Slave Driver

My younger daughter has taken control and has put me on a writing schedule.

Today she gave me the mission of writing two short stories for Monday Minute Fiction. The first is published, ready to post at 12:01 AM Monday (tomorrow). The second will be written in a few minutes so I can post it for next Monday.

I know this shouldn't be necessary but prompts (and whips and whining) can be motivating.

The free short stories are planned through the end of March 2011, etc.

Does anyone motivate you to write? Keep up your blog? Get off the internet and write?

If so, who is it?

Armchair BEA: Consistency

Consistency.

It's good for many things: child-rearing, blogging, branding.

So what is my brand? "Variety is the Spice of Love"

Variety isn't exactly consistent. But I write in a variety of romantic sub-genres. Vampires. Ghosts. Witches. Futuristic Space Sagas. Futuristic Space Pirates. Time-travel. Contemporary romance. Sweet Romance. Erotic Romance (MM, MF, MFM, MMF). I'm sure I've forgotten a couple.

However, I try to stay consistent with blogging. This week aside, however, when I've had killer bronchitis and also trying to participate in Armchair BEA.

Mondays is MMF better known as "Monday Minute Fiction". I write a new free short story and post it here. It's always based on a picture sent to me by my friend Brynn Paulin.

Wednesdays is always an author interview or guest blog. This week because of Armchear BEA, it was a reader interview.

Saturdays is always "Saturday Snippets". In other words, romantic excerpts from one of my books and excerpts to several other Saturday Snippet excerpts.

I try to blog at least a couple other days a week, but don't promise. Usually I blog most days of the week. And I've been trying to stick to writing/reading/promotion related topics.

I like to follow several blogs. Two that come to mind have consistent blogging rituals.

The Bumbles hosts their Monday Movie Theme, Friday "On Blogging", another day "On Photos", etc.

Brynn at Writing at the Speed of Life hosts Monday Minute Fiction every Monday and author interviews on Wednesdays.

Do you have any blogging rituals? Do you think it matters?

Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 

Author Interview: Frances Pauli


Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Wendi Zwaduk are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Blog Jog Day - Coming May 9th

Blogmania was very successful.

So I've joined a similar event to happen Sunday May 9th: Blog Jog Day.

This will be a fun event designed to introduce you to new blogs and if you have a participating blog, to bring new and unique visitors to your blog.

The deadline for sign up is Wednesday May 5th - thus there's one day left if you'd like to sign up.

This event does not have prizes like Blogmania. At least that's not advertised. However, I will pair my Blog Jog Day with a contest - one lucky commentor will win a pdf copy of my erotic paranormal romance "Crazy In Love".

If you want to have fun finding new blogs, make sure to visit my blog to start jogging around the blogs this coming Sunday, May 9th.

Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 


Author Interview: Frances Pauli


Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Wendi Zwaduk are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

The Morning After

Whew! This was a busy blogging weekend. I feel as if it's the "morning after". I'm finally able to take a deep breath and evaluate everything.

Unlike some morning afters, I have no regrets. :)

Blogmania was terrific! I gained 74 followers this weekend. I had more than 100 comments and 588 visitors on one day alone. I found many new blogs I want to visit again. I met new people.

The blogfests have also been awesome. It's a great way to meet different kinds of writers, to build community, and stretch writing muscles.

Author interviews are a good way to give back to the community. Helping one another is what this world is all about.

If you're looking for good ways to promote, I recommend all of the above.

Blogmania is a semi-annual event. The next will be held September 15th. This time, I will offer more prizes and start promoting far in advance. Some of the blogs reported receiving 1,100 comments and two hundred new followers on that one day. To join in the fun in September, check out: Book Blogs ning/Blogmania

To find a list of writing Blogfests, visit Bloginfestation. There may be others and to find those, go to Google and search. Bloginfestation has a list of several such as "College Days" and "Flirt Fest".

I'm also hosting guest bloggers and interviewing bloggers. Sometimes they interview me, but that is not a requirement for me to host them. If interested, leave a comment or email me to set up a spot.

Most of this cost zero dollars. Blogmania can cost a lot or a little. It's up to you. Several bloggers awarded ebooks. One gave away a custom blog design. Others gave away jewelry, bath oils, bound books, toys, gift certificates...

I gave away copies of my ebooks and a $20.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. That's not a high price to pay for advertising but seemed well received.

Perhaps a group blog of writers might want to give away a Nook or a Kindle or a larger gift certificate.

Another promotion tool I use is writing free short stories such as Monday Minute Fiction. MMF posts tomorrow, so I'm off to write tomorrow's short story. Please check it out. If you'd like to participate in MMF, please contact Brynn Paulin at Writing At The Speed Of Life. She'll hook you up.

Please share here if you know of other good promotion opportunities for writers and bloggers. I love to find new ways to promote.

Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Wendi Zwaduk 


Author Interview: Frances Pauli


Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Wendi Zwaduk are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Bookville - New Chat Forum & How To Get Your Own Chat Forum

Have you heard of Bumble Town? Nabble?

