Sonia Marsh's Blog, page 11

Is “Painting and Vino” Gutsy? What Do You Think?

My eyes look a bit sleepy, and that was before the vino. I blame my cousin’s camera.

 

On the day after Valentine’s Day, I signed up for a class on the Living Social app called: which took place at the Balboa Inn, a beautiful beach side resort, in southern California.

Since I did not receive flowers from a “loved” one on Valentine’s Day, I thought I would paint my own flowers and enjoy some vino, with my cousin, and about 40 other people.

Here are the two examples of what we were supposed to paint

 

This is what the art teacher’s flowers looked like.

As you can see, these two paintings were the examples of what we were supposed to paint, and since I love bright colors, I couldn’t wait to start painting.

For only $25, we were each given a blank canvas, 5 different size paint brushes, as much paint as we needed, an easel, a large water cup, and paper towels.

This class was packed

I enjoyed the step-by-step instructions given by our art teacher, who came up to my painting, and said, “You’re the rebel painter; love it,” which made me happy.

My painting was nick-named the “REBEL PAINTING” by my art teacher, and I loved the name.

Since I went against the rules, and did my own colors, I was thrilled to be one of the non-conformists.

My cousin also painted a different color vase, and this was her first time EVER, to paint on a canvas.

 

My cousin’s first painting ever.

This was so much fun, and reminded me of how much I love to paint with acrylics. I shall definitely sign up for more evenings like this one. We painted for 3 hours, and each month, on the Living Social App, you can see the various artists paintings on a calendar, and select the one you want to paint. A great way to decorate your house for only $25/painting, and it’s your own work.

Do you want to try this? If so, check out if they have one in your area.

Want to learn HOW I SAVED TONS OF MONEY by using Airb&b on my trip to Europe instead of booking hotels? Come back on Thursday, February 19th to learn more.

Here’s an article on HOW I SAVED TONS OF MONEY by booking my flights on GOOGLE FLIGHTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winner of the January 2015 “My Gutsy Story®”

We had FOUR OUTSTANDING “My Gutsy Story®” authors. Thank you for submitting and for voting. These 4 authors are all WINNERS.

 

 

 

Winner of the January 2015 “My Gutsy Story®”

Connie Fenty

 

1st Place, with 59% of the votes, goes to Connie Fenty with her inspiring “My Gutsy Story®”entitled: “How I Learned to Let Go of Security.”

SONIA MARSH SAYS: I admire the way you were able to use the courage and resilience you received from your your boot camp experience, and apply it to  tragedy in your life.

2nd Place, with 24% of the votes, goes to Kenn Ashcraft with his story entitled, “From Morbid Obesity to Taking Charge of My Life.”

Kenn Ashcraft

SONIA MARSH SAYS: I look forward to reading about the next chapter of your life where you ride your bike and hold public seminars at every hospital. This will inspire others who are going through a difficult period and need a boost from someone who overcame his health issues.

3rd Place goes to Lola De Maci, “What Mom Taught Me About Life.”

Lola De Maci

SONIA MARSH SAYS: Lola, what a beautiful story of love and gratitude for the small things in life that bring us pleasure. Something to remember during this busy holiday season.

4th Place goes to Suzanne Chun with her story, “You Have to Take a Leap, and Another, and Another, Until You Get it Right.”

 SONIA MARSH SAYS: What a transformation during your summer, and how you became “gutsy” and transformed yourself.

 

I shall post more about my travel plans, how I managed to get cheap accommodation in Greece, London and Madrid, and my life transitions in the upcoming weeks.

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Our Final Gutsy Move

“Our Gutsy Final Move”

“My Gutsy Story®” Barbara Hammond

Moving is daunting under any circumstances. I grew up moving, like gypsies, attending fourteen schools in twelve years, four of them in sixth grade.

When I married, my husband’s career involved moving regularly. With a young family it was stressful, but we managed ten moves in the first ten years.

We weren’t particularly savvy with money, but we made smart Real Estate investments over the years. Someone once told me, “Put your money in Real Estate. They’re not making any more land!” It was good advice.

We’ve lived up and down the northeast corridor of the U.S. for forty-six years. Being near the ocean was a priority.

