So I was minding my own business–going about my busy day when I suddenly remembered that TODAY WAS WEDNESDAY!!!! I mean, I knew it was Wednesday, but my inner schedule was telling me that I was two days into the work week, making me think it was Tuesday. *head thunk*
Okay, I’ll admit it. I hate change. Not all change. You can absolutely give me an extra scoop of ice cream in my sundae and I’ll roll with it. But, by golly you’d better make sure it’s chocolate ice cream. Never, in my whole life, have I ever picked out anything else. I kid you not. I’ve tried other flavors, but I would never pick them. *shudders*
I think there are advantages and disadvantages to being a creature of habit. I’ve noticed over the years, when forced out of my very cozy box, I usually end up glad that I took a risk. Three weeks after I got married, I finished my teaching job and hopped on an international flight by myself (never having been out of the country before) and moved to Germany for four years with my hubby who was in the military at the time. I didn’t come home for a year or see my family in that time. I will confess that this was a challenging start to married life for me. I will also tell you it was one of the best times I’ve ever had in my life, once I learned that the air outside the box was breathable. Yeah, you can picture me like a gasping Buzz Lightyear if your so inclined. The best thing about stretching out was that my box grew with me.
Although I like my new and stretchy box, I will tell you that there are good things about being a person who likes things the way they are. Sometimes it feels great to be content. There’s a tendency in our society to SUPER SIZE ME–to upgrade everything. Don’t get me wrong, I like a brand new, gadget just as much as the next guy. Especially when it’s got an apple logo on it. *grin* And a nice reliable car with a navigation system is a must for this spaceman with no sense of direction what so ever. But there are things that that I don’t believe are better with a trade in–friendship and family top that list for me.
Walking the line between having dreams and aspirations is tricky. Finding a balance between challenging myself and losing the core of who I am is something I tinker with every day. I don’t always get it right, but I’ve never met anyone who has. So I keep moving forward, carrying my box with me–it makes me feel safe. *snuggles box* And then, when someone pushes me from behind or the box just gets too heavy to cart around, I sit it down, step outside and see what the rest of the world has to offer.
Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July. Remember that part of being free is knowing who you are. Don’t be afraid to share that with the world–their gonna love you!
I’m constantly writing you blog posts with links and suggestions hoping you’ll take an interest in me, my book, my friends, my causes or stuff that just makes me go WOW!
Today is your day to get even. *wicked grin* This is Free Plug Friday.
Today on my blog, you can Plug anyone or anything about books. You can put your plug in the comments section as long as you can tell me a really good reason why I should check it out. Here is an example that works and one that doesn’t…
Check out Jodi Moore’s new picture book WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN. My kids (and I) love this book, it’s in it’s second printing and Jodi is my crit partner and she is AWESOME!!! Plus she’s posting pictures of sand castles on her web site…what better excuse do I need to go to the beach than that?
See…that was a good one. I’d check out that plug in a heartbeat.
This one not so much…
Check out my new book called WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MARKET TO THE MASSES INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALS.
Sorry, but I’m not really feeling the love, the devotion, the friendship, the excitement. See where I’m going with this?
Of course, even though today is not about me (see, no links) please feel free to click, friend, like, cheer, ask, share, or follow me anywhere unless you’re a stalker.
If you know of someone who needs a plug, pass this along and send them my way. Today is FREE PLUG FRIDAY!!!!
Kiersten White wrote a 50,000 word draft of a novel in nine days!!! And to top it off–it sounds freaking amazing. I’m not afraid to say it–just the thought of trying to do that scares the hell out of me. It took me 4 years to write SURFACE and I’m still tweaking it.
My first response to this news was to immediately deem myself a failure in all things writing. (Obviously, I am not keeping up with the cool kids.) But, after beating myself about the head and shoulders with a wet noodle, I breathed into a brown paper bag a couple a lot of times and started to realize something. Wheezing doesn’t help AND Kiersten has a different voice than I do. Simon Pulse didn’t buy my book because I sounded like the next Kiersten White–they bought it because I sounded like the first Kimberly Sabatini.
