1st Anniversary of LLC and Milestone Party!

Welcome to LLC’s Milestone and 1st Anniversary party!

On May 27, 2011, I stumbled on Jess Witkins’,  Happiness Project. Her post was “The List” which laid out her goals for the next year when she would turn 26 yrs old.  She was inspired by Emily Jane’s “26 before 26” list.

I loved her and her list immediately! This was my comment:

“Hi Jess! I love the list. It’s no more boring than anyone else’s would be. What would you think about starting a community of writers who keep a list like this to work on over a 12 month period? Let me know what you think.”

And Jess’ response:

“I’m for a support network of writers making goals and holding each other accountable and realistic as we go out to achieve them. Shoot me an e-mail with ideas on how you think we could organize it.”

And  so, The Life List Club was born.

Our first posts published on July 1, 2011. My post, Welcome to the The Life List Club Kickoff! and Jess’ post, New Writer’s Network: The Life List Club introduced the LLC to all of our readers. Our first 3 writers joined us in writing posts over the course of that month: Jennie Bennett, Sonia Medeiros and Gene Lempp.

So many more amazing writers followed and helped build the LLC to what it is today. Jess and I appreciate their contributions and value the friendships we’ve grown over the past year.

 I’m ready to have a go at another year of the Life List Club. I know Jess and our contributing writers will stand with me.

Are you with us?

Good! Now it’s time to grab a beverage of your choice (I’m having a Martini) and something chocolate. Get comfy on the couch while I fill you in on the progress I’ve made in one year. Feel free to open a window to the Life List I wrote last July 1st to compare.

I’ll keep this part short:

Thanks to sticking with ROW80 for 3 1/2 rounds, I’ve completed the first draft of my novella. I’ve learned so much about writing, social media, marketing and publishing from reading excellent blogs, taking several online classes (currently taking a Holly Lisle class!) and being part of a few amazing groups of the most generous, supportive and knowledgeable men and women.

I have not been able to attend a writer’s conference yet, nor have I attempted making a podcast or book trailer. They will be moved to my 2012/2013 Life List.

In the past 12 months, I’ve read a total of 51 books. By July 1st, the total will be 53. Woohoo!

The household chores are more evenly split between hubs and I. We spend a generous amount of time together daily talking, laughing and dining. Everyday is a gift and I’m so grateful to spend it with him.

In the realm of fitness, I’ve lost a few pounds, refined my meal plans and finally figured out a workout routine that actually works for me!

My 2012/2013 Life List:

1. No more cheater-readers. I can tell my eyes have finally reached the point where I need REAL glasses because I’m leaning closer to the laptop screen than ever before.

2. Get my novella, The Sins of Eve,  published by the end of August, 2012.

3. Write and publish the sequel, The Salvation of Eve, by the end of December, 2012.

4. Plot and write my series, Harleigh McAllister, Book 1, by January 31, 2013.

5. Learn how to do a podcast and book trailer for Eve and Harleigh books.

6. Take a mini-vacation during the Fall of 2012.

7. Clean basement and attic, gathering and selling household items and furniture we won’t need, in preparation for moving (hopefully) in 2013.

8. Paint my dozen chairs and other assorted glass and wood decorator pieces and sell them.

9. Continue my resolve to live in the moment, notice and appreciate the little things, play, and show my husband how much he’s appreciated every single day.

10. Continue to get fit…exercising twice a day most days and eating healthy, with a goal of dropping 50 pounds by my 60th birthday, 12/12/12. Continue the fitness quest in 2013.

I have a teaser for you…a hint as to what my Harleigh series will be about. I spent the first 6 years of my adult life riding with a motorcycle club (not a gang). This was my theme song back in the early 1970s.

*Could someone pour me another Cosmo?*

To our LLC readers/members:

We have a special prize for one lucky commenter on the Life List Club Blog’s Milestone Party/Anniversary Post

AND

The other writers may have a prize for one lucky commenter on his/her own blog, as well.

One more time you’ll have the pleasure of blog hopping the Life List Club to look for more prizes!

If you leave a comment on this blog, the LLC Blog and the other writer’s blogs, you would be entered to win several different prizes!

