Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 151

Review: Sorry I Thought I Loved You

[image error]Sorry, I Thought I Loved You

Michielle DJ Beck (author) and Marcus A. Lindemann (contributor)

Chipmunkapublishing

June 10, 2011

ISBN: 978-1849915168

Paperback, 286 pages, $21.00; also Kindle edition, $9.00

Nonfiction

This is not an easy book to read, but it is a worthwhile one for anyone who knows or suspects he or she is a relationship addict or codependent. The author is very open and honest in sharing her experiences with relationship addiction and codependency. The book is filled with agonizing emotion. Perhaps I felt the pain more strongly because I have known the author professionally online for almost a decade, although we have never met in person. We were working together during some of the time period covered in the book, and I had no idea what she was going through. I was surprised to read that she did the least amount of work she could to get by, because that contradicts my perception that she showed initiative in her work. You may know someone who suffers from relationship addiction and codependency and not recognize it.

Each chapter begins with Michi talking about her own experiences, followed by her reflections and the advice of the therapist. Michi's story makes the information very real to the reader, and I believe someone with similar problems will be able to recognize themselves in her descriptions. While the book will be most useful to individuals who suspect or know they have the problems the author addresses, it will also be helpful to their loved ones and acquaintances to better understand behavior that may seem strange or even bizarre.

Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of the book from the author, but I had no obligation to write a favorable review. The review reflects my honest opinion of the book.

Related Posts:Review: It's Murder, My SonReview: Murder on the InterstateBook Review: The Yellow Rose by Dawn ColclasureWhy I Love to Read on an E-ReaderReview: Thumbing Through ThoreauPowered by Contextual Related PostsReview: Sorry I Thought I Loved You was first posted on September 9, 2011 at 12:12 am.
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20,000 Comments!

[image error]Another blogging milestone: 20,000 comments!

Of course, since I reply to every comment, there are really only about 10,000 comments from readers. I say about because when I revamped and moved my blog about three years, threaded comments (including all my responses) were lost. So I don't actually know many comments I have received, but as of today, 20,000 comments appear on posts here. Thanks to each commenter and each reader. I appreciate you all!

Of course, in the same time period, I got more than 350,000 spam commentgs, so 20,000 doesn't seem like so many.

Related Posts:A Milestone: Post 300Happy Belated Blog Birthday!Has Anybody Here Seen My Old Friend Threaded Comments?Three Problems Solved, but a New One AppearsComment #10,000+Powered by Contextual Related Posts20,000 Comments! was first posted on September 8, 2011 at 11:58 am.
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New Voices Contest for Young Writers

[image error]The EPIC New Voices Young Writers Competition™ is open for submissions through October 31, 2011. Students in public, private, or home schools between the ages of 11 and 18 are eligible to enter in the categories of short story, essay, and poetry.

The contest was designed

To encourage reading and writing in middle school and high school students—giving them an opportunity to showcase their work and receive feedback from professionals in the industry;
To promote e-book literacy in public, private, and home schools.

This competition has a special place in my heart because another EPIC member, my friend Billie Houston aka Barri Bryan, and I started the contest in 2006, and I have been involved in a variety of roles ever since. Now, all I do is judge, which includes reading and scoring the entries and writing my comments, especially positive encouragement.

New Voices is a wonderful opportunity for young writers to get feedback from professionals and, if they are finalists, to be published in an anthology. If you know junior high and high school students who like to write, please direct them to the New Voices brochure and encourage them to enter.

Related Posts:Deadline Nears for New VoicesEPIC New Voices: Writing Contest for TeensEPIC New Voices 2008 Writing CompetitionA Favorite Project: Calling Young WritersDeadline Nears for Writing Competition for Middle School and High School StudentsPowered by Contextual Related PostsNew Voices Contest for Young Writers was first posted on September 7, 2011 at 12:46 am.
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Happy Labor Day 2011

The first Monday in September has been officially designated as Labor Day since 1892. Originally set aside as a day to honor organized labor, it has grown to a day for all workers—union laborers, nonunion workers, entrepreneurs, corporate employees, retail workers, small business owners and employees, and even freelancers—to enjoy a day of relaxation and fun.

