Jennifer Crusie's Blog, page 2

Working Wednesday: Future Media

So one of the things I’m tackling again is social media. Some dipshit hacked my Facebook page and it’s no longer under my control, so I need to revamp. OTOH, I don’t want to turn it into a task, either. Posting here is easy, it’s just talking to you all. But I’m looking at Instagram, too, sort of half-planning to overlap posts. Like do a Good Book Thursday there, too, but just post about a single book I’ve loved for a long time over there. Do a Conversations with Bob Monday and recycle some of the stuff I’d put up on FB which is now gone. That kind of thing. And if there are deals on books, I’d put those up, and the notices that we’ve published a new book, but those are just random and there wouldn’t be many of them. And when I get my damaged laptops back, I might even be able to recover all those Egg Cups of the Damned posts I’d written. I mean, there are possibilities here.

The big thing, for me, is that wherever I go, it’s entertainment, not a constant stream of BUY ThIS BOOK. I’ll still talk about the books, but the posts won’t be about the books, they’d be about problems or mistakes or questions, work-in-progress stuff for writing the books. Plus, of course, the in-jokes (we are never doing an ice pirate book).

So here’s a question: what’s effective social media in your experience? Bob wants me to dance on TikTok, but that ain’t happening. But maybe something else on TikTok. I have to rethink all of this, so might as swing wide. What do you think?

Oh, and what did you work on this week?

Happiness is An Extra Hour

Look! More morning! Or less evening. Whatever.

What made you happy this week? Besides, you know, falling back.

(Do not fall back, you’ll crack your pelvis.)

This is a Good Book Thursday: The Kingfisher Binge

I’d read Ursula Vernon’s comics and kids’ stuff but never her adult fiction. So I started with Swordheart, and then moved onto the Paladin books, and after that I have the Clocktaur series lined up. That woman can world build like nobody’s business.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday: Publishing is Nuts

Because my life is a little tense right now, I’ve been looking for new books to read to distract myself because a new Good Book is better than Zoloft. And as I looked down a list of mysteries to read, I discovered that they were all $14.99. On Kindle.

Okay, am I the only one who finds that insane?

The economy is in free fall, the national mood is dire, people are losing their jobs, and publishing thinks $14.99 is a good price for an e-book? Yes, I know they also have to pay editors and keep the lights on, but at some point, don’t they have to recognize that $14.99 is going to kill sales? I’m just gobsmacked that nobody stopped to think that selling twice as many books for half the price might be a good thing.

Anyway, my insight for Working Wednesday, as we get deeper into Book Two, is that the best thing that ever happened to me was self-publishing, or in my case, Bob-publishing, since he does all the work. So thank you, Bob.

What did you work on this week?

Working Wednesday: Muffin Week

This week I am working on making the perfect sugar-free whole wheat muffin, one with lots of nuts (pecans, almonds) and chopped up fruit that I can freeze so I can have a muffin whenever I like with no guilt because it’s HEALTHY.

Well, a girl can dream.

What are you working on this week?

Happiness is A Box of Chocolates

I’ve been having a tense time lately, so I ate a box of Whitman’s Chocolates, twenty-two pieces. I’m not sure how long it took me, I was reading a romance novel at the time, so it was at least three hours. I comforted myself with the fact that I was reusing the empty box to put my watercolors in. Then I realized I needed a box for my drawing stuff, too. The good news is, I’m halfway done with second box. The bad news is I’ve gained eight pounds. The really good news is that it really does help to eat chocolate, even the cheapo kind.

What made you happy this week?

This is a Good Book Thursday: Binging Mhairi McFarlane

I don’t remember for sure my first Mhairi McFarlane–I think it was If I Never Met You–but I remember being delighted with how funny and true she was, really great romance. So I glommed her all last week and this. The thing about binge reading is that you start to notice the things the authors repeat–“Are ALL of Crusie’s heroines angry?” “Have you ever MET Crusie? Duh.”–but with McFarlane, I don’t care. I love her friendships and rocky romances and London sass. She’s great.

What did you read this week?

Working Wednesday: Try New Things

Okay, going back to old things but they’re new to me now. Things like watercolors and pen drawings and maybe doing a how-to-write series (not sure how) and looking into cut paper animation and maybe putting up a new FB page since some moron took down my old one. New things are a good idea when the old ones aren’t working any more.

What good things did you work on this week?

This is a Good Book Thursday: More Time Travel

I’m not actually a big fan of Time Travel Stories, but I like Jodi Taylor’s Time Police and Smallhope and Pennyroyal, so I went on to the St. Marys books which I’d started on a long time ago and, considered where my life is right now, they’re a little grim for me until I get back on my feet. Great books, but I think I’ll read Smallhope and Pennyroyal again (second time) and then maybe hit Pratchett up for something.

Any recommendations for something good to read?

Working Wednesday: Oh, For Heaven’s Sake

It’s Wednesday? Who knew?

What did you work on this week? (I worked on my sanity. It’s taken a few hits lately.)