Rochelle Campbell's Blog: The NoteBook Blogairy, page 15

The Aftermath of Publishing My Third Book

It’s very hard to believe that I have published three books already. ��Yet, somehow I feel that there is so much more to learn! My latest book, Making Dollars & Sense Work,��is the first and only book thus far that I have decided to make available as a softcover (read:��real book). ��That one tiny decision made me absolutely��crazed!

I knew I needed a book formatter and…I didn’t know what else! ��Yes, I was that thrown by one additional detail in my indie publishing journey.

It was my very best friend and writing buddy, K.C. Wise, who alerted me to the fact that I need images/imagery incorporated into this nonfiction personal finance book. ��This way, the reader eye will not become fatigued by the information &/or the density of words on the page. ��My brain farted when she first told me this; but I pushed through the feelings of ambiguity and began researching to find an answer that I knew was out there.

[Did I mention that K.C. is an amazing nonfiction writer? ��Her fiction kicks butt, too! Can’t wait to read her first published book!]

The solution was E.M. Tippetts Book Designs. ��Emily and her team of graphic and book designers made the process easy! ��They even��called me — yes, on the phone! — and walked me through the steps and gave me insight into the process so I could be a collaborative partner in the process of making my theoretical book into a physical reality.

I am now anxiously awaiting my galley proof from the publisher to see my work in actual reality! ��You have no idea how excited I am by all of this!!

Being an Indie author, I knew that the content itself is very important. ��I knew that the words themselves were key and that the work had to be edited! ��So, my faithful friend and editor/proofreader/book re-structurer KLM Editorial was on the case. ��My beta readers were all very helpful after I got down the first and second drafts (thank you KC, Sharon, Andrew and Sue!). ��Then, back to KLM the book went.

By adding the physical softcover book as an option, this is where 3 additional sets of eyes were employed to further perfect��Making Dollars & Sense Work. ��In total, this book has been viewed by 8 pairs of eyes��plus the review system of my publisher (have no idea how many sets of eyes are there!). ��The team that arose to make this book happen puts me in awe. ��I did not set out to have this many people involved; it just happened. ��This book��just happened!

Long story short, I started 2015 with a New Year’s resolution of beginning a novel generational women’s fiction novel for which I have a fully drafted outline from start to finish. ��However, I felt such a resistance while writing it that I became conflicted. ��I spoke with a trusted friend and they suggested that I pull back and write��for myself. ��I should write that thing that was important to me that would bubble out of me without hesitation. ��My reaction? ��I laughed. ��I had just finished book 1 of a paranormal series (Fury From Hell) and I had two fully executed outlines to choose from ��Writing what��I wanted? ��There was no time for that!

About a week later, I tried to write more for the generation women’s fic novel. ��I gave up after only writing one page and began to doodle-write (free-write) on a blank MS Word page. ��About 3 hours later I looked up and had about 5,000 words of what 2 months later became��Making Dollars & Sense Work: A Financial Primer for Single Moms & Dads Plus College Kids Too!

So, you see, from its inception, this book has been a group project. ��This is why I say this Indie journey I find myself on is ever evolving and I know that no matter how many books I publish there will always be more to learn.

To all of those who helped directly, and those who helped indirectly (thank you, Mom!) I send you blessings and heartfelt thanks to all you sacrificed to help me get this book out to those who will find it useful.

I would love your comments and thoughts on your experiences in your Indie journey. ��How has it been for you?

If you get a chance, please follow me on Twitter (my favorite social media platform). I’m on Pinterest, too. ��Still trying to figure that one out! LOL. ��Oh! I have a new FB writer page but I am so in the dinosaur phase of learning FB I hope I direct you to the right one! :-) ��My new FB Writer page –��https://www.facebook.com/RochelleScribe.

All the best,

Rochelle aka The NoteBook Blogairy

The Fury From Hell’s Tome Tender Giveaway Winners are…

Dianne from Tome Tender��has been an awesome supporter of my book FURY FROM HELL. ��In addition to writing a review that any writer would drool over Dianne has been a great writer friend ensuring that I have ‘writing’ time. Thank you Dianne!! ��Please follow Dianne on Twitter too for the most fun informative tweets about what next to read! @DiiBylo

Please visit Dianne’s great book review blog and find your next great read!

http://tometender.blogspot.com/

Okay! ��The moment you’ve been waiting for!

The winner of the $25 Amazon gift card is…

Erin F.

