Sunday, May 1, 2011

It's Back!

My computer has returned from Repair Land. With a new cord and a new motherboard. Thankfully it was under warranty so it didn't cost me a thing! :) Cue the happy dance!


So far, I've had to let it turn itself on and off about a dozen times while it downloads all the updates for security programmes and other goodies. It feels so good to have it back! I looked at my Google Reader to see how many blogs I have waiting for me...

... about 10 000.

Yup, you read that right. Ten-freaking-thousand. Really don't think that's going to happen. That Mark All As Read command looks pretty good right now!!

Congrats to all those A to Z Challenge bloggers. I obviously didn't catch most of the posts - but the ones I did were terrific! Way to go! I imagine most of you will be doing a bit of relaxing in May :)

I did manage to read a few more great books while I was laptopless...

Earthling Hero by Anita Laydon Miller. If you're looking for a fabulous MG adventure, this is it!! A quiet kid gets sucked into an adventure of a lifetime in which he's got to work with and against some aliens in order to save his parents ... and the world! Tons of fun in this one. I finished it in no time :)

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. If you're looking for an intriguing YA urban fantasy, you've got to read this one. A teenage girl sees faeries, invisible to most people. When she's chosen by one of them, her whole world starts to spin out of her control. Great fantasy with romance, adventure and lots of action. Loved it!

If you like romantic suspense, Reunion in Death by JD Robb & Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers were also fantastic reads! All this bonus reading time was a definite plus! :)

I hear Elliot Grace's book, South of Charm, is now available! I'm hoping the Kindle version's out soon too. Can't wait to read this one. Elliot's got a magical way with words and images! And that cover is perfect! :)

So, tell me, what did I miss? What should I be looking forward to?

91 comments:

Southpaw said...

Mark as read, mark as read... I was out for a week and came back to 1000 and my eyes got big. 10,000 - mark as read. Everyone will post again. LOL

Buttercup said...

So glad you're back. I've gotten up to 800+ and I feel overwhelmed.

Jemi Fraser said...

Holly - lol! I think that's exactly what I'm going to do. There's no hope in catching up, so why even pretend? :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Buttercup - thanks! I seem to often get to 1000+, but this number was so big I nearly cried!! :)

Dawn Simon said...

I'm happy for you, having your computer back! :)

I'm reading WICKED LOVELY right now! Lovin' it!

Jemi Fraser said...

Dawn - Thanks! I'm thrilled too - although some parts are a little daunting :)

I really enjoyed Wicked Lovely - great book!

Al said...

welcome back computer!

What a lot of catching up you have

Jemi Fraser said...

Al - thank you! I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the amount of it! But my writing is calling more loudly to me - so it's getting my attention first! :)

Old Kitty said...

10,000?!?!?!??!?! WOW!!! That has got to be a record or something! WOW!!

Welcome back!!!!! Take care
x

Jemi Fraser said...

Old Kitty - I know! It was enough to give me a heart attack ... well, almost! :)

So, I'm a little behind. Hope to get around to everyone in the next little bit!! :)

DEZMOND said...

I'm so happy for Elliot Grace and his book, he is such a kind man and a lovely writer!

And I'm glad I lured you in with my B-day party :) even though you are drowning in the ocean of 10,000 blogs :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Hit the Mark All As Read button, Jemi! Don't even try. Start catching up with us tomorrow. And glad your computer is back.

erica and christy said...

I've had similar problems lately - Yay for working laptops!!!

Thanks for the shout-outs for good reads!!
erica

Lisa Gail Green said...

OMG THOSE WERE THE BEST 10000 POSTS EVER! Kidding! I'm kidding. You should call it a loss and move forward. I'm sure everyone will forgive you. I know I will. ;D Glad your computer is healed.

klahanie said...

"So, tell me, what did I miss? What should I be looking forward to?"

