When Life Gets Rocky, Add Some Scotch

Karen DeLabar has a diverse blog that covers everything from from twitter tips, to shoes, to snowboarding. Each post is independent, lively and enjoyable. With so much variation, though, do you find one topic is more well received than another?

I started blogging last year with a friend of mine, Susi Nonnemacher. Our intention was to write posts focusing on writing: how we write, what we write, what inspires us and the like. Before we decided to split up and blog on our own, we had a very good following and reception in regards to the topics we were writing about. However, my best received posts were ones where I put more of myself into them. Posts about my family, my crazy antics (like leaving the house without any pants on… by accident, mind you) and other personal stories brought not only people to our site but the comments, too.

With my own site I don’t really have a theme; I probably should and I guess if you press me for one it would be: me. I’m not a person with one niche. I’ve tried to write about one thing and I went batty. My posts became stale, sterile, and boring. I get inspiration from anything and any one, be it for professional or personal reasons. If it’s interesting to me I’ll share it. My two best received posts last year was one about how to be a person on Twitter and not just a book seller and the other was about my scare with breast cancer. One professional, one personal. So, I guess you could say that people like my diversity, which is good, because I’m too lazy to change. :)

Podcast of the Day

Instead of a blog, I thought I'd recommend a podcast. Writing Excuses features three novelists and one webcomic artist. All have experience crafting stories and they have a lot of advice as a result. The blog has a slight SciFi/Fantasy bend, but in general, their advice can be transferred to all forms of writing. If you've never given it a listen, try Mary's Outline, a two-parter where they break down an outline Mary Robinette Kowal wrote for a middle grade novel.

Lost Post

Today's post was supposed to be an interview with Rebecca Clare Smith and her Flash Fiction contest #SatSunTails. However, it seems my phone deleted the post. Please visit the blog and participate and I'll have the interview here next weekend.

Blog of the Day

Today's Blog of the Day is Daily Writing Tips. Mark Nichol is another blogger whose brain I would like to pick. How does he know exactly what I don't or what I'm struggling with or what I'm frustrated about in other people's writing? His brief posts contain etymology, colloquialisms, vocabulary additions... everything a writer could want when smithing words into a story. If you aren't already following Daily Writing Tips, you should. Perhaps today is a post  you nod along with and think, "yeah, I knew that," but tomorrow or the day after will be the post when you go, "Crap! I've been doing that WRONG?!" Trust me, this is a blog you don't want to skip.

My current theory on where he gets his posts? I believe he is a copy editor. My guess is he finds something that made him grind his teeth and that became the next post. What your guess?

Carla Croft: What turns you on?

Carla Croft is the author of Letters Around Midnight (available on Amazon). Are the Letters Around Midnight anthologies of short stories or a series of novels? What else would you like us to know about them.

The Letters Around Midnight books are anthologies of stories as related to me, the main character. There is a brief introduction of the person making the confession, or the situation, and then I change the point of view to be about the confessionee telling their story. The tale then wraps with a short dialogue between the characters. I do try to develop the character of the confessionee in some way. I don't always manage it. But, I do feel that it is important that the story is not just about peg A in hole B. People have said very nice things about the way the stories work, which makes me happy.
At the end of my books, I always put in a short note to the reader. I ask them to contact me to let me know if they enjoyed the book, what they liked, what they didn't like. It's important to me. I want to write better and the people to tell me are the people that read my stories. I am working on some new projects at the moment which change the direction of my writing slightly. It will involve me much more as a character in the book. It's something I've avoided so far but I am so excited about the way they are shaping up.

Your blog obviously comes with an adult warning. What drew you to erotica?

I've always been a sexual person, so I suppose erotica came naturally into my life. I can find anything around me to be erotic. First of all, I find myself moved by any number of things, not necessarily erotic; but then once I find my emotions have been stirred, I get moved emotionally and then erotically.

You refer to everything from Lesbian BDSM to Threesomes and sexual health. Are any topics taboo? Do you have a favourite?

I haven't really thought about taboo subjects. It's probably that I think about what to write, rather than what not to write. If I had to have a taboo it would be non-consensual sex. I love bdsm, but even that comes with a consent at it's heart. Rough sex is okay too, but every partner has the right to say no at any time for any reason, it doesn't have to be definable or even consistent. In my mind no is no, period.
Do I have a favourite? I get really turned on by what I am writing, otherwise there is no point. If I am not moved then reader will not pick up on what I am trying to relate. So, it's a bit of a cliche, but my favourite topic has to be what I am writing right then and there.