No, I didn't say Farmtown.

"Bumble Town" is the Bumbles new chat forum and the inspiration for my new chat forum "Bookville".

Nabble is the site that helps bloggers to create a simple chat forum.

I promise, it's simple to set up a chat forum on Nabble.

Go to http://www.nabble.com/

Click on "Start a Free Forum".

You will be taken to a page that says "Nabble - Start Your Forum". Fill in the requested fields. Then click "Create Forum".

Then embed your forum's html code into your blog. On blogger go to "Layout", "Edit Pages", "Edit HTML", then "Publish Post".

After that you may change your avatar, set up a signature, and change other settings. To do so click on your name (example: AshleyLadd) which will be in the upper right hand side of your page. It will be an underlined link.

Then advertise your new forum and start chatting.

Like I need something else to take time away from my writing.

*If you left a comment for Marcia James on my blog yesterday, be sure to check back tonight after 6 for the announcement of her free book winner.

Recent posts you might like to read:

Author Interview: Marcia James

Author Interview: Elaine Hopper

Weathering A Bad Review

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

Incognito: free short story

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

New Tabs

I took my blog to the spa today. Do you see the difference?

I have TABS!

Finally!

I've been drooling over everybody's blog tabs, even tried to take Molly's advice on The Bumbles blog, but could never figure out how to put them on my blog and gave up in frustration.

But today, I buckled down and now I have beautiful, awesome tabs.

Thanks Molly!

Although her instructions were slightly different than what I had to do, she gave me great directions. I did everything she told me to, but I had to put the second section of html in a slightly different spot.

If you want to add tabs to your blog, visit The Bumbles here for instructions. The Bumbles is a fun and informative blog, so check it out.

Also, that's why I made so many posts today, to set up my new tabs.

How Much Time Do You Spend Blogging?

I was in a bloggers conference online today and the question was asked "How much time do you spend blogging?"

Most of the attendees said, "Too much but not enough."

Strangely enough, I know what they mean.

Blogging can take a lot of time, at least to do it right. Yet, life goes on around us so we can't (at least shouldn't) stay on the computer all the time. Yet, we spend a lot of time on the computer, often too much time. At least I do.

Often I skip exercising to blog. Time I used to spend writing books, I blog instead. Every evening before I go to sleep, I have to spend some time blogging and checking email.

Yet, despite that, there's not enough time. I'd like to design a new blog template. I'd like to write more posts. I'd like to add tabs to the blog and plan special feature days. Eventually I hope to do all of the above and more, but it won't be nearly as soon as I'd like.

Sometimes, life gets in the way. This week for example, my aunt died. Also, I worked at least two hours late at my day job four different days this week.

Blogging isn't for sissies.

Do you spend a lot of time blogging?

Recent posts you might like to read:

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

What Prompts Me To "Follow" A Blog

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

99 Things

99 Things

I found this on a new blog I just found through Follow Friday and I want to play: Danielle's "Diamonds on my Soles". Like Danielle, I'm a sucker for lists. I used to think I was the only one. My dad even once asked me when I was a kid, why I made lists. As a working girl, I HAD to keep a list to keep up with my boss so I wouldn't forget what I had to do. My lists saved my neck more than once.

Below is a list of 99 things you could have done, or not. IF you want to play, go through the list and bold the things you have done, and post.

Here's mine.

1. Started your own blog.

I'm not sure...is this a blog? :)

2. Slept under the stars.

Yep. When I used to go to YMCA summer camp for two or three weeks every year. Sometimes we'd camp out under the stars in just our sleeping bags.

3. Played in a band.


4. Visited Hawaii.

I wish...

5. Watched a meteor shower.


6. Given more than you can afford to charity.


7. Been to DisneyWorld.

Once, with my dad when I was 16. The really pathetic part is that I live in Florida, only 4 hours away from Disney and have been to Orlando for other things. But it's a big chunk of money to take my big family and I don't feel right just taking one or two at a time. But my kids have each gone with their schools or other friends at least once. All the kids in Florida manage to go one time or another.

I did, however, not only go, but work at Kings Island in Ohio for 3 summers. It's also a huge amusement park not too different from Disney, so I'm not amusement park deprived. My hubby and I met at Kings Island. It was also my first real job.

8. Climbed a mountain.

I've climbed many hills, but never a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.


10. Sang a solo.

Only to my kids at night like a lullaby or in my car to myself. But no, not a solo in front of an audience.



11. Bungee jumped.

Hell no!!!!



12. Visited Paris.



13. Watched a lightning storm.

A lot.



14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

If cooking counts, yes.


15. Adopted a child.


16. Had food poisoning.

I think so, back in the late 80s. I had to work 4th of July so my company treated us to barbeque dinners. I was never so ill and for 3 days I wanted to die. I also missed the fireworks because I couldn't get out of bed. This is one I wish I could've missed.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

My parents took me to NYC when I was 6. I don't remember much at all about the trip. I don't recall seeing the Statue of Liberty but maybe I was there and at the top. I'll have to ask my dad.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

I've tried. One or two survived long enough for us to eat them. Most died a very sorrowful death and so now I've taken pity on vegetable life and stopped trying to grow them.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.



