Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest...by Stormy the Weather Gnome.

For the list of participants in the Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest, visit Mark, Morgan, Stephen, and David. It’s open through December 12.

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Hello! It's me, Stormy the Weather Gnome! I've decided to take on today's blogfest about my good friend, Alex.

We go way back, like 2011 back, and I can't even think of anyone I would rather talk about.

Well, except me. I love talking about me.

So, grab yourself a cup of joe and enjoy my ramblings.


In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

I imagine he looks quite ordinary, sort of a robust fellow who wears primary colors to stand out in a crowd. But, we know it’s really all about the hat. You see, every quite ordinary person needs a hat that can transcend him from all that ordinariness to almost Gnome-Like status.

Something pointy…and tall.

In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

A documentary? Really? Who even watches documentaries anymore? I mean, have you ever heard Quentin Tarantino say he was going to direct the next great documentary?

Someone with almost Gnome-Like status would obviously star in his own reality TV show.

In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

Why, of course, a younger, slightly less handsome version of me!

I only swing with the best & brightest and the biggest & baddest in the business.

Anyone of almost Gnome-Like status would have known that and certainly wouldn’t have had to ask.

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts: Cavanaugh Ninja IWSG Cosbolt Guitar

“Could you, please, state your name for the court?”

The lawyer stood in front of me, but couldn’t quite meet my eyes. It’s not because he feared me, I’m just very short.

“Stormy, the Weather Gnome.”

“And, is that also your occupation?”

“Let’s just say I’m multi-talented. I do more than just report the weather.”

“Isn’t that why we’re here? Because of your so called ‘talents’?”

There's nothing I hate more than a grown man using air quotes. This guy was trying to get under my skin, but calm decorum was needed today. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

The suit stepped behind his table to scan his legal pad.

“Isn’t it true, on the night of December 1^st, 2012, you tried to bludgeon my client, Alex J. Cavanaugh, with his own guitar?”

“Objection!” I shouted.

“You can’t object, you’re the witness,” the judge replied.

“You’re right! I was a witness! I’m innocent!”

The lawyer leaned forward. “So, you admit you were there?”

“I saw it all. I saw the whole thing.”

“Why haven’t you come forward before?”

“It’s suicide! If I owned a Cosbolt I would have flown far away from here by now!”

The lawyer's eyes widened. “Why? What did you see? What happened that night?”

I looked around the room, all eyes were on me. Cold sweat began to pool under me. “I’m only able to tell you this because I have a wonderful support group to help me through the tough times.”
“You’re referring to the IWSG, the support group Mr. Cavanaugh founded?”
“I am. It’s been, well, it’s saved my tail more than once.”

The judge smiled. “Mine too.”

The lawyer crossed his arms over his chest, staring at me hard. “Tell us what you saw or you’re going down for attempted murder.”

“I realize I’m putting my very life in danger when I tell you this, but the truth, is the truth. I didn’t try to kill Alex. It was…the ninja!”

The lawyer pounded on his table with his fist. “Objection!”

“Sustained!” I said, jumping to my feet.

The judge rolled his eyes. “You can’t say ‘sustained’!”

“Overruled! I’m a dead gnome! Dead gnome walking.”

The lawyer threw up his hands. “You’re going to jail.”

“There is no safe place for…what was that? Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” the judge asked.

“That sound. It’s like…an angry wind. He’s here.”

“Who?”

“The nin…*wet choking sounds*”

For Bonus Points:

In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing

Mrs. Cavanaugh, I’m not much of a wordsmith but I wrote you a poem.

There once was a man called The Ninja

Who was something of an enigma

Without your support

I’m sad to report

He’d only have his charisma

I'm so glad I was able to entertain all of you today! 

Signing off..Stormy! 

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Thanks for coming to the blog today to celebrate Alex J. Cavanaugh! He'll tell you it's all about community and camaraderie. I agree but every loony bin has that one patient that all the other patients look up to!

