Nicki Elson's Blog, page 6
January 17, 2017
Keep warm this winter with #LOVE. Jeepers It's January #Giveaway
Welcome to the 2nd annual Jeepers It's January Giveaway Hop hosted by The Kids Did It and The Mommy Island. My theme for this hop is - keep warm this winter with LOVE.
Don't you just LOVE a new romance? Does it make you want to dance? Maybe it's because we know everyone has to overcome some sort of hurdle - whether external or internal - to be able to take that leap into LOVE. In the three stand-alone novels of The It Series, each main character is a young urban professional who pushes LOVE to the sidelines only to discover it's all that matters.
In WHEN IT HITS YOU, Lyssa Bates thinks she can replace men with electronic toys.(Special release pricing of only 99 cents until Valentine's Day!)
In WHEN IT HOOKS YOU, Trish Cerise sets a 3-date limit on her LOVE life.
In WHEN IT HOLDS YOU, Cliff Walsh vows to keep his romances digital-only.
[Click the book titles above to read full blurbs & reviews.]
My prize is a $5 gift card to Amazon that you can use toward whatever you LOVE.
Also, everyone who enters by subscribing to my author e-mail list will receive a free e-single prequel to The It Series!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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January 4, 2017
The Rule I Wish I'd Never Heard #IWSG #amwriting
Hi friends! Welcome to the first Insecure Writers Support Group meeting of the new year.
What has me insecure this month is that I wasn't able to return any blog visits last month. Every day I expected to find time to do it, and every day ended in failure. You see the problem, right? I expected to "find" time - when does extra time ever just jump out and shout howdy? Never. I need to make time. And that's what I vow to do this year, starting...NOW.
I'm also in anxiety mode this month over my upcoming release. The It Series will be complete on January 25! I'd love some support on this Thunderclap if you're willing & able. Thank you! And now on to this month's question...
What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?Hmm...I've thought and thought about this, and I can't come up with one that I'm not glad to have learned. Maybe I just haven't learned enough of them yet to have found one I wish I didn't know. But sometimes, when I'm reading for fun and a book is driving me bananas because of excessive adverbs or passive writing or using waaay too many words to get the frigging point across, I wish I could unlearn all the rules and just enjoy the dang book. How about you - do you ever find that knowledge of the "rules" detracts from your reading enjoyment?
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!
Co-Hosts:
Eva @ Lillicasplace
Crystal Collier
Sheena-kay Graham
Chemist Ken
LG Keltner
Heather Gardner
What has me insecure this month is that I wasn't able to return any blog visits last month. Every day I expected to find time to do it, and every day ended in failure. You see the problem, right? I expected to "find" time - when does extra time ever just jump out and shout howdy? Never. I need to make time. And that's what I vow to do this year, starting...NOW.
I'm also in anxiety mode this month over my upcoming release. The It Series will be complete on January 25! I'd love some support on this Thunderclap if you're willing & able. Thank you! And now on to this month's question...
What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?Hmm...I've thought and thought about this, and I can't come up with one that I'm not glad to have learned. Maybe I just haven't learned enough of them yet to have found one I wish I didn't know. But sometimes, when I'm reading for fun and a book is driving me bananas because of excessive adverbs or passive writing or using waaay too many words to get the frigging point across, I wish I could unlearn all the rules and just enjoy the dang book. How about you - do you ever find that knowledge of the "rules" detracts from your reading enjoyment?
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!
Co-Hosts:
Eva @ Lillicasplace
Crystal Collier
Sheena-kay Graham
Chemist Ken
LG Keltner
Heather Gardner
December 7, 2016
The Five Year Plan. Alternate Title: Winging It #IWSG
Hey all! I hope your Decembers are off to a good start and that you're feeling the magic of the season. Amid all the festivity, I'm getting the third book in a trilogy (which is actually the first book in the series...more on that next month) ready to relaunch into the world at the end of January. Naturally, my insecurity this month is: "Will I get it all done?"
But I know by now not to waste any time worrying about it. Head down, nose to the grindstone, and all that. So on to the IWSG question of the month:
In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?
Here's my deal - I don't make 5-year plans. On this writing thing, I'm happy to go with the flow and see where it takes me. Yeah, I won't be writing any how-to books anytime soon (or ever). But I'm having fun, and that's my main objective. And I'm very, very, very grateful to those writers who've made goals, hit them, and shared their knowledge with the community so that I can at least fake like I know what I'm doing. THANK YOU!
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!
