Do you love books? Fiction? Non-fiction? Did you know that by leaving a review for the author will not only help the author, but will also tell other readers about the book?
I am guilty of the sin of reading many books but not formally reviewing enough of them. As a published author I need reviews on my books, and have been taking mental notes while reading to do exactly do that more often.
So how do you review a book? Here are a few tips to help you out.
And while I am on the subject - our writers' group anthology will be published in June 2014, and we are asking for 50 people to volunteer to review for us. We have had people already asking for the ARC (advance review copy) but there are more copies available. Please let me know if you are interested. You can read more about the anthology and how to contact us here.
Showing posts with label special. Show all posts
Showing posts with label special. Show all posts
Monday 21 April 2014
Saturday 19 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: Q is for QUESTIONS
Friday 18 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: P is for PLUS 1
On
this day, 18 April 2014, I can claim to be married for twenty years,
16 days, and no, I have no idea how many hours. It is actually quite
amazing that I had remembered the date for this post. Yep, my husband
is the one that remembers dates, I am useless when it comes to these
things. I am good with numbers, but not dates.
Hopefully
hubby won't mind being a Plus 1 for a few moments, so let me tell you
a bit about him. His name is Francois Venter and he is an engineer
too. We went to the same high school, but didn't date back then since
we are not the same age (I am two years older). We started dating at
university and got married in the week that he had a birthday and got
his degree – trust me, it was a real busy week that year!
We
worked together for the first few years of our marriage, we shared an
office with two other engineers, before our careers started
diverging. He still works as an engineer, while I branched out into
consulting and project management.
His
passion is photography, and he is very good. Biased am I? Maybe, but
the awards, red ribbons and medals that hang on the walls in my
living room, all agree with me on that score. You can see some of his photographs here.
The
funniest thing is however the two of us going to the shops, typically
on a Friday evening after work, to stock up for the next week. We
would traverse the isles - him pushing the trolley, me picking out
food – and then we would whine and complain and chat about our
workday. I mean who doesn't do that?
The
two of us however, talk about weapons and bombs and explosives and
firing trials and stuff like that. Since I work in the military
industry, and he works at a commercial company that designs and
manufactures detonators and blasting equipment for mines, our talks
are normal – for us.
For
everyone else shopping with us, it might sound like we are planning
the end of the world. It is really funny watching people's faces if
they overhear our conversations. Of course, we don't talk about
classified things – commercial companies have those too – but it
remains a treat. We vent on each other's shoulders, and our audience,
well, who knows what they are thinking?
Who
is going to win the rugby on Saturday? Probably :)
Thursday 17 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: O is for OBSIDIAN
Image Pinterest |
Obsidian
is a shiny, black piece of volcanic rock. I chose this for my O post
in the Challenge because I have recently read a book by my favourite
author, Nalini Singh. The title is Heart of Obsidian and I have once
again confirmed her as my favourite.
The
story is part of a series, but I am not going to go into those
details. Heart of Obsidian is the story of Councillor Caleb Krychek.
You meet him in some of the earlier books, and no, he is not a nice
guy. In fact you believe him to be the worst of the worst by the time
you get to this book.
And
no, he doesn't suddenly become this cute guy that likes teddy bears
and plays nice with the kids. The author never deviates from the
character established in earlier books and that is one of the things
I loved about the story.
But
can bad guys be misunderstood? What motivates him? What drives him to
do the things he did? Can someone like him find love?
If
you like paranormal romance this Psy-Changeling series might be right
up your alley. And Heart of Obsidian? I loved the story because it
delved into the deepest darkest recesses of the human (Psy?) mind to
find the one thing that can, and sometimes will, motivate us to
commit murder.
It
is not a pretty and fluffy hero story, but it was different and an
out-of-the-box romance. If you read as many romance books as I do,
you will find this story unusual for the genre. I couldn't put it
down and sacrificed many hours of sleep to find out if Caleb could
find love before it was too late.
My
rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Wednesday 16 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: N is for NANOWRIMO
April
and July presents the opportunity for anyone who wishes to write a
novel to 'practice' for the main event in November each year.
