Meet the Blogger with Carol J. Alexander

      

      
This month's Meet the Blogger features author Carol J. Alexander. You might remember her visit last year for the debut of her latest book, Homestead Cooking with Carol. I met Carol soon after I started blogging. She's a treasure - a great inspiration and encouragement. This talented friend is also a freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and contributor to the anthology for writers, Start Here: 40 Freelance Writers Share....
            

Hi Carol! Thanks for stopping by. Why did you start blogging? How long have you had your 

current blog?

I started blogging in 2007 because I read in Writer’s Digest that that is what writers are supposed to do. I

took a course in platform development, fashioned my blog topic, and everything has been going along

since.

What is your blog about?

I am on my third blog. :/ I am easing out of the homesteading/homeschooling niche and into the writing

niche. My newest blog is Carol’s Blog: Tips, Rants, and Raves. My plan is that every week I will post one

of those three things. My tips are things like how I keep my files, websites I find helpful, ways I cultivate

ideas. Rants are my pet peeves. You know, like when you find the word Internet and it’s not capitalized.

And then Raves are the things about writing that excite me—quotes from books, when a reader emails a

thank you, or a shout out for a friend’s publication success.

What benefits have you gained through blogging? 

Definitely writing when I don’t feel like it. Reaching out to readers and forming friendships is a great

benefit. Also, if you rank in search engines, have folks sharing your content, and generally make your

blog popular, it gets your name in front of those who will be the buyers of your work.

What project/s are you working on right now?

I have created a course called Break into Magazine Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Published.

The pilot class is wrapping up as I type this. After getting the feedback from those first students, I plan to

tweak the content and then offer it again in the fall. The course lasts four weeks and walks the students

through developing niche topics, choosing markets to submit to, creating a list of 30 story ideas, and

finally crafting a killer query letter. The course also includes bonus material that folks would want to pay

for, but I keep it a secret until the final week of class.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?

The fact I like to throw out to shock people is that I was a DJ for a Contemporary Christian radio station

for a short period of time.

Wow, now that is surprising! :) What advice would you share with a newbie blogger?

Don’t let it distract you. If you want to be a writer, write what you want to write. Don’t let the blogging

world suck you in with the “get rich from blogging” hype. Just focus on your writing.

Good advice, Carol. Thank you for stopping by! 

Thanks for having me!   

Carol J. Alexander writes magazine feature articles on alternative farming practices, natural

health, money-saving, parenting, and homeschooling topics. Her work has appeared in Grit,

BackHome, Urban Farm, Hobby Farm, Home Education, and more. Carol is also the

Assistant Editor of Shenandoah Living Magazine. You will find her blog, featured work, and

Break into Magazine Writing course at www.CarolJAlexander.com.


Do you have any questions for Carol? What is your writing focused on this month?

Happy writing,

Karen


Photo credit: Free Images

Painting With Words

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."

Edgar Degas

Whether we write flowery prose or poetry, 

novels, articles, blog posts, or a little of each, 

I believe we paint word pictures. 

We make others see with a writer's paintbrush, 

stirring their minds through creative thoughts and images.

Happy Memorial Day to my U.S. friends!

For those who have served or currently serve in the military,

thank you for your sacrifice on our behalf.

What work of art are you creating this week?

Happy writing, 

Karen 

Photo credit: Free Images

Spring Writing Links

How has the weather been in your area? I hope you are enjoying spring and finding plenty of writing inspiration. Here are a few links that might aid your journey.


Whether you write fiction or non fiction, Writer's Digest offers help with 50 Articles on Writing to Help You in 2015. Link categories include plot, structure, characters, grammar, publishing, article writing, freelancing, and more.

Have trouble staying on track? Jennifer Brown Banks at Pen and Prosper offers help in 5 Ways to Stay Focused to Finish Those Projects!

Do you know how to use the word "couple"? It can be trickier than you think. C.S. Lakin explains its proper use in this post. 

