Allison B. Levine's Blog, page 6
April 12, 2012
The Sour Cat
This is my first attempt at writing a children's story.
I know a lot of children, don't have any of my own (just 4 legged ones) but something about watching a child read or be read to and seeing their eyes light up when a story moves them is too precious.
So here it goes…let me know what you think…
The Sour Cat
Chapter One: Why doesn't he like toys?
Penny Pendleton has a cat named Pickles. Pickles is black and white with a patch of brown around his nose. Pickles never liked to play with Penny, but Penny loved Pickles so much she would try everything to get him to play.
One day Penny found a ball of yarn from her mother's sewing bag. Penny thought to herself Pickles has to like yarn, all cat's love yarn! Penny went to where Pickles was lying in his bed and took a small string of yarn out of the ball and waved it at Pickles.
Pickles picked up his head from his paws, looked at the string and snubbed his nose in the air and put his head back down.
Penny held on to the string and threw the ball across the room hoping Pickles would run after it. She looked back at Pickles and his nose was up in the air.
Penny stood there for a moment wondering how she can make the ball of yarn look like fun for Pickles to want to play with it.
Penny thought what if I pick it up and throw it up and down that will get Pickles to want to play.
Penny did just that, she took the ball of yarn and threw it up to the sky and caught it in her hand. She did this several times then looked at Pickles, who lifted his head to yawn and then curled back up to sleep.
Chapter Two: Is Pickle's sick?
Penny was worried that Pickles may be sick; maybe that is why he won't play.
Penny had her mom take her and Pickles to the Vet to see if there was anything wrong with Pickles to keep him from wanting to play.
The Doctor took Pickles' temperature which was fine. He weighed him, he was a perfect weight. He did some tests and they all came out normal, there was nothing wrong with Pickles.
Before Penny and Pickles left the vet's office, the doctor gave Penny a bag and whispered to Penny, try to play with Pickles with what is in the bag when you get home, it should work for sure.
When Penny got home she watched as Pickles went right back to his bed.
Penny opened the bag that the doctor gave her and pulled out a long multi-colored stick with a feather at the end of a fluffy tail.
Penny's eyes lit up with glee at this amazing toy she held in her hand. She walked over to Pickles sure that he will be as excited as she is about it.
She swung the tail with a feather part right past Pickles, one time….two times…three…then four…
Pickles stayed asleep.
She touched him with the feather and swung it by him again…five, six times, seven…Pickles turned up his nose.
Chapter 3: Maybe Pickle's is just hungry.
Penny still didn't understand how Pickles could have snubbed his nose at such a fun toy, so Penn thought to herself maybe Pickles is just hungry.
Penny ran to the kitchen and got out a can of tuna fish. She opened the can with the sound of the electric can opener buzzing looked for Pickles to come running.
Pickles never came running; he just lied in his bed stretched out with his belly showing.
Penny brought the plate of tuna to Pickles he turned over sniffed the tuna and started eating it. See Penny thought that was it he was too hungry to play!
Penny walked away and let Pickles finish his snack.
Five minutes later Penny came back into the room and Pickles was giving himself a bath.
On the way inside Penny brought one of his toy mice from her room and placed it in her hand, she showed the mouse to Pickles, and Pickles just kept on cleaning himself.
Penny waited a couple of hours for Pickles to clean himself and take another nap before she tried again.
Chapter 4: Catnip cats love.
Penny realized why Pickles may not want to play with her. Pickles must love catnip.
All cats love catnip, surely that would make him play with Penny.
Penny found a ball with catnip inside and placed it by Pickles who is now lounging in the picture window.
Pickles smells the ball, licks it, then turns his head back to the window.
Penny had an idea!
Pickles must want to chase bugs in the garden! Pickles loves to be outside with the bugs and the butterflies and the birds.
Penny picks up Pickles and takes him to the fenced in back yard. She knows that Pickles can't run away the fence is way too high so he can enjoy the outside without getting lost.
