ALEX CAVANAUGH INTERVIEW ON SUCCESSFUL BLOGGING AND CASSAFIRE AND CASSASTORM GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday Everyone! I'm happy to say that my daughter and I have survived the first two weeks of getting up at 4:45 am pretty well.

And in case you missed it last week, I joined Twitter! Follow me @NatalieIAguirre and I'll follow you back.

Before we get to my fantastic interview, I want to announce the winner of the September is for Sequels giveaway. We had 196 entries. Woo Hoo!

The winner is Mimi Smith who chose SCARLETT.

Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m thrilled to have Alex Cavanaugh here to help celebrate the release of CASSASTORM, the final book in his sci-fi series, which releases tomorrow. Alex is very well known in the blogging community as a great supportive friend. He regularly has 150 or more people commenting on all of his blog posts. He’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and a co-host of the A-Z Challenge. If you aren’t already following his blog, I highly recommend that you start following it HERE. And you’ll meet lots of enthusiastic bloggers through his group of friends. I know I have.


I don’t spotlight adult books, but really wanted to spotlight Alex’s book and have him share tips on how to make our blogs successful. I’ll be honest. I was nervous picking up CASSASTORM to read because I haven’t read an adult book in almost ten years and was worried I don’t like them anymore. And I wasn’t sure I would understand enough of the story since I haven’t read the first two books. I’m happy to say that I was totally engrossed in the story within the first few pages. Alex did a great job bringing the reader up to speed on what’s been happening. And I loved that the story was told from the points of view of Byron, the main character, his wife Athee, and his ten year-old son Bassan. Being a children’s writer and reader, I especially loved the parts written from Bassan’s POV. This was a fast-paced story with high stakes and danger. It was fascinating learning about the planet Byron and his family live on and then seeing more of the universe Alex created. This was a book I couldn’t put down. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I think you’d enjoy reading this.


Here’s a blurb abut CASSASTORM:

From the Amazon Best Selling Series!

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters, Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.”
- Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries
"Cavanaugh makes world building on the galactic scale look easy. The stakes affect the entire known universe and yet Cavanaugh makes it intensely personal for our hero. The final installment of this series will break your heart and put it back together."
- Charity Bradford, science fantasy author of The Magic Wakes
“Cavanaugh creates such an unforgettable world, and these characters will stay with you long after their story is over.”
- Cassie Mae, author of Friday Night Alibi and How to Date a Nerd

Hi Alex. Thanks so much for joining us. And Happy Release Day tomorrow!

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.


I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and work in web design and graphics, I’m experienced in technical editing, and I worked with an adult literacy program for several years. I’m also a musician and play guitar in a band. Online I’m the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

I wrote some when I was younger, but I didn’t pick it up again until almost thirty years later when I found an old manuscript in a drawer. After a complete rewrite, many query letters to publishers, it became my first published novel, CassaStar.


2. That's awesome that you used to write and picked it up again. And I'd love to work with a literacy program some day. For those of us who haven’t read this series, tell us about it.


The series follows Byron, a very talented pilot who prefers his privacy. The first book follows him

through training and into war, learning what it means to be a friend along the way. CassaFire jumps twenty years ahead and finds him faced with training a woman pilot while delving into ancient alien ruins. CassaStorm also jumps ahead twenty years and finds Byron fighting not only for his young son, but for all the known races.


3. I know when you wrote CASSASTAR, you didn’t plan to write a trilogy. What were some of the challenges in continuing the story and how did you overcome them?

I think jumping ahead in time helped. It gave each book a fresh start. CassaFire was loosely based on a

short story I wrote as a teen, and I just expanded on the storyline. CassaStorm was the biggest challenge, as everything came from scratch. But it provided the opportunity to tie all of the books together and conclude the series.


4. That was an incredibly unique way to do it. And really keeps the story fresh. 

So I want to focus our interview on blogging advice. I know from following your blog that you started your blog when you signed your book publishing contract and your publisher told you that you needed to start a blog. Share how you started your blog and what helped it to grow too where it is today. What are some of your key recommendations for having a thriving blog with lots of visitors?


The first few months, I had no idea what I was doing. I started following and commenting, focusing on science fiction sites, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. It wasn’t until the very first A to Z Challenge that I began to gain momentum – I went from thirty to over eighty followers in one month. After that I found my groove by blogging about what I enjoy and featuring others.

I think the four things that matter most are involvement, support, leadership, and consistency. Blogging is a community, and you have to be willing to give back. You can’t focus on yourself or be negative, either. You want to be that person others flock to because of your genuine nature.


5. So true you have to be consistent and be supportive. How many blogs do you follow and how much time do you spend reading blogs every day. Tell the truth because I see you on many blogs I follow before I get there.

I’m just quick on the draw! I have around 2000 followers and I visit an average of a hundred blogs a day. (Far more on Mondays and double that on IWSG post days.) I spend anywhere from three to six hours a day online. While that might blow some people away, I do have the advantage of visiting blogs during the day from work. (Does my job rock or what?) But I do devote time in the evenings and on weekends. Basically, I’ve just made a lot of friends.

6. Wow! That's a lot of time reading blogs. You're so lucky you can do that from work. That would help SO much to follow more bloggers if I could at work. But I spend a lot of time on it too, which is why I think I have a good following. For those of us who can’t spend as much time following blogs as you do because of other obligations, what advice do you have for increasing on blog followings and being good blogger friends?

