Publishing, Blogging and e-Books Blogs

A Blogger’s Books was launched to help writers who were starting out in the business, so I wanted to make sure my readers were able to find other sites which were informative and resourceful in the writing, blogging, e-Books and e-publishing world. The list below consists of all the blogs I linked to in 2009. These were sites I came across which impressed me in the way they delivered free information and help to their subscribers. I look forward to fine-tuning and adding more to this list in 2010, so if you have a blog that fits this description please let me know. I will add it to my follow fridays by reviewing it, then put it on this list. (Drum roll)



how to write and publish a book

internet marketing blog

how publishing really works

lulu blog

publishing talk

the pen is mightier than the spork

author jody hedlund

the man who painted agnieszka's shoes

write and earn a living

a reader's respite

nathan bransford literary agent

danny gillian attempted author

social (at) blogging tracker

writer's bureau blog

andrew lownie literary agency

stephanie barko - literary publicist

My Favourite Christmas Book

image source



How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is my favourite christmas story ever. I read it to my kids several times in the run-up to the christmas holidays. I adore the repetitions and the fact that Dr. Seuss dared use 'mouses' for the plural of mouse. 

It shows that we can all choose our own way of writing, inject our personality into our text, and still come up with a fantastic, workable product.



Next year I resolve to stop worrying about old writing rules and stick to what I know best - writing as me!



MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

New Wellness Book in Hard Copy

As promised, my healthy weight book called, A Model's Guide to Losing Weight Without Dieting is now available in hard copy here.

‘A Model’s Guide to Losing Weight’ is a workable solution to banish nagging weight issues and keep them gone for good.



It’s a powerful, new guide. It hands over responsibility to the readers by inspiring them to attempt the lifestyle changes even before they’re introduced, and gives them the option to move at their own pace.



This innovative weight-loss programme teaches a way of life, not a diet. It coaches readers on issues of portion control, a new system of mind-training, and sustainable physical activities, with no strenuous exercises.



This is a clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan with solid psychological reinforcements. It offers the readers the option to personalise the steps for individual tastes.

Retell A Fairy Tale in no More Than Three Sentences

As writers we tend to go on a bit. Finding words is the easy part. It's what we do. But could we tell a story in a few sentences? Here are some familiar fairy tales below, told in no more than three modern-speak sentences. I'm sure you can work out what they are.



This juvenile delinquent deceives a giant's wife. He steals their valuable stuff, and when the guy tries to defend his property, the youngster murders him.







Absentee dad and his new partner abandon a couple of kids in a forest. The kids vandalise an old woman’s house and end up in a pot of trouble when she turns out to be a witch.



Sometimes you gotta kiss a few frogs to find your prince.





A group of greedy goats, not content with their lot decide to pop over to the property next door to feast on the green grass there. The first two deceive the gate keeper in order to get in, and the last one tops him.





A rich brat ends up lost in the rain. A noble family with time on their hands takes her in and stupidly puts a pea under her mattress. Brat gets up in the morning, complains about the accommodation and gets rewarded for her troubles.



Some fat pigs get caught up in getting their hooves on the property ladder. An estate agent in a wolf-disguise decides to have them for tea, but ends up in hot water when they join forces in their sub-let.



Grow up already.



Idiot emperor bares all. Sidekicks agree he looks good naked.



What’s up with these stepmothers? This one's delusional and thinks she’s prettier than her step daughter. She crazy-talks with some freakish mirror and puts her stepdaughter in a deep sleep. Wonder guy happens along and plants a kiss on girl's smoochers.





Crazy parents makes a stupid deal with some witch. Witch locks their daughter in a high castle and grows her hair to bizarre lengths. Guy comes along and actually climbs up the chick’s hair but they soon get into trouble when the witch goes mental on them.



Pervert with fancy flute steals mice and kids.



Lazy geezer with an uncontrollable pet cat allows his animal to run riot in the neighbourhood. Cat wears human clothes and shoes, kills a larger guy and manages his owner's stolen property and love life.



Spoilt brat, irked about her frizzy hair, breaks into a hairy family's home, eats their food, breaks their furniture and valdalises their property.

Quick, Easy Ways to Save Space on Your Computer

I’m vigilant when it comes to making good use of space on my laptop. Nevertheless, with all the material I produce, I often wonder how long it would be before I completely run out of room. Apart from employing network assessment solutions there are several very easy ways anyone without much technical knowledge can save and use their computer space wisely.



• Empty your recycle bin at regular intervals.

• Delete read emails promptly.

• Empty your junk box completely on a daily basis.

• Keep track of pictures you no longer want and remove them.

• Use a removable USB drive to store old images, or those you don’t use very   often.

• Store old folders on removable drives.

• Do regular defragmentation according to manufacturer’s instructions.



As a writer, I’m always creating new material, and storage space can become a problem after a while. I’m always looking for new ways to keep my laptop working in ship shape. Are there other space-saving ways that work well for you?

