Finding Bliss

Summer Reading List #MyIndieSummer

2012-05-24T20:34:00.001-07:00

One of the brilliant aspects of social media is that you can interact with authors in a way you never could before. I've gotten to be friends with some writers, both published and not, and many of them I look forward to speaking with weekly or even daily.

In celebration of some of my new author friends, my friend Allie and I have decided to dub our summer reading lists My Indie Summer! We are dedicating our summers to some of the up and coming writers who are breaking the stigma laid on self-published authors for centuries now. These authors have gone through rigorous editing, formatting and design to bring truly gorgeous books to the table.

We'd like to celebrate Independent authors and their willingness to be open and generous to us as newbies in the publishing world. Whether it's offering advice or friendship, we totally appreciate them and hope to be able to do the same for others who come after us.

Allie has a lovely line up listed at her blog, be sure to check them out before we officially kick off the summer next Friday. We'll be talking about what we read on Twitter with the hashtag #myindiesummer There are no rules. Just good reads by great authors. If you have some Indies on your TBR list, why not pick it up and chat with us?

Here's my tentative list:

6/1 Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale

6/8 Becoming by Raine Thomas

6/15 Inhale by Kendall Grey

6/22 Hybrid by Vanessa Wester

6/29 Twixt by Diane Reed

7/6 Central by Raine Thomas

7/13 The Selkie Spell by Sophie Moss

7/20 Molly Hacker is Too Picky by Lisette Brodey

7/27 Pentecost by JF Penn

8/3 Blood Orchids by Toby Neal

8/10 Witch Song by Amber Argyle

8/17 Angelfall by Susan Ee

8/24 Foretold by Raine Thomas

Allie and I are open to ideas- if you have something super special in mind leave a comment and we'll see what magic we can conjure up. And, of course we'll keep you posted with any new developments.

Rachel Thompson on #IndiesUnite4Joshua

2012-05-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today I have an impromptu video chat that I'd like to share with you. While going through my usual blog circuit a few days ago, I came across a post on Rachel Thompson's blog regarding a young man by the name of Joshua who was diagnosed with Leukemia during Christmas break.

Imagine being 21 years old with your life in front of you- and being told you had cancer. To have just been given 3 years of freedom only to have it taken away in a breath.

The independent author community is small, but strong. Maxwell Cynn is an author, but he's also a father and a husband. His fellow authors have come together to support his family during this horrible time. As many of us know, medical expenses are incredibly high. IndiesUnite4Joshua is a fund set up to help with costs of Josh's treatments.

The goal is $10,000, and at this time $8,600+ have been raised. There are 13 days left, and they can use your support. Watch the video and hear what Rachel has to say!

Related articles

- UPDATE to #IndiesUnite4Joshua ~ The Final Push to $10,000(edenbaylee.wordpress.com)
- “Cancer – My Story” (edenbaylee.wordpress.com)
- UPDATE to #IndiesUnite4Joshua ~ The Final Push to $10,000 (chazzwrites.com)
- Indies Unite for Joshua presents a VIDEO SERIES (edenbaylee.wordpress.com)

The Virtual Book Tour with Ali Luke

2012-05-15T18:40:00.001-07:00

Book tours can get expensive, with booking venues and all the driving. Add that to the time away if you have family or a day job and it can really be a problem.

When I saw that Ali Luke was taking her book, Lycopolis on a virtual blog tour, I thought it sounded like a great idea. It's the best of both worlds: you get people interested in reading your book and visiting your own blog, plus you can do it all from your own home.

I've been wanting to try a video interview for a while now, so I asked Ali if she'd be game, and luckily for me she agreed. Imagine getting to chat with a writer in the UK in real time-what a treat!

If you haven't heard about Ali, she has a fantastic blog and also frequently posts on some of the top blogs in the writing industry like Problogger, Copyblogger and Write to Done.

In the interview we talk about:

Her book Lycopolis and writing what you know. She has a background in the roleplaying community and it inspired her to write the story of a group on online roleplayers.

The virtual book tour she's done throughout April and May and the benefits of touring from your home by writing guest posts and doing interviews for other bloggers.

