Gratitude for Simple Things

The Thanksgiving holiday is a special time of year when we pause in our whirlwind lives to remember what we are grateful for. I do try to think of each day with gratitude, but sometimes we do get caught up in the hurried way we live our lives and we start to see only the negative things that happen.

Sometimes the simplest things are what give me pause, bring me to tears:

• ·         A spectacular sunset
• ·         The full moon in a clear sky
• ·         The warm sunny days and crisp cold nights
• ·         My cat sleeping in my lap

I consider myself lucky (maybe that’s the wrong word, maybe it’s the recipient of great gifts) for bigger things in my life too:

• ·         The parents who inspired me to be self-sufficient and independent
• ·         My close family, including my “in-laws” who I think of as sisters
• ·         The wonderful teachers who encouraged me to develop my interest in reading and writing
• ·         The publishers who believed in me and my work and gave my books life.     
•       My dear husband who always supported my writing dreams without question

And even though I lost my husband this year, his love and support and the memories live on, and I’m able to find solace in simple things.

May you all find gratitude this Thanksgiving.

----------------------------

A native Montanan, Heidi M. Thomas now lives in North-central Arizona. 

Her first novel, Cowgirl Dreams, is based on her grandmother, the sequel, Follow the Dream,  won the national WILLA Award, and Dare to Dream rounds out the trilogy. In addition a non-fiction book, Cowgirl Up! A History of Rodeo Women has just been released. Heidi has a degree in journalism, a certificate in fiction writing, and is a member of the Independent Editors Guild. She teaches writing, edits, and blogs. 

What I've Learned from NaNoWriMo

For those of you who don’t know about NaNoWriMo, it’s an event that takes place in November every year.  Hundreds of thousands of dedicated writers all over the world each pledge to write a rough draft of a novel (at least 50,000 words) in one month.  That’s almost 1700 words per day:  a serious commitment and an exhilarating one.  I wrote my first Nano novel in 2009, starting at midnight November 1 in my pension in Znojmo, Czech Republic.  I wrote all the next day on foggy train rides in South Moravia, the perfect mysterious setting for writing my tale.

I now have five Nano novels under my belt.  It’s a great experience and I highly recommend it.  Here are some things I’ve learned from NaNoWriMo that can apply to all writing, not just crazy novel-in-a-month challenges.

1)  Have Concrete Goals and Record Your Progress.  “Write a novel this month” doesn’t work as well as “Write 1700 words today.”  During NaNoWriMo, I update my word count daily on Nano’s cool website so I can get a visual of how well I’m doing.  It’s really motivational.  You can create similar charts on your own, with spreadsheet graphics, other computer applications, or simple paper charts above your desk.  The very act of physically marking off your progress (or realizing you haven’t done the work to allow you this satisfaction) really helps.

2)  Band Together with Other Writers. In Nano, depending on where you live, you can join regional groups that host in-person planning sessions, parties, and write-ins throughout the month.  Even if you don’t have an active regional group, there are virtual write-ins and word wards (where you compete to write the most words in a set time limit).  NaNoWriMo forums are fantastic places to go for inspiration or to do research for your novel.  Ask what arsenic poisoning feels like, or how much beer costs in Germany, and you’ll get answers.  It’s amazing.  In non-NaNoWriMO life, writers’ groups are just as important.  I am and will be eternally gratefully to my writer’s critique groups, who not only help me become a better writer and catch my stupid typos, but who motivate me to write, write, write, so I can submit regularly. 

3)  Lock up your Inner Editor.  When you’re trying to get a story down on paper, try not to re-read and edit as you go.  It slows you down and may kill your inertia once you get going.  I used to edit a lot as I went.  Every time I sat down to write, I’d go back several page sand re-read and edit before I started writing.  Sometimes I’d run out of time or creative energy and never get to the actual writing part.  In Nano, if I wanted to reach 50,000+ words in 30 days, I couldn’t afford this, so I would open up my document, read maybe two paragraphs, and then start writing. And my rough draft wasn’t as rough at the end as I supposed it would be.  Now I try to implement this “just get it down first” style of writing even when I’m not in a time crunch.