The Daleks Are Reading Our Books

Strange, but true. Author Leigh Russell from No Exit Press manages to sell her highly acclaimed and very successful crime book, Cut Short to no other than Dr Who's Dalek. As many of you know, I work on Dr Who and have seen these monsters who threaten to exterminate our world. Hopefully, after reading Leigh's excellent book, the Daleks will be enthralled and entertained enough to stave off the destruction so they could enjoy some more of our earthly masterpieces.

A Book Movie

Marketing and promotion have changed drastically over the past decade or so. When I was younger, films were mainly promoted by trailers or adverts shown in the cinema and on TV. Books were primarily marketed by newspaper ads and bookstore promotions.







The Blair Witch Project was the first film (which I remember personally) that used the Internet to promote its release. Although not an entirely well-made film, it became hugely popular and extremely successful. At that time, this was pioneering a phenomenon which took hold solidly and producers haven’t looked back ever since.





Book publishing has been steadily heading that way. Authors are making use of several different avenues of marketing and promoting now available to them. Newspaper ads are no longer adequate or contemporary, and writers have turned to places like California corporate video production to help their cause. I’ve seen some of my author colleagues’ films they made of their books. I must admit that up until recently, I didn’t even think it was possible to make a movie of a book. But with the widespread use of Internet sites like twitter and YouTube, I suppose it was inevitable that this would happen.





What promotion methods do you use to promote your books and have you considered making a film to accompany your paper-equivalent masterpiece.

Author Feature

Today 'A Blogger's Books' features a sucessful author colleague, Pat Bertram.

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book - character and story driven novels that can't easily be slotted into a genre - she decided to write her own. Daughter Am I is Bertram's third novel to be published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC. Also available are More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire.

More Deaths Than One: Bob Stark returns to Denver after 18 years in Southeast Asia to discover that the mother he buried before he left is dead again. He attends her new funeral and sees . . . himself. Is his other self a hoaxer, or is something more sinister going on? And why are two men who appear to be government agents hunting for him? With the help of Kerry Casillas, a baffling young woman Bob meets in a coffee shop, he uncovers the unimaginable truth.

Daughter Am I: When twenty-five-year-old Mary Stuart learns she inherited a farm from her recently murdered grandparents-grandparents her father claimed had died before she was born, she becomes obsessed with finding out who they were and why someone wanted them dead. Along the way she accumulates a crew of feisty octogenarians, former gangsters and friends of her grandfather. She meets and falls in love Tim Olson, whose grandfather shared a deadly secret with her great-grandfather. Now Mary and Tim need to stay one step ahead of the killer who is desperate to dig up that secret.

A Spark of Heavenly Fire: In quarantined Colorado, where hundreds of thousands of people are dying from an unstoppable disease called the red death, insomniac Kate Cummings struggles to find the courage to live and to love. Investigative reporter Greg Pullman, is determined to discover who unleashed the deadly organism and why they did it, until the cost - Kate's life - becomes more than he can pay.

 

A Time to be Creative

Writers, artists, and bloggers have to have their creative caps firmly glued to their heads all year round. However, it’s at this time of year that our resourcefulness is really put to the test. I believe in living green and reusing/recycling whatever I can. Cards and scrapbooks are no exception. I like the personal touch of fashioning cards, wrapping paper and presents, and have taught my children to do the same too. My eight year old daughter has opted to make 20 cards this year even though she realises there is an easier option of using ones bought from the store.





I found a store online that’s a pot of gold when it comes to creating your own cards and scrapbooking embellishments They cater for a wide range of artistic designs, embellishments, stickers, glue, jewels, paints and templates. I think no matter the time of year, making a scrapbook/cards couldn’t be easier.



So, if you're taking a break from blogging or writing during the holidays, there are other inspired ways to spend time with your family. Of course you'll still be giving way to your artistic side, but you'll be fullfilling your desire and obligation of sharing precious moments with the people you love.

Quick Money Saving Tips and Tricks

The original post (The Facebook Stalker - The Conclusion) has now been moved to the join the rest of the story. All the pages have now been recorded as one entire post. Find the complete story here



Today’s money-saving tips are just a few tricks to keep firmly in mind when you go shopping at the supermarket. Of course there are so many other areas in our lives where we can claw back on the amount we’re spending, but we’ll discuss these in due course.







1.Instead of buying several different cleaners for multiple tasks, add soda crystals to washing powder to do a multitude of cleaning around the house. It’s cheaper, safer, better for the environment, and gets the job done.





2.Before you think you’ve got a deal it’s wise to check the price per smallest unit (100ml or 100g for example). This information will be on the price tag on the shelf below the item, in almost-invisible writing which you have to bend over to read. Generally, larger items are cheaper per unit, especially with things like cereals, washing powder, toilet roll etc.





3.Frozen spinach, carrots, beans, peas, okras, roasted (frozen) aubergines, etc taste exactly the same as their fresh counterparts and sell for almost half the price. You save in two ways: (a) The amount you pay for the product. (b) There is no wastage. Fresh items are sold by weight but you can’t use end bits and stems. There’s also no ‘going bad’ in the fridge so you never have to throw it out.





