I. WILL. HAVE. ORDER!!!

Think if I say that enough times it will happen?

This may give you a feel on my mixed feelings about order

So first I want to throw out a HUGE congrats to those of you who survived and thrived A to Z last month. I missed it in a lot of ways, but I would have been a loser poser who managed posts but not the getting around, and that just isn't fair—not in the spirit of the thing at all.

But now it's May.

And going forward I think I need a bit of structure. I don't really LIKE rules and such, but I've been too scattered for two long and I think I need this to get me going again. So the blogging plan going forward is THIS:


MONDAY: Blog with writing related theme.

THURSDAY: blog a little more personal, which for me is usually silly, but can sometimes be soapboxy, depending on if my soapbox is too sudsy (just got to rinse those suckers off now and then eh?)

ADDITIONAL POSTS: for extra stuff: promoting friends if they need it, IWSG, or straight out news.

But I wanted you to be able to count on original thoughts twice a week no matter what. I know I missed yesterday (today is Monday in my world—I traveled last week for work), but for the foreseeable future, this is the deal.

Speaking of writing...

I pushed send on Rescue Squad yesterday. This is Book 9 of A Shot in the Light. Once upon a time I thought I'd post the last installment this week, but at the time I thought there were 10 so I'm not as behind as it seems. Ten should post in May, 11 in June and 12 in July.

By Friday I also hope to have published the COLLECTION of 5-8, for anyone who wants hard copies or is behind and wants a bit of a deal ($2.99 for 4 books, rather than the $3.96 they'd be separately).

Speaking Speaking of Writing...

BuNoWriMo starts in less than a month. For any of you wanting to do a WriMo in the summer, my writing group will embark on our 5th this year and we invite any of you who wants to join. It doesn't preclude you from joining Camp NaNoWriMo. It is just a Facebook Group that makes it all a little more personal. If you are interested, you can join here.

Humbled

I passed a milestone on my blog yesterday that I can't ignore.

This makes me SO GLAD I only had two children

One third of a million blog hits since my counter went up in October 2009 (so it's missing about 5 months of data). Now when I search my stats, I realize a lot of people come looking for strange things. The top search term at the moment is possum. (erm... must be the possum in our garage incident... Not THIS possum, thankfully, or we'd STILL be getting them out of there.). I'm a little disappointed my top term is no longer cabana boy, but whatever. I still am humbled by the number of people who have come through. I'm honored to be considered, and sometimes even read. In fact it makes me feel a little small to think how many people are out there. Still VERY excited.

*pops champagne *

My flag counter (due left) is another huge favorite. I've had visitors from 194 countries. My most recent new FLAG is Papua New Guinea, but I LOVE that I have more than a thousand visitors each from 16 countries. It says 58% of my visitors are from the US, which means 42% aren't. I love the international feel of that.

While the plain old hit counter climbs steadily and gives me a feel for traffic, this has always been my favorite one. I knew when I started that I had friends from all over, but I didn't know if I'd GROW from all over. And in fact I've done better than that—I really get a thrill to see a flag from a place I've never even heard of--that I have to search for on a map--and realize somehow somebody from THERE made it to my blog.


And finally, I've gotten a few new followers since starting the A to Z and it is WONDERFUL! Thank you so much to those of you who've joined. I try to follow back. I try to comment back. And if an exchange goes well for not that long, I try to make someone a part of my regular routine. I've had some trouble with my blog roll of late—when I try to add people, it freaks out and won't save. I think I may have too many blogs and it needs some cleaning... or maybe I need to add a second—If I classify them—writing blogs and others, maybe—then I can cheat and get all those I want up there. But if you've been HERE and I haven't been to see YOU, PLEASE poke me. I want to return the favor. I just sometimes get tangled in the wiring and people get lost in the intentions of it. I'm not nearly as organized as some of my friends around here, so I might need a shove.

Blogging 'bout Butts

To anyone new around here, you may not know this, but I should let you know before I frighten you. I'm sort of a nut. My first year with the A to Z event, I began the month with the intention of blogging about lovely man-butts every day (Admirable arses, beautiful buns, etc...). It's just sort of the way I roll. I try to keep things PG, but I decided early on that the only way I had a hope in heck of sticking out in this ginormous blogosphere was to be as ME as I could be. And what DEFINES me... what I am BETTER at than most, is I'm not afraid to play. In fact I love it. And I love to encourage others to do the same. Find what you love and who you are and RUN with that.