The winner at my Sexy, Smart and Strong Women Blog will be awarded

a $10 eGift Card

from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice

The comments must be received between 6 AM (EST) June 29th and midnight (EST) July 5th.

All of the the winners will be announced on Friday, July 6th at LLC and the writers’ blogs.

LLC Writers’ blogs:

Jess Witkins

Sonia Medeiros

Gary Gauthier

Lara Schiffbauer

Sherry Isaac

When did you begin your Life List? Where are you on your progress meter? Please share. We love hearing from you!

10-Word Branding Challenge and 7 Free Sites to Promote Your Book

No matter what you’re selling, be it soap, cars, books or your talents, you need to define your brand. Here are a few highly recognizable brands:

There is no question about what you’re getting when you see these brands.

Writers strive for a recognizable brand, as well.

The first most recognizable aspect of our brand must be our name. Put your name everywhere.

Secondly, our faces will become recognizable. Get a professional headshot.

Third, is our content – the content of our books, our blogs and our socializing must be consistently in our own voice.

An author’s brand must be authentic, relatable and engaging.

If you missed my friend, Natalie Hartford’s post on Monday, you need to find a few minutes to go read it. I borrowed her idea  which was this:

Define your brand with a list of 10 words

This is one way to determine the essence of you with regard to your brand.

Natalie’s list was fabulous and so right on. Do check it out but,  first here are my 10 words (okay, so they’re  phrases):

1. Playful & Sensual Redhead

2. Steadfast Friend

3. Relationship Savvy

4. A Multifarious Creative

5. Fitness Fan

6. Harley/Sports Car-Girl

7. Knowledge Junkie

8. Passionate Writer & Avid Reader

9. Rock & Roll & Classic Movie Devotee

10. Laughter and Chocolate Addict

I know I am so much more than the image these phrases paint but, these phrases relate most to my writing and the image I want to promote. Defining my brand in 10 WORDS is an ongoing progress.

Does that give you an image of my personality and my writing? What are your 10 words/phrases?

Links

When you’re ready to self-publish your book, you know there will a long list of tasks to perform, but then you’ll be done, right?

Uh, no.

Marketing and promoting your book can be equally time-consuming. That’s why I just had to pass this along.

I was reading an article at Galley Cat on Free Sites to Promote Your eBook and thought I’d offer some of those sites to you here. You can read the entire article and the full list of sites HERE.

1. Addicted to eBooks – Must have 5 Amazon reviews before submitting.

2. Author Marketing Club – Submit your book with their Free Kindle Book Submission Tool.

3. Indie Books List – Submit an excerpt of 1500+ words.

4. GalleyCat Facebook Page – You can post your book in their New Books section.

5. Free Kindle Books and Tips – Book must be free in Amazon’s Kindle Store and have an average of 4 out of 5 stars.

6. Flurries of Words – Free and paid book promotion options.

7. Books on the Knob – Bargain books, free books and book reviews for all eReaders.

There are a whole lot more over at Galley Cat – check it out!

Please stop by The Life List Club and visit Sonia Medeiros. She always has a fun post!

30 Dr. Seuss Quotes That Can Change Your Life and 5 Fun Links

I LOVE Dr. Seuss! Don’t you? My favorite of his books is The Lorax.

His books are the best works written for children, in my opinion. The lessons are so valuable and resonate so well with kids of all ages that they don’t feel like lessons.

When I opened my StumbleUpon account today, I was instantly grinning at the sight of this image! So this is your list for today!

Please visit www.Mamiverse.com, and meet those lovely ladies who posted this list of quotes on StumbleUpon for us. Their very lively and professional  site, founded by three moms, is chock full of all kinds of great articles.

Now on to more FUN links!

1. MyFridgeFood – You know those days when you are totally uninspired when it comes time to make dinner? Problem solved!! Just go to MyFridgeFood and enter the items you have in the fridge or your cupboard and…VOILA!…recipes for those ingredients will magically appear!

 

2. Can you eek out 10 minutes a day to exercise – even on your busiest days? Sure you can! Oh, but how do you know what exercises are worthwhile in just 10 minutes? What good will just 10 minutes do for me?