In 1992 we moved to Philadelphia, which has felt like home to me since I first explored it in 1974. I’d never had such an emotional and compelling tug on my heart before. I literally felt I’d lived there in another life.

House in Philadelphia

 

My first trip to the Jersey Shore was also 1974. Oh, how the ocean grasped my soul and said, “Welcome home.” I think I knew then I would live there one day. My husband always felt it would be out of reach.

The new millennium proved lucky for us. The stars aligned and we found the perfect beach house for our family in Ocean City. I envisioned it being the family compound for the rest of our collective lives. That worked for about ten years.

Our two sons met their mates and set out on their own journeys. They still visited, but as their families grew their time became focused on the children’s needs and activities.

In the meantime we were maintaining two homes. I’m not complaining. I know this is a ‘First World Problem’, but it can be costly.

When it was a friends and family every weekend OC was worth it. With only the two of us, most of the time, it became less so.

At the very tip of New Jersey is the quaint, beautiful, town of Cape May nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay.

We made day trips occasionally, especially in the fall when it’s less crowded and even more beautiful. We stayed in many charming B&B’s over the years and loved it.

In the fall of 2013 we spent a fun day in Cape May, walking down tree lined streets, strolling along the beach, and enjoying lunch at the Ugly Mug, a local restaurant that’s great for people watching.

As we headed out of town I said to my husband, “Why don’t we sell both houses and move to Cape May?”

Within seconds he said, “I like it! Let’s do it!”

And the adventure began!

We loved our home in Philadelphia. It was built in 1760. In a home that age there’s always something to fix. Historic charm doesn’t come cheap. We knew there’d be work ahead of us before we put it on the market.

We closed the shore house for the season and decided to wait until spring to put it up for sale. It needed work, too.

In the meantime we weeded out and donated things daily. We had lived in the city for twelve years, the longest ever in one place. It’s amazing what you accumulate over time.

We discovered wiring issues, and assorted other problems. It took time and money, but we had it ready for market by late April.

Our realtor in Philly was amazing. We sold in three days! Then we began the search for our forever home in Cape May. It was exciting!

We had driven around all areas and knew where we wanted to live. I spent hours on Real Estate websites searching.

We hired a great realtor to work with and as we toured homes I’d seen online we were often amazed. Photographs can be very deceiving. But, we weren’t deterred at all. I knew in my heart this was the right time and place for us, and the perfect house would find us.

We had seen so many homes and nothing seemed right. Finally we felt we’d found the one. We made an offer contingent on selling the OC house. Nothing went smoothly and the deal fell through.

As our closing date in the city neared we were working in earnest on the shore house. It looked so beautiful we wondered why we hadn’t made these improvements years before.

When we closed on the house in Philly we needed two storage spaces in Ocean City until we could sell there and make the final move. It was expensive and it was getting scary. I was concerned but never lost faith. My heart and gut knew the perfect home would appear. And it did!

I was checking my phone before I even got out of bed and saw a message from our Cape May realtor. She sent a photograph with one line…”Look what popped up overnight!”

I squealed, which woke my husband. I showed him the picture and he almost squealed, too! It was a Monet painting with an arbor over the gate and a picket fence all around, with a spectacular garden.

Cape May Cottage

 

It found us!

We saw it immediately and began negotiating. The inside needed work, but the bones were great. It was a fresh canvas for us to paint our own dream home.+

The OC house sold the same week and we were on our way. We had to delay the closing in Cape May for a week, which meant putting our OC furnishings in storage. This made for the most expensive move we’d ever experienced.

We’ve put lots of work into the house and it is a labor of love. Many tell us how lucky we are, but I will tell you luck had nothing to do with it. We were focused, and never doubting. The entire process felt so right, no matter what obstacles got in our way.

Keep your eye on the prize and stay gutsy. You are the architect of your life!

BARBARA HAMMOND is an artist, author, blogger, who celebrates the journey that has been her life, so far. You can discover her work at:

Her Social Media Links:
Website: http://zeroto60andbeyond.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zero.60.beyond
Twitter: @hammondartbiz

Her Books:
The Duffy Chronicles
While You Were Sleeping



Her Artist Website: 
http://barbara-hammond.artistwebsites.com/

 

SONIA MARSH SAYS: So true, Barbara, we are the architects of our lives, and I can tell that you found your piece of treasure in Cape May, a place I have never visited, but now that you’re there, I may have to stop by.