Although this is her first published novel, she also has published a few short stories and a fantastic set of ebook guides specifically for bloggers. She's also working on the upcoming Publishing Ebooks for Dummies, which I am looking forward to.

Some tips on coming up with new ideas for blog posts. With the constantly changing publishing industry, she always has a long list of ideas for blog posts such as ebooks and the digital publishing world. If you haven't already, I recommend visiting her blog for excellent tips on the writing craft.

The many publishing options available for the independent author. Ali has Lycopolis on Amazon, and also Smashwords which distributes it to other vendors (Barnes & Noble, Kobo etc.) She also used CreateSpace for the Print on Demand version. Since she's in the UK, the shipping rates for UK customers were too high, so for those readers it's also available from Lulu.

You can find Ali at her blog, Aliventures or on Twitter.

Random Act of Kindness #RAOKBlitz

2012-05-14T07:25:00.001-07:00

A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community.

Take a second to think about writers you know, like the critique partner who works with you to improve your manuscript. The writing friend who listens, supports and keeps you strong when times are tough. The author who generously offers council, advice and inspiration when asked.

So many people take the time to make us feel special, don't they? They comment on our blogs, re-tweet our posts, chat with us on forums and wish us Happy Birthday on Facebook.

Kindness ROCKS!

To commemorate the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus, Becca and Angela at The Bookshelf Muse are hosting a TITANIC Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ. And because I think KINDNESS is contagious, I'm participating too!

I am randomly picking Allie B, and for my RAOK gift, I'm offering to critique her MS!

I really appreciate Allie, who blogs at Allie B Books. If you have a minute, please stop in and tell her how awesome she is!

Do you know someone special that you'd like to randomly acknowledge? Don't be shy--come join us and celebrate! Send them an email, give them a shout out, or show your appreciation in another way. Kindness makes the world go round. :)

Becca and Angela have a special RAOK gift waiting for you as well, so hop on over to The Bookshelf Muse to pick it up.

Have you ever participated in or been the recipient of a Random Act Of Kindness? Let me know in the comments!

Grow a Long Tail

2012-05-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

Have you daydreamed recently of selling your book? Did that dream consist of you being praised by adoring fans and media over your beautiful writing and amazing imagery?

Me, too.

When we think of publishing our books, it's fun to imagine instant success. Even if you don't want to admit it, the thought has probably crossed your mind.

Of course, underneath the fairy tale, we are all aware that the chance of stardom is pretty slim. After all, how many books are published each year? Since Amazon has made it so easy for writers to upload their manuscript, it's not a secret that there is a LOT of competition.

So, we attempt to build a platform, render a following. But, if you really want to be an Author, not a one-book-wonder, what can you do to become a prolific force in the industry?

I have recently been introduced to the term "Long-Tail". Have you heard it?

www.longtail.com

In Joanna Penn's guest post by J. Daniel Sawyer, he discusses the Long Tail of the fiction business and a list of "best practices" to be successful over time.

For your reading pleasure, I would like to share the most important stuff I gleaned from the post:

Build a Back List- When I read and love a book, I look up the author's other work. I just purchased the entire backlist written by Juliette Marillier. **love**

Be Patient- One book does not a career make! **usually**

Connect with those who actually read your book. It's easier to keep a reader than find a new one!

I am now a firm believer that the best marketing tool you can acquire is a Long Tail. It makes sense that when you advertise or promote your newest book, people will see that you have a series of other books to enjoy. I for one love a series that I can really get lost in!

Do you have any thoughts on the significance of a Long Tail or Backlist?

Oh, and by the way- did you notice that I've added a newsletter sign-up? Make sure you add your name!

RSS Feeds Made Simple

2012-05-07T07:53:00.003-07:00

Is your inbox flooded with notifications of blog updates?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of visiting all of your favorite blogs, especially when your time is limited as it is?

Do you sometimes get frustrated by the volume of your unread email- sometimes even hitting "Clear All"?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, it might be time to look into getting a blog "reader". When I mentioned RSS feeds in a post not too long ago, I got a few emails asking what I was talking about.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication), according to Wikipedia, is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format

OK, so what does that really mean?