Focus on a core group of blogger friends. Visit those people as often as possible and the rest when you have extra time. It’s more important to have a small group of friends devoted to you than a mass of people who could care less. And the best way to increase your following is to follow and comment on other blogs, get involved in the community through blogfests and events, and give back at every opportunity.


7. Great advice. And as a follow up, in another interview, Alex recommended for those of us who can't devote as much time to blogging to follow a core group of about 30 bloggers regularly to be a good friend and develop a following.  And he's mentioned a key to having a good following: follow your followers back, especially the ones that visit you all the time. I so agree with this. I'm trying to do this as much as I can, even if I just follow some of the less frequent followers on the days they stop by.

Here’s a problem I struggle with how to handle sometimes and I’m guessing other people do to. I start following someone, often who has few followers, and they don’t follow back. Also I’ve noticed over the three years I’ve been blogging that some followers stop following and/or disappear from blogging. Do you have these issues ever and how do you handle them? Do you stop following people? When?

People come and go, and new bloggers don’t know the etiquette of interacting or returning follows. I have so many followers now that I don’t seek out many new ones, although I return follows if I can locate a blog. If I follow a blogger and a week or two passes with no interaction or reciprocation on his part, I will unfollow. I’d rather focus my efforts on those who want to be friends.


8. I hate to unfollow people, but I think your rule of thumb is a good one I plan to start following. Since the fall 2012, I’ve noticed a lot of aspiring author fatigue with blogging and discussions on whether or not people should continue blogging. In fact, I’ve saved at least 10 links to posts on this topic, including one you did last year. We saw a drop here in comments (though I’m not complaining because we do get lots of comments on popular interviews) and page views last fall. The good thing was that I made a lot of new blogger friends, many from your circle of friends, as a result and have really been focusing on following my regular followers.

But have you noticed this trend at all and where do you think blogging fits in an author’s social network platform?

There seem to be less people following new blogs, but there are always new bloggers to replace those who quit. I think it’s still viable for authors. My blog is also my website, so it doubles as an author site and a social network. Some authors do really well on Twitter, and some on Facebook. I think it’s all about finding what works best for the individual - what works best for each of us to spread the news and reach our audience.

9. I've found that to be true too--that there are new bloggers to become friends with when others disappear. Though it still makes me sad when people I like just disappear. Do you have any other advice that we haven’t already discussed?


Just get involved in this community at every opportunity. Blogging is about making friends. Find your groove and your theme and have fun. If it’s not fun, you’ll burn out and quit.

10. I know you’re debating whether to continue writing or focus on your other creative outlet, music. Have you made any decisions on that?


I’ve focused on my music more this year, but I haven’t made a final decision. I have an outline for another space opera, so who knows? But I’m not leaving the blogging world anytime soon, that’s for sure!


Thanks so much for sharing all your advice, Alex. Good luck with your book release. Here's purchasing info for CASSASTORM and Alex's  links below:


Available September 17, 2013

$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera

Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019

$4.99 EBook available in all formats


Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Amazon Kindle

Goodreads

Book trailer


Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Website
Twitter

Goodreads

So Alex's publisher Dancing Lemur Press has generously provided an ARC of CASSAFIRE (I won this through Goodreads First Reads) and CASSASTORM for a giveaway. There will be two winners. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by September 28th. Please let me know where you are in the series and I'll try to match the winners with the books, though there is no guarantee. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome though I'll only pick one international winner at most due to postage costs.

I'd love if you'd also share your questions, your experiences blogging, and any advice to share with the rest of us.

Here's what's coming up:

Tomorrow I've got a fantastic Tuesday tip on school visits by author Sandy Carlson and a giveaway of her historical fiction story, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED.

On Wednesday I’m interviewing another follower, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.

On Friday I’m doing the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices for you to pick from.

Next Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.

Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.

The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.

And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

HOW TO PROMOTE AUTHORS AND BOOKS AND REQUIEM/DELIRIUM STORIES GIVEAWAY

I received a request to share how I set it up to promote authors and their books. I’m going to focus on how I set up my schedule and decide on the books and authors to promote today. I did a guest post for Stina Lindenblatt at Seeing Creative (a fantastic blog I really recommend you follow) on how I do my interviews that you can read HERE.

First of all, how I do things is a work in progress that has changed as I learn from my experiences. When I began blogging, I knew I wanted to mostly promote debut upper middle grade and YA authors because I love books. And that has always remained my main focus. I’ve picked authors who write in my favorite genres, which are fantasy, dypsopian, paranormal, sci-fi, and some thrillers/mysteries. I’ve occasionally branched out to promote authors who write contemporary and historical fiction and have been glad when I’ve done this. It’s always a great idea to expand your horizons and read something in a completely different genre.

FINDING AUTHORS

My first year, I only knew I’d be Casey’s blog partner a month or two before I started, so I didn’t have much time to plan. I’d already been reading some book review blogs and found many of my authors through the debut author list compiled by The Story Siren for her debut author challenge. This is a great blog you can find HERE.  Hobbitsies is now running this challenge because Kristi is having a baby and you can find this great site HERE.

Once I had a list of authors, I found their e-mail addresses through their blog and e-mailed them requesting an interview. As I got more established, I started including my stats on comments to my interviews and links to popular ones where I got a lot of comments. I really recommend this as the popularity of your author interviews grows because it will help you to get ARCs for giveaways.