Well Jemi, what you missed is the satire spoof postings by Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star and my shy and humble self over at my unknown blog in regards to that 'alphabet challenge', or whatever the heck it was that so many bloggers subjected themselves too :)
And, of course, you were looking forward to another one of my award winning comments and thus, you're welcome eh :)
Glad your computer seems to working. Now I wait for my email account to get loads of comments for you, while all I get is spam mail, written in Japanese :(

Jemi Fraser said...

Dez - I couldn't miss your birthday party! :)

I'm thrilled for Elliot as well! He's such a sweetie.

Jemi Fraser said...

Alex - thanks! I really needed to hear that from people! I think that's exactly what I'm going to do! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Erica - thanks! It's sure nice to have it back :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Lisa - lol :) I bet they were!! I hope to get back on track soon! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Gary - you always make me smile! I definitely look forward to your comments!

I've missed so much!! :) You A to Zers were so crazy-busy.

I've been lucky with not getting spam lately ... hope I didn't just jinx myself! Take care :)

klahanie said...

"I've missed so much!! :) You A to Zers were so crazy-busy."
Yikes, I wasn't a part of that challenge. I did a few satirical postings taking a good natured poke at the whole thing.
Those that organised it, to their credit, took it in the spirit I intended it.
And, yay, I'm on my way to Canada eh!

Jemi Fraser said...

Gary - oops! I guess that shows just how much I missed!!! And the organizers of the A to Z are fabulous people - with great senses of humour - they would have enjoyed it! :)

Yay for Canada - hope you journey safely and well!

Stephanie Thornton said...

I was wondering when you'd be back. Yay!

And definitely Mark as Read. 10,000 would take forever and a day to get through!

Jemi Fraser said...

Stephanie - Yay indeed!! I'm thrilled to be back in action!

I think I'm going to click that dreaded button. As much as I fear missing out on something truly great, there's not even enough time to skim through the titles of the posts!! :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

You missed me giving away chocolate to all my wonderful blogging friends... ha! I'm kidding. Me? give away chocolate? That's a good one! ;)

Yup I read Wicked Lovely and thought it was good.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lynda - so funny! You had me going for a minute!

I enjoyed Wicked Lovely too - cool premise! :)

notesfromnadir said...

Jemi,
So glad you're back, your computer's fixed & it was done for no charge! Big sigh of relief! :)

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Whew...I'd mark as read too. I'm glad you are back online and repaired, especially under warranty!

What did you miss? HMMMM, I blogged all month about friendship. Next month...I'm planning on doing some book reviews of our blog friends'books. :)

Anonymous said...

Glad you have your laptop bacj up and running. Its like having withdrawals. But there's always the public library with their free Internet service to fall back on.

Rosalind Adam said...

Great news that your laptop is back. Don't know how I'd cope without mine. It's funny how we place such pressure on ourselves to read everybody's blog postings. I think you can be forgiven under the circumstances so... MARK AS READ!

Chris Phillips said...

Pretty much if you just go to my blog you'll be caught up on everything.

The Happy Whisk said...

Welcome back to the online world.

LTM said...

omg. 10K? Whoa. My head would explode... :D

but hooray for computer's back! I think we're all caught up~ <3

Jemi Fraser said...

Notes - Big sigh of relief indeed! I'm thrilled to have it back :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Sharon - yeah - I've caught up a big - but that button is calling to me. :)

I look forward to your reviews! I've read quite a few blog buddy books and they've been great. Can't wait to see which ones you've read :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Stephen - there is, but there are only 3 in our library and they're never available! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Rosalind thanks! I'm thinking that's the best choice :)

I feel like I've missed catching up with so many friends - it's nice to be back :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Chris - love it! Thanks for the tip - sounds like perfect advice!! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Karen - thanks! I just about flipped when I calculated how many there were! I think the A to Z challenge added a lot more than there normally would have been! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Happy - thanks! It's nice to be back :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Leigh - I know! The 10k was mind boggling!

Catching up will be fun! :)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I just finished The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge. SO GOOD!! :-)

Jemi Fraser said...

Shannon - I've heard Iron Thorn is terrific - I've got it on my wishlist! :)

Kelly Polark said...