It simply means you have another option to receiving updates via email, or each and every blog on your bookmark list to check for updates.

Have you ever listened to the Weekly Top 40 on Sunday? Rick Dees doesn't work for your local radio station, but rather his show is Syndicated to play on multiple channels across the country. You don't have to go find his show, it comes to YOU.

Same with RSS feeds, but this is for the content you want to read/listen to/watch on the web.

You can get really technical, but this blog is all about keeping it simple, right?

The first thing you need is a "Reader". There are a few options here, but for the sake of keeping it simple, let's talk about the "Google Reader". If anyone is super curious, we can expand on this in the future.

When you go to a blog, instead of clicking "Subscribe via Email", look for the little orange tab pictured above. That is where you can subscribe via RSS. Once you click on it, it will send the updates to one simple place-the Reader.

When you hop online to see what's new, you go to this one place, scroll through all the recently updated titles until something grabs your attention, then either expand it inside the reader or visit the website, it's your choice.

Have you been wondering what that little orange button meant, anyway? Do you have a RSS feed for your blog? Consider getting one, and while you're at it, subscribe to my feed. :)

And the Award Goes To...

2012-05-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post, just as a thanks to my newest friends in the blog o sphere. In the past week I've received a few nominations from some fantastic bloggers-3 for Liebster awards, and one Kreativ
Blog award. What can I say, I'm flattered! It's been the usually craziness around here, so it's taken
me longer than I would've liked to make the following shout-outs:
The Liebster's were from-
Kristi - Thank you so much for sharing my blissful journey with me, it is a pleasure!
Michelle - Thank you for your kind words, it really does mean a lot that you find my blog informative.
Sharon - Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I'm so glad to have met you!

And then there is also the Kreativ from LJ - Thanks Laura Jean, from another Laura Jean :)

I'm not going to take the traditional route here, which is to nominate others for these awards. That would require me nominating twenty two bloggers, and unfortunately my time is limited. But, I want to just take a
moment and touch on the topic of community. During the past month or so, I've met and chatted with several
women that I never would have had the opportunity to meet if not for the net and social media. It's an amazing
time we're living in, and I'm so grateful to each and every one who've provided laughs and support for my blossoming career. Writer's are an amazing, eclectic bunch, but we all share the love of creating and that's all we need to form lasting bonds.

Be Helpful, Be Successful

2012-05-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

What's in it for me?

As a species, human beings are selfish. I'm sure that's not news to you. Oh, we want to be helpful and self-sacrificing, and maybe we sometimes even succeed. But deep down, it's just our nature to look out for number one.

If you want to be involved in any type of network building, you have to break through your natural tendencies. You're writing a book. Good for you. But, why should anyone else care?

What's in it for them?

I see a large number of people, (myself included at times) who just expect to blog about themselves, and that will be their golden ticket to fame and fortune.

It will never work.

One of the greatest teachers of how to build relationships to help you grow your business is Chris Brogan. I've been following his blog for a few months now and hope to follow his example as closely as possible. He has a simple formula for success that I find inspirational:

Be Helpful

Ask Questions

Check-In Regularly

Make Useful Introductions

Is there is one thing that he advises NOT to do?

Don't ask for ANYTHING in return!

Do you ever run into people doing all the wrong things on the Web? How do you handle it?
Leave me a comment. Let's Talk.

Amazon Killed the Publishing Star

2012-04-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Where do you sit in the debate on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing? E-books or Hardcover?

About 2 weeks ago, I read an article about the DOJ decision in the conundrum between Amazon and the rest of the free world....er the Legacy Publishers and Apple. In the comment section, people were firing off their opinions of who was right and who was wrong and I came to a realization:

There is no RIGHT answer.

Joe likes reading quick-paced crime fiction and he doesn't care whether it comes in a scuffed paperback from Dolly's Used Bookstore or a 99 cent e-book promo on Amazon. He just likes a good story and it's fast and cheap to download to his Kindle.

