D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 165

New #Book #Release Have Bags, Will Travel

It seems like such a long road was taken to publish my newest little short novella this past year. The book had been put on the wayside a few times as life was presenting a myriad of challenges, determined to steal my time. But without further ado, I’m thrilled to announce my fun little read on some of my more memorable moments of traveling. It seems that with every trip I take I’m faced with issues of dealing with overweight luggage and have become almost a person of interest when it comes to passing through Canada customs on every return trip.

This book has snippets of stories from travels in earlier times when airline restrictions were a little more lenient (when overweight luggage wasn’t a huge concern), opinions on some of the places I’ve visited, and fond memories with best friends.

Here is an excerpt:

Airport Security

Returning home from a vacation is always a nerve-racking event for me. Instead of flying home and basking in the memories of the wonderful time I’ve just had on vacation, I repeatedly go through my receipts from the trip so I can carefully calculate how not to exceed the fixed limit we’re allowed to bring back without penalty. I must remember which receipts correspond to the tags I’ve already cut off so I can take them out of the pile. More math!

Most people don’t worry about such things—but I have to. It’s practically like my face is on a milk carton: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN SHOPPING? For decades now, I’ve been consistently pulled over at customs. A planeload of people pick up their luggage and sail through the exit doors to freedom, and one person (and her husband) get singled out for interrogation. This happens on ninety percent of my trips. Why is it that I’m picked out of two hundred and fifty passengers to be interrogated? I lament, but I’m familiar with all the tricks by now: don’t wear flashy jewelry, don’t dress up, try to blend in. I can’t help it, though. I have what I’ve identified as shopping face. . .

Have Bags, Will Travel is available now in ebook at Amazon, and will soon be available in print.

 

D.G.Kaye©September 2015

My New #Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with #Windows 10

 

I recently got a nice gift from my hub; something I’ve been wanting for the past year – a new Microsoft Surface Pro 3, 12 inch laptop, complete with the new Windows 10 operating system.

 

I’d been wanting a smaller laptop that offered a more compact size, could be used as a tablet, and that worked with lightening speed with a great SSD hardrive, that could be great for multi-tasking. I’d say it’s like a portable desktop that weighs just under two and half pounds with the fabulous detachable Bluetooth keyboard.

These laptops don’t come cheap and I’ve been keeping my eye out on them at various stores for the past year, waiting to see if there would eventually be one on sale.  With a sticker price that I found shocking of almost $1100, and that was without the $159 keyboard cover, the $59 stylus pen, the $69 Office Word software, the $59 Bluetooth mouse, or even the 13% tax that would then get added to that large number, bringing the total to just around the $1700 mark, I find that steep. I wasn’t prepared to spend that kind of money on a laptop I wasn’t in need of, but thought it would sure come in handy for traveling or even just taking it with me in a large purse anywhere I’d like to.

I read tons of reviews from many tech and geek sites about this machine to learn about the pros and cons, and it’s been getting predominantly great press. Since I was in no hurry to buy one, I kept my eye on sales, expecting the best ones to come just before school started or perhaps Christmas.

Recently, I’ve read a few blogs from other writers who were using an older version of Windows, from XP to 7 to 8 and 8.1, who had opted to take advantage of the time limited free upgrade to Windows 10 that kept popping up on their screen for a free download. The feedback wasn’t so positive. Apparently, changing your current operating system to a newer one had messed up a lot of files and sent many people running to their local geeks and repair shops. This scared me enough to decline the free upgrade on my not so old desk and laptop installed with 8.1, which I cursed the day I got them, but have since fallen in love with.

When I remember back to all the computers I’ve had, I was happy with all Windows operating systems I used, eventually. My first desktop had Windows XP. My first laptop had Windows 7. I wanted one while Vista came out and heard nothing but problems, so I waited it out until Windows 7 came along. When I finally had to lay my old desktop to rest, the new Windows 8 was out, and I was forced to join the ranks of many unhappy users. From the time I ordered that slim-lined desktop until 3 weeks later when it came, Windows 8.1 was already out. The word was 8.1 was way better than 8, so I installed it on my desktop. I was not a happy camper learning a very different operating system with 8.1, and I cursed that baby for weeks, in frustration of having to look all over the place to get where I needed to on the screen. Many people complained about 8 and 8.1 and the charms on the sidebar and all the tiled metro apps on the middle of the screen. But I was enjoying the touchscreen aspect of it, and after a few months I loved it and then got a new laptop with 8.1, which is my current laptop for the past year and a half. After hearing a lot of horror stories from writers who’ve upgraded to Windows 10, I didn’t even want to try it. I’m one who prefers a new system to be out for awhile before I’ll think about buying it, so I can get some feedback.

