tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37821419680128110432024-02-19T04:45:42.089+00:00Empty White PagesBeing filled, one page at a time ...Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-85732162735827179472012-04-17T21:26:00.000+01:002012-04-17T21:26:40.899+01:00It's not you ...<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've started and
deleted this post so many times it's getting ridiculous so I'm just
going to say it. I have some stuff that I have to do that I thought
would take a few days but is actually going to take a few weeks. It
also needs my full attention, which it isn't getting at the moment.
So, I'm taking a break from blogging. I think for at least a couple of months, I'm not sure exactly yet. Let me
be clear, I'm not 'burnt out' or bored, or tired of blogging. It's
that I still, after more than a year, haven't learnt how to manage my
time effectively.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
For those of you who I
promised Musical Impressions to in May, I'm really very sorry and I'll
be in touch when I get back to see if you're still interested. I'll
be taking a complete break from the internet for a week or so, but
then I'll be back to reading some of my favourite blogs, so you won't
get rid of me that easily!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To all of you, thank
you for making this the most fun I could ever have with my clothes
on. I'll truly miss you. I felt it was only right that I should leave
you with a song. This song is dedicated to everyone but especially
those who are old enough to remember Lenny before Cinna was even
thought of .</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Take care guys, love
you.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TmENMZFUU_0" width="420"></iframe>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com118tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-42996197211836965232012-04-14T21:03:00.000+01:002012-04-14T21:03:25.604+01:00M: Magical Words<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z: M</b></span><br />
<br />
I'm falling behind on visiting people's blogs, but hoping to catch up over the next few days, so please forgive me if I haven't visited you for a little while. I'll get there, I promise!<br />
<br />
This video is a little longer than I've been putting up for the challenge, but I hope you'll have time to listen to it. Whether you agree with Mr Fry or not, there's no denying his love of language, and it's a joy to listen to him speak. I first heard this when someone left a link to it in my comments. I'm afraid I can't remember who it was. If it was you, please let me know so I can credit you!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J7E-aoXLZGY" width="420"></iframe>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-89294211882827603452012-04-13T17:39:00.000+01:002012-04-13T17:39:32.805+01:00L: Light of Love<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: L</span></b><br />
<br />
We have music over here every Friday and I don't see why we should change that just because of the challenge. Usually there's some sort of writing slant to the music I choose, but April is a writing holiday (you may have noticed this from my previous, distinctly non-writing related, posts). That's why the song I've chosen today is for no other reason than I love it :-)<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ea5jJKursbU" width="420"></iframe>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-60235488694181476392012-04-12T18:46:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:05:16.309+01:00K: Kitties<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z: K</b></span><br />
<br />
Depending on your point of view, one of the greatest - or worst - things that the internet has brought us is the invention of the LolCats. Actually, that's not quite true.<br />
<br />
Harry Pointer, a Brighton photographer, did a bit of lolcatting himself in the 1870's.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Okay, so it might take another 140 years or so before anybody put a bit of effort into the captions but it's true what they say; there really is nothing new under the sun.<br />
<br />
All images taken from Harry Pointer's <i><b><a href="http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.uk/BTNPointerCats.htm">Brighton cats page</a> </b></i>where you can see plenty more if you so desire :-)<br />
<br />
(Images removed).<br />
<br />
<i>(I know, I know, but I wanted something silly after my slightly grumpy mood yesterday. I can't promise my posts are going to get any less silly either, at least not during April!)</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
ETA: I just found this video, and had to add it :-)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q34z5dCmC4M" width="420"></iframe>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-28299574794686670902012-04-12T05:05:00.001+01:002012-04-12T05:05:56.314+01:00J: Job-hunting<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: J</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Sorry this is late.
Something came up yesterday that took longer than expected. Also,
I'm not trying to insult anyone, especially teens, (I have two
hard-working ones of my own), with this. I'm just fed up with being
seen as inferior. Apologies. I'm not feeling very funny today. I'll
come back with something better for K, I promise!</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Five reasons prospective employers don't like me.</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>1. I'm too old</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That's very
short-sighted of them, considering that next month I will be The
Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe and Everything.
That's got to make me worth having on staff, surely?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>2. I'm over-qualified.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It may look like it,
after I went back to school to get my degree a few years ago. But
honestly, a general sociology/social psychology degree doesn't
actually qualify me to work in those fields without further study,
which won't be happening.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>3. I haven't had much
experience in the past ten years.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I know I've only had
one job, but I do have five years of study and a set of well adjusted
twin daughters. It's not like I've been sitting around doing nothing.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>4. Hiring a teen is
cheaper.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Probably, but you know
when you and your friend each buy a kettle, and she buys an expensive
top-quality one whilst you buy the cheap one? You're on your fourth
cheap kettle by the time she needs to replace hers, and it's cost you
a lot more than her in the long run. Do I need to say any more?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>5. I haven't worked in
this field before.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm smart. I can learn
to operate a cash-register, stack a shelf or greet a customer in the
corporate manner fairly quickly. I already know how to write a letter
using real words, and answer a telephone using words of more than
one syllable. That should count for something.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One more thing,
prospective employer. I should thank you. Your policy of 'no response
means no' may be irritating but at least it's preparing me for the
industry I'd really like to enter. Apparently, they are masters of
it :-) Don't worry though. If you hire me, you'll never know there's something else I'd rather be doing. As long as you never find my blog ;-)</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-28851923350573965092012-04-10T18:15:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:05:48.285+01:00I: Imagination<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: I</span></b><br />
<br />
I couldn't work out a way to embed this onto my blog, but please go look at it. You'll be glad you did.<br />