Suzie has a beautiful collection of the classics ranging from Charlotte Bronte to Oscar Wilde. She displays them prominently on the bookshelf in her parlor. She wouldn't dream of buying an e-book, because she likes to hold a real book, and she wants to preserve literary traditions.

Does either of these scenarios have to be wrong? I don't think so. We all love books. It's a matter of opinion. And everyone's opinion is valid.

But, back to the DOJ debate for just a quick second... I find it funny that people are so intensely on one side or the other.

Amazon is ruining the publishing industry!

Legacy Publishers aren't adapting to the advances in technology!

I have never nor will I EVER be a business guru, but come on!!! This is BUSINESS! It's all about the Benjamins, baby! Nobody is trying to destroy or preserve the literary tradition. I believe they all just want the money, and if they don't get as much as quick as the next guy, they cry FOUL!

Whatever.

Maybe I'm under-informed. Maybe I'm crazy. E-books aren't going anywhere, and I have a feeling that the Suzie's of the world won't be too hard-pressed to find their hardcovers if that's what they desire.

But, change is coming. It's here. I'm ready to roll with it.

What do you think?

Find What Works to Build Your Platform

2012-04-23T18:58:00.002-07:00

Imagine five years from now when you have 10,000 Twitter subscribers and 50,000 blog subscribers. Each day when you log in to check your email, you have pages of eager requests for your attention. What will you have done to get yourself to that point?

Large followings don't just happen, do they? I've been experimenting in April, and I want to share what things I've found to be the most helpful in building my platform and growing my audience.

Make Goals Having a goal in mind is not the same as having clear, written out goals. Something about putting your goals on paper (or monitor) cements your commitment. I find that the cork board next to my desk is a great place to pin my personal goals, so that when I feel particularly lazy, they are there to stare me down O_O .

Create a Schedule Everyone is busy. Using the I have no time excuse doesn't fly in the real world, so it shouldn't fly in your virtual world, either. The truth is that if you want to be a writer in today's world, you need to schedule time to write and time to nurture your followers. Five minutes before lunch, ten minutes after. First thing in the morning, or just before bed. The point is if it's important to you, you make the time.

Focus on What Works There are so many ways to connect with readers and writers on the web, how do you decide which one is best for you? I think the only way to know is to experiment. In April I've decided to tweet daily, and it's been a true eye-opener. I started the month knowing next to no one, now I find myself checking my Twitter feed even when I don't plan to, just to see who's on. Which brings me to my final tip...

Avoid Too Many Distractions Like anything else, Social Media and blog-reading can become huge time suckers. It's easy to become too focused on Twitter or your RSS feed, but if you're so busy posting/reading updates, when do you write?

I hope one or more of these thoughts resonates with you. I've had a great month meeting new people, and I hope to keep the momentum up in May. Make sure to leave a message in the comments about what you're doing to grow your following! And, follow me on Twitter too :) .

Why Bother with Twitter?

2012-04-17T09:16:00.002-07:00

Are you Tweeting?

Do you Twit?

Or my favorite-are you on the Twittersphere?

What is Twitter?

Twitter first came on the scene in 2006. I just couldn't imagine why anyone would want to tell the world what they were up to on a continual basis... my thoughts were: Who really Cares?? Apparently, a lot of people do.

As more and more people I knew and encountered on a regular basis began living with their cell phones attached to their hands, I began to realize that there was something to this Twitter thing. That didn't mean I would Tweet, but I didn't scoff quite as much. Reading blogs and checking Facebook a few times a day was enough for me.

Something funny happened in late 2010. I had a sort of routine where I'd check blogs and chat on FB, but I gradually began to realize I was missing part of the "conversation". People were posting stories on their blogs, and giving intermittent updates on FB, but it was like they were all in on some kind of a private joke. They were tweeting to each other... and I was AGAINST Twitter, so I was an outsider. I begrudgingly signed up for an account, checked it here and there, but refused to post anything.

