Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net I know you’re all saying what is this weirdness I’ve been seeing going on with my blog. I have been posting blogs. It’s been awhile, I know. According to the date of my last blog it has been a year and almost five months. What changed? What happened? Well, first off I wanted to help authors reach new readers and I want new readers to find me. So what you can expect hopefully for the next year I hope is the following.
On Mondays an author will share their cover, blurb and buy links. Hopefully the cover will sell you on a great book and you’ll take a chance on a new author. Saturdays you’ll get a little bit more. An excerpt for another book will show up and you’ll get a sneak peek into their story. Midway through the month I’m going to attempt to give you another kind of peek, one into my world and all its craziness. Look back at my older posts to get a feel for the Midmonth Madness. This month I’m going to share some great news.
Midmonth Madness---I made it!!!!
I’ve finally made it. I know sure I haven’t bought a new car, house or paid off the student loan debt that may go to the grave with me, but I’ve still made it. Want to know how I know this? It’s simple math. Maybe it’s a simple pest control that needs to be handled, or a combination of things. See when you put out your first book you know certain goals you want. Sell X number of books. Be able to pay off those student loans (no seriously I might just need a go-fund me on this one). Or simply to get a contract with a certain company.
All crazy dreams of someone who’s watched way too many movies or read too many sweet tales where the underdog not only gets the bone, but some kibble too. Yep, once you’re published you start to learn what true success looks like. It involves haters. Trolls, hence the pest control issue. See way, way back many centuries ago, or two and a half decades or so, before the internet was more than just a long dialing phone with a guy running across your screen people were vicious. Oh they would write scathing reviews or show up at your book signings bemoaning the horror that was your book. There’s the rub, it was in person or required a stamp or editor’s approval before it saw the light of day. Now a few clicks a person can tear down everything you do because it’s not like there’s a human being on the other side of the computer screen. Even if there was what are the chances they’d see it?
If your goal is to knock me off my writing, congratulations, there is a human on the other side of the computer. I know the whole thick skin we’re supposed to attribute to us being grown up would be nice. Unfortunately some no longer want to leave a scathing review with constructive notes. Nope, it’s all about the little digs. I’ve had enough of the little digs. My current troll’s favorite thing to add in her “comments” is to point out that I’m an unknown author. They then moved onto a slightly constructive criticism, followed by repeating that I am an unknown author.
Now this shouldn’t bother me. I’ve brought up some of the biggest names in my genre only to hear who? So not being know by everyone in the world isn’t too big of a deal, but it’s the way they are saying it. Who is this mysterious vermin? I have no clue and truly I’m moving on. I’ve had my two week hiatus and groaning over my lack of sales and poor me sobfest because I am unknown. Over twenty books later my fan base isn’t going to put me onto a best seller list when my book drops. I’ve made some good friends in the writing world because it is all about connections. Even those can be dangerous. For one reason or another those I’ve supported feel it’s not enough. Is this my troll coming back with a fake name and profile? Maybe, but I can’t focus on who I haven’t supported to their satisfaction. In Unwrapping a Marriage it is brought up that the wife needs to set limits because takers never do. And ain’t that the truth!
Cutting back from friends that are toxic and use the should word more often than any other word. You know the ones. “You should do this” or “you should do that”. Thanks to Merriam-Webster we have the definition of this word. “—used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or expediency”.
Only, it has taken on a life of it’s own. Should has turned into a failure word. You have failed in what you are doing and you should being doing this instead. Your kid is XYZ and you should do something about XYZ. You should change your name because people think your XYZ. You’re not right and you should change yourself.
I don’t use a pen name. Should I? (gotcha there didn’t I) That’s my choice and my decision to make. Things I should do, exercise, eat right and love my family. Well, one out of three ain’t bad. There are lots of things I should do, but the biggest one is to remove the hate from my heart. The self doubt and questioning of choices I’ve made because it upset the balance of a person who was probably a little off balance to begin with.
Every morning Lexi Post (if she’s an unknown author to you well your welcome because now you know her.) she posts a positive event in her life that means it’s going to be a good day. I look for those posts. It may be as simple as hearing a bird in the morning or finding her favorite fruit at the market. No matter what it is she is finding the joy in life and making it a good day. Then there’s Jerrie Alexander… Seriously you don’t know her either? Well come back on Saturday and you’ll see an excerpt from one of her books and again, your welcome. She starts each day with the national day, you know it’s national peanut butter day or it’s national blueberry day. Whatever the day she reaches out and discusses what’s good about the day even if she doesn’t like national orange sherbet day. (the writer of this blog does not attest to whether or not Jerrie Alexander likes or dislikes orange sherbet. She may find it a refreshing treat. Who knows? Quit being so serious about life.)
Now to pest control. I’m going to quote the great Kevin Smith, director, writer, actor, producer all around voice of my generation because well, Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy etc, etc spoke to me. A troll went after his daughter Harley. Yep it’s not just me who’s raising a kid that’s XYZ bad. His response to this person was simple. “But here's a nickel's worth of free advice for folks like this Troll: if you hate me (or my kid) this much, the better use of your time is to make YOUR dreams come true, instead of slamming others for doing the same. The best revenge is living insanely well - so if you wanna get back at a 17 year old girl for the grievous crime of enjoying her life, the best way to do it is to succeed in your OWN existence.”
I don’t know why this particular troll has a burr in their saddle about me and you know what, that’s okay because their burr is my success. Sure I may never pay off student loans or even quit my day job, but I create characters that people love. They touch people and invade their dreams. They want to know there will be a happy ending and the search out my next book. Your negative existence will not ruin my day any longer. Why because this morning I had bacon and that means it’s going to be a good day.