I also asked authors whose blogs I follow who had books being released to be interviewed. Elana Johnson, Beth Revis, P.J. Hoover, Terry Johnson, and Janice Hardy were all generous in saying yes. I also got some author requests that I accepted. I mostly only posted on Mondays that year.

About half-way through the year, I realized my stats were growing from 30-35 comments to 50-80 comments and that I could probably get more ARCs for my interviews if I scheduled my interviews six months or farther in advance. So, I used a group debut blog to find most of my authors. That year it was The Apocalypsies. For this year, I’ve used The Lucky 13’s, which you can find HERE.  I also scheduled interviews based on books I heard of that I’m excited about, author requests, and bloggers I know who have books coming out. I got busier, so I started blogging on Wednesdays and some Fridays since the beginning of 2012.

For next year, I have a few things scheduled from books I’ve heard about through Publisher’s Weekly Children’s Bookshelf and bloggers I know who have books coming out. But I’m looking for an active debut blog group to start setting my schedule. If anyone knows of one, please leave me the link in your comments. I’ll start setting my interviews in July for next January-June and by next February or March, I’ll have the rest of the year planned out for Mondays. I leave Wednesdays open for things that come up and requests for interviews.

It’s important to get a sense of what you and your readers like and pick books accordingly. For whatever reason, self-published books do not do as well on our blog, especially by unknown authors. So I steer any self-published authors who aren’t followers to the Tuesday tips, which is a better fit for the blog and our readers. Now that I’m busier, I am more particular about what I’m willing to promote.

There’s a lot of work just keeping things logistically moving. I have to follow up frequently to be sure the author hasn’t forgotten to get me an ARC or their interview answers.

ARCS

Last year I decided I also wanted to try to get ARCs of books by popular authors that I knew wouldn’t have time for an interview. I’ve gotten some publicist contacts through friends and always take down the contact info if a publicist includes it with the ARC or if it’s on the actual ARC. I keep a master list of publicist contacts for future reference. And I’ve also requested ARCs through Shelf Awareness for Pros, a industry newsletter. You can subscribe to it HERE.

But once I started getting ARCs, the publicists started sending me a lot of unsolicited ARCs, like boxes of them. They’re all good books and I really wish I could read and promote them all. But I can’t with working full-time, having a family, and trying to write. I really don’t want to blog more than twice a week plus the two Tuesday tips I’m now usually posting each month.

I’ve used some of these ARCs for our 3000 follower giveaway and donated the rest to our adoption support group Chinese New Year party and one of my daughter’s middle grade language arts teachers for her class library. But because I didn’t promote all these extra books, I am getting less physical ARCs of the really popular books that I request. I’m okay with this because my reading list is HUGE and I can get most of the really popular ones as e-ARCs through NetGalley or Edelweiss or the books through the library.

BOOK GIVEAWAY HOPS

I’m doing on average this year one book hop a month through I AM A READER NOT A WRITER, another great book review blog you can find HERE. http://www.iamareader.com This is a really good way to promote popular books I can’t get physical ARCs for and to add new followers. They’re my most popular posts and I’m hoping to continue doing 10-12 each year. The trick on getting a good response is to offer a big selection (I usually offer 12) of popular newer released books for your giveaways.

COST

I really only want to promote the authors and books I spotlight with giveaways because I know they will get such a better response. Even popular book review blogs get few comments unless there is a giveaway.

The first year I bought most of the books for my giveaways. But after that, I have gotten 80%-90% ARCS or books for the author interviews I do. However, I gave away 113 books last year and will give away about that many this year as I’ve already given away 63. Postage is very expensive because my giveaways are mostly international and postage costs (and book costs because of this) are going up. Plus I buy the books for the giveaway hops. Last year and this year I probably will have spent around $350-over $400. (Shhh, please don’t tell my husband.)

It’ doesn’t have to be that expensive. With my company closing next year and getting laid off sometime next year, I am definitely looking to cut costs. Not giving away unsolicited ARCs, having authors send out more books for giveaways, and having international giveaways include Canada because of higher postage costs are ways I’m thinking of cutting back. I’m sure you could think of other ways to keep the cost down too. And some book review bloggers have ads and other ways to cut down the costs that we don't do.

TIME

This is a pretty time consuming way to blog. I feel like it’s a part-time job sometimes. But I like helping authors and promoting books. For the summer, I’m planning to try to blog once a week and take some weeks off.

In the future, I’m also not going to commit to reading as many of the books I spotlight. Like right now I have 20 books I could read and give away. This doesn’t include the books I’m waiting to come in at the library. Because I feel like I’m too much on a reading schedule, I’ll cut down some of my reading for the blog.

Even with the cost and how time consuming this is, it’s very rewarding. I’m excited when I get over 50 comments on a book giveaway, which is common, even for the middle grade books I share. And it’s great seeing the enthusiasm for books in the comments. I have many followers now that are readers and book review bloggers as well as writers. So I wouldn’t change what I blog about. But I do want to scale back a bit so I have time for my writing and life in general.

I also have a book giveaway. I’m doing it today because I don’t really have any extra spots till July to spotlight these books. My review will be very short because this post is already long.

 First here's a blurb of REQUIEM from Goodreads:

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

I loved that this was told from both Lena’s and Hana’s point of view. We get to see what’s going on in the Wilds and in the city. And what it’s like to live as an invalid and as a cured. Both Lena and Hana have their struggles to survive and I loved that they both fought in their own ways to survive the world they were thrust into and the choices they made. And they both face problems in their romantic lives too, though it doesn’t overshadow the story. There’s no sitting around thinking and wallowing for either of them, something I really liked. There’s constant problems and increasing of stakes for both of them that get more serious as the story progresses.