 

Yes, that’s my reflection in the screen.

 

As I kept my eye on the Surface Pro 3 and school time was approaching, my favourite home shopping network was offering a one day special on it, pre-installed with Windows 10. Although I’d have preferred to wait for the kinks to get ironed out with Windows 10 before buying a laptop with the new system, I was a little more comfortable knowing that the new operating system came already installed and that I wouldn’t have to upgrade and screw up any existing files. This beauty was on sale for just under $1100 complete, with all the added items and software I mentioned earlier as extras, plus tech support for one year, plus on a monthly payment plan with no interest. It was like Christmas for me!

Microsoft says this new system is similar to the Windows 7 that was loved by many. I find it a little like 7 and 8 combined. The desktop apps are now back in the bottom left corner where the start menu is once again. Little mini tiles will also open to the apps you use most, but your desktop and icons are all clearly visible, and of course the touchscreen capability is a great thing to have. The hybrid laptop/tablet has a full-size data  port to plug in other devices, and a space for a micro SD card to add more space, should you require it. The screen is vibrant and pages load quick. The camera is 5mp front and back, giving it the ability to take nice pictures and not distort your face for selfies and Skyping. The keyboard is backlit and even though smaller than a regular laptop, my fingers don’t feel like they’re going to hit the wrong key because of its size. I personally hate the trackpads on all laptops because I always seem to hit it while typing and it does weird things to whatever I’m working on, so the Bluetooth mouse is perfect as I shut off the trackpad and don’t have to use up a data port for the mouse.

A Word about Word

My package came with Office 2013. I can honestly say I don’t plan to write my books with this laptop, but I need the program in order to read existing documents in Word and Excel. I’ve been using Word 2007 for years and I love it. I’m used to it and not interested in the last two updated versions. Another thing about my Word 2007, an never-ending licence came with my Windows 7 laptop years ago and I’ve been using it on every new computer since, without having to renew the program annually. So when 2013 licence expires next year, I’ll be putting back my 2007 version on my little buddy.

It’s only been just over a week since I got my new hybrid. It didn’t take me more than a few hours to learn the ins and outs and most of its capabilities, and set it all up. So far, I have to say I’m quite impressed with it, even though I found myself missing 8.1 a few times with it’s search feature in the charm sidebar now gone. For some untechier people, I should think Windows 10 should be easier to operate than 8 or 8.1, especially if your coming from Windows XP or 7.  I’d have to say that buying a new computer with Windows 10 pre-installed would be less of a hassle to users than upgrading a current system, especially if it’s an operating system pre Windows 8. And if you’re not in the market to be buying a new machine in the near future, maybe it’s better to wait until this new system has been out for awhile before upgrading. Keep in mind, Windows 8.1 came out very shortly after 8, so there may be a 10.1 before we know it.

I’m no geek, but I thought I’d share my experience about the new Windows 10 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Have any of you had any positive experiences with Windows 10?

What’s Wrong with Getting an Ebook for Nothing? – Jack Eason

I often visit Jack’s blog at Have We Had Help. Jack is a published author, and likes to share his opinions on many issues concerning self publishing, reviews, and writing.

 

In this time of self publishing, Amazon’s payment structures and promotion avenues are often a topic of conversation between authors. Amazon offers us tools to promote with them if we keep our books in their Select KDP program. Although I’m grateful that we at least have an opportunity to promote our books with them, I’m also not always in agreement with the payment structure. And as for putting our books on FREE, yes, it hurts (psychologically and in pocket), but many authors I confer with agree that when it comes to marketing, we have to take off our author hats and step into the marketing arena with a different perspective.

 

Putting our books on FREE, enables readers to take a chance on our work without having to pay. In the hopes that we put out our best work and have readers enjoy and spreading the word to increase later sales, many authors including myself, occasionally use the FREE program. But that doesn’t mean I agree with all of their policies.

Below is an excerpt of Jack’s opinion on the matter:

“Everything, that’s what!!!

The fact that today’s readers of eBooks demand it must be free or on offer as part of an all you can read for x number of dollars per month package deal, is just so wrong!