I had this on my blog a long time ago but, even if you've seen it before, it's worth reminding yourself of why we do this thing we do :-)<br />
<br />
<b><i><a href="http://jellyvampire.nettserier.no/1304892000/"><span style="font-size: large;">Born Like an Artist</span></a></i></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-66663026157818803972012-04-09T20:11:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:09:24.258+01:00H: Harlequin<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: H</span></b><br />
<br />
I was <strike>whining to </strike> discussing with my daughters the fact that I didn't have a great word for H. Thirty minutes later this picture turned up in my email in-box. I love the school Easter holiday :-)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uRY6DvnIj_ks9EyclTocCz3o2HyaWQJKFUNl3bc8XyPTG-gYJz0DujPYlkGbwORmHOB5D2Km9e9gymnOh2OTHnxolcerM3pfY-aNluSLAcYco88tQldzWos_3jzvVhvGDWcVu3hrhelI/s1600/Harlequin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uRY6DvnIj_ks9EyclTocCz3o2HyaWQJKFUNl3bc8XyPTG-gYJz0DujPYlkGbwORmHOB5D2Km9e9gymnOh2OTHnxolcerM3pfY-aNluSLAcYco88tQldzWos_3jzvVhvGDWcVu3hrhelI/s400/Harlequin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright: My Daughter :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com115tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-30634802344638197082012-04-07T11:03:00.001+01:002012-04-07T11:03:13.685+01:00G: Grab this book<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b style="font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: lime;">Michael Offutt:<i> Slipstream</i></span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Today's title is the
most tenuous of links to this post but it's there, (and the book is green), so I think we're covered. I don't care anyway, I'm just so excited to be writing this post.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OW66DoS7MrMfUItjbLVsWB-ZUBBc8WqKpC7nO26pqhbFjvIETt0vSBxnsstA8vasgYCSOpPT_plPBCFymCMX2_HCbqT5GOxo0l87AKwg53Z6GrXdExw1vecKE8WrxpZYP5y5GqX8aIvv/s1600/Me+Bellagio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OW66DoS7MrMfUItjbLVsWB-ZUBBc8WqKpC7nO26pqhbFjvIETt0vSBxnsstA8vasgYCSOpPT_plPBCFymCMX2_HCbqT5GOxo0l87AKwg53Z6GrXdExw1vecKE8WrxpZYP5y5GqX8aIvv/s1600/Me+Bellagio.jpg" /></a><a href="http://slckismet.blogspot.co.uk/"><i><b>Michael Offutt</b></i></a> wrote a
book which was due out in May. He has a <a href="http://slckismet.blogspot.co.uk/p/kismet.html"><i><b>blog tour</b></i></a> set up for May and
everything. I really really want this book and, luckily for me, my
birthday is in May – neat plan huh? Well, he went and ruined my
plan by releasing the book. It's okay, I'm going to buy it anyway,
there's no way I'm waiting until May. From what I gather, everyone
who has read it thinks it's amazing. This is the blurb:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizToS64hC3SeIbeMjRtQx66hJXXPLe8V1fM2FSm8rWKOmgd3HzW8_PlakWzZgpdE_gTUeIkH5bj21uo0uknSRUrpFkM03IPZcW133wQe2lUrbVd8fWoqKkMS2oHlU03mYMoPHZqjrwVDT9/s1600/SlipStream-510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizToS64hC3SeIbeMjRtQx66hJXXPLe8V1fM2FSm8rWKOmgd3HzW8_PlakWzZgpdE_gTUeIkH5bj21uo0uknSRUrpFkM03IPZcW133wQe2lUrbVd8fWoqKkMS2oHlU03mYMoPHZqjrwVDT9/s200/SlipStream-510.jpg" width="133" /></a><i><b><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jordan
Pendragon is crazy good at fixing situations that have gone bad. It's
a talent prized by his high school ice hockey team. However, when a
car accident puts Jordan in the hospital, he wakes up with more than
just an amazing slapshot in his toolbox. Jordan can manipulate
space-time and in just a few weeks, he'll depend on it to save his
life. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When
earthlings detonated the first atomic bomb in 1945, something
incredible happened. The detonation triggered an extinction level
event on a parallel world. A computer program saved humanity and
became the ruler of this place. However, its brilliant mind
fragmented and became insane. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jordan's
power strands him in this nightmare universe. To get home, he becomes
a professional in a sport where athletes are killed to boost network
ratings. To survive, he discovers that the most broken among us can
be fixed and that love is unpredictable. Near the end, he also learns
a startling truth about his own birth. If he fails to fix the
computer’s insanity, both Earth and this sister world are doomed</span></span></b></i>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I nabbed that from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13003318-slipstream"><b><i>Goodreads</i></b>,</a> as I didn't tell Michael I was writing
this post but I'm hoping he won't mind :-)</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I should warn you, from what Michael and others have said, this is a
book that doesn't shy away from tackling dark themes and tough
issues. It's not a frothy romance that's for sure. Of course, that
just makes me want to read it even more :-)</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Congratulations Michael, I hope the book is a huge success.</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Buy it from:</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-949-0&picsize=LARGE&x=49&y=83"><i><b>Double Dragon Publishing </b></i></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slipstream-ebook/dp/B007R5DN8W/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1333585536&sr=1-1-catcorr"><b><i>Amazon USA Kindle</i></b></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slipstream-ebook/dp/B007R5DN8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333792507&sr=8-1"><i><b>Amazon UK kindle</b></i></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Slipstream/book-whdWzkyfA0mYq0T-G46Kuw/page1.html"><i><b>Kobo</b></i></a><br /></div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-36239722328986900582012-04-06T12:24:00.000+01:002012-04-06T12:24:01.759+01:00F: For a friend<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: F</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J5kpuHUQbrw" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.tsrocks.com/j/jimmy_somerville_texts/for_a_friend.html"><b><i>Lyrics here</i></b></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">For Lee. May they have Ford Capris in Heaven.</span></i>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com103tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-6695785816731919362012-04-05T19:07:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:06:09.492+01:00E: Elephant<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z: E</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>You're either going to think this is as funny as I do, or you're going to think I'm nuts. Either is fine.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nobody wanted to be the
one to mention it. Well, they never do, do they? It's that thing, the
thing that nobody talks about. Our family secret. The obvious, that nobody states.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Leave it to Grandma to
break the unspoken code. She doesn't do tact.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Marjorie!” She
bellowed at my mother, in that special decibel level that old people
who are deaf but won't admit it, use.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Marjorie, why is
there a bloody great elephant in the living room?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Denise Covey over at <i><b><a href="http://laussieswritingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/atozchallenge-bloggers-were-children_05.html">L'Aussie Writer</a> </b></i>has been kind enough to feature me today in her <i><b>Bloggers Were Children Too!</b></i> series. Check out seven-year-old me :-)</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-25144303765165650372012-04-04T11:35:00.000+01:002012-04-04T11:35:05.760+01:00D: Dejection<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z: D</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Insecure Writer's
