Meet the Blogger with Lynda R. Young

As you might have guessed, I had the privilege of meeting Lynda R. Young through blogging. W.I.P. It, her blog, is a great source of writing and social media tips and other writer-ly topics. This smart and talented Australian author has a new devotional book out entitled Cling to God. I'm excited to have Lynda here this week to share her wisdom and experience with us.

Welcome Lynda! Congratulations on your new book! Why did you start blogging? What is your blog about? 

Thank you, Karen! I had written a collection of devotionals and wanted to get them published but was told I needed a platform. So I started my 'Fearfully and Wonderfully' blog which covered lots of devotional, inspiration thoughts. I loved blogging so much that I started a second blog about writing, called 'WIP It'. I failed to build a big enough platform to traditionally publish my devotional and I started to write fiction so I moved to my writing blog full time. The funny thing is, I never gave up on my devotional. It seemed a tragedy for it to be sitting in a drawer doing nothing so I sent it out again and to my absolute shock it was accepted with open arms. I guess it's all about God's perfect timing. 

You're right, God's timing is never wrong. :) What benefits have you gained through blogging? 

There are so many benefits to blogging. It's a joy to write and share articles for my blog, to help others in their pursuit to get published, to help others promote their books. But I've also met life-long friends. I've met some truly amazing, inspiring people. Sure, I've built up a semi-decent platform which helps to promote my work, but I don't do it for that anymore. That's just a side bonus. 

The people, I agree - what a blessing! And a great bonus. What prompted you to write your new book, Cling to God? 

Cling to God didn't start as a book idea. It started as a quick jotting of some random thoughts I came up with after reading some verses in the Bible. Writing my thoughts out helped me clarify my understanding of the Bible. I started to gather so many that an inkling of an idea formed. I had enough for about seven months of daily devotionals. All I had to do was to keep writing them and I'd have a whole year's worth of devotionals. They needed to be shared. 

I'm glad you kept at it, for you're right, good thoughts should be shared. What might people be surprised to learn about you? 

I like chocolate. No, wait, everyone knows I like chocolate. I'm a massive geek. I love sci-fi and fantasy and games. I do more than just write. If it's a creative pursuit, then I more than likely have a hand in it. I paint, draw, do digital art, animations, photography, compose music, design and develop games, edit, and so forth. I'm somewhat busy. 

Wow, then I guess you're rarely bored! :) What advice would you share with a newbie blogger? 

Blog because you love sharing your thoughts and passions, not because someone told you you should. Don't blog in isolation. Get out there and visit other bloggers. Be a part of the community, and the rewards will be huge. 

Great advice, Lynda. So glad you stopped by to see us. Wishing you much success!
 

Cling to God: A Daily Devotional

by Lynda R. Young

Published by Freedom Fox Press

Cling to God in the chaos of life…

Cling to God is a book of devotionals for every day of the year. The aim is to encourage Christians in their faith, to help them think about their beliefs and learn more about God. The devotions are short and inspirational so that people with busy lifestyles will still be able to spend time with the Lord each day. It will appeal to a wide Christian audience, to those new in their faith as well as those matured beyond milk and honey.

More About Lynda

Lynda R Young writes devotionals, articles, and speculative short stories. In her spare time she is also an editor, game developer, artist, and dabbles in photography and all things creative. She lives in Australia with her sweetheart of a husband. You can find her here: Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Visit Lynda

Blog
Twitter

Facebook
Goodreads

Find Her Books

Kindle
Amazon
Nook
B&N 

Kobo
ITunes
Goodreads

Do you have any questions for Lynda? What do you read for inspiration? What are you reading this week?

Happy writing,

Karen

Professional Correspondence by Jen Cudmore

The theme for my 5th Blogoversary month (in case you hadn't heard) is Good Friends Old and New. It's a blessing to introduce a newer friend and fellow author at Helping Hands Press, Jen Cudmore.  Jen is the author of numerous books including The Lawmen of Clayton County series and The San Francisco Wedding Planner collection.  She has a lovely and friendly writing style. I like that! :) I suspect she is just as lovely and friendly in person. 

Speaking of lovely, Jen's offered to give away a copy of her ebook, The Whispers of Angels. Check out the details below.

Have you considered the importance of good correspondence habits? Jen has, and shares her thoughts here today.

6 Tips for Professional Correspondence 

By Jen Cudmore

Credibility is often determined by how polished a person's written correspondence is. 

For more than ten years, I’ve worked in the back office of a medical clinic. In that time I’ve seen some very well written letters, emails and policies. I’ve also seen some not-so-good ones. By the way people write, they set a level of professionalism, and thus earn an element of trust over how effectively they can do their job.

For example, I was amazed at the difference in a series of emails I received from two ladies at the state medical board. One wrote in complete sentences and I never saw a typo. The other had either a spelling or grammar error in every sentence. For future questions, I began turning to the first woman for help, certain her professionalism would transfer into every other aspect of her job.

When I have a lot to do, I tend to move quickly. Years ago at work, I used to swiftly type up what I wanted to say and hit 'send', not bothering with the little things like capitalization or punctuation. My manager had a discussion with me about how the person on the receiving end cannot see expressions or hear tone, so it's important to be careful how each sentence is worded. I didn't realize I appeared lazy and unprofessional to my coworkers. They didn't expect much out of my work performance. 

