Julie Lence's Blog - Posts Tagged "blog"
R. Michael Phillips Rook, Rhyme & Sinker is the 2nd book in his East London Adventures Club Series, and it is every bit as good as the first. Ernie, Nigel, Lily and Patterson involve us in another mystery, this time centering around a rare chess piece rumored to belong to a set carved centuries ago and very valuable.
Along with the gang and a few others from Along Came A Fifer, Mr. Phillips introduces us to some unique characters, one of which is Ernies's best friend from his boyhood years. The story opens with what is believed to be Simon's death and takes off from there. The more the gang tries to unravel how Simon came into possession of the chess piece, if the piece is indeed part of a missing set, and who will profit most from the sale of the piece, the more twists and turns this story takes. From London's back streets, to train rides, to breaking into a chapel, this book will keep you turning the pages, all leading to a clever and detailed ending. One that is sure to make you think.
I look forward to Mr. Phillips third book in the series. He really knows how to write 'em and keep the reader involved and guessing.
Along with the gang and a few others from Along Came A Fifer, Mr. Phillips introduces us to some unique characters, one of which is Ernies's best friend from his boyhood years. The story opens with what is believed to be Simon's death and takes off from there. The more the gang tries to unravel how Simon came into possession of the chess piece, if the piece is indeed part of a missing set, and who will profit most from the sale of the piece, the more twists and turns this story takes. From London's back streets, to train rides, to breaking into a chapel, this book will keep you turning the pages, all leading to a clever and detailed ending. One that is sure to make you think.
I look forward to Mr. Phillips third book in the series. He really knows how to write 'em and keep the reader involved and guessing.
Writing a novel, polishing it and finding a publisher are not where an author's job ends. Marketing, networking, obtaining the copyright from the Library of Congress are a few of the things authors must tackle once the book is published. Some things can be time consuming. Others take a few minutes. We can't forget about them, or push them aside until later. If we do, the chances of the book succeeding and an author building a healthy career decrease.
Marketing and networking are time consuming in the beginning. Building a website or joining groups such as Facebook and designing your member page require attention to detail. You're featuring yourself and your work and these sites should appear professional, eye-catching. After all, your goal is to bring people back in the future, so the more time you invest in the beginning, the less you'll spend 'taking care of business' later on.
Obtaining a copyright takes less time, maybe an hour to fill out the questions and electronically submit. Again, you have to pay attention to detail, but the copyright office has buttons and tabs throughout the form that either explain in detail how to fill out the current section or prompt you to the next section.
I use Facebook and the copyright office as examples. There are other sites that require more time in the beginning and some that require less. But they all amount to one thing; you've got to make time in your day or week to 'take care of business'. Whether it's updating a current release to your website or writing a blog, keeping your name in the public eye is part of your job, and as important as writing the next story. What works best for me is spending a few minutes each morning on Facebook and setting aside one day per week to tackle the other things that take more time to complete. That's not to say my routine doesn't get interrupted. It does, and yours will, too. The best thing to do in those instances is go with the flow and make up what you missed the following week.
The business side of writing doesn't have to be hard. Or frustrating. In fact, it can be fun and rewarding. I have met some very nice people when tackling business matters, authors and fans of the romance genre, musicians and artists from other fields, and the wonderful ladies who host my website and manage the promotional sites I use. You will, too, just as you'll reach the point where you'll wonder why you thought the business matters of writing were going to be too hard to keep up with.
Marketing and networking are time consuming in the beginning. Building a website or joining groups such as Facebook and designing your member page require attention to detail. You're featuring yourself and your work and these sites should appear professional, eye-catching. After all, your goal is to bring people back in the future, so the more time you invest in the beginning, the less you'll spend 'taking care of business' later on.
Obtaining a copyright takes less time, maybe an hour to fill out the questions and electronically submit. Again, you have to pay attention to detail, but the copyright office has buttons and tabs throughout the form that either explain in detail how to fill out the current section or prompt you to the next section.
I use Facebook and the copyright office as examples. There are other sites that require more time in the beginning and some that require less. But they all amount to one thing; you've got to make time in your day or week to 'take care of business'. Whether it's updating a current release to your website or writing a blog, keeping your name in the public eye is part of your job, and as important as writing the next story. What works best for me is spending a few minutes each morning on Facebook and setting aside one day per week to tackle the other things that take more time to complete. That's not to say my routine doesn't get interrupted. It does, and yours will, too. The best thing to do in those instances is go with the flow and make up what you missed the following week.