20. Slept on an overnight train.



21. Had a pillow fight.

Duh! Of course. Maybe I'll have one today again. Sounds like fun.



22. Hitch hiked.

Another hell no! I've seen those horror movies about hitch hikers. (shudder)



23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

Never ever ever.



24. Built a snow fort.



25. Held a lamb.



26. Gone skinny dipping.



27. Run a Marathon.



28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.



29. Seen a total eclipse.



30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

Hasn't everybody?



31. Hit a home run.



32. Been on a cruise.

Only if you count a dinner cruise in Tampa Bay.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.



34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

I was born in the birthplace (Cincinnati, Ohio) where at least 4 or 5 generations of my family was born, if that counts. If you mean Germany, where the first people in my family were before migrating to the United States, then no. But I'd love to.



35. Seen an Amish community.



36. Taught yourself a new language.

I haven't but my daughter and her best friend are teaching themselves Korean and Japanese. Also, my best friend taught herself as many Spanish curse words as she could find (so she'd know if her boyfriend was swearing at her - so she said.)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.


38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.


39. Gone rock climbing.



40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.



41. Sung karaoke.

I got roped into it at a church party one night. I'm sure the people who forced me were very very sorry they did that.


42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.



43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.



44. Visited Africa.



45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

In South Florida and especially in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was even proposed to on the Biloxi beach under the moonlight. Also one of my book covers, "Civil Affairs" shows the hero and heroine together on the Biloxi beach under the moonlight. I think that's my favorite all-time cover.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.



47. Had your portrait painted.



48. Gone deep sea fishing.



50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.



52. Kissed in the rain.



53. Played in the mud.



54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.

Many many many times. There's only one left I know of in South Florida which is the Thunderbird Theater at the big Swap Shop. But that's a zoo with cars zooming in and out so I rarely go anymore. But I loved it as a teenager. My friends Julie, Cindy, and I went all the time. I also visited a lot with my hubby - but didn't necessarily see the movies. :) I find it very sad that they're dying. They were so much fun and had so many good memories.



55. Been in a movie.

No, but I was in my highschool newscast as an anchor person every month. Once I read my script off a roll of toilet paper. My cousin, Vicky, teased me mercilessly for years about that.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.



57. Started a business.

Yes, a ceramics greenware shop with my hubby. It was NOT a good experience and one I wish I had never experienced.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

I took Taekwondo with my three youngest children and my grandson for a couple years. I decided it was too much about nothing after I had got all the way up to brown belt. It had its good points, but I wasn't ready to give up the rest of my life to be at the karate studio every day but Sunday.



59. Visited Russia.



60. Served at a soup kitchen.

Yes. When I went on a missions trip to Jamaica with the charity I work for. We helped the Salvation Army serve the street people in Kingston.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

Yep. Every year for many many years. And then I also helped my daughter sell them as I was a Girl Scout parent.

62. Gone whale watching.



63. Got flowers for no reason.



64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.

You bet. Both. My younger daughter donated blood for the first time 3 weeks ago. I was very proud of her.

65. Gone sky diving.

Hell NO! WHY would I jump out of a perfectly good plane???



66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.



67. Bounced a cheque.

Maybe when I first had a check book, but not in many many years.



68. Flown in a helicopter.



69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

For a long time I saved my "Polly the Parrot" even though one of my pets had chewn him up pretty bad. But this just made me realize I've not seen my polly in a long time so I don't know if he's out in the garage or if someone threw him away. I sure hope they wouldn't do that to poor Polly.



70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

A couple times when I was a kid on school and Girl Scout trips.



71. Eaten Caviar.

No way, Jose! At least I wouldn't on purpose, and not that I know of.



72. Pieced a quilt.

Part of one, not a whole one. I took a quilting class at church several years ago and made a few pieces of a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

MAYBE when I was six on that trip with my parents. I'll have to ask my dad.



74. Toured the Everglades.

This is pathetic as I live one mile from the Everglades and have for the past twenty one years, but NO. I have this silly aversion to alligators so I don't venture out into the swamp and keep a fence between me and the canal behind our house.

75. Been fired from a job.

sigh...Unfortunately yes.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.



77. Broken a bone.

Two bones in fact. My big toe on my right foot. And when I was 6, my nose - or maybe that was the cartilage that got damaged. Anyway, my nose was in an awful burlap cast the entire summer I was 6 and I HATED it!

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle.

Nope. Not even when my hubby owned a motorcyle. I asked him to give me a ride but he never did. Bad bad hubby. :(



79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.



80. Published a book.

;) All the time. This month, March 2010, I have three books being published: one sweet under my alter ego's name at The Wild Rose Press and two as Ashley Ladd with Total-E-Bound.com - "Crazy in Love" March 22nd and "Welcome To Paradise" came out already on March 8th. Then there's one in April, two in May, one in July, and one in August.