Here’s your answer: “The Just 10 Challenge is about making a small commitment with a huge payoff. Losing just 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk for a stroke, ward off dementia, lower your risk for uterine and breast cancer, and lower your cholesterol up to 10%. Change the health of America, 10 pounds at a time.”

 

3. Don’t you love rearranging furniture and/or buying new furniture? Every few months, I get the urge. It can be tough to visualize your room size when you’re in the middle of a ginormous furniture showroom.

This can help: The Make Room is an easy-to-use interactive room planner that allows you to plan your unique living space.

Create one room or your entire home’s floor plans by dragging and dropping furniture into your plan. “When your masterpiece is complete you can save your space, email it, or print it out and use it as your shopping list.”

 

4. Do you like road trips? I do! Here’s a website that will be bookmarked for my next trip. OnTheWay will help you find interesting things you might have otherwise missed on your road trip. Just enter your starting point and your destination and watch the magic!

 

5. When I’m dreaming up ideas for a book, I picture myself carrying out those story ideas to feel what my characters might feel. In doing that,  I can get so involved that the story pulls me right in. Did you ever read a story and be totally able to relate to one of the characters? I mean, relate so well that it feels like the author secretly knows YOU?

Maybe that’s not so far-fetched. At AbeBooks, you can fill out a short Q&A to find out what literary character you resemble.

My results were: ‘You are Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. You are a romantic, but are not afraid to stand up for what you want. While you believe in happily ever after you are no damsel in distress and have a strong mind.’

Wow! That describes my story heroines EXACTLY! This was a fun exercise in finding out why I write what I write.

You know I love hearing from you. So, tell me:

Do you have any fun links to share? What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book and quote?
Before you go, here’s one more link! Sherry Isaac is posting over at the Life List Club Blog today and it’s a great post – A Million Miles of Fun! You’ve gotta go read it!

7 Ways to Enhance Your eBook and 6 links to audio/video tools

I’m entrenched in all things editing, self-publishing and marketing these days. I love learning new things!

I’ve just learned a bit about enhancing your digital novels and non-fiction to make them fresh and more marketable.

Here are a few ideas, some of which I plan to try:

1. You know the biographies you write about your characters before you write your story? Shorten and polish them. Create a link in your table of contents or in the epilogue to a page of your characters’ bios.

2. You can build an index listing all your characters’ names  and link it to the first place in the book they appear.

3. You can also build an index for non-fiction books linking it to charts, tables or spreadsheets.

4. Link to your other books, if you have a backlist. Or link to a page containing an excerpt of a new book.

5. Using external links, link to your blog and your Amazon author page  and Amazon and B&N product pages.

6. For the version you upload to Apple iBooks, embed a PDF with a map of your book’s location, a group of recipes for food or drinks your characters enjoy, or to fashions that fit the era in which your characters reside.

7. Apple and Barnes & Noble, when you upload directly to them or through a distributor, support embedded podcasts and videos. (PubIt is not set up to handle podcasts or videos.) Choose a story-related musical selection for which you can get permission to use in a podcast. Embed a video book trailer for a new book, a video of photos of the setting, or anything else that pertains to your story.

Note: Amazon can support audio and video, however, their program is in closed beta testing. Currently it will only work on Kindle apps for Apple products. So, expect Amazon to make it available across the board in the future.

 

LINKS:

Need to learn how to create videos and podcasts? Check these links:

From Joanna Penn: Authors Should Podcast: 5 Reasons You Should Start Now and  How to Create a Podcast,

7 Reasons Why Writers Need to Start using Video for Book Promotion and How to Create a Book Trailer.

 

From Shelley Hitz: Free Audio Tools and Free Video Editing Software and Other Cool Video Tools

 

And, because I’m going back to my first chapter to begin my 2nd draft editing, I had to include the inimitable Chuck Wendig’s post, 25 Things to Know About Writing the First Chapter.

 

Use your imagination…what other ways could you enhance your own self-pubbed book? What stage in writing/publishing are you?

Don’t forget, Lara Schiffbauer is posting at the Life List Club Blog today about ridding yourself of self-doubt. We could use a little help with that from time to time, right?

