Give the gift of books

I thought it would be great for you to see what I plan on giving for the holidays.

Take a look at what +We B Swangin' Show hostess +B Swangin Webster will be giving for the holidays.

Merry Christmas everyone!
Christmas Gift Ideas

'TIS THE SEASON....

Yes, it's that season again and today I come with a few words.

Instead of going out and spending hundreds of dollars, why not spend some of that money to give the #giftofreading to someone.

Books make a great gift and not just  my books! Any Books!

Books should replace TV at least for a couple of hours a day. Our children know how to 'power up' get to the next level and kill every alien on +XBOX 360 +PlayStation and +Nintendo Life but do they know how to read?

This season buy those teenagers, children and the adults on your list some great gifts.

If you are buying them a +Kindle Deals or a +NOOK load it up with a couple of books that they like to read.

That is the best gift you can give. I know I will be gifting books for my reader friends!

Happy Holidays

I HAVE GONE AND DONE IT

I made someone's list.
Yes, me and I am so very excited.

I made +Cyrus Webb list of top 50 novels to read in 2014!

Boom Boom shake the room people!

Ok, if you haven't noticed; this means the world to me! Christmas has come early for me and I am so ecstatic I could burst.

To make this list is an honor that is not taken lightly. My novel hits a very hard subject. It deals with self-esteem issues and domestic violence. The story follows Cheryl and Kevin and their idyllic family life; to the outside world that is.

Inside their home, there is violence, alcoholism and self-esteem issues; not only with the parents but also with the children.

Only when a stranger overs a way out does Cheryl believe she deserves more; but is she willing to make the ultimate sacrifice before it is to late.

The novel hit the shelves on August 1, 2014 and has taken the Washington DC area by storm. I have gone on tour with some great authors and I have been asked to speak to multiple book clubs and civic groups.

If you want to take a look at this great honor, please click here: Cyrus Webbs Presents Top 50 of 2014

Then head to my Facebook page: Author B Swangin Webster Fan Page and LIKE the page and join me in my journey.

I also have a radio show and this will be a topic tomorrow. We B Swangin Show and join me on TWITTER at +We B Swangin' Show

 

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

I ask myself this question all the time when the day ends and I'm still left with to many things on my "to do" list.

But...the salvation is: Time to roll those clocks back! Yippee I love this time of year..that means I get one more hour to get that to do list done.

I get one more hour to work outside getting those fall shrubs ready for the winter and one more hour to get that garage cleaned out.

That also means I have one more hour to stay up and catch that TV show that I always missed but can watch on the DVR.  That means that I have one more hour to relax before the sleep fairy invades my brain and takes hold of me and one more hour to play with the grandson who is the joy in my life.

Wait..but that means I also have one more hour to get some writing done, do some editing and create the next year's marketing budget and plan. I can also plan more time for the radio show and finish up novels three and four.

What..wait..what just happened. How is it 10 pm already? All of this time and I didn't get half of the things done, even with the extra hour.

So again; I'm left asking the question:

Where did the time go?

BEAUTIFUL LIFE

My life can be better but right now why would I want it to be. I'm living a +BeautifulLife.

I'm on the radio every week. I'm hosting a weekly radio talk show on +WLVS Radio and I am having the time of my life!

I'm also an author and the great reviews keep coming in for Let Me Just Say This.

I'm also the grandmother of seven grandbabies and got the news that I will be a Nina again..this time of TWINS!

HOLY COW..twins! I'm in love with them already!

So, this blog is nothing more than to tell you that I am living a beautiful life.

If you want to see me, tune in today at 4pm on http://listenvisionlive.com and see my beautiful life!

I'M SO GLAD WE HAD THIS TIME TOGETHER.....

That is the song that me and +Paula Lanier sang at the end of the #MDC3Con yesterday.

We shared a lot of laughs, a lot of knowledge and a lot of networking was done. We shared drinks and took lots of pictures.

Instead of sharing a lot of words, I want to share a lot of pictures.

Brad Parks and I shared a great time at lunch. My sister, +Paula Lanier  came down and introduced my to Alchemy and boy oh boy did the food put me into a food coma. Food Porn is how I describe it

+Puja Guha +Dee Lawrence +Tom O'Day and his lovely wife Marie are the worlds biggest author fans!

+CJ Ellison and +Rebecca York graced us with great advice and great wisdom in the writing world.

Best Con this year! Can't wait until next year!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

That is the question I ask a lot of people and a lot of people ask me the same thing.

This week I am doing a lot. So I decided to give you a run down of what my week normally looks like.

Sunday: Today I sat down with the committee of the #MDC3Con and talked about the final preparations for the amazing conference in Hunt Valley Maryland. Then I will have a meeting with my stylist, my personal assistant and also my publishers. Yes, although Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, I'm not resting.

Monday: I will work a full 8 hours, then put in another five hours at my office of Intrigue Publishing. Then I have a networking event to attend at 6:30 and then hopefully it is off to bed by at least 11pm.

Tuesday: I have a production meeting for my show on Wednesday. That is only after I work eight hours at the middle school and five hours at the office of I.P and then hopefully I will get home before 11pm but somehow I don't think that will happen.

