So I did a thing! Remember that Youtube channel we talked about last week? Well, I uploaded my first video to it and I am very excited.
I would really apprecite it if you guys would check it out! Feel free to leave comments or tips on booktube. Obviously I am pretty new to this whole making videos thing so any tips and feedback is welcomed.
Anyways, short but sweet post. I will be hitting you up with some more book reviews soon. Talk to you later bookworms!
We joined up with a bunch of amazing book bloggers for the Time To Refresh Blog Tour!
Book summary
What happens when some part of your life comes to a screeching halt?
Time to Refresh: A 21- Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Laid Off, Fired or Sidelined, highlights Karen Brown Tyson’s journey through the Bible following one of three layoffs in her life.
Watch how God leads one woman on a 21-day journey through the Bible and teaches her how to G.L.O.W.— gratitude, listen, observe and witness.
Print Length: 68 pages
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help
Publisher: Constant Communicators
ISBN: 978-0692170489
Time to Refresh is available to purchase on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
About the Author
For the past 25 years, Karen Brown Tyson worked for Fortune 500 companies in the fast food, pharmaceutical, and telecommunication industries. Today, Karen is the founder of Constant Communicators, a lifestyle business that helps people improve their business writing skills. Time to Refresh: A 21-Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Laid Off, Fired or Sidelined was released in August 2018. Karen lives in North Carolina with her husband and son.
You can find Karen at –
Personal Website – www.karenbrowntyson.com
Blog: https://karenbrowntyson.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Facebook: https://www.
Without further ado, here is Karen’s article:
7 Ways to Build Your Personal Author Brand
Let me guess…
You are busy writing your book. Or maybe you’re working on an article for Forbes or Inc. magazine. Your writing career is finally taking off but you are always looking for ways to connect with potential readers.
Now you need to focus your attention on something just as important as your writing.
Your personal brand.
You have been so busy writing you haven’t thought about marketing your work, let alone building a personal brand. And before you object, yes, you need a personal brand. Why? Because a brand is anything that separates one product from another. Your personal brand as a writer will let people know who you are, what you stand for and what you write about.
Below are seven ideas on how to build your personal brand. One thing to remember: There is no one way to do this. What works for one writer may not work for another writer. Focus on what works for you. Be authentic and stay true to yourself.
Social Media
Using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat and LinkedIn might connect you with your audience. Before you tweet, post or like anything, determine the messages you will post and how often. Create a simple strategy on how you will use social media. Test different social media platforms and select two. Don’t build your brand on all platforms.
Content platforms
Consider posting content or chapters from your book on content platforms like Medium and Thrive Global. Drive readers to your website or landing page through links in your content.
Landing pages
A landing page is a single web page used to promote one topic or product. With a landing page, you can sell your book, offer free giveaways like an ebook or course and build an email distribution list. If you don’t have a website, landing pages are a great way to connect with your audience. Include a link to your landing page in your social media messages and articles.
Website
A website allows you to highlight several aspects of your writing — books, blog, workshops, speaking engagement dates, products, reviews, etc. A website is good for sharing your work with potential literary agents and event planners looking for speakers for an event. A word of caution: Keep your website updated with new information. Create a plan for how you will manage your website including an editorial calendar if you are planning to have a blog.
Blog
A blog allows you to expose current and new readers to your writing. Use your blog to position yourself as a thought-leader with experience related to various topics. Make a list of topics you plan to write about regularly. Create an editorial calendar outlining when you will cover each topic. Test how readers react to each blog post.
Guest posts
Writing content for other blogs is a good way to meet new readers and build your brand. Pitch story ideas to bloggers who share your interests. Include a link to your website or landing page in your guest blog post.
Podcast
Blogging and guest blogging take time. If you are working on your next book, you may find it hard to write more content for a blog. If so, consider starting a podcast where you interview guests about topics important to you and your readers. You can post the transcript from the podcast on your website.
