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Have You Read Any of These Books Born from #blogging #atozchallenge ?

Blogging challenges can be fun, but they can also be surprisingly productive. I co-host the A to Z Challenge, (5 days left, sign up now!)and over the years, it has given rise to quite a few books.Have you read any of them? Given a choice, which ones would you pick? Here’s a short list of the AZ babies I can think of off the top of my head:

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge

2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge

  Doris Plaster: Home Sweet Nursing Home: An A to Z Collection of 50-word stories on Aging and Healthcare: Today’s nursing homes are no longer “rest homes,” but rather vibrant places where residents, families and friends gather, interact, and share heartfelt memories and experiences. Through a 50-word-story collection of vivid tales, Doris Plaster, LCSW, recounts the realities of life in a nursing home from her Social Worker perspective, and that of the caregivers and residents in 26 short vignettes, that are both poignant and thought-provoking.

Melanie Lee: Imaginary friends : 26Fables for the Kids in US: Imaginary Friends is a collection or 26 short stories in alphabetical order and is exclusively available as an e-book. Author Melanie Lee and illustrator Sheryl Khor are childhood friends who used to imagine that their stationery and water bottles had names and personalities, and would come up with adventurous plotlines for their “imaginary friends”. Inspired by such fond memories from their childhood, they decided to collaborate in producing this e-book as a legacy for their children. At first glance, Imaginary Friends may look like a typical children’s book. However, upon closer reading, you will find that its sophisticated wit and references to modern culture makes it an enjoyable read for teens and adults who are young at heart.

Pamela D Williams: A to Z Devotions for Writers : A to Z Devotions for Writers will meet the specific spiritual needs of writers. Covering each letter of the alphabet, these devotions offer pertinent scriptures, meditations focused on various aspects of the writing life, relevant prayers and “block” busting writing applications. Written to inspire, encourage, challenge, and motivate writers, A to Z Devotions for Writers will not only drive pen to paper but will apply God’s truths to writing.

Christine Rains: Fearless: Abby White was seven years old when she killed the monster under her bed. Now she slays creatures spawned by the fertile imaginations of children, and the number of these nightmares are on the rise. Neither she nor her guide – a stuffed hippo named Tawa – know why. When she rescues Demetrius from an iron prison, he pledges his life to protect hers until he can return the favor. She doesn’t want the help. And how can she concentrate on her job when the gorgeous wild fae throws himself in front of her during every fight? No matter how tempting, she can’t give in to him. To save the children and all she loves, Abby must be truly Fearless.

Rachel Morgan: A to Z of Creepy Hollow Fae: Violet, a seventeen-year-old faerie, spends every day learning how to protect humans from dangerous magical creatures. Catch a glimpse of 26 of her assignments as she battles elves, ogres, and more.

Cherie Reich: A to Z Flashes of Foxwick: In honor of the A to Z Blogging Challenge, A to Z Flashes of Foxwick​ gives a glimpse to the characters, magical creatures, and lands in the fantasy world of the Kingdom of Foxwick. A young dragon befriends a dragon seer. A phoenix bursts into flames in mid-flight. A man must choose between his simple life and one of fame. A queen will find her heart turned into ice and many more!

Angela Brown: Neverlove : For a girl born of privilege and a young man bred for status, a lack of real love had everything to do with the drastic changes of their lives. Abigail – Abused to the point of defeat, seventeen doesn’t seem a bad age to die. Surviving suicide leads her to a second chance at V’Salicus Academy to become a Cleanser, a protector of lost souls. Basil – Perfection is the key to earning his parents’ love. A slip of the tongue lands him in service to hell as the devil’s newest Harvestor, a collector of lost souls to feed his new master’s constant craving.

D Biswas: A to Z Stories of Life and Death: Twenty-six A to Z stories, based on the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, question our moral compass: How do you judge a teacher toying with the sexuality of her teenaged student? A boy who decides to murder his mother? What thoughts rage inside a pedophile serial killer before he shoots himself? They challenge the concepts of beauty, truth, and morality, by revealing the face of the other side.

That last book is mine, and continues to sell in a trickle, a fact that never ceases to surprise me. This year, like I said in my Theme reveal, I’m planning to write stories again. Not that they will necessarily lead to a book. I wrote stories in 2012 as well, but just let them hang around. We’ll see.

Now back to my question: Have you read any of the above books? Did you write a book based on the A to Z Challenge? Care to tell us about it? Can you add more books to the list..I’m sure there are AZ books I missed out. Have you taken part in the April blogging challenge before? Have you signed up for the challenge this year?

 

 

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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