4)  Plan Plenty of Time to Revise Later.  My first NaNoWriMo novel is in print and available.  I’m querying my second to agents.  But my third, fourth, and fifth?  They’re in the trunk, not completely finished and mostly unedited.  What I’ve failed to do is commit as much (or more) time to polishing these novels as I did to writing the first drafts.  They say, of course, that writing is 1/3 of the work and revising is 2/3.  So plan for this and don’t let your drafts languish in Rough Draft Land.

So this year I’m not writing a novel during NaNoWriMo.  Instead, I’m rewriting and revising a trunk novel—still in 30 days, still a huge challenge.  And though I’m a little sad not to be writing something new, I’m excited about readying my old work for public eyes. 

It’s not too late for you to start Nanowrimo:

Click here to sign up or learn more about NaNoWriMo

If you want to read my first NaNoWriMo novel (on sale now in honor of Nano), here’s the Amazon link:  Far-Knowing 

Far-Knowing is also available at other major online bookstores.

Melinda Brasher loves visiting alternate worlds through books and exploring this world through travel. Check out her newest article on Go Nomad:  “Hunting Mushrooms in Wallachia.”  For some free short fiction, read “Stalked” on On the Premises or “A Learned Man” on Electric Spec.. Visit her online at melindabrasher.com

Online Marketing - 10 Safety Tips to Protect Your Email Account

By Karen Cioffi

Have you gotten emails from accounts that have been hacked? Has your email account been hacked? Has one of your social media accounts be hacked?

Lately, hacking is everywhere and in everything online.

Today, a lot of business is conducted via email, so it’s essential to do your best to prevent hackers from getting a hold of your account. Or, make it as difficult as possible for them to figure your password out. Below are 10 steps you can take to help avoid this.

10 Safety Tips for Your Email Account

1. Change your password/s regularly. Hackers are clever and use sophisticated programs to figure out your password. Given enough time, they’ll probably get yours.

2. Don’t reuse your passwords. Each time you change your password make the new password unique. This goes for all your accounts and passwords. And, no two accounts should have the same password. Creating unique passwords can become a chore, so if you need, there are free password generating tools available. You can try one that PC Tools offers: http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/ 

3. Make sure you have security questions in place and make sure the answers aren’t obvious. If your question is “Who’s faster than a speeding bullet?” Chances are at least one hacker will guess Superman. Or if your question is “Who is Bugs Bunny’s nemesis?” Someone is bound to guess Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam.

4. Make your password at least 10 characters and mix them up – use capital and lower case letters with numbers and symbols. It’s also a good idea to avoid sequences, such as 12345, abcde, 222555222. Make it difficult to hack.

5. Always sign out of your email account when you’re done. Yahoo and Gmail, and most likely all other email providers, allow you to stay logged into your account even after you’re done and left the site. While this is convenient in that you don’t have to log in the next time you want to check your email, it’s not a safe thing to do, so log out when you’re done.

6. See if your email service provider offers a login activity feature. Yahoo and Gmail do. This tool provides recent login activity which allows you to see who has logged into your account. If it’s not you or someone who has login privileges then you need to take immediate action. You need to create a new password.

7. Take care with your mobile device also. It’s a good idea to use a password on your device and it’s also a good idea to lock it.