Blog of the Day

Janice Hardy has a varied and interesting blog. My favorite feature is the Real Life Diagnostics. Each week, Janice takes a segment of a work in progress (around 250 words) and gives all of us a glimpse into her red-pen mind. She points out what she likes, what she doesn't like, suggests changes and through it all EXPLAINS why she does what she does. Each one is packed with great advice. Between Diagnostics, the blog is populated by other writing advice, most recently First Look at a First Draft caught my eye, and guest posts from other authors. I hope to be able to interview Janice about her blog in future, but in the meantime, check out her blog. It's a mine of information. You can also follow her on Twitter.

D.F. Krieger - Interview with Author, Editor and Blogger

Welcome Deadra! Thank you so much for answering my questions on Blogs and Blogging. I'm sure your answers with benefit other bloggers just starting out. To begin, your blog has two weekly features: Must Read Monday and Writer Wednesday.


How do you choose your books for Must Read Monday? Do you have a list of books you've already read that you choose from? Do you prepare your post in advance?

I often use books I've edited, though occasionally I will post some I've purchased and read for pleasure. My Must Read Monday is actually booked full up to a month in advance. I usually write the blog the day of, or night before. I'm terrible with not pre-writing blogs, but half the reason is because when I write them, that is when I also post them in author/writing/reading groups.

Blog of the Day

Today's blog is a great source for Desktop photos, greeting cards, blog backgrounds... you name it. Beverly Everson takes wonderful nature pictures that highlight and contrast colour, texture, and the beauty that is life itself. My favourites are the pictures that feature the small, ladybugs on wheat or tiny flowers, her lens captures them all. Add this to your follow list! http://beverlyeverson.posterous.com

Serendipity would have it that I asked Tonya Cannariato for an interview on the day her novel, Dust to Blood (available on Smashwords and Amazon), releases. It's also the twentieth (or so) day in her A to Z challenge. I've noticed a few blogs accepting challenge, but Tonya's was the first that caught my eye. I wanted to know how challenging it was and if any letters in particular gave her trouble.
Your A to Z challenge is drawing to a close. Which letter did you find the most difficult to post?

Probably J, because this was meant to be all on a specific theme (in my case, my upcoming book release), and there wasn't anything that jumped out at me in terms of characters or themes that were J-related in my book. There is one scene where the protagonist comments about locally made jam, so I ran with that. Z is going to be similar--there's a "random" tourist stop to see where Tzar Nicholas was killed. And X is a Russian word that would normally be transliterated to begin with H, but the Cyrillic letter looks like X and the sound is one of those throat-clearing gurgles that could just as easily be x-related. They all make me feel as if I'm cheating a little, stretching what's in the book to match the A to Z theme.

Do you have the rest of the alphabet ready to go, or are you still working on a few of the upcoming letters?

I sorted out the final five letters a little over a week ago. I'm OCD enough that it was keeping me awake at night not to have a completed plan, so I went back and forth with friends and family asking for help on some of the harder letters. My Z option was actually suggested by a new Twitter friend.

Elicia Seawell, Shadows and Blogs

Our next interview is with blogger and author, Elicia Seawell. She is the author of Shadows. Her blog is https://emseawell.wordpress.com/ and she can be found on twitter as @thatpanicgirlee. Her next book, The Tarot Diaries is being published by Rebel Ink Press.

How do you choose your blog topics? Do you have a schedule set in advance? 

Choosing my blog topic all depends on my readers to be honest. For example, when a dear friend released a book, I tried to help her promote it. I normally just do it on the fly though depending on the day before or something I’m working on. I’m super unorganized but it seems to work for me.

Your blog covers a wide range of topics. Do you have a sequence in mind?

I try to find a balance of myself and my work while helping indie publishers get notice. Of course the main reason for the blog is self promotion but I also try to help others in the process.

Paris is a Person, not a Place

Who is the filthy one?

Here is a person who, when I asked if I might interview him for my blog replied, "I'll be on your filthy blog." I couldn't be happier that he did, though I could debate how filthy my blog is compared to someone who runs over his own groceries.

I haven't been following Paris long, but he has made me giggle, chuckle and guffaw. His blog ranges from daily anecdotes (see picture) to current events. You can find his blog at http://thoughtsfromparis.com and he's on Twitter (@tfphumorblog) and Facebook.

