Rachel Thompson's Blog, page 28

January 24, 2013

My Difficult Mother by guest @mollydcampbell

If you’ve read many of the guest posts here, you’ll know they are about real-life experiences that shape us. Humorist (and two-time Erma Bombeck Award Winner) Molly Campbell shows us the real life difficulties of growing up with an emotionally distant mom and how it has affected her in a myriad of ways. Molly, thank you for your candor and honesty.

MY MOTHER

She was, although I never saw it in her, a beautiful woman. My father loved her and stayed by her, although he was never monogamous. I loved her, as all children love their mothers. But she was always just a bit cold, a bit distant, and a bit withholding. She worked hard, kept busy, and if she had any emotional depth, I never knew it.

In the generation that produced the girls who burned their bras and went to Woodstock, she was conventional and unimaginative. She never seemed to know what to do with the wildly insecure and sensitive child that I was. I must have sensed my adored father’s wandering eye, and I manifested my insecurity by worrying about everything. I had phobias about mental illness, cancer, and the atomic bomb. I had stomachaches and chronic respiratory problems. I read hundreds of books, brooded about things, and bit my nails. Mom had her hands full.

She came from an immigrant family. My grandparents arrived from Czechoslovakia as teenagers. The English language was never spoken fluently, and my mother learned it as a first grader. She didn’t share much about her childhood, but I knew enough: her father was ruthless. He expected his three children to excel in music. My mother was the least talented, and her father apparently made that very clear to her and the family. She grew up keeping her emotions to herself, standing tall while quaking on the inside, and she stayed safe by being strong. I grew up fearing my grandfather, who softened little in his old age.

I know now that Mom was probably never comfortable in the maternal role. I think she would have made a wonderful accountant or secretary. She was highly organized. She had a creative streak, which she expressed by making delicious meals, baking, and mastering craft after craft. She made afghans, silk Christmas decorations, hand sewn Barbie clothes, and assorted candles and embroidered dish towels. She loved flower arranging and decorating the house.

She was a wonderful nurse. My fondest memories are from when I was sick. She insisted on staying with me in the hospital when I had my tonsils out, even though that was unheard of in the fifties. She sat with me when I had the flu, and bought me ginger ale.

But on a daily basis, something was missing. Her lap was available very seldom, and hugs were meted out. She was uncomfortable with any physical demonstrations, and when I embraced her, she stiffened. “That’s enough of THAT,” she would declare, “I have too much to do.” She addressed my myriad worries by telling me that unless I “stopped all this foolishness,” she would call a psychiatrist. So I learned to keep my worries to myself. And I longed for warmth from her.

She was selfish. She got her way. My father did her bidding in most things, probably out of a sense of guilt. He never made it a secret that other women found him attractive, and though we didn’t speak of it, Mom, my sister, and I knew. At some level, I was always worried that my adored father might leave us.

So as time passed, Mom got more militant, more self protective, and less giving. As her daughter, I felt her pulling away. Was it her way of asserting her worth to us and to myfather? Gifts were rejected. Promises were made and broken.

As she became colder, I stepped up my efforts to please. One Christmas, I bought her what I thought was the perfect gift: a sewing machine. Hers was an old Singer with no attachments. I got her a new one with a slew of nifty accessories. I thought she would be thrilled and excited. Instead, she called and said she didn’t want it and was sending it back to me.

I continued my quest for Mom’s love and good graces, but nothing seemed to work. More gifts were rejected. Trips to visit us were cancelled. She stopped giving us gifts at holidays, instead sending me a check with the note “get yourself and the kids something, and say it’s from me.”

Dad was always the warm and loving parent, and I adored him, in spite of the hurt he doled out with every infidelity. When he died, my mother grew more strident in her rejections, extending them to friends and neighbors as well as to me. My sister escaped most of my Mom’s negative behavior. Mom seemed to lean on her, and the two of them got closer as Mom and I diverged.

There was guilt. Was I a bad child? Did I do something wrong that caused Mom to reject me so much? What could I do to win her over? I continued to try, and Mom continued to slap me down. Years went by. My children grew up.

About seven years ago, I opened a letter from my Mom. In her usual brusque fashion, she was writing to tell me that she had decided not to leave me anything in her will, “because you don’t need it.” Nothing else. It was the final rejection. Although she was not wealthy, and I truly did not need any money, I felt that Mom was finally revealing her complete indifference.

I divorced her that day. I saw her a few more times, but there were no more phone calls, no more letters, and no more gifts.

She lapsed into dementia soon after that, and I was spared any further unpleasantness. I felt much guilt about my defection, but I remained steadfast in my decision to give her up. My sister stepped into the breach and cared for her until Mom died.

I think about this as I reflect on my own career as a mother. I may have overcompensated by hugging my girls too much. I never wanted either of them to feel one second of rejection. I wonder if they knew just how much I wanted them to love me.

I still wish that I had discovered the key to my Mom’s heart. I kept all the afghans, the Christmas decorations, and there is one dish towel that I never used, but put away in a drawer for safekeeping.

There will always be a hole where my Mother should have been.

Molly is a two-time Erma Bombeck award winning writer. She hosts her own intelligent and funny blog, as well as writing for the popular international web site “Moms Who Need Wine.”

Her short story collection began as a Twitter stream of character names that she invented in her spare time, followed by a brief description: “Loretta Squirrels beats her husband and makes moonshine.” Molly then decided to write a book about her characters. She teamed up with a fantastic artist to bring them to life. The book soon became an Amazon Pop Culture best seller.

Molly lives in Dayton, Ohio, the home of Erma Bombeck. Molly makes regular pilgrimages to Erma’s grave–for inspiration and spiritual renewal. Molly also spends time petting her five cats and plugging her ears. Her husband plays the accordion.

Molly likes cake. She doesn’t get to eat it much, because she has a slight pot belly.

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to my blog and you’ll never miss my weekly posts! Just enter your email address over on the right hand side of this page >>>>. It’s easy, and I won’t share your email address with anyone. Redhead’s honor.

Need personalized help? Check out my BadRedheadMedia.com services page.