I know some people weren’t satisfied with the ending. I won’t spoil it by saying what happens, but I will say that I was okay with it. This is a fantastic end to this series. I wish it could go on and am anxious to see what new series Lauren Oliver comes up with.

I also received a copy of DELIRIUM STORIES: HANA, ANABEL, AND RAVEN and here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

For the first time, Lauren Oliver's short stories about characters in the Delirium world appear in print.

Originally published as digital novellas, Hana, Annabel, and Raven each center around a fascinating and complex character who adds important information to the series and gives it greater depth. This collection also includes an excerpt from Requiem, the final novel in Oliver's New York Times bestselling series.

Hana is told through the perspective of Lena's best friend, Hana Tate. Set during the tumultuous summer before Lena and Hana are supposed to be cured, this story is a poignant and revealing look at a moment when the girls' paths diverge and their futures are altered forever.

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery--a ghost from Lena's past--until now. Her journey from teenage runaway to prisoner of the state is a taut, gripping narrative that expands the Delirium world and illuminates events--and Lena--through a new point of view.

And as the passionate, fierce leader of a rebel group in the Wilds, Raven plays an integral role in the resistance effort and comes into Lena's life at a crucial time. Crackling with intensity, Raven is a brilliant story told in the voice of one of the strongest and most tenacious characters in the Delirium world.

So I’m giving away both these books. Thanks to Harper Collins for providing them to me. There will be two winners. To enter, To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on May 31st. Have any questions on how I organize my interviews and book promotions? Anything you really like that you'd like to see more of? Leave a comment. I'd love to know. I’ll announce the winner on June 3rd.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome, but I’ll only pick one international winner at most due to postage costs.

Here’s what’s coming up:

On Monday, I’m excited to interview debut author Natalie Whipple about her book, TRANSPARENT. It’s about Fiona, invisible to the world and herself, in a futurist world, desperately trying to carve out a normal life and escape her dad. I really enjoyed reading about her story and that of her friends who have unique powers too.

Next Wednesday, I’m interviewing debut author Dorine White about her book, THE EMERALD RING. I really enjoyed learning about the powers of the emerald ring with Sara, a smart middle grader, and her friends. And I found the mythology based on Cleopatra to be unique.

I’ll be off on Monday, Memorial Day. Yay! We all need a rest.

On Wednesday that week, I’m participating in HB Bolten’s blog tour for her new book, THE SERPENT’S RING, a middle grade fantasy that will fans of Percy Jackson should like. There will be a giveaway too.

And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.

Hope to see you on Monday!

MY FIRST GUEST POST

I'm doing my first guest post at Stina Lindenblatt's Seeing Creative blog today. She's a regular follower of our blog and has a fantastic blog. On Fridays, I always love seeing her links to interesting blog posts and she often shares her recommendations on books on the craft of writing.

I'll be sharing tips on how to conduct a good interview. I hope you'll stop by and say hi.

GOALS AND THE RUBBER BAND

Before I start my first regular blog post in a long, long time, I have a bunch of winners to announce from our 2000 follower giveaway, which had 175 entries. Thank you so much for entering and for spreading the word. You guys are so awesome.

Yea! I love giving away books. So here are the winners:

The winner of THE LIGHTENING THIEF is:

JENNIFER RUMBURGER

The winner of BREAK is:

DEBBIE SHAKESPEAR SMITH

The winner of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is:

ALLIE

The winner of ANGELFIRE is:

SSTOKES

The winner of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE is:

WENDY CHEN

And now to the three winners of the second part of the giveaway:

STELLA-A MILLION SUNS

DEB MARSHALL-LEGEND

VERONIKA-DIVERGENT

And the winner of MAY B is:

MICHAEL G.G.

Congrats everyone. E-mail me your addresses so Casey and I can send you your books. STELLA and SSTOKES, I could not find your e-mail so please be sure to e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to choose new winners.

Do you set writing goals at the beginning of every year? To be honest, last year was the first year I set myself goals other than to just write. Not having specific goals worked great my first year writing when my daughter was six. Life seemed a bit slower and the excitement of starting to write propelled me forward. I wrote almost everyday and finished a poor first draft of my manuscript in a year.

But as the years have gone on, (Yikes, it’s been nine years) my life has felt more and more like this.

 

Yep. A stretched rubber band with work, family, and volunteer activities pulling me in a zillion directions that takes time away from writing. I’m sure I’m not alone.

So last year after reading lots of blog posts about setting goals, I decided to set some for myself. And I did write more. I finished another two edits on my manuscript where I cut about 10,000 words. While I hoped I would be querying by now, I realize after a beta read that it needs another quick revision first. And I do have more than one query (after about 40 pages of drafts) that I like completed. I started a new project, though did not get as far as I wanted. But I did more forward.

So I set goals again this year. They’re modest this year. Because I’m feeling that rubber band pulling again. Ever year I try to cut back on the things that take time away from writing. I did cut my volunteer activities this year. Promise.

But I’ve come to realize that at least for the next few years, as much as I try to cut back on these outside things, there is always a BUT THEN and a new time consuming thing that pops up. Now it’s my daughter’s swimming, helping her get through high school and preparing to apply for college.