I'm glad you enjoyed ANita's Earthling Hero. I thought it was a great adventure, too.
I bet you are so excited to have the computer back. My keyboard is falling apart yet I keep using it. My hubby says I should just use his laptop (since he has a work one) so may have to transfer everything to his at some pt!

Jemi Fraser said...

Kelly - I did! Anita created a slew of terrific characters and the action was so much fun!

Computer issues are such a drag! I hope you can get it all transferred over - that in itself is a pain! Good luck :)

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

I bought Earthling Hero, too! Now I just need to dive into it. :)

I'm glad your computer-baby is back and healthy again! Having a break is not a bad thing - that is what the "mark all as read" button is for! :)

Lydia Kang said...

Hmm, being laptopless (ooh, that sounds weird...lap topless...weird) is great for reading novels. I might have to do a self-imposed stint to catch up on my TBR list!

Arlee Bird said...

I'm glad the repair didn't cost you anything, but what a hassle being without. It's my nightmare. I have four computers in the house, but what if all four.....

Now you need to get busy on those 10,000 unread blogs. And don't use the work excuse--you can always quit work so you can catch up and needing sleep is not a legitimate excuse either.

Good that things are back to normal--for all of us.

Lee
Tossing It Out

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Pleased your pc is baack and didn't have to pay for it.

Thanks for the comment also the best wishes you sent, Much appreciated,
Yvonne,

Jemi Fraser said...

Susan - I think you'll really enjoy the book - it's a ton of fun! :)

I'm glad the laptop is back too.I haven't clicked that button yet, but it's tempting me!

Jemi Fraser said...

Lydia - you're right! It is a funny word - I hadn't seen it that way - I think I'm going with computerless from now on!

Catching up on the reading list was definitely the best part! So many good books :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Lee - I'll get right on it!! I bet you'll have some catching up on sleep too :)

I should probably get a spare ... gotta fit that in the budget!

Jemi Fraser said...

Yvonne - your welcome! I hope the week goes smoothly and well! I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

Jonathon Arntson said...

YAY for Earthling Hero! It's at the top of my list for middle grades so far this year. The best part? I hear the author is readying more e-releases for before the year is out!

Anita said...

Thank you for shout-out!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Nice to have you back. I would die without a computer though. Just simply die...

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

Let the others tell you what you missed. I'll JUst tell you that I missed you.

Jemi Fraser said...

Johnathon - awesome! I hadn't realized Anita had more coming out that soon. Terrific news. She's got a great middle grade voice! ::)

Jemi Fraser said...

Anita - You're more than welcome! Loved the book!! :) Thanks for dropping by!

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - thanks! It's amazing how many other things rush to fill up that time though! I kept amazingly busy :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Mary - awwwwww!!! :)

You just made my whole day - maybe my whole week! Thanks :)

Julie Musil said...

Mark all as read, and don't give it another thought. Seriously. Not one single blogger will bat an eye. I'm soooo glad you're "connected" again. What a relief!

Saumya said...

Hurray for your computer being back! You're always so wonderful about leaving sweet comments. I know we all appreciate that :) Excited for your posts!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on getting your computer back!

Don't stress yourself over blog reading. It's hard to read every single post.

I loved Wicked Lovely.

Ellie Garratt said...

10,000?! I thought 655 was bad once. OMG. I agree with marking them all as read.

Great to see you back!

Ellie Garratt

Jemi Fraser said...

Julie - thanks! I think that's just what I'm going to do :) It's nice to be back!! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Saumya - thank you! You're so kind!! :)

I'm thrilled to have it back! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Medeia - thanks - I think I'll just go back to my regular schedule & go from there!

Wicked Lovely was a terrific book :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Ellie - thank you!

Mark All as Read is definitely becoming my most popular choice!

Cynthia Chapman Willis said...

Welcome back! And I'd faint if I saw 10,000.

Jemi Fraser said...

Cynthia - thanks! I nearly did faint!!! :)

kathrynjankowski said...