81. Visited the Vatican.



82. Bought a brand new car.

The van I drive now was bought brand new. One or two of my other cars were. Most were used.



83. Walked in Jerusalem.



84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

In the high school newspaper definitely.



85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve.



86. Visited the White House.

Yes, a couple times when I was a teen - the same trips I saw the Lincoln Memorial.


87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

No. I grew up shooting guns, but always target practice with non-live targets.  (rifles, pistols, skeet, and trap). Once my dad took me hunting but I couldn't stand to put an animal in my sites or hurt one. We ended up putting old cans on a hillside and shooting at them instead. I hate fishing too for that reason. I don't want to hurt a poor fish anymore than any other animal.



88. Had chickenpox.

Twice. When I was about 5 and again when I was 26. It wasn't bad at all when I was younger, but I when I was 26, it was absolutely horrible. I caught it from my 3 year old daughter. I was surprised as I'd always heard a person could only get chickenpox once in their life. Now I wish it had been worse as a child.

89. Saved someone’s life.

Maybe. My family was in a burning car in Biloxi, Mississippi when my oldest three children were still babies. My husband took the two older boys out of the car and stood on the side while I wrestled to get my infant daughter out of her car seat while they were yelling, "Hurry up before the car blows up." The car never blew up but continued to burn. So if I'd left her in the burning car (which I never would of course) she probably would have died. So the answer is yes.



90. Sat on a jury.



91. Met someone famous.

Yes. Both big name romance authors and also my bosses where I work are pretty famous and they bring a lot of other famous people into our offices a lot.


92. Joined a book club.



93. Got a tattoo.



94. Had a baby.

FIVE



95. Seen the Alamo in person.

Yep. I was inside the Alamo for at least half hour on a tour. When I was in Basic Training for the Air Force I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. They let us loose one Saturday afternoon toward the end of our training and my friends and I went into San Antonio and the Alamo was one of our first stops. I was expecting a really big, impressive fort. It was a really dinky structure in the park surrounded by tall buildings, maybe even some sky scrapers. I'm sure it looked way different back when it was attacked by Indians.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.



97. Been involved in a law suit.

Unfortunately, yes. A couple. NOT fun.

98. Owned a mobile phone.

I'm on my second or third and need to get a new one as the screen has a giant crack in it. We don't even have a house phone anymore.



99. Been stung by a bee

Several times. But bee stings aren't as bad as wasps. Once I was stung by seven wasps at once when I was a kid. I sat on the steps going up to the second floor of my grandpa's old and pretty dilapidated garage when a nest of very angry and hostile wasps barrelled out at me. Ouch!

Recent posts you might like to read:

What Do You Want in a Romance Hero & What Do You Want in a Real Life Husband?

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

What Prompts Me To "Follow" A Blog

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Friday Follow: A Celebration of Followers

I'm home from work ill today and thus confined to bed. My laptop doesn't care if I'm contagious or if my voice won't work and I can lay down and rest while not going totally bonkers from boredom.

Here's one of my new finds I thought you might enjoy, too. I love to find new blogs and make new bloggy friends, so here goes. I'm game.

 

 Today's Friday Follow Sponsor.

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

•* Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

•* Grab the Friday Follow and Sponsor buttons and include both on your Friday Follow blog post.

•* Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.

•* Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you like

•* Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow

•* Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

The list is new each week. The links do not carry over. Please link up each week for new participants to find your blogs. The list is only open to add your blog links on Fridays. It will be visible all week to visit the blogs listed.

The hostesses realize the time required to participate in Friday Follow. Due to the overwhelming number of entries each week, they understand everyone, including ourselves, may not be able to follow every blog. To keep it fun, follow what you can at your own pace. They appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued participation!

Friday Follow Blog Hop (March 12)

Hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades . Join us every Friday as we celebrate followers! Link up your blog name and URL below to follow and be followed!

Want to be a part of this Blog Hop?

Click here for instructions and code...

Click here to enter your link in this Blog Hop

Let's make this year the best ever for blog followers! Spread the word about Friday Follow by grabbing our button and come celebrate again every Friday. Feel free to also send out a tweet, blog, stumble or share the news in your own special way!

Is Blogging Safe?

I was just at The Bumbles blog reading a post about privacy online. How much transparency should we have? Should we be concerned that one of our followers will turn into a cyber bully, indeed a stalker? As always, the Bumbles hosted quite a lively discussion so you may want to pop over there and get their take on the topic.

As a published author who wants to connect with my readers, it's a difficult line I walk. I feel like I'm doing a fancy routine on a balance beam or worse, walking a tight rope. I want to share interesting tidbits about me, the person behind the stories, so I can make a personal connection to readers.

I've also made blogging friends from blogs I visit and from bloggers who visit me. Most are fellow writers with whom I have a lot in common. Others are readers or moms like myself. We talk shop. We talk about our families, how they affect our writing, how our writing affects them, and how our writing mixes with the rest of our daily lives. A few times I've forgotten other people are privy to the conversation because they lurk. They read the posts, perhaps read the comments, but don't leave comments of their own. I know because I check my daily stats and many more people visit than leave comments.

