Author: admin

People hate computers. Come on, admit it. There a necessary nuisance as far as you’re concerned.

So when I mention I’m in IT, you roll your eyes and say “Better you than me.” Or something like that. Right?

Here’s the thing. Me and machines don’t get along. At least we didn’t. I can cause a radio to go all static-y by just walking in the room. But me and computers? Different story.

Now, I’m not an expert in all things computer. But I’m definitely above average. Not bad for someone who didn’t touch their first computer until she was over 30 years old.

Thing is, I’m not afraid of them. Just like I know how to break them, (and I have broken a few)  I know how to fix them. To me, it’s fun It’s the logical side of my brain analyzing a problem and figuring out how to resolve it.

So what would I change about my industry? Same thing as I do on a regular basis. Help the end user understand what how they can use all that power at their fingertips. I don’t expect everyone to be able to open a computer case and understand all the bits and pieces inside, but they should be able to make an effort to understand the programs they use on a regular basis. For example, they don’t have to hit Caps Lock to make a capitol letter, that’s what  the shift key is for.

Is it scary? Sure, at first. But, as in many things,  too many people aren’t even willing to try.And that’s what I would change.

Let’s find out what our other authors would change by following the links below.

October 16, 2017 – Things you want to see change in your industry.
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“

Thank heavens for the internet. When I started this process of being a writer, I relied on magazines as a source of information. Anyone still subscribe to Writer’s Digest? Or Coda? (now Poets & Writers)

That was back in my poetry writing days, and they were a lifeline. Inspiring articles, success stories of other writers, lists of potential markets. All things I would have never found  on my own.

Then I started writing books and everything changed. The list of literary magazines I haunted on a regular basis held no value anymore. I needed a list of agents and instructions on the proper way to type up a manuscript. At least that’s what I thought.

Then I signed up for my first writer’s newsgroup through Yahoo. I thought I might get some tips on writing as well as information on how to submit a query. What I got was so much more.

I’d vaguely been aware of ebooks, but hadn’t seen one. I still made my weekly or so trips to the library to get my reading materials. The first few electronic books I downloaded were enjoyable reading, but I missed the feel of paper in my hands. (And still do!)

When the first discussions of indie publishing came to my attention, I followed them with curiosity. Then interest. I could publish my books without an agent or a publisher? I didn’t have to
change my stories to fit someone else’s boring standards?

Eventually I discovered other writers on Facebook. And on-line critique groups. And sites where you can check your work for spelling and grammatical errors. And free blogging sites (Like this one! Thanks, blogger!) And so on and so on.

So thanks, internet, you’ve been a great help.

*****

Here’s a few links a starting author might be interesting in.


prowritingaid.com/Free-Editing-Software.aspx

https://www.grammarly.com

http://www.critiquecircle.com/default.asp

Now let’s go find out what everyone is using!

“October 9, 2017 – My favorite business resources.
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I suppose some people wouldn’t consider my favorite charity as a charity at all. They consider it more of a club, but it couldn’t exist without contributions from lots of people.

I grew up wearing brown and then green with this organization. As a teen, I spent summers as both a volunteer and a paid employee working for this group. I was lucky enough to be able to move on to being an adult volunteer first and a paid employee later.

It was with this group that I learned my love of nature. The trees, the hills, the sun and the rain. I learned how to build fires and how to put them out. I hiked trails and helped build them where none existed.
.

I learned self-reliance and child care and how to manage money. Through this organization, I got to  explore cities and places where I’d never traveled before.I got to have relationships with adults that weren’t my parents and be more of an adult myself. And yes, I sold cookies.

It was on a camping trip with this group that I first decided I wanted to grow my hair long. One of the adults on the trip-another girl’s grandmother- always wore her hair in a braid that was wrapped into a bun. Very old fashioned. But one morning she took it down to comb it out and it was the longest, most beautiful silver hair I’d every seen. I’ll have hair like that some day.