I faced a similar, if smaller, problem when my computer was down and out for repairs. I marked all as read. Couldn't see any other way around it.
Congrats on getting things fixed!

Jemi Fraser said...

Kathryn - It is a toughie! Thankfully there is that button! :)

Mari said...

Welcome back! Loved the dance picture btw. Calvin is one of my favorite characters ever. :D

Did you know Jon Strother is accepting submissions to "The Best of Friday Flash, vol. 2"?

Here's the link to the announcement: http://fridayflash.org/press/2011/03/23/announcing-best-of-friday-flash-volume-two/

Also, people can vote on their favorite stories, which will also feature on BOFF #2, as we call the antho. ;)

Link to the reader's choice vote: http://fridayflash.org/press/2011/04/30/love-is-in-the-air/

Good luck on catching up! You're a busy bee as usual, eh? heh

Jemi Fraser said...

Mari - I adore Calvin too :)

I didn't know that! I'll have to check that out - maybe on the weekend! - as you're right I'm always crazy busy :)

Janet Johnson said...

I wouldn't even attempt it. Just move forward is my motto. :)

But YAY for having your computer back! And DOUBLE YAY for a warranty that paid off!!

Jemi Fraser said...

Janet - moving forward is always a good thing!! :)

I know! I wasn't sure about paying for the extra 2 years in the warranty, but I just recouped my money and more (more than double my money actually!). Yay!

Anonymous said...

I must admit I use that Mark all is Read quite often! Congratulations on receiving your computer back, cleaned up and fresh, like a new beginning.

Susan Fields said...

I loved Wicked Lovely, too - it's a great book. Hooray for having your computer back!

Jemi Fraser said...

Lynn - it is! So exciting :)

I don't use it often, but I'm going to have too!

Jemi Fraser said...

Susan - thanks!! I'm thrilled :)

I really enjoyed Wicked Lovely - fun book!

Jennifer Hillier said...

Yay for getting your computer back! Scary that you had 10,000 blogs waiting to be read. (I really hope you don't read them all... we'll understand!)

Helen Ginger said...

Welcome back to the computer world.
Considering how hooked we all are, it's hard to remember that computers have not been around all that longj!

Jemi Fraser said...

Jennifer - thanks! I'm thrilled to have it back :)

I think I've given up on the idea of even skimming through looking for important stuff!

Jemi Fraser said...

Helen - that is so true! It's hard to imagine going back to a time without them. It would make me very sad to have to do it for any length of time!

Denise Covey said...

Hi Jemi. Computer problems give me the chills. So glad you're now sorted. Looks like you read some good books. I've been waiting for about a year for Elliot's book to come out. I'll be getting that one asap.

What have you missed? Well Francine and I have started (yesterday) a Romantic Friday Writers group. If you'd like to check it out, we've posted on our blogs or follow the link below.

Denise<3

Join the Romantic Friday Writers group. First challenge - Dire Moment.

Jemi Fraser said...

Denise - that sounds like fun! I'll check it out :)

I can't wait for Elliot's book either - although I'm sticking to Kindle buys for now - my budget is SCREAMING at me with all the blog buddy books I've been buying lately!

Jen said...

Welcome back, Jemi! So glad your computer is back and feeling better :)

10,000?!?!? I think I'd cry. Heck, I have so many right now I can't keep up with them (which is why it seems I've been AWOL for so long...I blame it on school work though!)

Enjoy your weekend and good luck in getting all those blogs read!

Cheers!
Jen

Jemi Fraser said...

Jen - thanks! I blame it on school work too - just from the other end (marking, prepping...)! :)

Thanks - hope your weekend is great as well! :)

Theresa Milstein said...

Earthling Hero sounds really interesting.

100 Stories for Queensland just came out in paperback. I just ordered it from Amazon, so I can't wait to read the stories, especially from Jessica Bell and Jennifer Domingo/Old Kitty.

Jemi Fraser said...

Theresa - Earthlin Hero is really good!

That's good to know - especially with stories in there from blog buddies!! I'll definitely check it out. I wonder if there's a Kindle version... off to check! :)