To date, I've not been part of a flame war online and I hope never to be. I've witnessed a few and don't wish to be involved. I like to leave conflict to my fictional characters. It's fun to read, even fun to create in a fictional setting, but I hate it in real life. How I became a customer service rep much less manager of a customer service department I'll never understand. It's a mystery as I run from conflict.

Perhaps admitting what I do in my day job is giving out too much information. However, I don't give out my employer's name or city, so hopefully, that protects my privacy while still sharing what makes me tick.

Some of the commenters on The Bumbles post about this topic are even leery of using Facebook. Again, as an author trying to get my name out to the reading public, I have accounts on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Up to now, I've not had a problem except for finding time to visit all my accounts and still find time to write, blog, be a mom and wife, work a full time job... This week, I chose to write and thus I didn't blog as much. But what is a writer who doesn't write? That's food for another blog post.

As for lurking, I'll admit it. I lurk on some blogs. On some I comment a lot. Others I comment sometimes. It depends on whether I can leave a relevant, intelligent response. I don't want to leave an inane comment just to show my name. One of my favorite blogs to read is Copyblogger. It's intelligent and provides a lot of useful blogging and promotion advice. I'm a huge fan and read it daily. Yet I've never left a comment. Why? I'm afraid my addition to the conversation wouldn't be helfpful. Also, it's more like a magazine or newspaper than a friend.

What about you?

Do you lurk and if so, why? How much information do you share on your blog or in your emails with the online community?

If you're on Facebook, MySpace, or another social medium, do you post pictures of yourself and even your family?

What Prompts Me To "Follow" A Blog

It's the weekend and so I get some free time. Perhaps I should be writing (fiction writing, not blogging) but I'm doing another favorite activity - blog hopping.

Why I Visit Blogs
I visit blogs for many reasons. I like to keep current with the romance writing/reading/promotion news. I like to learn new things about writing and publishing so I read editors/agents/other writers/and even readers blogs. I can get lost in blogland for hours.

In the course of visiting other blogs, I find some I love, some I like, and some I don't like so much. Usually the ones I like share useful information about writing/promoting/or publishing. I also enjoy blogs that share gossip, opinions and news about the romance writing community. I also like to read about writers' day to day lives.


Why I follow a blog
Before I "follow" a blog I read several posts on the blog. Sometimes I may visit several days before following. If I enjoy the posts, if the blogger follows me, if the blogger comments on my blog and befriends me, I follow them.

However, I don't follow blogs that only post excerpts from their books. I also don't follow blogs that are purely book reviews. I don't follow blogs that bore me.

I want to learn and/or be entertained. I want to connect with other writers and readers. I want to meet interesting people. I want to get ideas for blog posts.


Why do you follow a blog?
Why do you follow blogs? Do you follow many?

Recent posts you might like to read:

Don't Be Quick To Quit Your Day Job

When Do You Write?


Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Friday FIll-Ins: Edition 140 (my edition 2)

Graphic courtesy of Tonya!

1. That's a bitch to be.

2. You who! I'm over here!

3. The possibilities include: life and death.

4. Chili spaghetti & cheese is one of my favorite cool day recipes.

5. How will you know me after all these years?

6. A day off, a soft bed, a hot guy and a stormy sky. If no hot guy, then a steamy romance novel.

7. See my other # 7 from #140

I'm a week late for this version #140 so if I get the chance after the day job tomorrow I'll add edition #141 beneath this. 1. I feel inspired - I just watched Julie & Julia again and have a lot more ideas for my blog. For instance, I'm still going to write about writing and my books, but I'll add more tidbits for transparency, like Julie did with her cooking project. 2. Blogging is always fun. - Even when it feels like working. :) 3. Right now, I can hear these things: my husband complaining, my daughter rolling her eyes (yes, I can HEAR that very LOUDLY!), the TV in the other room (undoubtedly a cop show knowing my hubby), and the hum of the ceiling fan. 4. It's TGIF and I'm glad I don't have to wear fancy shoes and clothes for the next two days! 5. The last time I saw people dress like Julia Child was in my parents' wedding photos. (It was pretty cool to imagine what it was like when my parents got married in 1950 about the same year Julia Child's sister Dorothy got married. I'm a genealogy buff so I love this sort of thing). 6. Except for seeing Transformers 2 at the theater, I vegged out this past Labor day weekend. 7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to blogging and Twittering probably, tomorrow my plans include baking in the Sun and walking at my daughter's softball games and Sunday, I want to see Star Trek at the dollar theater - I hope it's still there! Let me expand on what I mentioned in fill-in number one: Although I've done it to a point, I'm going to TRY to express more of my feelings about writing and the publishing and promoting process in this blog. I'm also going to TRY and log at least one promotional thing I've done new each day. To kick this off, I found "LinkMommy.com" through a tweet on Twitter which I'm exploring as I blog. Did I mention I was ADHD? I have to multi-task or die. My idea of the worst torture is to make me do only one thing - well, maybe it's second next to getting eaten alive by an alligator or shark. On LinkMommy I found job ads which isn't exactly promoting, but if you've been following me, you know I'm anxious for my adult daughters to get gainful employment. I very happily and quickly sent the link to them to check out. I can't exactly vouch for LinkMommy, but I am going to check it out. The quote about free and very low cost advertising caught my interest. Of course, "low cost" is in the eye of the beholder. My idea of low cost is usually no more than $30.00 and really more like $10.00 or under. Free is extremely good for me. :) Weekends, like I mentioned in Fill-In #7 is the time I usually tour blog land and surf the net looking for promo opportunities and fun things. While most other people are taking weekends off, this is my main time to partake of my second job (writing/promoting). You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Weekends or Weekdays???

