Happy President's Day Let Freedom Ring

OUR FLAG FLYING FREE

And oh, how grateful I am that two great men struggled mightily so that I now live in a land where I pretty much live as I want! 

What do you do with your freedom?

The Revolution is OVER

What revolution am I talking about? Why, the one important to writers, the e-Revolution! What made me realize that the revolution was over? Simple.

Back in the nineties, the dinosaur age of the Internet, I used to work for a little, independent bookstore. I was also published in anthologies and magazines during this time. Fast forward to now, when I'm again being published in anthologies. And it's totally different.

How? Well, did I, while I worked for the bookstore, promote all the other authors in the anthologies I was in? Or the publisher who bought my short stories for the anthologies? Or even the publishers or their magazines? Of course not! Why would I? To what purpose? I might have signings for the anthologies, might mention to friends and family and that's it. Nobody even considered promoting another author or publisher.

NOW: Every time an author in An Eclectic Collage talks/mentions/sells the book it promotes me. Every blogger who blogs about Dreamspell Nightmares is also blogging about me. Instead of just me alone telling my friends and family about my writing, I've got all the authors promoting. And promoting authors of the publishing company that published my e-book story Changing Woman Ways, promotes my name. Why? The Internet. Connections are quick and easy to make and the more presence on the 'net the better.

Why do you think, my dear readers? And those of you who are writers, am I right? Or all 'net wet?

Happy Valentines Day!

HAPPY V DAY with some virtual roses

And may you all, my friends and family, follow your passion today.

How do you celebrate this holiday? Or don't you celebrate? Do you think it's delightful? Or disgusting?

A Childhood Recipe to celebrate An Eclectic Collage

Crispy Rice Cereal Treats Dyed Bright Pink!

Okay, I realize the top photo looks like hamburger...but I promise, it's not. This is a new beloved childhood recipe I'm posting to celebrate the release of An Eclectic Collage  a compendium of the Pixie Chicks Writers. In An Eclectic Collage, you'll find more of my fun recipes that you can add/change and foster your creativity.

Basic Recipe:

4 tablespoons margarine or butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 16 ounce bag of marshmallows (fresh mini marshmallows work best)

In a large saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat until it melts. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until marshmallows all melt. Remove from heat. Add crispy rice cereal and stir well. Using a greased spatula, spread mixture in a buttered 15 X 10 inch pan. Cut into bars when cooled.

Okay, now for the variations:
Add vanilla or rum or orange or lemon extract, a teaspoon or two.
Add a cup of nuts, or raisins or any dried fruit, or a cup of chocolate bits (or a third a cup of each!).

Add any spices you like, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cardamon.
Add 1/3 cup of cocoa.
Or be daring and trying a bit of pepper and hot sauce to the cocoa! Strange but good if you like it weird and spicy!

Cooking creates!

And just one off topic note--there's an interview about my childhood life and how it comes out in stories at midlist writer. No recipes, just the Navajo!

BSP is hard to do

Above are a couple of examples of BSP. The first is a recipe card that is a teaser or taste (pun intended) for the second, a signing for the upcoming release of the compendium, "An Eclectic Collage." The recipe cards I make by cutting and pasting onto Avery White Quarter Fold Greeting Cards Avery 3266. I copy and paste till each section is filled and then I have 4 cards per sheet.Then the cards promote the book at the signing.

I've had the good fortune to be published several times lately and have an upcoming release, a couple of things in "An Eclectic Collage." So I've been attempting to promote my work. And finding it a bit difficult. Oh, not in opportunities to promote, but rather in the feeling that BSP is somehow a four letter word. Perhaps it's the word, "blatant," does anybody want to be blaring an accomplishment? Doesn't that seem egotistical? Then I remember what my mom always said, "If you don't tell people, they won't know." She repeated this often because my dad was an artist and, a very shy man, he hated gallery openings, media interviews, etc.He just wanted to go do his art. I think that may be true of many creative people.

So when I worry about mentioning something and I'm procrastinating about promoting I tell myself, "Maybe some people might want to know about this."

How about you, dear reader? Do you enjoy promotion? Hate it? Don't care? Care too much?

New Year's Resolution, just one

My one resolution this is year is to relax as much as possible about my creative life. Yes, all creative people are neurotic and driven, I believe, but this year I'm working hard to remember what my friend Kathy of Well Placed Words says, "Writing is my love, my passion. When I remember that, I write more, better." How true for all us creative types!

Anyone else have a "creative" resolution?

And...

HAPPY NEW 2011!

Clearing the Decks instead of Decking the Halls

Every year I take a photo of the tree before I take it down.This is 2010's photo.

This is going to be a short post as I am in my annual "clearing the decks" before New Years. I clean, sort, put stuff away, update my files and eat leftovers. I find clearing out a year's accumulation of all sorts of stuff leaves space for the creative ideas to flood in! Plus, it's a good way to review the year to set the intentions of next year. Now, if I could just find the two missing "stocking stuffer" gifts to give New Year's...

Do you "clear the decks" before New Year's? Or do you wait until New Year's itself?