Anonymous

It takes some real thick skin to be a writer.

My skin is not really that thick, so when I read something negative that directly impacts me, I want to go crawl in a corner and die. I try not to let it bother me. I even say it out loud, hoping it will even force me to believe it. Yet, all I am doing is lying to myself.

As I sit, these negative statements come to my mind and they make me wonder.

I wonder why?

Why did they target me?

It isn't as if I know these people. Or maybe I do. I couldn't really tell if I do if they hide behind the tag anonymous.

I have been thinking about this for the better part of a week when I came across a negative review for my book on Amazon. I took it with a grain of salt. They said it was depressing. I guess that is partially what happens when your intention is to make people cry. (And the only reason that was one of my goals was because I wanted people to feel the emotion.)

Does this look like a romance novel?
It doesn't even come close. So if that is
what you are looking for, look
somewhere else!

The first bad review made me realize people were coming to my book thinking it was going to be Harlequin Romance. Now I am not really sure why people are confusing it for romance. It is actually more of a drama with a few romantic parts possibly tossed in for good health.

Yet the part that bugs me is actually the anonymous part.

Are you to afraid to stand behind your words?

Signing something as anonymous is the cowards way of leaving a review. In fact, if you can't verify who you are, you have no right to even leave a review. I finally got over it, convincing myself that this person is entitled to hide behind their computer screen, especially since a positive review had already trumped the negative one meaning it wasn't the first thing people saw.

Call it weird, but the major reason I was concerned about the bad review was because it was the first thing everyone else would see.

Well, today, my husband messaged me. He had finally finished my book. (While he had an idea what was going on, he never read the completed version.) He even said it made him cry and he left a glowing review. (To clarify, I didn't ask him to leave a review because I thought he would be unfair. After all, his wife wrote it so chances of a bad review were slim. But he left one anyway.)

When I went to read his review, I saw another negative review.

REALLY?

This one, while at least they didn't leave an anonymous review, was just as bad. It was a personal attack, calling me "special."

So, why is it that the majority of people who leave reviews are always so negative? Why are they trying to cut down an author who has obviously put themselves out there?

At this point, it doesn't matter. I reported their feedback as inappropriate. After all, the comment they left seemed more like a personal attack and that should not be tolerated.

I swear, as a writer, a person needs thick skin.

Are You A Bra? A Question of Support

The desperate and insecure writer in me is trying to climb out...

I can't help it though. I am a curious individual. I ask questions. I seek answers. I talk about everything. I can only assume this is the reason I enjoy writing.

It allows me to express myself. I can just blurt stuff out on paper that comes to mind. When I talk, I usually try to think before the words are formed. I hold back a lot.... not when I am writing.

So this leads me to where I am today... thinking about my book, Mother's Day. Thinking about how to get it into the hands of readers. Thinking how to convince people to spread the word. Wondering if it is good enough. There are people out there that have told me it is great. I didn't pay them to say it either.

I still question it though. Is it great because they know me... or did they really enjoy it. Did they get an emotional response? Are they telling their friends and family about the last book they read? Are they passing it on.

I am new to this whole promoting myself. What it has done has brought up massive amounts of questions. Questions about my supporters, questions about spreading the word, just questions in general.

Freelance artists struggle. No body knows who they are and they have to work insanely hard to get a buzz going. It is those supporters who create that buzz... and it is one thing that made me realize what kind of supporter I am.

I am a supporter of the freelance artists. 
I am a bra - if you must.


Anytime I know a person who has accomplished a goal they can brag about, I get excited. I want to support them. I want to brag about them. I want to tell the world that I knew them way back when....

When I found out an old friend from high school made a movie, I couldn't wait for it to be released so I could see it. I immediately went to their Facebook page Misfit Heights and not only "Liked" the page, but also spammed my friends with it. It is a zombie puppet musical. How can it possibly get any better than that? Sure, it might not be everybody's thing. It is a small niche to say the least. But it was great and the fact is... I was supporting a fellow peer from High School.
If you want to know more - look to your left. I got him on the sidebar and I highly encourage you to check it out!

As a writer, I have also run into others as well who have jumped on the dream boat and accomplished a goal. One of my friends from Wisconsin, author C.L. Crowe, wrote the book Soul Finding. I have already
read it on my Kindle and I am anxiously awaiting the second book's release. I also plan on purchasing a hard copy of the book just so I can have her sign it the next time I see her. I won't even go into how mad I am at her for publishing her book first! I guess she won fair and square though, so I can't hold it over her head too much. She will just have to buy me lunch next time we get together since she has got a few months on me for the publishing gig.

