Friday, June 19, 2015

Celebrate: New Co-host, Art Therapy & Big Giveaways

The lovely Tonja Drecker of Kidbits Blog has agreed to help co-host Celebrate the Small Things and will be hopping around to your blogs along with LG Keltner.  Yay!!  It would be awesome if you stopped by her blog to thank her for becoming the new co-host.

I stayed up 24 hours yesterday because I was working on a new cover for a short story and making advertising pictures for my book and short stories. (I made the covers for "Biggun" and "The Mission.")  I only work with GIMP, since that's the free one, but I manage to do pretty well -- and I LOVE to do it.  It's like art therapy.  It's nice to have projects that take 24 hours to finish as opposed to writing on a novel for months and months.  And months.

Since I just woke up and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet, I thought I'd share some of the pics I've taken off the net and airbrushed out words or ads and added my own:






And some inspirational ones, too:






What do you do to unwind from work?

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:



 Celebrate the Small ThingsTo be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)



Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net
When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Fridays Freebies posts -
  • Free short stories, novellas, and novels
  • Giveaways for books and swag
  • Free services for authors


Here are Foxy's suggestions for , 2015:

Free 5 Novels and $5 Amazon Gift Card – Win 30 SECONDS by Chrys Frey, SOUL CUTTER by Lexa Cain, POP TRAVEL by Tara Tyler, CLOAKED IN FUR by T.F. Walsh, and OF BLOOD AND SORROW by Christine Rains plus a $5 Amazon gift card via T.B.Markinson’s Giveaway Rafflecopter. (ends June 30)


28 Free Books & Gift Cards – Jessica Therrien is sponsoring a huge giveaway with 28 books of all genres (including Alex Cavanaugh’s Dragon of the Stars book!) and gift cards. Enter via several rafflecopters on Jessica Therrien blog. (ends June 29)


18 Free New Release Books & eBooks – I located a blog hop running from June 16-30 where everyone is giving away a book on their own blog. 18 blogs = 18 books. You can enter all the rafflecopters and some blogs are giving away more than one book.. The first free book and the links to the other 17 blogs are on the Suze & Friends Australia blog. (ends June 30)


For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

50 comments:

Nilanjana Bose said...

Hi Lexa,

Clicked over from Denise's. I lived in Egypt till last year, so I really was a neighbour!! :) Great to meet you.

Best wishes,
Nilanjana
from
Madly-in-Verse

Heather R. Holden said...

LOL, these are great! The "butt-in-chair" and "spider" ones especially crack me up... XD

Kate Larkindale said...

Those are so funny! I love the butt in chair one. I feel that way a lot of days. So, I went and bought a REALLY BIG chair. Now I feel svelte and petite…. I don't do anything creative like designing book covers to relax. I bake. And drink wine.

Kate Larkindale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JeffO said...

Nice work, Lexa--and now we know the REAL reason for the zombie apocalypse!

PlanetKimberly said...

I love your memes or whatever they are calling them these days. The one with the elderly couple reminds me of the drivers in my neighborhood. Whether young or old, they drive slow. Student drivers are practicing on my street every day. It's like Mrs. Puff's Boating School from Spongebob Squarepants over here. Occasionally, we'll get a driver like Spongebob who will hit a pole or something (like another car or a person).

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The dude on the horse being towed - I really want to know the story behind that one.
Thanks for mentioning the giveaway. Some great titles in the mix.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Funny pictures. I can't believe you stayed up that long. Hope you get a really good night's sleep.

Unknown said...

Oh how those pics made me laugh!. Thank you.

Tonja Drecker said...

Great pictures to start the morning! The elderly couple one is so cute :)

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

What fun pictures to start the day. A laugh washes away the wrinkles.
When I need to relax I play the piano or go for a walk.
It's great that you're creating your own covers. I'd like to try that some dayl
Have a super weekend.

Anonymous said...

These were both fun and inspirational. I've done mock-ups for my books so publishers have an idea of what I'd like, or I'll send the images I'd like them to consider. Years ago I loved photoshopping images and now occasionally do it.

Unknown said...

Ha!! Okay that catnip one was basically Penny. She is obsessed with the stuff (she eats it which I find so strange lol Pudding used to just roll around in it) and I love when I work on something that takes hours to complete as opposed to months...for me my fav way to unwind is always reading, or watching YouTube videos! :)

Cherdo said...

I love the hand coming out of the tomb: "Spider!" Ha ha ha.

Have a great week and thanks for posting all the contests.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Thank you for the humorous pics! I love the one about beating the reading addiction. :)

I have enjoyed making a few of my short e-story covers too. It is fun and relaxing . . . and somehow I didn't realize I was doing art. Art was my worst subject in elementary school since my projects looked least like the teachers' examples and I ended up with more glue on my fingers and in my hair than on the projects. So, it's interesting to find it relaxing now that I'm an adult.

Cathrina Constantine said...

I'd like to learn how to make promos and cover art. You amaze me, Lexa!!! Thank you for the awesome giveaways!

Blogoratti said...

Ha, those are great and humorous photos indeed. Have a great weekend!

Jolie du Pre said...

I'm glad you got your work done, but the 24-hour no sleep thing doesn't cut it for me anymore. At my age, my health is most important to me.

Precious Monsters

Diana Wilder said...