This year, unfortunately, many people in the US who would like to be among those workers are unemployed, and the bleak jobs report that just came out shows it will not be easy for them to get back to work. Today, if you have a job, thank God for it and celebrate your blessings. If you among the many looking for work, thank God that you live in a land of opportunity  and vow to get back on your feet. Maybe you will update your resume and renew your efforts to find a job.  Or maybe you will decide to take charge of your own future—become a freelancer, start a small business, or come up creative new ways to earn a living.

Whatever your employment status, I wish you a joyous and peaceful holiday.

photo credit: foilman

Related Posts:Happy Labor DayLabor DayWhat Does Labor Day Mean to Freelancers?Happy Labor Day 2010!Comments on The Case Against AbortionPowered by Contextual Related PostsHappy Labor Day 2011 was first posted on September 5, 2011 at 12:58 am.
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September is a Busy Month

Take a look at any calendar of events that lists the special days and months, and you'll discover that September is a very busy month.

In addition to several special days that I will recognize when they occur, September is the "National X Month" or "World Y Month" for a number of causes and activities.

Three of these national/world months have special meaning for me:

National Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month: Now I have to admit that most people are kind to this writer/editor, and I appreciate their kindness. However, this is a good opportunity for me to say thank you to the writers and editors in my life. I would like to publicly thank all the writers who are my clients. Each one is talented and delightful to work with. I also want to publicly thank all the writers whose works I love to read. You can find great writers and great books in my reviews on Goodreads. Thanks to my many friends, both online and offline, who are writers and editors. I learn from them and share the ups and downs of the publishing world with them. Happy "Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month" to every writer and editor!
International Update Your Resume Month: Career  Directors International, an organization for professionals in career services, sponsors this event. With the current economy and the latest job report showing new jobs aren't being created, an effective resume is more important than ever. If you've lost your job or just entering the labor market, the need is obvious. However, even if you are employed today, you may face job loss tomorrow, or you may encounter an opportunity for a move upward. In either case, you don't want to be caught unprepared—always have your resume ready to present to an employer. Even if you're a freelancer, your resume is an excellent marketing tool, so everyone can benefit from learning how to how to write an interview-winning resume
World Alzheimer's Month : I've written before about my experiences as a caregiver for my father and another family member with Alzheimer's. My associate Beverly Ellison has written here about caring for her mother with Alzheimer's as well as sharing Alzheimer's do's and don'ts. I certainly have good memories of my father in the early stages of the disease, but I have also had painful experiences when people made fun of my loved ones or were ugly to them because the people didn't understand Alzheimer's. My dream, of course, is for the eradication of this disease—or at least effective treatment, and there is hope for the future. But for the present and immediate future, my dream is that the public will treat those who have this disease with respect and courtesy. My sister, a social worker who works with Alzheimer's patients, has written a wonderful little book for caregivers. Help! What Do I Do Now?: Caring for Your Loved One with Alzheimer's just won the Parenting/Family – Nonfiction category of the Global eBook Awards. This short, easy-to-read book is great not only for caregivers but also for anyone who knows an Alzheimer's patient or anyone who wants to have a better understanding of how the disease affects those who have it and those who care for them.

September is National Chicken Month, National Coupon Month, National Self Improvement Month, and about four dozen other national months. But the three I've highlighted above merit special attention, and I hope you will take action as you find appropriate.

photo credit: Andreanna Moya Photography

Related Posts:National Alzheimer's Month and National Caregivers MonthNew Help for Alzheimer's CaregiversWorld Alzheimer's Day 2010Article about Alzheimer's BookWorld Alzheimer's Day: Wear PurplePowered by Contextual Related PostsSeptember is a Busy Month was first posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:34 pm.
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Publishing Ebooks on Smashwords

[image error] Most of my readers know I'm a big fan of ebooks. I read on a Kindle, but I believe in making my books and my clients' books available for a variety of ebook devices. The easiest way to accomplish this is to publish on Smashwords, a platform that allows anyone to publish their work as an ebook for free. Currently I have eight titles available on the Smashwords website and in its Premium Catalog.