Fast forward a few months. I'd been writing on and off most of my life, but after the birth of my son I decided I'd like to see about getting something published, maybe make a career out of my hobby. So, I researched the publishing world and guess what? People everywhere sang praise to Twitter! "Build your 'platform'," they said. "Communicate with the literary community, interact with agents and editors!" o_O

Why are so many people on Twitter?

To drive traffic to their personal website

To connect with their peers

To share important dates

To gather feedback

Three tips to use Twitter to build your platform

Be helpful- Don't just go on Twitter to spread the word about yourself. Share things you think other people would be interested in, retweet their important info, just be open to being helpful.

Be interesting- Yes, it's important to tweet about trending topics. But, nobody will care if it's the same old recycled info. Put your own unique spin on topics people want to talk about.

Be transparent- Put forth your best self, but also your real self. Sharing a small amount of personal information is acceptable as long as it's not too personal. In fact, it's important to be a real person, someone with feelings about things other than what their book is about and how their sales are this month.

Twitter is simple to use, and so many people are on it, it's definitely worth a try if you're serious about growing your influence online. If we're not connected yet, I invite you to join me in the-I'm gonna say it- Twittersphere. My handle is @laurahoward78 can't wait to chat!

Living the Dream

2012-04-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

"I have this great idea, someday I'm going to write a book!"

How many people do you know that want to write a book? In an article for the New York Times, Joseph Epstein said 81% of people say they want to write a book, though very few actually complete one. I'm sure there are many reasons for that, being 2/3 done writing my own novel.

Many days I sit at the keyboard and stare at the screen wondering what possessed me to think I could do this. Two years have gone by since the original idea began in my head. The original outline is unrecognizable, several lead character's names have changed, but still I have this drive to complete the story. Have you been there?

Assuming that a person actually slogs their way through an entire manuscript, even just a first draft, then what? Is it vain to think that your work, your story, is good enough to be published beside some of the greats? A storyteller doesn't want to share their story because of vanity, no- it's deeper than that. A storyteller needs their story to be told, it's almost painful to have that story living inside them.

So, what to do when the inner critic steps in? The fears and doubts start piling on- this dream of yours is too big, why can't you just be happy with a normal job like everyone else? It's a form of self-preservation, I think. If you never try, you'll never get rejected. It's really no wonder so many of that 81% don't follow through. But, again with the pain of having your story remain untold. How can you put that inner critic in the backseat?

You create a new truth. This expression is thrown around a lot, but stop and think about what it really means.What you've been telling yourself (or what I've told myself) is negative self-talk, and it's working! How about if you tell yourself that your work is definitely good enough! Could that work too?

Take a (big) piece of paper and pin it over your work space-wherever you write, and have it say something like this:

I am going to finish this book. People are going to read my story, and they will love it.

It can be the truth if you let it be. Challenge the voice in your head, and plan the day you complete your manuscript! I'm pretty sure that's what the 3% who actually publish their books do. Never stop believing you'll be published, this is your time!

The Ripple Effect

2012-04-08T19:19:00.001-07:00

Since the rise of the internet the world seems much smaller, doesn't it? People are making connections that would have never been possible before chat rooms and forums existed. Social media sites link users from many walks of life, making it easier to find people who share interests- whether it be an interest in antiques or graphic design, zoology or yoga.

Naturally these changes not only affect our personal relationships, they've also completely changed the way we do business. As writers, we might not like to think about the "dark side" of publishing- marketing. It might feel overwhelming that in addition to crafting a compelling story, we must also master an entirely different skill set-the ability to market our work.

What if our mindsets are all wrong? Could it be there is a better way to go about this business? (Because it is a business isn't it?) The word business conjures up images of men in pin-striped suits carrying leather briefcases to board meetings. That's not quite how I pictured my life as a published author.

Thinking deeper about this, I realize the most successful authors make it their business not to necessarily sell their books, but to reach readers on a much more personal level. This part hasn't changed. Through forums and social media sites, authors can now connect with their readers in a way they couldn't before. An author once reached out to readers at book signings or speaking engagements. Now, a fan can visit the author's website each and every day, reinforcing that connection.

