Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 70
February 12, 2019
Stickers, Stickers, and Cool Stuff
***This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. FYI, I will never recommend anything I don't love.***
I've blogged multiple times about my planners. I'm not sure I mentioned, though, how much I love to put stickers on my pages. Mostly functional stickers, like for the gym, or blogging, or when the lawn was mowed, but I also do use some deco stickers. If you look at what planner stickers cost, you know this was getting expensive pretty fast.
Blogging stickers, for example. I blog twice a week. That's over a hundred of these stickers a year. A page of stickers will have like 30 on there. Even waiting for a sale, costs add up fast. I had to slow down or stop using the stickers all together for this reason.
Other planner and craft peeps are probably screaming Cricut or Silhouette cutter right now. :-)
I had a Silhouette cutter already and I'm not kidding when I tell you it was one of their early models. In fact, since they say they were founded in 2009, I probably have the very first model. I had it out on my desk, but didn't use it because it was so rudimentary compared to what I saw in the online tutorials available and it was hard to extrapolate what I was seeing online to my antique machine.
Then the post-Thanksgiving sales hit and there was a sale on a Silhouette Cameo 3. A bundle. I struggled to resist. After all, if I wasn't using the cutter I had now, what were the odds I'd use a new machine?
And then I caved like a house of cards on a windy day. :-)
The surprise was that (with this new, modern machine) I am using it. A lot! I bought printable stickers online and then setup my cut lines. I uploaded my logo for The Paladin League and made a giant sticker for my notebook. (This was super cool and had me geeking out! Personalized notebooks for every series is definitely in my future!)
I found clip art of people and characters online--free for personal use--and made Moana stickers. If you follow me on Facebook, you would have seen a planner page with the sticker on it that I posted in December.
The old model would still be sitting on my desk collecting dust.
Through tutorials, I also learned how to cut card stock which is what I bought the 2009 model to do. I was big into scrapbooking at the time. I also have a roll of vinyl that I'd like to learn how to use because I totally want to make my own personalized mugs. Not that I need another mug, but you know.... Oooh! Maybe I could make my own wall vinyls for the house! Not that I need to put vinyl on my walls, but you know... ;-)
But for right now, I think I'll just keep making my own stickers. It's actually turning out to be fun!
I've blogged multiple times about my planners. I'm not sure I mentioned, though, how much I love to put stickers on my pages. Mostly functional stickers, like for the gym, or blogging, or when the lawn was mowed, but I also do use some deco stickers. If you look at what planner stickers cost, you know this was getting expensive pretty fast.
Blogging stickers, for example. I blog twice a week. That's over a hundred of these stickers a year. A page of stickers will have like 30 on there. Even waiting for a sale, costs add up fast. I had to slow down or stop using the stickers all together for this reason.
Other planner and craft peeps are probably screaming Cricut or Silhouette cutter right now. :-)
I had a Silhouette cutter already and I'm not kidding when I tell you it was one of their early models. In fact, since they say they were founded in 2009, I probably have the very first model. I had it out on my desk, but didn't use it because it was so rudimentary compared to what I saw in the online tutorials available and it was hard to extrapolate what I was seeing online to my antique machine.
Then the post-Thanksgiving sales hit and there was a sale on a Silhouette Cameo 3. A bundle. I struggled to resist. After all, if I wasn't using the cutter I had now, what were the odds I'd use a new machine?
And then I caved like a house of cards on a windy day. :-)
The surprise was that (with this new, modern machine) I am using it. A lot! I bought printable stickers online and then setup my cut lines. I uploaded my logo for The Paladin League and made a giant sticker for my notebook. (This was super cool and had me geeking out! Personalized notebooks for every series is definitely in my future!)
I found clip art of people and characters online--free for personal use--and made Moana stickers. If you follow me on Facebook, you would have seen a planner page with the sticker on it that I posted in December.
The old model would still be sitting on my desk collecting dust.
Through tutorials, I also learned how to cut card stock which is what I bought the 2009 model to do. I was big into scrapbooking at the time. I also have a roll of vinyl that I'd like to learn how to use because I totally want to make my own personalized mugs. Not that I need another mug, but you know.... Oooh! Maybe I could make my own wall vinyls for the house! Not that I need to put vinyl on my walls, but you know... ;-)
But for right now, I think I'll just keep making my own stickers. It's actually turning out to be fun!