Face it people, when you go to your supermarket to get your groceries, or to any other retail outlet you care to name, do you get what you want for nothing? No of course not. So why should you expect to get a book for free? I’ve . . .”   Read Jack’s full post below:

https://havewehadhelp.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/whats-wrong-with-getting-an-ebook-for-nothing/comment-page-1/#comment-6028

 

Here was the response I commented back on Jack’s blog:

Well Jack, you’ve said what many of us authors are thinking, and perhaps didn’t dare say. We don’t want to upset the amazon gods that trickle our meager drippings to us. You are so right when saying that free and cheap have become an expected thing with our books without anyone taking in consideration that we spend our lifetimes writing books, researching, revising, editing, and on and on, only to have to give them away free to get us up the ranks. And come to think of it, hmm, I don’t recall going to a store and being offered anything else on this planet free. This kindle page reading chart is annoying. They’ve figured out a way to make money for themselves by readers signing up for ‘all you can eat’. At least before, we got a bit back from our book being downloaded in the program, even if not read. Now it’s by the page, and author’s like me who enjoy writing shorter essay novels are getting less from that new pot. Should this propel authors to write big fat books full of filler crap just to get more page reads?

I’m so reblogging this! Thanks.

 

How do you authors feel about the Kindle Unlimited program and the new ‘pay the author a bonus by the page read?’

 

D.G. Kaye ©September 2015

 

Have Bags, Will Travel #Book #Cover Reveal

After a long, busy summer dealing with many setbacks while trying to work on the publication of my newest short stories book of travel memoirs, I’m happy to announce that it will be published by month’s end.

 

This book went through various changes and delays through these past months due to some unforeseen life curveballs thrown at me, and I’d like two thank a few people for their assistance.

I say thanks to my editor Talia Leduc, and cover designer Yvonne Less for putting up with my many delays I caused from not staying within promised timelines during the editing process and the designing of my cover input. I am blessed to have developed a great rapport with these people who help make my books happen, along with my print book designer and ebook formatter. I also want to give a shout out to two of my gal pal author friends Deborah Bowman and Deborah Jay for their input and feedback, and for taking the time to read my manuscript, and to comment back their opinions on my dilemmas, and book cover. Ironically, we are the three redhead Deborah authors.

Have Bags, Will Travel is a reminiscing of short stories about some of the places I’ve traveled to, my obsessive need to travel with too much luggage, and my ongoing concern with clearing customs on my return trips home because of my never-ending love affair with shoes.  It’s a light-hearted read, sure to bring a smile or two, and most definitely, it will have some relating to, if not, learning from some of my encounters.

 

TA DAAAAAAAAAAA

 

“My Blog Sucks And I’m Kinda Clueless” | Dan Alatorre – AUTHOR

Friend and author Dan Alatorre is a humorous nonfiction writer. I’m not quite sure exactly when we connected, but I think it was somewhere around the time I was researching disgusting prep remedies before my colonoscopy, and came across his humorous memoir on his experience with his colonoscopy. That book is naturally titled: The Night of the Colonoscopy. But Dan’s books vary, and quite a few of them are written about things he’s observed by being a parent to his little girl Savvy, along with other short stories, illustrated children’s books and cookbooks. Now that’s what I call diversity! Check out Dan’s author page HERE to view his library of published books.

Dan is a wonderful writer and takes the ‘real’ into account of any life situation, puts his spin on it, and makes an entertaining story of it. His blogs are not only informative about writing, but often hilarious.
I wanted to share one of Dan’s recent blogs here because he shares his raw thoughts and humor on the blogging process. He talks about reasons why some of us may not have a big following on our blogs and what we need to do to rectify that, in typical Dan style. In the words of Dan . . .

 

“Here’s some mistakes I see in unsuccessful blogs. They have no followers (well, that’s a chicken and the egg thing) and they have no/few comments. That indicates that they don’t write interesting content OR they don’t know how to attract people to their blog.

Been there.  . . . . ” Click the link below to continue:

helpful writer ramblings from a disturbed mind just like yours (by Dan Alatorre AUTHOR)

Source: “My Blog Sucks And I’m Kinda Clueless” | Dan Alatorre – AUTHOR

Are You Letting Your Blog Get Out Of Control? | Hugh’s Views & News

Hugh Roberts is a wonderfully entertaining blogger and writer. Recently he has been writing a serial blog story titled, The Truth App, which has caught a lot of attention and interest due to his writing style and his uncanny ability to create great suspense in his short stories. He is a friendly, likeable person who loves to mingle with his fellow bloggers.

 

Fun and games aside, Hugh’s recent post really hit home with me. It’s entitled, “Are You Letting Your Blog Get Out Of Control?” As writers and bloggers and people who have to still do real life, many bloggers question one another about how they handle keeping up with so many blogs to read, commenting, posting, and getting other things done. After all, there are only so many hours in a day.