Time management on your mind? Seth Godin provides an interesting take on productivity in Five Steps to Digital Hygiene.


What helps you manage your writing time? Do you have any new spring writing projects?

Happy writing,

Karen



Photo credit: Free Images

If Everybody Did

If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover is a delightful children's book that ponders what happens if everyone did things like leave muddy footprints in the house or toys on the stairs. The results are humorously illustrated in this little treasure, carrying, of course, the bigger message that our actions affect those around us.

The content always makes me think. (My grandson and I read it recently.) The writer's mind is rarely still, right? :)

What if writers never:

Wrote anything?

Assisted a fellow scribe?

Took time to learn something new? 

Pressed through writer's block, doubt, and insecurities?  

Would the world be a different place?

Entirely so, I'm thinking.

What aspect of the writing life are you most grateful for? Which ones could you live without? Have you ever thought about how your actions as a writer affect others?

Happy writing,

Karen

Meet the Blogger with Patti J. Smith

This month's Meet the Blogger features author and blogger Patti J. Smith. This sweet writer is an avid football fan and has traveled the globe. Her books include devotionals and fiction including The San Francisco Wedding Planner Series III. 

Welcome Patti! Thanks for stopping to see us. Why did you start blogging? 

My publisher suggested blogging after my first book was released as a way for readers to get acquainted with me, not just as a writer but a person. 

That is good advice, it is an excellent way to do that. How long have you had your current blog? 

My first blog post went “live” on October 2, 2013.

What is your blog about? 

If you look up “variety” in the dictionary, the link to my blog should be there!  I write about personal experiences in all aspects of my life … faith, family and, of course, FOOTBALL.  I throw in book reviews, interviews with authors and even a mini-concert or two.  

It sounds like a good reflection of you. What better way for readers to get to know the real you! What benefits have you gained through blogging? 

I find myself paying more attention to what is happening around me. Life is full of blog-worthy moments if we take the time to observe and listen. 

I agree; ideas and topics are everywhere. What project/s are you working on right now? 

I’m finishing up Unholy Vengeance, Volume IV of my Christian Suspense series and setting up scriptures for a devotional about grief.  

What might people be surprised to learn about you?  

I shouldn’t be alive!  I wasn’t expected to live past the age of one due to a mystery illness which turned out to be a heart defect.  Diagnostics in the early 50’s weren’t as advanced as they are today.  I had open-heart surgery in 1964 and was given a 40% chance of surviving.  When I was twenty-three, I was hit in the head with a baseball bat, resulting in four skull fractures and a laceration on my forehead.  Once again, my parents were told I may not make it through the night.  Then seven years ago I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and after a thyroidectomy and radiation, I remain cancer free.  Evidently, God had other plans for me. :)

Wow, I would say so. I am glad you are still here. :) What advice would you share with a newbie blogger? 

Be fearless, diverse, and speak from the heart. 

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Patti. Wishing you all the best with your books! 

Thanks for inviting me, Karen! 

More About Patti: 

Patti J. Smith writes devotionals, light romance, and suspense.  She was born to a military family in Wimpole Park, England and traveled extensively during her childhood. She is a member of the Association of Christian Therapists, serves as Regional Coordinator for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and co-leads Rachel's Hope After-Abortion Healing Retreats.  Patti publicly shares her story of redemption in a variety of venues and appeared in the newly-released documentary, “The Sidewalk Chronicles”.  Patti lives in Vista, CA with her husband and has three beautiful granddaughters.  She is a prolific blogger and reader, and proudly admits to being a diehard Seattle Seahawks fan and Fantasy Football fanatic. Her travel adventures include Spain, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Fiji, South Korea and almost all states - including Hawaii and Alaska.

Visit Patti

Blog 
Amazon Author Page
Pinterest 
Twitter
Goodreads 
Facebook  

Is your blog fearless and diverse? Do you have any questions for Patti?

Happy writing,

Karen 

Photo Credit: Free Images