* A NOSTALGIC SUNDAY ~ AND A BLOG BREAK *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

 

 

In keeping with my beloved Andy Griffith Show characters,

 I'm displaying two photos from one of my favorite episodes,

"The Shoplifters," from 1964.

 

 

Andy discovered who the shoplifter was,

 (who had all kinds of jewelry and other valuables hidden underneath her coat)

when he accidentally bumped into the sweet little old lady inside the store.

 

When asked how he knew she was the thief,

Andy replied in his usual folksy manner,

 

"Little old ladies ought never to clank."

 

 

Even though Nostalgic Sundays are one of my favorite posts to write, I just haven't been able to keep up with them on a regular basis. In fact, I haven't been able to keep up with much of anything pertaining to blogging, as I've bemoaned quite a few times lately. SO, after much consideration, I've decided to take a much-needed social media break from blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. (unless I've already committed to hosting a guest here, or being the guest on another blog.)

As I've also said before, I really need to spend a lot more time writing my sequel, plus getting out into the world and doing more promoting and marketing of my memoir, instead of focusing mostly online.

I'm also going to work on my concentration abilities. I'm tired of being so forgetful and disorganized. That's just not who I am, or at least who I used to be, and I refuse to give up and chalk it up to "being too busy" to keep track of things.

My contact information is listed in my profile. I can be reached by e-mail and/or through my website, and I truly hope to hear from you. I'm not sure how long this break will last, but I expect a month or more.

I must leave you with some of my favorite quotes. I hope they inspire you. Every time I read them, it's like reading them again for the first time.

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." - Jim Rohn

 

"My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."-- Loire Hartwould

 

"Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled 'This could change your life.'" -- Helen Exley

 

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -- Les Brown

"Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest, but about who came and never left your side." - Unknown

 "Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself." -- Robert Collier

 "We did not change as we grew older, we just became more clearly ourselves." -- Lynn Hall

 

* CONCLUSION OF "WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES"

I got a kick out of the comments left on my previous post. Only two people, Myra and Marcia, mentioned anything about my habit of leaving music on for Vern!! J

While I'm at my desk and he's lying on the daybed next to me, I always have some kind of music playing then, too. When I first started writing, I couldn't have any music on except "easy listening" instrumentals. Anything else interfered with my thoughts and writing was impossible.

~~~

 

 

Okay, remember when I said Don't start applauding, yet, though! on Tuesday's blog post? Well after losing all that weight and being so happy with myself....the horribly cold, freezing, frigid, icy, numbing, arctic, Siberian, Polar Vortex arrived and I was homebound for what seemed like months! So, what did I crave? In the beginning, it was Comfort Food. Any kind would do. Then the carbs started their invisible tug, and I was eating sweets like there was no tomorrow. For a while, my weight really didn't change. (It tricks us that way!) But after quite a while, the pounds began to show up on the bathroom scales and in how my clothes fit. I told myself I had plenty of time to lose the weight and everything would be fine.

 

But, as I gobbled everything in sight while sitting in my recliner, watching TV, wearing warm slippers, sweat suits, and covered up with a quilt, the willpower didn't return. Then I ate my way through spring, and now half the summer!! I'm really aggravated at myself, but obviously not enough to do something about it. All I can say is Thank Goodness I haven't gained ALL those 25 lbs. back. I actually got weighed at a doctor appointment today and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Whew!

 

I guess my stubborn determination can only focus on one project at a time, and during these past seven months, I've used it solely to promote and market my memoir.

 

~~~



 

One of my relatives said something to me the other night that kind of surprised me. In a round about way, I took her words to mean that I've worked so hard for so long, that maybe it was time to slow down, or maybe even quit. But I know she just doesn't understand. If I wasn't receiving great reviews on Amazon, or praise from other authors, then it would certainly be time to take a hard look at myself and my writing. But that's not how it is. I still believe in my memoir. I believe it will become very well known the way most books do, by word of mouth. I still have so much to do and so many places to go. Quitting has never entered my mind. I gotta keep on keepin' on! 