Support Group 7</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2Suct1tEiZGvK1vwpk1kgr3LI-KLfTKCJ7CQ4n_iLkwn1kFhaLD7yl6uQT1OZxsQgORWSa7Ke5pT38xdH0b4iAN0Hgmt2sfPzEy03KgHCXlpABlWau2LM3R71w40IWDK24WMTIrKDGiE/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2Suct1tEiZGvK1vwpk1kgr3LI-KLfTKCJ7CQ4n_iLkwn1kFhaLD7yl6uQT1OZxsQgORWSa7Ke5pT38xdH0b4iAN0Hgmt2sfPzEy03KgHCXlpABlWau2LM3R71w40IWDK24WMTIrKDGiE/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" /></a>I could write a post
much longer than you would want to read about dejection but, as it's
the first Wednesday in the month, let's stick to it as it pertains to
writing.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One of the simplest
definitions of dejection is 'lowness of spirit'. I'm not talking
about depression, that's something very different. Dejection is that
feeling where everything seems grey. The words that seemed absolutely
fantastic yesterday now appear less interesting than a telephone
directory. Or, and this is the one that's plaguing me right now, the
idea you had that you thought was so brilliant and innovative just
seems ridiculous and implausible.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've learned that when
I feel like this I'm not a good judge of whether something is working
or not. If you feel dejected, often everything seems wrong and it's
hard to tell the good from the bad. The one thing that works for me
is editing. If I focus on looking for grammar and punctuation
mistakes, I can tell myself that the quality of the words aren't
important right now, they're not my focus. When the mood passes, as
it always does, I can more accurately judge what I've written.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
How do you deal with
dejection?</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com162tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-23771966307130218472012-04-03T08:39:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:06:47.011+01:00C: Courage<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blogging from A to Z: C</span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Come to the edge."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"We can't. We're afraid."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Come to the edge."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"We can't. We will fall!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Come to the edge."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And they came.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And he pushed them.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And they flew.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Guillaume Apollinaire</b></i></div>
<br />
<b>Are you courageous?</b>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-25873540752454687602012-04-02T08:21:00.000+01:002012-07-27T14:07:32.978+01:00B: Blame<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z: B</b></span><br />
<i>Note: The video below was made over two years ago.</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rkvRYg2ZmY0" width="420"></iframe></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
(Five pictures of Mr Jackson and guns removed).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com158tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-17676544102729403392012-04-01T07:21:00.002+01:002012-07-27T15:24:19.698+01:00A: Anniversary<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blogging from A to Z : A</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Even though I've
thought of, and discarded, several themes for the A to Z challenge,
the one post that I never had any doubts about was the first one.<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's one year ago today
that I started blogging. I spent weeks following other blogs before
finally jumping in so I'll never know why I picked April Fool's day
to start, but I did so today is my anniversary :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the past year I've
finished another three first drafts, experimented with flash fiction,
let other people read my work and written 118 posts.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
More important than all
that though, I've made friends. People I care about . People who I
visit and who visit me. I've continued discussions over email,
received support when I've needed it – sometimes from the most
unexpected sources – and hopefully, offered support of my own.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
What I'm trying to say
is thank you. Thank you for making this blogging lark so much fun :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com206tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-31377720149207900322012-03-30T21:56:00.000+01:002012-03-30T21:56:15.845+01:00Musical Impressions 3: Patsy Collins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMQWE13vf53dkvFV_i7Xey6lz3_tWPuMz3ksHDJk6WiAqQTKouGY1adHberWsSBgYmdWFSkx4dWejO6M8AdiZ8KaZMUW66TNR5yuqlZQISWN7alIYLGtBIeR9CM0YabPqlOXTQ1fiQUGR/s1600/download+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMQWE13vf53dkvFV_i7Xey6lz3_tWPuMz3ksHDJk6WiAqQTKouGY1adHberWsSBgYmdWFSkx4dWejO6M8AdiZ8KaZMUW66TNR5yuqlZQISWN7alIYLGtBIeR9CM0YabPqlOXTQ1fiQUGR/s1600/download+(1).jpg" /></a>I told you today's Musical Impression was a special celebration didn't I? That's because <a href="http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk/"><i><b>Patsy Collins</b></i></a> today became a published novelist, and I'm so happy to be able to help her celebrate.<br />
<br />
For those of you that don't know Patsy, (and even if you do), here is a brief introduction to her. I swear, this is my favourite video on youtube. Watch it if you're down, I defy you not to smile!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0CS2eQoYTdk" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, on to the story. Constructive criticism not needed on this one because it's OUT TODAY! (I may have mentioned this already). There are two songs again this week, one that was just made for this story, and one which, as Patsy herself says, pretty much sums up how Leah feels about both the men in her life at different times.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Escape-The-Country-Patsy-Collins/dp/0956853587/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333139763&sr=8-1"><i><b>Amazon USA Paperback</b></i></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Escape-To-The-Country-ebook/dp/B007OA1JHC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333139836&sr=8-2"><i><b>Amazon USA Kindle</b></i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-The-Country-Patsy-Collins/dp/0956853587/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1333139867&sr=8-5"><i><b>Amazon UK Paperback</b></i></a> <i><b> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=escape+to+the+country+patsy+collins&x=0&y=0">Amazon UK Kindle</a></b></i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Escape to the Country</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Leah is accused of a crime she didn't commit. Dumped by Adam, the man she planned to marry, she escapes to Aunt Jayne's smallholding in the Kent village of Winkleigh Marsh. Heartbroken and homeless, she strives to clear her name and deal with her emotions.</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2f0CiPmhgHZjptWSE4GxeojasmxGBxrbeAGg9QquMGYiXlJDOAbFAq1ImnyGpCY58nUPWc64O-hxOEXvY2TMwbrxSRCChOtMuZ4zFGMQER-5rW4aFp6z5uM9MqNZbyv0IW8veYSRBtCeT/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2f0CiPmhgHZjptWSE4GxeojasmxGBxrbeAGg9QquMGYiXlJDOAbFAq1ImnyGpCY58nUPWc64O-hxOEXvY2TMwbrxSRCChOtMuZ4zFGMQER-5rW4aFp6z5uM9MqNZbyv0IW8veYSRBtCeT/s1600/download.jpg" /></a>Jayne treats Leah's unhappiness with herbal remedies, cowslip wine and common sense in equal measure. In return Leah works hard for the delicious home-cooked meals they share. She wrestles with sheep, breaks nails and gets stuck in the mud - learning as much about herself as she does about farming. Soon Leah is happy milking cows, mucking out pigs and falling halfway in love with Duncan, a dishy tractor driver.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Back in London, steps are being taken to investigate what's happened to the missing money. It looks as though the real embezzler must soon be unmasked and Leah will have to chose between resuming her old life or starting a new one.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That's when her problems really start.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Uy_47WBfI1Y" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<a href="http://www.metrolyrics.com/in-the-country-lyrics-farmers-boys.html"><i><b>Lyrics here</b></i></a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_AmkmqYEarw" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<a href="http://www.lyricsfreak.com/e/eurythmics/thorn+in+my+side_20051758.html"><i><b> Lyrics here</b></i></a>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-66780855627653125982012-03-29T20:27:00.000+01:002012-03-29T20:27:38.310+01:00Catching up<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've been quiet this