February 7, 2019
Yarn Stores and Online Shopping
One of the things that continues to amaze me is how crazy backward yarn stores are around the country. Don't they understand that even though they're located in Kansas, that someone in Georgia (namely me!) would buy yarn from them?
My yarn forays go something like this. Designer uses yarn that can only be found in dozens of locations around the country. A visit to the yarn maker's website shows that only yarn stores can purchase from them and there's a wholesale login screen a lot of the time. Next stop on the yarn maker's website is a list of yarn stores that sell their product. As I only have one yarn store nearby, their yarn is never sold anywhere I'm driving to buy it. Therefore I need an online seller of said yarn.
And now I begin to click links to yarn stores listed on the yarn maker's website. Keep in mind that anywhere from 25% to 33% of these stores have no website listed at all.
Click. Website is a blog.
Click. Website is one static page with their location.
Click. Website is multiple pages, lists classes available, but offers no online sales.
Click. Website offers online sales, but is nearly impossible to use to place an order. This could be because of technology or an assortment of other issues.
Click. Website offers online sales, but doesn't sell the yarn I am looking for although they have other yarn by the yarn maker.
Click. Website offers online sales, has the right yarn, I'm able to order, but they don't have the color(s) I want.
This sends me to look for a yarn substitute which is usually every bit as difficult to find and I go through this same process again and again until I give up and decide to knit something else.
What I don't understand is how any yarn store isn't investing in an online store. Seriously? Many yarn stores are struggling to survive and they're turning away customers from other parts of the country who can't drive to their store to shop? Why would you do that? There are women printing stickers for planners who have their own online stores! If a sticker seller can setup an online shop, why can't a yarn store?
There are a few yarn stores that get this. It's a joy to go to their sites and be able to order exactly what I want, but they are so few and far between that there is no way that all yarns and colors are able to be covered by them.
I wish yarn stores would understand that an investment in an online presence is a business expense they can justify and that it will earn back. One of the yarn stores that does handle online sales right posted pictures of the yarn orders they shipped out the day after Thanksgiving. It was huge! These yarn stores without a functioning web store are giving money away.
And yarn makers why won't you sell to me if I'm not a yarn store? Do you know how much business you're losing because of the situation above?
Right now I'm frustrated because a yarn company (I'm looking at you Plymouth Yarns) is only selling a sweater pattern I want through local yarn stores. I can't find one anywhere online selling this pattern. For heaven's sake, let me buy the pattern on your website.
It's super amazing to me that yarn companies and yarn stores don't want my money.
My yarn forays go something like this. Designer uses yarn that can only be found in dozens of locations around the country. A visit to the yarn maker's website shows that only yarn stores can purchase from them and there's a wholesale login screen a lot of the time. Next stop on the yarn maker's website is a list of yarn stores that sell their product. As I only have one yarn store nearby, their yarn is never sold anywhere I'm driving to buy it. Therefore I need an online seller of said yarn.
And now I begin to click links to yarn stores listed on the yarn maker's website. Keep in mind that anywhere from 25% to 33% of these stores have no website listed at all.
Click. Website is a blog.
Click. Website is one static page with their location.
Click. Website is multiple pages, lists classes available, but offers no online sales.
Click. Website offers online sales, but is nearly impossible to use to place an order. This could be because of technology or an assortment of other issues.
Click. Website offers online sales, but doesn't sell the yarn I am looking for although they have other yarn by the yarn maker.
Click. Website offers online sales, has the right yarn, I'm able to order, but they don't have the color(s) I want.
This sends me to look for a yarn substitute which is usually every bit as difficult to find and I go through this same process again and again until I give up and decide to knit something else.
What I don't understand is how any yarn store isn't investing in an online store. Seriously? Many yarn stores are struggling to survive and they're turning away customers from other parts of the country who can't drive to their store to shop? Why would you do that? There are women printing stickers for planners who have their own online stores! If a sticker seller can setup an online shop, why can't a yarn store?
There are a few yarn stores that get this. It's a joy to go to their sites and be able to order exactly what I want, but they are so few and far between that there is no way that all yarns and colors are able to be covered by them.