Tips to Make Great Writing like Great Sex

I’ll try to put this delicately. Some days sex is like vanilla ice cream, some days it’s like mint-chocolate chip with a little chocolate syrup drizzled over the top.

And then there are those days when it’s a giant banana split with five scoops all different flavors, chocolate syrup, strawberries, pineapple and cherries, whipped cream and nuts!

It’s pretty much the same in writing. We have days when we struggle to keep our butts in the chair. We have days when it’s easier but still have trouble getting a respectable number of words on a page.

And then there are those days when you feel like a superhero-nothing can stop you, it’s effortless! The words flow like water over a dam, the descriptions are as beautiful as a Monet painting. Your brain is bursting with ideas. Your fingers fly over the keyboard.

Well, we would all love to have THOSE days as often as possible, right?

I came a cross an excellent post on Write To Done by Barrie Davenport of Live Bold and Bloom that offers tips to help you in that quest.  I’m offering you an excerpt here:

How Writing Can Be Like Great Sex: 17 Hot Tips

Don’t you wish you could bottle whatever it is that stimulates the mind to open so beautifully and spontaneously? A mental door has been flung wide, and amazing ideas and words come spilling out, just begging to be arranged into a story or poem or article.

Neurons are ablaze, firing left and right. You can write and write, pouring forth words in great gushes, only to finish feeling completely spent. My, oh my.

“One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment.” ~Hart Crane

And just as spontaneously, that door will slam shut again, and your brain snaps closed like a mental chastity belt. Every sentence is a struggle. Ideas and words evade you like a coy mistress.

Have you ever spent hours with your fingers poised on your keypad, staring at the screen like it might tell you what to write? It is so frustrating. You might as well be under water or in a slow-motion movie. Where did all of those darling words and ideas run off to?

If you have to produce something today, and your creativity has rebuffed you, here are some ideas to get the mental juices flowing:

1. Set the stage. You know where you like to write. Clear all of the mess off the desk or table. Put it out of your sight. Be sure you aren’t hungry or thirsty, in pain, or otherwise distracted. If you can write to music, play music that sets the mood for your topic.
2. Walk outside for a few minutes. Get a change of scenery and some fresh air to distract you from your mental sluggishness.
3. Re-frame your thinking. When you aren’t in the mood to write, you begin to think you are a bad writer. Don’t focus on the end product or your lack of inspiration. Just have fun in the process. Write without constraints and clean up the messy parts later.
4. Relax and detach for a few minutes. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and try to empty your mind. Meditate for ten or fifteen minutes if you have the time.
5. Send your subconscious a message. While your eyes are closed, ask for inspiration. Invite the ideas to come forth and the words to flow.
6. Visualize your reader. Think about the people who will be reading your words. What can you say that will inform, uplift, inspire, confound, or humor them? If inspiration doesn’t produce the words, use your intellect and refine later.
7. Do a warm-up. Get your fingers and mind ready for writing by writing mindlessly. Answer some emails. Revise a previous article. Type favorite quotes or paragraphs from other writers. Ease your brain and muscles into readiness.

That’s just a teaser. To get 10 more hot tips and more of Barrie’s advice, you just have to read the whole post: How Writing Can Be Like Great Sex: 17 Hot Tips

Barrie also suggests:

“If you’d like to read more about how the spoken word can impact your writing and your life, read this article.”

This link will take you to Barrie Davenport’s website and you can follow her on Twitter @CoachBarrie.

Davenport’s a life coach writing  inspirational and motivational posts on diverse topics with a theme of personal development.

It will be time well spent to check her out and you might like this article, too: Your Hidden Abilities and Why You Need To Find Them.

Of course, we all know how amazing Write To Done is and here are links to some of my favorite posts by their writers:

201 Ways to Arouse Your Creativity

How an Editor Hammered Me and My Guest Post into Shape

Hiring a Freelance Editor: A Step-by-Step Guide

Thanks for joining me today! Let me know if any of these links and posts turn out to be helpful!

Before you go I want to remind you that Lara Schiffbauer is posting today at the Life List Club Blog today! Please go visit her and offer up some blog luv. Thanks!