I know, I know; I like to think every week is a big week around here. I mean, you come to the Zone (for which I truly thank you) and are regaled practically every day with tales from the dark side odd, strange, and on occasion, whacko stories that, believe it or not, actually happened. (As Matthew Broderick said in The Freshman: “This is not a movie script; it’s my actual life.”)

But this week – well, folks, I’m proud to say this is gonna be a heckuva week here at the Middle Zone! Strangely enough, it’s all because I’m not, um, here. (Kinda hard to miss the irony, don’tcha think?)

Yep; I’m going to be traipsing around the country on business this week (tiptoeing through Tennessee, actually), and it struck me (sound of dull thud) this would be a great opportunity to invite some of my favorite people to guest host here at the Middle Zone.

So this week, be prepared to be amazed, wowed, and especially blessed with not one, not two, but four wonderful guest posts! Here’s the schedule:

Monday, July 28 - Yours Truly. Hey, since our next What I Learned From… groupwrite project kicks off next week, I reserved this day to announce our topic. Thanks to the magic of scheduling, I can do this without actually, you know, being here. Regarding this month’s topic, well, I think you’re gonna be intrigued… and challenged. Better start revvin’ up those pencil sharpeners, folks!

Tuesday, July 29 – Karen Swim, Words for Hire. Karen is a 20-year-plus sales, marketing and management veteran who specializes in bringing the human touch to her work. A freelance writer and marketer, she knows how to combine her passion for people and for writing to deliver outstanding results for her clients. I first met her via Joanna Young’s blogging community at Confident Writing, and have always been blessed by her remarkable insights.

Wednesday, July 30 - Brad Shorr, Word Sell, Inc. Brad’s passion is sales, and he is an expert in the B2B sales and marketing world (not to mention quite the word nerd!) He is currently on a mission to help businesses take advantage of the medium of blogging (and helping those of us who typically run screaming into the night at the mere mention of the word “sales”). What can I say about a man who volunteered to pick me up at Chicago’s O’Hare airport and drive me all the way downtown for SOBCon ‘08? What a guy!

Thursday, July 31 - Joanna Young, Confident Writing. To be honest, I can’t remember how long Joanna and I have been friends (although she still needs to learn how to eat pizza correctly). Somehow we just hit it off right away, and I highly recommend Confident Writing for your daily “must read” list. Joanna is a writing coach who is all about, not just writing, but writing with voice, with style, and most of all, with confidence. She also co-hosts a series of writing retreats on the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia with Emma Bird. If you’re serious about writing, it’s definitely worth spending your vacation on, I’ll tell ya.

Friday, August 1 - Liz Strauss, Successful Blog. No matter what I could ever tell you, words are simply inadequate to describe the Queen of relationship blogging. Back when I first began the Middle Zone, I accidentally stumbled across Successful Blog – and was so intimidated by the accumulated information, helps, and advice it literally scared me away! Luckily, good sense prevailed and I came back; I now count Liz as a genuine friend and continuing inspiration. If you’ve never visited her site, well Bubba, you’d better run, not walk, as fast as you can, and get there! You’ll understand what I mean.

Join me this week in welcoming these wonderful writers to the Middle Zone! Don’t worry; I’ll still be around and should be able to check in every now and then. And like the Ghost in the Machine, I’ll be back next week for the kickoff to August’s What I Learned From… groupwrite project!