Thanks, Alex! 

Ninja reminder and snow zombies!

Don't forget Monday begins the Cheers, Cavanaugh Blogfest!

Hosted by Mark “The Madman” Koopman, ”Marvelous” Morgan Shamy, Stephen “Breakthrough” Tremp, and David “Kingpin” Powers King, the BlogFest runs from December 10 - 12. 

I've decided I'm not going to post for this event.



Instead I'll be handing over the blog to Stormy the Weather Gnome!

Stormy and Alex had such a great rapport during their interview a while back that I thought it might be more informative and heartfelt if the post came from Stormy's point of view. Which is low. I mean that geographically not emotionally.


In other news...I've found myself thinking about my characters a lot recently. They may be trying to escape from the cone of silence. In fact...one of them made me write some words just the other day.

I'm taking it as a good sign.


Big weekend planned. Tree shopping. Dinner out with friends. Pancake breakfast. Football. Not a bad time of year.

What are you up to?

The only reason I want snow now!

   
 

IWSG - A happy writing memory!

It's the first Wednesday of the month...how the hell did that happen?...and its time for Alex J. Cavanaugh's The Insecure Writer's Support Group!

Trolling the blogosphere I noticed another blogger mentioned they had just begun a fiction collaboration with another writer.

It reminded me of how I began writing stories.

While in high school a friend and I would write chapters to each other in a notebook and exchange it between classes.

Even then I was writing romantic stories.

Girls in love with Rock Gods go to see them in concert. Rock Gods notice girls. Rock Gods fall in love with girls and take them on tour with them, living happily ever after.

You know that story, right?

The challenging part was you never knew what your friend was going to write. It could have been anything. Whatever it was you just had to pick up from there and keep going.

I hated high school. Absolutely, positively hated high school. But, writing those stories is about the only happy memory of those years that I have.


Can you remember how you started writing?

Bring out your dead! Bring out your dead!

Bring out your dead!

I'm not dead yet!

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I know. You've all been wondering.

I was deep in the rabbit hole but I think I'm mostly out now. 

As usual, you guys are the best, sharing your kind words and support.

I got a bunch of love from my family too. It's helped a lot.

It's not that I'm broken-hearted about the contest. I was certainly disappointed. I guess I was more upset with the Dear John email from HQN afterward. The more I thought about it though, my stuff really never did fit their parameters. If I had been honest with myself I never should have entered to begin with. I guess I was just looking for a quick fix to my eternal slump and thought the contest was it.

So, onward and upward. 

Technically I'm not supposed to send out my book for a few months or something and also it's a terrible time of the year to get noticed so I guess waiting until January would be the best idea.

You guys know how I love waiting.

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I hope y'all had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday.

We had two full days of Thanksgiving plus my son's 7th birthday and the lighting of the Christmas tree in our village. Then we went to the Christmas parade in NJ followed by a pancake breakfast a few towns over. It was a whirlwind couple of days.

I am thankful for so many things but mainly for my family and all my friends, near and far.

Oh, how I miss you blogfest!

Sorry, I'm late. I noticed a few people made comments on my last blog post looking for this blogfest and I had forgotten about it.

The Oh, how I miss you blogfest hosted by Andrew Leon, Matthew Rush, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The bloggers we really miss…
and the ones we would really miss! 

There are a few blogs that I always check on every few days and I would miss them if they didn't blog any longer.

Alex J. Cavanaugh: Always there with a kind word or a bit of advice. Gives us great information all the time mostly about other people cause he's humble.

Tara Tyler Talks: Great inspiration and supporter. I have more in common with her than half my family. Her posts make me smile whether they are writing related or about her kids.

Nancy S. Thompson: I called on her for help out of nowhere and she came through in a pinch. Gave me some great critiques and motivation. I'm honored to call her friend and blogger buddy.

So, there you have it.
Thanks for stopping in.