Jo Robinson's Blog, page 72
October 14, 2014
How to Survive the Blog Life.
Originally posted on ronovanwrites:
I think we need to get a few things straight about blogging. Blogging isn’t what it started out to be. There are very few blogs in the true sense of the word any longer. We have become a world of almost websites. But we are called bloggers because we don’t have a company or whatever.
I’m cool with that. I’m a blogger. I’m a blogger in the 21st Century definition. Why did I explain all of that? Because I want to talk about . . .
How to Survive the Blog Life.
There are some people that don’t realize what goes into a lot of our blogs. The hours of writing, researching, networking, formatting, web layout designs and much more. I don’t really know of anyone that just throws out some words and that’s that.
I’ll make this simple:
Write what you like-If you are trying to write in…
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October 13, 2014
“The Angler and the Owl” by Viv Drewa for $.99 all week!
Originally posted on theowlladyblog:
P.M. Thomas
This review is from: The Angler and the Owl (Paperback)
A charming effective mixture of wild life and adventure that works to tell a page turning story that showcases the authors love for nature, especially owls,
Carol Ann Kauffman
The well-drawn characters led me on an unforgettable adventure filled with wildlife, mortal injury, and self-realization.
Jolanta Daab
The danger coming from the nature and the wild life made me turn the pages even quicker.
Amazon Customer “”diebus”” –
Great suspense, interesting perspectives and a strong story make this a compelling and fascinating read.
I really enjoyed this.
October 12, 2014
My Workspace Blog Hop
Forgive my disappearance the last couple of days. My internet’s been mostly useless, and then went off entirely. The service providers have apparently been on some sort of strike since the end of August, so I guess I’m lucky to have it back on at all, but it’s still slower than anything, and intermittently going off. Not impressed. Please have patience with me catching up with everyone, and comments, and blogs. In the meantime….
I was tagged by the very talented poet Pamela Beckford in the Work Space Blog Hop, which means I get to reveal my scribbling spot to the world, and then tag others to do the same.
My scribbling corner. It’s a bit of a mishmash furniture-wise, but I love it. When we left Zimbabwe last year, we packed what we could squeeze into the car – mainly the feathered horde, and apart from one thing, that was that. We walked out of the door of a massive house full of antiques and the bits and pieces that build up over years and years, with no looking back and no regrets, to start totally from scratch again here in South Africa. A friend brought that little old writing desk (to the left of the printers) down for me in the boot of his car though. It’s the only piece of furniture I didn’t want to part with, even though it’s not a valuable thing. I’ve always used it to store pens, notebooks, and general writerly bits, as well as all my painting stuff. I’d rather have burnt it than left it behind to be honest. It’s oddly become part of me – part of who I am and what I do.
I like elbow room when I work, although at the end of most days my desk is piled up with bits of research, editing, and presents from my lovely little assistants. Part of Jelly and Button’s day jobs include ripping up the newspapers under all their food playgrounds and bringing them over to insert in my hair, ear, or nut stash.
I find it easy to get to work the minute I park my rear in front of my desk, and I’m grateful to have a place all of my own to do all the bits that I do. I think that having a particular spot of your own to write is pretty much essential, and I have a lot of respect for authors who manage to get their work done when they don’t. You should have all the tools of your trade no matter what job you have, and that includes the writerly trade. Having all the files, cabinets, and notebooks that you need (and in my case about a hundred gel pens – love those editing jewels!), is also really helpful.
I don’t understand why it would be necessary to feel guilt spending money on the tools of your trade, even if you’re only starting out. I find my spot comforting, familiar, and conducive to inspiration. Some scribblers seem reluctant to insist on a space purely for them to do their work in, and reluctant to “waste” cash on anything that they need to put in it to make their workdays easier – and I reckon a lot of this stems from whoever shares their homes seeing what they do as some sort of vain, time wasting frippery, which is not nice, and best ignored if possible. Claim your space I reckon, even if it’s as small as Ursula K Leguin’s.
Image Credit: ScienceBlogs
And now I’m tagging some wonderful people, cream of the crop authors, every one.
Sally Cronin
Teagan Geneviene
Sherri Matthews
Olga Nunez Miret
Kevin Cooper
Mary Clark
October 9, 2014
Marketing – Your Way
Originally posted on Lit World Interviews:
There have been quite a lot of articles around lately about how free and very low priced books are creating a large band of readers who are not prepared to pay for regular priced ones, thereby swiping the food out of “legitimate” authors mouths. That’s fine. People who are never going to pay for a book don’t matter, and probably wouldn’t buy your book even if it suddenly became illegal to ever give one away for free anyway. You’re in charge of the pricing of your work, and if somebody wants to read it they will buy it. Regardless of what all those intrepid freebie hunters get up to. So don’t be shouting at hardworking people simply doing their best to get a new product to the eyes of people who would otherwise never have a clue who they are. Indie authors who started publishing eBooks with Amazon seven to…
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October 7, 2014
Three Ingredients II – 16: Apples, Broad Beans, Curry Leaves
Originally posted on Teagan's Books:
Sheiks and Shebas I’m sorry to keep you waiting.
