Note: The wonderful Marta Stephens shares her thoughts with us! Aren't we lucky? Thumb through the pages of your favorite book. Now, look close between the lines. That's where the author bled onto the pages and wove together a mystic world of fiction fed by life experiences. Every line of narrative and section of dialogue holds a thimbleful of truth. The second book in the Sam Harper Crime Mystery series is no exception. THE DEVIL CAN WAIT was … [Read more...] about Between the Lines
De-Stress for the Holidays, Part II
Note: This is Part II in a series of posts written by my scrapbooking friends on how they de-stress over the holidays. Be sure to check back on Dec. 15, 18 and 23 for more installments--JoannaWe are big outside light decorators. We have about 15,000 lights. So we enjoy also seeing other's displays. A nice way for us to de-stress is to do dinner out and take a drive looking for Christmas lights. Tonight we did just that and my Mom was with us. I … [Read more...] about De-Stress for the Holidays, Part II
How Stephanie Meyer Did It
As many of you know, I've been working every weekend doing signings in local bookstores. Because I'm usually at the front of the store, I get a lot of questions. And the one I get asked most often is, "Where can I find those Twilight books?"Here's a great article on what Stephanie Meyer did to build her brand. More importantly, notice that she didn't reach a tipping point (see Malcolm Gladwell's book Tipping Point for a better understanding of … [Read more...] about How Stephanie Meyer Did It
Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
You are a real TWIT.Well, it used to be a slam, but today it might be a compliment.As part of my new goal to become more social network savvy, I've been twittering. You can follow me at twitter.com/joannaslan I think. Who knows how all this works?Meanwhile, here's an interesting article on using Twitter for business:http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/How can an author use Twitter?1. Tell folks about your upcoming … [Read more...] about Tweet, Tweet, Tweet
De-Stress for the Holidays, Part I
Note: Last year I asked my scrapbooking friends to tell me how they de-stress during the holidays. I loved their answers so much that I decided to post one every Tuesday and Thursday (Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18 and 23) until Christmas. So be sure you can follow this blog for a very special treat--some welcome ideas for making the holidays a lot BRIGHTER because they aren't powered by STRESS energy!--JoannaSpending several days away from my home at my … [Read more...] about De-Stress for the Holidays, Part I
He's Joe the PLUMBER, Not Joe the AUTHOR
Here's a great editorial by Timothy Egan.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07egan.html?_r=1&th&emc=thTrue, there are all sorts of people whose lives are fascinating, whose thoughts deserved to be shared, and who are NOT by trade writers. But...I seriously take exception with the idea that every book by a minor celebrity deserves to be published. Egan's opinion piece is about Joe the Plumber, and Joe's book. Joe's book! Give me a … [Read more...] about He's Joe the PLUMBER, Not Joe the AUTHOR
