Quote of the Day: Remember This December, that love weighs more than gold! Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon, American Writer
The holiday season is here and I’m counting down the days to Christmas. Everywhere I look, there’s a reminder of the coming of winter bliss.
This is the perfect time to spread good cheer and begin making plans for the New Year. What are your holiday plans?
Photo credit: Pixabay
Family gatherings come to mind and sitting beside the fireplace in the still of the night with a great book and cup of cocoa are in my forethoughts. I hope you’ll make time for yourself this season to unwind and capture the precious moments that’ll never be again.
You’ve probably noticed from my blogging that I’m doing a lot of reading during this month. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I read to learn more about the craft of writing, and marketing. I have a rotation going and share my reviews here and Goodreadsprimarily.
Author Updates
Mynext mystery novel is going through the final stages for publishing. If you’d like to be an advance reader, join my launch (street) teamhere. I look forward to your reviews.
As you go through the paces of preparing for and participating in the fascinating adventure of the Christmas holidays, I hope you’ll share love and kindness to all! Happy Holidays – Carolyn Bowen
Photo Credit: Pixabay
I share on social media daily. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
James Thayer doesn’t mince words when describing the personal habits and characteristics of writers who want to succeed. Focus and concentration, persistence in staying the course, a willingness to learn, and perhaps some luck are helpful.
The Essential Guide shows you the proven techniques of writers such as John Grisham, Tom Wolf, Jeffery Deaver, and Patricia Cornwell to name a few. These insights provide clues for creating a successful novel.
My quick take is to do what has been shown to work time and time again and you’ll be successful. However, there’s room for outliers, the incredibly talented writers whose genius places them on a literary throne of their own. Thayer talks about the rules of writing and the breaking of the rules by some authors and what that means.
Creating a timeline for your manuscript
Thayer provided proven steps for creating a timeline for completing your manuscript. He was forthcoming with examples from well-known authors. I especially liked Stephen King’s formula for having a first draft ready within a season.
I highlighted throughout the book and will place a paperback order to add to my bookshelves to keep handy. I just touched on a few of the techniques discussed. Read – then reread it to get the most out of this writer’s guide.
Quote of the Day: “I write not because I want to but because I am destined to.” Jules Haigler
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The why behind the doing!
First, let me define some of the terms I’ll be using as to not complicate the understanding of what I’m saying.
Who is a writer?
A writer is a person who uses written words in various styles and techniques to communicate their ideas. Wikipedia
What is the difference between a writer and author?
According to the dictionary, a writer is one who expresses ideas in writing or engaged in literary work. An author is a person who writes a novel, poem, essay etc., and the composer of a literary work. You become an author when your books are published, but if your writings are never published, you remain a writer.
What is the meaning of authorpreneur?
Authorpreneur is the business end of being an author. To me, it’s no different than being an entrepreneur for starting up any kind of business. Of course, the author added to the shortened entrepreneur pinpoints the exact kind of business the person is involved in.
Learning to be an authorpreneur is about positioning yourself (branding) for the best possible outcome for your writing efforts.
You may be thinking I don’t want to do this! I’d prefer to just write. You are not by yourself. Many writers turned authors who became entrepreneurs feel the same way. However, even the bestselling authors are required to participate in the marketing of their books. Many embrace this opportunity to better understand their readers and to help keep the buzz around their names.
Being a writer and authorpreneur, in the business of promoting and marketing to sell and profit from your writing, is a lifetime learning experience. To accomplish this feat as a writer you need to write, read, and study the craft of writing.
Then changing directions towards getting your book/s in the hands of readers is another challenge in of itself. The same lessons apply to learn publishing and marketing – study, read, write, and learn how to expand your brand to reach new readers.
To improve as an author, I’ve found that it’s a good idea to read books in your genre, continue your daily writing and set aside time to learn more about writing.
Today’s blog post is the result of my applying these steps to my writing life. My personal standard is to never read a book I don’t think I’ll enjoy! Hope you enjoy my review of An Innocent Client by Scott Pratt!
Joe Dillard was a criminal defense attorney who didn’t like his job. Never did. His plans after law school were to work in the District Attorney’s office as a prosecutor. The problem, the pay didn’t line up with the time and cost of the education required to practice law.