Penny puts pickles down on the ground and Pickles rolls over on his back and rolls around on the grass.
Penny finds a worm and picks it up with a stick and brings it to Pickles.
Pickle's snubs his nose at the worm. Penny sees a butterfly flying and catches it in her hand and shows Pickles, Pickles snubs his nose at it.
Saddened Penny leaves Pickles outside to lie in the sun and she goes back in.
Penny goes to her Mommy and Daddy and asks them why won't Pickles play with her?
Mommy and Daddy tell her that Pickle's is just a sour cat.
Chapter 5: That's what Pickles wanted!
Penny tired from the full day of trying to get Pickles to play with her brushes her teeth and her hair and washes up for bedtime.
Penny yawns a really big yawn and crawls into bed. She stares at her nightlight trying to keep awake to see if Pickles comes to his bed in her room.
Just as Penny stops looking for Pickles and closes her eyes, she feels something walking on her bed.
Penny opens her eyes and sees Pickles laying on her chest looking into her eyes. Penny smiles and Pickles licks her nose.
Penny starts to pet Pickles and Pickles starts to purr.
Penny's Mommy and Daddy come in to say goodnight and they see Pickles laying on Penny happy and purring very loudly.
Penny's Mommy says "Pickles is sour because he only wanted you to pet him, Pickles loves you very much."
And Penny smiled a big smiled and said "That's what Pickles wanted all along!"
Then Penny and Pickles went to sleep for the night.
The End.
Photo Credit: http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/–60000–32438_product_419043165_thumb_large.jpg
Tagged: 4 legged children, catnip, children, children's story, happy, Penny, Pickles, purring, sour cat, writing
April 11, 2012
I Need A Someecards Intervention
I'm in serious need of a Someecards intervention, admittance is the first step right?
Since discovering that OMG you can MAKE YOUR OWN?!? It's been a dark but hilarious time in my life. So without further procrastination…here are some of my greatest hits (in my mind of course)
All Photo Credits courtsey of: http://www.someecards.com/
Tagged: exorcism, fun, grievances, hate letters, hilarious time, intervention, kick-ass, someecards, time in my life
April 10, 2012
Where's Freud When You Need Him?
Yesterday I ended my post of stories born from dreams, I wanted to continue talking about dreams…
Last night I had a dream that I was in a car with familiar people going to this park where we had to do a hard U-turn literally over a river. As I'm seeing the river below me I'm thinking to myself "I've been here before", then I remembered that to get to where we needed to go we had to jump a mud hill, hopefully not fall in the water and then fun times will be had.
I find that the de ja vu' dream happens to me a lot. I'm always somewhere I remember being but only in a dream. It's never a place I've really been in my waking life at least not to my conscious mind. How is it that I always re-visit these places?
For instance, when I was a child, I dreamt of a summer camp in the woods, I was in a wooden cabin waiting for a boy. Almost 25 years later I was in that same cabin remembering when I was there waiting for that boy. The boy never came either time, but how was it after so many long years I remembered this dream?
I've only had one nightmare in my entire life.
This was when I was a child. I was in my grandmother's house (which was a mansion, in the dream) and I was looking for my mother. I went to the top floor and went into one of the doors and found myself in a room made up of a forest. There were forest animals there, and flowers that squirted acid. I found my mother in there and she was hurt I went to save her and then she was gone. (This was actually illustrated briefly in my book) The animals laughed at me and poked me with sticks. Then I ran into another room and there I saw children holding their arms up to a giant television. And on that television was a bouncing pumpkin head, taking their essences.
Later I found out that the dancing pumpkin head was from one of the Halloween movies that I've never seen. (Still to this day).
That was the only nightmare I've ever had, although a lot of my dreams disturbing maybe others would find that to be a nightmare but I've never awoke from a dream in distress, or woke up screaming. I have in a dream been smothering on something (i.e. tooth metal fillings) turns out I'm just sleeping on my face, my chin is numb and my body is trying to wake me up.