CampNaNoWriMo as the events in April and July are known, differ slightly
from NaNoWriMo in that you can set your own target with a minimum of
10,000 words. It might sound like a lot but if you break it down into
a daily target, it is an easier target. How difficult can it be to
write 10,000/30 = 333.3 words (okay, make it 334) every day for 30
days?
The
benefit is that you get into the habit of writing, you can plan to
write everyday and if you get ahead of your target (which is always
recommended) there is less pressure when the dreaded deadline looms.
And
these events are fun. There are local groups and online groups and
the best thing of all is the support given by everyone taking part.
Not
a novel writer? Why not write a collection of short stories? I have
found that a Plan B, the short stories, is an excellent way of
writing for this challenge. You never know what ideas might crop up
that could be explored in a novel.
My
work schedule is especially nightmarish this year, but the one thing
that I add to my calender on January1st, is NaNoWriMo
- and Camp is the best preparation there is.
Tuesday 15 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: M is for MY LIFE STORY
I bought a book a while back,
with the title on the cover, My Life Story. No, it is not a novel or
a self-help book, it is a blank journal that you can use to
write...my life story.
It has enough pages for 100 years of your life
and the manufacturer of the book states that if you have filled this
one up, they will give you a new one for free. Ha, I don't know how
many people live past a hundred years, but it is a nice sentiment I
suppose.
I bought mine when I was in
my forties already, so there is a lot of my life that still needs to
be penned down. The hard part is what do I include and what is way
too boring to even mention. And the most important question: when am
I going to find the time to write the details of the years before I
bought it?
To alleviate some of this
problem, I decided to stick to my adult life. My childhood was fairly
normal, and happy. Where I recall a particularly happy or memorable
event, I could always pen that. Wasting pages of paper just to say
that I passed this grade or read that book, would really be dull
anyway. Not that I can remember every single book I have ever read in
my life.
I even bought special
lightweight sketchbook for a drawing or two for this book, since it
has a blank page for every year for a photo. I don't have many
photographs of myself, being a bit camera shy and all that. The
drawings will also serve a double purpose to alleviate the urge to create - for the artist in me.
Have you considered writing
your life story, even if it is only for your own family?
Monday 14 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: L is for LETTUCE
This underrated vegetable deserves more attention than the
afterthought slash limp leaf
decorating the corner of our dinner plates.
It is a low fat and low cholesterol food, containing essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need.
A few years' ago I had read an article
that said lettuce contains a trace amount of arsenic. My friends used to
joke that I am probably the only person alive that will die of natural
arsenic poisoning, because I do love my lettuce. Fortunately, I doubt
that I will ever eat so much of it that it would pose any risk to my
health. I like other foods way too much to ever live on lettuce alone.
In
the meantime I have done a little more research and found out that the
levels of arsenic in lettuce is about the same as for any other
vegetable. The levels in the vegetable depends on the levels found in
the soil where it is farmed. It is not unique to lettuce.
Since arsenic can be harmful, soil levels are monitored where necessary.
So here is to many more years of BLT samies!
Please tell me I am not only one that thinks that lettuce is more than rabbit food!
Saturday 12 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: K is for KRYANE
Image from Pinterest |
Also taking part in Camp
NaNoWriMo during April, I am working on finishing the first draft of
my third novel in the Nations of Peace Series, Michael's Mystery. It
is also the second Grandmaster story of the series.
Michael is sent to
investigate a series of serial murders that took place in KEEPER OFTHE DRAGON SWORD. His bosses, the Lords of the High Council, sent him
to Kryane to find out what motivated these horrifying murders and to
help bring the responsible person to justice.
Unlike Xa'an - the planet
where GERA'S GIFT and KEEPER OF THE DRAGON SWORD took place, Kryane
is mostly a desert.
The planet is divided into
four continents: Kyrja (the largest), Ananla, Prochi and Lirtyni (the
smallest). The four continents are surrounded by two oceans, both of
them very cold and only supporting a limited number of species of sea
creatures. The ice caps are frozen solid and the prevailing winds
make them uninhabitable to mammalian life forms.
During his investigation
Michael finds himself trapped with Andesine in a sandstorm and he
learns that life in a desert environment is more challenging than he
realised. The inhabitants of the village of Amer guard their water
supply jealously. The villagers also grow their own food, but to
enable them to do that they have to work in greenhouses that can also
be hazardous to them because of the heat.
But these are people adapted
to living in a desert. The fabrics and styles of their clothing
suit their environment. They are prepared for sandstorms, but are not
lax when it comes to cleaning up afterwards. The villagers living in
Amer appreciate and support each other as their lives invariably
depend on it.
Now only if Andesine was so
easy to figure out. What are the secrets hiding behind those red eyes
and how much does she really know about the murders?
Friday 11 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: J is for JOURNAL
If you had browsed my blog, you would have
noticed the tab, Linzé's Mischief. It is public journal where I write
about things happening in my life. April aside, where I undertook to add
more of me into my blog posts, the journal is just a way for me to
express (read whine) myself about the stuff in my life.
I do have a private journal (not sharing that, ever!) and a writing journal. My private journal is online (I use the paid version of Penzu, with the full encryption suite) while my writers' journal is something I write by hand. I find that having at least one paper journal helps to satisfy my creative urge to write with a fountain pen, or a quill - depending where I am at the time. Quills and ink are not as mobile as a fountain pen ☻
A while back I started a group journal for my writers' group where the members each have an opportunity to write a little something about their experiences in the group and the projects that we undertake together. As group leader, I also note the names of the members, add new names and note names of members that have left the group.
A thought struck me about four weeks ago: why not write a diary for a character in one of my books? A character from a series or a bundle - to allow for some time frame of experiences.
As someone who cannot resist a stationary or book shop, I have a large collection of blank journals. I dusted one off, and started writing.
It already allowed me to "see" into the mind of the character and I get to understand her better. She is Alice, and she is the female lead in an erotica series where the stories have to be read in a specific order. And in case you are wondering, yes, some of her fantasies are part of the journal, and they are enacted in the still-to-be-published books. I haven't decided on the time frame yet, but I am not letting that stop me from exploring this new tool in my creative writing arsenal.
Do you keep any journals? I have found that even my private journal helps my creative projects. What are your experiences?
I do have a private journal (not sharing that, ever!) and a writing journal. My private journal is online (I use the paid version of Penzu, with the full encryption suite) while my writers' journal is something I write by hand. I find that having at least one paper journal helps to satisfy my creative urge to write with a fountain pen, or a quill - depending where I am at the time. Quills and ink are not as mobile as a fountain pen ☻
A while back I started a group journal for my writers' group where the members each have an opportunity to write a little something about their experiences in the group and the projects that we undertake together. As group leader, I also note the names of the members, add new names and note names of members that have left the group.
A thought struck me about four weeks ago: why not write a diary for a character in one of my books? A character from a series or a bundle - to allow for some time frame of experiences.
As someone who cannot resist a stationary or book shop, I have a large collection of blank journals. I dusted one off, and started writing.
It already allowed me to "see" into the mind of the character and I get to understand her better. She is Alice, and she is the female lead in an erotica series where the stories have to be read in a specific order. And in case you are wondering, yes, some of her fantasies are part of the journal, and they are enacted in the still-to-be-published books. I haven't decided on the time frame yet, but I am not letting that stop me from exploring this new tool in my creative writing arsenal.
Do you keep any journals? I have found that even my private journal helps my creative projects. What are your experiences?
Thursday 10 April 2014
AtoZ Challenge: I is for INTERVIEW
Interviews of my fellow writers are coming up in May and June as part of our launch of the STORM anthology. They are Carmen Botman, Richard T Wheeler, Charmain Lines, Natalie Rivener, and Vanessa Wright.
Wednesday 9 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: H is for HOBBIES
Most
creative people, at least the ones I know, do more than one creative
activity. Writers paint or knit or take photographs. I am the same. I
like to paint abstracts in acrylics, and
have recently discovered the
pleasures of oil painting. My latest canvas is 60" by 20"
and was inspired by a book I bought with the lead glass window
designs of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Cleo's Collar by Linze Brandon |
I also dabble in counted
cross-stitch, where I prefer patterns of 20,000 stitches or more.
Even designed my own pattern or two upon occasion.
The weirdest thing I do is to
decorate my writer's journal. I keep personal journals online (with
serious encryption for privacy) but let out my need to "sticker"
and draw in my writing journal. I have also seemed to inspire at
least two of my writers' group members to start doing the same.
My non-creative hobbies
include fly-fishing. I mastered the technique in minutes, and have
been known to catch a trout or two. It is not something that I get to
do very often, but there was a promise made that Hubby will book us a
weekend break in trout season, and then I can go indulge this need of
mine to cast a line. He prefers to take photographs, but the scenery
is so beautiful that I don't blame him if he spends most of his time
with his camera instead of his fishing pole.
I also like archery. I don't
do it competitively, only socially, if there is such a thing. I like
the discipline and enjoy spending hours shooting arrows in our back
yard with my compound bow. Yes, it is a weapon and the arrows I use
can inflict fatal wounds, but safety is always of primary concern. So
much so that I have trained my dogs to always remain within my line
of sight, but not in the direction in which I am shooting the arrows.
I have shot arrows at
water-filled balloons and big red apples for my husband and the
resulting photographs were rather spectacular.
I am also a Manchester United
football fan, but have not had much time to watch any games this
season. As captain of a Superbru group of fans, The Broomstick Gang,
I like to think I know my game, but so far this season, my team has
not been playing up to expectation. Maybe next season?
Do you like sports? Do you
have any non-creative hobbies? I like these activities for relaxation
only, but have had a moment or two of inspiration for a story. Does
this happen to you?
Tuesday 8 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: G is for GUEST Post
All the guru's tell you that guest
posting on other people's blogs is a good idea to grow your exposure
- build your audience (if I may use the buzz words). While I like for
other people to have a good word or two on my blog, I am rather
hesitant to spread my words all over other people's blogs.
Am I shy? No, quite the opposite. The
reason has to do with the masses upon masses of information in
cyberspace. Why keep on repeating the same stuff over and over, and
many times it is not even re-packaged to be better?
But when I am offered such an
opportunity, I would rather share a lesson learned. Some lessons come
at a high price. Where I as an indie author can save another or
aspiring author, time, money or prevent a mistake due to ignorance,
it is time and words well spent.
See my latest lesson learned and backup plans for STORM, a project of the Pretoria Writers' Group coming in
June.
If you would like to be a guest on my blog, I have a theme of TIME MANAGEMENT this year. Please contact my by leaving a comment here, on a message on Twitter (please use #LinzeB in the tweet) or Facebook.
I would love to have your perception, tips and tales on this very important topic in any person's life.
Monday 7 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: F is for FAVOURITES
When I made a list of my A to Z Blog Challenge posts, I promised to
add a more personal flavour to my blog. So here is a list of
some of my favourites:
- Coffee: We all like coffee (it is as essential as oxygen to a writer) but my favourite is what we call an Americano here. It is known as a Tall Black in other countries. Yip, espresso topped with hot water. I drink it at home too - simply can't live without the stuff!
- Vegetable: Ha, you didn't expect this one, did you? As a child I was a fussy eater, to my Mother's biggest frustration. No amount of bribing could convince me to eat veggies I didn't like...ever. But as a child and to this day, my favourite veggie is lettuce. All of the varieties, sweet to bitter - love 'em all! And am I still so fussy? Not at all. As a student I realised that I had nothing against the vegetables at all, I just hated them because of the ways they were cooked back then. When my Mother changed that (and she is a great cook, by the way) I converted with a smile.
- Colours: My favourite
colour is black. I wear black, sometimes with a splash of something
else, more than 90% of the time. The only time when I divert from that,
is for a practical reason: my job requires spending time in one of the
hottest parts of South Africa, and then my black clothing stays home.
My second favourite colour is purple. I get ribbed about that one quite often, since I had my hair coloured purple and blue. Which reminds me, it is time for another touch up.
What are you favourites? Favourite food, your all time number one spice to cook with, and kick-back to relax alcoholic beverage?
Sunday 6 April 2014
Voice Recognition Software and I: Part 3
As promised here is Part 3 of
my experiences using voice recognition software (Links to Part 1 and Part 2). At first I thought
it was going to be easy, I write therefore I can dictate, right?
Wrong. I might be the exception, but making the transition from
typing to dictating took longer than I thought.
For one I am not a talker,
meaning that I am not overly fond of hearing my own voice the whole
time. It took some getting used to, and it was easier when I was
alone at home. Once I got more comfortable with that stage, I could
continue doing it when my husband was home. Weird I know, especially
since I have been married to him for twenty years. But then again
human behaviour in unusual situations can be unpredictable.
Contrary to how it might
sound, it took me only about three days to overcome that hurdle, so
the writing flowed much easier by then.
Then came the scenes with
intimacy, and that is not just sex writing. Extreme intimacy can be
emotional and I have found that I get so involved with my characters that I
cannot dictate these words fluently.
Since I also write erotica
and the kind of language that can be associated with that, can be
difficult too. It slows down the flow of words where I had to spell words not in the software's dictionary. So I decided to type the words for those kind of scenes.
Fortunately, in erotic romance stories there are fewer sex scenes than people think.
The last and most difficult
thing that I had to learn was “writing” while talking. I can
think and plot and visualise my words while I type. It had been a big
hurdle to overcome to do the same while dictating. It is still not an
easy thing to do, and the software makes mistakes because of the way
that I dictate as a result.
It takes a lot of practice to
use voice recognition software and I will need to get back into it from
the start, since my preferred writing computer has been out of
commission for several weeks now. I have an old notebook that I have
been using, and it is perfect for type writing, if you will excuse
the pun, but it is not sufficient for the software.
If you decide to try out
voice recognition software, Dragon Naturally Speaking or any other, do allow yourself the time to learn to
use it properly. Find your groove with dictation by being patient
with the computer, it is truly only a dumb machine. Also be patient
with yourself and you will not be sorry when the words start flowing
by at least double your normal word count targets for the day.
I can type about a thousand
words per hour, but with DNS I upped that to 2500 without any
additional effort, after I did the training of course :)
I am happy with using Dragon Naturally Speaking and will recommend it to anyone who wishes to write by means of dictation.
Saturday 5 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: E is for EMAIL Subscription
If
you are like most of us these days, you are very selective when
subscribing to any email
list. And if you do there is either something
you get for free, or you like what the host is telling you. I can
already hear you thinking, what kind of freebie will be offered, or
epiphany am I going to tell to you about to get your attention, and get
you to subscribe--the answer is...neither.
There are many people out there offering all kinds of advice, or something like a free e-book to get your subscription, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are happy with your subscriptions and you have the time to read the ones popping into your inbox, then keep them and read them, otherwise why waste your time?
As you might know April is also the time for Camp NaNoWriMo and I am working to finish the first draft of my third novel, Michael's Mystery. While it is still an incomplete first draft, ie full of plot gaps and grammatical errors, I will let you in on sneak previews of what is to come, hopefully later this year.
You can read such a scene here and if you want to feast your eyes on more to come, now would be a good time to subscribe to my mailing list. And no, there won't be daily emails, neither weekly or even monthly. I have other projects going on as well, and respect that your time is as valuable to you as mine is to me.
What is the mystery that has Michael so intrigued that he remains on Kryane even after the court case?
Image: Pinterest |
There are many people out there offering all kinds of advice, or something like a free e-book to get your subscription, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are happy with your subscriptions and you have the time to read the ones popping into your inbox, then keep them and read them, otherwise why waste your time?
As you might know April is also the time for Camp NaNoWriMo and I am working to finish the first draft of my third novel, Michael's Mystery. While it is still an incomplete first draft, ie full of plot gaps and grammatical errors, I will let you in on sneak previews of what is to come, hopefully later this year.
You can read such a scene here and if you want to feast your eyes on more to come, now would be a good time to subscribe to my mailing list. And no, there won't be daily emails, neither weekly or even monthly. I have other projects going on as well, and respect that your time is as valuable to you as mine is to me.
What is the mystery that has Michael so intrigued that he remains on Kryane even after the court case?
Friday 4 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: D is for DREAMS
My post today is not for the kind of dreams that
we have in repose, but for those we have
awake. Daydreams, dreams of the future, dreams of what we wish to become. Even animals dream, but what distinguishes us from our furry or aquatic friends, is the ability to dream of what we want to be.
Of course, we cannot become birds flying about in the sky, but dreaming about it, made flight possible. We became...more.
In dreams we overcome our limitations, it is then up to our desire to make it happen. To be the more that we dream about. Whether it is to be a painter, a sculptor, a writer, a pilot or a teacher.
Our successes in achieving these dreams come with our commitment to make it happen. Our sacrifices, some big, some small, to do the time will determine our level of achievement.
How do you define success? Fame? Money? Recognition?
Do I see myself as a Nobel laureate? Hey, that would be nice, but that is not what I need to be happy as a writer.
I write, therefor I am a writer; therefor I am happy.
I do not write full-time, reality dictates that I have financial obligations that needs to be attended to, but I make the time for my dream. What I sacrifice to make it happen, is what makes it worthwhile. That is how I define success.
You can read more about my dream - Chasing the Dream
Do you still chase your dreams?
awake. Daydreams, dreams of the future, dreams of what we wish to become. Even animals dream, but what distinguishes us from our furry or aquatic friends, is the ability to dream of what we want to be.
Of course, we cannot become birds flying about in the sky, but dreaming about it, made flight possible. We became...more.
In dreams we overcome our limitations, it is then up to our desire to make it happen. To be the more that we dream about. Whether it is to be a painter, a sculptor, a writer, a pilot or a teacher.
Our successes in achieving these dreams come with our commitment to make it happen. Our sacrifices, some big, some small, to do the time will determine our level of achievement.
How do you define success? Fame? Money? Recognition?
Do I see myself as a Nobel laureate? Hey, that would be nice, but that is not what I need to be happy as a writer.
I write, therefor I am a writer; therefor I am happy.
I do not write full-time, reality dictates that I have financial obligations that needs to be attended to, but I make the time for my dream. What I sacrifice to make it happen, is what makes it worthwhile. That is how I define success.
You can read more about my dream - Chasing the Dream
Do you still chase your dreams?
Thursday 3 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: C is for COURSE
Fiction
writing is my passion, but to some extend so is teaching. For a long
time I didn't realise that it was exactly what I had been doing when I
worked as a consultant - I taught people the requirements for exporting
their products.
In case you were wondering, I would make a terrible school teacher, but sharing knowledge, that is a different story altogether.
Last
year I wrote non-fiction for NaNoWriMo in November, and found it more
difficult than fiction writing for that particular challenge. My project
is the development of a Course for Indie Writers, that includes
everything except writing. There are many local and international
courses on creative writing and another is definitely not needed.
The
course is aimed at the South African indie author, because the stigma
of "traditional is better than indie", is very much alive and kicking in
this country. Sad but true.
With the exception of one or two
small details, the course can pretty much be used anywhere. The manual
for the course will be published to be more accessible to a wider
audience, but it is still aimed as part of a three day face-to-face
interaction.
I have learned loads of things on my journey as an indie author, and hope to keep learning more.
If you have any pearls of wisdom, or useful links, to share, please do not hesitate to add them to the comments.
Wednesday 2 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: B is for BLOGGING
Of all the possible B's that I could have chosen, biography, bomb or broken heart, blogging was the first that came to mind.
Twitter recently celebrated its eighth year in existence by asking people to re-tweet their
very first tweet. It was fun to see that at least my first was worth another RT ;)
So I had a look at my first blog post (you can see it here) and tried to recall where the name Butterfly on a Broomstick came from, and to be honest, I don't think there was ever a reason for the name. It just popped into my head and it stayed. In fact, I like it more now than I did when I came up with it!
I like the idea of promoting other people's books. Not that I have the time to read them all, which is a real shame since I love reading. My own reading list today is more than a hundred books long, paperbacks and e-books. Sounds terrifying even to me, then again I can't wait to read the next one.
I don't often post reviews, but when I do it is because I really liked a book. I love romance and it takes a really special story to get me out of my normal routine to write a review. There is one coming soon - a romance that was the complete opposite of what you would expect - and I love those.
I do share some personal experiences from time to time, but keep the private stuff, private. Is my life that interesting that people would want to know every single detail? I doubt it, so I keep to the things that could be considered interesting, such as parts of my country that I travel to that are not part of the regular tourist beat.
I am still working on convincing my husband to drive, instead of fly, to our annual holiday destination this year. Why? Because I have never been to the country and would like to see some parts of it besides the nature reserve where we will be going on a photographic safari. Which reminds me, I really need to get my passport renewed.
Which blog(s) have you found to be the most inspirational or useful to you? Please share the link in the comments, it might just be the site that someone has been searching for ☻
Twitter recently celebrated its eighth year in existence by asking people to re-tweet their
very first tweet. It was fun to see that at least my first was worth another RT ;)
So I had a look at my first blog post (you can see it here) and tried to recall where the name Butterfly on a Broomstick came from, and to be honest, I don't think there was ever a reason for the name. It just popped into my head and it stayed. In fact, I like it more now than I did when I came up with it!
I like the idea of promoting other people's books. Not that I have the time to read them all, which is a real shame since I love reading. My own reading list today is more than a hundred books long, paperbacks and e-books. Sounds terrifying even to me, then again I can't wait to read the next one.
I don't often post reviews, but when I do it is because I really liked a book. I love romance and it takes a really special story to get me out of my normal routine to write a review. There is one coming soon - a romance that was the complete opposite of what you would expect - and I love those.
I do share some personal experiences from time to time, but keep the private stuff, private. Is my life that interesting that people would want to know every single detail? I doubt it, so I keep to the things that could be considered interesting, such as parts of my country that I travel to that are not part of the regular tourist beat.
I am still working on convincing my husband to drive, instead of fly, to our annual holiday destination this year. Why? Because I have never been to the country and would like to see some parts of it besides the nature reserve where we will be going on a photographic safari. Which reminds me, I really need to get my passport renewed.
Which blog(s) have you found to be the most inspirational or useful to you? Please share the link in the comments, it might just be the site that someone has been searching for ☻
Tuesday 1 April 2014
AtoZ Blog Challenge: A is for ANTHOLOGY
I can almost hear you roll your eyes, when you saw the word
anthology, since I have been going on and on about this project of our
writers' group launching in June this year.
And when I came up
with the idea for the letter 'A', that was exactly what I had in mind.
However, when I sat down to write this post, something else came to
mind. In fact, for the purpose of this post, A stands for Friends.
I
am not the kind of person that makes friends easily, nor do I go around
accumulating thousands of friends on Facebook. Maybe I am not as
likeable as I think I am - no, I wasn't fishing. What I am trying to say
is that a writers' group can be more than just people with a common
interest. We do not have to live in each others' pockets, but we can do
things. We can create things. And we can create together.
Enter the anthology.
As
enthusiastic as I was when I came up with the idea, there had been
hurdles to overcome. Big ones and small ones, and writing ones too. But
we did. We pulled together, and the passion we have for writing, and the
project is increasing.
Yes, the stories are done. Yes, we are in
the process of final formatting for e-book and print publication, but it
is not the end. There is marketing to be done, and books to be promoted
and launches to be arranged. And we are working towards doing that.
Together.
Friends.
In May I will introduce you to each of my
awesome friends. Guess what? We wrote a book together. It is called
STORM and it will be available soon.
Do you like to read? Do you support indie authors? Why not help us tell the world about STORM. Check out the details and join in the fun...here.
Do you like to read? Do you support indie authors? Why not help us tell the world about STORM. Check out the details and join in the fun...here.
Monday 31 March 2014
A to Z Blog Challenge Coming to the Broomstick
I am taking part in the A to Z Blog Challenge in April this year.
There will be a post everyday, except Sundays, where the corresponding letter of the alphabet will inspire the post of the day.
There will be more personal posts, and you are welcome to leave a comment or ask a question at any time.
Here is my list for April :)
1. Anthology
2. Blogging
Hope to see you around!
|
4. Dreams
5. Email subscription
7. Favourites
8. Guest Posts
9. Hobbies
10. Interview
11. Journaling
12. Kryane
14. Lettuce
15. My Story
16. NaNoWriMo
17. Obisidian
18. Plus 1
19. Questions
21. Reviews
22. STORM
23. Twitter
24. Useful links
25. Vacillate
26. Words
28. Xa'an
29. Yoke
30. Zirda
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