 

 

 

 P.S. Please notice my Goodreads Book Giveaway at the top of the right hand column. Almost anyone can enter to win one free print copy of my memoir. I'm offering it not only to US residents, but also to readers in Canada, the UK, and Australia!    

JULY 4th * I thought my giveaway would've been approved overnight, but as of early this morning it hasn't, so I removed the gadget for now. My apologies! I'll put it back on as soon as I get the okay. * AND, I guess the good folks at Goodreads had the day off today, which makes sense, so hopefully, my giveaway will be up and going tomorrow?? Saturday?? OR, maybe not until Monday. Whatever happens, I'll be sure to post it on my blog! Thanks for being patient.

 

Happy Independence Day, America! 

 

 

*Monday, July 7th: I received approval overnight from Goodreads, so I will be posting about my giveaway now. *

 

 

 

"No one succeeds without effort. Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance." -- Ramana Maharshi

 

 

* LIVING THE WRITER'S LIFE *

For the past couple of weeks I've mentioned that I have lots of writerly info to share, and now I just hope I can remember a good percentage of it all. REMINDER TO SELF: keep better track of all the info I want to blog about!

For one thing, I've been spending a lot of time online, searching for all the different ways to market my memoir. The websites and blogs are endless and overwhelming, but I've gotten to the point where I get "a feel" right away as to whether I think one has noteworthy information or not. And still, I firmly believe the best way for a book to really take off, is by word of mouth. If enough people love a book and shout it from the rooftops, then it will soar to the top of the bestselling lists. (my dream and my goal)

Because my book is a memoir which women would particularly enjoy, I put on my old
thinking cap to come up with unique places to call on about selling it in their stores. For instance, there's a quaint shop near my home in Old St. Charles, called Thistle & Clover. They specialize in Welsh, Scottish, and Irish gifts, jewelry, clothing, etc...and a few books.

Thistle & Clover

 



I really had to talk myself into going inside that store and speaking to the owner about possibly selling my memoir there, on consignment. The owner, Karen, happened to be there the day I walked in. I showed her my book and explained how I thought it would be a great item to have in her store, since I'm part Welsh. She asked if there was anything in particular in my memoir about Wales or me being Welsh, other than my maiden name, and I hesitated for a split second and said "No!" And we both laughed. Long story short: I left a complimentary copy for her to read, stopped back a month later and she apologized for not having time to read any of it yet. I said, "Oh, I understand. No problem. I'll just check with you again in a few more weeks." I purchased a key ring that had my great-grandmother's maiden name on it: MacPherson. Yes, I'm also part Scottish! A day or two later, she e-mailed me saying she'd actually read a few pages, and that she must have my books in her store. I went to see her the next day, we talked and laughed for about an hour, and she bought six copies....full selling price! She didn't want to go the consignment way. She wanted me to have the money. Can you say New Best Friend?

 

We are definitely kindred spirits and will be meeting for dinner sometime soon. We need more time to talk!

 

That's all for this blog post. I'll be sharing much more information soon about * Living the Writer's Life. *

 

 

Welcome to my newest followers Keith Wynn at Musings of an Unapologetic Dreamer, Vickie Newman at Musing With My Tea, and Phyllis.  I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

 

 

 

“Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.” -- Alan Alda

* CRAZY? DID SOMEONE SAY "CRAZY?" *

Would you believe I've recently passed the SIX MONTH time period since my memoir was published on November 6, 2013? During those months I've been promoting it like crazy, which is obvious to anyone who has landed here more than once.

 

Crazy? Did someone say "crazy"?

Why, no....I haven't totally "lost it" yet!

I have two more blog stops where friends have graciously allowed me to be the Guest Host. So, in between and after those, I intend to keep my blog posts interesting, informative, humorous, etc...and on a variety of subjects. Oh, and I'll have giveaways from time to time of assorted goodies! Which means I won't be yackity-yacking about my book all the time. (Aren't you all glad? Do I see a standing ovation?)

I LOVE this picture!

 

This was taken in one of those photo booths around 1993 or '94.

That's me in the middle, with a straggly perm and wearing contacts!

