Kathy Bell's Blog, page 5
October 16, 2010
And how busy are you?
I guess I'm in a bad mood, because I'm getting tired of being patronized…when I say I'm busy, usually it means I AM busier than the average person. But, being the polite woman I am, I just nod as the speaker tells me that they are just as busy as I am and so cannot necessarily understand why I've said I'm not doing this activity or helping with that cause. I'm not one to bother trying to argue. But, as mentioned, I'm getting a little tired of it so feel the need to vent. Whenever I have to argue something, I like to back my arguments up with facts. Next time someone says to me they're as busy as I am, perhaps I'll throw the following at them.
I have four children. According to Statistics Canada, only 2% of Canada's families have three or more children. And of the 12,437,500 households in the country, 8,896,840 were considered families. Which means that my household is larger (read:busier) than 98.5 percent of Canadian households.
But even more important than that, all four of those children are under age 13. The youngest is 3. Only about have children under 6. So, if you factor those two numbers, only .2% of households in Canada would be expected to not only have four children, but children under 6 years of age. So my children make me have less free time than 99.2% of the country's households.
I work full-time. 59% of Canadian women work outside the home, although 73% of mothers with children under 16 work. 26% work part-time. So, from the employment perspective, I have less available time than about 58% of women because I work full-time.
35% of households have dogs, but as a breeder I have eight. I'll go with 25,000 breeders in Canada, based upon the Canadian Kennel Club's membership numbers…yes, there will be plenty of breeders who are not CKC members, but there will also be many members who are not breeders. So, only .2% of households operate a kennel. That makes me busier than 99.8% of the population when it comes to my pets.
Few people have horses. I live with four. Approximately 90,000 farms have one or more horses. So, my horses make me busier than 99.3% of the average population. Or, if I just go with those who have farms, I'm still busier than 98.2% of the population.
And those are the things I'm responsible for, I haven't even started listing the things I do for leisure. But, now I feel better anyway so will end my rant. And, I'm not resentful of the fact I am busy because I choose to have all these things in my life. I'm resentful of people assuming that I'm making an excuse when I say I am busy!
At least I've got links to pages of statistics which will come in handy for my parenting course.
October 14, 2010
Blog Tour stop at 'Just Wanna Sit Here And Read"
Today I'm thrilled to visit with Kate at Just Wanna Sit Here and Read and talk about naming characters.
October 13, 2010
October 12, 2010
The Blog Tour Continues…
Today's stop is an interview at 'The Writer's Life', where I share some of the trials and tribulations faced on the road to publication.
I'm also getting ready to participate in the Meaford Dragons' Den scheduled for October 20th. I'm pitching the Dragons for start-up funds for a completely digital press featuring local Canadian authors. I am continually amazed at how few people up here have heard of Kindles, Nooks, and the like, and truly have no idea how to tap into that potential market for themselves. So, I'd like to help them out with that but really need some help getting started, especially in getting the word out through sponsored advertising which is up for grabs at the event. There is no guarantee I'll get called up to face the Dragons, but I'm supposed to be ready, just in case.
October 11, 2010
Next Stop on Blog Tour
Today on my 'Virtual Book Tour', we stop by while 'Heather's Reading Romance'. Check out what Heather, a romance reader, has to say about Regression.
Because yesterday was the official release date for Evolussion, the sequel to Amazon bestseller Regression, I also did a spotlight sponsorship on Kindle Nation Daily. From that site, you can read a 10,000 word excerpt.
Each weekday, there will be another stop on the blog tour, and I will announce it here with a link to my gracious hosts! This tour was coordinated by:
See you tomorrow!
October 8, 2010
Virtual Book Blog Tour 2010 Begins!
I've started my virtual book tour with a stop at Dun Scaith speaking about strong female protagonists, specifically in science fiction. Here is the first paragraph, visit Chris's site for the rest of the post.
I guess I should start my discussion with a definition of the strong protagonist. She is someone who already has the skills and abilities required to solve whatever problem the author is going to throw at her during the story. She is a woman with a sense of self and purpose. She has brains, perhaps even brawn, and does not hesitate to use it.
This book tour is to promote the release of Evolussion, the second instalment of my Infinion Series.
Find me on Twitter @kathybellauthor , on Facebook , or at the Infinion Series website. Follow the blog tour
September 13, 2010
Naming Characters
Need just a random name? Or do your character names have a deeper meaning? There's a site for that!
You can put a lot of time and effort into selecting character names for your work. You have to take into consideration the time period they exist in, the sex, the ethnic origins, and even the ease with which the readers can read the name. I'll admit, Adya gives people pause. But there was a reason I chose that name.
When writing Regression, I wanted names that had a specific meaning, but also...
September 12, 2010
Stained Glass and the end of an Era
As I sat in a church in Kitchener yesterday, watching my cousin get married, I don't think I was the only one finding some poignancy in the moment. The wedding was wonderful and we're thrilled to have Jamie's bride Rachel join the family, but at the same time seeing the last member of my cohort, the generation of grandchildren descendent from Denis and Isobel Donnelly of Pinkerton, brought a little sadness. We're getting old!
The house in Pinkerton has housed Donnellys for five generations...
September 10, 2010
Doing a Blog Tour
To celebrate the launch of Evolussion, Book Two of the Infinion Series, I am going to be doing a virtual book tour through Pump Up Your Book,. I've never done this before – guess I'm a blog tour virgin – but hope it will generate some interest in Regression (kindle or paperback) and of course for Evolussion.
I'm working on a new website for the Infinion Series at infinionseries.com. It should get more and more detailed closer to the release date for Evolussion, on 10/10/10.
September 4, 2010
Fun for Writers
For a little light-hearted writer fun, visit the following sites.
The Gender Genie, http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php . Bring with you a sample or three of your writing – 500 words or more – and the Gender Genie will oblige you by identifying your sex. Don't worry, you don't have to hold true to its verdict! But, if you are telling your narrative from one or the other sex's perspective – which is likely, unless you are writing about aliens with three sexes – being aware of the words which a...