 

PLEASE VOTE NOW for our January 2015  “My Gutsy Story®” 

You have from now, until February 11th,  to vote on the sidebar, (only one vote per person) and the winner will be announced on February 12th and will select a prize from our generous sponsors. VOTE IN YELLOW BOX ON RIGHT SIDEBAR

 

ATTENTION AUTHORS

Here is an article I wrote that has received many Tweets and Comments

I’m Not a Celebrity, So How Do I Sell My Books? Six Steps to Becoming a Successful Indie Publisher

I Discovered a Way to Pay Less On Airfares

 

I love to plan flights, especially when I can outsmart the high costs, and often inconvenient times, offered on sites like Travelocity and Orbitz. 

I treat the process like a giant puzzle, taking each piece, one step at a time, until a clear image emerges.

We all know how expensive flights and hotels can be, so how do you minimize costs and keep a sane schedule, without sacrificing comfort?

Here’s how I booked my flights to Europe and kept my costs way down.

I use Google flights, and here’s how I save money.
I book each segment separately, rather than try to book the entire trip in one go.
I open several Google flights on my browser at the same time, and play around with the segments and airlines so I can compare costs.
Here’s what I managed to book for a TOTAL PRICE of $1, 596.

 

 

April 2015:

Austin, Texas – Athens, Greece
Athens – London

May 2015

London-Paris
Paris-Madrid

June 2015

Madrid – Los Angeles

TOTAL PRICE of $1, 596.

 

If I try to book the entire trip in ONE SEGMENT with multi-stops the price that came up was substantially higher.

Travelocity shows $2,392 shows the cheapest, but the times were not convenient and there were numerous stopovers. Flights shown went up to $7,300.

Travelocity

Orbitz couldn’t quote me a fare with the exact same dates and countries I listed above.

Google flights

 

Google flights shows more expensive flights when I punch in all the dates and countries as a multi-flight trip. As I said, I managed to get my entire

US-Europe-US For only $1,596, compared to the prices above.

 

Seth Kugel, the Frugal Traveler, wrote about Google Flights in his article in the New York Times,  “How to Choose and Air Travel Search Site,”

“If you’re focused just on flights, there are other considerations. Most straightforward is the amount of time it takes each site to process your searches. The clear winner there is Google Flights (a different offering from Google Flight Explorer), with shockingly instantaneous results — you’d almost think they’d invented the modern search engine.”

Credit Cards offering 50,000 travel miles. 

It wasn’t until my recent divorce, and my new-found independence, that I plucked up the courage to go for credit cards that offer bonus travel miles. I figured that I should give it a try.

One of my favorite bloggers/authors/travel hackers, Chris Gullebeau, has a list of his preferred travel credit cards, and I know he’s been able to fly for free around the world, using his acquired miles. So I signed up for two of the credit cards he recommends, and found that I could indeed get a free trip with my miles.  I’ve already received one free trip, and am now a believer, that if you use your card wisely, it can benefit you in many ways.

The Chase Ink, also allows me to use the Club Lounges at a discount rate, something I never allowed myself to think about using in the past.

Next Friday, I shall write about how I saved a tremendous amount of money by booking accommodations with Airb&b. Come back and see how.

Do you have tips to share about your travel plans and ways to cut costs?

 

 

Finding the Guts to Change

 “Finding the Guts to Change”

“My Gutsy Story®”-Donna Friess

One of the truly gutsiest things I have ever done was become brave enough to give up my college teaching career after 45 years.  Across the years, when I asked my colleagues if there was life outside the hallowed walls of my college, Cypress College, they thought I was kidding and laughed at me, but I wasn’t  kidding.  I knew my life worked.  I adored the students and they adored me, but the 75 mile-a -day commute was getting to seem longer with each passing decade.   One year, far past when I was eligible for retirement,   I got up my courage during our summer vacation at Catalina. I promised myself that for sure in September I would turn in my retirement papers for the next year.  Then one day I was on the swim float in Avalon harbor getting ready to dive when I noticed a little blonde six year-old boy standing next to me.  I saw him gulp a huge breath of air. He was scared to dive in, to swim into shore.  He squared his shoulders, took another  big inhale. I could feel his fear. As I watched him tears sprang to my eyes. Suddenly I could see him ten or so years in the future, gulping air, squaring his shoulders as he plunged in to give his speech in my public speaking class. The tears streamed down my face and my stomach knotted.  In that instant I knew that I could not give up my eager, scared-to-death students.  By the time I got to shore I decided against retirement. Clearly I did not have the guts, I was not ready to leave the students.