Molly can be found:

Molly D Campbell Website * Characters In Search of a Novel Website * Twitter

Her book can be purchased on Amazon

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Published on January 24, 2013 10:30

January 18, 2013

5 Top Tips For Approaching Book Reviewers by Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer guest @JanetBoyer

One of the reasons I love Twitter is because it’s a great equalizer — I can talk with anyone and they can talk with me. So I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer Janet Boyer (she’s also an author). I must get at least five queries per day from folks to either review their book (I’m NOT a reviewer, friends!), or to find out how to get reviewers to read and review their book.

So here you go! Bookmark this one. Janet is great.

5 Tips for Approaching Book Reviewers

I’m an Amazon.com Hall of Fame/Vine reviewer with over 1,100 reviews to my name with over 28,000 helpful votes. Some of my reviews appear in print publications, and I was once on staff at a print magazine as a paid reviewer.

In short, I’ve been doing this a long time…and I’m rather good at it.

So here are some tips for authors and publicists who want to get a book, deck or product reviewed, from someone who actually knows.

First, keep in mind that most reviewers are volunteers. We do it because we enjoy providing a service to fellow consumers…or we’re just passionate about evaluating products. Usually both.

Some of us are also published authors, working on our own writing projects—often on top of being parents, homeschoolers and domestic gods/goddesses.

Meaning: we’re busy. In fact, I get multiple review requests on a daily basis and 80% I politely decline.

Here are some tips that will help you NOT waste our time or tick us off and, if you’re lucky, secure a review from us (especially if we’re a coveted Amazon Top Reviewer).

One: Don’t bait and switch. Recently, a publicist pitched a print book and meditation CD from an author, directing me to the product links on Amazon. The book and CD actually sounded quite good, so I replied with my physical address to send the products. She emailed back that she’d send me a eBook file and a mp3 via email.

Wait: You didn’t say anything about an eBook or a mp3 file. You directed me to a link describing a print book and a CD…not an eBook or audio download.

I told her this, she agreed that it was misrepresented…and snail mailed me the print book and CD. She’s lucky I didn’t tell her “don’t bother”. Fortunately, the products look quite helpful and nicely produced, so the product “sold” itself to me despite the poor publicity effort.

Takeaway: Don’t try to lure reviewers into “biting” by pitching a print book, CD, physical deck or other “in hand” product…then, when they agree, offer digital versions. Feel free to say that the reviewer has the option of requesting the eBook, viewing the digital deck or downloading the mp3 instead…but don’t bait and switch.

Two: Don’t pitch via a blanket Tweet that says “Hello, I’m looking for someone to review my book. You can read about it on my website at ______. Thanks!” Yes, this is an actual Tweet I received recently. When I checked the writer’s feed, he had just pitched a dozen or so others…all within minutes. Do. Not. Do. This. Not only is it unprofessional (and I can’t believe I even have to mention it), but it will NOT garner a reputable reviewer’s notice. Be a professional. Pitch via email just like you’d pitch an agent or editor. Don’t be lazy.

Three: Don’t address your email “Dear Top Reviewer”. Would you query an agent “Dear Agent”? Use the reviewer’s name…and spell it right.

Four: Research the reviewer’s interests. Don’t pitch occult titles to a Christian reviewer. Don’t pitch erotica to a children’s book reviewer. Don’t pitch a sports book to a cookbook/food reviewer. You get the picture. Investigate the last dozen or two products reviewed on Amazon or the reviewer’s blog to find out preferred genres—or, better yet, read the reviewer’s bio. It will likely tell you exactly the kind of books and products he/she reviews.

Five: Don’t send an attachment of your book in your introductory email. Most reviewers are sensible and won’t open attachments from people they don’t know.

Here’s a hot-off-the-press example of a perfect email pitch from an author to a reviewer (me)…reprinted by permission:

Dear Ms. Boyer, (She addresses me by my name)

I found your name on the list of Amazon Top Reviewers and thought, given your interests in tarot and divination, you might be interested in a novel I’ve written. (She’s done her homework and knows exactly the type of books I review and write)

It is Intaglio: The Snake and the Coins, a romance involving players in both the Modern Art scene and the graffiti subculture with links to past life experiences.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z5ULFA (She gives me a succinct and fascinating hook. Bonus points for providing a direct link to her book on Amazon.com)

If you think you might be interested in reading my book and posting an honest review of it on Amazon, either positive or negative, I would be glad to send you a complimentary copy. I’m happy to send you a pdf copy for Kindle, or, if you’d prefer, a paperback if you reply with your postal mailing address. (She gives me a choice as to what format I prefer for my review copy. Bonus: She says she appreciates an honest review–positive or negative. I love it when an author is so confident about her work!)

There is no obligation, of course. (Another bonus. This is code for “I won’t bug the hell out of you after I send you the review copy, begging for you to post your review.”)

Cheers!

Danika Stone

So there you have it, boys and girls. A perfect author pitch to a reviewer. Read and learn.

Janet Boyer is not only an Amazon.com Hall of Fame Reviewer (there’s only 124 of ‘em), but is also a traditionally published author of two books (Back in Time Tarot, Hampton Roads; Tarot in Reverse, Schiffer Publishing) and a self-published writer of a dozen eBooks. She has worked as a print magazine columnist (x3), social media maven for a publisher, an editor, a radio host and a Tarot reader. Janet is co-creator of the Snowland Deck, a set of brainstorming and creativity cards designed to heighten intuitive perception; her husband, artist Ron Boyer, is almost done painting this innovative 82-card deck.

You can see all the completed images, as well as get your own set, at SnowlandDeck.com. Janet is currently writing Book 1 of the Wonder Seasons Park cozy mystery series, Scry Me a River, with her co-collaborator Gayle Trent under the pseudonym Janet Trent; their blog is WonderSeasons.com. She invites you to visit her main site, JanetBoyer.com, as well as her (mostly) writer-centric blog Fizz of Ideas at FizzOfIdeas.com.

Have questions for Janet? Ask them below!