I wish yarn stores would understand that an investment in an online presence is a business expense they can justify and that it will earn back. One of the yarn stores that does handle online sales right posted pictures of the yarn orders they shipped out the day after Thanksgiving. It was huge! These yarn stores without a functioning web store are giving money away.
And yarn makers why won't you sell to me if I'm not a yarn store? Do you know how much business you're losing because of the situation above?
Right now I'm frustrated because a yarn company (I'm looking at you Plymouth Yarns) is only selling a sweater pattern I want through local yarn stores. I can't find one anywhere online selling this pattern. For heaven's sake, let me buy the pattern on your website.
It's super amazing to me that yarn companies and yarn stores don't want my money.
February 5, 2019
Revisiting the Ugly Window
Back in October, I blogged about the ugly window in my master bathroom. I'd debated what to do with it for a while and finally decided on some kind of valance. Since a curtain valance is easier than one of those cornice-type valances, that's what I decided to do.
Finding the right one, though, proved to be difficult. I paged through Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, JC Penney, and on and on and on. My problem is that I love bright colors, but I'm not 6 years old. All the adult valances I stumbled across were so conservative. I like my colors bright and wild, and if I have a choice, I want pink.
I finally ended up doing an image search on Google and paging through that. This is how I ended up on eBay.
I found several valances I thought would work for me, all from the same seller. Making a decision was hard. Did I go with the solid or a pattern? Which accent color if I did the solid? Did I go for the size that fit across my window with no gathers or did I go for a little poof?
Ultimately, I chose the pattern and a size wide enough for poof. I love the valance! But the window is still ugly with a pretty valance over the top of it.
Finding the right one, though, proved to be difficult. I paged through Amazon, Overstock, Wayfair, JC Penney, and on and on and on. My problem is that I love bright colors, but I'm not 6 years old. All the adult valances I stumbled across were so conservative. I like my colors bright and wild, and if I have a choice, I want pink.
I finally ended up doing an image search on Google and paging through that. This is how I ended up on eBay.
I found several valances I thought would work for me, all from the same seller. Making a decision was hard. Did I go with the solid or a pattern? Which accent color if I did the solid? Did I go for the size that fit across my window with no gathers or did I go for a little poof?
Ultimately, I chose the pattern and a size wide enough for poof. I love the valance! But the window is still ugly with a pretty valance over the top of it.
January 31, 2019
Cover Reveal: Wicked Intention
If you're a member of my newsletter or if you've read Wicked Obsession, you've seen the cover for Wicked Intention already. For the rest of you, here's the cover for my next story.
***SPOILER ALERT: Don't go past the cover image if you haven't read Wicked Obsession yet and don't want a minor spoiler.***
This hero and heroine were originally supposed to be the first couple in the Paladin League series, but Ryder and Langley jumped in front of them.
Special Forces Sergeant Finn Rowland is undercover as a mercenary and part-time gunrunner by the name of Tom Finley when he meets Zofia Parker in the South American country of Puerto Jardin. Finn is immediately attracted to her (and vice versa), but she's up to something and Finn needs to figure out what that is before she blows up his mission.
***SPOILER ALERT: Don't go past the cover image if you haven't read Wicked Obsession yet and don't want a minor spoiler.***
This hero and heroine were originally supposed to be the first couple in the Paladin League series, but Ryder and Langley jumped in front of them.
Special Forces Sergeant Finn Rowland is undercover as a mercenary and part-time gunrunner by the name of Tom Finley when he meets Zofia Parker in the South American country of Puerto Jardin. Finn is immediately attracted to her (and vice versa), but she's up to something and Finn needs to figure out what that is before she blows up his mission.
January 29, 2019
Smoke From a Distant Fire
Last week, on Wicked Obsession's book birthday, I was at work. Late in the afternoon, about 35 minutes before I'm supposed to go home, I'm in the next aisle of cubes talking to a couple of my guys. I jumped when the fire alarm went off. It's a shrill, obnoxious sound and some lights start flashing as well.
I head to my desk and grab a jacket and my purse. Not my car keys. (This is important later.) I also don't take my laptop, but it's just a fire drill. I should have time to logoff and put the computer in my bag to take home.
We evacuate and stand around outside waiting for the signal to return to work. In the morning, it had been freezing when I got to work, but now it's cool, but relatively comfortable.