Co-Hosts:
Jennifer Hawes
Jen Chandler
Nick Wilford
Juneta Key
JH Moncrieff
Diane Burton
MJ Fifield
But I know by now not to waste any time worrying about it. Head down, nose to the grindstone, and all that. So on to the IWSG question of the month:
In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?
Here's my deal - I don't make 5-year plans. On this writing thing, I'm happy to go with the flow and see where it takes me. Yeah, I won't be writing any how-to books anytime soon (or ever). But I'm having fun, and that's my main objective. And I'm very, very, very grateful to those writers who've made goals, hit them, and shared their knowledge with the community so that I can at least fake like I know what I'm doing. THANK YOU!
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!
Co-Hosts:
Jennifer Hawes
Jen Chandler
Nick Wilford
Juneta Key
JH Moncrieff
Diane Burton
MJ Fifield
November 2, 2016
The best thing about being a writer #IWSG #amwriting
Welcome to the November 2016 edition of The Insecure Writers Support Group. Before I get to this month's question, I want to go back to last month's: When do you know your story is ready?
Part of my answer last month was that no story is ever going to be perfect, and boy, have I learned that lesson agian. Earlier this year, I got my rights back to a story (Vibrizzio, to be re-released in January 2017 as When It Hits You ). Since this story had already gone thorugh professional editing and been out in the world, I figured it'd be good to go with a new cover and title. But when I readied the first chatper to include in the back matter of When It Holds You, I got itchy fingers.
I could see where I was sometimes overly wordy or made word choices too snooty for the tone of the story. As I dug further into the manuscript, I was finally able to see the excess business talk that had turned off some reviewers. And I noticed how my random "narrator intrusions" to crack a joke pulled readers out of the moment. There is NO substitute for giving yourself some time away from a manuscript.
But I don't feel insecure about finding these issues. I feel grateful to know that I continue to grow as a writer and for the opportunity to polish this baby up and re-present it to readers better than ever.
November IWSG Question:What is the best aspect of being a writer?
Very simply - writing. I freaking love it. The nice thing about being defined as "a writer" by people around me is that I feel far less guilty about my writing time than I used to.
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Co-Hosts:
Joylene Nowell Butler
Jen Chandler
Mary Aalgaar
Lisa Buie Collard
Tamara Narayan
Tyrean Martinson
Christine Rains
Part of my answer last month was that no story is ever going to be perfect, and boy, have I learned that lesson agian. Earlier this year, I got my rights back to a story (Vibrizzio, to be re-released in January 2017 as When It Hits You ). Since this story had already gone thorugh professional editing and been out in the world, I figured it'd be good to go with a new cover and title. But when I readied the first chatper to include in the back matter of When It Holds You, I got itchy fingers.
I could see where I was sometimes overly wordy or made word choices too snooty for the tone of the story. As I dug further into the manuscript, I was finally able to see the excess business talk that had turned off some reviewers. And I noticed how my random "narrator intrusions" to crack a joke pulled readers out of the moment. There is NO substitute for giving yourself some time away from a manuscript.
But I don't feel insecure about finding these issues. I feel grateful to know that I continue to grow as a writer and for the opportunity to polish this baby up and re-present it to readers better than ever.
November IWSG Question:What is the best aspect of being a writer?
Very simply - writing. I freaking love it. The nice thing about being defined as "a writer" by people around me is that I feel far less guilty about my writing time than I used to.
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Co-Hosts:
Joylene Nowell Butler
Jen Chandler
Mary Aalgaar
Lisa Buie Collard
Tamara Narayan
Tyrean Martinson
Christine Rains
October 21, 2016
Spooktacular #Giveaway Hop! #TrickorTreat
Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Spooktacular Giveaway hop, hosted by Bookhounds. I'm so happy you stopped by. Think of yourselves as trick-or-treaters on my front porch - 'cuz I'm giving away treats to everyone who knocks on my virtual door!
~.~.~
A Freebie for EverybodyThroughout the hop, I'm offering my twisted fairy tale novella, HANS & GRETA absolutely free to everyone who stops by. From October 22-26, HANS & GRETA isFREE in Kindle at Amazon.OR throughout the entire hop, you can download a mobi, epub, or pdf of HANS & GRETA at InstaFreebie. The InstaFreebie giveaway ends when the Spooktacular hop does.