So blogging bout butts may not be YOUR thing, but I am paying brief homage to this history today with some LOVELY shots of beautiful buns.

I've often said I could watch Nathan Fillion fold socks and be entertained, but how awesome is it when you can watch him in FIREFLY and he gets naked on top of that!?  (WIN!)

 This might be a girl butt, actually, but it is an AWESOME tattoo.

This tattoo is a little more suspect in taste, but he wears it well...

This is a promo for Naked Sunday, something I'd like to encourage everyone to take up...

Some might call him a poser, but he can pose for me any day...

And finally, last but not least...

Oh, yeah...

Hope I didn't scare anyone too badly!

Have I Lost It?

(Did I ever have it?)


I probably could have used yesterday's whiny baby post for my Insecure Writer's post, but you know... if there is an excuse to whine again...

Most of you know by now that Alex the FABULOUS, along with a few buddies, run the 1st Wednesday Insecure Writer's Support Group. Because let's face it, we are ALL insecure.

My LATEST insecurity?

Have I lost my blogging prowess?

I mean... I know I still have FABULOUS blog friends. But in the last year I've lost comments per post.... I'm not sure what that is about. Being offensive? I somehow doubt it. I've been no more naked or honest than I've always been.

But I think I've lost my ability to keep on TOP of it all. I still feel like I try to comment on others regularly, but... maybe I've taken on too much? Maybe I'm not getting to people as regularly. My strategy maybe needs to be more organized. I feel like a buffoon. Like I'm failing. But it isn't taking me any less time. Have I lost my skills at this?

Oh, man, I hope this isn't true...

Or is the blogging community maybe... growing less slowly? But growing more quickly at the same time? What I mean is, are there new bloggers but not necessarily new readers? Or are readers not getting around as much generally? Has anyone else experienced this? Even work for diminishing gains?

I hate the sound of that... gains and losses for what really are friendships. I don't feel less close to anyone. Maybe that is because the relationships, once established, are THERE. But I have to say, I am impressed as all get-out with those of you who seem to get around SO REGULARLY. Often to many more people than I EVER could.

Anyway... love to all of you struggling. I definitely believe this is getting harder.

Eight Bloggy Squeeings...

On the eighth day of Christmas the Book World gave to me...

Eight Bloggy Squeeings...
Seven Activisms
Six Plots-a-Brewing
Five RE-JEC-TIONS
Four Steampunk Stories
Three Co-zies
Two Fabul-Agents
And the notice of a best selling book!

See... yesterday my counter hit a QUARTER MILLION hits... and I thought it was time for a little midweek party to celebrate... In fact I've got several related notes...

1)  To me a quarter million sounds pretend... like it's not a real number. Oh, sure. I realize at one point my shoebox of a house was almost valued at that (note in dollars though, that is more than four years' salary so it STILL seems pretend)... and of course that pesky detail it isn't even worth that much... see what I mean? Play money. So in terms of HITS... but still... that's a really big number!

2)  They have defined this as 110,000 UNIQUE views... now I get that that doesn't necessarily translate to PEOPLE—it is computer related, I think... so the fact I log on at work and at home means I am two (not to mention the dozen other places I've logged onto over time. Now I've tested, and I think ALL University computers count as the same, still, I am thrilled...

3)  Also related... my Flag counter claims people from 187 countries—do you know how happy this makes me? That is more than half the world! (in fact if only real countries were counted, I think it is more than 80%, but some of the flags are territories or something...) I wish I knew how many the program counted total.

4)  The countries I've had the most visitors are the US, UK, Canada, and Australia (of course—all English speaking) but I've also had over a thousand visitors from India, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, France and Brazil.

5)  My most recent new countries are: Madagascar, Andorra, Angola and Timor-Leste (all in December).

6)  It appears this number includes every country in the Americas, most of Europe, most of Africa and a lot (though I wouldn't guess most) in Asia.

7)  While I've been hovering in the low 600s in followers for more than a month, I feel pretty pleased with that number. Oh, I know there are friends hitting the thousands, but I love my followers! (and there are also the Facebook followers—246, though I know there is overlap there)

8)  And of course I am completely proud that my number one search term REMAINS Cabana Boy. *sniff*


Any of the rest of you geek out on your stats? What is your favorite measure (mine is the flags, I think)

So have some champagne and a swim in the pudding pool! I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys!