 

I know that I have found myself overwhelmed with this same dilemma for some time now, trying to find ways to minimize my blogging time which has certainly put a huge dent into my writing time, because I enjoy reading so many blogs and interacting by commenting on many of them. I don’t want to ignore my blogging friends, and I certainly don’t want to stop replying to those who take the interest and time to read and comment on my own blog. But it’s approaching the time where I have to reorganize my priorities, and when I came across Hugh’s new plan to organize his blogging time, I found myself in agreement with his approach and in the next few weeks I’m going to try and restructure my own blogging system.

 

In these past few weeks, WordPress has been doing some wonky things to my website and causing some sign-in confusion with several of the blogs I subscribe to. My original subscribing method when I started blogging was to ‘hit follow’ on the top tool bar of the wordpress blogs. When I came across other bloggers I wanted to follow and wasn’t finding the ‘follow’ button, I signed up for emails of those posts to come to my inbox. Through the past few years, I don’t need to tell you what my inbox looks like. But to make matters worse, WordPress keeps changing things with the way their program is structured, and in the past few weeks I found that when I visited many of the blogs I follow, I noticed on the top bar of those blogs that it wasn’t recognizing me as a previous follower. So I began hitting ‘follow’ again.

 

As though I wasn’t getting enough posts by mail, WordPress then began sending duplicates of the blogs I was already following and receiving in my inbox, even though the top bar had told me I wasn’t following. When I hit ‘follow’ again, I got double the emails. Now I think this has something to do with Google thinking I’m two people as I have two Google pages (one of which I hardly use), and I have two Google email addresses. I think depending on where I’ve last signed into and then go comment on a blog, that’s how WordPress recognizes me, so don’t be surprised if you’ve seen my avatar on your blogs twice beside the ‘like’ button.

With this all said, I think I’m going to start unfollowing the blogs I enjoy from WordPress, in efforts to reduce my overwhelming email, and instead, just subscribe to those blogs and then I’ll just receive the direct emails from those blog posts. That will be a start to decluttering. As for plan B, have a look at Hugh’s idea for blog organization below:

 

“If I had children I would do all I could to make sure they never got out of control.  I do the same with my dog, Toby.  When he was a puppy I took him to training classes and, on the odd occasion when he does disobey me, I put what I learned at those classes into place to make sure he behaves.  Fortunately, I’m pleased to say that he behaves most of the time.

If we can do this with our children and pets, then shouldn’t we also do the same with our blogs?

Occasionally I hear other bloggers say they feel guilty because they do not have enough time in the day to read all the newly published posts of the blogs they follow.  This is also true of myself. . . .”  Read more below:

Source: Are You Letting Your Blog Get Out Of Control? | Hugh’s Views & News

 

D.G. Kaye©September 2015

Book, Blog promotion and Guest Posts – Just a few minutes away | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sally Cronin, you should check out her blog www.smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com . Sally has a diverse blog and is well known in the blogosphere. She is educated in health and nutrition and has written several books. Sally also reblogs so many wonderful blogs of others on a regular basis, and quite frankly, I don’t know where she finds the time to write and read, and comment on so many blogs. She is one of the most generous sharers of other people’s works and also runs many interviews with artists, writers and musicians. I am honoured to have her as a friend. Her blog title is aptly named for the myriad of topics she covers and is very knowledgeable in.

 

Sally often runs series on her blogs such as The Sunday Show and The Five Star Treatment, where she introduces an author/artist and talks about them and their work, and now her newest series is The New Book Fanfare , which introduces readers to author’s new and upcoming books. Sally kindly invites authors to submit their books to her so she can showcase the author and their books on her blog. Here is her latest invitation to submit for a showcase on her blog:

 

“Many of your are familiar with the Five Star Treatment that has around 50 books now in the directory.  This is for books that have been published in the last few years but might enjoy some time in the spotlight.  If your books have had great reviews then perhaps it is time to share that with a new audience.

It is quite useful if you are about to release a new book and would like to pre-promote by showcasing your previous work. When I post I automatically put the images in for as many previous books as will fit…. and also links to your main selling page so that when readers click to buy one book they see them all.” . . . Read More by clicking the link below:

 

Source: Book, Blog promotion and Guest Posts – Just a few minutes away | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

 

D.G. Kaye ©August 2015

Who’s Reading Your Books?

Writers have to keep in mind who their target audience is. These questions remain tucked in our minds while we write, to give us a sense of who our words are geared towards. Are we just sharing our words randomly to see who’s ears they fall upon, or are we aiming specifically to a target genre?

 

In writing memoir, we are writing our truth and most likely, our audience will be readers who enjoy memoirs, autobiographies, and most importantly, the subject of what the theme of the memoir pertains to. But there is also a small other category of readers – a mixed bag I’ll call it, and some of those readers are people we know – people we may never have considered that would read our books.