~.~.~
Want Another FREE Book?In November, I'm gifting all subscribers to Nicki's News (my monthly author newsletter) an exclusive e-single of WHEN IT BEGAN. It's a prequel to The It Series, a sassy new collection of love stories set in Chicago. Just click below to get on the list.Subscribe to Nicki's News
**When It Holds You is only 99 cents until October 31**~.~.~
My Spooktacular GiveawayWhile you read, one lucky winner can enjoy an overpriced beverage from Starbucks on me! (I've been known to offer the winner the option of switching to an Amazon gift card, if they prefer.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 20, 2016
Constellation by Jennifer Locklear is Here!
Congratulations to Jennifer Locklear on the publication of CONSTELLATION, a contemporary romance novel released today!
She's intelligent, beautiful, and emotionally numb.He's older, sophisticated, and harboring secrets.
Up-and-coming executive, Kathleen Brighton is ready to launch her family's firm into the next level of success. Polished and professional on the outside, Kathleen's personal life is a source of constant struggle and letdown. But after one night alone with Jack Evans, her sexy new colleague, her life takes a turn toward erotic intensity.
Torn between her instinct to guard herself and her irresistible desire for Jack, Kathleen has only known heartache. And when she finds herself in the middle of a shattering personal crisis, she must trust fragile and uncertain bonds to survive. Will Kathleen conquer the demons of her past to find a future worth fighting for?
Jennifer Locklear lives in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. She married her high school sweetheart, Morgan, in 1995. She is the mother of two children, a son and daughter.Jennifer enjoyed creative writing as an adolescent, but set aside her favorite hobby to concentrate on college studies, career and family. In 2010, she rediscovered her passion for writing when her husband recruited her to edit his own stories. They co-authored and published their debut novel, Exposure, in 2014.
Since 2000, Jennifer has been employed in fundraising and development for a non-profit organization. She has been a contributing reviewer for the “Bookish Temptations” book blog and is a founding moderator of “Argyle Empire,” an approved fan site for author Sylvain Reynard.
She also enjoys participating in charitable activities, both locally and online.Constellation is Jennifer’s first solo novel.
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October 5, 2016
How Do You Know? #IWSG
Welcome to the October edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a time to release our fears into the world and support one another. Be sure to visit the IWSG site for details about the current anthology contest!
This month's question is:
When do you know your story is ready?
One thing every writer has to accept is that we can't wait for perfection - because that will never happen. No book is perfect. But we still want it to be as good as it can be before we put it out there. To that end, these are my rules of thumb for knowing when a book is ready:
1. After I've received feedback from unbiased critique partners and have addressed their issues.
2. After I've let the story "cool off" long enough to come back at it with a fresh critical eye.
3. When I no longer have nagging qualms about story, characters, or flow.
And then what's it ready for? Not for publication. It's then ready to go through editing.
~.~.~
Let's hope my next book is ready, 'cuz it's coming out on October 19! If you'd like to take part in the festivities in any capacity (there's an easy-peasy Thunderclap option) please visit the WHEN IT HOLDS YOU LAUNCH FORM Thank you!
~.~.~.
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Co-Hosts:
Beverly Stowe McClure
Megan Morgan
Viola Fury
Madeline Mora-Summonte
Angela Wooldridge
Susan Gourley
This month's question is:
When do you know your story is ready?
One thing every writer has to accept is that we can't wait for perfection - because that will never happen. No book is perfect. But we still want it to be as good as it can be before we put it out there. To that end, these are my rules of thumb for knowing when a book is ready:
1. After I've received feedback from unbiased critique partners and have addressed their issues.
2. After I've let the story "cool off" long enough to come back at it with a fresh critical eye.
3. When I no longer have nagging qualms about story, characters, or flow.
And then what's it ready for? Not for publication. It's then ready to go through editing.
~.~.~
Let's hope my next book is ready, 'cuz it's coming out on October 19! If you'd like to take part in the festivities in any capacity (there's an easy-peasy Thunderclap option) please visit the WHEN IT HOLDS YOU LAUNCH FORM Thank you!
~.~.~.
This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer's Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Co-Hosts:
Beverly Stowe McClure
Megan Morgan
Viola Fury
Madeline Mora-Summonte
Angela Wooldridge
Susan Gourley
October 3, 2016
Congrats to @JenLaneBooks on the release of SPIKED #NewAdult #Sports #Romance
SPIKED is the third and final book in the BLOCKED series by Jennifer Lane. It makes a great end to a wonderful series. You can read my full 5 star review at Goodreads.
Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen...
Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?"
At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked, which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez.
I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma:
Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark
But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you
When you're wounded
This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3).