So here’s to the Girl Scouts. Still my favorite charity. I know they’ve been having some tough times lately, but I hope they stick around for years to come.

Now let’s go find out what charities the other authors like.

October 2, 2017 – Talk about your favorite charity and why it’s your favorite?
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I don’t claim to be the most business-savvy author you’ll ever meet. In fact, I’m still learning. But the toughest lesson I’ve learned is that it takes money to make money.

For the most part (and there are rare exceptions) writing a good book isn’t enough to make you successful. There are lots of good books out there, and it’s tough to get noticed in the crowd. You can try all the free sites in the world and sell a few books, but that won’t support your writing habit.

Then there are other places that charge varying degrees of money to publicize your book for you. Usually the price of their advertising matches the size of their audience. The bigger the number of their followers, the more money you have you spend to get listed with them. But there’s a reason that authors buy promotions with those sites—they sell books!

I’m not going to give you a comprehensive list of sites that will publicize your books. A quick search on the internet will give you that information. Two moderately priced ones I had good luck with are E-Reader News Today and Robin Reads. Each costs around $50 to promote a book in the mystery genre.

There are also services that will send out tweets to their followers and others that will post to groups on Facebook for you. Some offer to promote your book across a wide range of social media. What you do depends on how you want to reach your target audience.

So if I had to start over, I’d make sure I had a “bank” to use for paid promotion services. I know it may seem unnecessary after sinking money into editing, formatting and a professional cover, but it’s worth it.

And that’s my 2¢ worth. Now I’m off to learn from my fellow authors!

September 25, 2017 – Tell us your biggest business lesson learned. If you were to start your writing career all over again, what would you do differently?
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I’m tickled to help out a friend with her cover reveal today.It’s her next book in the Enforcer series.

Ryleigh, take it away!

Reveal Date: 9/19/2017
Blurb:
She was too broken and I couldn’t save her.

I’ve survived multiple deployments to places that just hearing the name makes people cringe. I think nothing of attempting to save lives when they have the most impossible injuries, all while sustaining my own wounds. I’m a medic, a healer, a helper, a fixer. I must do this to conceal my dark, scarred, broken soul. I loved her beyond reason even though I knew I could never have her.

Now I’m dragging myself back to the light, the land of the living with the help of my friends.I need to find her. The one who will be my rock. My heart. But to find her, I have one more battle to fight.

This one will be the most difficult yet.

Links:
https://twitter.com/ryleigh_rhodes
https://www.facebook.com/RhodesRyleighAuthor/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35431235-j

Photographer: Kruse Images and Photography – https://www.facebook.com/KIPmodelsandboudoir/
Cover Artist: Rebel Edit and Design – https://www.facebook.com/rebeleditdesign/

Hashtags:
#AuthorRyleighRhodes #EnforcerSeries

First, let’s get one thing straight. The difference between a recession and a depression.

A recession is an economic downturn characterized by an uptick in unemployment. They normally at least 6 months. A depression is more severe and may last years. There have been 8 recessions since 1960, according to The National Bureau of Economic Research. Bet you didn’t know that! I didn’t.

So surviving a recession isn’t so hard, especially if you are lucky enough to keep your job. Here’s a few things you can do beforehand to get ready for one:

Keep your debt as low as possible. I get it, that new gadget is really hard to resist . But do you need it? Is it worth buying now and paying interest for several years? Interest is low right now, but it might not be in several years.

Stash some cash. Forget what the experts say about saving enough to cover several months of your expenses, that’s unrealistic for many of us. But save something. Every bit helps.

Remember the old saying—waste not, want not? I had a friend who used to throw away things that were old but not broke. (She’s not a friend anymore.) She didn’t want to be bothered with storing them (which I understood) or donating them (which I didn’t understand.) We as a society are too quick to discard things. I’m a strong proponent of recycling and believe that might save us some problems down the road.

