Alexa Whitewolf's Blog, page 4
October 5, 2017
A trip to the Emerald Isle (Pt 3)
October 1, 2017
In the face of heat…protect your pets!
MXLLS
[image error]Many of you know that pets are dear to my heart, being the proud owner of two large-breed dogs myself. I felt the need to take a break from posting the Ireland pictures in order to speak about something that truly gets to me every summer.
If you’re reading this and you’re in North America, you’ve probably felt the effects of the heat strokes we’ve been victims of. I know I have!
AC on to the max, windows open at night, fans blasting, nothing really helps. Luckily, towards the end of this week, and as this blog is being published, the temperatures have finally dwindled down to normal.
In the face of this, I wanted to make a short post to remind you: heat is no excuse to be cruel.
This last week alone, I have witnessed and heard from friends who have witnessed pet owners leaving their dogs in their cars while running off to the grocery store, to the local Starbucks, you name it.
There is NO excuse for leaving your pet behind. If you’re going somewhere your pet cannot follow, then leave them at home. Please. You may be thinking, “it’s just 5 minutes and I left the windows rolled down!”
That’s exactly what one lady at my local Starbucks thought. I walked in at the end of this confrontation, to find her arguing with a man. Turns out the lady had left her lab puppy in the car “for 5min” while she ran inside the Starbucks to grab…whatever she was grabbing. She left the windows rolled down – because of course that would have been enough in the 33 degree weather, no breeze we had yesterday in Ontario…
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[image error]I am having a hard time not getting upset recalling the scene. The man had seen the dog and went in to confront her, but of course she would not admit her fault and it turned into a yelling match.
What we feel as humans in terms of heat, dogs and cats and furry creatures feel heightened. So those 5 minutes… Are an eternity of scorching heat. Our furry friends cannot express themselves as they wish they could, so it is up to us to interpret them, and watch out for them.
If you have friends who have pets, remind them to be careful in heat times. If they or yourself take a dog for a walk, please avoid the times between 11-2pm when the sun is at its highest and temperatures are horrendous. When getting back home, rubbing their paws with a cloth wet in icy water could help bring down their temperature. A popsicle is a nice treat if your dog likes them 
In the face of heat...protect your pets!
Many of you know that pets are dear to my heart, being the proud owner of two large-breed dogs myself. I felt the need to take a break from posting the Ireland pictures in order to speak about something that truly gets to me every summer.If you're reading this and you're in North America, you've probably felt the effects of the heat strokes we've been victims of. I know I have!AC on to the max, windows open at night, fans blasting, nothing really helps. Luckily, towards the end of this week, and as this blog is being published, the temperatures have finally dwindled down to normal.In the face of this, I wanted to make a short post to remind you: heat is no excuse to be cruel.This last week alone, I have witnessed and heard from friends who have witnessed pet owners leaving their dogs in their cars while running off to the grocery store, to the local Starbucks, you name it.There is NO excuse for leaving your pet behind. If you're going somewhere your pet cannot follow, then leave them at home. Please. You may be thinking, "it's just 5 minutes and I left the windows rolled down!"That's exactly what one lady at my local Starbucks thought. I walked in at the end of this confrontation, to find her arguing with a man. Turns out the lady had left her lab puppy in the car "for 5min" while she ran inside the Starbucks to grab...whatever she was grabbing. She left the windows rolled down - because of course that would have been enough in the 33 degree weather, no breeze we had yesterday in Ontario...
I am having a hard time not getting upset recalling the scene. The man had seen the dog and went in to confront her, but of course she would not admit her fault and it turned into a yelling match.What we feel as humans in terms of heat, dogs and cats and furry creatures feel heightened. So those 5 minutes... Are an eternity of scorching heat. Our furry friends cannot express themselves as they wish they could, so it is up to us to interpret them, and watch out for them.If you have friends who have pets, remind them to be careful in heat times. If they or yourself take a dog for a walk, please avoid the times between 11-2pm when the sun is at its highest and temperatures are horrendous. When getting back home, rubbing their paws with a cloth wet in icy water could help bring down their temperature. A popsicle is a nice treat if your dog likes them :)Whatever you do... Please don't leave your dog in a car - rolled down windows or not. Take a minute to look at the chart below, warning you of just how bad the temperature inside could get.Ask yourself: could you survive? how about your child? But at the end of the day, it's not even a matter of "could you". It's simply wrong to ask this of anyone, let alone a poor defenseless creature that cannot speak.
More useful links:Thank you for taking the time to read this small post.
September 27, 2017
A trip to the Emerald Isle (Pt 2)
Oddly enough, we weren’t hit by jetlag. It might be because when we landed at 6am, we didn’t go to sleep and rather went out and about, but it was definitely a good bonus.
I forgot to mention in the previous post, but driving in Ireland is on the right, and the speeds vary. They have N, M, R and other roads. N is for their national, 120km/h. M is their motorways, 100km/h. And R are the regional roads, 80km/h.