The only choice was to open a law firm. He did with a promise to himself that eventually he’d quit and become a prosecuting attorney. But, first, he had to provide for his family and see his children through school. The pay was good. Yet, knowing his clients were guilty and worse, maggots of the earth tormented him. He desperately wanted to be on the opposite side, not defending the scum of the earth.
The years passed by and he was looking forward to retirement. The income from his practice and his wife’s management of their assets was securing their future. And, when the time was right, he’d call it quits. But, for once he’d like to represent an innocent client before he retired.
He was counting down the days to his exit from practicing law when a new case was offered him. He quoted a fee much higher than normal for he’d not planned to stay for a lengthy trial.
Money wasn’t an issue and his desire to represent an innocent client came to mind. All he had to do was talk to the young, beautiful woman charged with first-degree murder and decide whether to take the case. Would he finally get a chance to represent an innocent client?
If you enjoy reading legal thrillers and mysteries, check this one out! It’s a well-written story that’ll keep your interest.
Quote of the Day: “Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” Edward Sandford Martin
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Day in the USA is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. A United States Congressional declaration officially designated the date in 1941. Throughout November we also celebrate Native American Heritage Month. The mutual trust and collaboration of Native Americans and the New World English colonists played a significant role in U.S. history. Today we reflect and share our bounty with family and friends in the spirit of the first Thanksgiving.
Background
The history of the celebration dates back to November 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared their first harvest festival at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The autumn harvest celebration lasted three days and is considered the “first Thanksgiving.” According to attendee Edward Winslow, there were 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims participating in the celebration. Wikipedia
The Attitude of Thankfulness and Gratitude Benefits
Family Time – Together as an extended family
Strengthens family bonds
Improves our self-esteem
Reduces depression
Increases our energy
Helps develop a stronger immune system
Decreases blood pressure
Increases sleep quality
Reduces negative stress
From my home to yours – Happy Thanksgiving! Carolyn Bowen
I hope you’ll follow my blogand connect on social media where I post daily. Here are a few of my favorites places. Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence. – Mourning Dove Salish
“Sovereignty, Trust, and Resilience.”
November is Native American Heritage Month and we pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
Background
The first America Indian Day was established through the leadership of Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian, who was the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, N.Y.
The first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens was declared September 28, 1915. The annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting in Lawrence, Kans., formally approved a plan concerning American Indian Day with observation to be the second Saturday of each May.
New York was the first state to observe American Indian Day. The governor declared the second Saturday in May 1916 as the beginning of the proclamation.
Many years later, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Additional proclamations have been issued since 1994 under the names “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian Month”.
Here are some of the events scheduled for this month honoring the American Indians.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Recollections from days gone by…
Interview with a half-breed: What’re your favorite memories growing up in a mixed culture?
Looking out the window and seeing headlights from automobiles coming up the lane to our home stuck in my memory. I knew it was a significant moment.
Word spread and people lined up at our front door to seek alternative herbal healing from my grandmother, a medicine woman. So much it became a problem and my first generation English grandfather stopped it.
She was never the same again. You’re probably thinking I can help you with the insights she provided. NO! According to her, the Native American medicine, what some folks misunderstand as magic, is passed down through the opposite sex.
She shared her knowledge with a male she’d helped. However, she did tell me who to talk to. It was way too complicated for my mind and at the time – honestly not interested. I wonder who the young man passed the secret to for keeping it in his family. Be what it will be – the young man she shared her secrets with had two sons who became M.D’s – medicine men in their own rights.
You’ll be very lucky if they’re you’re attending physician. For a secret has to remain a secret – Native American Heritage protects those who are called to help their fellow earth walkers.
May you soar with eagles in your quest to learn more about Native Americans. The American Indians saw the Eagle as a symbol for great strength, leadership, and vision.
Recommended reading
Native American culture is explored in Cross-Ties, a fictional coming of age novel. You’ll meet Nokuse and his family in this classic novel.