8. Bulletproof your computer with antivirus software. Okay, this may not make it bullet proof, but it will sure help.

9. Don’t open suspicious emails, especially ones that request personal information or ask you to change a password.

10. Keep your passwords safe.

While these ten tips will help you keep your email account safe, you should use them (the ones applicable) on all your accounts, including your websites. The more difficult you make it for hackers the safer you’ll be.

~~~~~
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You Don’t Have to Be a Great Writer to Have a Great Blog

Guest post by Michele Netten

3 Mindsets Bloggers Should Have and Not Have To Be Successful

I’ve been thinking lately about what can help – or hurt – writers who wish to write a blog. When considering my own writing goals, I feel mixed. I have a strong desire to write about things of importance, yet also trepidation that I won’t say what’s on my heart in a way that resonates with readers. If I let myself dwell on the fear of failure, I’ve found I can effectively talk myself out of writing anything.
And that’s the real ogre standing in the way, right? Fear of failure.

Each of us writers has a calling that is different from any other writer. If we don’t write our message, no one else ever can. Yet, most writers (artists) wrestle with a fear of failure. I’ve come to believe fear may even simply be a companion that accompanies us on the journey whether we like it or not. Still, though, other writers have conquered and we can get past writing fear too, one little step at a time.

Hence, my tips for getting around the fear blockade!

3 Mindsets Bloggers Should Have and Not Have To Be Successful

DON’T…

1. Don’t think you have to be the world’s greatest writer. A good subject, some reasonable preparedness and research if needed, and a good spell checker is enough to get started.

2. Don’t give up. If you start something, commit and keep going. Don’t post an article or two and then stop. You ‘ll look like a flake for all the world to see.

3. Don’t be discouraged by the initial technicalities of the setup process. Websites, WordPress, SEO plugins, etc.. The entry into this arena is challenging at first but there is a lot of quality and generous help out there to get past this.

DO:

1. Write from your heart. Express things that are important to you that will inform, help, or entertain an audience appropriate for you. If something is important enough to you to write about, there are people out there who agree and will be interested in what you have to say. (If you’re starting from scratch as I am, finding that particular audience takes effort and patience, and is the subject of more articles). Be consistent in offering value and be generous with your thoughts and giveaways -- your audience will grow in time and with effort.

2. Choose a subject you can write with passion about. This may go without saying, but if you’re deeply interested by your topic, it will show (and the flipside is if you’re not, that will show too and no one else will be interested either).

3. Read. Read. And read some more. The more you read, the more you’ll want to write and the better a writer you will become from doing both. Going back to the beginning of this blog, if you have ever been inspired by the way an author has chosen to tell a story or shown a character’s heart and courage, simply reading more and more brings tremendous benefit with no downside! It’s one of life’s major gifts. Reading is our best teacher and the beauty of it is learning comes as a byproduct!.

In closing, ponder what you’re passionate about. Commit to the journey, perhaps with a friend who feels as you do. Then, fill up your tank on the words of others and emulate the process in your own writing. When you do, it will be the start of your own beautiful story.

About the Author

Michelle Netten is a lifelong fan of books and storytelling and reads and writes stories every chance she gets. She earns a living as a hi-tech writer (content-on-demand) and her true heart is always in books, literature and stories. Her children's books and blog can be found at her Cheer-ebooks website: http://www.cheer-ebooks.com

~~~~~
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Take a Break, Write a Short Story

Happy Halloween! Photo by Linda Wilson

Taking regular breaks from your WIPs to write short stories and articles can be a great enhancement in many ways. First, it's fun and exhilarating. It takes less time than long-term projects. It's a great way to sharpen your skills. And publication can be a teensy bit faster than book pubbing. The benefits of writing articles, in the words of a nonfiction writer, name unfortunately lost to me now but her words never forgotten: you become an "expert" on a topic then get to move on. And short stories? Research is just as important, of course, but birth to submission can run in the fast-er lane: oh joy, fewer words, quicker results.

Birth of an Idea
This year once October 1st rolled around, I got the itch while grocery shopping to browse the neat, fully-stocked, yet as yet untouched Halloween section at our local super store. With notes in mind that I keep in my back pocket (files) at home, of clever costumes and fun activities from years past, I suddenly hungered for a fresh, new trend.

Here is a short list of what I found:
Tear-away masks: a scary partial mask that can be torn off to reveal an even scarier inner mask
Giant mad baby mask
White skull mask
Maniac's skull mask
Undertaker mask
Ghost face mask
Zombie gas mask
Hockey mask
Creepy clown mask
Spider mask
Skeleton mask
Mullet wig
Raggae wig
Hooded death helmet
Frightful accessories:
Zombie blood
Vampire make-up kit
Snake eyes
Cyborg make-up
Costumes:
Neon zebra
Ninja
Skin suits
Monk
Pirate
Inflatable steer; inflatable shark to wear as a shirt

But wait, Something's Missing
Particularly intriguing were the skin suits. You know the kind: the plastic tuxedo, black, red and blue skin-tight suits that incredibly, cover the entire body, head included, which can turn any ordinary soul into a pseudo-ninja with elusive precision. Haunted by visions of faceless skin-suited trick-or-treaters knocking on my door, I finished my shopping trip and hurried home.