4.Not having a list is a very expensive way to shop. If you don’t know what you need, you’re likely to grab everything you think you want. Make sure your supermarket visits are accompanied by a list.





5.Always look at the bottom shelf or the one above eye-level for the true price the item is worth. Supermarkets put their most expensive items on the eye-level shelves. The chopped tomatoes you pull off the shelf on your way to the freezer section could very well be selling for 20% less on the shelf right under your nose – literally.





6.Visit ‘discount’ or ‘cash and carry’ outlets for items like paper towels, shampoo, toothpaste etc. You may find that they stock end-of-line products and sell them cheaper than your supermarket. While you’re there, buy long-life items like rice, pasta, oil, toilet roll etc, in bulk. You’ll get them for as much as half the price.

Winter Living Savings

The original post (The Facebook Stalker - page 2 of 3) has now been moved to the join the start of the story. All the pages have now been recorded as one entire post. Find the complete story here.





At this time of year we tend to go wild with spending. I think this is because it can sometimes seem useless trying to save money on one hand, while splashing out on goodies for the family and more Christmas decorations for the tree, on the other. However, there are still some tiny ways in which we can try to minimise the outgoings in other areas of our lives. Our wallets will thank us for it in January during the wringing-of-hands season when the first bank statement of 2010 arrives in the post.







In and around the home





This is the time when cars get randomly attacked and vandalised in the street. We’ve had our cars smashed, used for a graffiti canvas, snowballed (which resulted in a broken side window), otherwise vandalised and a windscreen destroyed, all at this time of year when it’s dark and not many people are in the cold streets late at night. (And we live in a decent neighbourhood.) Make sure that you’re parking in a safe place and save yourself the stress. As you know, claiming on insurance is not totally free. They always get you back the following year.





Speaking of car insurance, if you park your car in your drive (driveway), or better still, in a garage, you get cheaper car insurance. Having a working alarm also helps lower the premium. If you’re older than 50, why not change your policy to one aimed at older people? If your senior parent lives with you, having them as the main policy holder and you as the second driver will save you a few bobs every year.





Reduce your hot water temperature at the source. You’ll be using a lot of it now and you’ll only be mixing it with cold water to cool it down. Why not save your boiler the hard work (electricity) of heating it up to that extent in the first place.





Register with cinema chains and take your kids to the cinema for free (at certain times). Win free tickets, music vouchers and cheap popcorn too. This is the time for presents. Get yourself and family some free stuff when you have the time to use them.





Let your printer work for you. Print your coupons from family days-out sites. Get fantastic deals and free trips.





If you have kids visiting who cannot sleep without a light on, use a night (plug-in) light instead of leaving your hall lights on all night.





Watch what you’re using your credit card to buy. If you used your credit card to purchase something which came at a discount of 10%, by the end of next year the interest you will have paid on the price of that particular garment/present will add up to significantly more than you ‘saved’ in the sale (unless, of course, you pay off your cards each month).





Eating ugly is good for you





Price depends largely on how attractive the item appears to the buyer. If you don’t mind eating a pear that’s gone, well – pear shaped, you could snap it up for 30% less than the actual price. Items are always priced to make a decent profit for the retailer, so don’t feel bad because you’re not getting it for less than it’s worth.





Most vegetables are sold as pre-packaged and loose versions. The pre-packaged ones are all neatly arranged, virtually the same sizes and are beautiful to behold. The loose ones are bent, ugly and of all different shapes and sizes. There is no difference in the nutritional value of these two groups of vegetables/fruit. The difference lies with the pricing. Don’t get taken in.





Bottled water





Purchase a jug with a filter rather than bottled water. Drink pure, fresh-tasting water for a fraction of the cost you now pay. A glass jug with a filter (which you change monthly) provides you with water just as pure as the bottled variety. The difference is in your wallet.



For more on money saving ideas, see my book, 'How To Spend Less.' Details on this blog.

The Facebook Stalker

Part 1: FacebookUser Too







It was now time to do the business. I’d waited for the last hour crouched behind the large pyracantha bush Caroline G kept by her back door. I knew it was there even before I found out where she lived. She would want it to be nice and dark before my visit. Them career types like her wouldn’t want the neighbours to see them mixing with the likes of me. Thank heavens for Facebook. The message she left for me in her update said her roommate was leaving for the airport at 6 pm, for a flight to Tuscany. It was now three hours later and pitch black outside. What was it she said on her last tweet? ‘Making dinner, then washing dishes in sink 2nite. Dishwasher broken and stupid h/mate won’t help get it fixed.’





She’s a smart girl, she is. She knew I’d been watching, keeping an eye on her profile and stuff, waiting for the right time, the right message to tell me when she was ready. You can’t force love. It just happens, like. Everyone knows that. Two weeks ago when she updated her status to ‘single’ I knew she would arrange this meeting. And if my calculations were right, the twelve used pads and three heat packs in the bin meant that her timing was perfect.