Interview Intimidation

So I've been trying to expand my horizons on how I can help my fellow authors but for some reason this reviews and interviews thing intimidates the heck out of me.

So I thought maybe before I dive into the season where I've promised some half dozen of these various things, I would have a little therapy session with Yibus.

Why on Reviews

Well see, it's like this... There are a bunch of bloggers who write KICK-ASS reviews! They know stuff (and yeah, I know I know stuff), but they know stuff about the elements of books... the pieces that need to be there, the comparitive works, what books of the genre call for... A couple of my regular haunts that do great reviews include (but are by no means limited to) Leigh and Mason. And they just know how to review books!

How the heck is a hack like ME supposed to review books!?

But even more intimidating is the INTERVIEW

I've only done... two maybe... but I have three currently scheduled... I HAVE read one book, am READING one, and will read the other in August...

I guess the thing here is... I really prefer both the questions and answers to interviews where the interviewer is familiar, can ask original and relevant questions that are FRESH. I think the interviewee comes across better too—it is something that they haven't answered a thousand times, so the answers are more fun.

Anybody else intimidated by these things? Any tricks of the trade you want to share?

For the Record... What's Coming

Review: Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan: July 6
Review: South of Superior by Ellen Airgood (when it's written)
Interview: Harry Dolan: July 16
Review: My Fearful Symmetry by Denise Verrico (early August)
Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis (early August)
Interview: Denise Verrico: August 16
Review: String Bridge by Jessica Bell (November)
Interview: Jessica Bell: (November)


So if any of YOU have fresh unusual questions for any of my interviewees, I will be thrilled to consider them! (I'd actually love the help!)

[NOTE:  All this grumble is about MY inadequacies... these are totally skills I want to master, so THANK YOU for you fabulous people letting me give them a go]

[Also Wik:  I finished What Ales Me (first draft) last night:  Wordcount currently 55,148]

[Also also wik:  I love yibus!]

Cabana Boy for the WIN!

Photo of the elusive Alex Cavanaugh

Yesterday I went to check out my blogger stats and the NUMBER ONE search term for people finding their way to MY BLOG last week... Cabana Boy.

*sniff*

I'm so proud!

Number one referrer I've never heard of.  Anyone know anything about Social Elephant something something? But the number 2, 4 and 7 were various places from Alex Cavanaugh's site, so Alex, I owe you!!! (maybe I will let you claim you are the Cabana Boy pictured... though then your wife will have to learn how to fight)  Seriously though--you're the dude!


And I checked my flag counter recently, adding Laos for country #166!!!!!  Naked World Domination Tour is proving successful!!!  (in fact Russia was listed as my #2 country last week, which I ADORE, though confuses me, as no Russians leave comments--they must just be searching for Cabana Boys)

Further on the Naked World Domination front is THIS representative had to be rescued... apparently naked rowers should stay closer to shore, but at least he has the right spirits. I have no shame at all in claiming him as one of us.


Finally, today's REAL post is at Burrowers, Books and Balderdash, whereby I prove I'm insane. (so if you have any lingering doubts, you should probably head over there... goes up at noon GMT)


TOMORROW I am stirring up some CONTROVERSY!!!! Come on by and we'll talk about how art is ugly...

Elizabeth Rocks!

Okay, it may not look like it, but this theme ALSO began in Austin... well, it BEGAN when I decided to come out of the closet as a writer and stumbled across Elizabeth, but it was certainly reinforced in Austin.


The Austin Part

Stacy and I talked writing, quite a lot... It is to be expected... we have been friends about 6 years, but both of us just managed our first publishing contracts within the last year, so we paced and worked and toiled together, and now we are panicking together...

The first question, if I am keeping things straight, came when we were talking promotional plan... see... I signed on for a well-oiled machine, and have not yet been ASKED my promotional plan, where Stacy said it was a very stressful thing. My response? When the time comes, I am going to look and see what ELIZABETH does and I'll do that (certainly not so well, but it is a GOOD plan, and so I will aspire to it).

The next one... Stacy was bowing to my blogging prowess... because... you know... you guys are fabulous, and somehow you are all reading ME... (of course I am reading most of YOU, too...) but Stacy said she didn't know how I blogged almost every day. “Do you know anyone who blogs every day?” And you know what? I DO! Elizabeth!