Are you a weekend or weekday blog reader? I'm definitely a weekend one. Sometimes I get a bit of time to read blogs on weeknights after I get home from the day job, I have a lot more time on the weekends. I assumed the majority of people would be like me. I just read an article that says I'm wrong, that the majority of people read blogs on weekdays. Monday is the busiest blog reading day of all. According to the article this is because a lot of people read blogs at their jobs and catch up on blogs for the week on the first day of their work week. I would get fired if I tried that. My employer actually expects us to work (yes, that dirty little four-letter word) while we're at work. Imagine that. Because my employer is very serious about wanting us to work, they monitor our computer usage and internet visits. We have a "Top 10 Most Wanted List". So you can see why I don't blog, read my aol email, or surf the internet at work. Most of the social networking sites are blocked anyway. I can't reach aol or hotmail if I wanted to. If I didn't write, blog, and surf the internet on weekends, I wouldn't get to do these things much. Weekends are "me" time. I often don't get off the day job till 6 p.m. and then I have to take my children to scouts, church, ball games, etc. so I don't get home till 9 or 10 p.m. So, I'd like to take a poll here - when do you read blogs the most? Every day? Weekdays? Weekends? One or two certain weekdays? Why? You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

The Cat Threw Up On My Computer

I almost forgot to post my blog on Total-E-Bound's blog for tomorrow (my assigned day is the 5th of every month). Whew! I remembered just in time. If you want to see it, hop over to: http://www.total-e-bound.com/ then click "blog" My computers are ALL broken again so I'm posting this from somewhere else that is Top Secret and Highly Classified. The kids blame me. Hubby blames me. Well, they blame me for all but three of the broken computers (and six are broken). The cat threw up on the Desk Top's keyboard. DS3 did something to his own and to hubby's computer. My fingers and toes are crossed that DS1 will take pity on me and fix at least one of my computers tonight. But he's married and works overtime a lot so I'm not going to hold my breath. And he's sick of fixing my computers, I'm sure. After all, how can a non-writer know how important it is to blog daily, answer emails, critique, edit, promote, and write??? Nor does he understand that I ran a contest that was supposed to be over last night and the prize is trapped on a broken computer. Okay, enough of my whining about computers. I need to call DS1 to see if my prayers are answered. You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Website Grader

Maybe because I was an Accountant once upon a time, or maybe just because I'm nosy, I like to analyse what I'm doing right and wrong. Heaven knows I had it drilled into my head enough in accounting to analyse everything. Even now that I've said a fond farewell to the accounting field, my day job boss expects me to analyse reports for him.

And I find myself analysing my website and book sale performance.

I'm a sucker when it comes to widgets and links that promise to analyse my performance. Thus today when I spied a widget that said "My website grade is 98%" I had to find out what my grade was.
I clicked on Website Grader and within moments an analysis of my blog was emailed to me.

Unfortunately, I didn't earn a 98%. My grade is 81%.

In academic terms that's a B- on a 10 point scale. In real terms it means that 19% of all websites taken into account by this program are superior to mine. On the positive side, 80% are not as good. More specifically, this means www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com ranks 361,126 of the 1,874,088 websites that have been ranked so far. Since many blogs are abandoned, 80% may not be as high as it initially appears.

Website Grader gave me a few suggestions for improvement. Some will be easy to implement such as add metadata to my site such as meta description and meta keywords.

Others won't be as easy such as increasing traffic to my site. Traffic is something I constantly struggle to attract, oftentimes to the detriment of writing stories.

According to this analysis I have too many pictures on my site. I would have guessed just the opposite. Several of my posts have no pictures. Most of the popular blogs I visit show one picture per post.

Website Graders informed me my domain is scheduled to expire in a year. I didn't know Blogger sites expired. I will have to look into this to see if this is something I can fix or if it's something Blogger will do automatically behind the scenes.

My website has an "Alexa" rank of 5,308,741 which is in the top 17.071 % of all websites. if this is true, why do my Site Meter analytics suck? Before tonight, I had never heard of Alexa but of course I will research it now.

Ashleyladd.blogspot.com has 3,399 inbound links. Really? That sounds like a lot of links. So why is my page rank only 3 out of 10 with Google?