 

The winner who will be able to add pins to the FURY FROM HELL Pinterest book board is…

Patrick S.

 

I want to thank all of the 687 other entrants to the FURY FROM HELL giveaway and hope that you will all purchase the book. ��To help urge in you that direction, you can snag a copy of FFH for only 99 cents��this��Thursday, February 26th��AND Friday, February, 27th, 2015! ��Then, the price goes up over the weekend. ��To get your copy of this ‘dark edgy’ thriller click here, or on the book’s image below.

If you prefer a print copy of FURY FROM HELL physical print books will become available by the end of March 2015.

Dark edgy thriller pitting good vs. evil!

 

#WriterWednesday Tip: A Strategic Partner – Your Book Editor

If you are any type of writer — Indie, or traditionally published — you know the importance of having your work properly edited by an experienced, caring and compassionate editor.

I’ll tell you a ‘horror’ story. ��My very first book that I released called��Opening Up was a labor of love. ��I had worked on it for upwards of four years. ��I tweaked and primped it and thought I was finished by the end of year four. ��I sent it to my editor – KLM Editorial Services — and she ripped it apart…kindly, of course.

However, this is exactly why you have an editor to do just that — tell you when you need to cut, revise, or throw out completely. ��Well, maybe that last bit is going overboard but you get the point. ��I did revise��Opening Up. ��I did publish it and the reviews came back that readers loved a minor character that was introduced towards the middle of the book. ��Readers wanted��that minor character to be the focal point of the book!

This was not the job of the editor to ferret out. ��That was the job of a supportive writer’s group which at that time I did not have. ��Readers did comment that for an Indie book it did not have the grammatical, punctuation and other technical flaws one saw from a new independent author. ��Kudos to KLM Editorial!

Needless to say, I pulled that book and have re-worked the story arc and have a fully executed outline ready to go. ��But that, as they say, is another story!

Every Wednesday is #WriterWednesday on Twitter and I wanted to do something special for it. ��Something we writers can appreciate. ��I would like to share my editor, Karen, with you — KLM Editorial Services!

Here is a Q & A with Karen so you can get a sense of how she works and if she may be the perfect fit for you and your book.

How would you define success as an editor?

Personally, I feel I’m a success when someone will refer me to a possible client, because they are very satisfied with work I have done for them in the past. I also get satisfaction if any book I’ve worked on has been nominated for, or received, an award.�� Although most of the��effort is that of the author, I also had a hand in that success.

When someone gives you something to edit, what do you do?

I have always believed, and stressed to “my” authors, that their story is theirs – I’m only here to help them make it the very best possible story it can be.�� I don’t always agree with content, but it’s not my place to do so.�� Spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure, now – that’s a different thing entirely…

 

I know some people believe that you should be able to work with any author/editor, but sometimes personalities just don’t mesh.�� When that happens, it’s to the author’s benefit to get a different editor, otherwise she/he runs the risk of getting a poorly edited story that may not do well in the market.

 

My definition of Freelance work:�� An author has written a novel.�� They wish to find an editor to polish that novel before a potential publisher sees it.�� They have heard of me through “the grapevine” or through a publishing house or some other means (for example, my name is in many of the books I have edited, listed on the copyright page as editor).�� They contract with me to edit their book, and pay me an agreed upon amount, in portions, to edit the work.�� I have also done freelance work when a publishing house says “I have a novel.�� It needs an editor.”�� They give me a synopsis of this book, and ask, “Do you want to do this book?�� If so, what will you charge, and what will you do for that money?”�� They then negotiate the contract for me, and have the author contact me with the manuscript.

 

What I do —�� SUBSTANTIVE EDITING�� (an explanation:�� http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/copyeditingterm.htm)

 

I was trained by an acquisitions editor at Doubleday to do a total edit….from proofreading��and copyediting to the Substantive Line Edit as a complete service.�� That’s what you get from me.

 

I copy edit (grammar, punctuation and spelling) of the content of the manuscript. I check for continuity errors.�� I pare all extraneous words out…and can point each of them out.�� All the little IF, AND, BUT, THEN, THEY������ etc.�� I check for smooth flow, and help tighten the manuscript, WITH the author.�� I make suggestions…�� I question what the author “means” if something is unclear.�� Do you mean “a”�� or do you mean “b.”���� I do try to encourage the author with their work.�� If I see they have potential (in my opinion) I try to point that out.