On Mondays an author will share their cover, blurb and buy links. Hopefully the cover will sell you on a great book and you’ll take a chance on a new author. Saturdays you’ll get a little bit more. An excerpt for another book will show up and you’ll get a sneak peek into their story. Midway through the month I’m going to attempt to give you another kind of peek, one into my world and all its craziness. Look back at my older posts to get a feel for the Midmonth Madness. This month I’m going to share some great news.
Midmonth Madness---I made it!!!!
I’ve finally made it. I know sure I haven’t bought a new car, house or paid off the student loan debt that may go to the grave with me, but I’ve still made it. Want to know how I know this? It’s simple math. Maybe it’s a simple pest control that needs to be handled, or a combination of things. See when you put out your first book you know certain goals you want. Sell X number of books. Be able to pay off those student loans (no seriously I might just need a go-fund me on this one). Or simply to get a contract with a certain company.
All crazy dreams of someone who’s watched way too many movies or read too many sweet tales where the underdog not only gets the bone, but some kibble too. Yep, once you’re published you start to learn what true success looks like. It involves haters. Trolls, hence the pest control issue. See way, way back many centuries ago, or two and a half decades or so, before the internet was more than just a long dialing phone with a guy running across your screen people were vicious. Oh they would write scathing reviews or show up at your book signings bemoaning the horror that was your book. There’s the rub, it was in person or required a stamp or editor’s approval before it saw the light of day. Now a few clicks a person can tear down everything you do because it’s not like there’s a human being on the other side of the computer screen. Even if there was what are the chances they’d see it?
If your goal is to knock me off my writing, congratulations, there is a human on the other side of the computer. I know the whole thick skin we’re supposed to attribute to us being grown up would be nice. Unfortunately some no longer want to leave a scathing review with constructive notes. Nope, it’s all about the little digs. I’ve had enough of the little digs. My current troll’s favorite thing to add in her “comments” is to point out that I’m an unknown author. They then moved onto a slightly constructive criticism, followed by repeating that I am an unknown author.
Now this shouldn’t bother me. I’ve brought up some of the biggest names in my genre only to hear who? So not being know by everyone in the world isn’t too big of a deal, but it’s the way they are saying it. Who is this mysterious vermin? I have no clue and truly I’m moving on. I’ve had my two week hiatus and groaning over my lack of sales and poor me sobfest because I am unknown. Over twenty books later my fan base isn’t going to put me onto a best seller list when my book drops. I’ve made some good friends in the writing world because it is all about connections. Even those can be dangerous. For one reason or another those I’ve supported feel it’s not enough. Is this my troll coming back with a fake name and profile? Maybe, but I can’t focus on who I haven’t supported to their satisfaction. In Unwrapping a Marriage it is brought up that the wife needs to set limits because takers never do. And ain’t that the truth!
Cutting back from friends that are toxic and use the should word more often than any other word. You know the ones. “You should do this” or “you should do that”. Thanks to Merriam-Webster we have the definition of this word. “—used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or expediency”.
Only, it has taken on a life of it’s own. Should has turned into a failure word. You have failed in what you are doing and you should being doing this instead. Your kid is XYZ and you should do something about XYZ. You should change your name because people think your XYZ. You’re not right and you should change yourself.
I don’t use a pen name. Should I? (gotcha there didn’t I) That’s my choice and my decision to make. Things I should do, exercise, eat right and love my family. Well, one out of three ain’t bad. There are lots of things I should do, but the biggest one is to remove the hate from my heart. The self doubt and questioning of choices I’ve made because it upset the balance of a person who was probably a little off balance to begin with.
Every morning Lexi Post (if she’s an unknown author to you well your welcome because now you know her.) she posts a positive event in her life that means it’s going to be a good day. I look for those posts. It may be as simple as hearing a bird in the morning or finding her favorite fruit at the market. No matter what it is she is finding the joy in life and making it a good day. Then there’s Jerrie Alexander… Seriously you don’t know her either? Well come back on Saturday and you’ll see an excerpt from one of her books and again, your welcome. She starts each day with the national day, you know it’s national peanut butter day or it’s national blueberry day. Whatever the day she reaches out and discusses what’s good about the day even if she doesn’t like national orange sherbet day. (the writer of this blog does not attest to whether or not Jerrie Alexander likes or dislikes orange sherbet. She may find it a refreshing treat. Who knows? Quit being so serious about life.)
Now to pest control. I’m going to quote the great Kevin Smith, director, writer, actor, producer all around voice of my generation because well, Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy etc, etc spoke to me. A troll went after his daughter Harley. Yep it’s not just me who’s raising a kid that’s XYZ bad. His response to this person was simple. “But here's a nickel's worth of free advice for folks like this Troll: if you hate me (or my kid) this much, the better use of your time is to make YOUR dreams come true, instead of slamming others for doing the same. The best revenge is living insanely well - so if you wanna get back at a 17 year old girl for the grievous crime of enjoying her life, the best way to do it is to succeed in your OWN existence.”
I don’t know why this particular troll has a burr in their saddle about me and you know what, that’s okay because their burr is my success. Sure I may never pay off student loans or even quit my day job, but I create characters that people love. They touch people and invade their dreams. They want to know there will be a happy ending and the search out my next book. Your negative existence will not ruin my day any longer. Why because this morning I had bacon and that means it’s going to be a good day.
Image courtesy of nenetus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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