AKA's Top Ten List: Fingers, Animation, Insecure Writers Support Group, & LOVE!

This week's collection is a mishmash of events, news, blog posts, and bits and pieces from around the world. They're mine. Yours. Theirs. With no rhyme or reason other than it's what caught my attention, brought a smile to my face, and/or made me pause and think WOW! That's cool! 

1. The talented Mary Manners dropped by my Piedmont Island Trilogy blog to chat about her latest release in the Sweet Taste Bakery series, Mattie's Meltaways. The title alone makes my mouth water. Wait until you read the excerpt she shared. Yum! 


2. Are you a writer? Do you have insecurities? (Dumb question, right?!) Well, there's a support group for that. Alex Cavanaugh is the brains behind the Insecure Writers Support Group, and our fearless leader. Sign up at his blog, and on the first Wednesday of each month post on your blog about an insecurity. Here's my contribution for February. It asks my favorite question from the movie The Bodyguard: What Are You Afraid Of? 


3. It's truly amazing what one finds on the net. I love sites like goanimate.com because it gives an individual the freedom to be creative in various mediums. This particular site claims anyone can make a video in minutes...and they're correct. Here's my first attempt. 

GoAnimate.com: Why AKA's Top 10 List Could Save Your Life! by annekalbert

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

4. Like a good cozy mystery? Me too. I interviewed Peggy Herring on my Muriel Reeves Mysteries blog. We chatted about her latest release Somebody Doesn't Like Sarah Leigh. 


5. In honor of Super Bowl, I'm including this commercial from France. It's called Unleash your Fingers. It takes a few seconds to really get interesting, but it's well worth the wait. Enjoy! 

6. My goal as a writer is simple - to entertain the reader. If I can bring a smile to their face, so much the better. Imagine my delight when Bookworm Lisa, a reviewer gave 4-stars to FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL and said, "this book made me smile." I'll take that kind of a review any day of the week. Thank you, Lisa! 


7.  Back in the Stone Age when I was a schoolgirl I did what I was told. BUT, I disliked writing book reviews just to prove I'd read the book. Dissecting it, analyzing it, and making inferences as to what the author "really" meant drove me crazy. I guess that's why this next post hit a nerve. FINALLY. Someone said what I've always felt. Reading is a form of entertainment, and Stories don't need morals or messages. 


8. Karen McCullough is the author of 11 published novels in the mystery, romantic suspense and fantasy genres. I interviewed her and she's offering a giveaway of her latest release Magic, Murder and Microcircuits. Leave a comment to enter the draw. 


9. If you missed last weeks offerings on AKA's Top Ten List, a few of the topics involved peanut butter, murder and interventions. Check it out. Now! 


10. Romance authors believe love conquers all. The secret to a long lasting marriage is "give, take and compromise". So says an American centenarian and the nation's longest married man (78 years!), Wilbur Faiss. Watch his interview HERE.


That's the top ten for this past week. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. If you've enjoyed this post, and want more, why not become a follower? Who knows? It might even help with some of my writerly insecurity issues. :)


Until next time, happy writing and happy reading!

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