Back in the safety of my office that I pretended even skin-suits couldn't penetrate, I sorely missed one of my all-time All-Hallow-Eve favorites: mummies. I'd been to Egypt, seen real mummies in their native land way before anyone thought to show off their stuff on road trips to museums around the world. So I asked myself, where were the mummy costumes? Hidden underneath the skin-suits?

Story Starts to Form but Wait, there's More
While skin-suits and mummies stalked around in my head, I hadn't yet explored the Internet for more ideas. See if a story-starter doesn't pop up in your mind while you browse this list, found by a Google search in under a minute:

Hooded huntress with bow & arrow                    The Mad Hatter
Robin Hood                                                          Purple Jester
Flirty Flapper                                                       Pirate Captain
Cave Girl                                                             Mime Girls
Egyptian Princess                                                Crystal Ball Gypsy
Jewel of the Nile                                                  Polar Princess
Cleopatra                                                             Blue Peacock
Forest Bandit                                                       Honey Bee

Give yourself a Timetable
Now it's time to narrow down and choose the spark that can turn your research into a full-blown story. For now, I'm content playing around with the possibilities brought by skin-suits and mummies. With so many choices, you could almost close your eyes and point to any one of the costume ideas and see where your imagination takes you. Once an idea jumps out at you, give yourself a month to write, edit and put away your story. November 1st while you look into a holiday story, revisit your Halloween story, take it to your writer's group, polish it and submit it.

Anytime you need a break from your bigger projects try writing a short story or article. Submit ahead nine months or more, if possible, to give your magazine choice the time it needs to publish your story for the next seasonal go-around. You will go back to your other projects refreshed and safe in the knowledge that your story soldiers are out there working to give you shorter-term rewards for all your hard-earned efforts, while keeping your sites set on the big picture.

Coming soon: Great advice and words of wisdom from writer, editor and teacher Joyce Sweeney

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, recently completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction and picture book courses. Spooked by a recent move, once settled she will forge ahead with big writing plans and resume work on several projects for children. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Writing During Challenging Times

What lies behind us and what lies before are tiny matters to what lies within us.

-William Morrow

There is a 2 mile trail near my home which runs along a river, twisting and turning through the woods. I have been walking there almost daily since mid-June. Rich autumn colors of copper, gold, and ruby have made the trek especially enjoyable.

I decided to grab my camera today, even though we have moved past peak color. I'm glad I did. Although the frost had killed the undergrowth and the wind had blown off most of the leaves, its barrenness revealed some hidden treasures.

The fallen leaves left bare, gray branches. But I was able to see through them to the sky, spotting a bald eagle flying over the river. And the layer of fallen leaves laid out a multicolored, royal carpet for hikers like me. 

Challenges can leave us feeling barren after the frost or wind has hit our lives. Whether the challenges are unexpected or ongoing, they can be discouraging and distract us from writing. 

Or, they can end up improving our writing by revealing the hidden treasures yet to be discovered within us. 

We're familiar with the typical writer's challenges such as rejection, insecurity, writer's block, and fear. But how about our daily, personal challenges? Strife, illness, divorce, finances, etc.? Those things can become a source for what we write, but they can also affect how we write. Challenges can make us better people and better writers through showing us what really matters. We hear more intently, see more clearly, and appreciate more deeply. 

Whatever you're facing, let it work for you. "Grab the camera" even if you don't think it's worth it. Let the days naturally unfold and look for the beauty in the ashes. 