Need personalized help? Check out my BadRedheadMedia.com services page.

31 5-star reviews in just 4 weeks for my latest release, Broken Pieces. Read a free sample here now!

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Published on January 18, 2013 20:11

January 10, 2013

Love, Erotic Romance, & Social Media Walk Into A Bar…

The Next Big Thing

I feel fortunate that two people have asked me to participate in this blog meme, author and friend Dr. Heather Manley, ND and the team over at Project Maven.

Plenty of people who are reading my latest release, Broken Pieces, are surprised by the subject matter. It’s still nonfiction (as are my other two books A Walk In The Snark and Mancode: Exposed), but this time it’s decidedly not humor. These are essays inspired by life, experiences, and observations about love, loss, abuse, grief, and trust.

I didn’t plan on writing a book where I unzip my strong outside armor and let you into my vulnerable, most raw truths. Part of sharing this post is giving you a little behind-the-scenes peek with my answers to the following questions:

1) What is the working title of your next book?

Well, I actually have two I’m working on. The first is a collection of all the social media and book marketing blogs I’ve written on both BadRedheadMedia.com as well as RachelintheOC.com, a few other guest posts I’ve written, plus original material. Authors have a real thirst for knowledge and I love sharing what I’ve learned, both the good and the bad.

Second, is the third book in The Chronicles of Snark. A Walk In the Snark was first, then Mancode: Exposed. Now it’s time to help out the fellas with Chickspeak: Uncovered. These are satirical looks at stereotypes, which some people love and others (who seem to take them literally), hate. Which rocks.

After that, people have asked me to write a follow up to my latest book of nonfiction essays, prose and poetry, Broken Pieces. So I’m starting notes on that. Okay, there’s also an erotic romance I’m cowriting with a male author friend, but that’s all I’m gonna say about that right now.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

For Broken Pieces, I had been writing more serious pieces for the last few years. The suicide death of an ex really affected me in ways I hadn’t realized. Once I started dealing with my grief by writing, the words just flowed. I address not only loss and grief, but also love, abuse, depression, and trust.

3) What genre does your book fall under?  

Definitely Nonfiction. It’s already ranked in the Top 10 Paid (on Amazon) for Women’s Studies and Gender Studies. I’m very hopeful women especially, but men also, are encouraged by my stories.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Someone told me recently that my pale redheadedness reminded them of Julianne Moore. Her smarts, talent, and beauty blow me away. That would be amazing. As for the men — no clue. What do you guys think?

 5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Essays, prose, and poetry and love, loss, grief, abuse, and trust inspired by life.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  

I’m self-published. I’ve found the entire process to be extremely hard work but ultimately gratifying. I work with amazing people: my editor, graphic artist, formatter, proofreader – to ensure my books are the highest quality. I’m not part of a formal critique group, but I have two talented authors I run things by frequently. I also sent this latest book to about thirty Betareaders – it’s a different subject matter for me, so I wanted to be sure I was on the right path before release. To a one, they love it.

That said, I’ve had requests from a few publishing houses and some online publications to review it, which I’m quite grateful for.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

This book took me almost nine months from start to release, though you have to understand, I work full-time on my business, BadRedheadMedia.com as well as being a mom to two very busy kids. Somewhere I also moved us all north this past October. Hopefully my next books will be released by the end of this year if not before.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  

My book is a little different, I think, because it’s a combination of memoir, poetry and prose. So I’m not really sure! I suppose other memoirs. I’m a big fan of Jeanette Walls and Mary Karr.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I definitely wrote this book for my daughter. She’s thirteen and starting to venture slowly out into the world. I never thought I’d be writing about my experiences with molestation, date rape, depression or suicide…I mean, who does? And overall, I’ve had a good life. These are parts of my life but not what defines me exclusively.

In addition, there has always been a part of me that loves to push the boundaries, so exposing myself in this way is a wonderful way to go beyond the norm of what’s ‘acceptable’ or normal. Which to me is part of my inspiration.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, the book has been out about three weeks now (released 12/19) and I’ve received twenty-eight reviews: 27 five-star, 1 4-star (at the time of this writing). The publisher of a large indie magazine asked for a review copy has also contacted me. Finally, a small boutique publisher has asked to read it as well.

I’ve been asked a few additional questions that I’ll go ahead and answer here as well:

11) When you find yourself feeling lazy or ‘blocked’, how do you force yourself to get past it?

Well, I’ve got a few tricks. One, I always have topics to write about since I’m very familiar with my branding and keywords. Which isn’t to say I can’t go off-topic (because I totally do), but knowing my general areas of interest helps me immensely – i.e., I tend to write about relationships, men and women, love and loss, etc. So I never really feel stuck for content.

I also find reading to be extremely helpful in formulating ideas. Authors are talented folks – learning from and supporting each other can only help us.

12) Where do you find your inspiration? How do you overcome writer’s block?

Every day life is an inspiration for me. As a woman, mother, wife, sister, friend, and daughter – I’m often overwhelmed by topics I want to write about. Usually something will burrow into my subconscious and within a day or so I’ll find myself jonesing for that release of writing it down.

I haven’t experienced block; however, if an essay or article just isn’t working, I walk away. Work on something else. Do client work. Play with my kids. Go for a scooter ride. Much of what we write comes from deep inside us – it’s just a matter of listening to the quiet. Sometimes, we have to wait.

13) What’s the one piece of advice you would give a new writer?

Listen to your own voice. As I started getting my first work into publishable shape, another writer I was in a group with kept telling me my work was unfit for publication. This person is quite intelligent and talented, so I respected their opinion and I floundered for a bit.

It wasn’t until I met New York Times bestselling author Dani Shapiro live at a reading in Southern California, when she took the time to ask what I write about. I shared a bit and she looked me in the eye and said, ‘Mine that. The stories are inside, waiting for you to tell them.’

We must learn to trust ourselves, our voice, our talent.

14) 1. Which author inspired you to become a writer? 2. How do you choose the subjects of your books?