I've always said that I wish I could take videos of my dreams and see what kind of person my sleeping self is. I suppose I'm a lucid dreamer, I usually know when I'm dreaming and almost always remember it the moment I wake up, sometimes for a while after (such in this case of my river road dream) I of course don't remember everything I'm sure it was much longer than a few minutes but I still remember some aspects. I love dreaming it's a world which is familiar yet foreign. You usually know someone in your dream, or a place, or a song, or a dress.
I dream in color, do you? What is the best dream you've ever remembered? Have you ever had a dream so great that all you wanted to do was go back to sleep to continue, and did?
The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/sigmundfre403107.html#b4ovDHfBlVsfh7bg.99
Photo Credit: http://thisisournet.com/Psychology/images/freud.jpg
Tagged: born, dream interpretation, dreams, forest animals, Freud, from, nightmares, sleep, stories, unconscious, writing about dreams
April 9, 2012
The Awkward Moment When You Realize You Only Speak in Status Updates
I think I may have an addictive personality.
When I started the Facebook all I did was walk around thinking of what my status update would be. However, I never posted them. Maybe one or two when I was feeling squirrely but not often, and I'm sure people are appreciative for that.
Nobody wants to hear, "crust in eye, paramount in the optical mind's eye" yeah I would think of some existential shit like that. I'm totally lying right now it was more like…"why does my cat lick my face all the time, how dirty does she think I am?"
Yes, more like it.
Now that I've overcome my voracious appetite for Facebook status' I've now graduated to thinking merely in terms of Blog posts.
I try to do blog posts M-F, weekends off mainly because I shut off my brain most of the time, may be the reason I've not written anything in a while.
Today is Monday, I'm a little under the weather having spent yesterday with some of the cutest kids in the world a.k.a. adorable cesspools of germs, causing me to wake up this morning feeling like death kicked me in the head while I slumbered. I've spent the better part of this morning trying to think of a witty, entertaining, wow-inducing blog post I've come up completely empty handed. Should I not post at all? Come on, what's the fun in that I have to share this insanity with all of you!
I still don't know what the hell this is about. I should call this one "word vomit from the deep recesses of the fevered mind–literally."
I don't think anyone would read that, well I would can't lie about that.
I will spare you all now from my sickly hazed ramblings and bid adieu. I think I need a nap.
Oh I forgot to ask my question of the day.
Have you ever written anything you've birthed from a fevered (or healthy) dream?
Photo credit: http://5.mshcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/status-update.jpg
Tagged: addictive personality, awkward, blog posts, blogging, blogs, Facebook status updates, fevered dream, health, kick-ass, mind's eye, Monday, paramount, writing
April 6, 2012
Julia Dudek Author of Pieces: My First Interview
I'm here today with Julia Dudek author of Pieces–a psychological thriller set in New York City.
Me: Hi Julia, thank you so much for joining me today on this beautiful Friday morning. I'm gonna start off simple, how long have you been writing?
Julia: Thanks, Al! I believe sometime in '87 I learned how to properly grip a pencil…its been nothin' but gold ever since.
Me: Wow 87′ huh, I was into full-blown Bic's by then. So I have to ask who is your favorite author?
Julia: I myself jumped right from pencils to glitter gel pens. Anyway, that's a tough question if you're making me choose just one..so I reject your question and will instead choose four. My favorite poet/short story writer is John Updike. Read his short story "A&P"… it's amazing the profoundness one can conjure from the meager and commonplace happenings of Americana. My favorite non-fiction writer is Quantum Physicist Michio Kaku. The man is genius. And he wraps it all into a tight little layman package that minds like mine can unwrap with ease. Love him. For genre fiction, it's got to be Stephanie Meyer. She knows what grips the modern psyche ― love and forbidden romance and paranormal action…awesome. For literary fiction, Alice Sebold is my deity. Her words are paint on a canvas. Like from The Almost Moon… "When all is said and done, killing my mother was easy… My mother's core was rotten like the brackish water at the bottom of a weeks-old vase of flowers." The words are haunting and ugly and beautiful all at once. She makes emotions visual. When an author can do that, it gives me chills…
Me: Oh Julia you rebel, quantum psychics huh, you just blew my mind wide open. So what was the message you were trying to convey in Pieces?