I began by asking about Paris' relatively recent decision not to write his posts in advance.

When I first launched the blog I needed every post to be a perfectly constructed story. Each word was scrutinized and manipulated for jokes to be most effective. I would rewrite posts ten or more times before publishing. Then I realized that seeking perfection was causing me to only post when I had a great idea—which was almost never. I would only write once a month. I knew I needed to build improv muscles if I wanted to really commit to this thing. I challenged myself to write every day in January—not to hit home runs, but singles and doubles every day. It was very difficult, but I believe I succeeded. Then I just kept going. Now I'm in month four without a miss, I'm proud to say. And I hope I don't come off like a douche, but I don't think I've written a bad post yet.

For example, I have NO idea what I'm going to write about tonight. Let me do it now—hmm—oh, I just found some weird bite on my inner thigh. Okay, I just took a picture of it. It's super gross. This will be a great post. There, now you have insight into my writing process. Brilliant, no?

Eww

Fink Studio & Ethos

Welcome Desiree Finkbeiner, author of Ethos: Morning Star. Let's start with a little about your book and its protagonist. 

Desiree Finkbeiner

She’s a normal college girl until she has an accident that warrants a trip to the hospital. Her injuries heal quickly and her lab results are off the charts. It’s a mystery as to why bizarre happenings are overshadowing her, until Kalen, the hero, enters the picture.

He reveals to her an ancient prophecy that transcends time and the planes of existence, challenging her take on reality, and Brianna is thrust into a race for her life. With the balance of their worlds at stake, Kalen takes Brianna to his world, where he can better protect her.

During their perilous adventure, they find themselves facing the ultimate choice. They are tempted by forbidden love, knowing they can never be together, but it’s that same temptation that leads them to find their greatest strengths.

It’s a story about integrity, duty, agency and self mastery. My series is a call to action; to act or be acted upon. It’s about choice, the very thing that makes us superior beings… and the same element that can ultimately lead to destruction, if not exercised wisely.

Where can readers find you?

On twitter: @finkart
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/finkartstudio
On Google+: https://plus.google.com/116389190274070035894

Blog of the Day

Another quick blog of note. Vicarious Lines features very personal stories and experiences. I hope to contact the Storyteller and find out where and how she lines all these people up. They are diverse, disparate and very interesting! This is an excellent blog that should definitely be followed.

The curator can be found on Twitter as @kungfupussy

Interview with YogaChikk

My first post was a recommendation for YogaChikk's blog. At that time, I already knew I wanted to interview her. Following her blog for a time, I'd seen the variety and depth of her posts and knew hers was a blog to emulate. In order to help myself and other bloggers, I asked her some questions about her blog and her process. She has been wonderfully generous with her time and input. I think you'll find the answers enlightening. In case you missed it, her blog can be found at http://http://yogachikk.blogspot.com. 

1. Do you plan your blogs in advance? How far in advance? i.e., do you have next week's posts ready? tomorrow's? none? 

 Actually, I don't plan my blogs in advance. I usually sit down in the evening to write and I have no idea what the topic is going to be, so I look for inspiration...from either pictures or from people on twitter that may have a request. Sometimes, if I'm feeling very creative, I might write 2-3 posts in one night and then post them over 2-3 days. However, that doesn't happen all that often. Mostly, I just wing it on a day to day basis! 

2. Your themes seem vacillate nicely. You'll go from very physical posts to more emotional/relationship based ones. Do you have a ratio you aim for? Or is it more organic than that? 

I actually do try to intermingle relationship posts with more physical posts...I don't have a ratio, I go with what feels right. If I'm getting tired of writing about one, then I switch it up and write about the other. I want people to come to my blog for sex AND relationship advice, so I have to give both. 

3. Do you have any taboo topic? Have you already found a topic you will not post about? 

I will not post about beastiality or anything that has anything to do with underage sex. As a parent and a human being I simply can not and will not write about these topics. 

Free Advice

I'm still working at incorporating the wealth of information I've found on Novel Publicity's site. They definitely have the tips and tricks a blogger needs. If you haven't already, check their page out.

Blog of the Day

For my first blog post, I thought I'd keep it simple but spicy. I've been following YogaChikk for a while and her blog is amazing. Great advice, hot pictures, wonderful ideas. Perfect for beginners and the experienced alike. I hope you enjoy it!


Naughty Time