 

I am NOT a book “doctor.”�� I do NOT re-write the book.�� I do not LIKE to give writing lessons to the author that truly writes dreadfully…giving writing lessons is not the job of an editor.
What I wish writers would do and not do before I see their

manuscript –

 

DO:�� Spell and grammar check the entire work.�� Cut as many extraneous words, and make the work flow before an editor sees it.�� Write your work, and let it sit for a time (probably about a month) and then re-read it with a “fresh eye” to see what changes might be made — and make them.

 

NOT DO:�� Expect the editor to write their novel for them.�� They can take the editor’s questions about what is already written, and the editor’s comments of what the editor has read.�� Using that information they craft the work; an editor does not.

 

Tell us about an example of a conflict you’ve experienced in an editing situation and how you’ve resolved it.

 

I was given a manuscript by a publisher with whom I had worked for a few years.�� The author was a novice; this was his first book.�� I did my complete edit, and added comments and suggestions for improvement.�� Apparently the author took none of my suggestions, and made no changes or adjustments.

 

The publisher knew that nothing I suggested was used because of the previous quality of my work.�� She apologized to me for the author’s attitude, which was quite kind of her.

 

A different client, who was also a first time author, hired me to work on his book.�� What irked me was he changed and added��chapters to the story after I had completed my edit, but did not allow me to go over the new material.�� The new material was not as good as what we had worked on improving��during my editing pass.�� He added my name to the copyright page of the book as editor without my permission.�� This one title I never refer to when I’m asked for my credentials since the novel was changed after I worked on it.

 

This author later wanted me to do subsequent books in this series, and I refused.�� He was of the opinion that, “everyone has a price,” and he would pay it.�� No amount of money would be enough for me to go through those headaches again.

 

What would the ideal editing job be for you? [Please say Indie authors! I’m an Indie author. :-))]

 

LOL! ��Most of my clients are indie authors these days!�� I was trained to edit almost anything.�� I’ve edited titles from historical fiction, romance, science fiction, children’s books, historical articles and gay fiction.

 

Editing, in my opinion, is the same for the indie writer than for one that might be submitting to a publishing house.�� You need to deliver a high quality product to the end-user: the reader.

 

What if an author, or organization, has several editorial candidates with similar qualifications. ��Tell us some reasons why we should hire you?

 

I have decades of experience, and let my resume speak for itself.�� I was trained by an acquisitions editor from Doubleday in the 1970’s-80’s.�� I always am mindful that the manuscript is the work of the author.�� I try to keep their “voice,” in all that I do.

 

Here is a selection of the books that I have edited.

 

SHORT STORIES
Immortal State by Barry Nove

Nowhere to Go But Mars by Barry Nove

Crossroads of Sin by D.H. Aire

Time Out by D.H. Aire

 

Novels

Merchants and Mages by D.H. Aire,

Human Mage by D.H. Aire,

Highmage by D.H. Aire,

Well Armed Brides by D.H. Aire,�� (release date: tentatively March 15, 2015)

Dare 2 Believe by D.H. Aire,�� (release date: tentatively May 1, 2015)

Terran Catalyst* by D.H. Aire,�� (*forthcoming)

Highmage’s Plight —�� proofing of second printing.

Flights of Fantasy, Volume One, edited by Colin Neilson, featuring the stories of D.H. Aire and Barry Nove

 

Nonfiction/Fiction

The Ellis Island Experience: A Sampling of Stories and How You Can Research Your Own by Barry Nove

 

Works by DONNA FERNSTROM

SORROWS

SECRETS (Short Story)

 

Works by ROCHELLE CAMPBELL

LEAPING OUT ON FAITH

FURY FROM HELL

“Single Mamas Guide to Being the Best Mom Ever: Getting Your Financial Life on Track”
��

 

Works by K.L. SCHAEFER

The Caring-Shell

Once Upon A Cloud

Walls of Ancient Stone

 

Works by KARL FIVE

Orgasm Incorporated — books 1 and 2

 

Okay, last question. ��What types of editorial services do you provide?

 

I DON’T format manuscripts for publication.�� I do offer to suggest possible publishing sources such as Create Space and X-libris.

check for continuity errors
copy edit (grammar, punctuation and spelling)��the content of the manuscript..
pare all extraneous words out…and can point each of them out.
check for smooth flow, and help tighten the manuscript, WITH the author.
make suggestions for improvements
question what the author “means” if something is unclear.
substantive editing

Karen, KLM Editorial Services

You can find out more about KLM Editorial Services by clicking these links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/klmacleod

http://www.simegen.com/bios/klbio.html

Please note: Any formatting issues in this post are the sole responsibility of this author — not her editor!