Obviously because of what I do, I have run into many talented artists out there. Melanie from Scribbles and Smiles also just published the book "Make Happiness Happen!" It is a quick read packed full of inspiration. I was so excited to see it since her accomplish this goal since she was one of my biggest supporters and fans during National Novel Writing Month.

My friend Vicki over at Laugh Lines was recently featured in a book called the "Life Well Blogged," which I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary copy. What I have read so far has me rolling with laughter.

Then of course their is Cyndi over at Pictimilitude, who is going to take the world by storm with her works of art. One day I will have one of her pictures hanging on my wall.

As writers, there are several different forms of support. Marie Landry gave me the opportunity to have my first experience at being a Beta Reader for her book "Waiting For The Storm." I was really excited to read it and give her my personal thoughts. It was a definite read and it made me curious about the other books she has written as well. Upon completion of beta reading, I bought all her books. I love supporting other artists.

Naturally, I can't forget about Julie DeNeen, form Life According to Julie, who was the initial push into my blogging. Who has always been around to push others to write what they feel and expose themselves. She is honest and doesn't hold anything back and that is something to admire in today's world. She already wrote two books which I couldn't put down - "Wanted" and "Writing Through The Chaos." She has a million other things on her plate, including a blogging consultation business through Fabulous Blogging. She has been a big inspiration for almost every writer and blogger I have met in the digital world, and no one has a negative thing to say about her. Honestly, even on those days when I have been busy and it seems like I am not around, I still quietly stalk her just because the stuff she has to say is so refreshing.


Last, but definitely not least, (because she will beat me up otherwise!), I want to mention Terrye from The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. I hear she is jumping on the band wagon to write a book as well. She won't tell me any more details about it, so I won't dwell about not being able to gossip. However, when it comes to support, she is someone you want on your side and she is a treasure to have in your life. Every time I was feeling down and wanted to call it quits, I would say something and she would tell me to shut it. It really made me feel better!

There are also some other key people who are responsible for some  great products. Shelby McKee, owner and founder of  Keysocks, has been one of my biggest supporters. I was one of the first writers to get the inside scoop on this product. These socks are perfect for any woman who like to wear their shoes, and their socks too. This was an ingenious idea and I talk about them like they were mine. Reality is, I just want to share the love.

Yoga Sandals are another product I stand by and want to mention.  The philosophy behind this product is one I can stand behind and truly believe in. I love the concept of these shoes, since they help with foot and knee problems. I love the positive outlook this business portrays. And I also can't fail to mention one of their employees, my friend Liz, is also one of the people who helped me with the cover of my book. One thing is for sure though, I love spread the word about great quality products like this.

Who are your bras?

Overall, I learned there are people in your life who are like bras. They support you and pick you up. They go out of their way to tell you how proud they are of you, the will spend their last dime just to buy your latest piece of work. They don't do this because of it's quality, because it doesn't even matter what it is, but because they want the bragging rights. They want to show you off.

For instance, my mom has already bought 3 of my books. My Grandma has to buy another one because she refuses to share. My sister finished the book in less than 24 hours of receiving it, and I might also add that she was one of the very first to buy it. Now that is support.

After talking to one of the local bookstores, I started feeling the love of supporters everywhere. This man, who has never met me or seen me or even read my book, was excited about my accomplishment. This excitement stemmed from me being a local self-published author. He told me how to make connections - how some of these people will become the greatest supporters just because I am local. It got me excited.

It also got me thinking - who are your supporters? Do you know who they are? Do they brag about you, or do they stay silent? Are some of them a surprise?

I got curious... so I actually asked. And yes - I am taking names. In fact, I would love for them to share a picture of themselves with my book. Why? So I can do a contest and one lucky winner will get something from me and they will also get the opportunity to send my book to a person of their choice. But more on that later. Right now I just want to know who has supported me.

These supporters that create a buzz, and when you are a new artist, that is what you need. You need to create a buzz. So here is my chance to tell everybody who has supported me how much I appreciate you.

Thank you to all of those who have bought my book and shared it with your friends. 

Thank you to all of those have created a buzz 
about "Mother's Day!"

Music Monday: I'm So Excited

I know it has been awhile since I have done a Music Monday post, but yesterday I got this song stuck in my head and I just couldn't get it out. I thought I would share...

There is a big reason why this song is stuck in my head, and frankly, if you could see me right now, you would notice that I haven't stopped jumping up and down since yesterday afternoon. I walked out on a ledge and took a chance. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen, so I walked into a local book store more nervous than a person afraid of heights jumping out of a plane and I asked a question.