More busy happy years passed in the classroom, but the drive got longer, and if I were truthful, I was getting tired.  There were other things I wanted to do; more travel, maybe paint, write.  I had taught so long that retirement pay would be significantly more than I was taking home as I qualified for longevity bonuses and more, still I did not have the guts for it.

Finally in the summer of 2009 my husband said, “I think you are missing the boat here. I think you should pay attention to you writing.” It was a flashpoint for me.  I saw a way to reinvent myself. I felt excited as I thought,  Maybe there is life outside of my classroom.

I was stuck in my good old way of living my life, and it was now time to get brave enough to reinvent myself.  Perhaps an element of empowerment is having the ability to adapt to life, to reinvent oneself.   Joan Rivers was a master at reinventing herself.  Last year’s media coverage surrounding her death illustrated her genius.  Imagine going from stand-up comedy, to late night host, to the Red Carpet , to Fashionista and more. At the time of her death she was working on a new show. Imagine she stayed in the spot light for decades because she kept evolving and changing.

So  how do we get unstuck? The answer must be to live mindfully.  These days I see how we are living our lives as our creative challenge.  When I finally found the courage to change my ways I found a new way to live life, an exciting robust way.  I have been out of the classroom for four years now, however, people have not quit laughing at me!  When I say, “and I was so worried about a different kind of life…” They can’t stop laughing for they know that it is a big huge world filled with unlimited opportunity if we have the guts to grab hold and look at the wonder of it all.

We cannot not change. We age. Life moves forward.  Albert Einstein liked to talk about how important imagination and creativity are.  I like to think of my life as my canvas, and the way I am living it, as my creative endeavor.  The world out there is just waiting for you. What more do you want to do? What more do you want to be? I’d love to hear about it. Right now, though I might be out on the trail with my three Golden Retrievers or at my desk writing my next novel.

 

Psychologist Donna L. Friess, Ph.D., is a life coaching, grief counselor, and author.  She is an advocate for children’s rights, currently serving on a U.S. Justice Department Office for Victims of Crime Consortium. As a best selling author she has written seven books. With appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and others,  her award winning autobiography Cry the Darkness has been published in seven languages. Donna’s debut novel The Unraveling of Shelby Forrest is now available at Amazon.com. www.drdonnafriess.com.

SONIA MARSH SAYS: Donna is the real “Gutsy” woman of today. She is a rocket on a mission, helping everyone she meets along her path. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in her coaching “women in transition,” as I went through my own divorce process. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more energetic and enthusiastic woman who is a role model for all of us. I’m reading her novel (see below,) and recommend it to my fellow writers and readers.

Click on cover to go to Amazon

 

 

Get your copy of Unraveling here.


Join Donna on Facebook here.
Check out Donna’s website: www.drdonnafriess.com
Join Donna on Twitter 
Donna on LinkedIn

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE JANUARY 2015 “My Gutsy Story®”
           READ  ALL 4 STORIES HERE


WE NEED MORE “My Gutsy Story®” SUBMISSIONS TO CONTINUE THE SERIES
DO YOU HAVE A GUTSY STORY?
GUIDELINES ARE HERE

PLEASE LET E-MAIL: Sonia@SoniaMarsh.com

 

January 2015 Vote For Your Favorite “My Gutsy Story®”

PLEASE VOTE NOW for our January 2015  “My Gutsy Story®” 

You have from now, until February 11th,  to vote on the sidebar, (only one vote per person) and the winner will be announced on February 12th and will select a prize from our generous sponsors.

Our 1st “My Gutsy Story®” is from Kenn Aschcraft., “From Morbid Obesity to Taking Charge of my Life.”