I start getting antsy as it gets close to my time to go home. Traffic will be hideous if I'm stuck. Then the all-clear horn blows. Finally! This should give me enough time to use the restroom, logoff the laptop, and get out the door before gridlock.
As we're heading for the building, the fire alarm goes off again. Everyone freezes in place.
I'll save you the play-by-play here and cut to what was going on. We were completely uniformed until about the last ten minutes, so misinformation was rife.
The engine shop had a fire and a leak (we heard hydrogen) and the fire department was trying to remove the canister from the building. The fire department was concerned that a spark would make the thing explode and they wanted everyone out of the building in case it happened. Luckily, they were able to remove the thing without it blowing up.
We ended up standing outside for about 90 minutes. If I'd had my keys and laptop, I could have left on time because that was about the same time we were told we could go home. Of course, my keys were in my desk, and as I was working from home the next day, I needed my laptop. I couldn't leave.
By the time I got back to my desk, used the restroom, and got ready to leave, so had everyone else that was supposed to go home. Namely a full shift of mechanics. Waze showed red on the road in front of Tech Ops and people even tagged traffic at a standstill in our parking lot. I decided there was no point in sitting in my car, so I hung around work until the roads cleared. I ended up leaving about an hour and a half past my usual time. :-(
At least no one was hurt (as far as I know).
I head to my desk and grab a jacket and my purse. Not my car keys. (This is important later.) I also don't take my laptop, but it's just a fire drill. I should have time to logoff and put the computer in my bag to take home.
We evacuate and stand around outside waiting for the signal to return to work. In the morning, it had been freezing when I got to work, but now it's cool, but relatively comfortable.
I start getting antsy as it gets close to my time to go home. Traffic will be hideous if I'm stuck. Then the all-clear horn blows. Finally! This should give me enough time to use the restroom, logoff the laptop, and get out the door before gridlock.
As we're heading for the building, the fire alarm goes off again. Everyone freezes in place.
I'll save you the play-by-play here and cut to what was going on. We were completely uniformed until about the last ten minutes, so misinformation was rife.
The engine shop had a fire and a leak (we heard hydrogen) and the fire department was trying to remove the canister from the building. The fire department was concerned that a spark would make the thing explode and they wanted everyone out of the building in case it happened. Luckily, they were able to remove the thing without it blowing up.
We ended up standing outside for about 90 minutes. If I'd had my keys and laptop, I could have left on time because that was about the same time we were told we could go home. Of course, my keys were in my desk, and as I was working from home the next day, I needed my laptop. I couldn't leave.
By the time I got back to my desk, used the restroom, and got ready to leave, so had everyone else that was supposed to go home. Namely a full shift of mechanics. Waze showed red on the road in front of Tech Ops and people even tagged traffic at a standstill in our parking lot. I decided there was no point in sitting in my car, so I hung around work until the roads cleared. I ended up leaving about an hour and a half past my usual time. :-(
At least no one was hurt (as far as I know).
January 28, 2019
Last Day to Save 25%
Today is the final day of fan pricing for Wicked Obsession!Pick up your copy today and save 25%. Tomorrow, the price will be higher so don't miss out!
The link goes to my website where you can read an excerpt, find out more, and if you'd like, click to buy. Currently, the story is only available on Amazon. I do plan to go wide later, but that will be at full price.
For those of you who've purchased Wicked Obsession, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
January 25, 2019
Find Your New Favorite Series!
NOOK Book Bash — Find Your New Favorite Series! Hundreds of FREE first-in-series books!
Choose a series at http://littl.ink/BookBash, then use code NOOKBASHFREE to get the first book free and code NOOKBASH25 to get the second book for 25% off!
Ravyn's Flight and Eternal Nights are part of this promotion! With the coupon code, you can get Ravyn's Flight for free and Eternal Nights for 25% off.
Don’t have a NOOK? Download the *free* NOOK reading app for your smartphone or tablet at http://littl.ink/NookApp.
Happy reading!
(PLEASE NOTE: Books must be purchased on the BN.com online store, not in an app. Coupon codes don’t work inside apps.)
Choose a series at http://littl.ink/BookBash, then use code NOOKBASHFREE to get the first book free and code NOOKBASH25 to get the second book for 25% off!
Ravyn's Flight and Eternal Nights are part of this promotion! With the coupon code, you can get Ravyn's Flight for free and Eternal Nights for 25% off.