week. I'd like to say it's because I've been preparing my A-Z
challenge posts but, uh, no. (More on that in a moment). I have been
trying to get a few things wrapped up before the mayhem begins on
Sunday though. I watched <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo </i>last week
and it was enough to get me started reading the trilogy I've had
since Christmas. I finished the last one last night and, although I
thought they could have done with a serious edit, (really I don't
care about all the specs of Lisbeth's laptop, just tell me it was
'top-of-the-range), I was hooked enough to read them one after the
other. Yeah, that's my review.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I also went to see <i>The
Hunger Games</i> at the cinema with the girls on Tuesday. I thought the
last time I went to the cinema was to see <i>Rugrats go Wild </i>but the
girls reminded me that I took them to see <i>Nanny McPhee</i>. That was in
2005, so going on Tuesday was a big deal. I would happily have waited
for the DVD but it was lovely for the three of us to do something
together. I was pleasantly surprised that, including us, there were
only twelve people watching. I don't do well in crowds, so that
helped me relax. As for the film, I thought it was okay. My biggest
disappointment was the scene with the dogs. I'll say no more because
of spoilers, but you probably know what I mean. On the plus side,
there was nobody who I thought shouldn't have been playing the part
they had. The stand-out for me was the girl playing Clove. I
thought she was fantastic.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had a great deal of
trouble choosing a theme for the A to Z challenge so I'm going with
… no theme. Big surprise, huh? I've got a few things written for
other themes I was going to do (flash fiction, eighties stuff), so
I'll still use those, but sometimes it might be pictures or other
bits and pieces I've found. The only thing that hasn't changed since
I signed up is the first post – it's a very easy one for me
:-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've sent off the first
chapter of one of the stories I'm revising to two different people
for a critique. I'm plodding on with the rest of the work, so I'm
happy with how that's going. I've also had an awesome idea for a new
story, but I'm not quite sure how it's going to work, so I've written
some notes and am just waiting for it to ferment some more.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To the nice people who have been inviting me to Google+ this week, I'm not ignoring you, I'm not on Google +. Thanks for asking though :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There will be a Musical
Impression tomorrow, it's a special celebration one, so I hope you
come back and share a friend's good news!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
How has your week been?</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-11188473756066818742012-03-23T23:49:00.000+00:002012-03-23T23:49:13.040+00:00Musical Impressions 2: Jaycee DelorenzoThis week's Musical Impression is for a new friend of mine, <a href="http://blog.jayceedelorenzo.com/"><b><i>Jaycee DeLorenzo</i></b></a>. She already has a great playlist on her blog for this story, which you can find <a href="http://blog.jayceedelorenzo.com/p/truths-about-dating-and-mating.html"><b><i>here</i></b></a>. The songs I've chosen today are a bit different from those but hopefully, she'll think they work!<br />
<br />
You might note I said 'songs' and not 'song'. Yes, second week in and I'm breaking my 'one song' rule, but it was so hard trying to decide between Ivy and Ian's voice that I thought it was only fair they should both get a say. Also, I think the lyrics of these two work really well together :-)<br />
<br />
Constructive criticism welcome.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Truths About Dating and Mating</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Spunky Italian girl Ivy Rossini loves to talk and push the boundaries. She gets to do both alongside her best friend, reputed bad boy, Ian Hollister, as they host The Truths about Dating and Mating, a sex-edutainment program for Riordan College's radio station. For Ivy, Ian has always been like an overprotective big brother - but that's about to change with a near kiss. With the memory of the moment fresh in her mind, she finds herself aroused by his slightest touch and fantasizing about finding out for herself what those girls on campus mean when they say he's an "intense lover." <u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ivy has always been Ian's one ray of sunshine, the only girl who really sees beyond his bad boy reputation. It's only fair he protect her from the typical jerks around campus, or so he tells himself. But when he sees her in a steamy embrace with another guy, he's forced to reconcile the sexy, confident woman she's become, with the "little-sister" he's always looked out for. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">With their friendship hanging in the balance, can they follow the advice they give their listeners to communicate, be honest, and trust in themselves - and each other - or will foolish pride ruin their fledgling relationship before it even gets off the ground?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/64BTxEjAv04" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/alan.stuart/music/lyrics/keepmeas.html"><i><b>Lyrics here</b></i></a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eGILo79ObiU" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Complicated-lyrics-Carolyn-Dawn-Johnson/801BA96916A1C10848256BF8002285E0"><i><b>Lyrics here</b></i></a>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com121tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-91003727517877655252012-03-22T00:05:00.000+00:002012-07-27T15:23:58.588+01:00Things other people are doing<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Today was supposed to
be the day I answered some of those questions I got tagged with, but
I've got a few bits and pieces that I wanted to pass on, so you'll
have to wait until next week to find out what my favourite colour is
:-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Hands up if you're
doing the A -Z challenge? Now, keep your hand up if you haven't got
all your posts together yet. Well, if you need a hand with the letter
P on 17<sup>th</sup> April, Madeleine Maddocks of <a href="http://scribbleandedit.blogspot.co.uk/"><i><b>Scribble and Edit</b></i></a>
is running the Plotting Blogfest. (It's open to pantsers too!). So
if you've got any tips or hints to share, and a post shaped hole on
that day, <a href="http://scribbleandedit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/announcing-plotting-blogfest.html"><i><b>go here</b></i></a> for details and sign up.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If your brain is
already overloaded trying to get those posts ready for next month, L.