Trapped by Love , a free novelette that has been downloaded more than 5000 times on Smashwords and has five 5-star reviews
Dream or Destiny , a romantic mystery with a paranormal touch and a theme of domestic violence
Stroke of Luck, a contemporary romance, five-star rated, featuring a disabled heroine
Fern's Fancies , a humorous contemporary romance with four 5-star reviews
The Secrets of Fantastic Houseplants , an indoor plant care guide based on a small booklet I wrote for customers in my plant shop many years ago
Finding the Information You Need: Research Tips for Your Family, Business, or Personal Pursuits , a short how-to guide to research, useful for writers as well as individuals and families
Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History , tips for writing a family history or memoir to share with family or to publish
Creating Fictional Characters , my newest offering, based on a series on my blog—at least three of the posts rank among the top 10 in Google for the keywords "creating fictional characters" as well as among my most popular posts

All except Dream of Destiny and Stroke of Luck, which are published by a small press, are self-published and available only as ebooks through Smashwords. All my self-published ebooks sell for $1.99. In addition to my own books, my associate and I have published a dozen ebooks on Smashwords for clients, so I've been through the process enough to share a few words of advice.

The magic of Smashwords is the Meatgrinder, the system that takes a Word document and converts it to a variety of ebook formats for sale on Smashwords and other retailers across the Internet. Books in the Premium Catalog are distributed to Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Apple, Diesel, and Scrollmotion and will be distributed to Amazon when the two companies complete technical integration. While authors can upload ebooks directly to most of these stores, letting the Meatgrinder do the conversions and Smashwords do the distribution saves a lot of time and frustration.

Preparing a manuscript for Smashwords takes some time and occasionally causes some frustration, but when it does, the simple solution is to follow the Smashwords Style Guide. Mark Coker, Smashwords' founder, has spelled out in detail exactly how to prepare your Word document (be sure to use .doc, not .docx) to make the AutoVetter (the technology that Smashwords uses to check your manuscript for formatting errors) happy. In my experience, when a file has been rejected by the AutoVetter, the reason is failing to follow the Style Guide exactly.

You don't have to learn from your own mistakes when it comes to Smashwords. I'll share my mistakes with you so you can learn from them. The following tips suggest things to do and not do—for details see the Style Guide.

Do remove all formatting—even the hidden formatting you don't know is there. Mark explains how to find and remove the formatting and how to normalize your text. When the Style Guide says to remove all formatting, believe it. Don't think you can get by using that fancy font that you love so much. Stick with Times New Roman, Garamond, or Arial.
Don't mix a lot of different styles. Start with everything in Normal paragraph style, then add the variations you need for headers and font attributes such as bold and italics, but keep styles to a minimum. Elaborate formatting doesn't translate well to most ebook formats.
Don't use tabs, paragraph returns to create blank lines between paragraphs, tables, columns, or text boxes. Instead use paragraph indents and set the "space after" to 6 point in your Normal paragraph style; convert tables, columns, and text boxes to plain text.
Don't use Word's AutoCorrect, AutoFormat, or automatic table of contents creator. All of these features are apt to put garbage into your ebook. You may think it takes a little longer to create the table of contents manually, but, believe me, if you corrupt your file with an automatic table of contents, you'll wish you had spent a little extra time initially.
One simple rule for success: Do follow the instructions in the Style Guide. Mark Coker has provided step-by-step instructions that work if you follow them exactly. And if you still get AutoVetter errors after following the instructions, fall back on the "nuclear option" and paste your text into Notepad to remove whatever hidden formatting or corruption is causing the problem. Then start over following the Style Guide instructions.

Anyone can publish anything on Smashwords. As an editor, I have one piece of advice that isn't a "how-to" but a "what-to." Ensure that your book is ready for publication before you start formatting. Hire a professional editor or find a knowledgeable friend who can edit your book for you. Smashwords will produce a lovely ebook in nearly a dozen formats. Make sure the quality of the content is commensurate with the quality of the formatting.