1) My fourth grade teacher read us The Secret Garden and that was it. I wanted to write something just as amazing and beautiful. As I grew older, I became fascinated by John Irving’s The World According To Garp, as well as any kind of time-travel book (I’m a total sci-fi geek).

Honestly, the line from Blade Runner (supposedly created by actor Rutger Hauer) when he played Roy Batty as he lay dying)…’all those moments will be lost. Like tear, in rain. Time to die.’ Seriously awe-inspiring.

2) As for subjects, again, I think we’re naturally drawn to certain subject matter and for me, I’ve always read about and written of relationships. All aspects fascinate me. So as a primarily nonfiction writer, real life is much more interesting to me than fiction, though I’m an avid reader of both.

15) Here’s one: What is your daily writing schedule?

I’m up at 7am to get my little guy out the door. I make my coffee, go straight to my computer, and write down some ideas, topics, even sometimes just words. From there I do some client work, then more client work, and then … I return to my own writing after lunchtime. I try to keep to a regular workday schedule, though many times I’m doing client work at night.

I do enjoy staying up late when the house is quiet. I like the dark. Give me a storm and I could write for days, no matter what time of day or night it is!

16) How did you find the courage to let people see your personal inner thoughts?

I don’t know that I see it as courage, but more giving myself permission to tell my own stories. I often quote author Lorrie Moore: Write something you’d never show your mother or father. Oftentimes, if you show it to them, they’ll say ‘I could never have done that.’ It’s quite freeing to write that way.

17) How frequently do you write (hours per day or whatever)? How many drafts do you work through before you are satisfied? What is most difficult to write about, and why? Do women writers face any different challenges than men writers?

Typically, I write about two hours per day. That can be blog posts, guest posts, or essays/work on my book. I have a minimum of two hours set aside as a solid goal. Many times it’s quite more, but rarely am I able to completely turn off the outside world since I have client commitments.

As for drafts: I’ll create my initial work and just go. No real organization other than knowing what general topics I’m writing on (i.e., love, loss, etc.). Then I’ll group them together in some sort of structure before I send it to my author friend Justin. He’ll review, edit, and reorganize for me. Then I rework it again. Once that’s done, I send to my formal editor, Jessica Swift. We do a few back and forths in both track changes and phone calls, until we’re both satisfied. Once I get the final final, I sent it off to the proofreader. When I review that, it goes to the Betareaders, then finally another proof and on to formatter.

Meanwhile, during this whole process, I’m working with a graphic designer on the cover.

I’m not exactly sure how many drafts that is – six or seven?

As for challenges: I believe so. I can only speak from my experience and observations of others, but when a woman becomes a bestseller (think Rowling, Meyer, James), people feel much more open to criticize than they do a man (Grisham, Cook, Patterson). There’s no question that the majority of negative comments or reviews I receive are from men.

I think a strong, successful woman can intimidate many men. In addition, with regard to humor, men seem to want to own that. In one particular group I belong to, it’s the men who are constantly trying to one-up me (while the women in the group laugh at their silly egos). When one guy scolded me that ‘comedy is the domain of men,’ I had to agree – in that what he was saying made me laugh.

If you have more questions, feel free to send em over. I think I hit on MOST of the ones people sent me. If not, I apologize.

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Published on January 10, 2013 18:52

December 30, 2012

5 Keys To A SuccessFul Book Launch and a Cool Promo!

As you may have read last week, I released my third book, Broken Pieces, on Kindle (remember, no Kindle required). This has been, by far, my most successful book launch and it’s only been out for ten days! I’ll give you specifics below. Lots of thought and planning went into the launch of this book, so I want to share some of my secrets here.

1) Pre-Release Marketing: Since my two previous books were primarily humor, I needed to shift people’s thinking patterns about my brand and who I am. While A Walk In The Snark hinted at my more serious side, people still know me as the funny girl since that’s clearly my writing style (see Mancode: Exposed). I knew as I started my next book it would still be about relationships, men and women, etc — my normal fare. However, Broken Pieces is a nonfiction book of the real-life experiences that shape us, particularly as women, and is not humorous in any way.

So, about nine months ago, I shifted the focus on my blog posts here to include some of my new work. In addition, I asked some amazing writer friends to share their more serious stories about how life experiences that have shaped them — and the results are amazing. Stories of stalking, kidnapping, coming out, abuse, depression, suicide — sure, not ‘happy’ topics, but real. So very real.

This brings up an important point: start marketing your next book while you’re writing it. Waiting until release is one of the biggest mistakes I see authors make.

2) Social Media: I work hard to interact with people and I follow about 200 people or more every day on Twitter. I also actively connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, and Pinterest. As part of my pre-release activities, I changed who I targeted to follow (using primarily ManageFlitter, Pluggio, and the Twitter hunt-and-peck method) to focus other people whose interests were similar to my interests: grief, loss, love, relationships, abuse, depression, suicide. The bonding with these people has been real and life-changing for me.

3) Teases:

Excerpts: I put out a few excerpts about once every eight weeks, just to give people a taste of my new work.
Betareaders: I also asked for betareaders (see below), primarily on Facebook and Twitter. Beta (meaning ‘test’) readers are people who see the work before anyone else. Not a perfect copy — I sent it to my betas between my editor completing final edits and sending it on to my proofreader. That way, I could still make changes before I sent it off to the formatting company (this time, I used PublishGreen.com and they were fabulous!). Having betareaders has a three-fold advantage: you share your work with true fans before it’s available to the public, you ask them kindly for a review when the book goes live (and to like and tag), and you catch minor things — or at times, major — that you and your editor missed, and can change before release.
Cover art: I sent out a few different cover art concepts my graphic designer sent me and asked for feedback. This gives people a heads up that the new book will be out soon. When I chose my final art, I shared that. This helps create buzz.

4) Connections: I’m always encouraging authors not to only follow other authors, but search for, follow, and interact with book bloggers, book reviewers, and readers. Which isn’t to take away from engaging with other authors. Some of my best friends are authors and are, for the most part, a very supportive community.