Don’t have a NOOK? Download the *free* NOOK reading app for your smartphone or tablet at http://littl.ink/NookApp.
Happy reading!
(PLEASE NOTE: Books must be purchased on the BN.com online store, not in an app. Coupon codes don’t work inside apps.)
January 24, 2019
Behind the Scenes: Wicked Obsession
I thought I'd share some behind the scenes stories about writing Wicked Obsession. Some books don't lend themselves to a look at the process because they're straightforward. WO wasn't and maybe you'll be interested in what changed and/or how this book became a book.
The first thing is that Ryder and Langley's story was supposed to be a novella. It grew into a novel and I didn't rein it in. I figured I'd write the first draft and cut it down later. It ended up staying as a novel.
This is the first book in the Paladin League series. Now. Originally, one of Ryder's buddies was book 1. I had three chapters written about eight years ago for his friend, but it needed revision and then I had to put it aside to work on Enemy Embrace and then I moved 1100 miles from Minnesota to Georgia. But Ryder going first explained a few things about the hero of book 3 and why the hero in book 4 is who he is.
In the first draft of Wicked Obsession, chapter 6 was originally chapter 1. I had to backup and begin the story earlier. I frequently start the story in the wrong place and it's 50/50 whether I need to start earlier or later.
I had Ryder's name (first and last) right away. I had Langley's first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times. Her last name always started with the letter C, but it took a while to settle at Canfield.
From Ryder's last name, I knew he was Polish. I didn't realize he was half Italian until I found the picture of "him." This is one of the reasons why I always look for pictures of my h/h--it always gives me insights into who they are. Most of the time it's personality, but in this case it was ethnicity.
I filled about half a notebook with notes about this story. I always make notes for every story because something about writing them out by hand sparks creativity.
Head to my website to read an excerpt!
The first thing is that Ryder and Langley's story was supposed to be a novella. It grew into a novel and I didn't rein it in. I figured I'd write the first draft and cut it down later. It ended up staying as a novel.This is the first book in the Paladin League series. Now. Originally, one of Ryder's buddies was book 1. I had three chapters written about eight years ago for his friend, but it needed revision and then I had to put it aside to work on Enemy Embrace and then I moved 1100 miles from Minnesota to Georgia. But Ryder going first explained a few things about the hero of book 3 and why the hero in book 4 is who he is.
In the first draft of Wicked Obsession, chapter 6 was originally chapter 1. I had to backup and begin the story earlier. I frequently start the story in the wrong place and it's 50/50 whether I need to start earlier or later.
I had Ryder's name (first and last) right away. I had Langley's first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times. Her last name always started with the letter C, but it took a while to settle at Canfield.
From Ryder's last name, I knew he was Polish. I didn't realize he was half Italian until I found the picture of "him." This is one of the reasons why I always look for pictures of my h/h--it always gives me insights into who they are. Most of the time it's personality, but in this case it was ethnicity.
I filled about half a notebook with notes about this story. I always make notes for every story because something about writing them out by hand sparks creativity.
Head to my website to read an excerpt!
January 22, 2019
Wicked Obsession is Live!
It's release day!
Wicked Obsession
is officially available! For the first week, it will be $2.99 and then the price will go up to $3.99, so if you want a copy, now is the time!
Blue-Blooded Woman
As an ambassador's daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she's never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she's the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend's wedding.
Blue-Collar Guy
Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he'd never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He's trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there's a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he's not letting anyone hurt her.
I know it's been such a long time since I've had a book out and I'm so excited to finally have a new release! I appreciate all of you for hanging in there with me!
Wicked Obsession kicks off The Paladin League series. I'm writing book 2 right now and the hero is one of Ryder's friends. I have four books planned out (as much as a seat of the pants writer plans!) with an arc that will finish in book 4 and after that, we'll see what happens. For now, though, I want to focus on Ryder and Langley.
***This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.***
This is the first story I've written since my mom died and I'll admit that it was difficult to focus, especially when I began writing it. There are some writers who can write through anything, no matter how difficult it is, but my brain shuts down and I turn inward when I need to heal or deal with something super stressful. But the more I wrote and the more time I spent with Langley and Ryder, the more fun I had and this couple helped me find my joy again in creating stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much I did writing them!