 

What surprises me is when I find that people in my real-life circles have read my book – people I’d never have thought would even have the interest. I came across three of those people recently at my sister’s 50th birthday party.

When I published my first book, Conflicted Hearts, I was proud and scared at the same time. Not only was I bearing my soul to the world, but people who have known me for decades, yet never knew my intimate details now had access to them if they chose to read. My mother was also still living at the time of publication, and although she was already bedridden, her feisty, angry temperament had yet to decline. I was afraid she’d find out about the book and that was just one more fear I had to worry about regarding my mother. But I proceeded to publish anyway after much deliberation. That process became part of my ongoing learning how to overcome the guilt I seemed to always carry when it came to my mother.

Meanwhile, back at the party, and a little backstory:

Growing up in my pre-teen and teen years, I looked after my younger siblings while my mother tended to her desires of staying in the limelight and keeping a very active, social life thriving. My brothers had a group of friends that were always at our house, the central hangout, and those friends remain as close family friends today. To me, they were like extended family and like having more brothers to watch my back. They are still very close with my brother Robbie, and I occasionally run into them at family social gatherings. What surprised me was that with my brother’s decision not to read my book, for his own personal reasons, it never dawned on me that his friends couldn’t wait to devour my book.

I was sitting in my sister’s backyard this past weekend, mingling with old friends when Lawrence, one of my brother’s friends, sat down beside me and proceeded to recite intimate parts of several chapters of Conflicted Hearts to me. I was shocked to learn of his great interest in my book while simultaneously laughing with him at his analysis and depictions of my stories. He was eager to reminisce about my family events and wasted no time in teasing me about my ‘scandalous indiscretions’ as he had described them. We laughed and talked about the writing of the book, and after getting over the initial embarrassment I felt about him closing in on so many personal details, I actually felt flattered that he had taken in almost every word and event in my book.

Not long after Lawrence and I were chatting, two more of the group of Robbie’s friends joined us and began chiming in about my book and how they loved and related to it. Shane was quick to point out that he went beyond downloading the ebook like the others, and ordered himself a print copy. Lawrence chided Shane that he had to one-up the guys or maybe he just had to buy a copy because he liked my author picture on the back of the book. The whole discussion became quite comical.

After the lengthy book discussion, and after I got over my surprise and back into my comfort zone, I began to feel proud that these guys had taken the interest and time to read my book. Other than immediate family and close friends, I’d never considered how many people that know me personally would actually read my book.

Near the end of our ‘bookchat’ Lawrence repeated his hysterical summation to me on my chapter about what happened to me in Greece. He informed me that he is awaiting a sequel to my book, and asked if I would include him in it. He suggested I put him in some exotic locale and call him Alejandro (complete with tongue roll). I laughed hysterically and warned him that he should be careful what he wished for.

I have actually been working on the sequel to Conflicted Hearts for the past year and a half. It will be a book of unfinished things, and words said and unsaid, after my mother’s passing. There certainly aren’t any exotic locales in that book, but perhaps I may mention Lawrence in it as he related an interesting story to me at the party about my mother.

Is it any easier to imagine anonymous people reading your memoirs as opposed to someone you know?

Social Media Assessment | What I Learned

I am reblogging a wonderfully informative post from Sherrey Meyer, a memoir writer. Sherrey hired a media assistant, Frances Caballo, to assess her social platform, and she was kind enough to share the results with us in her post.

Social Media Assessment: What I Learned

“In one of my posts last week, I shared my experience working with Frances Caballo of Social Media Just for Writers. Frances assessed my social media presence as well as my site. The outcome was beneficial in many respects, and Frances’s comments brought greater clarity to how I spend my time.” Read more by clicking the link below:

Social Media Assessment | What I Learned.

Anne R. Allen’s Blog: What Happens to Your Blog when You Die? Why You Need to Appoint a Social Media Executor NOW

I love following the blog of Anne R. Allen. Anne is an author, and a well-known blogger for sharing up-to-date tips and helpful articles for writers on what’s current in the publishing world.

 

I thought it was important to share this post because it raises a question about what happens to a writer’s works and social media platforms if they were to die? This is a subject nobody ever really wants to think or talk about, but if left without consideration, we’d be leaving a little unfinished business behind and quite possibly a whole heap of royalties, if we are published authors.

 

Click on Anne’s link below, and get a wealth of information to protect yourselves and your loved ones in the event our inevitable end should arise.

 

Source: Anne R. Allen’s Blog: What Happens to Your Blog when You Die? Why You Need to Appoint a Social Media Executor NOW