Julia: Pieces happened by accident on purpose. I'd always wanted to write a book, and my grandmother ― years before ― had helped me brainstorm this particular story ― minus the lunacy. So the message wasn't apparent to even myself at first. But in hindsight, I'd say that the story has a lot to do with "finding one's self". We all have a little darkness in us, and Angelique (the main character in Pieces) almost loses herself to it. She needs to search inside to save herself.
Me: I love when things happen accidentally on purpose, for me that's a good hair day. I'm wondering, since you graciously gave us several authors you love, are there any new authors that have piqued your interest?
Julia: First of all, thank you for using the correct spelling on "piqued". For that I will continue this interview. Okay, so you mean other than Allison B. Levine? Well I'm a little out of practice in the indie book world ― though I'm working on my comeback ― but I always have to give props to Joe Perrone Jr., author of the Matt Davis mysteries, for his work.
Me: I'm blushing a little. Back to the story at hand. Angelique is very unique, where did you get the inspiration for her character?
Julia: It was 7th grade, and I came home after school and ran across the back yard to my grandmother's house (our houses were back to back) to show her my "Snovel Award" for my short novel "A Knock at the Door". I was already an avid writer at 12, and she could relate, having been something of a writer herself (she attended NYU for Journalism until her brothers were sent to war and she had to be home to help her mother with her sister.) My grandmother envisioned two best friends, "Angelique and Bernadette"… one darker and more mysterious, and the other vibrant and beautiful. I framed Angelique on that basis, but I also drew from a few characters on television that I felt embodied her personality.
Me: I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer without the Vampires, but that's just me. 
I must ask, your concept was very fresh and new; where ever did you come up with this story line?
Julia: Without giving too much away…I think the general plot is relatable ― the loss of a close friend brings the darkest parts of a person to the surface. The thirst for revenge is hardly a new motivation. The feelings of hopelessness are a recurring theme in life. But I wanted the execution of the plot to be different. I didn't want to do the typical super human reactionary thing where my main character conquered all with ease. I wanted Angelique to stay human and vulnerable and relatable. I thought hard about the kinds of things a person might fantasize about if they were in similar situations as Angelique, faced with the challenges she was faced with. Also I might be a little crazy.
Me: I have to tell you if anything happened to a close friend of mine I would not be held responsible for my actions so I can say that it was totally relatable. And yeah you're crazy, crazy like a fox! Speaking of sexy…Do you or have you ever owned a red corset?
Julia: Yes. Next Question.
Me: Interesting. Mysterious. Evading…I like it. Reading Pieces the devil is in the details, your book is so exquisitely detailed, how much time did it take you to write it? Did you have any collaborative help on the editing, cover art etc.?
Julia: Thank you. I like details for my writing ― I like to paint the scene with words. If people can visualize what I can visualize, I'm satisfied. I wrote Pieces in five months, but it was a labor of love that I dedicated many of the wee hours of the night to when my two young children were asleep. Editing I did myself, but prior to that process, I was very lucky to have the guidance of other self-published authors. The cover I did myself, as well.
Me: You certainly are a jack of all trades (not in that condescending way) I have to say I'm impressed. Has anything in your own life ever led you down a path you would never fathom taking?
Julia: Yes and no. My life has had many twists and turns that some might see as complications, but where I am now I always knew I'd end up. Is that odd to say? I remember ripping the cover off of a parenting magazine with a picture of a little girl that I envisioned my daughter would look just like one day, two years before she was born. She looks just like that picture. I guess what I mean is everything I am now, feels like home to me.