Get SPIKED today!Amazon US * Amazon UK
Meet the Men of the Blocked SeriesBlocked: Dane Monroe, 6'8" blond gigante, volleyball setter
Aced: Alejandro Ramirez, med student, baseball player
Spiked: Mateo Ramirez, soulful singer / songwriter
Check out the Blocked series FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Find Jennifer Lane on:Amazon * Facebook
Review Tour Hosted by Raven Publicity
Enter to win a $25 gift card and series ebook set:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen...
Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?"
At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked, which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez.
I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma:
Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark
But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you
When you're wounded
This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3).
Get SPIKED today!Amazon US * Amazon UK
Meet the Men of the Blocked SeriesBlocked: Dane Monroe, 6'8" blond gigante, volleyball setter
Aced: Alejandro Ramirez, med student, baseball player
Spiked: Mateo Ramirez, soulful singer / songwriter
Check out the Blocked series FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Find Jennifer Lane on:Amazon * Facebook
Review Tour Hosted by Raven Publicity
Enter to win a $25 gift card and series ebook set:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cograts to @JenLaneBooks on the release of SPIKED #NewAdult #Sports #Romance
SPIKED is the third and final book in the BLOCKED series by Jennifer Lane. It makes a great end to a wonderful series. You can read my full 5 star review at Goodreads.
Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen...
Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?"
At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked, which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez.
I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma:
Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark
But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you
When you're wounded
This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3).
Get SPIKED today!Amazon US * Amazon UK
Meet the Men of the Blocked SeriesBlocked: Dane Monroe, 6'8" blond gigante, volleyball setter
Aced: Alejandro Ramirez, med student, baseball player
Spiked: Mateo Ramirez, soulful singer / songwriter
Check out the Blocked series FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Find Jennifer Lane on:Amazon * Facebook
Review Tour Hosted by Raven Publicity
Enter to win a $25 gift card and series ebook set:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Jennifer took time during her release festivities, to answer a question for me. Take it away, Jen...
Nicki asked, "If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of SPIKED, what would you choose and why?"
At times, music serves as inspiration for my writing, especially for Spiked, which features a singer / songwriter hero: Mateo Ramirez.
I remember hearing the song "Wounded" by Third Eye Blind years ago. I interpreted the lyrics as a loving man trying to help a woman recover from a trauma:
Well I never claimed to understand what happens after dark
But my fingers catch the sparks at the thought of touching you
When you're wounded
This song very much fits the story of Spiked (Blocked #3).
Get SPIKED today!Amazon US * Amazon UK
Meet the Men of the Blocked SeriesBlocked: Dane Monroe, 6'8" blond gigante, volleyball setter
Aced: Alejandro Ramirez, med student, baseball player
Spiked: Mateo Ramirez, soulful singer / songwriter
Check out the Blocked series FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Find Jennifer Lane on:Amazon * Facebook
Review Tour Hosted by Raven Publicity
Enter to win a $25 gift card and series ebook set:a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 29, 2016
Excerpt Reveal from USE SOMEBODY by @BeckAndersonID #Contemporary #Romance
I have a treat for you today - an excerpt from Beck Anderson's upcoming release.
Excerpt
We stand in a ridiculous line (my opinion) to grab a coffee at the original Starbucks, and Macy pulls out her phone.
“Now we’ll take our coffees and go drink them somewhere cool.” She pulls me along back the way we came, hops on the Link again, headed back toward the hotel.
“Where is this cool place?” I fight the urge to take the reins. She’s lost. We’re headed nowhere.
“Just wait. It’s gonna be cool. I asked the concierge about it before you got up, too, so it’s not just me and Google that thinks so.”
We walk a short block in the opposite direction of the hotel, past the gleaming steel and glass public library, which Macy takes several pictures of as we walk.
We cross the street, and she walks up to the front doors of a grey stone modern office building.
“What?” I feel a little unsettled. I’m the one who does the surprising.
“Trust me.” She takes my hand and pulls me in through the revolving doors.
We get on the elevator, and she presses the button for the seventh floor.
“Okay.” I stand next to her, but I’m concentrating mostly on the way it feels to have her hand on mine. I think about her lips on mine, her hips against mine…
And then she coughs. It’s two, quick coughs, but there’s that rattle again.
And my mind’s back on the business of keeping her well, keeping her safe.
We get off the elevator. She looks like a kid with a great secret. “Just wait. This is so cool.”
“You haven’t been here, how do you know?”