New Review Posted for Fury From Hell by Tome Tender

It was a normal Sunday afternoon.�� My family and I were marathon-watching #SharkTank while I was tweeting my outrage at some of the business owners.�� You know, normal.

I happened to notice a new email come in and I swiped over to check it out not realizing it would be such a game changer.

Dii of Tome Tender emailed me to let me know that she had posted a review of my book on Amazon, Shelfari, her blog Tome Tender, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter and FB.

Now, if that’s not amazing enough her review blew me away!�� She gave Fury From Hell 5 stars!

Without further ado (or gushing) please find Tome Tender’s review below.�� You can also view it directly on the Tome Tender site.�� Please follow Tome Tender on Twitter to receive great reviews on new books!

Tome Tender Book Review of Fury From Hell





Fury from Hell by Rochelle Campbell��



In a battle to save her soul, one hardened detective, a coven of wiccans and a new belief in things not seen will push you fully into the shadows on the dark side of the street, and finding that the suspense is well-worth the danger. Fury from Hell by Rochelle Campbell goes beyond edgy and dark as good vs evil collide head on and the lines become blurred, jagged and twisted in the living nightmare that has become Detective Jennifer Holden���s life. Jennifer is an atheist, because what God could allow the things she has experienced and witnessed? Perfect for the taking, a fury from Hell invades her body and feeds off the control he has over her. Abatu is no fantasy, he is the vilest of demons and what he makes Jennifer do without her knowledge will set off a crime spree that goes beyond heinous. Detective Holden and her team are assigned to stop this monster; unaware that this is no human and that one of the hunters just may also be the prey.

What is happening to Jennifer? Why is she having blackouts, why does she taste blood in her mouth? Meanwhile, Abatu sits back and prepares for his next meal, using Jennifer as his chef, waitress and clean up staff. His new host will not live forever and he must use her to his best advantage. Only the fear of going insane has Jennifer sharing her fears with a fellow officer and best friend, who, besides being full of sass, is a member of a powerful Wiccan group. Is the faith of the wiccans enough to aid Jennifer���s release from her personal Hell? Will their unwaveringly trust in a higher power be the wakeup call in Jennifer���s soul? Will it come in time?

Dark, demonic and completely intriguing, Rochelle Campbells��� Fury from Hell has it all and then some! Good vs Evil, the long arm of the law in action, a masterful mystery and a touch of the gift of faith. Rochelle Campbell doesn���t do pastel plots, she writes in deep, black strokes across a page of gritty sandpaper as she manages to etch her tale into her reader���s memories. Her world feels dark, desperate and oily, thanks to her vivid descriptions and ability to run the tension out at full throttle. Looking for an nonredeemable character to despise? Meet Abatu. The rest of the characters? They are unique in their personalities, their opinions and play off Jennifer���s hardened persona with ease. Grab your favorite talisman and join in on this trek through the dark, mysterious and seamy side of life that gives new meaning to the phrase, ���the devil made me do it.���

I received this copy from Rochelle Campbell in exchange for my honest review.

Original Tome Tender book review can be read here.

Book Thoughts: Shh! Kiss Me Baby (Mary Jane Meets Millionaire Playboy) by M. LeMont

“Most of my business associates call me by my full name, Buddy Brown,” and without cracking a smile I said, “And the women I date call me, Buddy.”

This is how we are introduced to this book’s main character.�� Buddy Brown is self-assured, confident, and most definitely over the top.�� He has everything many people dream about having, or owning.�� He even his own version of love.�� He has a flamboyant manner causing people he meets to either love Buddy Brown — or hate him.�� Either way, they respect him.

The long and the short of Shh! Kiss Me Baby is it is an urban fantastical love story with bling, Lear jets, travel, shopping sprees, sumptuous meals and steamy-hot love scenes.�� Imagine an Atlanta housewife meeting a cleaned-up drop-dead gorgeous thug gone legal and you’ve got Shh! Kiss Me Baby!

Almost every exciting fantasy one can dream is mentioned in this book (and maybe a few you hadn’t dreamed of yet!).�� If you love titillation and the lavishness of the rich and famous lifestyle you will love this book!

Did I mention that Buddy Brown is a dead ringer for Denzel Washington???

5 Blogairy Notebooks

Game Day: The Gluten Free Way

I’m going to keep this really simple because it’s been a LOOOONG Sunday.