And then this Fall a big unanticipated change occurred that has the rubber band pulling me in another HUGE direction. The prepaid legal services plan I work for wasn’t refunded and we’re in a 4 year wind down period. I’m not going into all the details because it’s not good to air those things in public.

But it does mean in the next two to three years I have to find a new job. I’m grateful I have so much time. But I haven’t looked for a job in about 25 years. So I didn’t have a clue how to do it. Luckily one of my awesome secretaries gave me some tips on how to search for a job online.

So these next few years I’ll be figuring out where to go next with my legal career which may include a career change, upping my computer skills in preparation, and networking more with possible employers. I already know it’ll take a lot of time.

Because of this all, my writing goals are more modest this year. A few weeks ago as I contemplated this post I was afraid I was going to have to admit that I’m not writing at all again. Because I do go through those times. With working full-time at a demanding job, blogging, and running my daughter around, it’s hard in the best of times to squeeze in writing time. But I’m happy to say I have been writing. Not everyday. But I am making progress on my new manuscript.

So I’m going to keep moving forward even if I feel like it’s at the pace of a turtle.

And I know these things stretching on me—my job and my family obligations—will pass. I will sort out the job situation. In about a year my daughter will be driving herself (Yikes!) and then a few years later going away to college (I’ll be sobbing then!). Someday I will have more time and can move faster in my writing goals.

For now, these writing goals are my lights that help keep me on track in my writing career. And the writing is one of my pleasures keeping me sane in this crazy time where the rubber band is pulling me in a zillion directions.

What about you? Do you set writing goals and do they help you stay on track? And how do you handle those insane times when there isn’t much time to write or, if you're a book review blogger, don't have time to read book and review them as much as you'd like?

Before you answer, here’s what’s coming up the few weeks. Next Monday, I’ll be celebrating my first year blogging with some reflections and a book giveaway I know you’ll love. The following Monday I’m interviewing debut author Kristen Simmons and giving away an ARC of ARTICLE 5.

Hope to see you next Monday!

PAY IT FORWARD BLOGFEST

Today I’m participating in the PAY IT FORWARD BLOGFEST, organized by one of our followers, Matthew MacNish, at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment and Alex Cavanaugh They both have awesome blogs I recommend you follow. The point of the blogfest is to spotlight three blogs that you might not know about.

Here’s the blogs I love that you may not know about:

1. The Other Side of the Story. This is a fabulous blog about the craft of writing. Janice Hardy is the author of THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL. I just interviewed her on Monday and there’s a link at the top of the blog to read the interview and enter my contest to win an ARC of DARKFALL.

Janice blogs about the craft of writing. She analyzes every issue you could imagine about the craft and gives you detailed examples of pitfalls and how to fix them. I read her blog almost daily. Anyone I know who reads it loves it.

2. The O.W.L. Jill at The O.W.L. is one of our followers and is a 7th grade English teacher. She spotlights books for 9-12 year olds mainly through book reviews and author interviews. Sometimes these include giveaways. While she talks about some YA books, I love that she focuses on middle grade and she gets input from her students about which are good ones. I follow her blog regularly.

3. Book Dreaming. Shannon O’Donnell is a high school English teacher and middle grade author. On Mondays she talks about a middle grade book for the Marvelous Middle Grade series. Other days she’ll share an inspiring quote to keep us motivated, talk about books, or share about the craft of writing. Shannon is such a sweet person. I love her blog.

I could go on and on but will stop here. So I hope you’ll check out these blogs and please let us know in the comments about your own blog or someone else’s you really enjoy.

On Monday I’m interviewing another teenager who’s also an aspiring author for for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away an ARC I know you’ll want. And on October 24th, I’ll be interviewing debut author Stasia Ward Kehoe and giving away a copy of AUDITION. Then on October 31st, I’m interviewing another debut author Anna Staniszewski and giving away a copy of MY VERY UN FAIRY TAIL LIFE.

Here's the link to everyone else participating in the blogfest. I hope you'll visit some of them.



Hope to see you on Monday! Have a great weekend.

I Have A Blog Partner!

Hi everyone! I have an exciting announcement today. Natalie Aquirre, who you're sure to have seen in the comments of this blog and others, is joining Literary Rambles as my new blog partner! Natalie has been a long-time supporter and I'm thrilled she'll finally have a place in the blogosphere for people to visit and hear what she has to say. Natalie has some AWESOME stuff lined up for you guys, and I think this is a complete #win for everyone.

Natalie wrote up a quick intro just for the occasion. Here she is!

Hi everyone. I’m so happy to be joining Casey! Almost as excited as if I’d just gotten an agent. Seriously, I’ve had a big grin on my face the whole month of February just thinking about it.

I’m a middle grade and YA fantasy writer. I’ll be blogging on Mondays starting March 21^st and will tell you more about myself and what I plan to blog about then. Hint: there will book giveaways.

I have a special interview coming up this Friday, March 11^th. I’m interviewing Cheryl Klein, a senior editor at the Arthur A. Levine imprint of Scholastic. We’ll be discussing her new book, Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children or Young Adults. And I’ll be giving away a copy of her book. Hope to see you then. And thanks Casey for letting me join as your blog partner.

Yay, Natalie! Everyone, please join me in welcoming Natalie to Lit Rambles and make sure you come back Friday for her interview with Cheryl Klein. I've had a sneak peak and it's fabulous!