I only wear glasses to see...

The last one I remember, though I'm sure there were at least a few more... we were waiting in line to go through the metal detector into the capitol (didn't even manage to be frisked—RATS!) and Stacy brought up taxes... and did I know you could deduct your writing space... and I said, “Well of course I know! From Elizabeth!”

We laughed considerably that Elizabeth was the answer to every question, but in a way that was full of admiration and fun. It's nice to be able to find all the answers in one spot.


The Primary Lesson

You see... I can be a little flighty (mostly memory stuff) but I have a pretty firm grasp on what I know and don't know. It became clear VERY FAST after joining this blogging community that there was A LOT to learn...

You know what ELSE I know? It is FAR EASIER to learn from someone who knows what they are doing... someone open to questions when you need answers... rather than digging and sorting fact from fiction and having trouble finding the pertinent information.

source

The best move I made in this social networking thing was identifying someone doing everything right... someone generous with her knowledge... and following her around.

Her style and mine are relatively opposite, Elizabeth is helpful, where I am more the frivolous version. But it has helped me over and over and over again to know where to look when I am trying to figure something out.

Whatever it is you want to do, figure out who is doing it right, and go ahead... shamelessly follow, ask, praise... You will learn what you need... You will get something... THEY will get something.



How do I know that?

Among my ABNA friends I've had a few strokes in that direction—thanks for guiding... pushing, sharing... it feels good. It builds good will.

Writing, unlike other professions, doesn't HAVE to have losers to have winners. If we ALL succeed, the whole business benefits and we all win. It is one of the few places I've seen that competition really has great will between competitors. Today they are supposed to announce the ABNA finalists, and I will cheer and be THRILLED for the winners... I've had a really good ride. I've made a lot of friends, learned a lot... and honestly, I think I've helped a few people. It is a win for all.

And to everyone who says to me, 'holy cow! How did you get 500+ blog followers?' I am THRILLED to point at Elizabeth and say she showed me how.


Speaking of, Elizabeth has a book release next month as Riley Adams: Finger Lickin' Dead. Watch for it! (she is visiting here the 14th)

Divine Order

So I've been paying a fair bit of attention for a few years now... New authors launching social campaigns... Hopeful Authors launching social campaigns... And I've learned something YOU need to know...


Build Following FIRST, Book Launch AFTER.

Here is why:

1)  If you launch to promote, people will shun your one-trick pony, but if you launch when it's promotion time and FAIL to promote, the opportunity is lost. You need to prove yourself interesting in ABSENSE of promotion, and THEN launch... then the launch may in fact be perceived as ALSO interesting.

2)  You need to PAY IT FORWARD. Nobody has a reason to TRUST you will PAY BACK. If you start up for a promo, in fact, there is every reason to believe that's all you've got. If you promote OTHER authors first (for one to a dozen years) BEFORE you launch, you have collateral for others to shout from the rooftops (or car hoods, or gutters, depending on your audience) when it is your turn.

Work it! If you promote for others, let them KNOW! Otherwise... they don't KNOW! If you know what I mean... I mean surely it's good karma to promote books of others ANYWAY, but this networking thing works better if you reinforce the connections...


And while that is a WISE bit of wisdom I just shared with you, it is all I got today... and probably I will have nothing at ALL tomorrow, as I have a HOUSE GUEST coming! I will try to blog Saturday to make up for my negligence...

In he MEAN TIME....

It's Thursday, you know what THAT means!

Let Me ‘Splain

No no, is too much. Let me sum up…

What do I mean? Lee asked us, after the A to Z Challenge to do a little write up of the experience, which I am HAPPY to do… liking to evaluate and all…

Organization: Holy Freaking COW, these guys were awesome… I can’t imagine the undertaking it was to do this, and I think they did amazing. So huge THANK YOU to:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing It Out
Jeffrey Beesler @ World of the Scribe
Alex J. Cavanaugh @ Alex J. Cavanaugh
Jen Daiker @ Unedited
Candace Ganger @ The Misadventures in Candyland
Karen J Gowen @ Coming Down the Mountain
Talli Roland @ Talli Roland
Stephen Tremp @ Breakthrough Blogs

You guys (and gals) totally rocked!


Quantitatively: I think I earned 100 new followers… I have a hard time separating A to Z from Blog Crusade business, ABNA stuff, and my own personal… erm… whatever it is I am and do, but I am up more than 190 followers since February and this project has NOT been an insignificant part of that.