Me: It's good to see good things happen to good people. Ok, you've been out of the game a little what I'm dying to know is there any new news happening in Angelique's world? Is there a sequel on the horizon? *anticipated excitement*
Julia: ABSOLUTELY. Angelique is back and better than ever in the sequel Falling in Two. The book is 90% complete (for personal reasons, it needed to be shelved for a while, but I'm working towards completion for a release this year.) In this book, Angelique faces her demons once again, but nothing is what it seems. I honestly believe the sequel is even better than the first and I am so excited to release it.
Me: I cannot even contain how excited I am to hear this. I've been holding on for a bit till I get to see what happens! Reading this book made me want to study medicine, how time-consuming was it to get so much technical detail?
Julia: It took a while to do the research, but I was pretty focused and had a lot of momentum. I think the second book probably took a bit more time to research, but I always appreciate a level of technical detail that adds a level of realism to the story, so I felt it was worth it.
Me: Must be that quantum physicist in you! Ok I have to talk about the male hottie of Pieces. Ben, beautiful charming, no-nonsense Ben. Did you dream him up or was there a special someone who was the catalyst for him?
Julia: Oh Ben…my Ben… the man of my dreams. I always pictured him as a young Nathan Fillion, but less Canadian. It's awesome when you can invent a man, but I'm sure you know that 
When I'm an elderly dementia patient, I'm sure him and I will spend many afternoons together.
Me: Oh he is a cutie patootie! All the Firefox fans are swooning right now! Obviously Ben was a fun part to writing the book but what was the hardest part to writing this book? What was your biggest hurdle?
Julia: The biggest hurdle was the beginning. I knew how it would end, and I had already outlined the middle before it was written, but the beginning was tough. The beginning is crucial ― it needs to grip the reader's attention, and it needs to get to the action quick, but not without robbing the plot of the detail and foundation needed to make the rest of the story believable…
Me: So true, you must have that cohesive balance of drama and action to grip that reader tight. Not to mention that your visual description of the surroundings of the story leads me to ask have you ever lived in New York City, I felt like I was there?
Julia: I have not. Believe it or not, Google and Google Earth helped me a lot when it came to descriptions of some of the streets and areas I wasn't too familiar with. That's the beauty of writing in the age of the internet, I suppose. I have definitely visited New York City before and spent a lot of time there as a young adult ― and I knew it would be a great setting for this story.
Me: It's always good to have some kind of knowledge of the setting, I, too, went with NYC because it's close to home, it's familiar. You've been around the block already (no pun intended) what advice would you give a new author like myself?
Julia: I would say there is an immense amount of opportunity for authors to find success in self-publishing due to the internet and social media. A lot of times ―and I'm hearing this more and more ― self-published authors find more success than those who go through the trouble of finding agents and nabbing book contracts. Small contracts will only market you so much. This way, an author can market themselves as much as they want. I have a bunch of friends who are doing amazing too.
Me: That is good advice. I probably should have asked this when I asked about NYC but I like to throw caution to the wind. Where did you grow up?
Julia: The Jersey Shore ― born and raised. * fist pumping while answering question*
Me: GTL baby G.T.L. Before I become a woower, let's get back to serious. What was the first written work you've ever done?
Julia: Wow, that's a tough one. Like I said, I've been writing since I could hold a pencil. But I guess my first organized, edited work would be a comic book series I wrote in grade school I wrote and illustrated called "The Adventures of Boogie" … I also wrote and edited my elementary school newspaper called The Tomahawk Press (the Principal gave me a staff and access to the computer lab. It was fun).
Me: So you were almost like a child prodigy, almost. You should talk to my nephew his first work was "The Adventures of Mr. Bacon." Since you've been writing since the womb you must have some idea of what you hope to accomplish in your writing future. What would that be?
Julia: My immediate goal is to release Falling in Two. Then I have another novel about halfway complete I'd like to finish before the end of the year as well. Long term, I hope to reach more readers with my writing. It's what I love to do and I love that no matter what else is going on in my life it's something I can always work on.