Diane Wolfe from <a href="http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.co.uk/"><b><i>Spunk on a Stick</i></b></a> is running the Sad Songs Blogfest on Friday 30<sup>th</sup>
March. We all have those songs that move us, or threaten to break our
heart. <a href="http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/songs-that-inspire-through-sadness.html"><i><b>Here's</b></i> </a>where you can sign up to share them with everyone else!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Finally, <a href="http://unicornbell.blogspot.co.uk/"><i><b>Unicorn Bell</b></i></a>
is running 'A Picture Paints 1000 Words'. <a href="http://unicornbell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/picture-paints-1000-words.html?showComment=1332341198497#c6809514607455697821"><b><i>Go here</i></b></a> to sign up, and
between 26-28 March post a story of 1000 words or less inspired by
one of the ten pictures shown. There are prizes for this one, too!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One more thing before I
sneak off to bed with my dragon-tattooed girl, a blogging friend of
mine, Kayeleen Hamblin, from <a href="http://kayeleenscreations.blogspot.co.uk/"><b><i>Kayeleen's Creation Corner</i></b> </a>announced
today that her husband Greg has left the writing closet and is joining us
all in the light. He has a brand new blog, so if you have a couple of
minutes, it would be great if you could drop by <a href="http://thegregwriter.blogspot.co.uk/"><i><b>The Gregwriter</b></i></a> and
say hello :-) </div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-1050970074013142142012-03-19T23:54:00.000+00:002012-03-19T23:54:26.905+00:00Lucky 7<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've been tagged for
the Lucky 7 meme by<b><i> <a href="http://www.medeiasharif.com/">Medeia Sharif</a></i></b> and <a href="http://tracikenworth.wordpress.com/"><i><b>Traci Kenworth</b></i></a>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm sure you all know
the rules by now but, just in case:</div>
<ol>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Go to page 77 of
your current MS/WiP</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Go to line 7</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Copy down the next
7 lines, sentences or paragraphs, and post them as they're written.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tag 7 authors.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
My current WiP has a
huge spoiler on page 77 and, as I'm hoping a few of you might want to
read it after the A to Z challenge, I decided to go with the other
one that I keep going back to revise bits of. The working title is
<i>The Bad Mother</i>, but that's only because I have absolutely no idea
what to call it.</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Beth
took both of Amalia's hands in her own.
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>
“Listen to me, maybe it's time to let go. Get on with your own
life. Yes, it's sad that some women don't get to have babies but
maybe we have to look at the bigger picture. Society works pretty
well the way things are.”</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Amalia
was aghast.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b> “Beth, I can't believe you're saying these things.
You were as horrified as I am when you found out about all this. I
thought Matthew was getting somewhere, however slowly.”</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>
“He is, and that's what worries me. What if all this comes
crashing down on his head. Is it worth it?”</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>
“Yes.” said Amalia firmly.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So,
there you have it. As clear as mud :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
love reading snippets of people's work, but I know lots of you have
done this aleady, so if you'd like to take part, consider yourself
tagged!</span></div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com99tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-30365411435881270232012-03-17T10:25:00.000+00:002012-03-17T10:25:17.121+00:00Musical Impressions 1: Tania Walsh<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This week's Musical
Impression is for a story by Tania Walsh of <a href="http://tfwalsh.wordpress.com/"><i><b>T. F. Walsh</b></i></a>. If you don't know this blog, you should check it out; she has a fantastic series on mythical creatures. Thank you so
much Tania, I hope you enjoy it.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When I received this
entry I knew exactly what song I was going to pick and I've stuck
with it all week – until last night. Yes, as is (apparently) a
woman's prerogative, I changed my mind at the last minute. I hope you
enjoy what I've chosen. I think it captures the spirit of what the
lead character is feeling in this story, but I'd love to know your
views. Love it? Hate it? Have a better suggestion?<br />
<br />
Constructive criticism welcome.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>DEAD LIES</b></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>YA Fantasy/Mythology</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Joking about someone's death at school and then having it come true is never a good thing. Now minus her friends who are scared of her, Leev's life just got worse - a wraith turned up on her doorstep. She's dragged into a terrifying spirit realm where black swans dive bomb from the air, hungry to steal your eyes, where wolves the size of horses wear harnesses, and where beautiful necromancers control wild spirits to do their bidding.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Leev learns
that Valkyrie blood courses through her veins, and she is appointed
as a mighty Mist. Like all the females in her family, she must
collect the spirits of dead heroes and guide them safely to
Valhalla. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br />
<i style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A cinch,
especially since Leev can sense which hero will die next and delivers
them before her collection memo is even issued. But when her
death-senses point next to her firefighter dad, she struggles to
accept his destiny, and sets out on a mission to save him, even if
means breaking all the rules.</i></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>However
things just got complicated. Her ability is unique and drawing the
wrong kind of attention. A demi-god and powerful necromancer both set
their sights on her soul, drawing Leev into a deadly cat and mouse
game. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<br /></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i>And the
stakes are higher than Leev could have ever imagined.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H_FrENJrzeQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.metrolyrics.com/whisper-lyrics-evanescence.html"><b><i>Lyrics here</i></b></a>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com98tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-26563932344179740032012-03-14T19:32:00.000+00:002012-03-14T19:32:25.685+00:00Behind the Curtain of the Magic Appreciation Tour<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WrCbF-M_64bsdObcuyW6uHaWq_iM3ZZlNDiNCmuNCeHJXHN-TmK6spYG7PQI5DJDWfnzQkDS0GAkt6XpbtPj4_84TxrUH0bV2YySffQ-wLzgniqjk26LTMpac6BuRQ4WnysmvtZKFXpK/s1600/MATourBadge150.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WrCbF-M_64bsdObcuyW6uHaWq_iM3ZZlNDiNCmuNCeHJXHN-TmK6spYG7PQI5DJDWfnzQkDS0GAkt6XpbtPj4_84TxrUH0bV2YySffQ-wLzgniqjk26LTMpac6BuRQ4WnysmvtZKFXpK/s200/MATourBadge150.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
<b>You may remember me telling you about Daniel Marvello's Magic Appreciation Tour a while back. I asked Daniel to come and tell us how it was going once it had been running for a few weeks as it's a model I'm interested in, and that I think may work for other genres. So, here he is :-)</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="western">
