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What I Learned When My Dreams Were Shattered�

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by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel Imagine my surprise when, at age fourteen, I actually got to meet my idol � Hayley Mills!  We were both aboard the final voyage of that great ocean liner,  Queen Elizabeth I.  It was a heady moment, I assure you. And, of course I have an old-fashioned �selfie� to commemorate it. For those of you too young to remember,  Hayley Mills  was the Disney darling who starred in many films such as  Pollyanna  and  The Parent Trap . Not only was I a fan and admired her, I actually wanted to  be  her.  To the extent that for at least a year I had styled my hair the same as she did in  Pollyanna  and even wore drop waisted dresses with black stockings. Oh yeah.  That was my dream. One day, at age ten, I sat down and wrote Hayley Mills a letter.  (This is your first hint that I am destined to become a writer�)   I had decided if I couldn�t be her , I could possibly be the next best thing � a child movie star. But I needed her advice� I began (as any good
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7 Ways to Use Bookmarks for Marketing Your Book

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by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting Bookmarks are inexpensive and make great marketing tools. Each one is a blank canvas that you design to showcase you, your books, and your brand or services. Plan the content carefully to get the best mileage out of it. That can vary depending on how you will use the bookmarks. Content and design Bookmarks need some basic information to showcase the book and connect you to the readers: Book cover and ISBN Your website and social media links Your email and logo or tagline Release date if the book is not yet available Everything else is optional. If your publisher is well known you might include their logo. Blurbs can be helpful, especially for fiction.  A bullet list of benefits may be better for nonfiction. I often use an acrostic to list benefits such as an acrostic for  P-R-I-N-C-E-S-S for  The One Year My Princess Devotions  with the P for praises God, R for remembers God�s word, I for improves her mind, etc .  Or provide some trivia related to the bo
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A Writer, Even in the Silence

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Edie here. Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to another regular contributor. In addition to be a good friend, Tammy Karasek is an experienced editor and writer. Her insight and humor are a huge blessing in my life and I know she will bless you as well! A Writer, Even in the Silence by Tammy Karasek  @ tickledpinktam   There are times as a writer that we can feel at a total loss for words. Have you experienced this? As a lover of words, this can make us wonder or doubt if we are in the correct field. We want to write, but we sit in silence.       If I�m a writer, why can�t I find the words I want to say? In those times where we have the lack of words, we can learn to use this quietness for our good. Often as writers our thoughts race faster than our fingers can tap on the keys or write with pens. But when the words seem to elude us�no matter how much we stare at the blinking cursor�we can become impatient and frustrated. We can yell out a groan or huff loudly as if that will dump
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Time Out for Thanksgiving

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by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme In the south, we always have meat and two vegetables for supper, one green and one yellow. Potatoes don�t count. Of course, no meal would be complete without something sour. Pickled beets, peaches, or watermelon rind will do nicely. On Thanksgiving, however, our repertoire expands like our bellies. On that grand day diets are ignored along with my brother�s corny jokes and Uncle Ferd�s unpopular political views. Memories arise of the army of relatives that would somehow squeeze around my grandmother�s dining room table to partake of the Thanksgiving meal. We knew not to touch a morsel of food until we bowed our heads, folded our hands and blessed the meal.  Sumptuous aromas of turkey, gravy, dressing, and homemade yeast rolls wafted in harmonious circles and tantalized our taste buds as we listened to my grandmother�s prayer of thanksgiving, going all the way back to her gratitude for family members who, it seemed, settled in the original Virginia colony. Aft
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Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask�Aren�t All Indie Books Bad?

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by Traci Tyne Hilton @TraciTyneHilton #2 in a series where I answer questions I suspect you are asking. Below is a link to the rest of the posts in this series: Answers to Some of the Questions Authors Ask�What If I Can't Do It? Indie Author: If I indie publish people will know I couldn�t get a book deal, and if they know that, they will think my book is bad, plus, there are a mcBillion terrible indie books out right now---way more than there are good ones, so everyone will think my book is terrible. And it probably is. I�m going to burn my computer now, forget I said anything at all.  Don�t burn your computer! That�s terrible for the environment! And don�t delete your book. And don�t give up on writing. And don�t publish a bad book!  I must address the elephant in the room before I get to the useful stuff. Are there literally a mcBillion terrible indie books out there? Yes. Did I just make all the self-appointed guardians of language have a stroke by saying a literal mcBillion? Ye
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Tips to Stay Physically Active When Writing

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by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS  @SusanNealYoga Physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. However, how can you exercise when you are sitting on your behind writing? This post provides tips about how to add movement into a writer�s daily routine. Manage Your Schedule You�ve got a deadline, so how in the world can you add a workout into your routine? You don�t have to stop working to be active. Instead, every time you take a bathroom break, do ten squats and lunges before plopping back down in your chair. Merely add a little movement during every bathroom break.  Become consciously aware of every opportunity you can add movement to your daily routine. So when you are waiting for the coffee to brew or tea to steep, go ahead and stoop down and touch your toes�do this ten times. Intentionally add little blips of movement into the cracks of your day. Like when you are waiting for the dog to finish his business, perform some squats. When I realized how sedentary th
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When is Permission to Quote Necessary for Writers?

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by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden Who doesn�t love a good quote? After all, why should we try to put into words something that someone else has eloquently said? As writers, we are always looking for and finding good quotes to strengthen our books and articles. Using someone else�s words brings credibility to our work. But when is it necessary to ask permission to use a sentence or two from someone else in our writing? Some of the top questions from writers on this subject are � �When do I need permission?� �I�m only quoting a little. Won�t that be good publicity for the other person?�  �The person who originally said this is dead. So anyone can quote him or her without permission, right?� Great questions. There are several factors that enter into the answers. One of those is fair use. But who determines fair use? Unfortunately, fair use is determined on a case-by-case basis by the courts, which makes it somewhat of a gray area for writers. However, knowing a few guidelines will help us avoi
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