Connie Cox's Blog, page 15
April 22, 2011
Shout out to my writer friends…
Shout out to my writer friends @amyliztalley @KeriFord @AlyssiaKirkhart @BethCornelison @corazane @sheliamgoss #ff
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April 15, 2011
Goodreads Bookswap-Good or Bad for Authors?
I'm really getting into Goodreads lately. Is it just a phase? Something shiny and new to catch my attention? Or is it like Facebook, destined to become part of my home-office world?
That's a question for tomorrow. But for now, I'm exploring all Goodreads has to offer. Today, I gave the BookSwap option a try. I posted a book that I had just read ( a new book hot off the press) as available for swapping. It was snatched up immediately. Within minutes, I printed off the label, stuck the book in a sturdy envelope and walked it out to my mailbox. Easy-peasy.
I'm not really that comfortable with having to declare that I'll mail the swap immediately, though. I live out in the boonies. If I'm out of book-sized packing material, I probably won't make a trip to town solely to purchase shipping materials. But today, everything lined up.
As a reader, I know this Bookswap thing can be beneficial. But I'm also a big library user and I have easy access to a great library system, so if Bookswap proves to be too much trouble, then no biggie.
As a writer, I have some ambivalence about sending out a new release book. Did I prevent a possible sale? Or did I encourage future sales by introducing the reader to an author theyotherwise would have never read?
I have to–have to!–let books go. Otherwise, I would have no floorspace in my home. I have often donated my books to my local library but I've seen a lot of my donations on the library's give-away table. Is it better to give the book to someone who really wants it rather than the library at-large?
As a reader, what do you think? As a writer, do you have a different opinion?
(Oh! You can find me on Goodreads here: www.goodreads.com/connie_cox )
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April 13, 2011
More Procrastinating-Make that Website Design
Have added and subtracted bells and whistles to my website. Also did some aesthetic work so it now looks less like a shiny girl robot and more like a shiny girl writer.
What do you think? All comments always valued!
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April 12, 2011
Playing with My Website Design Again
Why? Just because I can. (And it's a great form of procrastination.)
What do you think about this rosie pink? I think I like it.
Need to put something interesting in the header, though. Off to explore header options.
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April 2, 2011
Need to Read
Like the wild vines that twine around a trellis, I'm craving words to twine around me. I want to inhale the exotic scent of a lyrical turn of phrase. I want to taste snappy dialogue. I want to look into the paper soul of a 3-d character and never see bottom.
I have been giving and giving to the world of writing and now I need to take from the world of reading. I need to fill myself up to overflowing with Story with a capital S as a stream of words course through my imagination. I need to exchange reality with suspension of disbelief.
I need to read.
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March 28, 2011
Friday and Saturday Writers' Event
[image error]Benton United Methodist Church is excited about our first ever Christian Writers Conference which we are doing as an outreach for our community. On Friday April 1st, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, we have Meet the Authors featuring Dave and Neta Jackson. Together, Dave and Neta have written two childrens' book series, The Trailblazers and Hero Tales. Dave Jackson is the author of the Yada Yada Brothers series and Neta Jackson writes the Yada Yada Prayer Group series and Yada Yada House of Hope series. Neta Jackson is a Christy Award winner. Together, they have sold millions of books. They will give an inspirational program that will include a fun and enlightening message of hope, audience participation and readings from their newest works. Afterward, attendees may chat with the authors and have their books autographed. Attendees may bring their own books or may purchase them onsite.
On Saturday, April 2nd, from 8:30 to 3:30 pm, we will have a Writers Conference over a dozen workshops, each 30 minutes to 45 minutes long. We will have two tracks simultaneously, fiction and nonfiction.
Our speakers include Dave and Neta Jackson (www.daveneta.com), Connie Cox (www.conniecox.com), Judy Burford, Betsy St. Amant (www.betsystamant.com), Winnie Griggs (www.winniegriggs.com) , Lenora Worth (www.lenoraworth.com), Shelia Goss, (www.sheliagoss.com), Laura Flett, Charles Sutherland, Jerry Paylor, Barbara Rollins editors of publishing house Silver Boomers Books (www.silverboomers.com) , Rev. Ken Norton, Shelia Jackson, Sarah Hudson Pierce, editor of Ritz Publications, and Kathy Patrick (www.beautyandthebook.com).
Topics will range from "How to Get Published and How to Find or Form a Writers' Group to 'How to Write a Memoir or Biography' Journaling for Personal Growth, Journaling for Publication, Song Writing (lyrics and music), How to Structure a Nonfiction Book, and the basics of fiction writing, including plot, setting, characterization and point of view. In addition, lectures will include inspirational topics such as blending Christian elements into your Fiction Writing, tuning into God and allowing Him to work through you in your writing, how to let God prioritize your (writing) life and how to reach those in need through writing.
The conference is both inspirational and nondenominational.
Some facts that might interest you: Lenora Worth is a New York Times Bestseller. All but Dave and Neta Jackson are local writers. Kathy Patrick's 'Pulpwood Queens' is the biggest book club in the world with branches across the US and some internationally, too. Shelia Goss is on the Essence Magazine's Bestsellers List and has won many other awards. She writes both adult and young adult fiction. Connie Cox is a Golden Heart finalist and a RT Book Reviewer's Choice Awards finalist. Jerry Paylor has worked with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and other notables in the music industry.
All published authors will be signing their books throughout Saturday's event. Books are available onsite for purchase or attendees may bring their own. A follow-up book signing will be held at Barnes and Noble in Shreveport on Saturday at 6:30 pm.
We are so proud of our lineup! This conference is for anyone who has ever thought about writing and would like to explore it, for anyone who has dabbled in writing and would like more information and for anyone who is ready to publish and wants to interact with other published authors.
Childcare for children under the age of 5 is available for both Friday night and Saturday by calling the Benton United Methodist Church (318-965-2377) and pre-registering. The Friday event is free and open to the public. The Saturday event is also open to the public and costs $25 which includes lunch for the attendees. Parents must bring lunch for children in childcare.
Preregistration for the Saturday event is strongly encouraged. Pre-registration also available online www.bentonunited.org/cwc-registration
Both Friday evening and Saturday are sponsored by Benton United Methodist Church, Bossier Parish Libraries and Barnes and Noble.
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March 27, 2011
How to search for free Kindle books
Ran across this today: in the Kindle store searchbar type -domain and to see a list of the free books available for downloading.
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