The business side of writing doesn't have to be hard. Or frustrating. In fact, it can be fun and rewarding. I have met some very nice people when tackling business matters, authors and fans of the romance genre, musicians and artists from other fields, and the wonderful ladies who host my website and manage the promotional sites I use. You will, too, just as you'll reach the point where you'll wonder why you thought the business matters of writing were going to be too hard to keep up with.
A few months ago, I did an interview where one of the questions was what modern day convenience would I miss most if I lived in the 1800's. My initial thought was the washing machine. Then I thought about the vacuum, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, heat and running water and my answer to the question became clear. I would miss electricity.
Most of you know that I'm a stay-at-home mom. My days are spent at the computer working on my current novel, but I have other chores to keep me busy. Laundry, cooking and cleaning are just a few. While I can fantasize about living on a ranch with a hunky cowboy for a husband, I cannot fathom completing my housekeeping chores without electricity.
To wash clothes, women had to haul water from the creek, heat it over the fire and then use a scrub board to get denim and calico clean. It's much easier to dump the clothes into a steel drum, add the soap, turn the dial and let the machine take care of the rest. As for cooking on a cast iron stove or over a fireplace, I wouldn't want to do that, either. Modern stoves that again work with a turn of the dial are much more to my liking, plus I don't have to kill the chicken and pluck it before I can cook it. The chicken farms and supermarkets have already prepared and packaged the chicken for roasting.
The refrigerator is another electrical machine I would miss. Milking the cow daily vs opening the door and extracting a carton of milk; hmm, I'll take opening the door. The same goes for the vacuum. Instead of hauling carpets up from the floor and outside to beat with a stick, I'd rather flip a switch and push my Dyson. The chore is completed in a fraction of the time it takes to beat dirt and hair from coarse fibers. And I just love turning on the faucet and stepping into a hot shower vs again having to haul the water from the creek and heat it.
As fascinating as that era is to me, I wouldn't have made a good rancher's wife. How those women did it daily, and without complaint, is beyond me. I think they were made of stronger stuff than me. I do admire and respect them for their hard work, and can task my female characters with performing the same chores without electricity, but I thank God for putting me in this generation.
Most of you know that I'm a stay-at-home mom. My days are spent at the computer working on my current novel, but I have other chores to keep me busy. Laundry, cooking and cleaning are just a few. While I can fantasize about living on a ranch with a hunky cowboy for a husband, I cannot fathom completing my housekeeping chores without electricity.
To wash clothes, women had to haul water from the creek, heat it over the fire and then use a scrub board to get denim and calico clean. It's much easier to dump the clothes into a steel drum, add the soap, turn the dial and let the machine take care of the rest. As for cooking on a cast iron stove or over a fireplace, I wouldn't want to do that, either. Modern stoves that again work with a turn of the dial are much more to my liking, plus I don't have to kill the chicken and pluck it before I can cook it. The chicken farms and supermarkets have already prepared and packaged the chicken for roasting.
The refrigerator is another electrical machine I would miss. Milking the cow daily vs opening the door and extracting a carton of milk; hmm, I'll take opening the door. The same goes for the vacuum. Instead of hauling carpets up from the floor and outside to beat with a stick, I'd rather flip a switch and push my Dyson. The chore is completed in a fraction of the time it takes to beat dirt and hair from coarse fibers. And I just love turning on the faucet and stepping into a hot shower vs again having to haul the water from the creek and heat it.
As fascinating as that era is to me, I wouldn't have made a good rancher's wife. How those women did it daily, and without complaint, is beyond me. I think they were made of stronger stuff than me. I do admire and respect them for their hard work, and can task my female characters with performing the same chores without electricity, but I thank God for putting me in this generation.
The warm weather has arrived. Pleasant days have been been plentiful in my neck of the woods since March, though the cold does insist on blowing through town with a vengence for a couple of days and then it's gone. With the days longer and the nights mild, the end of the school year is two short weeks away. I'm trying to squeeze in as much writing time as I can, maintaining a pace of two chapters per week before my son is home and my time is no longer my own. With that said, I've decided to end blogging for the summer at ths time. That's not to say I won't be around to answer questions on self-publishing or post a review--I will. I just won't be dwelling on blog topics.
I hope you all have a great summer. Vacations, barbeques, spending time with your children; may you all be safe, healthy and happy. I'll return with new blog topics in late August. God Bless,
Julie
I hope you all have a great summer. Vacations, barbeques, spending time with your children; may you all be safe, healthy and happy. I'll return with new blog topics in late August. God Bless,
Julie