I met Sarah through Rachael Harrie's Platform Building Campaign last year and we've stayed in contact since then. The Campaign was supposed to help us make new friends and build a following, and I must say it accomplishes that goal. Thanks for inviting me to guest post on your blog, Sarah!</div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sarah asked me to share my experiences with an experiment I started a couple of months ago called the Magic Appreciation Tour and Book Sale. The "MA Tour" is a Web site dedicated to magical fantasy books and authors, and I'm "the man behind the curtain."</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Why the Magic Appreciation Tour?</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The idea for the MA Tour came about one day while I was thinking about unobtrusive ways to market my book. I needed to find a way to get my book in front of readers. However, every social network I'm involved with takes a dim view of self-promotion. As Joe Konrath says, "It's about what you have to offer, not what you have to sell." I didn't want to be that guy who never shuts up about asking people to buy his book.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While researching marketing options, I found an interesting site called the 99-Cent Network. However, the site has no particular market focus and finding books in a specific genre was painful. Their registration form didn't even have "fantasy" as a category! I was going to give them a try anyway after my book was done, but they switched to a paid model almost the day I registered. They wanted $25 per month to put my book on their site. At 99 cents, I'd have to sell 72 books every month just to break even on their fees. Scratch that idea!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
What I needed was a place to offer my book that was specifically oriented toward the audience I wanted to reach, in my case, fantasy readers. It comes down to basic marketing theory: identify your audience and then find ways to reach them. I had no luck finding such a place, so I decided to create my own.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Creating a Venue</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I knew I was in for an uphill battle. Attracting an audience to a brand new Web site takes effort and time. But I'm in this writing thing for the long haul. It's not like my book was traditionally published and has just six weeks to sell or be taken off shelves. It's out there and it will stay out there. Plus, more books are coming, and by the time they do, the MA Tour may have gathered some steam.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The basic premise of the site is that it is a resource for readers to find fantasy books. But not just any fantasy books. Taking marketing theory a step further, I narrowed the focus to books that contain magic (like mine.) </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I wanted the book listing page to reflect the best attributes of the book sites I've visited. The cover thumbnails are generous, a short blurb is right there next to the cover, and links are provided for readers who want to learn more about the author or buy the book. The author page lists all of the authors with a photo and bio, and it includes links to their blogs and books. I'm very happy with how quickly a reader can size up a book and then take action to learn more or buy.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But I needed more believers like me. I set up a basic Web site and started calling for authors through Twitter, Facebook, and Google-Plus. My efforts brought in a few authors, and those authors brought in more authors. I'm pleased to say we now have 19 authors and 30 books. That may not sound like a lot, but I think it's a great start.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>How Authors "Tour"</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the spirit of the Platform Building Campaign and the various blog tour services, the "tour" aspect of the Magic Appreciation Tour is designed to help authors network with one another and share audiences. It has two tools to facilitate this: the author page itself, and the Post Exchange.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The author page is not only a resource for readers, but for authors as well. Authors can quickly see who else is touring and click links to visit their blogs. Like the Platform Campaign, we can follow each other and comment on posts to show support.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Post Exchange is essentially a blog tour dedicated to MA Tour authors. An author submits a blog post offer and requests a blog post in exchange. I match authors up according to the type of post they want to do, and connect them via email. Once the post goes live, I add a link to either the book listing or the author listing on the MA Tour site.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The relationship between the site and the author blogs is symbiotic from a search engine standpoint. Author blog links to the MA Tour site give it more authority, and the site's links back to them give them more authority. That relationship will only get more powerful over time.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>How Are We Doing?</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm pleased with how the MA Tour is progressing. We are only in our second week, and we've had 20 Post Exchange submissions, which translate to 40 blog post pairings. Our authors are meeting, networking, and sharing audiences.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I've personally made several new author friends, which makes me happy. Being a magical fantasy reader myself, I've enjoyed finding new books to read by the participating authors. You could say that I'm my own best customer!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I don't know about the other authors, but I've yet to see a bump in sales beyond those I know are going to other authors on the tour. But these are early days. Like books themselves, the site will take time to gain traction.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>What's Next?</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Judging from the stats, readers have not found us yet. But that isn't a surprise. The site is brand new and the benefits from touring are rarely immediate. This kind of marketing takes time to bear fruit. Also, I'm just getting started with spreading the word about the site at other places where fantasy readers gather. Telling readers about a free resource isn't the same thing as telling them to buy your book.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
From a site standpoint, the next step will be automation. Everything from registration to the Post Exchange can be folded into a membership site where authors have full control over their listings and can pick-and-choose their own blog post pairings. Automation would also have the benefit of replacing the manual processes I'm doing now. I hand-code every book listing and author listing, and I'm managing the Post Exchange in an Excel spreadsheet at the moment.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At the same time, my wife has expressed interest in using the MA Tour model for other markets. Once the system is automated, it will be fairly easy to run multiple sites like the Magic Appreciation Tour.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Overall, I'm very pleased with how the site is working out. We have authors, we have books, and we have participation. The rest is just a matter of time and perseverance.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If you'd like to learn more about the Magic Appreciation Tour, visit the Web site at <span style="color: #669966;"><u><a href="http://www.magicappreciationtour.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.MagicAppreciationTour.com</span></span></a></u></span>. To learn more about Daniel Marvello, visit <span style="color: #669966;"><u><a href="http://www.danielrmarvello.com/"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.DanielRMarvello.com</span></span></a></u></span>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-25259787520734063872012-03-12T22:59:00.000+00:002012-03-12T22:59:55.711+00:00Introducing ...<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvBdRaVYhTtSo_P_cPrhuCUhKxnrV55UJKey0ofcxKj8R41-4fyn6d7LoXpvITTJIiHJBm9QaaSU2j-yQFwIxWgTyVo43kghiH6qYMtJ_ayKbd_bmztaVs9KqLlCiRYHjn90co4-rZXaD/s1600/mark+green+button+300+-+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvBdRaVYhTtSo_P_cPrhuCUhKxnrV55UJKey0ofcxKj8R41-4fyn6d7LoXpvITTJIiHJBm9QaaSU2j-yQFwIxWgTyVo43kghiH6qYMtJ_ayKbd_bmztaVs9KqLlCiRYHjn90co4-rZXaD/s200/mark+green+button+300+-+final.jpg" width="200" /></a>Before I start today's