Me: Being one of your readers I can say that you've reached me, you've inspired me and you've been a mentor to me and for that I thank you. Did you learn anything from writing this book and did you learn from it?
Julia: I learned a lot about grammar. 
Since I edited myself, every time I ran into something I didn't know the answer to, I had to look it up (e.g., sunk vs. sank…that kind of thing among many others). I wanted it to be perfect. This might be a good place to suggest Grammar Girl's blog for any authors self-editing ― she helped a lot.
Me: I feel I'm so far gone I just have to rely on the kindness of others to take on that task for me *cause I'm so self-important* not really, just really stinking bad at grammar.
That concludes my first interview ever with one of my favorite authors. I encourage you to check out Julia Dudek's Pieces available anywhere books are sold. But I'll give you direct links to Amazon.com just to make it easier.
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Julia-Dudek/dp/1449964184/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333720998&sr=8-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-ebook/dp/B002YQ2IGM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333720998&sr=8-2
Here's a little blurb…
Angelique isn't a killer, not truly—but witnessing the cold-blooded murder of her best friend, and discovering that the killer's identity is mysteriously missing from her memory, sends the beautiful medical student's moral compass spinning wildly out of control.
To bring the murderer to justice, Angelique needs to remember, and she uncovers a dangerous way to do it—piece by piece. Now her biggest challenge is completing her precarious mission before the benevolent detective, Ben Marsden, learns that the person behind the city's string of bizarre killings, and the woman he has fallen helplessly in love with, are one and the same.
Picture Credit (Nathan Fillion): http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/110318/NAthan-Fillion_240.jpg
Tagged: a psychological thriller, Alice Sebold, Angilique, authors, Bernadette, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, devil is in the details, John Updike, Julia Dudek, kick-ass, Michio Kaku, Pieces, Stephani Meyer, writer
April 5, 2012
Gotta Get a Gimmick?
The key to any popular blog is a Niche, a Gimmick–leave them wanting more…
There are actually people who have thousands of visitors in one day. Thousands! Thousands is what I've had since October when I started this blog.
But…blogging is not a popularity contest. Ok, um yeah it kinda is. With Freshly Pressed nipping at the desires if only to get that one moment of popular demand how awesome would that be?
Eh that would be cool. The thing is though, I don't have a gimmick or a niche. I started this blog to talk about the journey of my self publishing experience. And that's what I've done. But now it's been 3 1/2 months since my book went live and I'm still working on things. Trying to make friends first, gain knowledge, get reviews and find my stool to sit on in this vast world of indie authors. But this whole process doesn't lend itself to too many bells and whistles.
I could talk about my life, but you've already seen it in a movie called "Office Space" except there's really no humor to it. I live a very uneventfully dull life. It's if 'Office Space' and 'Groundhog day' had an illegitimate love child in a high school bathroom and left it on the church steps to be raised by nuns. That is the life of Allison B. Levine.
So, therefore, that will not be my gimmick. I guess my "gimmick" is to just talk about what strikes my fancy day-by-day. However, I've read that in order to have a successful blog that's exactly what not to do. Nobody cares what stikes me fancy. (That was my Brittish accent) The proverbial 'they' want me to talk about Pop Culture, Celbrity Gossip, Favorite TV Show, Political Debates, What Foreign Country I just visited and the amazingly stunning photography it produced.
That's not me. I can't regurgitate things that are current, popular or known because I don't have knowledge in that. Not trying to be an ahole it's just that I've never been one to be up on current events, fashion, or popular music.
I don't read the news, I don't watch live TV as a matter of fact I am now in the middle of my Supernatural marathon (season 5). I can talk about that because I'm completely obsessed with this show–so much so I realized I actually used the word "Gank" today. Haven't used that since 1992.
So as you can read I'm behind the times almost all the time. And honestly I'm ok with that.
Oh I just remembered the one gimmicky thing I've done was try to start #ShamelessPlugFriday on Twitter–I will continue to rock that on, maybe someday it will pick up more steam. (Thanks Catherine Stein!)