Our 2nd “My Gutsy Story®” is from Suzanne Chun, “How to Take a Leap, and Another and Another, Until You Get it Right.”

Our 3rd “My Gutsy Story®” is from Lola De Maci, “What Mom Taught me About Life.”

Our 4th “My Gutsy Story®” is from Connie Fenty, “How I Learned to Let Go of Security,”

The “My Gutsy Story®”story submissions have been trickling in, so I am re-evaluating whether to take a break for the time being.

I Did Something I Told My Kids Not to Do

 

Skip and his motorcycle.

 

All my life I’ve brainwashed my sons to never buy, ride, or be a passenger on a motorcycle.

“Do not get on a motorcycle. It’s too dangerous,” I would tell them whenever they mentioned the “m” word.

I’ve always been proud of saying “no” to any offers of being a motorcycle passenger. Why? Because Mom brainwashed me to “just say no,” and she was right.

I grew up in Paris where young guys slalomed through dense traffic at 80 miles per hour, without helmets, often ignoring the French, priorité à droite, rule. If you’re not aware of this rule, please read carefully, just in case you plan on renting a car in France. This could save you a potential accident.

The priorité à droite rule states that any car, or motorcycle merging or sideswiping you from the right, has the right of way. Unless there is a traffic light or stop sign, you’re the culprit. If a car dashes out out of nowhere, you’re toast.

Everyone I meet, has a motorcycle accident story to share about broken bones, with multiple titanium and screws, amputated limbs or tragically, death.

A few years ago I met a 23-year-old man lifting weights at my local gym. He had a super muscular upper body, and when I looked down, I noticed two prosthetic legs. Both legs were amputated at the knee.

“Did you serve in Afghanistan?” I asked.

“No, a car hit me on my motorcycle. I lost both legs.”

I loved his warm smile and attitude.

“I speak to high school kids about the danger of riding motorcycles,” he continued.

I swore I would never ever ride, or worse yet, be a passenger on a motorcycle until Skip read my book, Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family’s Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island and said,

“Come on Sonia, you’re Gutsy, aren’t you?”

To which I didn’t reply. I made a cowardly decision to try it, instead of saying what I truly believed.

“There are different kinds of Gutsy and I’m not the adrenaline-rush type of Gutsy. I’m more of a travel around the world and experience new adventures, type of Gutsy.

So what made me hop onto the back of a guy’s BMW a week ago?

My 1st motorcycle ride on my friend Skip Stevens’ motorbike

Yes, I do look happy, but Sonia always smiles when you click a camera in her direction.

Skip took me along Santiago Canyon, on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon; a favorite road for bicyclists and motorcyclists to ride along stretches of country-like roads meandering through the canyon.

We landed at Cook’s Corner, a bikers’ haven with shiny bikes all over the place, loud music and lots of booze and tattoos.

Truthfully, I felt more at ease with the Masai Mara tribe  in Tanzania, than the crowd at Cook’s Corner.

I’m glad I did not get addicted to motorcycles, and that I had the guts to say,

“I have many dreams, and I am not willing to put myself in any situation that could prevent me from pursuing my goals.”

In all fairness, I could not relax. I am totally focused on my goals, and I do not want anything to stop me from my next travel adventure.

Do you love motorcycles? 

Time to be Honest…I’m Fed Up

 

I have to be honest with my readers and let you know what I think about writing, social media, and publishing. You may not agree with me, but that’s OK since I’m shifting gears and direction. I just hope you keep reading my blog, especially as I’m starting a mid-life gap year, jam-packed with new adventures. I’m going against blogging protocol, and writing when I want to, rather than when I have to. Besides, I’ve never been incarcerated by the blogging police.