"I am a new self-published author and I was wondering, how do I get my book on your shelves?"

Instead of being turned away or told to buy a book and do some research, I was given a phone number by one of the store owners and told how excited they get to promote local artists.

JACKPOT!!

To make it even better, this gentleman used to do marketing for Borders and gave me all sorts of ideas on what I need to do to market myself and my book. How far I take this is completely up to me, however, as any writer knows, information is gold and I don't think I could ever repay this gentleman for the insight he has given me in the short 15 minutes I talked to him.

So I better get to it. I got some marketing to do while I dance away to the song playing in my head. I couldn't have planned this out better if I tried!

Music Monday: Whistle While You Work

Today is a busy one. Not that there is ever a day that goes by that I am not busy. I got a massive amount of scrubbing and cleaning to do... after all, it has been neglected over the last few months. I have homework to do; end of school activities; washing my hair; working out; picking my nose and picking my blog post. Mostly though, I have to start coming up with marketing strategies for my book Mother's Day.

If you thought writing a book was hard, try getting the word to spread like wildfire. So, as I step into the beginnings of the marketing process, I am just going to have to Whistle While I Work... seems like the perfect song for Music Monday!

Hello...

I thought I would stop by and say hi.

I know, it has been a while. Sometimes I even wondered if anybody missed me. But I have a good excuse as to why I haven't been around. It's a darn good excuse.

I wrote a book!

Let me tell you, it was hard work. I spent hours staring at the computer editing until my eyes went blurry. There were days when I would wear the same clothes... just so the laundry didn't pile up. I don't remember the last logical conversation I had with my husband, my kids might be figments of my imagination, and soon it might no longer be an undiagnosed mad woman state, since I have nearly lost my mind!

I am sure it will be worth it in the end. Actually, I am not sure, I know it will be! After all, my book is published and available for anybody to read. Hope you take the chance to check it out by clicking here.

So what's next?

That is the big question I have as well. I fear I might actually have too much time on my hands that I don't know what to do with myself.

Naw... that will never happen. I have kids and summer is just around the corner.

Sadly, time will always be short because I like to stay busy. But now that I have cleared off a really big task, I will have more time for my family, my schoolwork, and my chores. I will be back to blogging and catching up with my fellow bloggers as well.

Ok - so who am I kidding. I am already working on my next book! This one is going to be about zombies. No worries though - I haven't put myself under a strict deadline yet!

Brain Drain: Online Education Does NOT Equal Easy

Many of you (ok - maybe only my imaginary friends) may have been wondering where I have been hiding lately.

Truth is, I haven't been hiding. I have been right in front of you this whole time. However, I have recently decided to go back to school to get my degree, and let me tell you, it is exhausting work.

As if I wasn't busy before. Now, not only do I still have all my wifely and motherly duties, and my nearly impossible deadline set to have my book Mother's Day to be published May 12, 2013. (Yes - I know - publishing a book called Mother's Day on Mother's Day. I couldn't resist!), I have added a "fast-paced, no hold backs" online course to my full plate.

I have often times heard many people describe online courses as easy. Being that this isn't the first time I have taken an online course, I already knew what I was getting into. But when you are actually doing it, you forget how much time is actually used up by the sheer amount of reading, researching, and writing you must do. In fact, online courses are actually harder because you need to be more accountable for your work, and even teaching yourself.

I know finishing my degree is the right thing to do. I only wish I would have started it sooner, so I didn't have to waste some of my valuable Veteran's Benefits that will expire before I get a chance to completely exhaust them. But in the end, I know finishing my schooling will be the right thing for me.

Getting back into the swing of things has been difficult. It is the first class I have taken in several years. I am not used to studying, I am not used to writing thesis statements, and I certainly not used to those exciting textbooks with 300 pages worth of material to memorize.

When your brain seems drained,
even those tasks that often seemed
simple become difficult, like writing
a blog post.

I have been falling behind in my blogging, I have been falling behind in my online networking, I have just fallen behind.

So, if you have been wondering where I've been lately, I am still around. But I have found between my book and schooling and family, most of my time has been sucked up. Not to mention, after all the mental tasks I have had to do lately, my brain is drained.

Even writing this blog post was difficult!

Just know, I will be back and I will be smarter. Ok - maybe just more sarcastic due to being tired. But hey - at least that means I've gotten something out of school.