I may reveal the names of the two boys at a later date......

“If I told you I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at, I’d be lying, because I have no idea where I am right now.” -- Jarod Kintz

I GOT NOTHING EXCEPT FUNNIES

I got nothing tonight. I'm so overwhelmed with things that need to be done, things that should be done, and those things I want to get done. ("get done"?)
This pertains to all aspects of my life: home, family, friends, writing.....

Marketing my book is kicking my you-know-what. The piles of laundry (for only two people) are taking over. Dust Bunnies are everywhere.  (whoever came up with that phrase?) And to be precise, those would be Dust Verns. There are tumbleweeds of light brown/blonde hair everywhere.

So, as I said, I got nothing for my blog tonight....except some cartoons I came across when I Googled Auntie Acid. Hope they provide smiles and/or laughter! They certainly brightened up my evening!

“I don't trust anyone who doesn't laugh.”
― Maya Angelou

“And I have one of those very loud, stupid laughs. I mean if I ever sat behind myself in a movie or something, I'd probably lean over and tell myself to please shut up.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye


“If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane.”
― Robert Frost

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol    

“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
― William Shakespeare

Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing. My soul probably looks like Fred Astaire.”
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale    

DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED HELP??

See this mess of books and papers? It looks eerily like my home office.

I can't figure it out. I don't sit around all day doing nothing. I usually get up early and stay up late. And yes, I'm on my laptop blogging, networking, and e-mailing, for quite a while. Then I do some actual writing. I honestly don't waste a lot of time.  

And yet......

Its like that saying, The harder I work, the behinder I get. 

I do have somewhat of a system. (See my little jotted notes below?) They are some I clipped together in June 2011, to keep track of contests, calls for submissions, and notes for my memoir. At least I had them clipped together! 

And I do have files and folders, but I don't keep up with them. I'm nowhere near as organized as I used to be when I was younger, and worked full-time in offices. My mind is always in a zillion directions now and I don't stay focused. Is it because I'm older? Or because I have so much writerly stuff on my mind? Whatever the reason....now is the time to change!

I've read quite a few blogs lately that have a new Word for the Year. Something they want to focus on. I've decided that's what I need, too. After much soul-searching, the following three words jumped out at me:

Concentrate - Organize - Complete

What do you think? Is there any hope for me?!
Do you have a Word for the Year?



* Welcome to my newest follower Josie Two Shoes. I hope you will stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you so much! *


*Note: Yesterday, I did get caught up (I think) replying to individual comments on my blog all the way back to December 9th! Today, I'll be making the rounds to as many blogs as I can!





"I'm a disorganized mess. My purse is gross: I once found a shoulder pad, string cheese, and a Christmas ornament in it!" -- Hoda Kotb