 

I’m Fed Up

I don’t have time to read blogs and write comments.
I want time to read what I want to read, and not feel “guilty” or “forced to read” books that don’t interest me.
I’m fed-up with reading books and writing reviews, especially if I’m not interested in the book.
How many times can I write about the same topic, and still make it sound fresh?
Writers keep supporting writers, but “Where are OUR READERS?” (Please don’t lecture me on signing up for another course for $999, that guarantees I’ll find new readers.)
I’m tired of being bombarded with sales pitches from people I respect in the industry who are now becoming “used car salesmen.”
I’m fed up with receiving offers to sign up for courses on “how to increase my book sales” when I’ve become cynical about this process (Read Do You Want the Truth below)  or another honest post I wrote. “Do Authors Make Money: Here’s the Truth.”
I’ve done my best to follow all the rules writers keep hearing about regarding blogging, social media and marketing from the “gurus.”
I’m tired of coming up with the perfect SEO friendly headline for my blog post. Now titles are supposed to appeal to readers first. What a concept!
I’m fed up with requesting people to submit a “My Gutsy Story®” each week. I don’t like begging or bugging.
I missed my 1st blog post in 7 years last Thursday. Will I be forgiven by Google, search engines, and more importantly, by my “billions” of fans?
I’ve promoted so many book events, library events, indie book signings, Costco appearances, Webinars, Workshops, public speaking, radio, local TV, given freebies, reviews, contacted movie producers etc…BUT…

Do You Want the Truth

Most authors, especially non-fiction authors, who want to make money, turn towards writing, coaching, presenting, and selling books about “The Dream.” 

They sell books on:

How to write
How to market and promote your book
How to become a best selling author by following these steps.

They also take classes, hire a business coach, team up with their peers, start promoting one other, offer free webinars laden with sales pitches to sign-up for their “expensive workshops,” to sell “The Dream.”  How do I know?  Because I did that myself. 

 

Selling the Dream

Here’s what I call, “Selling The Dream.” All the promises and offers that “fall” into my inbox daily. For example:

“In less than a year I’ve made over $150,000 from self-published books.”
Sign-up for my 6-week course on how to make it to the Bestseller list for only $999
Pitch your book to producers from “Good Morning America,” and other major TV producers for only $5,000.


Are Today’s Online Strategies Changing?

I believe things have changed.  There is TOO MUCH COMPETITION and too many people offering the same services. The market is saturated with indie books. There were over 450,000 indie published books in 2013.

Authors are getting fed up with blogging, overwhelmed with social media, and most ask themselves WHY? I’m making less than $100/month in royalties. Is it worth it? (Please don’t lecture me on signing up for another course for $999, that guarantees I’ll make $150,000 in one year. Maybe you’ll make that much with all of us DREAMERS signing up for your course, but not us: the writers.)

My Conclusion

Write with no expectations. Do what you want, take classes to improve your writing skills, sign-up for Webinars if you’d like to, but be realistic. I’ve tried many different approaches since 2009, and I don’t want to sell “The Dream.” I  am happy, because I believe “The Dream” is not about money. 

 

 What Next?

I hope you keep reading my blog, as I embark on a divorced woman’s mid-life gap year, jam-packed with new adventures. My focus will be on:

Gutsy Living®
Exciting opportunities for women
What’s it like to be a divorced woman after 28-years of marriage
Re-inventing yourself as a woman over 55
Travel in Europe and anywhere else I go
Learning new skills
Teaching abroad
How to save money
Gutsy dating

Any suggestions as to other topics you’d like me to write about during my GAP YEAR(s)

My Way To Handle REJECTION

Saturday afternoon, after a pleasant lunch with a friend, I checked my phone and found an e-mail from the Peace Corps, with the subject line:

“Peace Corps Application Decision.”

My fingers trembled as I tapped the screen anticipating good news.

I’ve been waiting to hear back since I applied in July 2014.

Imagine how I felt when I read:

“Thank you for your application to the Peace Corps. We regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you an assignment at this time. Each year, the Peace Corps receives many more applications from qualified individuals than we have assignments available.”

Shock, anger, and every other emotion you can come up with, hit me at that moment.

So I decided to call my Peace Corps recruiter to ask, “WHY DID THEY REJECT ME???”

I’m the Gutsy one who wants to help people and serve in another part of the world. I’m over 50, speak fluent French, have leadership skills, a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science, and I’ve expressed my enthusiasm at every Peace Corps social event in my area.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

I knew I wouldn’t get an answer over the weekend, so I did what I always do when I’m rejected:

I GET STRONGER AND 
KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

Thankfully, I have a back-up plan which is to take the Cert-TESOL course in Greenwich, London, so I can teach English anywhere in the world. That’s my Plan B, and it’s an added credential for MY NEXT PEACE CORPS APPLICATION.