I took one deep breath, heart drumming inside my chest, and carefully peered out from behind the prickly bush. My mum’s got a pyracantha in her back garden, but the needles were half the size of these monster ones here. Caroline G would have to do something about the thorny scratches I got on the side of my face, but not now. This would be nice and slow. That’s the way them girls like it aha, aha.



Whoops! Close one! She was standing at the sink, washing up like she said she would be. She looked right at me, nodded, then went on as if nothing happened. That was my cue. I had to wait until she was finished; until she went upstairs for her bath, then make my way inside the flat. They usually leave me a key or an open back door or window. I never go round the front coz they lock up tight round there. I know my place, me. When nice girls like her show an interest, you can’t be too pushy. They want to call the shots, so you got to let them. There’s trouble otherwise.



I have a purpose and I do my job well. When they’re hurting, I help drain the pain away. It’s like a release, what I do. I sort of make them whole again. Nobody does it better, el oh el. Like they say on Facebook and twitter and such, el oh el. I never quite get that though. Like, how can everything make you laugh out loud? I’m not a prude or anything like that, mind. But not everything is sooo funny. We used to put a little smiley face when we were growing up. I think that’s better than that el oh el rubbish.



Hang on. Kitchen lights just went out. Here we go. Under the mat... above the door....Where did she leave the key? I have to admit, I like the games and all, even though it’s sometimes hard for me to work out puzzles and stuff. I’m more of a sporty type. Well, I used to be. I was really good at football in primary school. The next Maradona, I was. I reckon I could run faster and control the ball waay better than he could. I let him have the fame for it though. I live my life private, you know? And with the hand thing and all that afterwards.... Mental! Not worth it, really.



Where’s that key? Under a stone... wait... once it was under a loose pavement slab. Classic! This is the good part to the build up. To be honest, I don’t like the fighting parts too much, especially with them fat girls. You know the way they have to pretend they don’t want to get the needle and all that. This right here, the build up, this was one of the good parts.



I could hear water running down the drain, she was probably using the sink or getting ready for her bath or something like that. Good stuff. I like bath nights. If only I could find the stupid key.



Bingo! The shed’s unlocked. That’s a good sign. That’s my girl. That’s where she would’ve left it. Silly me. I could’ve waited in there if I wasn’t so nervous about the whole thing. Missed it completely.





***

I feel sick with the excitement bubbling up inside me. Water is splashing in there. She’s probably already in the bath. Couldn’t resist coming up straight away when I found she’d left the back door key in an empty paint can in the shed. I was like, woah. Smiles bursting out every inch of my face. I’d packed my tiny backpack with a special gift tonight. Caroline G was special because, well, because she was special. All them girls I meet on Facebook are special.



Doctor Regan said I shouldn’t be spending so much time on the computer. That I should go out and find some real friends. What does she know, like? Facebook girls are real. For one thing, they tell you more about themselves than real girls do. I know loads about Caroline G. All her friends say Caroline G this and Caroline G that. But I know what her last name really is. I know her mum and her brother. They send her messages all the time. I’m not stupid, right. I seen her brother’s last name. It’s not difficult to work out. I added him as a friend on Facebook a few weeks ago, but he’s in Peru or somewhere rubbish like that, and he didn’t even add me back. What can I expect though, from a big time journalist who looks like that celebrity racing car man. What’s his name? That black one. Or, no, maybe he’s actually half-caste. I also know that Caroline G’s mum calls her Carrie, and I know her birthday and everything.



Her ex. Now, he’s one of them big shot types. Literally. Name’s Jake. He’s got a huge, black Doberman, and a shiny black BMW, but he never uses it when he’s parked outside her flat in the middle of the night. He’s got a dark blue Ford Fiesta for that. I wonder what he’s compensating for with such big car. A little man with a dog called Doodles can raise all types of questions, if you ask me. He went on a skiing trip after they broke up, and had all these big smiley pictures posted up on his profile page as his avatar. One for each day of the week. What an idiot. Some men don’t know how to treat women. But we don’t need him anymore. Caroline G has got me now.



It was after this skiing trip when I noticed how much closer we had become. She would drop hints for me so I could know where she was going to be, and stuff. I started following her on twitter and she let me into her life more than ever. She knew I like curry, so she told me when she was going for a curry night with her girlfriends. I knew the restaurant, so it was easy to meet up, really. She came and sat right opposite me. I smiled at her and she smiled right back. I knew we were right for each other from that very moment. Even though she didn’t know who I was, and had never seen my picture – not my real one anyway – it was like destiny had brought us together.





Deep breath now, before I open the bathroom door and see her.





‘Hi, Caroline G.’



Part 2: Caroline G



‘I don’t think so, Jake. You’re such an idiot.’



 ‘You’re lucky I can’t reach down this phone and slap you in the face, Caroline. Where did you learn to talk to me like that?’



‘And you wonder I kicked you out.’