Have your personal challenges made you a better writer? How? Please share your comments.

~~~~

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children and teaching art classes for 10 years, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. She enjoys writing magazine articles and more recently had her story, "One of a Kind", published in The Kids' Ark. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

Make Your Dreams a Reality with 15 Minutes a Day

I had every intention as I flew out to Las Vegas for a conference this week to squeeze in some writing time on the plane--instead I slept.  I needed the sleep, since I had stayed up late the night before helping my husband with a project.  I can get off track and let other people's priorities trump my own desires.  If I let this go on too long, I loose sight of my own goals.  When that happens, I reassess my goals and carve out some time in my schedule for my dreams.  I use this new found time to take small action steps.   

It’s easy to get caught up in the belief that you don’t have enough time to pursue your own dreams. Most writers I know have a day job and a full life.   They struggle to squeeze in writing time and believe they don't have the flexibility to write more.  Unfortunately, this belief can derail a writing career even before it begins.  Jennifer Lawler, author of the Dojo Wisdom series, discusses how a martial artist trains each day, even when he is old and disabled.  He accommodates his life for his art.  One of my critique partners is a lawyer with a full time job, two active young children, a wife and he still manages to write one hour a day.  How does he do it?  He gets up at 5 a.m. each morning.  He accommodate his life to his art. So how can you accommodate your days for the life you want to dream into being?  Even 15 minutes a day will begin the process of transformation.  Why?  Through those daily 15 minutes, you are informing your subconscious that you are committed to your goal.  You will be amazed after a week of allotting only 15 minutes how much you can accomplish.  Build it into your routine (e.g.  shower, coffee, 15 minutes). If you are ready to change your life, you will find the time.So this week start with small actions steps and create the habit of pursing your dreams.  This step may lead you to dreams more magnificent than you could have ever imagined. 

Mary Jo Guglielmo is writer and intuitive life coach. In you live near Chicago, check out her latest workshop:  Give Wings to Your Dreams.
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It’s almost November and time for PiBoIdMo and NaNoWriMo!

Registration for Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) http://taralazar.com/piboidmo/ begins October 25.The 2014 website for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) http://nanowrimo.org/ is up and running.Have you checked them out yet?

PiBoIdMo and NaNoWriMo are fun and challenging.There is no charge to participate.Even if you don’t finish, you will probably learn something from the experience that will help you move forward with your writing.

You can organize your own kick-off party for PiBoIdMo.There is a three page handout to get you started.It’s filled with great ideas from previous PiBoIdMo years, http://taralazar.com/2014/10/09/host-your-own-piboidmo-kick-off-party/.

Some libraries have gotten involved with NaNoWriMo.This library in New Jersey is hosting a program to convince people to participate, http://www.nj.com/messenger-gazette/index.ssf/2014/10/somerset_county_library_system_observes_national_novel_writing_month_in_november.html.

Perhaps groups in your own community are planning events to be held in November. 

Good luck with your writing next month!

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is working on her first children’s book.

Making Friends Across the Globe ~ International English #1

One day, a lady from the western side of America wrote on a group I belonged to, "I can't get to the shops today because my husband took my car to the shop."

I wondered how her husband could sell her car when she obviously needed it, so I asked, "Are you going to get another one?"

Back came the response, "No. Why would I? There's nothing wrong with this one."

"Then why are you selling it?" I asked, confused.

Time for a lesson in International English. Americans send their cars to the "shop" when they need a service. South Africans send their cars to the shop when they want to sell them.

In South Africa I see many British and American magazines that were unavailable a few years ago. And of course, thanks to the Internet, our words are globally available the instant they appear on the Web. As writers, we are now communicating with people across the world in a way we never could before. This is wonderful--but it's also full of pitfalls for the unwary writer.

So today I thought we'd start a monthly series of articles that will help us improve our global communication, no matter where we live. 

POINT #1: Make friends in other countries.

Join writers' groups on the Internet. The web is an excellent place to interact with writers from other countries. It will not only help improve your writing, it can increase your understanding of different cultures. 

• Don't be slow to ask questions. "Do you use that expression in your country?" Or, "I don't understand what you mean. We don't use that word." 
• Look out for those who live in other countries, and learn from them. This will not only help you write for the global market, it will broaden your knowledge and understanding of the world. 