For this particular launch, I’ve joined forces with several amazingly successful and bestselling writers (Christine Nolfi, Terri Guiliano Long, and Molly Greene) to form a #NewClassicReads promotion. We’ve done tweetchats, blog posts, and starting Jan 3-7, we’re offering a blog hop (you can still join us! Read more here) with $300 in prizes. I’ve also lowered the price of all three of my books to $2.99 for the promotional period.

5) Be Real: I don’t mean in a wishy-washy, quotey, I’m eating a burger kind of way. I mean — let people know who you really are.

I’m known as being a snarky bitch (and I often say what’s on my mind). But that doesn’t mean I’m not incredibly grateful and honored by the reviews of my readers. I thank them, interact, talk with them. Sure, I’m asking a lot lately: like, tag, review my book (feel free to join the party here!), but I also feel I’m able to ask these little favors because I’m not constantly spamming them with stuff solely about me. I really want to know how they are, what they’re working on, what they’re reading. I promote others often and share content like this that hopefully helps others succeed.

And by changing my focus from exclusively humor to including more serious messages, excerpts, and now of course, my new book, I’ve changed my branding in a way that hasn’t freaked people out.

6) Pulse Pricing/Free: Okay, one more. Being self-published, I’m in charge of my pricing and ability to change the price or go free (as part of KDP Select, I can go free five days out of every ninety). So for the launch, I took Pieces free for only two days. This helped me get more exposure (and on tons of free lists), hit #1 on Women’s Studies, and since taking the book back to its regular price of $4.99, I’ve sold about 60 copies! And lowering the price of all three books to $2.99 makes it more affordable for folks — even if it’s only for a week.

That’s most of it. I also started Google AdWords (see The Ad Words Guy if you want to learn how), Facebook ads, etc. I don’t spend more than $5/day on ads. I look at it as an investment — not only in me, but in the future of my books, and my brand.

What do you think? Have you tried any of these techniques and what has worked for you?

Need personalized help? Check out my BadRedheadMedia.com services page.

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Published on December 30, 2012 04:12

December 23, 2012

BROKEN PIECES Now Available on Amazon! (No Kindle Required)

Well, it’s finally here!

My new book Broken Pieces is live on Amazon (remember, no Kindle required to read an ebook — download their free apps).

This book is not humor, so please don’t purchase it expecting a laugh. This time I share essays, poetry, and prose based on my real-life experiences and observations on love, lust, sex, grief, abuse, and trust. It was hard to write, but seems to resonate with both men and women. I hope you’ll give it a shot.

Released two days ago, I’ve already received ten wonderful five-star reviews, ranked on both Women’s Studies, Nonfiction, and Interpersonal Relations, and over 35 likes! I’m awed and honored people read my stuff and liked it. Thank you, dear readers.

If you’re not sure you’re ready to shell out $4.99 for my book, it will be FREE on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — try it, no risk. Click here on my Broken Pieces page to read a free sample.

Next up: a book on social media, branding, and book marketing for indie authors (based on my BadRedheadMedia.com blog posts), and the final installment in The Snark Chronicles: Chickspeak: Uncovered.

If you’re interested in my other books, A Walk In The Snark or Mancode: Exposed, click on the book covers to the right >>>>> to go directly to Amazon. Again, free samples available there as well.

Please enjoy this holiday season with loved ones and family. It’s been a tough year for so many. Let’s plan on making 2013 amazing!

Hugs and love,

Rachel

Need personalized help? Check out my BadRedheadMedia.com services page.

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Published on December 23, 2012 13:02

December 15, 2012

What Qualifies As A NEW Classic Read? #NewClassicReads

What Qualifies As A NEW Classic Read? #NewClassicReads

What exactly qualifies as a NEW classic read?

By definition, our (meaning the one you identify) classic author is the one you cannot feel indifferent to, who helps you define yourself in relation to him or her, even in dispute with him or her.

Growing up, we’re often told which books are the classics, read them in our English classes, rarely questioning since many scholars before us deemed them worthy.

That said, I hated Return Of The Native, Giants In The Earth, and most of The Odyssey and The Iliad (books assigned by my AP English teacher my freshmen year of high school). You know you’re in trouble when the Cliff’s Notes put you to sleep. Just because they were classic didn’t make them interesting or life-changing to me, a fourteen year old girl concerned about lip gloss, hair, and boys.

And yet, I grew to understand the impact of the styles as having merit and weight in the world of books. Many of those broke ground, if you will, with regard to style or portrayal of a historical period. It didn’t make me enjoy them any more, but at least I garnered more comprehension of what makes a classic well, a classic.

Now that I’m a writer myself (and someone who works with writers in my business capacity as BadRedhead Media), I look at what’s out there and ask myself: what books do I go back to again and again? What books are perennially popular? What am I missing?

Are books such as the Harry Potter and Twilight series new classics? Well, that’s not for me to say (though Rowling is a far better writer than Meyer), they both wrote good stories at the core. I will admit to having read all the books and not regretting the time I spent reading them, though I did skip past some of the more boring parts. Hey, I even read Fifty Shades (and cannot write that without thinking of SNL’s Mother’s Day skit).

I’ve written before about the impact The World According To Garp and The Time-Traveler’s Wife (the books, not the movies)had on me. I immediately knew both were new classics – for me – based on how well the authors portrayed the characters and storyline, and how they stayed with me for years afterward. I read quickly, I forget a lot. But not with these books. And, I’ve reread both at least four to five times.

Would I do that with Twilight or Hunger Games? No. Once was plenty. But there are rabid fans of each, who read nothing but those books, repeatedly. Look at the Fifty Shades series – rife with errors, poor and sloppy writing, and yet still breaking sales records. It even created a new genre: housewife porn (don’t get me started on the sexism of that).

So, what makes a NEW classic read?

For me it must me:

Memorable
Interesting throughout
Well-written technically
Wonderful prose.