‘I moved out. No female kicks me out. And I am coming over, like it or not. I’ve got things to say to you and you will listen.'

‘I’ve got nothing to say to you, Jake. We’re finished. I’m not scared of you anymore. I’m moving on with what dignity I have left.’



‘This is funny. You’re funny. That’s exactly what you said when we came back from Mali on our millennium trip. Look, I’m taking Doodles for a walk. See you at 10. Don’t worry about waiting by the door on your hands and knees. I’ve still got my own keys.’





‘I’ve changed the locks, you idiot. You won’t get in.’



‘No, you didn’t! You wouldn’t, baby. Not you. We’ve already talked about what could happen if you do. You’re a smart girl. We can’t have your staff finding out that their boss in her fancy office and high heel shoes, with ‘targets’ to meet, is one of those little help-me-please-I’m-so-abused girlfriends when she’s at home, can we? Ha, ha. You know you’re mine, baby. It stays that way.’



‘Jake, please.’

‘Ten o’clock, sweetheart. Me and Doodles are coming over for a visit. Get the wine ready. We have things to celebrate.’



***



This sink will be clean, all dishes washed and put away when they find me. Everything in its place. Vertical cuts are far better than the horizontal ones. Those are for people who’re too chicken to go through with it. Nice and neat, no cleaning up after. Just drain the bath, is all they’ll have to do. Ten years is enough. This is not happening anymore. I’m done.





A black eye can be hidden with make-up. A broken rib can be easily dismissed as ‘too much fun’ on holiday. But how do you hide hundreds of needle pricks on your face, in your eyes, all over your body, after your fiancé pushes you into a giant pyracantha bush when he gets mad. Drags you down the stairs, out of the house, and into the bush, just so he get his kicks by watching you sit in the bath and tweeze hundreds of thorns out of your skin. It’s all cleaner and neater in the bath. No hoovering to do afterwards. It’s such an innocent looking shrub out there, wrestling with the wind. I should burn the stupid thing, but I won’t bother. I won’t cry either. No, I won’t cry.



***



Bathing for the last time feels strangely peaceful. It must be perfect when they find me. Legs and armpits have all been shaved. Jake’s old razor with the removable blade was just what I needed. I don’t want to have to make several cuts. The scent behind my ears will last until they wash my body, perfect and smooth. Ten minutes soak, just ten more minutes.





‘Hi, Caroline G.’



Part 3: Facebook user too



I seen the recognition in her eyes when I grabbed hold of her mouth and pressed hard. Hard and tight. I told you. She planned all this. Right up to this very moment. She likes it clean. I know that as well as anyone else. This is why she wants to do this in the bath. She’s not a screamer. That’s one thing I didn’t plan for. All my other exes screamed their heads off. They knew how to excite me. I suppose Caroline G will learn. We’ve got time. All the time in the world, really. We could learn stuff together. She said she once she wondered what it would feel like to be in a coma and hear everything going on around you. And not able to speak and stuff. I could arrange that.





She put her hands to cover herself up when I turned around to get my little back pack. I will get rid of her pain the right way. For her, I’ll use a brand new needle. My gift to her. If she wanted the coma thing, we could do that too. Maybe. I never quite got that bit right before.





‘I’ll take my hands away now. Right. Be calm, everything’s gonna to be alright.’





She nodded. She understood.





‘Put your arm out, Caroline G.’





‘How do you know my name? Please, what are you doing to me? Please don’t hurt me. Just take what you want.’





She knew our game. She played it just right.





You have to get the needle in just right. One of my exes had such small veins, it took me like ten minutes just to insert it. Eventually, I had to use a vein in her foot. Silly cow. The messages she left for me on Facebook were always about how cold she was feeling. Shut up already, I said. I did take a nice fleece blanket over to her flat when I visited. I know how to be a gentleman, me. She was the hardest one. It took a long time for her release. A long time. And it didn’t end nice. But that was way back when I was still learning. I’ll be alright tonight. Apparently, which I only found out later on Google, low blood pressure means the blood takes a long time to drain.





That’s no good, is it? For release you got to have a complete drain. Complete. Bleed all the bad love out. Add a drop of mine in, then bleed the good love in. That’s my plan anyway, but that sort of thing takes practice, as you well know. That release is just what Caroline G needed. She knew it too. She smiled when she gave me her arm. The needle went in all nice and smooth. See? I’m learning with each one. I’m getting better all the time. Now we wait.



‘Singing makes it go faster. Sing something, Caroline G.’





‘What? What do you want me to sing?’





‘Anything you like. While I bleed the bad love out.’





I knelt beside the bath, lay the blood bag on the floor and waited with her. I’d heard better singing voices than hers, to be honest. But she chose a good song. Can’t beat Michael Jackson, no day. I’ll miss him, I will. I wonder what killed him in the end. Everything went so quiet, like, all of a sudden. Someone must be hiding something, no doubt. I crossed my legs and sat down. Bleeding love takes a long time. We could be here for a while.