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Related Posts:Smashwords July Summer/Winter SalesSmashwords Summer/Winter SaleRead an E-Book Week Coming to an EndMore Free E-BooksRead an E-Book Week 2011Powered by Contextual Related PostsPublishing Ebooks on Smashwords was first posted on August 30, 2011 at 4:26 am.
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Thanks to July 2011 Commenters

Thank you to the 93 commenters who left 138 comments in July. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them.

Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.

Top Contributor (11 comments)


























Marius
Poker Online
















Major Contributors (6 comments)


















Mia
SBP















Outstanding Contributors (5 comments)























Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts


Jeanne Dininni
Writer's Notes


Zara
C'est La Mode

Significant Contributors (2-3 comments)

anastasia gkolphi
Job Query


Jane
Recover Deleted Files Easily


John
Review Compare


Richard
Kindle vs Nook


David Madison
Kiki's Salon Chateau


Dawn Colclasure
Dawn Colclasure Blog


Derra
Accent Reduction Now


John
Best Ereader Comparison


Julius
Barbie Wallpaper


Matt
Edit Me F.A.S.T.


Mike
Black Cohosh


R.J.
Extremely Normal Couponing


Tony Tate
Tony Tate


Vanessa
Lloyd Platt & Co.

Important Contributors

Aaron
Natural Teeth Whiteners


Alex
The Cottages on Government Way


Arti
My Yatra Diary


Ashley
Carpet Cleaning West Covina


Barbara
Heart to Heart Sympathy Gifts


Carlos
Ontario's Most Trusted Car Loan Provider


Chelsea
Down or Just Me


Chester
Magoosh GMAT


Clint
Psoriasis Solution


Cora Zane
n/a


Craig
Love to Play Bingo


David
Smiles of Spokane


Dee
n/a


Denise
Gypsy Shadow Publishing


Dia
Malo Dental Implants


Dominique
4Walls and a View


Fred
Finally Fast


Gabi
Pencil on Paper


Gisele
Walks of Italy


Helen Ginger
Straight from Hel


Holden
Best HPV Treatment


Jack
Earn Income at Home


Jackson Dias
Best Web Hosting Company


Jacob Dias
Flamenco Metronome


Jamal
broccoli soup


James
Discount Golf Clubs


Jan McClintock
We Need More Bookshelves


jane
Dogwood Forest Buckhead


jasmine
ITN Mark Education


Jasmine
Subscription Save


Jason Tewis
Teeth Whiteners


Jen
Cerritos Auto Square


Jeffrey Tineols
n/a


Jeremy
World's Last Chance


Jessie
Knock Knock


Joelyn
Age Management Clinic


John
Top Restaurant Recipes


John Dias
Watch NBA Live


Jolly
Denver Colorado Homes for Sale


Juan Rodriguez
RPG Estudios


Kayli
Best Auto Approval


Kelley
Cat House Shop


Kevin
Perpindicularity


Kyle
HavenX


Lilly
Alexie Aguil DDS


Louie
WP Hosting Deals


Mark Derickx
Auto Price Canada


Martha
Rosreferat


Matt Hempsel
Matt Hempsel Osteopathy


Mel Lifshitz
Mel Lifshitz Plays


Mike
Go Sculptura


Mike
UK Poker Bonus


Moe Bashi
Exceptional Limo


Nathan Gordon
Duramerica Brokerage


Noel Addison
Solforce


Pam Brittain
n/a


Patrick
Australian Heritage Homes


Rachel Lavern
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made


Ramy
Ramy Photography


renka
Your Real Estate Resources


Richard
Artificial Landscapes


Rick
Promotional UK


Ronny
Check Apartment Reviews


Sabine
CopyEdit24


Sameer
Sameer Kamat


Sensei Matt Klein
Fun affordable self defence karate for kids


Shahzaib
TechBirdy


Shaun
Vardags


Sherry
Delicious Skateboards


Shiliang
Microscope Net


Sonya
What House


Steve
Sex Offender Search


Taras Sakharevytch
Drain Rescue Plumbers


Tarun
Let Baby Play



Related Posts:Thanks to June 2011 CommentersThanks to May 2011 CommentersThanks to April 2011 CommentersThanks to March 2011 CommentersThanks to February 2011 CommentersPowered by Contextual Related PostsThanks to July 2011 Commenters was first posted on August 26, 2011 at 7:25 am.
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Congratulations to the Winners of the Global eBook Awards!