For the big Game Day I kept it simple since the hubby went to a party with the guys leaving me home with the 18-month old and the 15-year-old. So what do both age groups like? Chicken Wings and Mac’N Cheese! :-)

I had a corn flour penne pasta in the cabinet along with a truly fabulous marinade called KenPo. For the Mac ‘N Cheese used the Betty Crocker recipe and subbed the flour with the Gluten Free Cafe all-purpose flour I’ve been raving about lately (it’s only available at Walmart).

Banana Bread made with Gluten Free Cafe all purpose flour with cranberries & walnuts.

The baked loaf…

The sliced loaf…

I know I was supposed to wait until at least 10 – 15 minutes before slicing but oh!�� The smell was simply divine!�� My non-GF son said it smelled like Thanksgiving in the house.�� The bread was light, moist and delicious!�� I am thrilled to be the baker of this bread! (If you’ve been around this blog a while you will recall my Flapjack Birthday cake…)

The wings were of the frozen variety complete with saline solution added. �� But with the addition of this amazing KenPo dressing they turned out beautifully!�� And tasty too.�� This dressing/marinade is Asian-inspired and it is made with olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, agave nectar, garlic chili paste and soy sauce — so flavorful with a punch!

Wings & a bowl of mac ‘n cheese please — the Gluten Free way!

We had a variety of ‘dirty’ chips, corn chips, salsa, Swedish Fish, Raspberry Iced Tea, and vanilla pudding (no one bothered with it).

So, if anyone says you can’t have a great fun meal without gluten I’m finally able to prove them wrong.��

P.S. – Leave me a comment if you’d like the recipe posted.

Ta-ta for now,

NB

The E-Squared Way

I don’t know how many of you have ever heard of Pam Grout.�� She’s the author of a pair of runaway bestsellers on all of the major publishing lists all writers desire to see their names grace — even once.�� Pam’s done it twice with E-Squared and now E-Cubed.

In both books, she presents 9 scientific experiments all aimed at helping us see how we can create the lives we want by focusing with positive intent.�� There’s no religious dogma.�� There are not candles to light.�� And most of all, the experiments are fun and can easily be shared with skeptical children and husbands.�� (Speaking from experience here!)

Long story short, I read E-Squared in the late Fall of 2014, shortly after her new book E-Cubed was released.�� While I had very little success in one of the experiments, I did have very good success with the others.�� I chalked up the positive things that happened as very lucky coincidences.�� Or, as the general goodness of the time since it was shortly before the end of year holiday season when all things seem brighter, happier and generally more better.

Fast forward to late winter.�� It’s now January 2015.�� The holidays are over.�� The Holiday bills are still being paid and snow is on the ground for a lady that loves 85-degree weather.�� Read: all optimism based on season is so no longer in place.

I decide to read E-Cubed because this will be the real test of these ‘scientific’ experiments.�� I have done only the first experiment in E-Cubed and it is the Boogie-Woogey experiment.�� The idea is that we come into the world with great optimism and enthusiasm and throughout childhood and young adulthood we are programmed to limit our expectations to fit in with the general ‘rules’ of the society we live in.�� Expecting good things is something only the Pollyannas of the world should do, right?

Wrong.

Pam Grout advises us in the Boogie-Woogey experiment #1 in E-Cubed to ‘reprogram’ ourselves every morning.�� Within the first few minutes of getting up play Pharrell’s “Happy”, or LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” and do the Harlem Shuffle on your way to the bathroom then fist-pump your way through brushing your teeth.�� Yes!�� Have yourself a mini party EVERY MORNING.

Yep.�� I thought she was mega-crazy too.�� But, I said what could I possibly have to lose?�� I tried it.�� The second morning, my children and I watched the Party Rock Anthem as we got on our coats and we all left the house smiling despite the freezing temperatures outside.

At this point, a little over a week into this one experiment which was to last only 3 days, I have had SO many little things, a few not so little things, that have happened positively to me and for my book that I cannot call any of it a coincidence.�� The shift in my mind frame of seeking the positive while turning my attention and focus to the optimism channel (instead of the ‘glass-is-half-empty’ station that we here in New York project even during sleep!) has made all the difference!

A short list of happy ‘coincidences’ if you want to call it that.�� I prefer to say these happenings are the result of reprogramming myself with a burst of happiness each morning for the last 10 days.