I’m also discovering that voice is more than the product that shows up on the page. A voice is an extension of who we are and how we craft. Kiersten is a kick-ass power house and accessorizes with a sparkly pink taser and that absolutely comes out in her characters. So, is it any surprise that’s how she writes and revises too? It’s her voice and that is why we love her.
I have a different voice. It’s a little bit of a dichotomy. It has a touch of stage fright, but it turns into a blabber mouth once it gets over it’s nerves. I don’t have a pink sparkly taser, even though it might come in real useful with three boys. And I can’t write a novel in nine days. It’s impossible for me to write my stories any faster than I can live them. It’s just my way–and it’s okay. Some days I wonder if you’re going to like my voice. It scares me to think about it, but then I remember that the best stories come from an author who has figured out how to love her own voice. The rest is beyond my control…
Just like my Freaky Friday Interviews of aspiring authors, I’ve discovered that there’s a whole world of YA bloggers just starting out. I thought it would be fun to highlight some of these newbie bloggers because-lets face it-bloggers are freaky book lovers too and we should all work together in our quest to take over the world one YA book at a time.
Today’s interview is with Mimi Abraham. We met on Book Blogs and you’re going to love her!
Hi Mimi–Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I am a 28 year old mother to a little 2.5 year old dude and a wife to a wonderful hubby of 4 years. I have had a passion for reading since I was a little girl and discovered Baby-Sitter’s Club which lead me to Goosebumps (I am one of the few girls who actually LIKES scary stories) and then my sister got me into Sweet Valley High. Right after highschool though I started working full time and going to school part time so I took a very long break from reading and started getting back into it about 2 years ago right around the time I *finally* graduated. Just last year I discovered the book blogging world and was really enjoying it so I started my blog; So Many Books, So Little Time which is the perfect title for me as I now have a lot of catching up to do!
I was a Sweet Valley High fan myself. Was pretty upset that my parents hadn’t planned better and made me a twin. Can you tell us a little bit more about your blog? What are you reading? Do you have a rating system? Have you had to give a bad review?
I started my blog four months ago and have been enjoying it so much! I have met such amazing people through blogging and gotten great recommendations. This month I started interviewing up and coming authors and hosting giveaways. Next month I plan to host a feature where I showcase other book lovers around the world.
I basically follow the Goodreads.com rating system; a scale of 1-5. Hmm, you just gave me an idea to put my rating system up on the blog. I do write a review for every book I read even if I didn’t like the book, and I am not a picky reader. Yes, a few [bad reviews]. It is a little hard but I’d rather be honest with myself and others who are following me.
I tend to favor YA and paranormal romance but I read anything! Ok expect maybe cheesy Harlequin Romance (you know the type). I’m currently reading Lover Unleashed which is book 9 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R Ward. Love those books!
I love it when I can spark a good idea! There are lots of book review blogs out there today and the number is growing. (in my humble opinion-this is a great thing) What suggestions would you give a newbie blogger, just getting started and what do you think sets your blog apart from the other bloggers out there?
I would tell a new blogger to be consistent with their blog and get themselves known; join meme’s like Follow Me Friday and post comments on other people’s blog. Giveaway blog hops are also great ways to get new people to visit you and see what you are all about.
I have noticed most people stick to a certain type of genre’s whereas I have more diversity.
I was also wondering, since there are more bloggers out there than ever before, what does a blogger need to do to stand out? How do they get followers interested and how do they keep them coming back?
I think if someone wants to stand out in the blogging world you have to put yourself out there. Be a frequent poster, visit and comment on other people’s blogs so that they know who you are, hosting giveaways is also a great way to get new followers (I highly recommend participating in a blog hop).
I’m curious, who is your audience at this time? Teens, Bloggers, Adults, Writers? And is that who you intended to blog for?
I think most of my bloggers are those who share an interest in YA. I actually read all types of books so I love to find new followers who love different genre’s because then I can get great recommendations but I do tend to favor YA 🙂
If you could have anyone stop on over to your blog for an interview, who would make your toes curl?
Steven King! That would be amazing!
Okay–I’ll give you that one. Excellent choice. Mimi, thanks so much for stopping by for an interview. Don’t forget to check out Mimi’s wonderful blog So Many Books, So Little Time. You can also hook up with her on Goodreads and Twitter.
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