Mind you… not that those speed limits are always respected. We saw the Gardai (police) around, but no traffic/speed cops to speak of. According to Google, “An Garda Síochána, meaning “the Guardian of the Peace”), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí or “the Guards” is the police force of the Republic of Ireland.”
That being said, they did look kind of intimidating and we were on our best behavior
A trip to the Emerald Isle (Pt 2)
With those out of the way, let me fill you in on some other wonderful sights of Ireland! :)Also in Clare County Craggaunowen - a must-see gem! Think of it as an outdoors exposition of the way the Irish lived in the past. Beautiful creation, amazing walking trails and views, and you walk away feeling like you've truly experienced the past. More insight: https://www.shannonheritage.com/Cragg...
Knappogue Castle and walled gardens Another little gem we fell upon after Craggaunowen, this castle actually hosts weddings and has an engraved plaque where they're mentioned! The walled gardens were beautiful, and we had a nice stroll throughout.It's actually a tower house, restored to its former 15th century glory by a family from Texas. https://www.shannonheritage.com/Dayti... 
Some highlights of Limerick CountyLimerick city Very busy! This was the one and only time we ran into traffic (we wouldn't even call it traffic back here, merely a tiny delay). Limerick has its own charm of old and new, but what truly amazed me was the view from top of King John's Castle (last few pictures).
King John's Castle I have to say, this was unexpected but easily the most informative experience I've ever had in a museum. So, when we decided to go to King John's, we didn't expect to be going into a museum. But what a place! Each chamber deals with a period of Irish history, you get to open drawers and see replicas of coins, clothes, weapons, jewelry etc. There are hologram-type characters in the walls that speak to you, such as prison guards, blacksmiths, etc telling you about their experience. Each major chamber has a movie at the end that summarizes the conflicts in that period. It was a very informative choice, and the castle you are free to roam after. My only regret was that we went near closing time and barely spent 80min or so there. I would definitely go back there and spend half a day, easily!(The last few pictures are of a church and cemetery view from atop the castle)
Bunratty Castle and Folk park Ahhh Bunratty. Again, we went after closing so did not experience the Folk Park, but did go by their gift shop that has an amazing display of Tipperary crystal vases, dishes, etc. to buy. They also ship
September 24, 2017
Marketing: tips and tries, fails and errors
This is a statement that I'm not sure how much I agree with, but it certainly guides how I go about marketing. A while back I posted that I would continue to share on what has and has not worked out for me.Here goes!This year, I had intended to start my marketing mid-summer. Due to my nature as a writer, I've discovered I cannot write and market at the same time - at least not actively, and not well. I tend to focus on one versus the other, or get overwhelmed (at times!) by the marketing aspect and kind of forget about writing. Which is why I decided to split my year into half focused on writing, and the other half on marketing.This particular time, it did not work out. Learn from my mistakes, right? I made the error of going back on two novels previously written to edit them. Said edit took a long time, and by the time all was said and done, here we are in September! Though I am extremely happy with the results of the novels themselves (The Dragon Medallion and The Dragon Manuscript), I do wish I had had more time for marketing.As it stands, one thing I did finally dip my feet in was KDP Select's free book promotion for 5 days. I tried it, and found that the results were worth the money loss (of the free downloads), and I can see the benefit in the potential reviews that will come.Will this become my go-to marketing strategy? Probably not! Even if you have loads of social media friends and connections to advertise your book's free promo to, it does not mean they will download it, let alone read it. However, I was content with the results. If you're wondering, they came to just under 100 downloads, which considering the little reach I have, I was more than happy with!One marketing strategy that has worked time and time again for me has been submitting my books to websites for features, both free and paid. There is a list kindly provided by TCK Publishing that encompasses these websites, and I have had tremendous success with them:http://www.tckpublishing.com/top-kind... course, a simple Google search will bring up tons more! What I would suggest however, is to do a few paid features only, no more than 2 per session, that way you can track where your sales come from.I personally found Bookscream to be great, and Itswritenow has also brought me some downloads/sales. There are tons of places, feel free to add more in the comments!Still have not tried ENT paid promos, or Facebook or Amazon ads, but those are on my list for the month of October.I leave you with this article from TCK Publishing owner, Tom Corson Knowles: http://www.thedailyinterview.com/tom-... website itself has tons more of similar articles with good tips, might be worth a read if you're in a bind!Feel free to share, comment, etc. below :)
Marketing: tips and tries, fails and errors
MLXLS[image error]
This is a statement that I’m not sure how much I agree with, but it certainly guides how I go about marketing. A while back I posted that I would continue to share on what has and has not worked out for me.
Here goes!
This year, I had intended to start my marketing mid-summer. Due to my nature as a writer, I’ve discovered I cannot write and market at the same time – at least not actively, and not well. I tend to focus on one versus the other, or get overwhelmed (at times!) by the marketing aspect and kind of forget about writing. Which is why I decided to split my year into half focused on writing, and the other half on marketing.