* NOT ANOTHER HALLOWEEN BLOG POST *

I've seen lots of blog post titles today about Halloween...and on that subject.. I got nothin'! So, my post is about...Guess what? Writerly things!

~~~

I have another idea concerning bookmarks, but I won't post about it this time until it's more than just an idea. ☺

Right now I'm somewhat overwhelmed with all the marketing information that's out there. I've begun to not only "Save" info in my documents, but also print lots of pages. (I'm old-fashioned that way. I need actual paper and print sometimes!) Especially with all this info. I have a 3-ring binder now so I can keep it all in an orderly fashion. 

I shared some of my newly found information on my October 9th blog post, when I wrote about Sandra Beckwith's fantastic site, Build Book Buzz. If you're a writer and haven't signed up yet for her newsletter, you're really missing a lot. 

Speaking of newsletters, I received Publishing Syndicate's newsletter this morning. I've included the link because it has a wonderful interview with Teri Rizvi, founder of Erma Bombeck's Writers' Workshop. The workshop is held every other year, and 2014 is one of THE years! I've promised myself that I'm going to be able to attend this one...

The writing competition (held every year) opens on January 6, 2014, which is my birthday! ... Hmmm, maybe that will be my good luck charm! One of my local writing buddies, Donna Volkenannt won FIRST PLACE earlier this year! (I don't remember if it was in the Humor or Human Interest category, but it was very funny!)     

* Welcome to my newest follower Amanda Bretz. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! *

That's it for now. I'm ending with an inspiring quote...           

"There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, 'Yes, I've got dreams, of course I've got dreams.' Then they put the box away and bring it out once in a while to look in it, and yep, they're still there. These are great dreams, but they never even get out of the box. It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams on the line, to hold them up and say, 'How good or how bad am I?' That's where courage comes in.” -- Erma Bombeck

New Marketing Tips for Writers

A few days ago I decided to do additional online searching about book promotion, knowing my time isn't too far away. Although, I have gotten a little ahead of myself, as I tend to do. I guess that isn't too unusual when you're about to give birth to a baby you've been loving and nurturing and keeping inside for.....years!

A nice & neat corner of my desk in 2010
(It never looked like this for more than 15 minutes!
I just wanted to show my cool coffee mug, which has a typewriter on the other side.)

Anyway, I googled: Authors how to contact book clubs. I'd already heard about authors either attending book clubs in person, or via Skype, or by phone, and I wanted to learn as much as I could. What a great way to connect with your readers! I will definitely do as much of this as possible. 

After scrolling down, I came upon Build Book Buzz, a fantastic site! It's the site of Sandra Beckwith, and I love the first sentence on the About/Contact page: Sandra Beckwith is a recovering publicist with more than 25 years of award-winning publicity experience. 

Here are some of the article titles, just to name a few:
Author book signing tips
How to set up Google and Twitter alerts
How to write a tip sheet 
6 surefire ways to promote your novel
~~~~~ plus others ~~~~~

All of these are free and ready to download. Sandra also offers coaching, presentations, and of course has books to sell. I was so impressed, I e-mailed Sandra and told her, and she kindly replied, saying I'd made her day! How sweet is that? 

*So, here's a tip from me. When someone makes a difference in your life, 

no matter how small it may seem at the time, tell them!*

"I love it, the writing process, but I don't have to like it. It's so frustrating. You feel you've written rubbish and you tear up the papers and walk around the room in circles. But it's a love affair. I like getting down there and putting on to paper. I never wanted to write until I was 40 or 50." -- Peter O'Toole

** It's Monday ... "Car 54, Where Are You?"

Don't ask me where THAT title came from because I have NO idea! It just popped into my head, the way most things do that I write about!  Yeah, I know... scary, isn't it?!

I completed another little task today pertaining to marketing of my book. (I'll be so glad when I won't feel like I'm doing everything backwards...and The Book is OUT THERE!) This was one of the things listed on the "Pre Published - Lay the Foundation" Parts 1 & 2 that I mentioned the other day. Gosh, I wish I could remember where I read that, because I'd love to thank the writer and give her/him recognition. This was #5 on the list: "Invest in a P.O. Box at your local Post Office. You will be mailing promotional items....."etc. I thought that was a great idea and would be much more professional, especially when those checks start rolling in! ☺

I told the clerk I probably won't be getting any mail in it for years and then added, "I guess I'll have to mail myself something", and she just cracked up. I also bought a page of the new Katherine Hepburn 44¢ stamp. What a fabulous actress she was!

Okay... I didn't mean to ramble on so much. NOW, I want to tell you about those 5 books I bought last week at Big Lots. I am so excited about them! Especially because the very first one I chose to read is SO good! I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I really, really do. It's called "The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times", by Jennifer Worth. I also discovered it's part of a series of three or four books, so Yippee! I'll have more to read by Jennifer.

The other books I bought that day are: "Hardly Knew Her", by Laura Lippman. This is a book of short stories.

"The Condition", by Jennifer Haigh. I'm familiar with this author. I read "Mrs. Kimble" a couple of years ago and really liked it, so I was thrilled to find this new novel.

This is "Homestead", by Jane Kirkpatrick. It's a memoir about "Modern Pioneers Pursuing the Edge of Possibility". Sounds intriguing!

And lastly, another memoir, "The End of the World As We Know It", by Robert Goolrick. It's about his life growing up in the 1950's. (Hmmm, that's one of my eras!)