Join a group that follows your hobby or interest.  My first experience of an Internet group was when I joined a Christian Rubber Stamping Group, a large group of mainly ladies, who all loved rubber stamping. We shared ideas, compared notes, and sent cards to one another. In the process, I got to know a number of Americans, a couple of Australians, and one lady in England. Many of these are still my friends today, even though I no longer do stamping.  

When I went to America for a writers' conference, I stayed in four different homes of people with whom I'd become friendly through my stamping group.

• I learned to eat doughnuts for breakfast.
• I taught an American friend how tasty toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches were; a common light meal in South Africa.

Participate in Social Media. Read posts and blogs by people from other countries. See how they do things and how they express themselves. Leave comments making sure it's clear you live in another country. I enjoy asking questions on my Facebook Author page to encourage participation. A few weeks ago I asked the question, Do you buy potatoes in small quantities or as a pocket? I was taken aback when the only person who knew what I was talking about was a fellow South African. "What's a pocket of potatoes?" was the theme of the responses.

When I did a search of the Internet to find an image to post, I couldn't find one! I promised to take a photograph and post it. Which is a point . . . 

Facebook, Twitter, or another form of social media are ideal ways to make friends across the globe.

• We can get to know people in other lands, then go "off site" to discuss an issue that perhaps we need to know about for our writing project. I have made many friends through social media where I can ask their advice and be sure they understand my terminology. 
• We can build an awareness of other cultures. We may come to see them as people with the same emotions, concerns, and interests as us. It's not that the people are different. It's their cultures, their challenges, and their outlook which are often different. And if we're going to write for them, surely we need to know these things.   

I have developed an on-line relationship with a young woman who is years younger than me, who belongs to a culture so remote from mine that she'd probably be persecuted if our "friendship" was discovered. She simply began to follow my Facebook page, and then wrote to me privately about something she wanted advice on. 

Over the years, I have learned things about her religion and way of life that totally horrify me. Yet she is a young woman in need of love and understanding, and for some reason she has taken a liking to me. I have come to realize some of the deep needs and issues facing some of the young women who live in far-off foreign lands. I can ask her questions if I need to. I can find out how her family would react in various situations. What a wealth of information is available to us, thanks to Social Media.

Today, we've looked at ways of getting to know people across the globe who live in different countries. Next month we'll take a look at some of those countries and how this can and should influence our writing. 

OVER TO YOU: Do you interact with people from other countries? Is there any part of this topic that you would especially like us to look at? Leave a comment below.

FURTHER READING: What in the World Do You Mean? Do you know what a Dolly Varden is? It all depends on the country you live in! It could be anything from a fish to a hat to a cake to a piece of furniture!

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer has created a multitude of friends and contacts across the world.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook. 

What Happens When Time Gets Away?

What happens when time gets away from you and obligations you have made as an author are forgotten? Let's face it, we are all busy with life and trying to make our writing life successful. To do this authors may stretch their memory to the max by agreeing to tasks, meetings, reviews, or other business related actions that can clog the calendar. I am convicted of this very thing just this week when I missed posting a book review on a blog tour I promised to participate in.


 Here are a few tips on how to graciously handle being over booked or completely forgetful without ruining your author platform and reputation.

1. Keep good records regarding dates, times, deadlines and obligations that you agree to whether in person or online. Mark them down, put them in your phone, set an alarm, make a list, and do what ever you can to remind yourself of the tasks you have agreed to especially those related to your writing career.
2. Check you list or calendar daily to make sure you have not missed a deadline. Also make a note on which projects or tasks you can begin ahead of time. Guest posts, book reviews, and some types of articles can be submitted or prescheduled on a site before the actual due date.
3. Apologize and be sincere. When you find that you have missed a date, even those done pro bono, be sincere with your apology and offer to reschedule. Everyone misses a deadline especially when it was agreed upon months or weeks in advance and sometimes things get so busy a guest post or review might easily be overlooked but no matter the reason it is a must to apologize.