The Important Part? I made several friends—people that make the daily exchange and the blog roll… I love that about networking… that people who really enjoy each other get to gravitate together and form friendships… I mean, I’m easy… I like most everybody, but there are people you really CLICK with—knowwhatImean? And I FOUND SOME!

…and I am a little overwhelmed thinking about my increased blog obligation from here forward… but that is good. (might even force me to work out a system, as I no longer feel quite adequate to keeping up with my blogroll).

I also LEARNED something silly… my work computer has Internet Explorer… there are a few blogs I enjoy that it hates… I discovered if I just go to Firefox, I can GET THERE! (persistence pays!)


As for the rest:

We earned an Awesome Award! (Thank you Elizabeth Mueller for designing it!  It's fabulous!)


Blogging Daily: This isn’t a huge deal for me. I blogged 330 days last year… blogging daily is what I do. I DID though, use more pictures and less words in an effort to be considerate. This wasn’t problematic, but it’s possible I skipped some topics I might have liked… the letter order plays into this, too… if what I want to talk about is critique partners, and we are half way through the alphabet, then I can’t use Beta, First readers, OR Critique… (just an example). Then again that bendy thing requires some use of creativity, which is a good thing...

And while I loved some of the gimmicks, I missed some of the variability of some of my regular haunts…

The BIGGEST challenge though… 1200 freaking blogs? Are you SERIOUS!? I started at blog #555 (I like 5s and that was middlish, so I figured would be neglected by both those starting at the beginning AND those starting at the end…

My plan was to work my way through, but I ALSO wanted to visit back people who visited ME… which some days was ALL I could do. I think I made it through almost 500 from the list, and I think I back visited probably 90% of people who visited me (I had some days things ran amock)—and that took A LOT of time… I mean REALLY a lot. I normally try to hit about 30 blogs a day… I just can’t manage more with my day job and such… so I think I did quite well.

Alex said next year they are taking a suggestion I made and applying it… start with the blog after YOURS for working your way through the list—that way everyone equal distribution of visitors… I am glad—I like the equity of it.

I might ALSO suggest a Keyword in the blog title. (So I would be Confessions of a Watery Tart-Writing)  I don’t want to be rude, but there are some blog types that I just can’t make myself be interested in. I have trouble with 90% of the Gaming ones, I am annoyed as heck out of the BUSINESS ones (are you freaking serious—how do they NOT think they are going to annoy everyone?), I was a little annoyed with the ones with no comment possibility—I go read, yet you have no way to know I was there? What is the POINT? (not social networking, that’s for sure).

For the most part though, I really enjoyed finding new blogs!

So Thank you, gang!

What Do You Want With Me?!

Maybe I should calm down a little and explain that...

Yesterday at Holly's blog, where she called Lee evil... okay, maybe it was the A to Z blogfest that had finally tempted her into its lair... peer pressure run amok... (which made me giggle, Holly isn't normally inclined to name calling and grand theatrics) she said she'd changed her author bio to... (catch this, it is much more with the program than I ever am) MAKE IT EASY FOR NEW VISITOR TO SEE IF HERS WAS A BLOG FOR THEM.

You see how clever that is? Blogging A to Z next month has a bizillion participants (that might actually be closer to 700, but HOLY COW!). HOW, in all that, is anyone going to STICK, if they barely get a chance to GET to all the blogs, let alone get BACK to them...

So she reworded her bio for her genres and interests... Very nice... And I'm going to do that... I know a smart thing when I see it (even if I can't think of them all on my own). But I thought I would ALSO put a little in the heading of why YOU all come here... So today's blog is all about YOU (erm... and what you think of me...)


Blogger Poll:

1)  What is your favorite thing about this blog?

2)  What would you like to see MORE of?

3)  What would you like to see LESS of?

4)  In 3 adjectives and an adverb (okay... any word type... but a couple descriptors) how would you describe this blog to a virgin reader (not that I plan on sticking anything in anybody's eyes)


Then it will be like it's OUR blog! Isn't that fun?


And since that was so short, some viewing pleasure... a little for everybody, I hope:

For the Sports Enthusiast....

For the Science Fiction and Joss Whedon enthusiast...

For the vodka enthusiast...

*shifty*


But seriously... I'm not a one trick pony around here... it is just homage to last year's A to Z... erm... maybe...