When I feel connected to an author, I am eager to share my excitement with friends and family members. And the cycle continues outward, causing a ripple effect. The internet speeds that ripple, giving the author a larger audience if they nurture the small seeds they plant in the beginning.

The opposite can be true if an author doesn't see the value in building strong relationships. If they enter the social scene only to sell their book and promote themselves, they're completely wasting their time. It's a turn off for anyone to be "sold". We want to do business with people we trust, and in order to trust someone we have to feel valued. The takeaway? Build relationships with your readers. Honor their time. The harvest will be worth it- in many ways- in the long run.

The Digital Revolution

2012-03-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

The publishing world is changing in so many ways. While some changes might not be for the better, the industry is evolving so fast that it's nearly impossible to keep up! The Digital Revolution keeps on spinning and I don't know about you, but I love it. When I first became interested in publishing-around 2010- things were changing, but now that whisper has become a roar! With the rise of entrepreneurs like Amanda Hocking and Joanna Penn, it's clear that the future of publishing is in our hands! I once thought indie authors (or self-published) were subpar writers unable to secure a publishing deal- I know I know!!! I'm horrified and ashamed by my ignorance! Now I see the awesome power in social media and self publishing trends and I'm awe-struck by it all! I'm done sitting back and watching from the sidelines- I want in! Writing is something I have always done, but what if having my book read by others doesn't have to be a pipe dream? What if it was a reality? I would love if you cared about my characters as much as I do. Today I begin a journey. I've been treading water, but I think it's time to Jump In! I hope to find others to share the ride with me- to learn and also take action. I've pinpointed three things that I'll be striving to master:

* Talk is Cheap-If you never take action you'll never reach your goal.
* Consistency is Key-Doing small things each day adds up.
* Showing Up is Half the Battle--The hardest part can be just starting.

Do you have certain disciplines that you have to work extra hard at? Do you have any tips for overcoming these obstacles?

There and Back

2012-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

I made my last blog post nearly one year ago. I found that blogging, at that time and place in my life, wasn't working for me. I 've been thinking about why I quit lately. The conclusion I've come up with is that, as usual, I bit off more than I could chew. I sometimes tend to have the "all or nothing" attitude, which could also be called perfectionism. That's not to say I think I'm perfect- far from it. The older I get I recognize this tendency more and more. At this point, I'd like to give blogging another go. But I will only do so when it feels right, not because I "have to".

A-Z Fail

2011-04-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

So here it is... A week since my last letter post, which incidentally was only the second letter of the alphabet... I'm amazed at myself. Now I could blame the fact that I have been sick with the flu this week, along with my family. But I won't. I could also blame the virus on my PC, but I don't think I should do that either. I could have easily picked up my iPhone and, even though it's annoying and typed up a post like I am right now.

But, let's just move forward! I have been working on some fun things this week from my couch- first thing is a guest blog over at Ashley's blog which I'm pretty excited about. She and Misty will be collaborating for Fairytale Fortnight starting April 17. I jumped on the opportunity to get involved because I love fairytales and I wanted to talk a little about the difference between Fairytales vs Faerie Tales. Confused? Well, come check it out!!

The next thing I'm excited about is I received a copy of my friend Terri's new book, In Leah's Wake... And she's so sweet that she sent me an extra copy to give away! More on that to come...

B is also for Bookplate

2011-04-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

I am just browsing the web on this lovely Sunday and I found this article on Squidoo that features printable bookplates available on various sites on the web. I am so in love with the cute ones here. I know I'll be printing up a bunch on the books I lend out! I'm always happy to loan a friend a book, but let's be honest- it can be annoying when our friends forget where they came from... Lol

B is for Belated

2011-04-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

So tonight I'm just getting around to posting B for the A-Z challenge. Not exactly a stellar start for me. But, with two sick little boys, that's the way it goes. I hope everyone else was able to be more punctual with their posts and visits. I did, at least visit my new friends who stopped by to say Hi to me! So thanks for coming and I'll be back Monday for C!

A is for Angst

2011-04-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Today is day 1 of the A-Z challenge! What did you choose for your A word?

