The Blog Blitz Effect

Writing can be an extremely lonely venture. Add to that the fact that most of us are experiencing a horrifically rigid winter, and it leaves many of us downright depressed.

For this reason (among many others), reaching out to other authors can be good for the soul. I'm not sure how I stumbled across DL Hammons's blog hop, but I'm so glad I did! The mystery/thriller/suspense writer started the blitz with the hopes of focusing on supporting and encouraging a single blogger at a time. Quite often the "target" will get over 100 comments on their blog. In the few months I've been participating, we've reached out to authors

who are going through personal and professional issues. The bloggers participating have proven to be kind souls, rallying together to lift the spirits of anyone who needs a pick-me-up. (Note, while there isn't any physical hugging involved like the picture on the left, you'll feel the love, I promise.)

So if you're looking for a day-brightener for both yourself and others, sign up for DL's inspirational project HERE.

Summer Sun Award

I was nominated for this awesome award by my friend and fellow blogger, Shanah Wooldrage. I first met Shanah on Twitter, then in person at a writer's convention in Wisconsin. She's a lot of fun, full of energy, and very upbeat!

The intent of this award is to present it to someone who brightens your day either in blog format or in general and to have a little fun with giving up some summer secrets. This summer has flown by so quickly it's depressing, so I'm glad to have something to brighten my day!

Favourite song with summer in the title or the lyrics (give the line): Since I'm a pretty big Justin Timberlake fan, I have to go with Summer Love. You simply can't listen to that song without dancing!

Favourite book about summer: Wow, I can't really remember which books took place in the summertime. I'm sure I've read many, I just have a crappy memory. Doesn't Lauren Oliver's Delirium take place then?

Favourite hot summer film: Sadly enough, I know just about every line of The Goonies, but I can't remember if it took place in the summer. Didn't Mouth give Bran crap that they could've spent their summer cruising around if he hadn't failed his driver's test? I know they're wearing coats in most of the film, but they live in a colder area. Either way, that's going to be my answer. It's my favorite movie in any category.

Favourite summer memory: On our fifth wedding anniversary (4th of July) we had over 50 people camping in the yard of our lake home. It was so much fun having my friends and family all together, it was like our wedding day all over again. Then there was a giant storm that freaked us out, forcing a bunch of us to huddle in the garage until 4 in the morning. I remember my dad coming out in the middle of the night telling "us kids" it was time to go to bed. I hadn't been told that in over decade. The weekend was filled with craziness.

Favourite summer holiday destination: That would have to be our lake home. It's only two hours away so we go there quite often, although with all the other things we have going on in the summer, it's not often enough. I do some really great writing while there.

What books will be in your suitcase this summer? I challenged myself to read an obnoxious amount of books this summer so I won't list them all, but the best reads so far were: One by LeighAnn Kopans, Foreign Identity by Becca J. Campbell, Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, The Future of Us by Jay Asher, Death and Kisses by Clover Autrey, The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe, and Paper Towns by John Green. I highly recommend each and every one of them!

What’s your likely destination this summer? We were already up by Canada a couple of weeks ago for a fishing trip with my parents and siblings. The only destination left is our lake home. And I'm okay with that.

What hottie would you most like to be sharing the hot days and long nights with this summer? Ummm, other than my husband? Okay, if you're going to twist my arm I would have to say Jack Johnson. He has an amazing voice, a gentle soul, and can surf the hell out of those Hawaiian waves. One day I hope to spend a summer in Hawaii...

Here are the rules:

1. Display the Summer Sun Award logo and link back to the blog of the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the questions listed above.
3. Nominate a further eight lucky recipients (one for each sun-ray).

I nominate the following people for brightening various areas of my internet life (they're all a giant ball of fun in my life, and I'm thankful I met them all!):

Tawney Bland

C.J. Sullivan

S.K. Anthony

Emma Meade

Kelly Anne Blount

Danielle Sibarium

London Cole

Maria Monteiro

Celebrating the Small Things

Wow, these Fridays really creep up on me; it reminds me just how out of touch I am with reality at times. Anyway, I'm here again as part of a blog hop created by one of my fabulous blog partners, Vikki. This time I included a link below so that you may sign up from my page if you're interested. It's a great way to cheer on your fellow bloggers for their accomplishments, no matter the size!