post I must give a quick shout out to my friend Mark Koopmans over at
<b><i><a href="http://markkoopmans.blogspot.com/">Aloha</a>!</i></b> He's running <i>'Got Green?'</i> a blogfest in honour of St Patrick's
Day. Sign ups began today but you have until the 16th to join in,
before sharing your memories, dreams, or complete fiction about the
Emerald Isle on the 17th, the day itself. Full details are <a href="http://markkoopmans.blogspot.com/2012/02/got-green-blog-ohop-is-open.html"><b><i>here</i></b></a>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The results for the
poll I ran a few weeks back are as follows:</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Keep Musical Stories –
8 (18%)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Reduce to two songs –
5 (11%)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The 'synopsis' idea
– 30 (68%)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I don't visit Fridays
– 1 (2%)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Therefore, I'm very
pleased (and more than a little nervous) to announce that Musical
Stories has been replaced by <b>Musical Impressions</b>. Thank you to Golden
Eagle at <a href="http://thegoldeneaglesblog.blogspot.com/"><i><b>The Eagle's Aerial Perspective</b></i></a> for the name. As soon as she
suggested it I knew it was perfect.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Here is how it's going
to work. I'd love it if you could email me a pitch, outline,
synopsis, blurb, or whatever you prefer for one of your stories. This
can be something you're working on, something that's finished or even
something you just made up ten minutes ago. Every Friday, I'll take
one (in the order they arrive) and select a song that I think matches
your plot, theme or mood. They may not be 'exact matches', just
something I think your work reminds me of.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
You'll have a choice as
to whether you would like your work critiqued or not, and whether you
would like to remain anonymous, just let me know in the email.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Put Musical Impressions
as the title of the email, then your outline either as the body, or
an attachment. I'd like it if you can keep it to under 500 words but
if you really can't, I'm not going to chuck it out :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm going to run this
for the three Fridays left in March and decide what to do from there
(in other words, if it's really really hard, I might have to think of
something else!).</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I hope this is clear,
if not feel free to drop me an email or a comment. Also, this is an
idea in progress so if you have any suggestions feel free to voice
them. And someone, please send me something or I'm going to feel
really silly!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-15929265594575280992012-03-10T12:32:00.000+00:002012-03-10T12:32:20.792+00:00Musical Stories Special Edition: The End<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And so it ends. This
special edition is the last chapter of my Musical Stories. I've been
a bit self-indulgent this week, so I hope you'll forgive me but I'll
get to that in a moment. We have three Fridays before The A-Z of
Blogging begins, and I thought I'd use that time to try out the new
series before I take a break. This could be absolutely brilliant, or
I could fall flat on my face, but we'll see.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was going to give you
all the details here, but it made this post far too long, so I'll do that separately on Monday. If you're interested in taking part,
all you need to do right now is have a short pitch or query, whatever
you like, ready to email to me after Monday's post. It will be up to
you whether or not you allow critiques. There's no word limit, but
remember, shorter is usually better (leave me something to
work with though!).</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To end Musical Stories, (and I suppose to introduce the new feature, although there's no
blurb), I decided to choose three songs that represent the story I'm
currently revising right now. Like I said, self-indulgent, but I'm
really excited about this project, (turns out I didn't hate revising,
I was just working on the wrong story), and I want to share. Just for
fun, see if you can guess what genre it is. And 1000<sup>th</sup>
Monkey, you're not allowed to guess :-)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
No explanations this
week, just enjoy the music. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wQObOsQxKDo" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/raveonettes/odetola.html"><i><b> Lyrics here</b></i></a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z6NyOvgzG1o" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.lyrics007.com/Billy%20Joel%20Lyrics/Honesty%20Lyrics.html"><b><i> Lyrics here</i></b></a><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dJ6fjGS1lRg" width="420"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/talking+heads/psycho+killer_20135071.html"><b><i> Lyrics here</i></b></a>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com84tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-64042571657045913802012-03-09T15:20:00.000+00:002012-03-09T15:33:34.651+00:00Campaign Challenge 2There will be a special edition of Musical Stories tomorrow morning, but I'm sneaking another extra post in this week, for the Campaigner Challenge.<br />
<br />
I found this one very difficult, but I was determined to complete it. The original story was written very quickly - reducing it from 1100 words to less than 200, took hours!<br />
<br />
I've used all five prompts in the following story, which is 199 words. For an added challenge it's the dystopian genre, which is new to me. (Although to be fair I couldn't come up with a story in any of my usual genres that the prompts would lend themselves to).<br />
<br />
Also as an additional challenge I'm happy for anyone to offer any constructive criticism that would help me to improve. To be honest, I think the story has lost something in the word reduction, but rules are rules :-)<br />
<br />
ETA: Forgot to add the link to <a href="http://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/2012/03/second-campaigner-challenge-of-my.html"><i><b>Rachael's page</b></i></a>, where you can view the prompts.<br />
(I'm number 93)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pure</span></b><br />
He was obviously
privileged, judging from his scarlet coat. Seeing him, after passing
kids scrabbling through trash, made me want to scream.<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Distraction made me
careless so, when the flash came, I was flung off the bridge. I
wasn't injured but I needed to get out of the water quickly. I swam
to the support and climbed. The boy was there.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Are you hurt?” I
asked.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He pointed to a gash on
his leg, nothing serious.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Where do you
live?”
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Nowhere. Men came
and took Nana, 'cause she's a creator. I hid, but then I got lonely.”
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The cabal. Because of
them, the few remaining water creators were hidden, only helping
family or the wealthy. The rest of us drank the stuff the daily
flashes poisoned.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At home, after I'd
cleaned his leg, he wanted water.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Sorry kid.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He grinned then grabbed
an arid pear, balancing it on a wooden spoon.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As I stared, the pear
vanished and a spray of pure water shot across the room.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“You're a creator?