While many of my favorite books growing up are traditionally published (because frankly, that’s all there was), I’ve now read so many terrific indie authors these past few years, I couldn’t possibly list them all, but my short list includes: Justin Bog (now signed), Christine Nolfi, Molly Greene, Terri Guiliano Long, R.S. Guthrie, Frederick Lee Brooke, Andy Holloman, Toby Neal, Emlyn Chand (now signed), Hugh Howey (now signed), Ann Charles, Billie Hinton (underrated but amazing), Rebecca Tsaros Dickson, and sooo many more on my TBR list, please don’t be upset if I haven’t mentioned you!

Choosing our favorite books is like choosing our favorite child: impossible to do (unless you only have one kid, then mazel tov. I have two and miss sleep).

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether your favorite books fit into my definition of a new classic read and if not, how you define it.

What makes a book a classic for you? Join Terri Long, Christine Nolfi, Rachel Thompson and myself January 3-7, 2013 for Classic Reads Blog Hop 2013 and share the books that have made your own “Classic Reads” list! We want to hear about your favorite stories, authors and books – regardless if they’re old, new, controversial, or simply heartwarming. What elements catapult a book from a good read to a must read for you?

This is a fabulous opportunity to share your favorites and hear about more! Not only that, every blogger taking part is eligible for a $200 Amazon/B&N gift card drawing. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to win one of two $50 Amazon/B&N gift card “Spread The Word” contest prizes. Here’s how you can participate:

Visit Terri Long’s website NOW and complete the appropriate Classic Reads Blog Hop registration form.
If you write a post: Your post must include the sponsor banner to be entered into the $200 draw. For EXTRA entries and chances to win, you can promote one or more of the sponsoring hosts’ books at the bottom of your post by adding our book cover(s) and synopsis. All this information will be sent to you by December 24, 2012. If you’re sharing: You’ll need to provide a Tweet URL or a Pinterest URL for verification.
Several days prior to the event, we’ll send an email with graphics and a new link code that will link directly to all participating posts. (Keep this email, you’ll need it, see below!)
Schedule your post to go live at 12:01 EST between January 3-7, and respond to our email with your direct post URL. Your post URL will be added it to our link and used to validate your Rafflecopter entry/entries.
Don’t forget Rafflecopter! Submit your entry/entries at any time for prize drawings via Rafflecopter (one entry for participating PLUS extra entries for running sponsor’s materials.) The forms are available at the bottom of the “Classic Reads 2013 Blog Hop” page (same link as above).
Spread the love January 3-7 – and learn about everyone’s own classic reads – by visiting and commenting on as many hop participants’ posts as you can.

Please leave a comment to share the title of your latest favorite classic read – and let me know if you have questions about how you can join in the fun!

Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to my blog and you’ll never miss my weekly posts! Just enter your email address in the upper right corner of this page. It’s easy, and I won’t share your contact information with anyone!

If you haven’t read my books yet (NO Kindle required), I’ve discounted both of them for the holidays (A Walk In The Snark and Mancode: Exposed) and in anticipation of my new release, Broken Pieces (nonfiction but not humor this time) in a few weeks!

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Published on December 15, 2012 10:03

December 10, 2012

I Hate Clichés And The Men Who Abuse Them by guest @Bri_Clark

I Hate Clichés And The Men Who Abuse Them by guest @Bri_Clark

Bri is one of those women you meet and immediately she projects leadership, sisterhood, friendship. She’ll also be the one who tells you if you have broccoli in your teeth. Her honesty in this piece is wonderful and courageous. Bri is a terrific book publicist and connector of people. I encourage you to comment and follow her.

Have you ever met someone and had the tickle that you should keep a polite distance? Or proceed with caution? Or if you play you’ll pay?

Have I clichéd’ you enough yet? LOL.

No really…if you haven’t felt it, I know you’ve heard it. In a book or someone said something along the lines of, “I knew they were bad news. Why didn’t I listen?” that you know. Inside you’re probably laughing or rolling your eyes when they mention it.

Well…let me tell ya hun…watch those eyes or you might end up cockeyed.

Yes I can say that I’m glad my momma cured me of rolling my eyes or I’d have ended up with some crossed irises too.

I was just like you. Internally not believing that anyone could have a warning like that. That is until it happened to me.

In my defense, you’d ignore that warning too if when your insides said, “He’s dangerous. Keep away.” You were looking at a 6’3 tech guy who worked with semiconductors. So it wasn’t until I found myself well and deep into a friendship that I realized this shit was going to end badly.

While I always knew it would end, I’m just hard-headed enough (I’m a natural redhead) to think I could control it ending nicely at least.

Obviously, that didn’t happen.

While this was no great love affair, it left me wounded. Cause you can love a friend just as intensely.

He wounded me. And he promised he wouldn’t.

He lied.

But really, did he? There was no way for it to stop without some hurt to occur. However, a text of, “I can’t give you what you need,” being the last words he ever says was frankly, bullshit. That’s right — I want to walk up to him, climb up on his desk, raise my cell phone to the air and say, “I’m calling bullshit mofo!”

And then run like hell before I get tasered by security or worse, end up on a YouTube video.

And while I’ve reached out once or twice since those epically improper words crossed my touchscreen, because I really did care not because I’m a psycho, he has chosen to not respond. My reasons for reaching out were concern. True, genuine concern. At the time we parted ways his life was in turmoil, a back injury, issues with the stability of his job, all happening.

Looking back, I realize maybe I cared too much.

Maybe he was right in that when I cared and was invested in his joy and success, he couldn’t do that for me. So maybe he really couldn’t give me what I needed.

Since my time with C I find myself sometimes thinking of our friendship. A song will play or someone tells a joke, and I find myself picking up the phone to share with him. Because really, that’s what we spent the most time doing…

Laughing.

He came into my life at a time when my laughter had stopped. When the culmination of so much adversity had left me in a survival mentality…inside I was very much dying. Where I’d not been funny in a long time. Except for him. From the moment I met him I busted his balls. And me not being funny is like a redhead not having a temper. It’s cosmic imbalance.

Sometimes I wonder what it will be like when we cross paths again. Because I know one day it will happen. Life is too long for it not too.

And on some level, I think he made the tough choice. I think he said and did what needed to be done.