So let's talk about Angst!! I read alot, and over the years I've discovered that no matter what genre I'm reading in, one thing that keeps me interested in a book is the level of angst the author achieves. It's an amazing skill, in my opinion, to raise the stakes throughout a novel to the point where the reader can actually feel the tension in their chest.

No matter your opinion of the Twilight series, it's a great example of some serious teenage angst.. And it was the book that got me into the YA genre, even though I was 29 when I read it- haha.

What's a book that keeps you up at night with the angst and tension rising to the boiling point?

Blogging From A-Z Challenge

2011-03-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Have you signed up for the Blogging From A-Z Challenge yet? If not... Get to it!
Started last year on Arlee Bird's blog Tossing it Out, this challenge is back and better than ever! This challenge is for bloggers to blog 26 days (A-Z) in April and the posts are in, you guessed it, A-Z order! Here are he deets, so hurry and sign up, we'll have Fun!!

             The premise of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge is to post something on your blog every day in April except for Sundays. In doing this you will have 26 blog posts--one for each letter of the alphabet.   Each day you will theme your post according to a letter of the alphabet.

            Last year was nearly overwhelming for me to administrate the ongoing challenge by myself. There is no way I can expand this Challenge to 300 or more participants and expect to do it alone. That is why I've joined up with three of the most successful bloggers and blog event organizers that I know.
            Just in case you don't know these great bloggers and writers, let me introduce them to you:

Star blogger Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the popular science fiction novel CassaStar. We met in last year's A to Z and he'll swear by the Challenge. He's already organized events such as the Movie Dirty Dozen, The Top Ten TV Shows Blogfest, and the current Top Ten Music Countdown-- each one of these an unqualified success.    Alex is determined to see A to Z go to 500 participants and with him on board I think we can do it.

Power-blogger Jen Daiker from Unedited  jumped right into blogging last April by joining up in the A to Z Challenge.   In her short span of blogging she has amazingly passed the 1000 follower mark--I still am flabbergasted by that feat. Blog events she has hosted or co-hosted are the Guess That Character Fest, The Great Blogging Experiment (with Alex Cavanaugh and Elana Johnson), and The Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest.   If only all 1059 of her followers blogged from A to Z with us!

Talli Roland from her self-named blog and the author of The Hating Game , her recent novel which is still doing hot business. When Talli did her Web Splash to coincide with the release of The Hating Game, there were hundreds of fans who helped kick off the campaign with their own blogs.   She'll be in charge of our international affairs since she currently lives in London, England.   And Jen is already building her army of followers while Alex is taking control of CassaStar and the universe--it's a busy crew here.

           And if you're a regular reader of my blog then you probably know something about me, Arlee Bird--there's plenty written about me in my blog pages.    I encourage you to click on the above links to three blogs and give your greeting and, if not one already, become a follower of each of their blogs!

Writing Magic

2011-03-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today I'm in a blog hop at Tessas Blurb called The Nature of Magic. We're sharing our magic with the world, and checking out what others think of magic and giving them some comment love!

Fantasy books, whether they be urban fantasy, science fiction or paranormal, involve different types of magic. It's always fun to learn how magic plays a part in different worlds, and it's usually vastly different from one story to the next. In many of the urban fantasy series I've read, magic is an energy source that offers the wielder a sort of give-and-take... using the magic has many advantages, but you must pay the price for it. I've seen insanity play a big part... ie if you use magic, the trade-off is to lose a little of your sanity with each spell. I've also seen magic described in one of my favorite fantasy series as a sort of layer around the atmosphere that you can gather to yourself and use at will.

In the manuscript I'm working on, which is an adult fantasy, magic is based in the mind or in the blood. I wanted to have a unique format because I feel like my story has a lot of unique characteristics and wanted it to stand out when it is published. Now, I have certainly heard of blood magic being done before- and I have no doubt mind magic exists in books. However, I have not read anything with it, so I'm hoping mine will be a unique twist... :) Until I'm done writing the ms, I won't be reading either of these in hopes of avoiding any confusion.