She’d clenched her jaw when I stuck the needle in her vein. She was happy that it was me doing it and not one of them doctors down at Accident and Emergency. I seen them stick people in the arm without even looking at their faces. Everyone is just a victim to them, another person for me to wheel away to the mortuary, just another corpse. But I always see the fright in patients’ eyes. When they’re on my stretcher, they’re in my care. They don’t look at me. No one does. Doctor this and doctor that are always more important than the man behind the stretcher. Alive in one direction, dead in the other. I seen them, and that fish look in their eyes. But I’ll show everyone. I may be just a porter, but I possess the power to heal too. It’s a natural gift. Runs in my veins - literally.



‘Keep singing!’





Sometimes my voice gets louder than I want it to.





She jumped out of her skin, splashing the front of my jumper with bath water. I leaned over and pushed her head under the water a little. Just to calm her down a bit. She likes water, she does. I caught her scent when I got close to her. She smelled like... like... what was it she told me on Twitter, she bought?



‘Bought some DKNY – the apple version – today.’



I let her back up. She stared at me with that same sort of fish look in her eyes while I changed the blood bags. She understands.





‘I went to the chemist that very afternoon you told me about DKNY. Sprayed some on my wrists. Trying to save a bit of money for us to go away on a skiing trip, my Caroline G, so I didn’t buy it or anything. It’s a ladies’ perfume anyway. I don’t know how to ski, but I suppose I can learn. Been going to the chemist every afternoon since. Been spraying the DKNY on my wrists. Am wearing some now. Here.’



She smelled my wrists and looked up to me and smiled. Such a sweet smile she has. It was the first thing I noticed about her when we found each other on Facebook. I smiled back. The whiteness in her face was beginning to show. It would soon be time.





Part 4: Caroline G

‘Hi, Caroline G.’





His hands were around my nose and mouth before I could say anything. My pulse beat hard against my neck and I wondered for a split second if there was enough bubbles in the water to stop him seeing my nakedness.





I must not scream. Keep calm. I’ve got to keep calm and do as he says. Whoever he is, I’ve got to keep calm, tell him where my bank cards are.





‘Put your arm out, Caroline G.’





‘Please don’t hurt me. Take whatever you want.’





Wouldn’t it be better for him to just do it? I may have chickened out at the last minute. Instant death by an instant burglar happening by. ‘What are the chances, Caroline? You always get what you want, Caroline. Golden girl, Caroline.’ Jake’s voice clicked inside my head. A switch tripped, and then dying wasn’t what I wanted to do today. Jake wasn’t going to get what he wanted, not today anyway.





‘Sing!’





‘Beat it’ had been playing inside my head all day. It’s an appropriate song. The needle hurt, but I suppose chopping my wrists up would’ve hurt even worse. The crack-head had probably only ever used a needle to pump drugs in his arm. But at least he’s not injecting me with anything. A new, packaged needle. I should be alright. One bag of blood. He’ll leave and I’ll be fine. Some bizarre robbery this is.





(What are the chances, Caroline?)





I eyed the razor on the side of the bath and images of CSI and a tub of red water flashed across my mind. I felt as though I’d had a bottle of red wine poured down my throat, stumbling, stumbling, fading...Please, let it be just one bag.





‘Keep singing!’





His black jumper burst before my vision and before I could take a breath his hands were on my face pushing, pushing. Before my last breath, he let me go, and air filled my lungs in weak, tiny gulps. Is he changing the bag?





‘Am wearing some DKNY today.’





He forced his hands before my face and fear punched a fist into my throat. There were wild zigzag cuts cascading in every direction on both his wrists. He’s going to do that to me! I looked deep into his face for the first time and saw madness so complete, his eyes no longer looked outward, but within.





He must have seen my panic because even in my blurred vision, I saw him smile.





I should fight, I should wake up, but darkness and peace had come to claim my soul. Silent, peace, no more pain.





‘Who’re you?’ There’s movement, sounds, tousling, maybe a scream, maybe two, then Doodles’ wet tongue on my face.

‘Baby! Baby!’

Hands on my neck. Feeling, prodding. (What are the chances, Caroline?)

Scluuppp of draining water.

Something - warm and dry my front.

‘...you’ll feel a sharp prick now.’ More needles.



Something – warm and dry – soft under me.

Voices floating in the ceiling.

‘...Last night.

...Carrie’s flat.

...Thank heavens for Jake.’



The End

My Follow Friday - Lulu Blog

Lulu is an online printing/publishing company that publishes novels, calendars, cook-books, picture albums and a number of other print paraphernalia. If you wanted one copy of a personal calendar professionally printed as a gift for someone else, or you required 200 copies of your carefully edited novel, Lulu will print and supply these for you. The print on demand service means that anything from hard copy novels to picture books can be printed at a relatively affordable price.







Even though Lulu is not a personal blog it’s a fantastic resource for writers and publishers. It concentrates on authors’ advancement. Obviously the more a writer/publisher sells, the better it is for Lulu’s status and financial prosperity.





