celebrating our fellow bloggers!!

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  22. Hello gorgeous! I also love reading other blogs to get some inspiration to the best writers and of course to listen to their advises and tips about life.

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    1. You will do very well in reading both Tiffany and Lisa's blogs then....thank you for dropping by!

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  23. Thank you so much for including my blog here, I appreciate the support and hope new readers will find something to connect to in my writing.

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    1. You are an amazing soul,Lisa and thank you for allowing me to share your blog.

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  24. Thank you for sharing these blogs and giving them enough respect to write about them too!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and supporting them!

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  25. Wonderful answers to interesting questions! I can't wait to check out the blogs you wrote about. They sound really special! --Lisa

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    1. They really are Lisa.....You and Ashley should introduce yourselves to Tiffany

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  26. Thank for letting us know about other blogs. My online community helped me so much after my husband died. I will never forget their love and support.

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    1. I agree,my online friends have been very supportive...and sorry about your husband.

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  27. I'm really intrigued with the three blogs you shared. I especially want to read Brad's blog.

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    1. He is a very talented writer,full of life and fire....

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  28. It's always nice learning about how other people and how they started their blogs.

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  29. Stories like this are very inspirational especially from people who also started from a scratch and it is very nice of you to be able to have a blog hop for them.

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