Thank you for following my blogand connecting on social media. I appreciate your support. Carolyn M. Bowen
These are a few of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: Everyone lives by selling something. Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The art of marketing is solidified when you have identified your target market, folks who are interested in your products and services and provide a means to communicate. Today, social media plays an important role in connecting with like-minded people – talking and listening. But, how do you choose which platforms to use for finding your audience and potential customers?
When you are able to see the overall picture and plan your business future, you’ve just become an author, the business end of being a writer.
Answering the Question
For me, as much as I enjoy creating and sharing photos/videos when posting about mybooks, I’ve got to be aware of the conversion rate. As an author, you need to know how and where to get your books in the hands of interested readers. I asked the question, where are my potential readers hanging out and what site delivers the best return on my investment?
Having lots of followers on social media isn’t the point. Having people interested in what you say and your offerings are important and play a key role in building relationships.
Many new small businesses rush to share on most or all of the social media platforms. Take your time. Begin with two or three of the major ones and expand from there, if desired.
I would suggest sites, in the least, where everyone who follows can see your posts without advertising. I’m not saying don’t advertise, you can pick a post that’s performing well within your community, tweak it and monitor the results.
My favorite social sites for some time have been Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest.
As mentioned in an earlier post, Google+ is phasing out this platform as currently operated. I’m sad. Second, Twitter has always been a great site for me although the news feed moves quickly. Your post most often has a shelf life of 30 minutes max. The good news is your posts are shown to everyone and advertising is affordable if desired. And, third, Pinterest is a fun place to show-off both personally and professionally. It is a behind the scenes kind of thing that allows followers to get to know the real you.
If you enjoy photos and following the trends for just about anything life has to offer, you’ll love this site. Me, I especially love the cute kitties, travel, fashion, and meeting book lovers!
I’m trying out a new site, MeWe.com, the next-gen social network. I like the idea of a site engineered with privacy in mind and the ability to connect with like-minded folks. I’m learning the ropes and will share more about my experiences in a later post.
Do you have favorite social media sites? I’d love to hear from you about what works for your business. Note: I’m on other social sites for various reasons – business and personal.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Latest Writing News
There’s a new mystery/thriller release coming up in my near future. If you’d like to become a part of my advance launch team and receive a free copy, sign-up below. Thank you!
Quote of the Day: “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” Octavia E. Butler
There are several things necessary for me to grow as an author/publisher. There are some easy, others difficult and timely to implement across my author network. First, the easy one – learn from reading books by others in the genre I write and publish. Second, study the craft of writing to become a better author. Third, learn how to build a business (tech stuff included) and marketing as a successful author. And, fourth, connect with other authors/publishers for mutual encouragement and knowledge.
Today I’m sharing my review of Write and Grow Rich. Reading this book was a learning experience for me and I’m grateful for the honesty reflected by this group of authors. Thank You!
This is a must-read for how-to become a successful author and/or publisher. The book answers questions that maybe you didn’t know to ask yet in your authors’ journey. If you’re seeking personal and professional growth, this bestseller will lift you up mentally while delivering education that’ll make a difference in your future.
Each of the authors candidly answered the same questions with a variety of descriptive details of their failures and successes plus the tools they used for creating and marketing their products. It’s interesting how the members of the group turned negative events and downfalls into positive learning experiences with a successful outcome.
I made notes while reading and noticed trends for becoming successful and how it was defined individually for the author. You can bet that I’ll follow-up with the resources offered by this group of experts.
Lee Child goes the distance with Past Tense; all the way back just asking – begging for trouble. Jack Reacher’s usual mode of transportation, hitchhiking, across America from Maine to California, brought him to a fork in the road deep in the New England woods. A place he’d never been before but the town where his father was born. Curious, he takes the detour.
Not far away as the crow flies, a young Canadian couple on their way to New York to sell a treasure has car trouble. They’re stranded and taken by the tow truck driver to a motel for the night until their car could be fixed in the morning. A friendly place at first glance, perhaps a little too friendly thought the couple.
By morning, Reacher is in the city clerk’s office looking for answers about his family’s home. He knew his father had lived there in the past, left and never returned. The city clerk’s office informed him no one by the name Reacher had ever lived there. He wondered if he was wrong about the location or if his father never lived there. Haunted by memories from the past, he had to investigate.