But I AM willing to offer a little up to some others...

For the nature enthusiasts and the voyeurs...

*snicker*

A side note.

TOMORROW is Michael's Blogfest as to who your HP BFFS would be.


So there! 

The Quintessential Tart

(HA! I didn't even need spell check to fix quintessential! I'm on a roll!)

So this Blogger Crusade is INSANE, yeah? I've had a bunch of new followers (almost 30?), extra comments, and a decent jump in hits, which is mega-cool. I'd like the THANK Rachael for her fantastic organization. I thought though, with a bunch of new faces... that maybe I should introduce myself a little more (meaning less--this is a theme with me... sometimes less is more (clothing) sometimes more is more (most stuff)) properly so you know what you're getting yourself into. Consider this my disclosure statement *cough*

As Writer

I'm dark and mysterious eh? Aren't you frightened? (this is actually a tree I pass on my walk, half dead, half alive, and I LOVE it, but I digress)  Yeah, see... well that's the problem... I have a bit of a disconnect between... the Naked ME and what I like as entertainment. I read, watch and listen to the DARK SIDE *cue spooky music*. I like mystery, suspense, horror, dystopia. Maybe it is that I am sort of annoyingly optimistic and silly and need some balance? I'd like to think though, that I WANT to be Vivian Leigh, but was born Lucille Ball [you know... the wrong kind of crazy]. Whatever the case, the majority of what I've written has been suspense in some form or other (mystery... thriller-wannabe). (though never without a snark, smartass, or ironic character... I like dark humor, too—voice always comes through.) Miss Darkness has written seven books, and edited three, but is just FINALLY getting one of them right (I hope)

Cozy Me

(this is Joel) Here's the thing, though... I write and polish and edit and write some more... improving, yes, but 'good enough'?... not yet—on the suspense anyway...

Cozy Mystery... GOT ONE. Last spring I had a chance to audition for a series with the first 50 pages based on some guidelines the editor suggested, and I GOT IT! It was still a lot of work (and my editor has asked me for some changes, but they aren't that big...), but the thing about Cozies... THIS WORK is like PLAY... there is no effort in keeping in voice when you get to have characters announce “I'm naked!” when that is EXACTLY what YOU like to say! So here I am, alternating voices, because I'd like to do both, but the one that comes more naturally, is the one that worked most easily. Who knew?

And then there is BLOGGIE Me...

(the same voice as the Cozies, largely, but maybe with a swig of rum to kill the inhibitions and a shot of espresso to amp the chaos) This is me as I really would be if my brain in real life could keep up. In actuality, my processor is sort of overloaded, so I speak a little more slowly than is consistent with the spaz coming across your screen... and erm... while I'd like to pretend I'm Jessica Rabbit... once again, I am more Bugs in Drag... except instead of a man dressed as a woman, I am more a woman dressed as a man dressed as a woman (except I'm not dressed)--Oh, I know it's confusing, but you will catch on very quickly.

In my blog life, I'd bet 70% of my content either is about writing or connects some OTHER observation to writing, 10% is sentimental tripe sweetness, and 20% is insanity in my own personal idiom... But even the theoretically non-insane stuff is still... you know... me (aka: insane by normal standards).

And I LOVE the Blogosphere... I first appeared in June of '09 and started mercilessly stalking Elizabeth (which is what I recommend to ANYONE who wants to learn FAST how to do it RIGHT). I have made a ton of friends... real friends... deep friends... friends who put up with me and even LIKE me... I just think the level of info exchanged via blog lets us really know each other a lot better than the other social media... we become people who not only click a button for each other, but really support each other... but what SHOCKED me so much is how much I have LEARNED (because of course I already knew everything, so what was there to learn *shifty*) This is my world and YOU are my peeps!


More ME! *cough*

FOMS: essential to ME, is the fact that I am deathly afraid of missing something (get it? Fear of Missing Something), so I generally participate in... oh, everything... I am currently on pins and needles waiting to hear if my pitch passed me from round one to round two of ABNA (for Kahlotus Disposal Site—a YA general fiction book with a ghost narrator)... I do NaNoWriMo and most big blog events... though not the writing blogfests, as I don't have time to give them what they deserve...