But what to do if another recession hits? First off, don’t worry about maintaining your current lifestyle. That may be a losing proposition. Instead, figure out a new lifestyle that is sustainable Can you live on unemployment and food stamps? (in the US)

Grow your own food. Well, not all of it, but start with fresh vegetables and spices. Even if you live in an apartment, there are some you can grow on a windowsill. Eat out less and cook more.

Live simpler. How many pairs of shoes do you need? Same goes for everything else you buy. How many TV channels can you watch at once? In fact, turn off the TV and read a book (and save electricity at the same time.) You can borrow them from the public library for free.

Learn how to fix the things you already have. Sew on a button or change the hem yourself instead of taking that outfit somewhere else to be fixed. By the way, bartering is a way to get goods and services without spending money and it works. What are you good at that you can use as a bargaining chip?

Like to travel? Take day trips instead of week long trips. You’ll still need to buy gas but you’ll save the cost of a hotel room.Or, go primitive camping. See nature from the ground up.

How wold you adapt to a recession? Tell me in the comments. In the meantime, let’s hop over and see what the other authors have to say.

September 18, 2017 – The Great Recession. We have probably all heard of if not lived through a recession. If a recession occurred today, what would you do to sustain your lifestyle? What changes would you make?
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From Her Ladyship’s Ring, Book 2 of the Oak Grove Mysteries:

I never claimed to be good.

Blurb: 

Harmony Duprie is back, and so is trouble in Oak Grove.

When a man is murdered in the back yard of the old Victorian house she is remodeling, Harmony is determined to locate his next-of-kin so he can be put to rest properly. But with her ex-boyfriend Jake out of prison, back in town and one of the suspects in the murder, she takes on the challenge of solving the crime.

With Eli, her current love interest, in Florida and Jake close by, old emotions come back to haunt her. Can Harmony clear Jake’s name and solve the mystery of her own heart?

Her Ladyship’s Ring is available at these retailers:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQE31S2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121692446?ean=2940151639064

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id982884469 




https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-ladyship-s-rin

Some events are burned into our memories. The moon landings. The Kennedy assignations. We use them to mark the passage of time. For me, one of those was 9/11.

The day started out normally at the state agency where I was employed. The beginning of the day paperwork and barrage of phone calls. The smell of a plethora of cups of coffee in the air and the chatter of coworkers as they settled into workday echoed in the hallways.

And then, the mood changed and the whispers started. Something about a plane crash in New York City. Into a building. Our boss pulled a TV out of his office and moved it into an empty room where any staff member could stop by and catch up on what was going on.

Then a second place crashed into a nearby skyscraper. All pretense of work ended as we tried to keep up with the rapid flow of incoming news.

When a plane crashed into the Pentagon, I couldn’t believe it. I’d always thought of the Pentagon as indestructible. But then, I’d never imagined anyone crashing a plane into it.

Unlike some of my coworkers, I hadn’t started crying yet. I was too stunned to process my emotions. And then the South Tower collapsed.

When word came of another plane being hijacked, we were all sent outside. Not that our small office was a likely target, but all the government facilities in the state were being evacuated as a precaution. Some of us sat in our vehicles and turned on the radio to listen to the news.

And that’s when I panicked. All they knew was the fourth plane had crashed into a rural area in Western Pennsylvania. And that was all they knew. My family lived on Western Pennsylvania in a rural area. I couldn’t even go back inside the building to call them. Luckily, one of the other employees had a cell phone and she allowed me to borrow it. (Daytime calls were limited back in those days!) I was able to get through to my mother and check in. All of my siblings were safe—including the one that worked in the DC area— although she was still waiting to hear from some nieces and nephews.

We did get to go back inside after awhile. I don’t remember much work getting done that day. Not that anyone cared.

The images of people covered in ashes walking away from the disaster site will forever stay with me. I feel blessed that no one I knew was killed in the attack.

Let’s find out what the other authors remember about the day.

P.S. To all my friends and acquaintances throughout Florida—may you stay safe and may your electricity come back soon!