Two-Year Blogiversary & Happy Easter

Two years ago today, I started Literary Rambles like this.  I didn't think the blog would last.  I had nothing to say.  I kept wondering, "What kind of writer am I?  I don't even know what to write on my blog!" (still true, most of the time).  I never dreamed I would be celebrating the blog's two-year anniversary with so many friends and encouragers.   Who knew I'd meet so many awesome people, feel such a sense of community, or have such a great opportunity to give back?  Not me.  But here we are. 

Last month was Agent Spotlight's one-year anniversary, too.  That means there are over 50 agent profiles on the blog now.  Over 50!  Holy Moly. I wasn't sure the feature would last past a few months.  I was terrified to put it out there and put my name on it (would it really be useful?!? What would the agents think?!?), but I felt it was something writers could use, knew deep down it was a good idea, so I went with it.  And you encouraged me.  It has its issues but it's become a pretty amazing resource.  I have a lot of fun putting the profiles together, learning about the agents, and helping all of you on your journeys toward publication.

I think writing goes much the same way.  If you keep at it even when you don't know what you're doing, surround yourself with friends and encouragement, and stay open to change and improvement, success in some measure will eventually come of it.  Maybe it's not what you were expecting (better or worse) and maybe some have put you down along the way... but you got there.  You took a chance, you worked for it, and other people believe in it.  I don't think success should be held any higher than that. 

Anyway, I feel like this is as much your anniversary as it is mine and the blog's.  I wouldn't still be blogging and putting profiles and posts together every week if it weren't for you and your encouragement, enthusiasm, and contributions. 

So, Happy Anniversary to Literary Rambles and its Friends, and Happy Easter to all who celebrate!  I'd like to do a contest/giveaway sometime soon in celebration, so feel free to offer up some ideas and tell me what your favorite kinds of contests are. 

Gone Revising Blog Fest

I'm feeling motivated to make progress on my MS today, so I've decided to dedicate this Monday just to that (+kids+cleaning+laundry+cooking+etc). Consider me Gone Revising (+++++).

And since I'm not posting anything remotely interesting or insightful, I thought I'd turn the focus to all of your fabulous blogs instead (400+ followers, really?!? Thank you!).

Feel free to plug your blog in the comments and tell everyone what you're up to. If you haven't posted anything today, consider this your prompt to do so and then come back and tell us about it.

I'll pop in a few times to see what you've brought to the Blog Fest. Have fun!

Poll: New Background Color or Old?

Hi Again!

I've changed the background color from light text on dark to dark text on light in a way that allows me to keep my color scheme. But, I'm really on the fence about it. So, poll time! If you're reading from a reader, please click through and vote. I'm almost thinking the text would have to be bolder if I were to keep this look. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. I promise this layout stuff will be over soon!

ETA: I've changed the font. I think it reads better but let me know if it's not standing out enough still.

Which Background Color Do You Like Better?

• The old color
• The new color
• Neither

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Blog Changes. Feedback Please!

Soo, I'd like everyone's input.  I've been changing things here and there on the blog, and I'd like to know what you think and what other changes you might like to see.

Here's a list of what I've done so far:  Created static pages and took some of the clutter off the right sidebar.  Put up a new bio for my "About Me" page.  Changed my RSS feed and twitter links to cute icons.  Deleted some extraneous links.  And, the big one, changed the subtitle of the blog.

I'd particularly like to know if you like the new subtitle and if you have any other suggestions for it.  Also, how many of you think I should change the blog title (Literary Rambles) altogether?  It's been suggested that the blog is no longer a place of rambling, so I've been considering new titles.  I felt the subtitle, at least, had to go and so it has.  If you think Lit Rambles should change too, please throw out some suggestions.

Additionally, I'd like to know if reading on this layout with this color scheme has been a bother for anyone.   Would you like something easier on the eyes?

I'm wondering too if I should create agency labels.  Would it help to be able to view the agents I've spotlighted by agency?

Let me know!  This is basically an open feedback thread so feel free throw out whatever you want.  It can pertain to what I've already mentioned or anything else you have on your mind.  I want this blog to be the best it can be and that really comes down to you, dear readers, and what I can give you. What do you want to see?

Thanks in advance!!!!  I'm eager for your thoughts.

Contribute to Literary Rambles!

Hey all -

School is coming up fast for me, so I want to make sure you're all aware of the variety of ways you can contribute to Lit Rambles and help me keep it a happening place to be.  I'll still be posting Agent Spotlight profiles, Tip Tuesdays, and other writing/publishing related posts.  But if you're interested, you can help fill in the empty days in any of the following ways.

Write a Guest Post:

I'm always looking for guest posts that are on writing/publishing related topics.  Informative, educational, inspirational, etc!

Request an Interview:

Are you a published or soon-to-be published author in the children's field?  An agent?  An industry professional?  I'd love to interview you! 

Send in a Tuesday Tip:

Have a writing or research tip you'd like to share?  Send it in for a Writing / Research Tip Tuesday post!

Request a Topic / Ask a Question:

I love getting requests and questions for blog posts.  Throw 'em at me!  I'll do my best to answer, find someone who can if I can't, and post it up on the blog for everyone else to weigh in.

Request an agent for Agent Spotlight:

I'm always adding to the list, so send in your requests!  Note: I'm still working through agents that accept children's fiction, specialized or representing one or more genres therein.  For example:  If they represent mostly adult but also rep YA, as many do, I'm willing to spotlight them.  Though, I'd love spotlight more agents that are specialized in children's!