My wonderful recruiter called me on Sunday night. We had a long chat and she recommended I reapply ASAP.  She took the time to read through my resume, and give me some tips on how to improve it, and customize my skills and experience to the positions that are available on the Peace Corps website.

My mistake, now that I look back on my resume, is that I made a bullet point list of past jobs and volunteering experience rather than explaining my ACCOMPLISHMENTS in EVERY role. I guess my resume is outdated, and today’s resumes need to be specific.

As an example: “delivered 2 key-note addresses as well as 10 additional public speaking engagements” and “consistently initiated weekly blog posts with fresh content twice weekly”.

Apparently the Peace Corps wants a more focused approach from each applicant, rather than stating, “I’m available to do anything, anywhere.” In the past they wanted this flexible attitude, so I guess now, with the increase in applicants, it’s become more competitive and you have to show them how you can be of maximum benefit to the Peace Corps.

When I got rejected by a publisher, my adrenaline kicked in and I said, “I’ll start my own publishing company and promote my books with all my energy.”

Now it’s time to use my “gutsyness” and move ahead. NOTHING WILL STOP ME.

HAVE YOU BEEN REJECTED? IF SO HOW DID YOU COPE? Please let me know in the comment section below.

 

NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
Get Published in our 3rd
“My Gutsy Story®”Anthology in 2015

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HERE

 

Click on cover to go to Amazon

 2013 Benjamin Franklin Honoree Winner

2014 International Book Awards FINALIST

2014 WINNER of the PARIS BOOK FESTIVAL

 We just won our 4th Award for the Anthology. 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT OUR AWARDS.

 

 

How to Make a Living From Your Writing

Nathan Barry

 

Nathan Barry, author of Authority, claims, “THE IDEA THAT AUTHORS CAN’T MAKE MONEY IS BULL****. And no, you don’t have to be famous or have a huge online following.”

I’m not sure if I agree 100% with Nathan, especially after writing my controversial post: Do Authors Make Money? Here’s the Truth.

One way Nathan Barry recommends making more money is by using Gumroad to sell your e-books directly on your site. You get 95% of each sale, instead of the usual 70% with KDP (Kindle)

GUMROAD. also enables you to collect your readers’ e-mail addresses. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your readers, and to ask them how they like the book, and to keep in touch for selling future products. The reader gets to download the e-book as soon as he pays for it on your site. (According to Nathan.)
SCRIVENER.  Nathan mentioned  how he uses Scrivener to write his books and keep his thoughts and blog posts organized. Once again, I have not used Scrivener, but know a few authors who swear by it.

Social Media

Twitter and Facebook are NOT MEANT TO SELL YOUR BOOKS, but only to interact with others
E-mails ARE THE BEST WAY TO SELL YOUR BOOKS, so develop your e-mail list
Twitter and Facebook are meant to get subscribers, not to sell your books
Social Media should be used to give VALUE TO YOUR READERS
The best way to get readers is to offer giveaways and offer value to your readers
Always think of ways to keep your readers interested. For example, tell them, “Here’s what I’m working on. Use Instagram with a photo of you writing in a coffee shop for example.
Readers are curious about the process of you writing your story, so show them your work, then they will be interested in your next book
Is there anything you can share right NOW, about what you’re doing TODAY?
Take photos of you while writing, or doing a Webinar.
SHARE ANYTHING YOU’RE STRUGGLING WITH. READERS LOVE THAT.

 Fiction Writers

Just like non-fiction writers, you need to get subscribers, so offer something to your readers. For example, you could write a 3-page story as a giveaway, and if it’s great, make people sign up on your website to receive the rest of the story. Capturing e-mails is crucial for sales, and connecting with your readers.
You want people to BE A FAN OF YOU as a person, not just be a fan of your characters.

I know many indie authors who are struggling to sell more books. It’s the start of a New Year, and we want to become successful. I think our main focus should be on :

How do I focus on getting READERS and not just on my circle of WRITER friends?

(COME BACK to READ my article on Thursday, January  15th.)

 

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