GreenGates' blogging receives award!

YAY! Look at this versatile blogger award give to Green Gates by izombielover!!!

Izombie has been following a few blogs and listed ours to receive one of "The Versatile Blogger" awards.

It's particularly gratifying, because we strive for a variety of content on writing, movies, science fiction, fantasy, books, comics, etc, etc. We try to offer varied content, all in the world of "Speculative Fiction" and it feels great to know someone enjoys our stuff!!!

Thanks Izombielover!!  (Now go check out some of the other award winner's sites! The list is below.)

The Versatile Blogger [2010] Part II


10 out of 15 - Blogs I have been Reading and Following:



Halloween Overkill - http://halloweenoverkill.blogspot.com/

Green Gates - http://greengatesinc.blogspot.com/

FIRE_BAD - http://derekring.blogspot.com/

Dane of War - http://www.daneofwar.com/

Monster Beauty - http://monster-beauty.blogspot.com/

POETIC ZOMBIE - http://poeticzombie.blogspot.com/

Adeles SpOOky Art - http://adelesspookyart.blogspot.com/

The Kid in the Hall - http://thekidinthehall.blogspot.com/

Too Many Zombies - http://toomanyzombies.blogspot.com/

✖~Paraoid Show~✖ - http://paranoidshow.blogspot.com/

That thing your passionate about? It's important!

It’s important. It’s important that we identify our passion and pursue it. Why is it important? Because the first step to success is passion. Sure you can be a moderate success at something you are just good at and not necessarily be passionate about it. But real success? I suspect Walt Disney was passionate about cartooning. I suspect Bill Gates is passionate about computers. Stephen King is passionate about writing. Stan Lee is passionate about comic books (this wasn’t always the case, but once he got passionate, the success followed). In Stan’s case he didn’t start out doing what he loved, but he learned to love what he was doing. The passion became enthusiasm and the enthusiasm became success. And for anyone who has heard Stan speak, the enthusiasm is also infectious.

It’s not just important for your success, but the world is so much richer when you are working on your passion! You have a gift. Your passion guides you towards that gift. And the world wants you (needs you) to produce that gift!

So why don’t we all do it? Because it’s hard.

It’s hard to write in the evenings when you also have a “real job”. It’s hard to run a second business while in college (both Bill Gates and Michael Dell did this). It’s hard to go out and make music on the weekends when you work all week and people remind you that Nashville is not calling anytime soon.
It’s hard to break into comics, or cartooning, or acting (or is it? Maybe breaking in looks differently than we have been led to believe).

We are afraid people will laugh. My passion is geeky. No doubt about it. It involves super heroes and dragons and wizards and zombies. Nothing any mature male should be interested in. Who says?

I suspect your passion might be just as challenging. This is just a reminder that even though it is hard, there are lots of us struggling with it. By finding each other, communicating, supporting one another and commiserating (sometimes) we will find that it’s even though it is still hard, it doesn’t have to be quite so painful.

The world, the universe, and me all want you to work on your passion. Pursue it. People may laugh. Maybe not. If they do, then you don’t need them. Surround yourself with supportive influences and go create something awesome!

Airborn

Currently reading Airborn by Kenneth Oppel. The book is intended for adolescents, but it is a really good adventure read! I liken it to Treasure Island or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
It's a bit steampunk in that its setting in an alt-history where the airplane was not invented and so the airships predominate the skies. Massive airships, like Titanic sized. There are small ornithopters that flap their wings, but proper "airplanes".
It has air pirates, tropical islands, lost natural treasures.
It's a really good book in a trilogy about the hero, an intrepid young flyer named Matt Cruse. Matt is a cabin boy in this first book, but he moves on in subsequent volumes.
My 6th grader read it and loved it. I am reading it now and it is really good, regardless of your age! Especially if you are drawn to the whole airship setting (which I am)

Mundania Press

Sometimes writers are left wondering what publishers they should approach. There are so many choices. There are so many big publishing houses out there, but a few only talk to you if you send in an agented submission.
Then there are the few (like Tor and Baen) for whom you don't need an agent, but they are deluged with submissions. Of course, I would still suggest submitting to them. Personally, I have a collection of rejection letters from both.
Then there is the small press. Some of these are vanity publishers in disguise and should be completely avoided.
Which of the rest are "the good ones"?
I don't know about a lot of them, but I know about a couple. Wild Child Publishing is one of them (I have a contract with them now) and another is Mundania Press.
I have worked with Mundania in the past and they are professional, polite and attentive. By the same token, they publish good books by good authors and a writer could do a lot worse than being associated with Mundania.

Bitter Seeds

Oh wow. Check this out! A debut novel from Ian Tregillis entitled "Bitter Seeds". The minute I heard the premise, I was hooked.

It's an alternate WWII history where a Nazi scientist has managed to imbue some German psycopaths with x-men-like powers and the Wermacht is unstoppable! (Even more so than in real history).

To counter this, the British government drafts an elite unit of Warlocks to fight the Nazi supermen.

Warlocks versus metahumans? Nazi metahuman! How awesome is that?!?

What Independence Means to Me

Happy Birthday America!!!

Happy 4th of July!

As someone who relies heavily on the freedom of speech, I treasure our freedoms so very much. I sometimes forget to be thankful for the fact that I can write anything I want here on my blog, or in a manuscript or a screenplay and I won't have to worry about being hauled off for it. I can publish any art that moves me (and hopefully you) and I won't be labeled an enemy of the state for it.
I love all of our freedoms, like the fact that I can hop in my car and cross state lines without needing travel papers. I can be in the military or I can decide not to be. I can make as much money as I can get someone to pay me, or as much as I can sell a story for. No one comes after that money (except for my taxes, but we all do our fair share I guess).
So today, I intend to celebrate freedom with friends and family. I'll have a few beers and a hamburger or two and then pen a few pages. I'll remember to say a prayer for those fighting across the globe to help preserve this way of life. They are paying the ultimate price daily and for that I am truly grateful.

Happy Independence Day!

The Green Hornet

Finally, my questions have been answered! I have been scared to death that the upcoming Seth Rogen movie "The Green Hornet" was going to be too cheesy and campy (like Starsky and Hutch).
Instead, based on the trailer, it looks awesome. Sure, there is some comic relief, as there should be in any great action film (Indiana Jones, Star Wars, etc).
I am now officially stoked about this movie! Just like the Green Hornet tv show with Bruce Lee, Kato looks to have some serious kick ass moves.

I always like Green Hornet and this movie looks to have some key elements. The car, the gas gun, Kato, the film noir style costume. Can't wait!