Post Feedback and/or Response Times:

The Agent Spotlights posts are always open for comments.  Feel free to leave feedback if you have experience with one or more of the spotlighted agents, or even post your response times for others to see.

Send in Updates:

It's gotten to the point that I can't possibly keep all the Agent Spotlight profiles updated on my own, which means you should always take note of the date they were posted and do a search for new content.  If you come across something new (interview, great new information, agency switch, etc) on an agent I've profiled, please feel free to e-mail this information so I can update.

If you're the agent I've spotlighted, you can ALWAYS e-mail me updates or corrections for your spotlight.

Send in For Public Critique:

Send in 1-5 lines of material, preferably first lines but I'm open to others, or your query and I'll put it up in its own post for feedback from my readers.  Comments will be moderated to maintain constructive feedback only.

Place a Wanted Ad:

Looking for a critique partner or beta reader?  No guarantees on responses, but I'm willing to post a request to see if anyone out there is interested. 

Blog Tours / Contests:

Children's authors!  Are you on or setting up a promotional blog tour or need a contest outlet?  I'd be happy to host a spot on Lit Rambles for you.  Just contact me with ideas, details, specifics, etc.

Other:

I'm always open to ideas and feedback!  Please feel free to contact me.

For all of the above, please e-mail to agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.

I Think It's Time For Another....

...Blog Promo!

What are you blogging about this week? What new turns has your blog taken? Have you just started your first blog? Are you desperate for some new readers?

Please share in the comments what you're up to in the blogosphere and then click around and do some adventuring.

(Hopeful) Happy Monday!

I'm Back, YA News, and Question Box Revival

I'm back! And I have to say, it feels good knowing things should be back to normal this week. I'm looking forward to getting caught up and reading all the replies you left in various posts while I was gone, especially the blog party post.

First up, Happy Release Day to PJ Hoover whose second book, THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD, comes out today! If you haven't read book one, THE EMERALD TABLET, in PJ's THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS trilogy, you're missing out! And while you're busy reading book one or book two, you can look forward to my interview with PJ, which should go up in the next couple weeks.

Next, some agent news that came out while I was away...

Elaine English Literary Agency is now accepting young adult lit. You can read about the wide range of genres they're now accepting YA submissions for and some of Naomi's and Elaine's preferences on the agency blog.

ETA: Sara Crowe is back from her maternity leave and put up a call for submissions on the Crowe's Nest. In her post, she also talks about some of her YA authors and why she took them on.

In other YA news, Sourcebooks has added a new teen imprint called Sourcebooks Fire and will publish seven titles in its debut season. You can read all about it on Publisher's Weekly.

Any other news I missed while I was gone?

Finally I'd like to revive The Question Box and invite everyone to leave me some questions, if you have them. I think a healthy batch of questions would give us some great discussion material and it would let me know what kinds of posts you'd like to see here on Lit Rambles!

Try to have a great Monday!

So Tell Me: Your Blog

I'm always discovering great new blogs (despite the groans of my reader), and I'm sure you are too. I was thinking it'd be fun if everyone piped in and promoted their blog a bit. I try to visit the blogs of everyone that comments, but I don't always have enough time to get a feel for what's all there. I'm sure I miss out on a lot.

So tell me, what do you blog about? Is there a focus? Do you have any regular features?

Please share, and make sure to keep an eye out for new blogs that might interest you. You never know what you'll find, and I'm sure everyone would like some new readers and friends!

Lit Soup's Birthday and Contest

First off, today is the 3rd Birthday of agent Jenny Rae Rappaport's blog, Lit Soup. She's celebrating by having a microfiction contest!

The rules: here.
The "magic" word and contest thread: here.
And make sure to stop by this post and say Happy Birthday to the blog!

***

Setting that bit of fun aside, what do you think of the new layout? Be honest. Too dark? Did you like the old one better? I'd really like to know!

Question Box

This is going to be my Question Box post. I know there are a lot of new writers out there, people new to blogging, and people with questions they've just never asked about the writing biz. Asking questions, no matter how trivial or silly you think it might be, is not stupid. Questions are seeds of knowledge and can help a person grow in a lot of ways.

So, I'm inviting you to leave your questions in the "box" and I'll see if I (or other readers) can answer them for you by posting them up on the blog (as many agents do, for example). They can be about writing, the publishing business, querying, blogging, me, anything! As long as they are appropriate.

Anonymous questions are welcome, if you feel more comfortable that way. And you can always e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com, if you'd prefer.

I'm going to put a link to this on my sidebar, so it will always be accessible. If it gets too long I'll make a Question Box II, and so on.

Ask away!

Flashy Fiction Fun - Join us!

More news and newness!

I'm part of a new group blog called Flashy Fiction! We give you prompts seven days a week, you give us flash fiction in the comments!

The crew:

Miss Monday: Patti Tucker
Miss Tuesday: Moi!
Miss Wednesday: Trish Doller
Miss Thursday: Heather Hansen
Miss Friday: Suzanne Young
Miss Saturday: Christy Raedeke
Miss Sunday: Amanda Morgan

(I so just added the miss-day thing in so we could feel like hot calender girls!)

Here's the 411!

Are you struggling to find the words? Have you lost your desire to write? Need to remember how fun it is to create without criticism? This is the site for you!