Blog Grader gave me a grade of 67. In other words, a lousy D.

At the end of the report there's a free download of internet marketing tips to help improve my site. Free is within my budget so business student that I am, I will probably look into it. I could never stand to fail. I was always one of those annoying students who had to earn A's and B's. C's and below kill me.

Recent posts you might like to read:

When Do You Write?

Nanowrimo Thoughts 

To Nano Or Not To Nano - That Is The Question

Why You Should Consider Library Booksignings

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Are You Writing Me Into Your Book?

Dont Give Up Too Early

Must Write Must Write Must Write!!!

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Bloggers' Block

You've heard of "writer's block", right? Who hasn't? It's infamous. Even Shakespeare suffered from it - at least according to "Shakespeare in Love" one of my all-time favorite movies with the very luscious Joseph Fiennes. I'm not suffering from writer's block as far as my novel-writing is going. In fact, I have so many ideas I'm frustrated that I don't have enough time to get everything down on paper fast enough. I can't decide what to write first. No, I'm suffering from blogging block. It's a cousin of writer's block because face it, blogging is also a form of writing unless I start posting wordless pictures which I have seen some blogs do. It's darn tough to come up with a new and interesting blog daily, sometimes two or more daily as I blog on more than one blog. I blog at RomErotica Writers on the 19th of every month and I blog at TEB's blog Hitting The Hot Spot on the 5th of every month. Then of course I blog daily on Happily Ever After, this blog. At least I try to. I've not only heard other writers speak about where and how to get ideas for our books, I've written articles on it. But blogging is different. I try to write a post without fail 365 days a year. I usually pre-blog a week in advance so I won't screw up and miss a day if I'm sick or busy or just plain tired or perhaps on a grueling deadline. In fact, I'm out of blog posts on Happily Ever After so I have to get cracking tonight and write at least a week's worth when I finish this post. Oi! So how will I overcome my blogging block? Usually I visit my normal blogs then hop around the blogosphere to new blogs and take note of interesting discussions. Sometimes I read the current news and comment on that. And if I'm really stumped? I'll post a funny picture or video and comment on it. How do you combat and overcome bloggers' block? And writers' block? If you haven't checked it out already, please check out my new and improved website: Ashley Ladd The book section is still under construction as I learn Word Press and how to upload my images. Also, here's a blurb from my most recent contemporary romance "Heart and Soul" available at Total-E-Bound. Blurb from "Heart and Soul" Mischa Bennett feels she is the luckiest woman alive to be engaged to Steve Krashin, the most wonderful man in the world. That is until he deep-soul kisses Vin in front of her and introduces him as his lover. Reeling, Mischa breaks up with Steve. When pushed, her heart breaking, she admits Steve still owns her heart – but she refuses to give him her soul. Excerpt

The sun melted into the Ohio River, spiking it with reds and oranges, pinks and golds. It was a magical sight, one that made Mischa Bennett sigh with delight.

A few stars already twinkled in the dimming sky, vying with the sun for supremacy. They reminded Mischa of the little cocktail diamonds that sparkled in her new engagement ring, the one her fiancé Steve Krashin had just given her the month before during a similar spectacular sunset.

She loved the river, how it ribboned around the Ohio Valley between the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. She loved how the trees, full of their summer leaves, bowed low and drizzled their limbs in the water. She loved the river towns, the warm summer breezes and the languid weekends when she could make love with Steve all day and all night long.

Time stood still in this world. It was their mystical place and would forever be precious.

Steve trailed his tender fingertips along her brow as he stared down at her. “You’re so very beautiful. You know I can see the sunset in your eyes?”

Giddy, she made a moue of her lips. Not to be outdone, she said, “You look like a god when the sun puts golden sparks in your hair.” She sifted her fingers through his locks delighting in its silkiness. Still hungry, but not for food, she licked her lips. She’d already mussed his curls, hours before, and she liked it with that look. It was a good look on him, the just made love look. She intended him to wear it every day of their lives.

“Are you really going to make me wait until next February to become your husband?”

She rose on her elbow and stared deeply into his incredible eyes, loving the sootiness of his long, dark lashes. She tapped his chin with her finger. “You know I want us to be married on Valentine’s Day. Besides,” she said with a devilish curve to her cheek, “whose making you wait?” She snaked her arm around his neck and drew his head down to hers to savour his lips.

His lips tasted so good, better than chocolate, and she adored chocolate. She was addicted to chocolate so she was absolutely obsessed with her fiancé’s lips. They were firm and soft all at the same time. They sent her into a spiral that made her toes curl and elicited soft moans from her deepest core.

Against her lips, he murmured, “Every day is magical with you. Every day is blessed.”

Carefree, her laughter tinkled above the night sounds. “You, sir, are a charmer.”

Languidly, he caressed her arm. “So long as I’m your Prince Charming.”

Mischief played in her soul, and she loved their easy banter. “And my knight in shining armour.”

“Doesn’t a prince trump a knight?”

“You trump both.” She meant it. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world. I have you.”