FYI, Wicked Obsession is currently only available on Amazon, but I plan a wider release in about three months.
Buy Wicked Obsession
Find out more about Wicked Obsession
Blue-Blooded Woman As an ambassador's daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she's never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she's the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend's wedding.
Blue-Collar Guy
Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he'd never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He's trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there's a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he's not letting anyone hurt her.
I know it's been such a long time since I've had a book out and I'm so excited to finally have a new release! I appreciate all of you for hanging in there with me!
Wicked Obsession kicks off The Paladin League series. I'm writing book 2 right now and the hero is one of Ryder's friends. I have four books planned out (as much as a seat of the pants writer plans!) with an arc that will finish in book 4 and after that, we'll see what happens. For now, though, I want to focus on Ryder and Langley.
***This post contains affiliate links. Should you choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.***
This is the first story I've written since my mom died and I'll admit that it was difficult to focus, especially when I began writing it. There are some writers who can write through anything, no matter how difficult it is, but my brain shuts down and I turn inward when I need to heal or deal with something super stressful. But the more I wrote and the more time I spent with Langley and Ryder, the more fun I had and this couple helped me find my joy again in creating stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much I did writing them!
FYI, Wicked Obsession is currently only available on Amazon, but I plan a wider release in about three months.
Buy Wicked Obsession
Find out more about Wicked Obsession
January 17, 2019
I Like Pink
Once upon a time, before I had my website professionally done, I had a lot of pink on the site. Maybe not the best choice since I was writing paranormal action/adventure/suspense romance at the time and pink isn't exactly the most kick-ass color in the world, but I liked it.
And then I saw some women making fun of my website for using the color pink. They weren't my readers, just some random women who somehow found my site and were mocking it.
Why do some people have such a violently negative reaction to pink?
There were no pastels on my site. I don't like pastels. I like bright, in-your-face colors, and if its a fluorescent color, so much the better. This pink was more of a fuchsia shade than anything girly.
I get crap at work from some of the guys for all the pink I have--clothes, tote bags, gym bag. This bright fuchsia shade is my favorite color, no question about it. And I like this pink paired with bright lime green, or a glow-in-the-dark orange (figuratively, not literally glow in the dark). The brighter the better. If you don't need sunglasses, the colors aren't bright enough for me. :-)
No one makes fun of people who are heavily into blue. If my site had been a bright aqua blue instead of pink, I bet no one would have said a word. So what's wrong with pink?
The only guesses I have for this reaction is 1: I'm a romance author and Barbara Cartland's over the top use of pastel pink ruined that color for all romance authors or 2: these women were reacting with unconscious sexism. Pink is a woman's color therefore it is less than other colors and totally mockable. Or 3: maybe both options?
I'm not sure what their deal was because they didn't cite why they didn't like my pink, they just made fun of it. Since I've had my website as it is today for years, you can tell how long this commentary has stuck with me. To paraphrase: All I'm saying is give pink a chance. :-)
And then I saw some women making fun of my website for using the color pink. They weren't my readers, just some random women who somehow found my site and were mocking it.
Why do some people have such a violently negative reaction to pink?
There were no pastels on my site. I don't like pastels. I like bright, in-your-face colors, and if its a fluorescent color, so much the better. This pink was more of a fuchsia shade than anything girly.
I get crap at work from some of the guys for all the pink I have--clothes, tote bags, gym bag. This bright fuchsia shade is my favorite color, no question about it. And I like this pink paired with bright lime green, or a glow-in-the-dark orange (figuratively, not literally glow in the dark). The brighter the better. If you don't need sunglasses, the colors aren't bright enough for me. :-)
No one makes fun of people who are heavily into blue. If my site had been a bright aqua blue instead of pink, I bet no one would have said a word. So what's wrong with pink?
The only guesses I have for this reaction is 1: I'm a romance author and Barbara Cartland's over the top use of pastel pink ruined that color for all romance authors or 2: these women were reacting with unconscious sexism. Pink is a woman's color therefore it is less than other colors and totally mockable. Or 3: maybe both options?
I'm not sure what their deal was because they didn't cite why they didn't like my pink, they just made fun of it. Since I've had my website as it is today for years, you can tell how long this commentary has stuck with me. To paraphrase: All I'm saying is give pink a chance. :-)