I am so excited! Both of my clients who made the finals in the Global eBook Awards won their categories.

[image error] Nancy Nicholson—who happens to be my "baby" sister, so I'm doubly proud!—for Help! What Do I Do Now? Caring for Your Loved One with Alzheimer's in the Parenting/Family — Non-Fiction category

 

 

 

[image error] Aggie Villanueva for The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art no Matter the Genre in the Writing/Publishing — Non-Fiction category

 

 

 

 

Mega congratulations to Nancy and Aggie. I am so proud of both of them.

Here is the slideshow announcing the winners. The first slide of each category lists all the finalists, and the second slide shows the winner.

2011 Global eBook Awards Presentation
View more presentations from Joseph Dowdy

Help! What Do I Do Now? ebook at Smashwords

The Rewritten Word ebook at Smashwords

Both books are available in print and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

Related Posts:Global eBook Awards Finalists AnnouncedReview: Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly MaguiresReview: Thumbing Through ThoreauEditing the Rewritten WordThe Growing E-Book MarketPowered by Contextual Related PostsCongratulations to the Winners of the Global eBook Awards! was first posted on August 21, 2011 at 10:09 pm.
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Global eBook Awards Finalists Announced

The finalists in the Global eBook Awards have been announced. Books by several of my clients were nominated for awards, as was my novel Dream or Destiny.

I'm pleased and excited to congratulate two of my clients who made the finals:

Aggie Villanueva for The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art no Matter the Genre in the Writing/Publishing — Non-Fiction category
Nancy Nicholson—who happens to be my "baby" sister, so I'm doubly proud!—for Help! What Do I Do Now? Caring for Your Loved One with Alzheimer's in the Parenting/Family — Non-Fiction category

Congratulations to Aggie and Nancy. I hope both of you go from finalist to winner!

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Related Posts:Global eBook AwardsReview: It's Murder, My SonBook Review: The Yellow Rose by Dawn ColclasureEditing the Rewritten WordReview: A Self-Publisher's Companion by Joel FriedlanderPowered by Contextual Related PostsGlobal eBook Awards Finalists Announced was first posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:45 am.
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Happy Belated Blog Birthday!

[image error]I don't pay much attention to statistics like numbers of visitors and page views to my blog. In fact, I seldom login to Google Analytics. However, I generally pay close attention to blog milestones, such as numbers of posts and comments and my blog's birthday/anniversary/blogiversary/whatever-you-call-an-annual-blog-milestone.

So I was surprised to realize my blog turned five years old a couple of months ago, and I totally ignored the occasion. Matt left a comment on my post about funny spam, saying he wished he got the spam I got because he's not getting many comments on his blog. I responded that I didn't get many comments either when I started my blog. However, after being online (counting on my fingers) five years …

But wait! I don't remember writing a fifth-blog-birthday post. I checked my archives in case my mind was playing tricks on me and confirmed that I had, indeed, ignored this occasion.

Maybe I overlooked the birthday because "time flies when you're having fun" or "the older you get the faster time passes" or . Maybe it slipped up on me because it hadn't been long since I recognized 1000 posts. Obviously, I overlooked the date when I transferred important dates from my 2010 editorial calendar to the 2011 calendar.

So help yourself to some virtual birthday cake and punch and join me in wishing a happy belated birthday to A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye.

As I've said in every milestone post, you—my readers—make blogging fun, and I appreciate each one of you.

I plan to keep blogging for many more years as long as you keep coming here to read and comment.

Related Posts:Two Years Old Already?A Milestone: Post 300Post 1000Happy Birthday, Liz and Successful Blog4 Years and 800 Posts!Powered by Contextual Related PostsHappy Belated Blog Birthday! was first posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:14 am.
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