Two book reviewers have reached out to me and indicated firm interest in reviewing my book Fury From Hell
On Jan 27, 2015 at 3:47 am Fury From Hell was #82 in its category and it is not a new book!

Product Details

File Size: 2189 KB
Print Length: 287 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by:��Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00NE24S2W
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:

Not Enabled

Word Wise: Not Enabled
Lending: Enabled
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,816 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#82 in��Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > African American > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 ��� 3:47 am (EST) ��� Fury From Hell
An uptick in my Twitter followers of a little over 150 more followers in the last week
Better relations and atmosphere at work!!! (It’s amazing how doing a quick hula dance can turn around one’s mood in the face of stressful situations!)
A huge uptick in my page views on my Examiner page since last Friday, 1/23.�� I experienced a 412.5% increase since I set the intention of having 200 page views by COB Friday, 1/30 on my Brooklyn Asian Restaurants column (which I have not really updated in 2 1/2 years!).�� See?�� Pretty amazing, huh?
I met a fellow Esquare-er on Twitter and we have been tweeting pretty regularly sharing our experiences with the experiments.�� Thanks @nrichford! [Nannette has a great blog��Garden Thyme��where she shares advice about all things green, flowering and those with green thumbs (even us aspiring green thumbs!) on her Maine Garden Ideas website.]

There are other smaller happy things that happened — good travel on trains and buses every morning even throughout a tough snowy week here in New York City (well, except for this morning — but hey — it is New York City!).�� And a big one that just needs mentioning, I had already requested vacation time several weeks ago but one of my vacation days was Monday, 1/26 when NY was battening down the hatches in preparation for #NewYorkBlizzard.�� How “lucky” was that?!�� Then, the next day was a snow day when the trains were shut down in anticipation of the bad weather.�� While I did log in and worked remotely from home I was at home for an additional day.�� I so needed that rest!

And this was experiment #1.

I am quite excited to see how the other 8 experiments will go.

I’ll leave you with my dance-inducing tweet from Thursday the 29th…

#Esquared #HappinessThursday – Pharrell Williams – Happy (Official Music Video): http://t.co/SZ3l2eDkvf via @YouTube

��� TheNotebookBlogairy (@NotebkBlogairy) January 29, 2015

Gluten-Free Breakfast on a Snowy Day

Snow Day Breakfast: Cheesy Grits, Scrambled Egg Whites, Canadian Bacon & GF Biscuit

The view from my window this morning shortly before 9am (EST).

With all of the snow out there my family and I wanted a breakfast that would keep us full and comf-tee. (Yeah, I said it.)�� I knew I wanted the Canadian Bacon (which I bought at Walmart) and grits.�� Peeking in the fridge, I spied monterey jack cheese and knew cheese had to go into those grits!�� But something was missing — a carb.

Since I am going back to a gluten-free diet, I knew that I needed to poop, or get off the #glutenfree baking pot.�� I picked up four boxes of the Gluten Free Cafe flour (that can only be purchased at Walmart; I called the company to check) and they were sitting in the cabinet waiting patiently for their turn to be a part of one of our family meals.

THE GF flour of my choice! (Ignore the bread in this pic. That was another day/another post.)

 

Today became the day.�� In my pre-gluten-free days I was a pretty good baker.�� So, I pulled out my well-used Betty Crocker 40th Anniversary edition cookbook, turned to page 38 and just went in and began making Baking Powder Biscuits.

Using only the Gluten Free Cafe flour (not even adding any extra Xanthan Gum!) I doubled the following recipe.

1/4 shortening (I used soft margarine)

2 cups Gluten Free Cafe All purpose baking mix

1 TBL sugar (white), if desired

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt, if desired (I usually use 1/2 tsp)

3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.�� Cut shortening into flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.�� Stir in just enough milk so dough leaves side of bowl and rounds up into a ball.�� (Too much milk makes dough sticky; not enough milk makes biscuits dry.)

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.�� Knead lightly 20 to 25 times, about 30 seconds (I find you don’t need to do this particular step with GF flour as there is no gluten that needs to bind!).�� Roll or pat 1/2″ thick.�� Cut with floured 2 1/2″ biscuit cutter.�� Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 1″ apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides.�� Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown (these GF biscuits don’t seem to brown well…).�� Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Yield (based on a double batch): 14 biscuits

Calories: Original version says 185 per biscuit — who knows for these GF ones but pretty sure they’re close.

