The Safety Net We All Should Have

We were instructed to introduce ourselves so here it goes. I am Al Diaz, better known as Father Dragon. Yes, I am a real dragon. I have red scales, wings, and 150 dragon-proof dwarves at my service. I'm 803 years old. I draw, paint, sculpt and write, but my favorite activity is teasing ninjas (are you playing for us yet, ninja?).

Teasing ninjas is the main reason I'm in this group.  Second reason, my dwarf therapist recommended it. I have fears, sorrows and insecurities as all writers do, but I've found out I can cheer myself by cheering others. It is 100% effective. The problem is that sometimes I don't feel like doing it. I bet you know what I'm talking about. You have a problem, you know the solution, you know it will be good for you, for your health, for your life, and yet you resist. As if you enjoy feeling bad or having the problem. We are funny that way.

Those who know me for long, know I am always talking about improving ourselves. Be the best version of ourselves we can be. I hope it helps those who read me, but my main intention is to spur my better side into action. Still, the evil voice in my head is stubborn. It calls me to drop everything and go fade away in the deepest darkest corner of my Cave. There are times this call is overwhelming and irresistible.

The only thing that keeps me from following the dooming song is the "Safety  Net" for dragons. The first unyielding grasp was this ninja I like to tease (where's that bloody recording?). I lost count how many times I've said I'm leaving and he sends all his clones to block the exit. Ninjas are stubborn, cunning and way too fast for dragons my size. He inspired me to set a trap on myself and not just stay in this support group but additionally create another. I never thought online support groups could be so powerful as to make my indomitable self stay put for so long. I didn't believe they could form such strong bonds of true friendship and teach me so much.

I want my first post of this 2015 to be a gratitude post. Despite the dooming mermaids in my head singing their song deafening loud as I type this, I am thankful for the Safety Net that binds me here and refuses to let me go.

Thank you Captain Ninja (in the name of the Dwarves' pork-chops, let's hear that rock already!) for forming this support group and for being there to block the door and for me to tease you. Thanks to all the ubber awesome heroes of the Dragon's Eleven Mission and thanks to all of you who on one time or another have expressed your wish to keep hearing Father Dragon's roar and the cheers of his dwarves.

I leave you Dragon Hugs and encourage you to become part of a "safety net", if you are not already. (I also encourage you to nag the ninja about that promised performance.)

This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You can also find IWSG on Facebook - Critique Group

A Dragon with Friends is a Lucky Dragon

Fireworks all over the place!

Let the mead flow!

The door is open. Cave lights on! 

A keyboard is on fire...

Dwarf Cheering Squad celebrates playing "El Mariachi Loco". It's party time. Father Dragon is most grateful.

The reason?

HABEMUS NEW LAPTOP!!

Christmas arrived way early to the Cave. We didn't get the Arkenstone, but we got something a gazillion times better. We got the D.E.A. (Dragon's Eleven Association); a non-profitable organization that fights to preserve dragons on the blog-sphere. They seem to believe we do something more than providing hot air. Just between us, I think they are also a bit addicted to overgrown lizard scent. Anyway, these finest friends were determined to get the dragon cave back in business, sooner than I imagined. 

It's true I was planning to have the dwarves carry me to Bora Bora for some long vacation, but these D.E.A. guys made an offer I couldn't refuse. No, it wasn't the dragon-proof net they were carrying, nor the gummy bear bribery for the dwarves to let them in. My decision was purely based on their awesomeness and their self-less act of kindness. Not all dragons are blessed with invaluable treasures such as this kind of friends. 

It is thanks to the Dragon's Eleven Association that Father Dragon (and dwarves) are back. It is thanks to them that technological demons were vanished from the cave. Friendly hands opened a new door when the old one collapsed so I could get my scaly face here again. There will be a chance to honor the D.E.A my way. I am already planning it. In the mean time, I'll just say they have my gratitude. It will last for the rest of the centuries I have left to live and I'll carry their names with me when I take my place among the Dragon Ancestors. 

I think I must be a luck dragon. The luckiest of them all. 

I leave you lucky Dragon Hugs!

Here Comes the Ninja and Celebrate Super Blogger Award

He's the Master of Blogging.
He visits hundreds of blogger buddies and leaves nice comments.
He helps to promote books, blogs, cover reveals, tours, bloghops and anything else that inspires him.
He reviews movies, he plays guitar, he is the successful author of CassaStar, CassaFire and soon-to-be-released CassaStorm.
He is the founder of the very successful (and growing) Insecure Writer's Support Group.

And none of the above is the reason why I am including Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh in the cave's Hall of Fame as part of my Dragon's Eleven. Don't take me wrong. It is all great. Alex is Da Ninja. He deserves all the recognition he gets. I don't believe there are many in the blogsphere who can do as many things as he can, and stay sane. If dragons wore hats, I would take off mine.

But the truth is, the first time I ran into his blog, I clicked on all tabs, checked the very long blogroll and noticed the high number of followers. I thought, "this guy is very popular and successful. Good for him!" And I moved on. I didn't believe we had much in common. I came from another world. I am not into rock. I rarely go to the movies. I am no author so I have no published or seeking-to-be-published book, and I had no idea what a bloghop/blogfest was. Lastly but not least, I had always been reluctant to join support groups (regardless how much they say I might need it). To me, dragon and ninja were different "genres", so to speak.