4. Along with an apology, offer an additional article, post, or review in addition to the one to be rescheduled. Giving more than is expected along with your sincere apology will ensure the other party won't take it as a personal offense. Playing nice with peers and colleagues is imperative to keeping your reputation as an expert and an author intact.
5. Learn to say no when your calendar is too full. Be selective when taking on projects that don't enhance your business or improves your platform to avoid being so busy that you can't get your own writing done.
6. Forgive yourself for being human. Don't dwell on one mistake, rather learn from it and change how you do things in the future. Move on and keep writing. This too

In my own case, I did email an apology immediately when I discovered I was two days late on submitting a book review. I also offered to do an interview or other post on a second day to enhance the book tour for this author. It may be that I am not included in the next tour but an apology will at the least show my integrity. It was my error both in forgetting but also in recording the due date incorrectly and filling my calendar too full, another lesson learned. Details and deadlines matter.


How do you handle missing a due date or forgetting a task you promised to do?


Terri Forehand writes from her home in the hills of Brown County Indiana. She and her husband also run a small quilt shop when she isn't writing, sewing, or working as a nurse.
Visit her website at www.terriforehand.webnode.com or her blog at http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com

Your Author's Photo - 7 Tips to Getting it Right

Last month I spoke a bit about writing your author's bio and mentioned the need for an author's photo as part of it. Today I thought I'd talk a bit about getting your author's picture just right.

Along with writing, I do a fair share of photography. I enjoy taking photos of the seasons as seen above, but I have taken an actor's head shots, as well as done some graduation, wedding and professional pictures for websites, etc.

However, I'm not photogenic at all! And like some of my clients, I freeze when the lens is turned on me. There are, though, some tricks to getting the best photo possible.

• Tip 1: Your author's photo is part of your image - a big part. Make sure it is consistent with what you would like your reader to know or feel about you. Think about how you want to appear - edgy or romantic? Whimsical or serious? Natural or funny? Check out your favorite author's photos and see what they've done to create their image and then think about what you can do to make yours stand out.
• Tip 2: What to wear. Wear a color you look good in. Black is slimming, but you may find that a bright color is great against your face. Stay away from busy patterns and bring at least one change of clothes and perhaps a scarf, tie or other accessory to try.  Keep makeup natural looking - there is no need to go heavy.
• Tip 3: Your facial expression.  Practice your smile before your shoot. You want a smile that impacts your eyes and appears genuine - or if you are a mystery writer, practice your mysterious look. Determine which side is your best and make sure to let your photographer know.
• Tip 4: Where to go. Once you have figured out the image part, this may be easy to determine. If you have a professional taking your photo, an indoor setting with some lighting, etc will work well. If you are asking a friend or family member to help you out, you may want to consider doing your photo shoot outside, as natural light will give you a better opportunity to get it right. 
• Tip 5: The photo. You may want to try both close-ups and some that include your whole body. For close-ups: I recommend the chicken neck. Pull your shoulders back, stick your neck forward, tip your chin slightly down and watch as the extra neck skin and chins disappear.  Play with head tilts - in other words, after each shot move your head slightly. For photos that include more of your body: Stand with one foot in front of the other angling your good side to your photographer - this is slimming as well. Remember the chicken neck. Focus your gaze at a place just above the camera.
• Tip 6: Take a bunch of pictures. With digital cameras there is no reason not to. The more photos taken, the better the chance of getting one you really like. Not only that, but with hearing the shutter click, click, click you might just start feeling like a movie star and relax and have fun. I've found that some of the best shots I've taken, many times, came at the end of a session when I'd shot a hundred or more photos.
• Tip 7: Photo editing. There is plenty of photo editing software to help you refine your picture. My current favorite is PicMonkey. I use the free version and it does, generally, all that I need. I also use some of my iPhone's editing software and that works well too if I'm taking a photo on the fly. 

A number of years ago I heard an interesting fact about photographs - you can take a photo of almost anywhere and anything and if you hold up the original photo and a mirror image of that photo, most people can tell which one is the original and which the mirror image - even if they have never seen the place or item before. We apparently have an inborn idea of what images should look like - except that is when we look at ourselves. The reason, we only ever see ourselves in the mirror - so we only see the mirror image of ourselves. That's why our own photos, many times, seem a bit off. In the past I always felt that my personal photos were so awful and looked nothing like myself even when others raved over them - now that I realize I'm looking for something that no one else sees, I'm a bit more forgiving about them. 