So my question to you all today is What's Your Gimmick?
Be honest, don't worry I won't steal it.
Picture Credits: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LgqWOdmq_mc/RyekURoSUQI/AAAAAAAAAAU/UfbZuvgtlok/s1600/Gypsy008.jpg, http://blacktemplereviews.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/supernatural.jpg
Tagged: #shamelessplugfriday, bells and whistles, boring, celebrity gossip, freshly pressed, gimmick, groundhog day, illegitimate love child, kick-ass, niche, office space, pop culture, popularity contest, supernatural
April 4, 2012
Indie in Mind, Soul and Radio
Indie writer, Indie music lover–that is me, but not a hipster.
I can't say exactly when it was that I stopped listening to mainstream music, I'd say sometime in the 90′s.
I discovered the mystical magical College Radio in the late 90′s and I've never looked back. (I was the only person I knew who liked R.E.M. in high school)
Some of my favorite bands include but obviously not limited to:
Film School Kids of 88 White Rabbits Radiohead
Lower Dens Radiohead Broken Bells Obits
Tame Impala Deathcab For Cutie Arctic Monkeys The Black Keys
Of Montreal The Shins San Cisco The Sea & Cake
Bear In Heaven Grizzly Bear Tennis The Smiths
Brian Jonestown Masscre Fruit Bats The Filty Youth The Envy Corps
Well just to name a few. You can see on one of my pages I have an ADLS playlist available that is what I believe really tells the tale of A Demon Love Story muscially.
I'm always on the hunt for the big new next indie band so if you know a few that you love, pass it along.
Or if you just want to give big love to the bands you obsess over I'd like to hear about them too!
Take a listen of my recent playlist and tell me if you like…
[image error]http://assets.myflashfetish.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swf?myid=88554476&path=2012/04/02
Create a playlist at MixPod.com
Photo Credit: http://waarbaindie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/indie1.jpg
Tagged: college radio, entertainment, favorite bands, indie, kick-ass, listen, music, music lover, playlist
April 3, 2012
And Now for Something Totally Different
So I really don't want to talk about anything serious today, or whine about something, I want to make a ridiculous poll (without really making an actual poll) strictly for audience participation.
Come out of your comfort zone of reading something that has meaning or topical interest and take this magical nonsensical journey with me…
If you woke up tomorrow with a special power–what would it be?
And I'm not talking "invisibility" or "power of persuasion" or "telling the future."
I'm talking for instance, for me, "ability to fold fitted sheets" that would be something completely unfathomable to me.
Or "ability to want to wash my dishes as soon as I use them". "Ability to make a swan out of a napkin."
Only completely unawesome powers like "Ability to do taxes" (sorry accountants)…
So…what would be your power that's only partially drenched in mediocrity yet holds to be useful in some nerdy way?
Photo Credit: http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002065269/1122210101_i_have_special_powers_design_xlarge.png
Tagged: abilities, ability, accountants, audience participation, balloon animals, fitted sheets, mediocrity, non-topical, not serious, power of persuasion, ridiculous poll, special, special powers, swan from a napkin, telling the future, topical interest, whining
April 2, 2012
Am I Too New To Plateau?
In the immortal words of Def Leppard is it "better to burn out than to fade away"?
If given the choice I'd rather not pick either. I am in serious need of a fire under the proverbial ass of my marketing campaign. I'm burning out like a meteor here but so far the ride has been a hell of one.
Here's the top 5 things I want to do to kickstart my new marketing plan…
Book Trailer–seems to be the most fun thing you can do with your clothes on.
Virtual Book Tour–a way to interact and communicate with fellow authors/readers/bloggers/fans (or at least to gain fans & readers)
Interviews–although in my previous post I confessed that I'm not the best on the spot kind of gal but one thing I know is that I can talk about my book. I love my book, the characters the story. As a matter of fact I could probably talk at nauseum about it.