The only way to find out if there was common ground between us was through actual conversation, beyond comment and reply. Fat chance, I thought. Having such a tight agenda, why in the name of the Ancestors, would he care to converse with a dragon? He started by making me laugh. Surprise, surprise. There just might be something in common after all. Then he showed me he paid attention to what he read and not just understood it, but remembered it as well. And finally, he did care for conversation, even if it had nothing to do with blogsphere, books, hops and fests, rock or movies.

I'm including him because of a one-to-one approach. Neither the ninja left the suit behind, nor the dragon his scales, but they did walk on common grounds. Laugh and heartfelt conversation got the Captain Ninja into Father Dragon's heart. That's why his name will be in the Eleventh's wall for as long as Father Dragon writes.

Alex, this friendship has been a joy and my pleasure.

Celebrate the small things is the brilliant idea of VikLit. Each Friday we post something we wish to celebrate achieving or doing during the week. It can be writing/reading or life related. You can find the list and join us here.

Mother Dragon and I decided on celebrating doctor's good news with Italian food and red wine. Too drastic a change for a vegan stomach. It protested with fire (as dragon's stomachs do) so I spent three days pondering on the benefits of small and progressive "permissions." I'm celebrating my stomach forgave me already for my impulsive feast. (The wine was heavenly sweet, though. 8D)

On Monday, I was interviewed by Alex at Blogging from A to Z. He did a wonderful job putting the interview together and I had fun answering the questions. If you have not dropped by, check it out. (You'll get the chance to witness something completely unbelievable and extraordinaire. The one and only, the official Anti-A to Z, Gary Pennick, was there! Now I can say I've seen it all. Thank you for your sacrifice, Gary! ;))

On Sunday, sweet S.K. Anthony awarded me with the Super Blogger Award. This is a brand new award created by another blogger friend  of mine, Mark Means at Left and Write. The rule is: Take the award for yourself, and then pass it along to someone who inspires you or you just think is 'super' one way or another. Tell us why you think this person is super and deserving. Now, all the recipient has to do is reveal one small secret about themselves and pass the reward to another person.

Thank you very much for the award and for your kind words, S.K. You made me smile and float several inches above the ground, humming...

Those were the dwarves. They also thank you for mentioning them. There are many inspiring super cool bloggers, but since "there can be only one" I pass this award on to Jeff Hargett at Strands of Pattern. A dragon story should include a knight. Just this knight is not up to kill the dragon (thank goodness). Jeff was my very first blogger friend, critique partner and beta reader. Hidden under his cloak, I got the courage to enter this community and make this blog. Thanks to him, I've met awesome people I've come to cherish and who make my life richer. Tassin, Pancholin, Milin and Sessin owe their life to Sir Jeff.

To the Guardian of the Book, the Keeper of Secrets, Knight of the Order of the Red Dragon and my dearest friend, this award is yours.

Dragon's secret: I collect parrots. I have plush parrots, clay parrots, battery parrots, parrots in puzzles, in posters, and in hangers...and a Mr. Potato Head. The secret? I still play with Mr. Potato Head. (Long live the Inner Child!)

Buy an ice-cream to your inner child and have a marvelous weekend! I leave you dragon hugs.

And here comes the second champion!, Black or White? and Disco Dwarves

I am thrilled. My good friend Sir Jeff Hargett chose to undertake a mission of his own and engage his word to the dragon. Very brave indeed, since he knows Father Dragon doesn't take words of honor lightly. I know it was not an easy decision for him but I also know it was about time. Action is the only way to turn dreams into something else than good intentions in our heads.

I believe in you, Sir Jeff. You have been there for me since the beginning of my journey in the blogosphere and into the English Writing world. It is an honor for the dragon to be able to nudge and prod you all the way to your success, if needed be.

"Their thoughts were the source of their acts. 

Their feelings were the source of their thoughts. 

The invisible and spiritual essence inside them determined their present and their world. 

The outstanding factor was their faith."

Of Heroes (T.Carlyle)

It is not my anti-cat prejudice that made me use this picture. I just needed a good laugh and it's actually related to redecoration. Okay, it's mainly the laughing excuse.

*Few chuckles later*

I am interested in your opinion about the new look of the cave. I had to make room in the cave for a new tab. I wanted to have a special wall to honor Dragon's Eleven (and as a reminder they gave me their word to do something.)

I changed the template because the previous one only allowed me four tabs. Everything pleases me except the post background. I changed the grey background to white. Personally, I liked the dark grey (even black) more. However, I've heard there are people who find very difficult to read white font over dark background. Truth is the Fridge White background is sight-straining to me but many blogs have it like this and I still read them. Since I want you to feel comfortable when visiting, I thought on asking your opinion.

My dwarves are up for the production of their new show. Since someone suggested there were many places in Vegas where they could sign for a show, they happily accepted the idea of the Disco Dwarves. Now we are trying to make a decision about the music.

Our list has narrowed to: Barry Manilow's Copacabana; Earth, Wind and Fire's Fantasy; Let's Groove Tonight (same band and my favorite). They also can go all John Travolta style with Far From Over or Close to the Fire from Staying Alive.

We don't want to make "I'll survive" as I don't like it. Pancholin got six hundred smacks for suggesting Lady Marmalade. Oh, yes, and Milin wants Disco Samba. Sessin wants The Man with the Golden Arm but I already told him that's not disco. He wants to make a detective series. An aftereffect from his clones drinking his beer reserves, I presume.

What do you think? Any thought about the background? Care to help my dwarves with a suggestion? And most important, do you have a pending mission that is waiting for you to be brave and determined? Tomorrow is an illusion. The right moment is now. Dragon's Eleven is up for action. :)