If you’re a writer interested in writing contests, how to market your work, self-publishing advice, or author tips and tricks, log into this blog and have a look at the tags on the front page. There are literally hundreds of advice pages for writers.





Get stuck in!

How to Save on Family Entertainment

2VKS6TQCMHUQ



One of the areas in which we’ve had to cut down our spending has been entertainment for the family. The current economic situation has signalled a shift in the amount we previously spent on our social lives. Many people are currently looking to find more traditional ways of spending time with their spouses and kids. The value of the ‘quality time’ (as opposed to the hefty cost of the treat) can now be stressed. Below are some helpful ways of cutting the entertainment costs within the family. My book ‘How to Spend Less’ addresses these points in more detail.

1. Do some research to find enjoyable games that you can personally set up and play at your kids’ parties instead of hiring a DJ/face painter/juggler. This is terribly easy to do even if you’ve never done it before. Design and print your own invitations. Play your own music. Assign tasks to various family members, and get all the work done for free.





2. Get together with your kids’ friends’ parents and plan a car share system for travelling to clubs, school, swimming, trips and other activities. One parent picks up, the other drops off. Save time, energy, costs and carbon emissions.





3. Book your foreign holidays in University cities. Universities rent out students’ accommodation during school breaks. These go for half the price of hotel rooms. Check before you go, as based on the size of the individual rooms, this plan may not be suitable for families with more than one child.





4. Plan an affordable and green wedding to control your spending. Find the entire article at Beyond Jane. It’s called, ‘How to Have a Green, Affordable Wedding; The Definitive Guide.’





5. There is no need to stop going out for a meal with your partner entirely. If you eat out, check newspapers for two-for-one deals particularly during the winter when custom is slow. Do lunch instead of dinner. It’s a lot cheaper, especially if you order the set menu and the house wine, and pass on the coffee at the end.





6. Remember that if you wish to go to a bowling complex or activities’ centre, you can get significant discounts if you’re part of a group. Getting together a few of your kids’ friends and their families for these outings is an idea to consider.





7. A perfect day out camping in the back garden and surviving on just what you packed in your overnight bag is a great experience to have with your kids. All of this comes for free and the only thing spent would be time and effort.





8. If you would like to take your child to visit interesting venues but can’t afford it, offer yourself as a volunteer on a few of his/her school trips. They’re all free for parent volunteers and give you an opportunity to get to know your child’s friends and teachers.



My book, 'How to Sp£nd L€$$' is now available in hard copy on Lulu.

Whinging Wednesday - Reality TV: And The Winner Is...

I’m not a fan of reality TV, but I do watch the X-Factor and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. For my American friends, American Idol is the American version of the X-Factor. I’m a Celebrity... sees forgotten (in most cases) celebrities who’re staging a come-back of sorts, dumped into the Australian jungle. They’re required to complete stomach churning tasks like chewing on kangaroo testicles to ‘win’ food for the group. They get whittled down one by one until the last man/woman left standing is crowned king or queen of the jungle.



My whinge today is about the hosts of these programmes. Have you noticed (though I can’t imagine you haven’t) the length of time it takes them to say who’s going home on a particular night?



'And the person going home tonight is...' and you waste valuable seconds and minutes of your life waiting for them to say the name. Just say the name already! You scream at the TV and hide your face behind your hands while they stand there, panning from face to face, squeezing the last bit of patience out of the poor, panic-stricken people on stage.



...And you're still waiting for a name.



Why does this have to be done in this way? Do the producers of these shows think that we, the viewers get our kicks from seeing the competitors (celebrity or not) cringe to the point of breathlessness? What is the perceived advantage of this tactic and how does it help the show?



I have to admit it does nothing but annoy me, making me less likely to watch more episodes of the show.



...Still waiting.

How To Blog

This is a series of tutorials geared towards the creative minds of bloggers and writers. The first instalment concerns naming your blog. Subsequent articles in this series will be posted at intervals here on A Blogger’s Books and this page will be used as the anchor from where you can find links to all of them. Subscribe to my posts so that you can be notified when blog posts appear.





Lesson 1 is immediately below. You will find links to the other tutorials at the end of this article. 





Lesson 1: How to Create A Great Name For Your Blog

Naming your blog

When it comes to naming your blog, you may think this is a pretty easy and personal task. You’ve obviously had names that mean something special to you, swishing around in your head for a long time.





Wait. Actually, this is one of the hardest things when it comes to starting a blog. If you don’t mind your blog being another one of the millions of personal online journals no one else is interested in, it would be fine to give it an individually creative name.



However, I suspect you’re hoping to manage a blog that will be publicly read, will be listed by search engines, and that people will search for when browsing the Internet. In that case you’ll have to think carefully about what name you wish to use. To find your blog name you must first consider of the following points.