Here is the entire list of the blog tour dates:
November 26th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and stop by the Muffin blog where you can read an interview with author Karen Brown Tyson and enter to win a copy of her book Time to Refresh.
muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
November 29th @ Bookworm Blog
Be sure to stop by Anjanette’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s guest post on managing career, home, and ministry.
bookworm66.wordpress.com
November 29th @ The Frugalista Mom
Visit Rozelyn’s blog where you can read her review of Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://thefrugalistamom.com/
November 30th @ Amateur Twin Mom
Visit Jonelle’s blog to read what she has to say about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://www.amateurtwinmom.com
December 3rd @ Beverley A Baird Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog where Karen Brown Tyson talks about how to improve your writing life.
https://beverleyabaird.
December 5th @ Break Even Books
Stop by Erik’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about how to build your personal brand.
https://breakevenbooks.com/
December 5th @ Jill Sheets Blog
Stop by Jill’s blog today where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about how to improve your writing life.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.
December 6th @ Beverley A Baird Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog again where she shares her thoughts about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://beverleyabaird.
December 7th @ Bookworm Blog
Visit Anjanette’s blog again where she interviews author Karen Brown Tyson about her book Time to Refresh.
bookworm66.wordpress.com
December 8th @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about fearless writing.
http://www.astorybookworld.
December 9th @ Reducing Overload
Stop by Peggy’s blog to read author Karen Brown Tyson’s post about journaling and stress management.
http://reducingoverload.com/
December 13th @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Visit Kathleen’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about fearless writing.
https://krpooler.com/
December 13th @ M.C. Walker’s Blog
Visit M.C. Walker’s blog where she interviews author Karen Brown Tyson about her and her book Time to Refresh.
https://seeminoltawrite.com/
December 14th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about having faith during difficult times.
https://strength4spouses.blog/
December 15th @ Jessica’s Reading Room
Visit Jessica’s blog where you can read her thoughts on Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://jessicasreadingroom.com
December 16th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise’s blog where she shares her opinion on Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://www.12books.co.uk/
December 18th @ Look to the Western Sky
Visit Margo’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about parenting.
https://www.margoldill.com/
December 20th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi’s blog again where you can read her opinion about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://strength4spouses.blog/
December 20th @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily Shadowlyn’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about journaling.
http://www.thefaeriereview.
December 21st @ The World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole’s blog where she shares her thoughts about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://
December 23rd @ Look to the Western Sky
Be sure to stop by Margo’s blog again where you find out what she had to say about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://www.margoldill.com/
December 23rd @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about journaling.
http://coffeewithlacey.
December 24th @ Coffee with Lacey
Stop by Lacey’s blog again where she reviews Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://coffeewithlacey.
December 27th @ The Frugalista Mom
Be sure to visit Rozelyn’s blog again where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about change management.
http://thefrugalistamom.com/
Cozy Mystery
First in Series
Amazon Digital Services (December 1st, 2018)
231 pages
Digital ASIN: B07JX5WHB5
Murder? Romance? Intrigue? The Desert Oasis runs rampant with gossip and secrets.
Sweetie Bastard told Hunny Bunny—pack your bags we’re moving to lovely Tucson, Arizona. She didn’t have a choice. He sold her house and bought a park model online sight unseen in the Desert Oasis 55 plus community.
The park was more asphalt than oasis—hot—dry—terrible.
The trailer was a wreck. No air-conditioning. No beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay.
There’s an Arizona room to build. A golf cart to buy. Dances, crafts, and funerals to attend.
Bunny agrees to take water aerobics. She hates water.
First lesson—the park’s ladies’ man athletic director was found weighed down and deadd at the bottom of the swimming pool. Who killed philandering Dan? And why?
The last tenant in their new home, Wanda, left behind her clothes, knickknacks, and dishes. The place gives her the willies. Bunny can’t stand an unsolved mystery, and she’ll dig deep and wide to solve Wanda’s case.
Download Alpaca My Bags today. Will Bunny agree to live happily ever after in the Oasis, or will she make Sweetie Bastard move to posh Scottsdale?
Amazon 99 cents
The Desert Oasis series:
Alpaca My Bags
Wool Over Your Eyes. February 4, 2019 Pre-order now
No Prob-Llama
Ain’t No Llama Drama
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I grew up in Arkansas, just a few miles from Louisiana. Violet Patton was a grandmother. I took her name as a pen name in her honor. She didn’t read much and when she did it was True Confessions magazine. She married a man twice her age at 18 and she did not have romance in her life, but she longed for it. She was tough, picking cotton, milking cows and tending a garden to keep her family alive. Behind her toughness was a sweet tenderness which showed through her beautiful blue eyes. Now as I age, I miss her more and more. Her photograph graces my desk, and I often ask for her advice or read my stories aloud to her. I can hear her laugh as I read my stories and I remember that spirit she never lost despite her adversities.