I obviously missed last Friday's because I was in Mexico, but believe me, there were a lot of small things I had to celebrate. Sun. Friends. Daiquiris. Good Food. Cantinas. Music. You get the picture. Cabo is gorgeous and was a ton of fun. I just wish I could've brought the warmth back with me.

This week I really don't have a lot of things to celebrate career-wise, except for that fact that I did get my fourth book off to the editor before we left on vacation and I know it's in good hands as we speak. Otherwise, I've been taking it easy, beta reading for a friend and trying to catch up on things that were neglected during my last major rewrite process. I signed up to take an online refresher course in grammar since I have come to rely so heavily on my editors. And I may have found my first writer's conference to attend in Madison, Wisconsin, where hopefully *fingers crossed* I will get to meet one of my blog partners for the first time!

In my personal life, I'm celebrating the fact that my daughter, who had a high fever for nearly six days, tested negative for mono, the flu and strep, and was miraculously better after a dose of antibiotics. For a while there I was worried she would be spending time in the ER. Whatever it was, she seems to have kicked it as she's obnoxiously running around and yelling as I write this (keep in mind she's thirteen).

Also, I picked up Beautiful Creatures to give it another try. I first started it last year and couldn't get into the story for some reason. After seeing the amazing movie trailers, I know it's something right up my alley, so I should love it, right? I'm happy to report that round two (or is it three?) is going much better and the story has really grabbed my attention this time.

So there you have it, my things to celebrate aren't so big this time, but they're still mine. Hope this Friday finds all of you having something to celebrate!

Writers Are People Too. No, Really.

I’m not going to lie. When you're an author, negative reviews of your book hurt. Like really bad. Imagine being stabbed repeatedly in the chest, then having an Army tank run you over, only to be followed by a stray dog peeing in your face. That's maybe a small glimpse into how it feels.

Today I came across some negative reviews left for a book written by a Twitter friend of mine who is extremely nice and kindhearted. While I haven't read her book myself, I was appalled to read through the overly harsh comments left by these bloggers on Goodreads. And I felt inspired to explain why I think this is totally uncalled for.

As writers, we spend months pouring our heart and soul into these stories, creating these characters and the worlds they live in from nothing more than the darkest corners of our imaginations. Then we take this precious story we've created and release it to the wild, kind of the way a mother has to send her child to his first day of kindergarten. And we're just ordinary people, like everyone else. So of course it hurts when you use dramatic GIFs and foul language to describe just how much you hated our books. Probably the most ironic part about all of this is the fact that most writers I know are emotional creatures, often even socially introverted. Many of us have a hard time putting ourselves out there to begin with. And we're known to take things to heart.

Before I published my first novel, I didn't fully appreciate this concept. While I've always tried to be a fairly positive person and don't believe in putting others down, I sometimes gave out 2 star reviews to books I really didn't like. Now, as I stand in the awkward and sometimes ill-fitting shoes that writers are forced to wear, I understand just what an impact negative reviews can have. If I really can't stand a book, I will just decline to review it.

Many bloggers I've contacted state on their website that they won't tear a book apart and if they didn't enjoy it that they will do their best to point out the positive aspects, knowing everyone doesn't have the same tastes. This is so true. That's the most frustrating part about negative reviews - just because Joe Blow thought a book was stupid and tacky doesn't mean his 60 year old mother whose basement he's living in won't thoroughly enjoy it.

Next time you leave feedback on a book you've read, please keep in mind (whether you personally know the author or not) that they're just regular people trying to make a living doing something they really enjoy. It's not necessary to put down the author and go on a rampage that tears their books to shreds. And to my fellow authors who have to endure the sometimes immature comments left by people who either don't know or don't care that they're talking about a real person who put gallons of blood and sweat into their work, just remember:

Thankfully, we live in a diverse world where there sill are people who are more interested in sharing the love than spreading the hate.