Yes, there is pos-i-lute-ly going to be a new episode of our 1920’s culinary mystery serial!
The ingredients for Episode-16 are from the astonishingly prolific Olga Núñez Miret at Just Olga. Serendipity was with us, and this chapter coincided with the launch of her latest book, I Love Your Cupcakes. Have a look at it — who can say no to a cupcake?
Olga has a video trailer for this novel. I thought it was so adorable I couldn’t resist sharing it with you.
.
Once again I’m giving you a few fun, informative links, so keep an eye out for them.
This episode doesn’t have cupcakes, but it has something sweet — the return of a favorite character. Bon appétit!
16. Apples, Broad Beans, Curry Leaves
I still remember the rough country road and how Granny Fanny patted her yellow 
Model-T every…
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PS Bartlett Joins the LitWorldInterviews Team! @PSBartlett
Originally posted on Lit World Interviews:
The LWI Team is Growing!
Welcome aboard . . .
Award Winning Author and Supporter of Writers Everywhere
PS Bartlett
My main goal here at LitWorldInterviews is to support authors and I can’t think of a better way to do it than to court those people who are already doing it and asking them to give a little of their time to the LWI Team.
PS Bartlett will be providing some Monday articles for us that will range from not only advice but also to shout outs to other authors and pretty much anything she wants to do as long as it supports and advances the Lit World, in other words, helps authors and the Literary World as a whole.
Two Great Authors on one Team!
I never would have believed it.
Look for more announcements, hopefully later. You never know when someone else will join…
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October 5, 2014
Internet #Marketing Terms #Writers Need to Know
True!
Originally posted on Cate Russell-Cole:
If you watch my Twitter feed, you know that I frequently pass on blog posts which contain words that you may not think are relevant to writers. Have you seen these?
Content / Content Marketing
Business
Branding
Engagement
Sales
Web Design
SEO
Platform
I wouldn’t blame you for tuning out to those posts, however, if you are an author or blogger marketing your work, you need those posts and an understanding of the terms. Those posts are passed on to help you.
May I demonstrate?
Content: your book, your blog posts and what you place on social media. Content marketing means you gear what goes into those elements to make people want to read your work and buy from you.
Business: if you sell anything, you are a business. You are liable for taxation. Even if you are a small time Indie author, you are still a micro-business…
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How Common Are Potential Habitable Worlds In Our Galaxy? Posted From Centauri Dreams
Yes!!
Originally posted on theowlladyblog:
Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:56 AM PDT
Centauri Dreams welcomes Ravi Kopparapu, a research associate in the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University. He obtained his Ph.D in Physics from Louisiana State University, working with the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) collaboration. After a brief stint as a LIGO postdoc at Penn State, Ravi switched to the exoplanet field and started working with Prof. James Kasting. His current research work includes estimating habitable zones around different kinds of stars, calculating the occurrence of exoplanets using the data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, and understanding the bio-signatures that can potentially be detected by future space telescope missions. Dr. Kopparapu’s website is http://www3.geosc.psu.edu/~ruk15/index.shtml.
by Ravi Kopparapu
Imagine this scenario: You are planning to buy a new house in a nice neighborhood. The schools in the area are good, the neighborhood is very safe, but you want to know the ‘kid…
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Reblog Saturday – An exotic marketplace to exchange words and images.
Originally posted on Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life:
Hello all. It has been a busy week here as we continue to declutter 34 years of our life into boxes discreetly hidden from view of prospective buyers (hope to goodness we do get some). But I suppose at the moment it is all about our expectations of what we hope might happen – not just the house selling but where we will end up. It is exciting but there are a few details to get out of the way before it all happens.
I have actually had some fun this week storing summer clothes in suitcases on the assumption that next year I will be wearing them somewhere else… the wardrobes in the spare bedrooms at the back of the house are also my treasure trove of clothes for the coming autumn and winter and in one closet that I plan to attack this afternoon is the mother lode.
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#Alzheimer’s #Authors #Readers #Healthy #Living…
And here’s a follow up to the previous post…..
Originally posted on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog..... An Author Promotions Enterprise!:
This is a follow-up onSpecial Guest Author Michael Ellenbogen’s discussion on Alzheimer’s Diseaseposted 4th October 2014
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The following was copied fromCapitolwordsregarding a statement in United States House of Representatives, on 18th April 2013, by Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick recognizing Mr. Michael Ellenbogen and World Alzheimer’s Day.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of World Alzheimer’s Day, my constituent, Michael Ellenbogen, wrote a touching excerpt detailing his experience with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most expensive disease in America, and is the only one of the top ten causes of death in America that can’t be prevented, cured, or even slowed.
It is important to work with brave people like Michael to raise awareness and take action…
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