But really, mostly I just want to the chance to say, “You SOB you clichéd me…in a text no less? How effing rude!”

Then he’ll say something funny. We’ll laugh and we will part ways again.

On good terms.

Not the best terms.

But with a laughing closure.

As a woman who people find it hard to say no to, Bri Clark is a wealth of innovative marketing energy. With a spitfire attitude heavily coated in her southern twang and manners, she usually has you agreeing to something before you even understand what it is. However, the beauty is her strategies are always top notch, effective, and innovative. Because of her ability to get to know her clients in an authentic and intimate level she is the ultimate “Real Time Social Ghoster,” (her own phrase and strategy).

Among her services are

• Designs and executes social media strategy and campaigns

• Coordinates Brand Marketing and PR efforts to ensure consistent messaging and create a high social media presence

• Manages social media campaigns and daily content updates, incorporating relevant, engaging outreach

• Manages high and effective presence in social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google , Amazon and the appropriate secondary sites

• Monitors effective scales for measuring the impact of the social media campaigns in conjunction with overall online and offline platform.

Specialties

*Online Platform Evaluation *Amazon Campaign *Social Media Campaign *Blog Evaluation *Website Evaluation *Branding and Strategy Organization *Career Strategy and Organization *Speaking Strategist

Website: http://www.belleconsult.com Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google Plus YouTube

Blog: http://briclarkthebelleofboise.blogspot.com/

Social Ghosting Info: http://www.belleconsult.com/

Blog Tours: http://www.belleconsult.com/targeted-blog-tours/

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Published on December 10, 2012 17:25

November 30, 2012

Yes, Please Hit On Me. That Must Be Why I’m Here, Right?

Yes, Please Hit On Me. That’s Why I’m Here, Right?

courtesy of Google Images

I’m not sure when Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Pinterest became trolling places for sex, but lately it seems almost every time I check one or the other, some guy is propositioning me, sending me naughty pix (ewww), or asking me something completely inappropriate (I’m thinking ‘Want to play in my dungeon?’ is maybe a euphemism for sex?).

WTH?

And before you think I think I’m all that, get real. This is happening to women everywhere.

Some prime examples:

GUY #1: Requests friendship on Facebook. Fine, whatever. I get probably 5-10/day on my personal account. I approve him because it says we have some mutual friends. As soon as I hit add, he’s sent me a private message asking if he can see me naked on Skype.

Um, what gave you that idea, dude? Perhaps my marital status: married? Or maybe that I share book info, resources on branding and marketing, and funny stuff about my family and my husband? Or is it that all redheads are … nope. Not even gonna go there.

Yea, he must be able to tell by my picture that I’m a wanton slut who performs sex tricks on camera for men.

Clearly, he didn’t read anything about me. That would take too much of his time. It must just be easier to proposition a total stranger. I suppose someone, at some point, will say yes?

GUY #2: Friends me on Google+. Adds me to his ‘girls having sex’ stream. Particularly fun was #ThongThursday. Yea, it’s what you think (the pic of Catwoman with nothing on but ears and a thong with a tail? Um, no.) Listen, I’m no prude and I think the human body is beautiful. And no offense to any of my lesbian and homosexual friends, but I want to look at that about as much as you want to see my husband and I going at it. So, no.

It gets better. I mute him and uncircle, and he sends me a message! Why did you uncircle me?

Der.

GUY #3: Guy on Twitter sends me a DM of his junk. Now this guy acted a decent sort, I had no warning this was, er, headed my way. On a good day, I don’t want to look at that mess. But on a day where I have a migraine and I’m working on client stuff and my own writing…well, let’s just say he hadn’t manscaped.

Honestly, I threw up a little in my mouth at that one.

GUY #4: Different guy on Twitter. Okay, this happened a while ago but still makes me cringe. As people do on Twitter, we form little circles of friends who comment on each other’s updates. It’s not planned, or some sort of secret handshake exclusive clique, it’s just the same folks who seem to jump in.

So one of the group, a funny, seemingly nice guy, sends me a DM asking if I’d ever heard of (some funny sounding site). I tell him no. He sends me the link with a code.

It’s an Australian sex site, and the code gave me access to his VIP account, where the avatars are ‘anatomically correct.’

Well, thank you Big Spender. Way to impress.

After I stopped laughing, I blocked his ass so fast he didn’t know what happened. For months, he sent messages asking me to unblock him. Give it up, dude.

GUY #5: Starts asking me questions in DM. Personal, inappropriate questions about my life. I tell him no thanks, He asks if I’m single. I tell him none of his business. He then scolds me at that point for not putting that I’m unavailable in my Twitter bio.

Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I could be a person who doesn’t have to spell out that I’m not available for sex just because I’m female. I must have missed that memo.

If I were being compassionate, I’d say these are sad, little men who are dissatisfied with their lives. But I’m usually not being compassionate, because their trolling becomes my problem when they hit me up.

Is it offensive or simply laughable?

I must say, for all the weirdos (all now blocked and reported, of course), I’ve met lovely, amazing friends, both male and female. Some I’ve met in real life, and they’re awesome. I work with some really wonderful men and I’m not stereotyping that all men do this, so put away your scary teeth.

My husband says I need to put up a picture of myself where I’m tired, headachy, with no makeup. But, no. Why should I drab up (or down) to avoid this kind of B.S.? That’s like blaming a woman for rape because she wore that sexy red dress (or once, after a manager sexually harassed me, my boss told me I should be flattered I was so ‘cute’). Please.

I’m all for light banter, even mild flirting. I’m not offended easily and I’m not a prissy little church lady (I don’t even go to church!). So I guess my question is: at what point did trolling become acceptable, or dare I say, the norm, on social media?

I’d love your thoughts.

Just no pix, please.

Need personalized help? Check out my services page.

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Published on November 30, 2012 07:11

November 25, 2012

Apparently, I’m Going To Hell, guest post by @LorcaDamon

When I read Lorca’s tweet about this a few weeks back, I have to admit, lots of jokes came to mind. But this isn’t my story to tell.