If you want people  to take you seriously, follow these tips when you send any type of correspondence:

1. Know the rules of grammar and spelling. Find a good grammar guide and familiarize yourself with the concepts. Since my manager now handles most of the note-taking during board meetings, the surgeons in my office provided her with a book I'm sure you already know about, The Elements of Style. I told her it was the perfect gift; now she doesn't bother me with so many questions! 

2. Open with a proper greeting. Saying “hey” or “what’s up” is too friendly for business. Use the person’s name whenever possible. In emails, I often omitted a greeting, but this is considered unprofessional. Now I use a greeting of some kind in all my emails, on my day job and my writing correspondence. 

3. Close with a polite salutation and your full contact information. 'Sincerely' seems to be out of fashion. I often see professionals closing with “Thanks,” or “Regards,”. I like to use “Blessings,” at the end most of my emails. The recipient also needs to know your full name and your business title, as well as your phone and social media connections. A logo or brand is also essential so they know exactly who you are. 

4. Proofread before sending. Typos happen to all of us, so review everything! Better yet, get a second opinion. At the office we used to send appeal letters to insurance companies without proofreading, and once I wrote the wrong patient name on a letter. I was mortified when I discovered my mistake! Now we proofread every letter that goes out. 

5. Slow down and take your time. I can't tell you how many times I rushed through a note and ended up with typos. Just the other day I misspelled a word in the subject line of an email, and it was quite embarrassing. I seem to get into all sorts of trouble when I rush. 

6. Sometimes you have to take a break. On bigger projects, walk away and find something else to do for a few minutes. Every time I sent a query about my novel, I got tense and anxious because I wanted to make it perfect. In order to relax, I often stepped away from my desk and took a few deep breaths, or even slept on it. I found when I returned I could focus easier.

You want to leave a positive, professional impression on those reading your correspondence, so be careful what you write! What are some writing techniques you would recommend to someone who wants to establish credibility?

------------------------------------------------------------

Jen grew up on the Columbia River Gorge and currently lives in Alaska with her husband, two children, two boxers, and two cats. Her goal is to write novels that encourage women to look for positive qualities in a life partner, and to foster an environment of real romance, rather than fantasy, as they grow old with their spouse. For more, visit her website at http://www.jencudmore.com/. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. She also contributes to 3 sites: Under the Cover of Prayer, Moms of Faith and Real Christian Wives.

Giveaway Info

What: The Whispers of Angels ebook by Jen Cudmore   

Don't forget, if you don't have an ereader, you can download a free Kindle for PC. This feature allows you to download a free Kindle reading app for your computer and other mobile devices. Click here for details. 

How:

• You must be a GFC (Google Friend Connect) follower and leave your email address with your comment.
• Gain bonus entries (+1 each) by posting this on Facebook, your blog, and/or Twitter. Please total your entries and include links with your comment.
• Open to residents of the United States.
• Deadline to enter is midnight EST Thursday, March 20, 2014. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified via email and will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Winner will be announced Monday, March 24, 2014. 

Do you agree with Jen? What do you do to ensure professional correspondence?

Happy writing,

Karen

P.S. The winner of last week's giveaway is Jessica Haight. Congratulations Jess!  Thanks to everyone who entered.

Photo credit: Stock Exchange

Life Lessons from Patti J. Smith

Please join me for a special weekend post with fellow Helping Hands Press author Patti J. Smith!  Welcome Patti! :)

In case you haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet, Patti's specialty is devotions. Hop over to her Amazon author page to check them out.

A LIFE LESSON 

When I tell people I was raised in the military, many say, “That must have been

hard”. In some respects it was with constant moves, leaving family and friends and

being the new kid at school; however, in contrast to those hardships, there was an

atmosphere of excitement and adventure whenever my dad got his orders. One

such assignment was Nouasseur Air Force Base, Morocco – right outside of

Casablanca!

The military was integral part of the local economy by hiring domestic and

landscape services. We had a maid, Fatna Omar (who we called Nanna), and a

gardener, Bashir. Nanna not only kept our home impeccable, she taught my sister

and I French and Arabic. There would be days assigned where she would only speak

French or Arabic, which made learning the language easy. In fact, when we returned

stateside, we could both speak French with ease and retained quite a bit of Arabic.

She also shared local recipes with my mom, my favorite being Couscous, durum

wheat (rice-like) served with chicken and vegetables. Our yard was absolutely

beautiful as Bashir took great pride in his handiwork. They were warm, loving

people who quickly integrated into our family.

What I'll always remember is the joy they brought into our lives. Never did we see a

frown or words of anger. They were sincerely happy people. They not only showered

us with as much love as they did their own families, but always brought my sister

and I home-made trinkets that became instant treasures. Although they saw how we

lived with all the modern conveniences, they were satisfied with what they had.

They lived in shacks, with dirt floors, no running water or electricity yet were

content with their meager surroundings...and always proudly welcomed us into their

homes.

While we were there the base closed which proved disastrous for the economy. My

mom and dad were so worried about Nanna and Bashir they gave them a year's

salary as severance to keep them going until they could find something else. They

both tried to refuse but with much prodding, they finally accepted the gift with great

humility. Leaving them was very hard because we knew we would never see them

again, but the life lesson they shared with us will be held in our hearts forever:

“True happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.”


Thank you, Patti, for sharing with us today. Wish you all the best with your 
writing!

You can find out more about Patti and her books on her blog, Gridiron Granny, on
Pinterest, or on Amazon. 

How was your Thanksgiving? What are you up to this weekend?

Happy writing,

Karen

P.S. I'm visiting Patti's blog today. If you have a moment,
hop over!