This particular time, it did not work out. Learn from my mistakes, right? I made the error of going back on two novels previously written to edit them. Said edit took a long time, and by the time all was said and done, here we are in September! Though I am extremely happy with the results of the novels themselves (The Dragon Medallion and The Dragon Manuscript), I do wish I had had more time for marketing.
As it stands, one thing I did finally dip my feet in was KDP Select’s free book promotion for 5 days. I tried it, and found that the results were worth the money loss (of the free downloads), and I can see the benefit in the potential reviews that will come.
Will this become my go-to marketing strategy? Probably not! Even if you have loads of social media friends and connections to advertise your book’s free promo to, it does not mean they will download it, let alone read it. However, I was content with the results. If you’re wondering, they came to just under 100 downloads, which considering the little reach I have, I was more than happy with!
One marketing strategy that has worked time and time again for me has been submitting my books to websites for features, both free and paid. There is a list kindly provided by TCK Publishing that encompasses these websites, and I have had tremendous success with them:
http://www.tckpublishing.com/top-kindle-book-promotion-sites-for-paid-kindle-books-0-99-and-up/
http://www.tckpublishing.com/list-of-sites-to-promote-your-free-amazon-kindle-books/
Of course, a simple Google search will bring up tons more! What I would suggest however, is to do a few paid features only, no more than 2 per session, that way you can track where your sales come from.
I personally found Bookscream to be great, and Itswritenow has also brought me some downloads/sales. There are tons of places, feel free to add more in the comments!
Still have not tried ENT paid promos, or Facebook or Amazon ads, but those are on my list for the month of October.
I leave you with this article from TCK Publishing owner, Tom Corson Knowles: http://www.thedailyinterview.com/tom-corson-knowles/
The website itself has tons more of similar articles with good tips, might be worth a read if you’re in a bind!
Feel free to share, comment, etc. below
September 21, 2017
A trip to the Emerald Isle (Pt. 1)
I originate from Europe, and have always wanted to go back to visit, eventually even move back. But life had a way of always getting in the way when I planned a trip, and it never happened. I had almost started to despair, when my husband and I took a leap of faith and bought our tickets back in June.
Despite this, perhaps because of how much I had wanted the trip, it did not feel real. Not until the moment we got on the plane and took off, did I finally dare to believe my luck. About 1000 different scenarios of why we’d be unable to get on the plane swirled in my mind: issues with our dog boarding, flat tire (we were driving from Ottawa to NYC), missing documents, unable to pass security check… you name it!
But we made it on to our Aer Lingus flight and I was ecstatic. A few details here, then I will follow up with pictures and a play by play on our trip 
A trip to the Emerald Isle (Pt 1)
August 27, 2017
How I lived for a year with no internet
Here's a tiny confession: so I've been living without internet for a year. On purpose.Yep, you can close those mouths hanging open ☺️ I know in a world of technology, where absolutely everything runs on internet, it's hard to disconnect. So about an year and a half ago, to the date, I realized technology was taking up too much of my time. I was either watching shows all the time, on my phone nonstop... Then one night me and my fiancé were in a restaurant and I took note of all the couples there on their phones instead of talking to each other. It was an eye opener. We never did that at a restaurant, but in our own private time there were a few instances where we'd be on our phones rather than conversing. I've had friends with whom I'd hang out, wanting to catch up after ages, and they'd be on their phones the entire time. It became aggravating and made me increasingly feel like I'm living in a very socially disconnected world. I craved interaction and... real face time. Plus, at the time we were planning our wedding, and the stress of it was exhausting. So, smack in the middle of it, we cut it off: smartphones, internet. We bought 2 prepaid phones that only had voice and texts. And we resorted to doing everything the old school way. For banking, we'd call in. For road trips, we'd print the map or buy a map, etc. And movies and shows? We got reacquainted to our local library. In reality, the only time we used the internet was at work during work hours, for work-related activities (including marketing and networking for our respective passions). The results? 1. More connection time, face to face2. More free time to do what we liked: spend with the dogs, go jogging, etc3. Less caring of what people thought, since we didn't focus on social media4. More in tune with the reality of the world - we were reading newspapers, not just what the Facebook feeds gave us to read based on some algorithm 5. More stimulating conversation6. More time try out new things in the city and around our home, because we became aware of all these new opportunities advertised at our local library and recreation centre, eg. Museum passes, cave snorkelling, different classes, etc. 7. Saving money But the greater thing I learned, is that having smartphones, tablets, and the internet at your fingertips is not the centre of the universe. Being aware of the world around you, and making connections are way more important. It also definitely continued to be an eye opener on our entourage and how many of those people (including young family members) were obsessed with the newest games, social media, Netflix... And would not let it go. The gasps and horrified stares when people found out we didn't have internet were a good riot
