Friday Inspirational Photos - TSO

Since there wasn't a lot of publishing industry news outside of Amazon's announcement that they expected to sell 2 million less Kindle Fires than expected (and the fact that my husband and I both had the flu this week - the one time every five years we get sick!) I decided to end Christmas week with more photos from our seventh Trans Siberian Orchestra concert earlier this month. Enjoy!

Choose Your Own Apocalypse Blog Fest and Friday Christmas Photos

Choose Your Own Apocalypse Blog Fest, hosted by Apocalypse Now and The Warrior Muse.

You see, while many people think the world really is going to end on Friday, the 21st, most of them can't agree on HOW. Will it be an alien invasion? Zombies? Collision with a mighty meteor? The super flu? Solar flares? Oh my, there are so many ways the world could conceivably end, but what we want to know is how you, yes YOU, think it will happen.

The rules are simple:
1. Choose your apocalypse
2. Sign up on the linky below
3. Tell us how you prepared for your survival amongst everyone else's demise
4. Describe your apocalypse and how it's going down
5. Make sure the badge is displayed on your blog
6. Visit your fellow survivors and see how their world ended
Other than that, make it whatever you'd like!

Since I am a big Lovecraft fan, choosing my apocalypse was easy!

An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean will rip a chasm in the ocean floor. Those dwelling in the great city of R’lyeh will awake from their centuries of slumber. Cthulhu himself will lead the millions to the surface, where in a single day they will wreck havoc across the earth. Those not killed will go mad at the sight of Cthulhu, Ithaqua, Servitors, and other monsters.

How have I prepared? I’ve been in contact with the Great Race of Yith, intelligent beings who have conquered time through the ability to send their minds across eons and inhabit new bodies. Many dwell among us and I have convinced them to take me with them.

And should it all go bad, I intend to enter the Dreamlands and take my chances there!



Fortunately for us, this is as real as Cthulhu gets:

 

Everyone have a Merry Christmas!

People Skills for Writers

Online, writers don't lack for tips when it comes to grammar, punctuation, storyline, and book promotions. But one aspect that's overlooked is people skills. And not just for writers - think how much better this world would be if people skills were taught in schools.It's part of the foundation for success. (In my book, Overcoming Obstacles with Spunk, it's one of the Five Keys.)

I cover people skills in my upcoming How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now. They can help us handle situations like this:

• The reviewer who hates your book.
• The overbearing fan who asks too many personal questions.
• The bookstore manager who rudely says no to a book signing.
• The author who makes a snide remark about your genre.
• The interviewer who attacks you with questions.
• The writer who has no interest in purchasing your book but pumps you for information.

(You can probably think of a thousand more situations that might induce the urge to throttle someone. Resist!)

It all comes down our reputation. It's slow to build up, but one's reputation can be destroyed in a instant. All it takes is one moment of poor people skills to join the ranks of "Authors Behaving Badly."

Have you been in a situation where you had to stop and think before reacting? One where you almost said or did the wrong thing? Or have you witnessed a bad people skill moment lately?

The Hobbit Blogfest, Déjà vu Fest - Setting up a Blog Tour, and Friday Photo

The Hobbit Blogfest, hosted by Tyrean’s Writing Spot and M. Pax. We are to answer a couple questions in celebration of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

What is your favorite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?

I’d like to say their penchant for fun, but it’s probably their short stature and big feet. (I’m 5’3” and wear a size 10 - men’s.)

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

I’m all about the thrills - give me the perilous journey!

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)

I’m always forgetting things on a trip. I remember buying some really cool candy while staying with a friend. It was supposed to be a gift for the next person we were visiting. We drove off and left it in my friend’s fridge. (At least she enjoyed it.)

What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

It’s been so many years since I read the book, I can’t think of a particular part. Always enjoyed Smaug though.

Next is DL Hammon’s Bump-Déjà vu Fest. We are to repost something from this year that maybe didn’t get a lot of attention. I did a two-part series on setting up a blog tour, and while Part I received a lot of traffic and comments, Part II did not.

Conducting a Blog Tour - Part II

After six blog tours of my own, there are a few things I have learned. This is a continuation from Part I - Setting up a Blog Tour:

Dates are set, you have your topics.
What happens leading up to, during, and after your tour?

Before tour:

List your upcoming tour on your blog and website.

Make sure you know exactly what each host expects and wants.

Prepare all guest posts and complete interview questions. This should not be something you rush through - it will take time. Go over these several times, looking for errors. You don’t want mistakes or poorly written guest posts.

A week or more before your tour begins, send your hosts all information, including:
Guest post/interview
Short bio
Short book blurb
Links to your site and where to purchase book
Jpg images of your book cover and a promo photo if you have one
Your book’s information - price, ISBN, genre, etc.
Html code or link to book trailer

Confirm dates, information received, and time of post with all hosts.

During tour:

Post link to tour stop on your blog and all social sites. Entice your followers, readers, and fans to visit your host’s site.

Check your guest post several times a day and respond to comments. The key to a successful tour is your interaction with the host’s followers. And remember, no matter what is said, remain positive. Even if your stop that day is a review and it’s not the most flattering.

Check back on earlier stops, as some people will comment late.

Be sure you have made it easy for people to follow your blog and other sites. (Because you should gain during a tour.)

After tour:

Thank each host!

For sites featuring giveaways, be sure to get winner’s contact information for sending books or passing along to your publisher.

Thank your followers and fans for keeping up with your tour.

Continue visiting your host sites. If you never visit again, you are sending the message that you were just using them.

Problems can arise at every stage of your tour, so be prepared:

Hosts that forget to post on time. (Or at all.)

Hosts that are indifferent or don’t interact with those who comment.

Incomplete posts or links that don’t work.

Hosts that continue to make demands or complain even after your guest spot.

(Sometimes things happen. All you can do is learn from the experience and avoid problematic hosts in the future.)

Your tour is successful if any one or more the following happens:

Your book sales increase during or after a tour.

You are exposed to a lot of potential readers.

Your own sites gain followers. (Hits are good, visits are better, followers best.)

Now who is ready for a virtual tour?

Part I

And your Friday inspirational photo from a recent Christmas lights hayride: