Follow Me: Day 2 - Mashatu Botswana

Day 2 has been a busy day in the Botswana bush with lots to see and photograph. I also took some pics of our lodgings, but you cannot see much. Will see if I can do better tomorrow.

The sunset pictured came out quite well and I can see a painting or two in my future from these pictures.

Francois also took a picture of me. Yeah, not my best angle, but there I am. 😱

I have to make a backup too. Not many pictures so far, but backups are always a good idea anyway.

Hopefully more to see tomorrow.

PS: The wifi/internet is not reliable and you could be seeing this later than intended.

7 Blogging Tips for Fiction Writers

Original post on BookMarketingTools.com

(This post originally appeared as guest post by Linzé on the blog page of BookMarketingTools.com)

I have been blogging for a while and like many authors I thought that my blog had to be about writing advice. Recently I have made the decision that there are more qualified people (and bloggers) that can help with advice for other writers. I don’t mind helping people out, but writing advice is not my forte.
If you feel that you are in the same predicament, here are a few pointers that could also help you out:

1. Share a story. If you are a fiction author, blog a story. I want people to read my books, so what better way than to give them a taste of my style. Stories less than 1500 words are ideal for blog posts. If you are a novel writer, like me, then the short form is a challenge on the best of days. If you cannot write a very short story, start a blog serial – post the story scene by scene or chapter by chapter. (Example The Friendship Affair)

2. Share your knowledge. If you also write non-fiction, then post about your area of expertise. Don’t make the posts too technical. I love to learn new things, and if your post tickles my interest, it would be the ideal opportunity for me to ask a question or two. Engaging readers is what we are all aiming to achieve and what better way than to use your blog for it.

3. Be a professional. You are a writer, so make sure your post is edited before posting it. Of course, the odd mistake does slip in, but it is better if your posts are edited to be free of errors. At least, do a spell and grammar check the post before posting. If you are like me and don’t have an editor on hand when I write posts in the middle of the night, an alternative is an online option such as grammarly.com.

4. Write about your writing life. Readers (and new writers) also like to know how you manage your writing, where you get your ideas from, etc. Blog about that. Your experience can be inspirational to someone else, or help them if they stuck with a similar problem but couldn’t find someone to help out.

5. Write from the heart. There is nothing as irritating as someone who wants to come across as being superior to their readers. Don’t do that, even if you write non-fiction. If you have a particular issue in your writing that you struggle with, blog about it even if you don’t have a solution yet. By doing that, you might engage with someone in the same boat, and together you can help each other. Be a real person, not a real jerk.

6. Join a blog support group on Facebook. I am fortunate that I belong to a group of awesome women who help out by giving feedback on each other blogs – posts, structure, theme and so on. I have established a relationship with them, which took time for all of us to develop. I can trust them to be open and honest, and they know they will get the same from me. While this group is for bloggers, not only authors, the benefits are there for all of us.

7. Share your posts. Some people in my Facebook group are still feeling their way around the blogosphere, and that is okay. This means that their posts are not open for anyone to read. As a supportive member of the group, I encourage them to publish and share especially if they get good feedback from the group. Sharing is important as it helps you to find more readers and followers. It also helps the search engines to find and index your blog for the reader looking for info or looking for something relaxing to read. Make sure you blog is set up that others can share your posts with their friends on social media.

There are many topics to explore when blogging, and you don’t need to feel compelled to do what others do just because you are a writer. This will be a good time to be different. Why not share some ideas of what you think writers should blog about?

Follow Me: Botswana Mashatu Day 1

And here we arrived to gorgeous weather and lovely people. A few kilometres before the border post, Pontdrift, we got a very nice surprise: a leopard crossed the road right in front of us. Of course, the cameras were stored and I was too slow with my cellphone, but it was a great sighting. Now we have to find the leopard with cameras in hand, and it will be a perfect sighting. 😝

So here is a taste of what we saw (and shot) today.

Tomorrow I will add some more pictures - still to be taken - of the venue and the outdoor shower. Yep, we have the opportunity to commune with nature...naked!

Now it's off to make backups of the day's efforts and get stuck into the next book I have promised to read for review. Until tomorrow!

Follow Me: Botswana Mashatu Day 1

source: Google Maps

The time for our vacation has finally arrived. We are packed - as usual camera gear first, and ready to go and have fun for five days in a game reserve in Botswana, our neighbour to the West.

When Francois asked if I wanted to go on another photographic safari, my answer was something like, duh! you have to ask?

It was planned and booked months ago, and I cannot wait. We need the break, and what better way to enjoy ourselves.

As with my previous trips away from home, I will try to post every day (internet access permitting) about what we were up to, and some of the shots we had taken that day.

Stick around, I think it is going to be a blast!

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality?

CHAPTER 18

The rest of the weekend she spent trying not to be depressed about everything. It was difficult, but she managed by keeping busy. She ended up having dinner with a girlfriend she hadn't seen in a while. Then she did some work on two clients accounts anyway and ended up painting her nails a deep rose colour.

It was the sexiest colour she had and afterwards, she smiled. Somehow she had made peace with her life. Marriage would not happen for her, but that didn't mean that she had to give up having a loving relationship. It would take a man of exceptional patience and understanding to be in a relationship with her.

By Wednesday, her life was back to normal. Normal being dull and boring.

Nick had called the previous day and asked that she meet him tonight. He gave her the name of a very classy restaurant.

“I made reservations for us at seven.”

She hesitated for a long moment but then decided that another night alone at home, was only going to drive her crazy.

A quick online search told her the restaurant had a dress code, so she had been staring at her closet for the past half an hour. Things didn't look better the longer she looked.

Oh, she had an outfit or six that was suitable, but suitable was no longer what she needed. She needed more. Glancing at her watch told her she had about four hours to find a dress before she had to get ready.

Car keys in hand, she didn't waste any more time. It was time to do something purely because she could. It was time to embrace life.

The story is also available on Wattpad

Linzé's Mischief: 8 May 2016

One book read and review done, and three more to go.

With our holiday to Botswana coming this week, I started packing today. Clothes sorted, so it is only the gear left. Gear in my definition includes my Kindle, my journal, a few sketching pencils, camera and of course, my computer.

I will probably spend most of my free time either writing or reading, but if the opportunity arises to make a sketch or two, I will be prepared.

Since it is a photographic safari, I will also be taking photographs with my husband. I asked if I could go as a 'plus 1' since these things are a bit pricey. The answer: nope, no plus 1 prices. So I am going as a photographer. Not that it will be torture to do so, I assure you.

And to make it even more fun, I will also be doing my usual Follow Me Tour on my blog, so keep an eye out during the week for those posts - internet access permitting, of course.

I did the 23rd of the 24 forms in my Tai Chi course this past week. With one more form to learn, I am very happy that I started this martial art. While I had been practicing the last few weeks, I had an idea for a new series of books. I made notes of my idea, but I will not be writing them until the stories already on my todo list are published. It is exciting though to look forward to a new series, with one series coming to an end.

Project JOURNEY is also in the final month for the authors to complete their stories before the formal editing starts. Three of the authors have already completed their stories, with the remaining five busy with their final touches.

I will be interviewing the authors taking part in the project with me, so keep an eye out for those posts coming in June and July. I asked each author to tell us a bit about their story, just to whet your appetite for what is to come.

Also part of the interview, you will get a peek at the cover of the book as I will be using it as the banner graphic for each interview post. To see the whole cover, you will have to wait until the ebook is ready to be revealed to the world - planned for October 2016.

On that note, I have more editing to do.

Until next week!

The Friendship Affair

Not all long lasting marriages are happy. But what do you do if divorce is not an option?

University friends, Stephanie and Nick, meet again after twenty years. But life has not been easy or simple for either of them. Will this friendship affair stand a chance against reality? 

CHAPTER 17

Stephanie parked the car and looked in the rearview mirror. Quickly digging inside her purse for her trusty backup kit, she fixed her hair and applied some lipstick.

She was dressed in jeans and lavender blouse, but it would have to do.

Taking a fortifying breath, she got out.

She followed the nurse to the social area. It was only called that because visitors were allowed here, but there were still several nurses and assistants keeping an eye on the patients.

She spotted him in a corner, reading. It was the one thing he still loved, despite the illness.

He stood up when she approached and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He had never been overly affectionate, especially in public.

It took her a moment to get her emotions under control. He seemed so...normal. Casually dressed in jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt, it was as if they were having a quiet afternoon at home. But it wasn't normal.

“How are you?”

She offered a genuine smile. “I am well, thank you.”

“Are you still coping with the business?”

She never told him about selling it and saw no reason to upset him now. “It is doing well,” she replied. It was no lie. The new owner had kept her services as the forensic accountant, so she knew the business was doing well. Much better than she would have done.

He nodded. The silence stretched for a few moments, but she was reluctant to ask any questions since the simplest things could upset him.

She made the mistake once to ask him how he was doing. Very bad idea.

So she waited.

Eventually, he talked about his mother and his sisters, and she just listened. She knew he didn't remember how they treated him, so she said nothing. She also knew they had never visited him. Visitors were required to register and the primary caregiver, her in this case, had to give permission for visits. She had never been asked.

“Would you do me a favour?”

“If—” She caught herself in time. “Yes, of course. What do you need?”

He leaned forward and took her hand. “Promise me you will get married again? You need someone to take care of you. You always wanted children, remember?”

She refrained from saying that she had been taking care of both of them for almost twenty years and that she was past the age of diapers and homework. Instead, she smiled and squeezed his hand gently. “If it will make you happy.”

If she hadn't been watching him, she would have missed the moment when his eyes changed. Quickly releasing her grip, he nonetheless jerked his hand away.

“Who are you?”

Swallowing the helplessness, she got up and backed away.

“What do you want?!”

His shout caught the attention of two nursing assistants, and they rushed over. They didn't ask questions, only took care that he didn't hurt himself when he tried to pull away.

Another nurse came closer and put her arm around her shoulders.

“Come, dear, there isn't anything you can do.”

She nodded and wiped her eyes. “I know. After all this time...”

She didn't say more and allowed the nurse to escort her back to her car.

“It will be okay,” she nurse said as they reached her car.

The woman left to get back to her duties. She sat in the car staring out of the window for long minutes. The nurse had it wrong. Some things will never be okay.

The story is also available on Wattpad