You know what "they" say.....Writers should read the same genre that they write. Or something like that. I love memoirs anyway, so that certainly isn't a chore for me to do!

If I can get myself to part with any of these after I read them, I may include one or more in another contest. Would y'all mind reading used books? I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that!

"Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out." -- Michael Burke

I'M READY TO MARKET MY BOOK....NOW I JUST NEED TO FINISH IT!

I'm so pumped up about marketing my book, and I'm not even finished writing it yet! I have all kinds of things "semi" lined up for when the books are stacked up and ready to sell. Of course, I've talked to various local places about book signings, and will be contacting out of town and out of state venues next. I also have other ideas up my sleeve that I'll share at a later date!

Recently I received an e-mail from Vista Prints stating they had numerous FREE products. A few months ago I ordered return address labels from them that are very nice, so I checked out their website again. I couldn't wait to share all these fantastic personalized items I bought for practically nothing!

Okay, this baseball cap was not free, but I just had to have it!

I ordered it personalized with my first & last name, the name of my book, and the image of a stack of books. I plan on wearing it at my book signings, and maybe even in my car as I drive cross country!

I also ordered these new business cards. They have one image on the front and a coordinating one on the back. They were FREE for 250 cards!

I also ordered the (72)  personalized round stickers which I'll put on the outside of any book I sign.

And lastly my order also included 140 return address labels with a similar book image.

I got all of the above: personalized baseball cap, address labels, business cards and autograph stickers, for $33.72. The business cards and shipping were FREE! Every item is very nice quality. I was really impressed with the baseball cap.

As I've mentioned before when I "promote" a website, or writer, or any product, I am not getting paid one cent for this. It's just my opinion and I want to share good things with all my blog buddies!

Also, they have hundreds of images to choose from or you can upload your own. Oh, one more thing. I ordered this online on August 25th. I received everything today, August 28th. How's that for service?

Okay, it's back to my book. Otherwise none of this stuff is going to do me any good, is it?!

"You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." --Margaret Young

Writing & Marketing 101 - by a Writing Novice

I am so pleased that my posts about my parents inspired some of you to share a bit of your history. That's what I strive for in my writing....that it will touch people, either humorously or poignantly. Thank you again for your comments and e-mails.

I've written quite a bit today, in spite of my back acting up again. I guess cleaning out the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink over the weekend didn't help. Fortunately, my chiropractor's office is about a mile from my house and my car knows the way by heart. (No, it doesn't have or need a GPS.) Another fortunate thing is that my office chair is an old wooden kitchen chair. It's the best thing for a bad back. I'm forced to sit up as straight as possible and can use my ice pack without any problems.

Since I was such a novice when I began this whole writing-a-book process, I think I've pretty much done almost everything 'a**-backwards', as the saying goes! Cases in point:

1)  A publisher agreed to publish my book before I'd written more than a couple of chapters.
2)  I've got contacts lined up with different medias for promotion of my book, when the time comes.
3)  I'm getting closer to having the book cover chosen.
4)  I've got some well-known friends/acquaintances who said they will write a blurb for my book cover.
5)  I'm beginning to set up Blog Interviews and Book Signings for my book.

So, it looks like all I have left to do, at least for now is.....finish the book!

I'm not sharing this information because I want everyone to think how smart I am, or lucky, or a big show off! No! I'm sharing what I have learned, because maybe it will help YOU achieve your dreams!
I submitted my writing without fear. If they didn't like it, what were they going to do? Come to my house and beat me up?! Heck no! I can take rejection. (I learned how to do that when I was in school!)

When my first Chicken Soup for the Soul story was accepted, they provided great marketing info. They are the ones who taught me to be confident, and how to go about contacting the media, etc.

Something else I've done is e-mail authors whose books I've read and admired. I tell them how much I enjoyed their writing and that I'm a writer, too, etc. Sometimes I hear back from them, and sometimes I don't. But you'll never know, IF YOU DON'T TRY!

"Do not judge yourself until you're done. And if you judge yourself a failure, you're not done." - Robert Brault