Flag Nut: So one of my stat counters is a FLAG counter, and it makes me SQUEEEE a lot... did it just last night when I got a visit from my 145th country! (Myanmar—cool flag, eh? Though I hear—via some random blog, that it's controversial, as it is new and replaced a loved one... or something)(and Cruella has reminded me this is BURMA, which is another controversy--ACK!  My blog just got political!) I ADORE that people all over the world read this... oh, sure, sometimes the search that brings them here is a little odd... maybe some of them aren't ACTUALLY reading... But I've made good friends in Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Thailand... many many more...


Naked World Domination: This is an effort to achieve world peace by taking over the world and making everyone get naked *nods* (seriously, it totally makes sense if you see the whole manifesto)


so there I am! In a nut shell! (without the shell)

WELCOME ONE AND ALL! (except spammers... especially that annoying American woman hater... sheesh... talk about asking to have your comment deleted:  hello... I am an American woman... *rolls eyes*)


I hope to see all of you around regularly!

Grow Your Blog

There are a couple events coming up that offer really GREAT opportunities to increase your readership. First though, while I KNOW I am preaching to the choir, I thought I'd link to a blog this week that did a GREAT job delineating WHY we (writers) blog...

We do NOT blog to reach readers. Book readers (and buyers) don't cruise blogs to find new authors. They MAY, though, cruise blogs of BOOK REVIEWS. They ALSO may read a few blogs by authors they are FAMILIAR with.

As bloggy, writerly types, WE are blogging (aside from the 'for our health' part) to grow our NETWORK... to make friends with other writers, with book reviewers, with people who KNOW STUFF, so that we can 1) increase our knowledge (works well that way) 2) make friends (works well here, too) and 3) GROW OUR MINION BASE, so when the time comes that we NEED the help of our bloggy friends, we have enough good will banked to ask our friends for a hand.

So Go READ VR Barkowski's blog—she says it better than I just did,,,


And in the SPIRIT of growing that Network... Two Opportunities...

The Blogger Crusade

BECAUSE NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! *cough*

erm...

Rachel is making her second run here... it is a BUNCH of blogs signing up... following each other, adding each other to blog rolls, visiting each other... to get a feel for who 'fits' int the long run... It is a nice way to meet a LOT of bloggers in the short run, and several of the relationships stick in the long run. I definitely recommend it. Go check it out. It starts tomorrow!

Blogging A to Z

This was one of my biggies last year, and Lee is hosting it again. April has 30 days... the alphabet has 26 letters,... so at 6 days a week, you can get through the alphabet. It is nice as a prompt, but it is GREAT as another of these blog events where we meet a whole bunch of bloggers and several of the relationships stick...


And just because I CAN... the reason these promos WORK, in my opinion... is we get a concentrated month teaching us the POWER of reciprocity. It would all be lovely, theoretically... to write and have people flock at us... but unless you are an AGENT or FAMOUS... chances are you need to also go OUT THERE and read if you want people to keep coming back to see YOU...

So there...

Stolen Feed

So on Friday I said tomorrow... and Saturday I said tomorrow... and then Sunday I didn' t blog, so now this seems entirely like I've built up too much drama for something that isn't huge, but it IS something I want to talk to you about.

Remember how I said Friday that my hits have taken a jump, and then I recommended a few things... well ONE of the things I recommended was my Sister Tart's Weight Management stuff, and she was tickled because a bunch of you must have gone OVER there (which is cool, thank you), but she sent me a note that night that her PING came back and brought her... erm... MY BLOG from some other SITE...

So I followered her link:

http://www.painomovers.com/

Which was a lot of Harry Potter stuff, but didn't tell me much, as it seems they link to TONS of stuff, so I put 'WateryTart' in the search thing:

And get: http://www.painomovers.com/?s=waterytart

MY BLOG, yeah? Not just an excerpt, not one blog, but a BUNCH!

So I scratched my head, as I do... and thought, okay... what do I want to do with this?

I mean YEAH... my first thought is... THAT'S MINE! And I want to stomp around and have my tantrum about somebody taking my stuff... but REALLY... isn't it sort of FLATTERING? It is sort of... you know... the big time, isn't it? Well okay, maybe not. It's not like the Huffington Post has picked me up or something, but... look at the result:

For starters, the RESULT is I've had about 200 extra hits every day. How bad can that BE?

People are reaching me who may NOT be part of this fabulous little familial circle of blogging writers... That is good too... I am extending my reach.

My Concerns?