Thank you for giving me everything you had.
Catch Violet at the following places.
Hey bookworms! So I have been connecting with a lot of different bloggers lately and one had reached out to me about the interview she had with Jodi Picoult. I decided I would share her post because it was a good interview and I am sure that many of you know who Jodi Picoult is and would be interested.
But first, a little blurb about Ana!
Ana Milosavic works in marketing in the tech space, and on the side runs a blog that is focused on career growth and journeys and helping others achieve their own version of success. Ana hopes that her interviews with women in all stages of their career will help others reach goals they thought were unachievable, and will give them a realistic expectation of what it takes to get to their dream job – while breaking many glass ceilings along the way! As a huge bookworm (and leader of two book clubs in Vancouver, Canada), she was very excited to get the chance to interview author Jodi Picoult. Ana and Jodi discuss career, including Jodi’s inspirations, best and worst career advice, mentors and much more.
Website: anamilosavic.com
Instagram: @amilosavic
Interview with Jodi Picoult
Occupation:
Writer
Why do you do what you do?
I can’t not write.
What’s your current dream job?
To be a writer… and a Broadway librettist.
Tell us what your average day looks like.
I get up and run for a few miles, then go up to my computer and edit my way through whatever I was writing yesterday, and when I get to a blank spot I keep writing. I continue until about 4 pm.
It’s great to see that you are living your dream job! Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully still writing novels, and perhaps winning a Tony.
Amazing, I have zero doubt! Have you had any big career struggles so far?
It was very hard, at the beginning, to write what I wanted to write – fiction that asked moral questions. There were not many writers doing such and finding an audience was a slow climb. Also, being categorized as commercial fiction or women’s fiction has prevented people from taking my work seriously.
And what has been your biggest career win so far?
11 consecutive #1 NYT bestsellers.
Now that’s a career win! Is there any career advice you’ve received that you still hold on to?
Don’t write about the dinosaurs ’til they become oil – in other words, don’t write about what happens to you until you have time to process your emotions and regard the incident from an objective POV.
What about bad career advice?
Write that sells.
You have achieved so much already! What is the one thing you are most proud of?
My three children, who are all changing the world in various ways.
Is there one person that has inspired you in your career?
My editor, Jennifer Hershey – who is extraordinary at her craft – and my publicist, Susan Corcoran, who makes my life so much easier.
I think mentors are so important to a successful career. Do you have any mentors?
My former professor, Mary Morris, who taught me everything I know.
When do you feel the most confident?
When I’m standing in front of an audience talking about one of my books.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Currently coveting: Chocolate.
Favorite way to sweat: Hiking.
Favorite book: Too many to name.
Morning person or night owl? Morning person.
Favorite food: Chocolate ice cream.
Favorite city: London.
*Disclaimer: This content was sent to me by Ana Milosavic to post on my blog.*
Wow guys. I saw this morning that I had some traffic referred to my blog from a source I had never seen before so I checked it out and it turns out that I am on the Top 100 Canadian Book Bloggers and Websites to Follow list! You can find me at #49 on the list (in the top percentile by 1% woop woop).
You can find the list here: https://blog.feedspot.com/canadian_book_bloggers/
It is days like this that show all the progress I have made with this little blog. I never would have started this if it wasn’t for my friend Kylee Bakowski. She gave me the idea to start a blog because I talked about books a lot and she saw it as a way to get myself connected with other like-minded people. I am glad that I listened to her and tried it out 🙂
The blog has been live for about a year now and it has been a productive year full of book reviews, being a part of various blog tours, interacting with so many authors and above all the book blogging community. I put enough time into this blog that it could be a full time job. Wouldn’t that be the dream….reading books for work!
Anyways, just a little update this morning but what a cool surprise to see that I made it onto a list. If you get a chance, check out the blogs on the list. A lot of them are the fellow bloggers that converse with me on a weekly basis and will provide excellent book reviews for authors out there.