What is Flashy Fiction?

Flashy Fiction is a blog designed to motivate you to write. We will give you prompts, your job is to write a flash piece and post it in the comments. The prompts can be anything – pictures, a series of words, a news article, a sentence, or quote.

Make this process something creative for you! Use it as a jumping off point to get back to your manuscript.

How does Flashy Fiction work?

Anyone can participate in Flashy Fiction. Read or view the prompt and then spend 10 to 20 minutes writing your flash piece. We do not care about your level of experience.

What can you write?

ANYTHING! It can be silly, or cute, or downright sad. Language is your choice as well. The only thing we ask is that it be on topic.

As a matter of courtesy, we do ask that all comments be nice. This is NOT a critique site and should not be treated as such. The participants are sharing pieces for fun.

Come check it out!

Blog Topics for Writers

Awhile ago I made a post about blog topics for writers. At the time I wanted to start blogging more but didn’t really know what to blog about. Apparently other writers are wondering the same thing because I keep getting hits on that post. Since I’ve put together a list for myself, and I love to be helpful, I’ve decided to expand on the topic for others.

Blog Topics for Writers:

Talk about Your writing: Seems like a no-brainer, huh? Really though, a lot of writers don’t spend much time talking about their writing (me included). Maybe we should. The writing community is incredible. Since joining the blogosphere, I've found that fellow writers are a great source of feedback and encouragement.

Post Excepts or Teasers: Feedback is extremely important to a writer’s progression. It’s really hard to learn without it, so post some excerpts and reap the benefits!

Open Discussion Questions: Have a question about the publishing biz? About writing? About anything? Post it! Get input, opinion, and/or feedback.

Book Reviews: If you’re writing, I hope you’re doing some reading, too. Book reviews are always great for a writing blog and good reviews mean a lot to authors. Review the books you love!

Interviews: Have any author friends? Any contacts in the publishing business? Been following any up-and-coming debut authors? Ask to interview them! Interviews are always fun and informative.

Discuss Current Events: Seriously. If you’re completely stumped for blogging ideas, there is a wealth of publishing news to draw from. From book releases to big sales to lay-offs and the economy, there is always news you can spew words about.

Discuss Other Blog Posts: Unless you’re bran-spanking-new to blogging, you’re probably following some great writing blogs and/or publishing professionals (if not, see my sidebar). Keep a folder on your computer where you can bookmark posts that interest you. Like publishing, there is always something discussion-worthy out there!

Friday Five: Popular among all sorts of blogs is the Friday Five. And, although no one has spelled out the “rules” of the Friday Five to me, I get the impression you simply list five things you’d like to share on a Friday.

Lists: List and discuss your favorite books, authors, characters, even your favorite book covers, etc. And don’t forget, you can discuss your least favorites as well!

Inspiration: One of the questions that published authors often get asked is: “Where do you get your ideas?” It’s a pretty good question, too. Where the heck do we get the inspiration to create fictional worlds and characters? Start thinking about it now and maybe blog about your inspirations as you become inspired.

Here are some other topics/questions you can consider addressing:

Do you write with music? Why or why not?

What are your comfort books, books you can read again and again, that foster and rekindle your desire to write?

What is your ideal or dream writing space like?

What or who inspired you to write?

Do you belong to a critique group? Writing organization? Tell us about it!

Going to any conferences? Make a shout-out and see if you can find other writers to meet up with.

What are your favorite writing blogs? Why?

Are you querying? Share your journey through rejection and (hopefully!) acceptance.

What are your favorite kinds of characters to write? To read?

What are you doing to improve your craft?

How do you stay motivated?

Are you an outliner or a seat-of-your-pants writer? Why?

Would you like to be a bestseller or have a smaller, more manageable following?

Do you have any fears about becoming published? Why not talk them out?

What are your marketing plans? Are you working on your platform?

Do you have a writing “process?” Do share!

And so on…

That should give any writer a pretty good start, but I’ll be adding to this list as I have time.

Feel free to add suggestions or other topics in the comments. Are you a writer here looking for blog topics? Post your blog in the comments and I’ll check it out!

Blog Topics For a Writer's Blog?

Update: See my more recent post HERE where I expand on blog topics for writers.

I had the most awesome morning today. I lounged in bed for two hours with my baby and worked on my outline on paper. We’re talking sans computer – longhand. Wow. That’s rare for me. Meanwhile, my darling toddler, Berlin, played quietly next to me (also lounging) with a single toy (!!) and enjoyed the apples slices and juice that her father provided. She was such an angel. Talk about a writer-mom’s dream morning. And ya know what? I’m going to try it again tomorrow! : p

( - One week postpartum and I'm back at it - yea! -)

Anywho, I’m trying to come up with regular blog topics / posts to keep me blogging regularly. The focus of this blog is my writing journey, but I’ll definitely have some personal family-focused posts as well.

This is what I have so far…

Wednesday’s Words for our weekly goals

Occasional book reviews (per my 2009 resolutions)

A monthly review of my resolutions / larger goals

Other possibilities based on what I’ve seen others do…

Thankful Thursday

Friday Five

Teasers

Open discussion questions (I suppose I already post questions pretty regularly : p)

I’d like to have an additional writing-related post once a week or so that is either educational or a query of some sort, but that will take some planning and I might not tack that just yet. We'll see. I have a post on character arcs brewing in the brain - so you might see that soon.

Any other ideas or recommendations for me?