But the blog is just... the BLOG... not my sidebars or any of my info. So I decided what I really wanted to do about it, was just to assert my ownership.

Thus the TAIL in all my blogs from here on out, asserting who WROTE IT (most often me) and where it was originally published. I've decided if my goal is to get around, I ought to just allow myself to be passed about, but I am NOT going to lose my identity over the matter.


SPEAKING OF

The OTHER bloggy issue I've had come up of late... So you know how I fly by the seat of my pantslessness, not particularly worrying about stuff? I got an email from Christy of  Christy and Erica about PICTURES... do I worry about copyright issues... Well, erm...

Okay, confession time... this wasn't out of left field. The BURROW only uses public use photos (mostly from Wikimedia Commons or else self taken)... because see... some of them are more diligent than I am...

But what that means is, this isn't the first time I've seen this debate or issue... Google Images is NOT a substitute for public images... (but it is SO DARNED HANDY!) Funny thing is, when I borrow a photo or art from a friend, I generally ASK and always attribute, but the Google stuff is out there without info (or info buried enough that the convenience of USING Google images goes away if you intend to reference source).

So I KNOW, I need to be more diligent... I even have PLANS to be more diligent... But I am concerned that that will reduce the volume of eye candy available for my readers who NEED IT!

So.... How do YOU feel about blog material being passed on?
And do you worry about copyright issues for pictures on your blog?

Discuss:



[verbal content of this blog was generated by Hart Johnson
Picture from Google Images *shifty*
This post was first displayed at Confessions of a Watery Tart 
if you see it elsewhere, that's fine, but PLEASE come by and meet me!]

Rebel Roots! and Oreos

Okay, my Bloggilicious Friends... I am at Burrowers, Books & Balderdash today, talking about my rebel roots, so PLEASE come by and see me!!!


For HERE... just a status update I think... a little resolution accountability...


Revision for ABNA:  Nearly done with READ AND NOTES portion of review. Next up--getting the changes IN THERE (slated for 2 weeks) then a polish (1 week)... or that's the plan. It's WAY too fast, I know... Once all the pieces are in and it is somewhat smooth, I am only going to worry about those first 5000 words and the HOOK.


Fitness Plan:  I've eaten on points since Sunday! That makes today day 6. Scale is moving, but it won't be official until Sunday.  I've ALSO done my power walks (even with snow and 5am times). On the down side, I would give myself a C on stretching and strengthening. (it's too COLD to get on my floor!)

Blogging:  New plan is easier than the old plan, so not much to say, but I think I've leveled up on views... I have NO CLUE how this happens, but every once in a while the number of page views I can expect in a day jumps--it's happened. The only day under 400 views this week was Sunday, and I didn't post a blog (and that was still over 300). So that's cool, even if I don't get it. Followers are creeping up, sure, but this jump happened faster than that.  I ALSO have 134 flags now!  What, is that 60% of the world that is now NAKED?

But the BIGGEST Blog Confusion has to do with Oreos.  When I look at my stats, the number one search term that brings people here is Oreos.  Now... I hope nobody takes this wrong, but I don't permit Oreos in my house (or any Nabisco product... Kraft either)--it is my small protest against big tobacco. So I am POSITIVE this is the first blog I've ever mentioned Oreos on. If ANYBODY can give me a clue why that term would be most likely to lead people HERE, please tell me!

This just in!  HA!  Mystery May Be Solved

My Sister Tart got a Pingback yesterday, and it linked to MY content on another feed--I will update you tomorrow! Erm... this would be the hit-count jump mystery, not the Oreo mystery... that one is still open...

text content of this blog generated by Hart Johnson
Originally posted at Confessions of a Watery Tart

Eye Candy Blogfest

So what better idea is there, really... than a bunch of eye candy on a day famous for low attention? When I say the Eye Candy Blogfest,  I signed up AT ONCE, not least because eye candy is sort of RELIGION around here...

So I will start with my favorite celebrity shot...

Though I should also offer one for the practical... Look! He is HELPFUL! AND CLEAN!

and one for the frivolous...

And maybe one for the boys... (who says I'm not a kind, gentle dominatrix?)

and I really can't skip one for the animal lovers...

My favorite OUTFIT:

And FINALLY, my favorite FUNNY... (or at least up there somewhere... the flashing cat is probably my favorite, but I've shared it recently)








I wish all of you a FABULOUS 2011!