Hey bookworms.
I have been so busy lately that I haven’t made much progress in terms of reading books so I figured I would ask you all what you are up to! I want to know what you have been reading!
What are you currently reading? What have you recently finished reading? What do you think you will read next?
I want to know. Let us start a conversation and talk about it. I can tell you all the books I plan to read (better take a seat and grab a snack because it’s a long list) and you could tell me if you have read them or what you think of the book covers or whatever we decide to discuss about.
I’m going to get back to my current book Fat Girl on a Plane by Kelly deVos now and hopefully get a big chunk of it done. I’m excited to write a review for this one 🙂
Comment below and lets chat 🙂 Happy reading!
This is a guest post by author Fiona Ingram as part of her book blog tour.
Teachers and parents welcome with open arms books that help kids enjoy reading, immerse them in a wonderful new world and encourage them to want to learn more about the subject or topics covered in the story. The hardest part of writing fiction that involves facts, history, mythology, geography and the details that my middle-grade adventures involve is knowing what to put in and what to leave out.
My first middle-grade book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, is set in Egypt. Although I actually went to Egypt with my mom and my two nephews (who later became the templates for my young heroes), going to a place and writing about it are very different. I think Egypt was even more daunting than I imagined because so much has been written about the country, its history, and its culture that I felt under enormous pressure to check, double check, and check again (just in case) all my facts. There are also conflicting opinions of experts so one must be careful whose opinion one chooses.
I confess I overwrote the rough drafts of the first manuscript. There was so much information that I ended up almost drowning in it. It seems a shame that hours of research goes into looking up facts that will make perhaps only a brief mention in the chapter concerned. However, there is no point in inundating readers with lots of information. After careful thought, I realized that all I should include was what the young heroes needed to know as the plot unfolded. Details should be carefully and subtly woven into the story, always being an integral part of what the heroes need to know to move along in their adventure.
So, after the excitement of Egypt, what came next? The next book in my adventure series The Chronicles of the Stone takes place in Scotland, where the heroes are in search of the Second Stone of Power. The title is The Search for the Stone of Excalibur and that should be enough of a clue for fans to see where the story is heading. I had already spent a few amazing weeks in Scotland, researching old castles. Ask me anything about castles … with or without drawbridges, moats, portcullises, battlements … you name it, I visited it.
Finally, I settled upon the fabulous, fairytale setting of Dunrobin Castle, for me
an exquisite vision, as the setting for Book Two. Interviews with experts are a real boon. Leila, our fantastic guide in Egypt, was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on the country. Contrary to what one might think, travel guides (the official ones) in any country, have a vast amount of knowledge on their subject. It came as no surprise to find that Leila had a university degree!
In Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, set in Mexico, the young heroes must play an ancient form of a ball game, the Mesoamerican ball game, to survive. I was fortunate enough to find an expert on the subject whose advice and book were invaluable. Again, so much has been written on this topic, as well as the ancient cultures of the Maya and the Aztecs—that feature in the story—that I really had to pare down the details to just what was integral to the plot and to the young heroes’ survival. Dialogue is a great way to include details that are necessary and having characters exchange information makes the detail realistic and interesting. I try to include storytelling by characters to share information. In all my books there are old stories or legends that make an appearance and add to the mystery. Told as a story within the main story makes it interesting for young readers. This could also lead on to further activities—for example, the students might enjoy acting out scenes from the stories, or even undertake their own research to find out if and how the fictional version deviates from the known facts.
Stories within the main story are a must. This gives an added depth and introduces cultural elements that are so unusual for young readers in a modern, media-driven and technologically saturated world. Within each of my books, the young heroes are told old stories, either legends or myths or in the case of Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, the old ghost stories surrounding the castle. What a lovely experience, with delicious shivers going up and down their spines! In Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, the young heroes hear some important stories about the ancient Aztec and Maya gods, and when their adventures are finally over, they tell the story of their exploits to the villagers seated around the campfire, perhaps creating their own legends in a way.
Another excellent idea for authors whose books contain facts and relevant information is to include an appendix, either a young readers’ guide (which I do) or even just a glossary of unfamiliar words. Parents can then encourage their kids to read this to enhance their enjoyment of the story, achieve a greater understanding of the environment and atmosphere of the events, and teachers can use it to inspire further research. Contrary to popular opinion, kids love to learn, be it new words or new facts and/or details. Books that inspire the desire in kids to learn more deserve a top place on every bookshelf.