“Don’t be a crank. Nobody likes the stick in the mud.”
“Fine.”
She pulls me through another set of chrome and glass doors.
And yeah, she’s right. It’s pretty cool.
So apparently Macy from Teton County, Idaho, has discovered the rooftop park hidden in the middle of downtown Seattle. And it’s gorgeous. She hands me my coffee and walks over to the railing. The sun is out, and the water and the waterfront is laid out in front of us.
“There’s the Space Needle! We’re going there later today. After dinner.”
I laugh. “Are you at least going to let me pick a spot for dinner?”
“Do you want to?” She doesn’t look like she wants me to.
“There’s a great place I know, and it’s a short walk from the hotel.”
“Fine.” She takes a sip from her coffee and looks out over the view.
I kiss her on the cheek again. “Don’t sulk.”
She turns and kisses me full-on, on the lips, for the briefest possible moment, before pulling away and facing out to the view again. “I’m not.” I taste mint and feel sparks down to the base of my spine.
Then she smiles the slyest, crookedest grin I’ve seen. I haven’t seen her smile like that.
And I grin back.
Use Somebody is Beck Anderson's
newest Hollywood standalone.
Releasing October 8th. Now Available for Pre-order:Amazon US * Amazon UK * iBooks * Nook * Kobo
Beck Anderson is a two-time Rita© finalist and author of four novels including the Fix You series and The Jeweler. She’s also a wife, a mom, an educator, and a walker of a small, bossy dog-slash-evil genius. Find her at authorbeck.com, on Twitter: @BeckAndersonID, Pinterest, Facebook, and GoodReads.
ExcerptWe stand in a ridiculous line (my opinion) to grab a coffee at the original Starbucks, and Macy pulls out her phone.
“Now we’ll take our coffees and go drink them somewhere cool.” She pulls me along back the way we came, hops on the Link again, headed back toward the hotel.
“Where is this cool place?” I fight the urge to take the reins. She’s lost. We’re headed nowhere.
“Just wait. It’s gonna be cool. I asked the concierge about it before you got up, too, so it’s not just me and Google that thinks so.”
We walk a short block in the opposite direction of the hotel, past the gleaming steel and glass public library, which Macy takes several pictures of as we walk.
We cross the street, and she walks up to the front doors of a grey stone modern office building.
“What?” I feel a little unsettled. I’m the one who does the surprising.
“Trust me.” She takes my hand and pulls me in through the revolving doors.
We get on the elevator, and she presses the button for the seventh floor.
“Okay.” I stand next to her, but I’m concentrating mostly on the way it feels to have her hand on mine. I think about her lips on mine, her hips against mine…
And then she coughs. It’s two, quick coughs, but there’s that rattle again.
And my mind’s back on the business of keeping her well, keeping her safe.
We get off the elevator. She looks like a kid with a great secret. “Just wait. This is so cool.”
“You haven’t been here, how do you know?”
“Don’t be a crank. Nobody likes the stick in the mud.”
“Fine.”
She pulls me through another set of chrome and glass doors.
And yeah, she’s right. It’s pretty cool.
So apparently Macy from Teton County, Idaho, has discovered the rooftop park hidden in the middle of downtown Seattle. And it’s gorgeous. She hands me my coffee and walks over to the railing. The sun is out, and the water and the waterfront is laid out in front of us.
“There’s the Space Needle! We’re going there later today. After dinner.”
I laugh. “Are you at least going to let me pick a spot for dinner?”
“Do you want to?” She doesn’t look like she wants me to.
“There’s a great place I know, and it’s a short walk from the hotel.”
“Fine.” She takes a sip from her coffee and looks out over the view.
I kiss her on the cheek again. “Don’t sulk.”
She turns and kisses me full-on, on the lips, for the briefest possible moment, before pulling away and facing out to the view again. “I’m not.” I taste mint and feel sparks down to the base of my spine.
Then she smiles the slyest, crookedest grin I’ve seen. I haven’t seen her smile like that.
And I grin back.
Use Somebody is Beck Anderson's
newest Hollywood standalone.
Releasing October 8th. Now Available for Pre-order:Amazon US * Amazon UK * iBooks * Nook * Kobo
Beck Anderson is a two-time Rita© finalist and author of four novels including the Fix You series and The Jeweler. She’s also a wife, a mom, an educator, and a walker of a small, bossy dog-slash-evil genius. Find her at authorbeck.com, on Twitter: @BeckAndersonID, Pinterest, Facebook, and GoodReads.