“You do.” He claimed her lips again, and his thumbs hooked into her bikini bottoms and pushed them down her quivering thighs. His hand followed as he smoothed his palm over her pussy. Possession humming through his fingers, he cupped it then rubbed her clit until it became a tiny little pearl.

Either a tidal wave had picked up their boat and hurled it towards that magical horizon, or she was quaking with desire. She didn’t care which as long as it never ended.

Returning the favour, she slipped her hand under the elastic waistband of his swim trunks and delved inside. Seeking his heat, she curled her fingers around the base of his cock, gratified that it swelled in her hands. She loved how it throbbed and flexed, how it was velvety soft yet hard all at the same time.

“Ooh, baby. Do that much longer, and the only thing we’ll be wearing is a blanket of stars.”

“Um. Sounds good to me.” It wouldn’t be the first time they’d made love on the boat with just the sky for a covering. If it was up to her, they’d honeymoon on the boat—if the honeymoon wasn’t set to occur in winter when the river would be iced over. Of course, she could do as he suggested and get married earlier…

But it took time to plan a wedding, and even February was pushing it. As it was, her mother was going crazy with all the preparations and everything was booked.

“Someone might see us,” he drawled, his voice husky, his thumb creating a rhythm that drove her crazy.

Accessing information is so much easier nowadays

Writing and submitting now is so much easier than pre-Internet days. Do you remember having to go to the library or bookstore to get reference books to find out who the publishers are, where they are located, what type of books they publish and who their editors are? Then, because the books couldn't be updated daily like the Internet, we'd have to make a phone call to make sure that editor was still with the publisher or to find out who the current editor was? If we needed to research a book, we'd have to haul our heines to the library again and find a bunch of books on our subject. We might have to put some of those books on reserve and wait weeks to get them. We might have to call or drive to interview someone. About the only time we ever got insight into publishers' and editors' minds was at writing conferences and in industry magazines. And then it was a few here and there. Fast forward to October 2008 and all the advantages we have now. We can log online from our bedrooms 24-7 and access a ton of information and industry news daily. We don't have to wait for a month or more to meet with our writing groups or go to a conference or get our monthly writers' magazine to get new information. With the flip of a switch and a few keystrokes, we merely sign online and start reading articles and chatting with fellow authors and other industry professionals. Editors post daily blogs now about what they like and don't like. They're very helpful and the insight is amazing. We meet with our critique groups online and can get help within days, sometimes within hours or even immediately. We definitely live on the information highway. I found a new editor's blog tonight and added it to my favorite links list. I found her on Twitter. Not only has our writing and publishing world become easier, but our social networking has an added dimension. I chat with people across the globe, daily. I've become friends and business partners with many people I've yet to meet face to face. Two of my cousins met their spouses online through E-Harmony. One is already happily married. The other is engaged and has yet to meet his fiancee face to face. I'm sure there are many more things we can do online that are good (and not so good) that we couldn't do before. Personally, I get sidetracked by visiting blogs, mahjong, and scrabulous too much. And as wonderful as it is to have more knowledge about my career, it means my competition is larger and fiercer because they too have all these added bonuses. Don't misunderstand: I still love books and libraries. We don't always find everything on the Internet. I have reference books on my shelf. But I'm in awe that I can look up editors and read their thoughts and tips so easily. You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Blogging - does it scratch the writing itch?

I don't remember who said it but I was lurking on literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog when I read it, but one editor/agent type said that they are not impressed when unpublished writers start promoting themselves pre-publication (I think he meant before they'd secured a contract). Of course, he may have been being as snarky as hell. It's a pretty snarky blog at times which is why I'm falling in love with it. Anyway, this guy said that he thinks blogging scratches the writer's itch. Another response that surprised me regarding blogging is that some of the commentors thought it would satisfy the readers' itches so that they would no longer want to buy the writers' books. (Yes, I think they mean writers in the plural). Eek! Are we writers sabotaging ourselves blogging? I don't mean writers who post most or all of their book free online and then wonder why they have low sales. Yes, I have seen a few authors do this which makes me go "huh?" and scratch my head in wonder. I have to admit I do spend time daily reading blogs - my bloggie friends as well as general blog hopping. I suppose you could say this cuts into my other reading time, time I would read a book I actually paid for. Also, although I wouldn't say that blogging "scratches my itch to write" I'm often too tired after blogging to do any of my other writing. So are blogs undermining book sales? I suppose you could say free Internet articles and stories also get in the way of sales. My teenage daughter spends hours on free fiction story sites. Hmm... Soooooooooo, while I've been blogging to attract new readers as well as new friends, have I sabotaged myself? Am I helping readers to be delinquent in buying books to read? I rather thought when I started my blog that it was a really cool way to get to know new people, to be part of the blogging community, to whet my readers' appetite for knowledge of superly stupendous exciting me. That is, before the movie of my life comes out on the big silver screen in Technicolor. So, what do you think about all this? Goody! The dogs are going bananas. That means our Chinese take out is here. Gotta run. Chinese beats blogging. :) You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)