Words Mean Everything

As many of you may already know, I have been working hard (or hardly working) on my book that I have planned to release to people everywhere on May 12, 2013. On top of that, I have also returned to school... mainly because I want to make it sound like I am smart on my author page. (No one said it had to be a good reason!)

Needless to say, I realized I was coming up on crunch time. Between my book, my blog, and my school work, I knew I needed to get cracking.

So yesterday, I decided to open my book again to make edits from the suggestions of my beta readers. It is a tedious process. I feel like I am looking at a million computer screens and trying to condense them into one valid document.

Working between a printed copy and a
computer copy is enough to make anyone
want to take a nap!

Ok - it really isn't that bad. But I do have to keep looking from hard copy to laptop. Pain in the butt.

And it's a daunting task. It might even be more daunting then writing the damn book. After all, I didn't know how far I was going until I got there. Now, as I sit on page 35... I noticed there is still 378 pages left.

That number 413 keeps flashing at me. 

Once I got into the swing of things, it wasn't really all that bad. And the reality is, I only need to do 22 pages a day to be ready for the final read through on May 1st!

But meanwhile, it can't be all work and no play. That is when I started to realize how funny it is to look back at my work with a fresh pair of eyes. After all, when it comes to your own work sometimes it can be hard to pick out things that are just wrong.

In this case... I realized that my main character likes to run around commando, sans undies, freebuffing, going regimental.... although it wasn't really my intention.

The reality is, when you are writing, you need to describe everything. In this case, I would describe her as finishing up her shower and throwing on a pair of pants. Most people would assume she is wearing her undergarments, but I can't assume here. So, I have to read it like it is. She doesn't wear underwear.

I don't know about you... but I think my main character would be a lot more comfy in her undies!

Writing a Book: B is for Beta Readers

How many times have you heard someone say, "I want to write a book."

Probably a lot of times. It seems to be on everybody's bucket list whether they call themselves a writer or not. It just seems to be in our nature as humans to want to tell a story.

Yet, out of all those people who want to write a book, how many of them actually accomplish it?

Well I have!

It hasn't been released to the general public yet, but it will. In fact, I plan on releasing it on Mother's Day 2013 if all goes as planned. I am so excited yet so scared at the same time.

I first started writing this book 3 years ago. But it wasn't flowing. It wasn't even called Mother's Day like it is now. But I had the thought in my head and I was going to do it. But it wasn't going. I had almost 100 pages down and it still wasn't going anywhere.

You see, the main characters had a child and frankly, this was an imaginary life and I was sick of getting a babysitter for this fake child. It is hard enough to find one for your real kids. So I scraped the book and decided the kid had to go. After all, even though the kid wasn't real, I needed to be a responsible parent for my fake kid.

I already have three kids. The last thing I need to do
is stress about finding a babysitter for a fake one!

So I quit!

Yet it has always kind of been in the back of my mind. I have always wanted to pick it up and make it work. But I didn't know how to do it. And that is when a bunch of writers started talking about NaNoWriMo. I thought it was impossible. Finish a book in 30 days. I had already tried to write a book and I couldn't do it in 3 years. How could I finish one in a month.

So with the idea in my head, I started over. 

Not everybody that starts finishes. It is a difficult
task. Yet I pushed through. I don't know if I could
have done it without the push.

And I finished. I was a NaNoWriMo winner coming in at roughly 81,000 words. Not only did I complete the task, I surpassed the task. And it isn't even the same book I was trying to write before. It took a whole new direction. It's better. And it is definitely something I am proud of.

When I was finished, it was a relief yet a disappointment. I didn't know what to do next. Sure, it needed to be edited but I was so involved with writing for the entire month, it was like the crash at the end of an accident. So I put it aside and let it sit for a bit.

I finally picked it back up. It was time to edit. Now one of the hardest tasks any writer can do is edit there own work. The story is inside them so sometimes it is as if they see words that are there but not really. It is nice to have a separate set of eyes to look at your work.

This is were Beta Readers come in. They are basically the second ones to view my book. And with their help, I hope to catch a few grammatical errors that I missed, timeline issues. or anything that just generally didn't come across right.

Let me tell you, it is nerve-wracking to wait it out. I handed out the book to someone else the first time on March 1st. They have until April 1st to get back to me.

This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It just goes to show, writers need to grow thicker skin. I feel so vulnerable.

It isn't like I haven't had my name in print before. I was a photojournalist for the Army. My name was in print every single week. It has also been in print in some magazines. I have also won a few Journalism awards as well. I know I can write. But this is an entirely different.

Writing a book is a BIG task.