OK, so on to the fun stuff. How MY magic works ;)

The supernatural or fantastical beings in my story have several abilities. As with humans, they all have some abilities that are stronger than others. Some are able to see the future, by focusing on threads of time they see in their mind's eye. Others have strong coercive talents. They are able to control those with weaker minds then theirs. This skill also allows them to change the way other's perceive them, which they refer to as "cloaking" themselves or some objects. My favorite talent is the ability to communicate mind to mind, as either mind-reading or mind-speaking. Imagine how handy that would be IRL!! It would be so easy to have an adult conversation with my husband if I could just talk straight into his mind... The last talent they possess is telekinesis, they are able to use their minds to move things without physically touching them. Another super-handy ability. I sometimes feel like I have this ability since I had kids... it's so nice to be able to say "Honey, would you mind running upstairs to get the baby wipes?" Haha, sometimes it works better than others.

In my world, blood magic is forbidden. It's considered "Old Magic" because it is no longer allowed. This type of magic is obtained by using the blood of another living creature to strengthen the mind magic the wielder already possesses. When my creatures use blood from humans it allows them to walk in this realm, which normally makes them sick and weak. There are definite disadvantages to blood magic, though. It corrupts their minds, like poison. But, like a drug addiction, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop.

I'm excited to check out everyone else's magic stories on this blog hop. If you're not in the hop, you should check it out here!

Computer Virus

2011-03-22T06:44:00.001-07:00

My PC has been bitten by some kind of Google redirect virus!! Ever heard of it? First, every time I used Google (my best friend) I'd get redirected to some lame site I had no interest in, and had assuredly malignant content. Now, all Google products- including this blog and my ability to sign in to comment on other blogs, are completely defunct!! How mad am I??? Just a little... Grr

OK, ALOT!!!

Why people?? Why do you do this to me??

So blogging from my iPod is not a huge deal... But I don't love typing on this little bugger!
So, until I can fix my issues, please bear with me!!!

Follow Friday Bloghop

2011-03-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This week's question comes from Somer who blogs at A Bird's Eye Review (her blog design is ADORABLE - check it out!):

"Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

Answer: I will only read one book at a time. The only time I break this rule is when I'm reading a book to my kids. I find it confusing to keep up with two stories at once, and not at all fun. But, I know alot of people enjoy reading a multitude of books at once- it just doesn't work for me.

Anyone have a different opinion?

Flog your Blog

2011-03-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

FLOG YOUR BLOG THROWDOWN!
This is your opportunity to FLOG YOUR BLOG! I thought it would be nice if my followers had a chance to show off what their own blog was about and gain some new followers through my blog here.

When you make a comment, don’t just put in your link, tell us a little bit about your blog. Do you write mostly book reviews? Talk about writing angst? Discuss current events? What’s your own writing genre? Are your published? This will help people decide if they want to follow you.

To be completely clear, this is not a contest, you won’t win anything by making a comment, but I am hoping that you will gain some new followers (me too) by participating in the FLOG YOUR BLOG throw down. The only rules are-

1. You must be following this blog to make a comment and . . .
2. You must do this on your blog too in order to give your followers a chance to gain new people.

My hope is that more people will not only get active here by commenting and participating but that my followers will get the same thing on their blogs. I think this sounds like a good idea, let’s see how it works.

Congratulations Carolina!!

2011-03-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm new to this amazing blogosphere of writers and readers, but am just so in love with all the sweet people paying it forward to one another! Over the last few weeks I watched the amazing Talli Roland and her tremendous following bring it home on her release day for her new (new in paperback anyway) book The Hating Game. Prizes were given and the happiness was literally contagious!

Today, another bloggie fiend, Carolina Valdez- Miller, announced her signing with the wonderful agent Vickie Motter! So many things going on in the writing life, I just wish I had found all these super folks sooner.

If you want to join in the infectious wave of paying it forward, I highly recommend signing up for the A-Z challenge in April so that you can see first hand all the ways these writers and readers are supporting each other!

For now go to Carols blog and congratulate her, she's making it well worth the trip with so many rad giveaways your head will SPIN!

Carolina Valdez Miller: So, I Have Some News (and a Mega Giveaway of a Kindle and More)