Oh, lord, I'm laughing over the squirrels and the spiders. And nodding over the art/cover project. The thing is that I cut out around midnight, and then can't get to sleep since the bright screen has burned itself into my brain and convinces my metabolism that it is sunrise. *sigh*

Have a great weekend!

Sherry Ellis said...

Those are all great! I like the old people one. Too funny!

Laura Clipson said...

I love those quotes, they are so true. Have a great weekend :)

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Ha! That Butt in Chair one is totally true!

Anonymous said...

Love the butt in chair one LOL! It's great to be in the zone that going straight without sleep for 24 hours is not even something that irks you. Yay on getting those covers done!

cheerfuloptimistic said...

"There's a spider in here!" LOL.

Hope you get some sleep this weekend.

Suzanne Furness said...

Some great quotes and pics! So pleased to hear Tonja is now co-hosting.
I have left you a blog award nomination on my post today.

Sandy said...

Love the fruit and out on a limb one. 24 hours...argh, I'm too old for that.

Sandy's Space

messymimi said...

We've had a couple of cats that would enjoy sharing that catnip!

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne said...

Best wishes with your new story Lexa. I'm sure the cover is beautiful. Have a lovely weekend.

L.G. Keltner said...

Unwinding can be tough when the work never seems to end. I find that music and a bit of tea can help a lot, though. Have a great weekend!

Yolanda Renée said...

Unwound today by going to see Jurassic World. Loved it, well, not as much as the first one, but still good!

I love the act of creating too, design work is a lot more immediate than writing, that's for sure!

Karla Gomez said...

the catnip one XD
So cute, and also the one with the elders :)

Hmm... to unwind I either run or meditate. Both are good for us!

Patricia said...

I unwind after work by reading the morning paper and doing the puzzles, Doesn't bother me that the news is "old" I don't have a Tv so I am always a bit behind anyway. Of course, the cat pictures are my favorite.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

The best fruit is usually on the limb but high up. We all have to learn how to jump.

Unknown said...

Thank you for your kind support, Lexa. Time to relax? I wish, but when I do have a moment it is read and read and read 😑

klahanie said...

Hey Lexa,

Careful with the coffee. I've ended up with my eyebrows stuck to the top of my forehead from too much coffee! :)

Nice photos and squirrels are going to rule the world. This has upset the cats!

I unwind from work by watching Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar do one of her amazing articles.

A good rest of the weekend to you.

Gary :)

DA Cairns said...

I like the scooter and rocking horse pic. Reminds me that I want to stay young in the mid even as my body fades away. As for relaxing, music or television does it for me.

stephen Hayes said...

I don't need to unwind from work since I do so little of it, but I guess I'd paint.

Birgit said...

Oh I love these quotes and these humorous pics. I have seen our own cats look like that after they rolled in catnip. I have blinked in disbelief at the nicely dressed man on a rocking horse being pulled by the lady...trying to figure that one out. What do I do to unwind? I watch TV actually especially when I have had a bad day. I end the day by reading as well

T.F. Walsh said...

Love the funny pictures...hehe the squirrels are too adorable. My chiling out involves sitting outside in the sun and leaving my electronic devices in side...hehe

Melancholy and Menace said...

Ha! Brilliant! :)

I hope you're having a great weekend.

Shah Wharton said...

Thanks for the giggles. Yes, I do my own covers - used to use GIMP but Canva.com is so much easier and I'm lazy! :) I'd probably use GIMP if I were using layers or more complex detailing though. You do great covers! Creepy.'

Awesome group giveaways, Lexi. I always see these and wonder how I miss them (regarding participation more than entering).

Have a great weekend!

shahwharton.com

TBM said...

Ha! I love these. The spider one is my fave. I watch mindless TV shows to unwind.

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

These were great pictures! I especially liked the spider one, too. Funny! That's a nice tip about GIMP. I never would have thought of a cover for a short story, but I like that Idea. I suppose you could do a good cover for a poetry collection, too. (PS, I did visit Tonja to thank her, and I hope to get back to hopping CTST soon, after my trip posts are finished.

Martin Willoughby said...

Spiedrs!?!?!? That's exactly how I feel.

Anonymous said...

I love what you do with this blogfest!

And all the first pics made me go lol, especially about the butt in chair :)

DMS said...

I am right there with you- art is my therapy. I love to draw and work on a picture. It takes my mind off of things and helps me unwind. Glad you were able to get so much done in a 24 period! :)
~Jess

kimlajevardi.com said...

I like your art therapy. Way beyond my tech skills. I unwind with mindless online time or by walking outside. The walking especially helps me clear my thoughts, but weather and time of day control whether I can use it when I need it.

Julie Flanders said...

LOL sadly I can totally relate to the raccoon and his big butt LOL. I'm so impressed that you make your own covers, etc, you do a great job! I am hopeless with GIMP and all the other programs.

Anonymous said...

Ha, ha, love the pics and the quotes. That hand sticking up and freaking out over the spider would be me. My favorite ways of relaxing are reading, gardening, and doing jigsaw puzzles.

Cherie Reich said...

Congrats to the new co-host of Celebrate the Small Things!

I enjoy creating advertising pictures and such. I use paint.net because it's free. I have gimp too, but I found paint.net easier to use. And sadly I think I can relate to that raccoon way too much.

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