Hope these tips will help you get the author's image that represents you, flatters you, and allows readers to easily recognize and remember you!

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D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, House of Glass, Book 2 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole, and Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook.

You Can Write a Romance in 5 Simple Steps

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach


Romance writing is a billion-dollar-a-year industry with hungry readers gobbling up as many as forty new romance novels every month. So why not try your hand at this fun and fascinating genre?

Just follow these 5 simple steps:

1. Become inspired.

Read, read, read romance, so you understand the many subgenres of this distinct genre. You’ll also gain inspiration from the stories you read that will help you develop characters, settings, and story lines for your own romances.

2. Research.

Each romance subgenre has distinct guidelines, so researching these genres will help you write more marketable romances within the subgenre(s) you wish to write.

3. Get organized.

Part of the fun of writing romance is collecting and organizing materials that will help you write your stories. Use a loose leaf binder to create a project notebook for each of your romance novels. This notebook can be used to keep track of any pictures you tear out of magazines (for inspiration for your setting or characters), notecards with research information, the outline for your story – just anything that pertains to the novel you’re working on.

4. Write.

Create a regular writing schedule so you get your manuscript started and finished within a reasonable amount of time. You probably won’t be able to write for hours every day. But that’s okay. The main thing is to write on a regular basis, even if it’s just for 30 minutes to an hour a few times a week.

5. Publish.

Once you’ve completed your romance novel, you’ll want to see it published. There are several different roads to publication. You can self-publish your story. You can find an agent who will sell your story to a publisher for you – or you can find a publisher yourself.

For more details about each of these 5 steps, read my book, Write a Romance in 5 Simple Steps from Enslow Publishers.

Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She has written over two dozen published books and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines, and other publications. Let her help you launch your career as a romance author - at the beach. Find out more at www.beachbookblowoutflorida.com.

October Blogging Prompts

At a loss for blogging ideas? One way to engage your readers is with seasonal content.

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction – and if your niche is writing, marketing, or consulting – there’s always something to write about.

One of my favorite things about writing is that you can take one topic and spin it numerous ways, so it reflects your interests and expertise.

With that in mind, here are topics you can use to generate blog ideas in October ... or just use these writing prompts to jumpstart your creativity for your writing.

Autumn – How does the change of seasons impact your business? How does the change of seasons impact your writing? What are some fun fall-specific activities that interest you and how can you share them with your readers? October means football, fall fashion, hay rides, apple picking, fall crafts. There’s something seasonal that relates to your business that you can share on your blog. Do some brainstorming to discover what it is.

Fall Food – When all else fails, seek a food holiday. October is both National Dessert Month and Vegetarian Awareness Month, and there are a host of other daily, weekly and monthly food holidays. Do you write food mysteries or have a foodie blog? Do you write content for a restaurant or edible product? Perhaps you just like to eat…  Check the list and see how to spin it for your specialty.

Halloween – Didn’t see that one coming, did you? (joke) Write about anything and everything Halloween-related from food, décor and costumes (human and pet) to family adventures and activities. Also, most people associate October with the color orange. Fiction writers, interview an author. Share a funny or scary story. Or, even better, tips for how to write one.

Bonus: If you are a fiction writer, you can also use these topics to stimulate ideas for your stories. Send your characters out on an autumn adventures. You don’t even need to use the story in your final manuscript. But let your characters have a little fall fun. You never know where an adventure will take you.

In a perfect world, we have all the time in the world to write our blog content in advance. If you’ve already written all your October posts, just file this for next year. If you haven’t, hope these ideas will get your creative mind rolling, so you can create some awesome October blog posts!

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Debra Eckerling is the author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. She's a writer, editor and project manager/goal coach, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. She is an editor at Social Media Examiner. Debra is also a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting and social media.