What is your purpose

Think carefully about the purpose of your blog. What are you giving to your readers? Blogs that are streamlined and targeted (not niche) have a better chance to be listed high in the search engines (in the long run) than more general blogs with pick and mixes. Sure, mix-bags blogs will be popular too. I have friends who have well-liked general blogs, but they’ve had to work longer and harder for their sites to rate high in the system. If you’re looking for staying power, and if you establish yourself as (say) a collector or expert in Spring flowers, after a while Google will be sending traffic your way when someone types in ‘Spring Flowers’ in the search panel. Take heed that it will take at least a year for this to start happening, but the more it happens, the more it’s likely to happen again and again.





Of course you may wish not to only stock pictures and information about Spring Flowers. You may have all types of other regular posts and images, but your main purpose has to be kept firmly in mind when considering your blog’s name.





Who are you targeting

In other words, who will your customers be? Who is your material aimed at? Are you targeting older people, women, younger people, gardeners, other bloggers? You also have to work this out before you name your blog. Your mood and tone and the words you use to name your blog would be slightly different when considering your audience. For example you may want to use words like ‘information,’ ‘facts about,’ ‘all about’ for students and younger people. If your audience are gardeners you may use words like ‘expert,’ ‘seasonal tasks,’ and ‘planting’ in the name. If you’re catering for general web users and bloggers surfing for just the pictures you may just want to say ‘photos of’ or ‘pictures’ in your title.





Popularity in the name

Again, using the scenario of spring flowers, you want to know exactly what terms or phrases are most popular in the searches for your specific topic. Visit the Google Keywords https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal page and type in your topic. Consider all the words that come up in your selected keyword phrase. You have the option to use just keywords, or general descriptive words or phrases in your search. It’s a good idea to make your choice depending on which phrase/word comes up more often when people are looking for information on or pictures of (spring flowers) your chosen topic.





There are few other things, but as a new blogger, these are some of the most important ones when choosing your name. Once you’ve considered all of the above, you’re ready to type in the name of your blog. Make sure the spelling is perfect and to ensure you get first dibs when people type in search words, express it in the way you would, were you typing in an actual request in your favourite search engine. For example, you want to blog about pets for young children. You won’t name your blog, ‘My lovely house pets.’ You’ll go with a name like, ‘Best Start-Up Pets for Young Children’ simply because this is what mothers would type into their search engine, were they looking for information about pets that are suitable for their little kids.





You’re ready to move on, but there is one important thing you should do before your name is set up.





Describing your blog

On your dashboard (Blogger) under setting, you’re required to include a description of your blog. As far as possible (and as naturally as possible) use some the words you found at the Google keywords site, stating clearly what your blog is about. Don’t leave this panel empty because you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. We will talk about this later, but on your Settings page (Blogger) under basic, you can opt to add your blog to Blogger’s listings, or ‘let search engines find your blog.’ A blog description therefore, is very important if you want your blog to be included in these lists. Your blog name should reflect its description.





You’re now ready to name your blog. Part two (link immediately below deals with blog posts. 





Part 2: Blog posts (how to blog, part 2)



Other Blogger Tutorials you will find useful





What does Blogger nav bar do?

How to resize Facebook 'networked blogs' widget

Online-writing tutorials (more below)

How To Add Google Webmaster Tools To Your Blog

How To Customise Feedjit Widjet On Your Blog

Vital Settings For Your Blogger Blog: The Newbie Guide

How To Add a 'Share This' Button On Your Blog

Vital Settings For Your Blogger Blog

Blogger's Top Gadgets (more below)











Use Your Blogger Nav Bar: Share on Google Buzz

5 Fun Gadgets For Your Blog

Does Face Book Send Traffic To Your Blog

Alexa.com And Your Blog

How To Monetize Adsense For Search On Your Blog

Free Gadgets To Increase Page Views

How To Create A Blank Page In Blogger (more below)

Make More From Adsense: Tips For Small Time Bloggers

Free Gadgets To Monetize Your Blog

Blogger's Got New Features

Blogger's Most Useful Gadgets

10 Ways To Make Your Blog Post Popular













How To Create An Adsense Channel For Your Blog

Optimizing Your Pictures Increases Blog Traffic

Do A Paid Review On Your Blog

20+ Must Read Articles For The New Blogger

How To Get Super Ideas For Blog Posts

Optimising Pictures On Your Blog Increases Page Views

5 Ways Com Luv Can Improve Your Blog









More Blogger tutorials to follow.

My Follow Friday - How Publishing Really Works

I Follow 'How Publishing Really Works' because of the wealth of writing tips and publishing advice the blog stockpiles. Not only are there definitive articles like ‘How to find a good literary agent’ or ‘How to test a copy editor.’ There are also vital grammar lessons for those in the writing world and beyond.



This site may not be a very ‘personal’ blog or what is construed as a ‘friendly space,’ but it’s the result of a lot of hard work by talented and professional people (there are posts by a few guest writers as well).



I often dip into ‘How Publishing Really Works’ for links to writers’ resources or just to see what’s going on in the publishing world because I respect the recommendations and opinions of the people involved.



Bookmark this site if you’re a writer, or have published an eBooks on the Internet.