From day one, Reacher gets into some tight places because of his code of honor. Not that he was looking for trouble, but someone needed to take a stand. He was there, so it was left up to him. Detective Amos, a former MP, encourages him to leave town before something worse happened.
Reacher wasn’t finished exploring his father’s life and intended to stay. And, things did get worse as the Detective promised. Hidden out of sight, in a motel where the sign had been removed the young Canadians found themselves pinned into a bizarre experiment unable to leave. They wondered if and how they’d ever escape their tormentors.
Their stories converge as Reacher uncovers secrets about his family. Looking into the past can be deadly, but living in the present in Laconia was pure hell. The Reverend Patrick G would attest to this fact.
Quote of the Day: “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
Fall is finally in the air and the autumn leaves are going through a kaleidoscope of colors in the North Georgia Mountains. Over the weekend we took in the sights and sounds of Canon, GA., the homestead of family and friends. We walked in the steps of many before us as we explored the remains of the historic town and were made privy to some of the best-kept secrets from the past.
One of the outstanding sites continuing to operate was The Bowers House, a literary center for writers. This caught my attention and I wanted to more about the activities and offerings available. A call to Ellen Bowers Davenport, Manager and Treasurer at The Bowers House provided some fascinating details about the literary retreat and family history that lead to the opening of the residence for creatives.
The Bowers House
The Bowers House Writers Retreat and Literary Center is a grand historic home in a small northeast Georgia town. According to the spokesperson Ellen Bowers Davenport, “the residence offers a quiet environment away from the everyday things in life.”
The residence was constructed in 1921 as a hotel when the railroad was active and cotton mills churned making Canon GA a leading producer of quality products for manufacturing. Located within walking distance of the mills, many cotton traders were regular guests at the hotel. With the invention of the motor car followed by the Depression, the hotel’s fate was sealed.
Later in 1997, the hotel was restored with five private rooms and a house to accommodate up to twelve overnight guests. Today the residence is active with writers taking advantage of the solitude to focus on creating their best works.
There are several opportunities to use the property exclusively, and several workshops or readings occur monthly at the facility. The Bowers House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is also the perfect venue for a writing workshop with its strong Writing Guild association and proximity to the University of Georgia and Clemson.
The magnificent family residence is now owned by writer Laura Bowers Foreman who transformed the residence into a writers retreat in 2006. The old gardens surrounding the residence have plantings from around the world dating back from its beginning. Master Gardeners would have a field day on the historic site sorting through and identifying the plants and shrubs that have lived through the passages of time.
Looking for a writer’s paradise away from the noisy world where you can enjoy a southern veranda in your rocking chair, call Ellen Bowers Davenport to schedule your stay. The Bowers House literary retreat is the perfect location to schedule your next writer’s events. The Bowers House can be reached during business hours at 706-498-6970. The Bowers House is located at 100 Depot Street, Canon, GA.
Special thanks
Thomas C. and Maurya Jones
Ellen Bowers Davenport, Manager and Treasurer, The Bowers House
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a couple of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: The only thing a person can ever really do is keep moving forward. Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back. Simply forget the past and forge toward the future. Alyson Noel
One of my favorite and most enriching social media sites is shutting down following a security breach. The consumer version of Google Pluswill no longer be available as its being phased out over a six month period.
I’ve developed relationships with some cool folks on this social platform. I’ll post alternative sites like Twitter and Facebook for us to connect and of course, my website and am hopeful many will follow. However, right now all I can do is cry!
I’ve enjoyed looking at pictures from around the world and connecting with the photographers (friends) who allowed us a peek into their lives and country.
I’ll be reading a book or watching a movie or TV series and have friends on Google+ post the exact spots where the action took place along with comments. These may be little things too many, but they’re a breath of fresh air for those interested in the variety of topics posted on Google+.
So, I’ll get busy and do my best to stay connected. If you’re following me on Google+, please hit the follow button, I want our relationship to continue. While I’m at it, a special thank you for sharing my post on other social sites. I noticed. And, it’s most appreciated. Hope to see you soon! Carolyn Bowen
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