And I feel more vulnerable. Not to mention my Beta Readers have, for the most part, been pretty quiet. I have heard some feedback, but not a whole lot. It makes me wonder.

• Did they start it yet?
• Are they liking it?
• Can they not get through it?
• Do I have so many errors they are struggling?

It is hard not to question. It is hard to wait. A big part of me doesn't want to know their thoughts until they finish. The other part of me wants to shake the information out of them.

I want reassurance. I want to know they enjoyed it. I want to know that it is good enough! I want their constructive criticism. I want to know that I invoked an emotional response from them. I want them to laugh and I want them to cry.

Yet in the end, I know this whole book is on my shoulders. It will be published. It is one of the advantages of going the self published route. It also allows me to not sacrifice my style. I don't have to change anything about my book unless it is a suggestion I feel comfortable with.

As is, I know I love my book. I think there are a few errors, but even if I were to hit publish on it right now, it wouldn't be anything I would be ashamed of. After all, writing a book is a hard feat. So many want to do it, and how many of them actually have?

Well, I did. 

For writing inspiration, check out
https://www.facebook.com/iwanttowriteabook

Short Month - Big Things

February was a big month for me. Things just started falling in place. Needless to say, I am excited.

The first thing that happened this month is I finally got paid out by Swagbucks. If you aren't aware of Swagbucks, you can check it out here, but mainly it is a program that pays you for various activities that you can cash in for prizes. I cashed mine in today for 100 Big Ones.

I won't lie... it took me awhile. However, I didn't put a lot of effort into it either. I used the search bar, did the daily poll, did the No Obligation Special Offers (NOSO), and occasionally watched a video. Stuff I probably would have done anyway. And look - I earned money from it. It wasn't instantaneous, but then again, I didn't attempt to do anything bigger to earn more faster either.

On top of that, I also finally hit the payout for Google Adsense. If I didn't say it took forever, I would be lying. That's another 100 bucks right there. What can I say, it has been a profitable month.

I believe my blog is what really pushed it over the top. I can look at trends and frankly, the money I was pulling in from Hubpages, very little of it went to actual Google Adsense because I was using the Hubpages ad program.

When I first signed up for Adsense, the pennies came in slowly. I almost gave up thinking I would never see payout. But, it finally happened. It was worth the wait, even though hopefully the next payout will come much faster.

February was also a month for awards. This month I received not just one, not even two... but 3 Liebster Awards. I don't know if I should be excited about this or cry. Mainly because this is an award for those beginning bloggers who have less than 200 Followers.

Either way, it is a great honor to bestowed upon. The rules of the award are:

• List 11 random facts about yourself
• Answer questions the previous blogger tagged you with
• Nominate another 11 bloggers deserving of this award
• And thank the bloggers who gave you the award.

Well, this month - I am breaking the rules. I am not doing any of it. Except of course thanking the people who nominated me.

Thank You Jennifer from JenJen's Soapbox of Parodies - I am truly humbled that you thought of me.
Thank you Terrye from The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan - I will pay you that $5 next month.
Thank You Susan from Everything Susan - It is an honor to be on this path with such great writers.

The only thing I ask, if you know a fellow blogger that you really think deserves a shout out, give it to them. Show them how much you enjoy their writing style. After all, those words of encouragement are what makes writing all worth while and it might be the thing they needed to hear to go on one more day!

But with all those great things happening this month - there is one thing that beats out all of them.

This is the first month, my book has been in the hands of someone else!

Playing around with book cover ideas...

Last night, before I headed to bed, I emailed out 4 versions of my manuscript to my Beta Readers. This is the very next step before publishing.

I never dreamed how much of a nerve-wracking feeling this was going to be. Sure, I have had people read my stuff before, but for some reason this is different. I am much closer to this story than any other short article I have ever written before. I am much more sensitive about this, wondering what people's reactions will be.

Will they like it?

I don't know. But what I do know is this book has consumed thousands of hours, plenty of tears, and at least 100 cups of coffee. I also know that I have talked to people about my characters in depth like they were real people. It was as if these characters really existed in my mind. And now, I feel like I am exposing them to the outside world for the first time.

It is scary but I know in the end it will be worth it.

So as we sit, I am anxiously awaiting to hear something... anything... from my Beta Readers. A snippet, even if it is something small like ... "Wow - you sucked me in right away. In fact, people started to call for a search party because I was missing on Facebook for too long!"

Yet, even though I am anxious, I know it doesn't matter how fast they get back to me. The book will be published on Mother's Day 2013, even if it were to be done tomorrow.

But I am on my way. It won't be long before I will be able to say, "I published a book!"