Spend more time on GoodReads and maybe finally check out Book Blogs.
and…
5. Finish some works. Mainly my sequel. I'm close to done with the first draft I have about 3 chapters left but I'm struggling with the ending I want something unexpected but not cliché.
Not so unrealistic right? Unfortunately I cannot seem to get them done I don't have internet at home it was the sacrificial lamb to making my ends meet. And up until now I was ok. I get my Netflix dvd's in the mail (yes people still do that) and I use the internet at work before my shift and during lunch. Not enough time though.
I just got a new smartphone so I'm able to get on the internet more frequently but I can tell you that trying to post this right now on my phone is torture due to autocorrect. I can probably warn that there may be some funky words happening in the finished product of this post, no I will edit it painstakingly thoroughly. However, being that it's just a phone I'm a bit hindered plus there's that pesky data plan.
Anyway this post wasn't to complain. As a matter of fact last there was no complaining night while lying in bed when I came up with this post. And I wished I got up and wrote it down because it was so much better. My mind is like a sieve sometimes.
But the purpose of this rant is to ask…all my blog followers and friends, what can I do to boost marketing w/out the use of the computer? Please let me know if you can come up with something so far I've been stumped.
I'm really interested in hearing some ideas! Spring is here and it's time to shed my hermetic shell and get out and see world; so if I can do something outside that would be ideal.
I look forward to your ideas!
photo credit: http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/008/cache/colorado-plateau_897_600x450.jpg
Tagged: book blogs, book trailer, burn out, fade away, fellow authors, goodreads, help, hermetic, ideas, immortal words, internet, kick-ass, mail, marketing, netflix, new marketing, plateau, sacrificial lamb, Spring, virtual book tour
March 30, 2012
How about 12 Minutes?
I was talking yesterday about Heidi Montag, I know I asked the same question. Why?
Well it was actually about horrible 'celebrity' plastic surgery. I use the term 'celebrity' loosely, pun intended. Has she been relevent since she was plastered all over TV like 5 years ago?
No really, tell me because I don't have cable so I'm kind of out of the 'pop culture' loop. She and her douche boyfriend and many countless others are famous for doing nothing of substance. Famous because people love to hate them, is that what you want to be known for? When there's a paycheck for $10,000 an episode or a club appearance I guess people will do anything to give away their souls.
I won't. I came into this world with nothing and I intend to leave that way as well. However, if I have a little something in between, what's so bad? I just channeled my late little Jewish Grandmother right there.
Anyway, as a writer (self-proclaimed introvert) I don't know how I would handle my fifteen minutes if that ever came to pass. The only reason I got through my college public speaking class was because I had two friends in there and a boy who done me wrong so I had revenge, venom and stellar comedic timing fueling my speaking assignments. I had to do a speaking assignment on "Games People Play" I started it off by saying "I never get to be the car." Please let me know if people who weren't in that class get that.
So you (i.e. a girl I know, i.e. myself) are a semi-reclusive introverted mad scientist with words, you write your first novel, whew ok that's done you made it through all the while never leaving the comfort of your desk chair. SUCCESS…uh oh. All of sudden you're jet-setting, going to fan forums, conventions, talk shows, etc. The first interview…*crickets* you realize that you have Technophobia and the fear of video camera operators, what now?
So my question to all of you is how would you spend your 15 minutes of fame? How would you fare, would you make the best of it? Extend it longer than 15 minutes, or fizzle out before the last click of the clock? I'm curious to know.
I know a lot of my posts have been about making money and being famous and all that, but I would be lying if I said I didn't want that. I like to be open and honest about how my mind works.
Do I believe that it will happen?
Hell Yes!
Happy Friday all: don't forget today is #shamelessplugfriday!!!! Plug away my friends plug away!
Picture Credit: http://5.itsalltech.com/2010/07/15-minutes-of-fame.jpg
Tagged: celebrities, crickets, entertainment, fame, famous celebrities for nothing, introvert, novel writer, public speaking, success, writer, writing
