Robin Tidwell's Blog, page 41

Prep Monday—Decision Time

In two years, our youngest will be leaving the nest. That means, among other things, that we no longer have to consider our proximity to schools or districts, or our location to just about anything—especially since Dennis will be able to retire too. We’ve crunched the numbers—nominally, ‘cause that’s about all I can manage—and […]

RHP: Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Today, I want to tell you a story: Almost a year ago, June 19, 2013 to be exact, author Julie Young wrote on my FB author page just to say “hello.” So I went to her page and holy cow—there’s a picture of her WITH GENE SIMMONS! Naturally, I had to know more. […]

Writer Wednesday—Sales Outside the Box

Last week, when I talked about distribution, I briefly mentioned bookstores, festivals, markets, and just plain hauling around boxes of books. Let’s look at those things again, for a moment, and then move on the more creative selling. Bookstores: you CAN arrange events and have your books stocked in indie stores, even if you have […]

Prep Monday—The Great Outdoors

So I’m coming up with an idea, based on my fantastic Sunday afternoon, for a class for kids on survival and outdoor living. It’s a simple plan, teaching the basics over a two- or three-day period. Take a look and tell me what you think: First, what are the essentials? Water, shelter, food. Second, what […]

RHP—Caught Between Two Curses

You might think it odd that a STL publisher, who is a huge Cardinals’ fan, would release a book about the Chicago Cubs. See, the thing is that it’s a REALLY GOOD BOOK. GO BUY A COPY. (See what I did there? Subliminal message. Pay attention!) At any rate, the thing is selling like hotcakes—yes, […]

Writer Wednesday—Distribution

Distribution. You gotta have it, one way or another. So how do you get your books out there, into the hands of readers? Keep in mind, of course, that some ways are more effective than others—in other words, it’s a good thing when someone reads your book, but you have to weigh time and cost […]

Prep Monday—Naked and Afraid

Seriously—I don’t watch this show on a regular basis, but sometimes my husband does. Last night’s episode (or maybe it was recorded), featured a couple dropped into Madagascar and having to survive—naked, naturally—for 21 days. Typically, on each show, there’s a man and a woman, strangers, and they must survive with one tool each and […]

Prep, um, Wednesday?

Yeah, yeah. Late again. Story of my life. A group of us went camping this past weekend—and no, I’m NOT still recovering, thankyouverymuch—and we had a blast! We set up camp on Friday afternoon; slight glitch with a stuck tailgate on the truck, but nothing we couldn’t work around. Setting up the tent in 25 […]

Writer Wednesday—Dealing with the Idiocy

Yep, as a writer—or a human being—we’re all called upon at times to deal with the pettiness of daily life. Sometimes, that can seem ever present, ever constant, and PUBLIC. The truth is that it’s really none of those things. A couple weeks ago, I received an email from that strange site, Goodreads. The one […]

Prep Monday—Bitter Cold

How do you prep for the cold? The usual ways, I imagine: heat sources, warm, layered clothing, adequate food and hydration, shelter from the elements. What about toughening up a little? First, of course, you should be in shape—and NOT the round shape so often touted. Strength and endurance are, and will be in a […]