Now, I did add extra soft margarine — about 1 1/2 TBL more.�� I also did not measure the milk; I just poured until the dough looked right.�� It is to be firm but soft and it is just to come together.�� Please do not over knead these (or, the original recipe of gluten flour) or you will get chewy (read: not nice!) biscuits.

My dough looked pretty much like gluten dough! It felt similar as well!!

 

 

 

 

Baked GF Biscuits

 

They did not rise like I thought they would but they did bake all the way through and they tasted pretty OK!�� I was amazed.�� They were not crumbly.�� They did hold nicely together.�� Please do not eat them as they come right out of the oven!�� These babies need to ‘rest’ like protein does after they come.�� You can eat them 5 – 10 minutes after they come out and then you’ll go — Oh! Not bad.�� If you eat it right out of the oven, they taste like sand. (Seriously!)

My next experiment will be to add some additional Xanthan Gum to this recipe to see if I can get flakiness into these biscuits.�� So glad I shook fear off and allowed myself to bake today!

Ta-ta for now,

NB

A Rare Interview from Author @MisterSalesman

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’d like to present a good Twitter friend of mine @MisterSalesman/Bobbi Dixon.�� I’ve had the pleasure of being Twitter buds with @MisterSalesman for over 6 months now and we’ve shared a number of great tweets and had a blast roasting one another (occasionally) publicly.

However, today we have a bonafide interview to share in Twitter form.�� The tweets below were taken directly from the feed and edited for reading clarity.�� But, the essence of the interview can easily be distilled.�� Both @MisterSalesman and I felt that this would be excellent information to share with our broader fan base and readers.

Please feel free to join the conversation and comment below.�� And please — TWEET US!

 

Friday, 1/23/15

@MisterSalesman Hiya! #HappyFriday! Hope all is well with you & yours. Here’s my latest post on my website -http://thenotebookblogairy.com/?p=78�� #The4400

@notebkblogairy That’s a very good post that everyone should read. The path least traveled is always filled with adventure; scary,…

@MisterSalesman Thanks Bobbi! How the heck are ya?

@notebkblogairy Working on a blockbuster book based on same principle as your post. Don’t Write To Be Famous, Write Like You’re Already Famous

@MisterSalesman Amazingly #Awesome! #Congrats on the new book!

@notebkblogairy Oh no, congrats to you…you wrote the post! But, I am writing one hell of a book that everyone should read.

@notebkblogairy favorite this and keep it near because the new book is going to show you how to think.

@MisterSalesman You are always #writing! I love that about u. I have to pick myself up and make myself write. So tired after working all day

@MisterSalesman How so?

@notebkblogairy the path of least traveled is exciting and disappointing, it’s where u will discover new things and fortunes are made

@MisterSalesman Preach!

. @notebkblogairy I know everyone thinks they know how to think but they’re thinking like everyone else and that’s the problem.

@MisterSalesman Continue the thought…

. @notebkblogairy And as more e-books are published every day it will be harder to succeed unless you think different from the rest, #TDC

@MisterSalesman Very very true. Soberingly true. #writingtips

. @notebkblogairy A new wave of thinking #TDC Think Different Crowd. Don’t Write To Be Famous, Write Like You’re Already Famous

@MisterSalesman When will your new book be released?

. @notebkblogairy This is a different book and some folks will be offended by the content language, designed to tear down the barriers

@MisterSalesman Thanks is always a great way to start – make them want it more because it’s #taboo. Smart.

@notebkblogairy ….and get your ass moving!

@MisterSalesman Moving!! Already have the page for the new book up on my website where readers can download the docs that come w/book.

To be released Feb 2015

 

@notebkblogairy Taboo and true and I don’t care what people think about the book or me I tell you that it all starts with your thinking.

@notebkblogairy You wanted an exclusive…. you just got one. Two things I don’t like: interviews and deadlines..

@MisterSalesman Thanks for doing both Bobbi! Was literally pulling all of the tweets together in the order in which they happened. It’s ready!

…perks who said anything about perks. ��AHA Author Interview with Rochelle Campbell host M LeMont @NotebkBlogairy http://mistersalesman.com/AHA_Live_with_M_LeMont.php�����

Post Script���

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Hi @bookclubgirl! Giving you advance notice of a new book coming out next month – http://thenotebookblogairy.com/?p=78�� #NonFiction pic.twitter.com/0bSb9iQB0s

@NotebkBlogairy happy for you. diversification @bookclubgirl

@MisterSalesman @bookclubgirl Thx! It’s a new year. Time for new thoughts!