September 11, 2017 – Where were you and what did you do when you heard about the 911 attacks? What did you do to move on?
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There’s a lot of things I’m forgiving of when it comes to reading books. The occasional typo. (Like one or two in an entire book. Not one per page! ) As an author, I know how hard it is to track those things down and I’m willing to overlook the occasional slip.

I’ll forgive a slight slip in logic especially in fantasy and science-fiction. After all, you have to be able to suspend reality to read those stories.

There are a few things I can’t forgive.

Many years ago, when I wasn’t working out of the house, I’d watch a soap opera—more to have noise in the house than to follow the story line—and then I realized that one night in soap opera time had eaten up over a week in real life. That was the last time I watched the show. Time slips in books do the same thing to me.

The beginning of the page it’s morning? And by the bottom of the page the characters are eating supper? And there’s been no break in the conversation in between? Imaginary points deducted. Depending upon the story, it may be what drives me to close the book and never finish reading it. Sorry, I can’t tell you what book that was so you can avoid it. I’ve driven it out of my memory.

Another thing I despise are books for teenagers that try way too hard to sound cool. (See what I did there?) Sure, teenagers use slang, but I’ve never talked to one that every word that came out of their mouth was a fad. I’ve talked to a lot of teenagers and guess what? Most of them use the same words as you and I.

One more. If you are going to write a series, you must have a different plot for each book. Don’t rehash the same story over and over. The heroine gets kidnapped in book one? She’d better not get abducted in book two. The dashing hero overcomes his past trauma and rescues the lady and falls in love with her all in one book? Maybe book two the heroine should rescue the hero!

And please, even if you are writing a series, don’t write a cliffhanger at the end of the story. Give us closure at the end of the book. You can leave enough open questions to make us want to read the next book without leaving us dangling. I’ll refuse to by the next book out of sheer orneryness.  (That’s not a word, I know! It should be.)

‘Nuff said. Let’s find out what everyone else has to pick on!

September 4, 2017 – As writers, we’re also readers. What is a common mistake you see in many books? Offer suggestions for making a change. You can even share a paragraph from a book and correct it.
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Food—one of my favorite topics. There’s a running joke that I should have been born Italian because my favorite food is just that—anything Italian. Spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, you name it.

What I don’t claim is to be a good Italian cook. I don’t make my own sauce or pasta. It always tastes better when someone else cooks it.

But I’m also a fan of comfort food. Old-fashioned cooking that clings to your ribs and fills your tummy. Chicken and Dumplings. Beef Stew. And I’ve got some great recipes. Granted, some of them are better suited to a cold winter’s day rather than the log days of summer, but it’s almost September already, and snow isn’t too far off in these parts.

Here’s my take on Hamburger stew:

Hamburger Soup

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef (or substitute ½ lb hot Italian sausage for an extra kick)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups shredded cabbage (I buy the pre-shredded cabbage. It cuts down on the preparation time.)
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 tbls minced garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups beef stock ( I usually use more)
½ tsp seasoning salt
½ tsb basil
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the beef, onions celery, garlic and pepper until the meat is no longer pink. Add the cabbage and cook together for a couple of minutes. Drain. (I find it easier to add most of the vegetables after draining the fully cooked meat.) Add the seasoning.

Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to a stock pot, add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Mix. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-45 minutes and serve. (I like it with shredded cheese on top.)

I’ve used both yellow and green peppers at the same time to give it some added color. I also like to add sliced carrots.

Serve with some freshly baked bread and you have a real treat. (Don’t make your own bread? Me either. I hit up my favorite grocery store bakery and warm up a loaf for a few minutes before serving.)

This is just as good as leftovers as it is the day you make it, but you may need to add some additional beef stock.

I wonder what our other authors are eating. Let’s go find out!

August 28, 2017 – Favorite Foods. What are your favorites, something you could eat weekly or more often. Feel free to share a recipe.
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