Given that I love to give an author the floor about anything controversial, I offered my blog to Lorca to share with us all the details. I couldn’t be prouder of a fellow writer for standing up to sexism, discrimination, and just plain old out and out stupidity. You go, girl.

Apparently, I’m Going to Hell

I can’t be sure, but if the conversation with my family and my pastor is any indication, I’m going to hell. I think it might have been an intervention, but it may have been an Amway sales meeting. I can’t tell. Either way, I’m pretty sure I was supposed to agree to do something or sign up for something at the end of the meeting, but it never got that far.

My pastor called us in because I use too much profanity in my writing. And I have to admit that by golly, I do love the b-word. And don’t get me started on how useful the f-word is, especially when you’re being told that you’re offensive and probably a bad Christian and that you might be responsible for global warming because you cuss too much.

I might have made that last part up.

He asked me the weirdest question, only it turned out to be a rhetorical question and when I answered it, he was nonplussed. He should have warned me ahead of time that he really didn’t expect an answer. Anyway, his rhetorical question to me was, “How would YOU feel if you found out that I, as your pastor, were writing steamy romance novels in my spare time?”

I replied, “Are you any good?”

He stared at me. I did explain that as a fiction writer, I am able to read a book and NOT think, “Wow, Stephen King must have soooooo many bodies buried in his basement,” or “Gosh, that Danielle Steele must be a total slut and I bet she can get both ankles behind her head! Well, maybe when she was younger, I mean.” He did not agree with me, believing instead that the words on a page in my books are an indication of who I am as a person, and more importantly, also indicate my lack of faith in God.

The pastor had the best ever extortion thing going: if I didn’t agree to stop using so much bad language and non-Biblical scenarios in my writing, he was going to have to ban me from teaching first grade Sunday school. It took all my strength not to laugh. Have you met a first grader lately? Even when they’re being sweet, they’re covered in snot. And when they’re being crappy AND they’re covered in snot, there’s just no saving them.

I politely declined to stop being a writer and willingly agreed to stop teaching Sunday school. I think it hit him around four o’clock this afternoon that there was now no one to teach fifteen snotty first graders next Sunday. And it made me smile.

Lorca Damon is an author and teacher in a juvenile correctional facility. Her two non-fiction books on autism–Autism By Hand and Knowing Autism–are Amazon bestsellers, and she writes YA fiction about some of the hard realities she has learned from her students. She writes the kinds of books she hopes her inmates would want to read, if they ever decided to read a book. Follow here on Twitter @LorcaDamon.

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Published on November 25, 2012 23:05

November 21, 2012

Cooking Deliciously Gluten-Free with guest author Frederick Brooke

You might be thinking — ‘Wait. Am I in the right place? Rachel doesn’t cook!’ But yes, I figured it’s timely given the impending holidays. And of course, I haven’t burned cooked a thing.

This guest post from talented author Frederick Brooke is timely, given that my husband and daughter, while not celiac, are both doing so much better since eating gluten-free. If you have someone who’s gluten-free in your life, read this and learn.

I’ve already sent this article to my guy, since it’s filed under ‘Great food I will burn.’

Feel free to leave comments for Frederick below!

Don’t Let Your Special Diet Get You Down

You can laugh about certain things, or you can cry. I choose to laugh. But that’s easy for me to say.

My wife and two of my three sons have celiac disease. Their bodies are not equipped with the enzyme that breaks down gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. If they go off the diet, they get diarrhea, bloating, and stomach cramps that leave them writhing on the floor. Not such a laughing matter.

Add to that the fact that I decided to go meat-free eleven years ago. Why? I read a book that convinced me it would be a healthier choice.

So now you know why my oldest son claims to be the only one in our house eating “normal” food.

My wife and the other two boys have to avoid things like bread, pasta, cake and cookies. No bagels for them, imagine! As if that weren’t bad enough, tiny amounts of wheat flour or flour-containing ingredients can be found in many sauces, salad dressings, soups, drinks and even ice creams. We always study the ingredients carefully. We interrogate waiters and waitresses and make them bring out the industrial sized product package, so we can check.

We don’t sit around the house crying about our complicated culinary situation. Instead, we’ve all become closet Jamie Olivers because of it. We’ve gotten more creative in the kitchen.

My wife makes gluten free bread once or twice a week, using gluten free flour and gluten free yeast. Even my son who eats “normal” food clamors for a piece when that comes out of the oven, steaming hot. Or her special jelly cookies (pictured).

I like to make lasagna, and since we are all big lasagna eaters I always make one gluten free and one with normal wheat-containing noodles. Bet you can’t tell which is which …

Delicious dishes all of us can eat, and like to eat, are easy to prepare and always tasty. We would serve meat alongside some of these, for the meat eaters. Others make good stand-alone meals. Here’s an unofficial top ten list:

Risotto with saffron or with peas, beans and carrots
Baked au gratin potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes
Pizza made with gluten free crust
Greek salad with feta cheese, potatoes, black olives
Stuffed peppers (rice and tomato sauce mixture)
Rice salad with cubed cheese, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and onions
Potato salad (several different recipes)
Gluten free pasta such as gnocchi with pesto sauce
Raclette (boiled potatoes with melted cheese and pickles)
Grilled vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, onions, squash)

So cooking for special diets doesn’t drive us crazy. It’s everyday life for us. Pity the poor people who invite us over for dinner, though. We usually end up spending half an hour on the phone reassuring them that, although we may seem like space aliens, we are in fact harmless.

Do you have a special diet too? How does it affect your cooking routine? Do you find it challenging informing people about it when you’re invited to eat with them?

About Frederick Brooke:

My books are mysteries, for lack of a better word. Doing Max Vinyl is about a computer recycling con man, while Zombie Candy is about a serial adulterer who happens to love zombie movies. In both books, Annie Ogden, a recently returned Iraq War vet who is having trouble adjusting to civilian life, gets personally involved in taking down these world-class jerks. I like a book with a good dose of humor, and the humor can come from the absurd situations people find themselves in. The world we live in is an absurd place, and you can either laugh or cry about it.

Need personalized help? Check out my services page.