@notebkblogairy how do you write a book to be different than the rest? It’s not what you say but how you say it that makes it different

@MisterSalesman It’s also ur perspective & body of experience that adds value as well. #TDC #amlistening & getting onboard

. @notebkblogairy A new wave of writers #TDC Think Different Crowd and leaves them standing in the dust. @bookclubgirl

 

Books by @MisterSalesman:

Shh! Kiss Me Baby: The Untold Story: Mary Jane Meets the Millionaire Playboy

Caught Up What’s Done in the Dark Comes to Light

Holy Shit! I Bet You Didn’t Know This

 

Books by @NoteBkBlogairy:

Fury From Hell

Leaping Out on Faith

The Magic Seeds: A Modern Day Fairy Tale (softcover book for children)

Feel Good Friday – #FGF

This has been an exciting, nerve-wrecking New Year.�� Things are not always what they seem.�� Projects warp and reform themselves into things you barely recognize and the weather has been surprisingly mild.

Or, this could all be just my experiences here in the Big Apple. :-)

See, I’ve been trying to get (back??) on the New Age/New Thought/Positivity band wagon.�� It seems I feel off the wagon some years ago.�� Don’t quite remember when.�� However, my early morning first thoughts are not quite filled lightness and air as they were at one point in my life.

For the last 6 – 8 months, I have been reading books to help me navigate back onto a path that will lead me to inner fulfillment without the material trappings of those things we seem to revere here in the West.�� Inner peace, it is touted, proceeds any other kind of fulfillment.

So, I’ve been reading some books to help me in various arenas of my life…

Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide for Letting Go – Shaun McNiff

An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-year-old panhandler, a busy sales executive, and an unlikely meeting with destiny – Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

Gotta Find a Home: Conversations with Street People – Dennis Cardiff

Why You’re Stuck: You Guide to Finding Freedom From Any of Life’s Challenges – Derek Doepker

Just Ask the Universe: A No-Nonsense Guide to Manifesting Your Dreams – Michael Samuels

E Squared – Pam Grout

E Cubed – Pam Grout (reading)

There are others but these are the ones that stick out the most.�� Not only do I find I need to read the how-to books, I also want to read the personal stories of people who DID things different from what ‘society’ says is proper.�� I want to “see” through the eyes of people who took that other path in the woods.

The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost

TWO��roads diverged in a yellow wood,



And sorry I could not travel both



And be one traveler, long I stood



And looked down one as far as I could



To where it bent in the undergrowth;
�� �� �� ��





Then took the other, as just as fair,



And having perhaps the better claim,



Because it was grassy and wanted wear;



Though as for that the passing there



Had worn them really about the same,
�� �� �� ����





And both that morning equally lay



In leaves no step had trodden black.



Oh, I kept the first for another day!



Yet knowing how way leads on to way,



I doubted if I should ever come back.
�� �� �� ����





I shall be telling this with a sigh



Somewhere ages and ages hence:



Two roads diverged in a wood, and I���



I took the one less traveled by,



And that has made all the difference.

You know what I found out?�� Deep down inside we’re all pretty much the same.�� We’ve had so much practice at following all of the right society-approved cues/habits that we just ignore the part of us that’s screaming for freedom inside of our skulls.�� It gets to the point that you no longer hear your id’s screams for escape from imprisonment from social mores.�� We all just go along with the set program of achieve by any means necessary.�� Until one day we wish we hadn’t woken up on that corner of the bed, or that sidewalk.

It is when we reach such a dire state that we usually take stock.�� However, from all I’ve read, we need to take stock much sooner to ward off any ill effects.�� But what are the signs of an oncoming (existential??) crash?

Apathy

Listlessness

Boredom

Always wishing for something exciting/different to happen

Anger

Depression

Sleeplessness

If you are finding any of these things happening on a regular basis say for the last month?�� You need to make a change NOW.�� Pick up a book in the self-help/New Thought section of your favorite brick-n-mortar bookstore, or online bookseller, that grabs you.�� If you feel a cover, or a title, pull at you or you happen to resonate with the cover image, or the blurb — pick it up and read it immediately!�� It’s what you need to begin feeling good again.

I highly recommend Pam Grout’s books.�� They’re fun, easy and will definitely put a smile on your face!�� The Alby Principle is a really fun one to try.�� Watch this video to see what I mean.

In the meantime, have an awesome #FGF (FeelGoodFriday) and have the best weekend of your life.

Ta-ta for now,

N.B.