How? You're a kid.”</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He shrugged.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The world was saved.
I'd take him to the authorities, they could find others.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But what if they
didn't?</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I had water now. </div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782141968012811043.post-61758704059526002842012-03-07T10:11:00.001+00:002012-03-07T10:11:31.220+00:00Insecure Writer's Support Group 6 - Rachel Morgan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9v_HSRhtaQfvkVHMCn3FrZLvqp9MDBPw24jVX0JO7RR60vOH2YmWPA4VMPveWCClCQcPCTjQhEpDiI7VJh5vV-mktV8iA_u4qAq_oXXhlEDVq6zVDWHXhWHOYzVoDP5Sd3B9iTj2D1mK/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9v_HSRhtaQfvkVHMCn3FrZLvqp9MDBPw24jVX0JO7RR60vOH2YmWPA4VMPveWCClCQcPCTjQhEpDiI7VJh5vV-mktV8iA_u4qAq_oXXhlEDVq6zVDWHXhWHOYzVoDP5Sd3B9iTj2D1mK/s200/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Remember I told you that Rachel Morgan was visiting today? Well, as her visit co-incides with our monthly meeting of the IWSG, she very kindly agreed to talk about how her dream has changed. Hopefully, her words will be an inspiration for those of us who still have no clue what path we'll be taking :-)<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow Your Dream -- Even If It Changes </b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SqpH9rofUsA6TP3AtLWpq3fx-UZvBiN9ragwP_IfP2N_NXwbJLyBt3QTgNqF5j65rn9zdDJnKdgM00AEVWwtF57TV6XSsa9BfTf0lO1vvWAVXKyNwY3rXgbnkfzZXPtRr1T4D6qzFSdL/s1600/reach+for+the+stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SqpH9rofUsA6TP3AtLWpq3fx-UZvBiN9ragwP_IfP2N_NXwbJLyBt3QTgNqF5j65rn9zdDJnKdgM00AEVWwtF57TV6XSsa9BfTf0lO1vvWAVXKyNwY3rXgbnkfzZXPtRr1T4D6qzFSdL/s200/reach+for+the+stars.png" width="188" /></a></div>
Two years ago I knew exactly what my writing dream was: <b>get published by a major publishing house</b>. Two years ago, when anyone asked me if I’d considered self-publishing, I politely said something along the lines of, “Uh, you know, that’s not really the way I want to go,” while inside I was thinking, <i>Hell, no! I want to be a REAL writer!</i> (Apparently, in my mind, you could only be a real writer if some big publisher said you could be. I didn’t actually know at that point that there were books I’d read and loved, like <i>Eragon</i> and <i>The Shack</i>, that were initially self-published.)<br />
<br />
So what does this mean, two years down the line, now that I’m embarking on a self-published writing career? Does it mean I “failed”? Does it mean I gave up on my big dream?<br />
<br />
No. <b>It means my dream changed</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSKnHitvzvPOyXZqypZBibnneR19hVFaQwn0cFTV9jLDLEXIb-RVPDAibSmJIH2hzrW1F93fPtTp3p_FlkLMoq7bOI3UDhBvqvKxEdpBbXXXrf-cY2IbXQS-L4Gyj6MDNMFYWZjVegTDM/s1600/GUARDIAN+%2528Creepy+Hollow%252C+Book+One%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSKnHitvzvPOyXZqypZBibnneR19hVFaQwn0cFTV9jLDLEXIb-RVPDAibSmJIH2hzrW1F93fPtTp3p_FlkLMoq7bOI3UDhBvqvKxEdpBbXXXrf-cY2IbXQS-L4Gyj6MDNMFYWZjVegTDM/s200/GUARDIAN+%2528Creepy+Hollow%252C+Book+One%2529.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
Seriously. I’m not just saying this! Yes, I may still query publishers in the future for as-yet-unwritten novels. Will I be excited if one gets accepted? Yes! Will I be excited if I can walk into a bookstore and see my own hardcover sitting on a shelf? Yes! But you know what else I’m super-duper excited about? Self-publishing the Creepy Hollow series. <b>I am LOVING every step of this journey!</b> (Okay, not the part where I had to apply for a US Tax ID number to blah blah blah boring story that has no end yet . . .) I love designing the covers, I love the formatting (yes, the formatting!) and interior design of ebooks, I loved organizing this blog tour, and researching marketing methods. Heck, even receiving an email attachment with a list of ISBN numbers was downright thrilling. You should have seen me: “I have ISBN numbers that belong to MEEE!!”<br />
<br />
So what’s my bottom line here? Sometimes a dream grows and changes and transforms into something you never thought you’d be striving for. And that’s okay, because it doesn’t mean you failed your old dream. It just means you have new stars to reach for.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
~ ~ ~ </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AYA0vVgr3VjcTzKNM9fhK9wPj8XCtgLIubABPq2Hff8fuA2MdRDBJHRynB8fpCZf_RuA0Llea76STgnW5Gto5ZCExEogsbTr2LdGNt9eWIxWovHQNbGd9guqV3g5M-i3nFcJb4p4WhU/s1600/Rachel+Morgan+profile.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AYA0vVgr3VjcTzKNM9fhK9wPj8XCtgLIubABPq2Hff8fuA2MdRDBJHRynB8fpCZf_RuA0Llea76STgnW5Gto5ZCExEogsbTr2LdGNt9eWIxWovHQNbGd9guqV3g5M-i3nFcJb4p4WhU/s1600/Rachel+Morgan+profile.png" /></a></div>
<i>Rachel Morgan is the author of </i>Guardian<i>, the first novelette in the </i>Creepy Hollow<i> series. She was born in South Africa and spent a large portion of her childhood living in
a fantasy land of her own making. These days, in between teaching mathematics to high school children, she writes fiction for young adults.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Buy Guardian from</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FRJGXI">Amazon US</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007FRJGXI">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/137697">Smashwords</a></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Creepy Hollow Series</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.creepyhollowbooks.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13422043-guardian">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CreepyHollowBooks">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTX8XQRNLMs">Book Trailer</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Author Info</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rachel-morgan.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RachelMorgan13">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMorgan">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/authorrachelmorgan">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://plus.google.com/100662142394759750125">Google+</a></div>Sarah Tokeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.com88