Influence of Books

The written word – it’s a marvel, don’t you think? A couple of days ago, my husband unpacked a couple of boxes (I know – amazing right?) and found his collection of Highlights magazines from the 1980′s. Just seeing the signature cover brought back memories of my days and hours of anticipation, racing to the mailbox, eager for my next monthly magazine. I would read and reread them until they literally fell apart each month. This was long before the internet opened up access to all kinds of information. I look back on that dewy-eyed innocent girl enjoying the long days of summer, remember moments of the last remnants of my childlike innocence and smile. The influence of books on my life is clear from an early age. My oldest daughter is...

Posted by on Aug 19, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Courage to Jump

How many times have you created a plan, only to have it fall apart? Absolutely nothing goes the way you expected or wanted it to. Yet, sometimes, even though this way seems to be backwards from what you expected, you still arrive at the same place. Eventually. Sometimes, doing it backwards is even better because of the lessons we learn along the way. I’m a poster child for doing things backwards. Even as a child, everyone knew I only learned by doing things the hard way. When everyone else is walking forward, I’m walking backwards. Or I’m ten steps ahead. It’s a part of who I am and I just can’t seem to help it. Tell me not to do something and you can guarantee that’s the first thing I’ll do. Just to say I did it. When I...

Posted by on Jul 25, 2012 in Blog | 3 comments

Writer’s Guide to Website SEO

As a full-time Marketing Consultant, my day job revolves around helping small business owners improve their online presence in a highly competitive and constantly changing marketplace. In my evening/free time, I’m a fiction author. Sound tough? Trust me, sometimes it is. And that doesn’t even include my personal life where I’m a wife and mother. But both Marketing and writing are addictive and challenging, not to mention the other two have their challenges as well. One topic often discussed in both circles is Search Engine Optimization (known as SEO). Search Engine Optimization is exactly what it sounds like – it’s how webmasters create websites to work with the search engines as efficiently and effectively as possible. Many business...

Posted by on Mar 3, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments

Book Review: Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer

I have read a ton of writing books over the years about writing. I started reading them when I was 19 and realized I wanted to do this “writing thing”. But in all my years, never has one single book changed my perspective on writing like Kristen Lamb’s book “Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer.” I thought I was taking my career seriously as a writer but reading Kristen’s book made me realize I was wrong. Here’s a few of the highlights from the book. What I have observed over the years is that very often, the personalities that are the most creative also tend to be free-spirits who flutter around like fruit flies with severe ADHD high off a case of Red Bull. Yes! Finally, someone who gets what it’s like to be...

Posted by on Feb 22, 2012 in Blog | 1 comment

Traditional Publishing’s Future: Extinction?

Kristen Lamb recently wrote a very succinct article about publishing and the changes which are necessary for publishers to survive in the new digital age. An article everyone in publishing and writing should read, Kristen says For book publishers, the relevant market isn’t readers (direct sales are few), but booksellers, and Amazon has firm control of bookselling’s online future as it works to undermine bookselling’s remaining brick-and-mortar infrastructure. Translation? Whaaaaaahhhhh. Amazon is being a big meanie and isn’t playing fair. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with their statement? Readers aren’t relevant? Um, maybe why Amazon is kicking so much @$$ is simply because it understands that the only thing that is relevant andever has been...

Posted by on Feb 21, 2012 in Blog | 0 comments