You can find Fiona at –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secretofthesacredscarab/
Website: www.chroniclesofthestone.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FionaRobyn
Author Site: http://www.FionaIngram.com
Blog: http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2868182.Fiona_Ingram
Hey Loves! Today I’m back with another post in my Beginner Blogger series; you can read my other posts in this series here. I want to talk about scheduling and planning blogposts today. I always get questions on how I plan my posts and on my blog schedule so I thought it’d be easier to […]
via BEGINNER BLOGGER: HOW I PLAN MY BLOGPOSTS + MAKING A SCHEDULE! — RABIA RAMBLES
Hey there Bookworms!
Check out this really great article by Rabia Rambles about planning out your blog posts. And check out her other Beginner Blogger posts! They are all very useful and have helped me with my post planning.
Still moving to a new apartment, well in the process of it, but will keep you updated.
Awhile back, I put a feeler out on Twitter to see if anyone wanted to do guest posts for each other about being a blogger. Michael Clark saw the blogger signal high up in the sky and met me on the roof of a large building on a dark and stormy night to interview each other.
We came up with 10 questions and answered them on each other’s blogs. His blog is http://MichaelClarkWrites.blogspot.com and he will be writing up a post with my answers sometime in the next couple of days! You can also find Michael on Twitter at @Michaelbigchees. I will let you bookworms know when it is posted. But for now, I will deliver his answers on my blog post so get ready to learn a bit about Michael!
ERIK: What is your top read of 2018 so far?
MICHAEL: My top read of 2018 so far has been the Robot Geneticist series by J.S. Moran, he is a true genius.
ERIK: Most anticipated book release of 2018?
MICHAEL: My most anticipated release is the continued black ocean series also by Moran.
ERIK: How many books are in your TBR Pile?
MICHAEL: I have more books in TBR than there are sand grains in Georgia.
ERIK: Who is your favorite author?
MICHAEL: My favorite author is either myself, Walter Mosley or Moran.
ERIK: How did you start blogging?
MICHAEL: I started blogging after spending 4 months waiting for an editor to get submitted to A magazine, and I started blogging to get my stories told.
ERIK: Where is your favorite reading spot?
MICHAEL: My favorite spot to read is my back porch.
ERIK: How long have you been a blogger?
MICHAEL: I have only been blogging since April of this year.
ERIK: What do you like about reading?
MICHAEL: I love the experience of being a different person for a while.
ERIK: If you had to describe yourself in a book title, what would it be?
MICHAEL: “A Gentleman and a Gangster”.
And that it for our blogger interview! If you wish to be in a blogger interview with me, comment below and I will send you the list of questions to fill out. It is a great way to open up to your readers and let them know a little bit more about you! I look forward to many more of these with my fellow book bloggers!
Cheers and have a great Sunday!
A new book review of Practice Makes Purpose: Six Spiritual Practices That Will Change Your Life And Transform Your Community by C. Paul Schroeder. This book was a short read at only 198 pages and had some good insight into life and how to approach it.
Synopsis: The Six Spiritual Practices are a new formulation of a very old set of teachings and disciplines. If you apply them regularly, you will have more energy and vitality, more focus, more compassion, more clarity, and more joy. And these effects will ripple outward into your marriage and family, your parenting, your workplace, your friendships, your neighborhood and city. These practices will change your life and transform your community. They will connect you and the people around you to Purpose, the experience of belonging to something infinitely greater than ourselves.
This book was interesting. It has a lot of good values and it teaches you to gain purpose through 6 spiritual practices. It is kind of like a self-help book but for re-evaluating your day to day decisions on how to interact in different situations. I mainly found that the 6 practices help a lot with self-control.
The author uses examples of how these steps can help in family life and work life so it makes it relatable. It is a great book for someone that wants to gain access to another side of themselves.
I’m not a big fan of self-help type books but this one was a decent read and easy to get through. If you are looking for some spiritual evaluation, take this book for a spin.
You can find the book on Amazon.
Book Rating: 3/5
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author to read and give an honest review.