Wednesday: I have a radio show to do at 4pm. But before that I have to work eight hours and then prepare my guests and intern for the show. I will be on the air until 5 pm at +WLVS Radio and then at 6 pm I will need to meet some fans to drop off their signed novels and then meet a great group of readers for an impromptu book club meeting. Home by 11 pm. (again, fingers crossed)

Thursday: I recover from the show and then prepare for next week's show. I will then head to Baltimore for a meal prepared by a very special chef and then I will prepare the bags, gifts and questions for my assignment at the +MdC3Con

Friday: The #MdC3con begins and I am one of the members who need to be there at 9 am. Then I will moderate a few panels, talk about social media and then network at the bar afterwards. The day will end sometime around 11 pm or until I finish up my last drink.

Saturday: I am still at the conference and the day will start pretty early. While you sleep at 7 am I will be up and making sure the panelists and rooms are set up for the second day of the conference. I will then moderate and be on panels.

Now, that is a normal week. Except that the conference is probably replaced by the book club event, special speaking event and/or Reading Diva's event.

So now that you know what I am doing; what are YOU doing this week?

GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE

Today I am just writing; after all the blog is about books, shoes and writing. But just wait until you see the cute little shoes/boots I have gotten for the fall...but that is for next week.

I feel like I need to purge myself. No, not like ridiculous movie where all bets are off and you can do whatever you want for 24 hours!

First the most frustrating thing you can do to me is take everything that I say as an opportunity to say why I am wrong and why you are right. OK, am I not entitled to an OPINION? Am I supposed to continue to agree with everything that everyone ever says? Am I supposed to never change my mind about anything? Geez people!

Secondly, my dreams are live and in living color! I dream big and I think big so it only beckons that I would want big things, right? Well, my dream of being a 'talk show host' has come true. My dream of being an author; yep came true and now my dream of having someone in my life that I can share everything with is, OK, well I'm still working on that but I know now that I am in a position to change that as well.

Third, I want to thank all of you for being on my journey for the past six months. It seems like this life has taken a turn down the path that I was trying to get to years ago but for some reason was not able to get there.

Suddenly, I find myself on the path that I wanted to be on years ago. I now know that the reason I am on the path now is because I was not READY for the journey years ago. I had a lot going on in my life that would not have allowed me to appreciate the path and journey that I am on now.

See sometimes we just have to wait because what is for us will be for us; as long as we wait for it.

So as I right this, I smile and know that what is for me, is for me and that no matter what you may say, I know I am right where I need to be.

Have you started the journey to being the best you possible and if not, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, why?

NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY

There is never enough time in the day for me to do everything that I want.

For instance; today is Tuesday and already I have gotten behind in things that I need to have done.
I need to prep for tomorrows radio show on +WLVS Radio and then I need to get at least 20 pages of edits done for +B Swangin Webster novel. I then need to finish up reading my girl +Lindsay Errington pre-novel and then I need to take care of mailing out some ARC copies of novels for +Austin Camacho and +Jeff Markowitz after which I need to finish mailing out the copies of novels for +Annie Rose Alexander all this while wanting to spend time with my cute grandson, Isaiah and then I must walk the dog.

Before all that can happen, I must finish work on my 'day' job. Yes, I actually have a day job, working at a middle school in Waldorf, Maryland.

+Mattawoman Middle School is where I spend almost ten hours every day doing things that help pay my bills. Don't get me wrong; I love my job! I love the students I come into contact with every day but some days like today; I'm so ready to quit because I'd rather be writing.

Which brings me to the 'not enough time in the day' theme. Since there is NEVER enough time, I never get to get my hair done, or my nails done or take a spa day. I squeezed in three days of vacation with my kids and my family because I was determined to relax. I loved the time away, at the beach and spending time with my honey and kids but I began to feel guilty about it afterwards. So I did what any workaholic would do. I started working longer hours.

Today I received a jolt. My blood pressure spiked so high that the blood vessels in my eyes burst. Not a good look, so the doctor said, "slow down, relax or risk having a heart attack or stroke". Ok, I am going to listen so today, I am not going to worry about if everything gets done. I am going to do what I can and then I'm going to stop working after 7pm. If it doesn't get done, there is always tomorrow, right? Because there really is never enough time in the day to do EVERYTHING that you want to do.

But it beats laying in the hospital or worse. So for those of you that are workaholics; please slow down; your life depends on it. There isn't enough time in the day to do everything and there never will be.

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

The struggle to get up in the morning and go to my 'day job' is so real every day.

After being at a book event the night before, the struggle gets harder and harder every day.

Why? Because all I want to do is be a full time writer. Last night, Aug. 25th, +B Swangin Webster , which is me,  along with +Dee Lawrence KR Raye and +Puja Guha was at the Barber Lounge for Men in Waldorf Maryland where we all discussed our writing lives, our writing process and also read from our novels.

Puja Guha was the 'guest' diva of the night and let me just say that this phenomenal woman fit right in as if she had been with us all season on our tour. She brought along her husband, who sat in the audience and smiled proudly while his wife discussed her novel and even read from it. Secretly I think he still thinks she may be a spy and he is trying to 'catch her in the act of spying' but the only thing he caught her doing was having a wonderfully great time with three other ladies who love talking about their novels.

Events like these is what makes me happy and why I came to the decision that Dec. 1, 2014 would be my last day at my 'day' job. I HAVE to be an author! If I don't, I think I would literally stop breathing.

The struggle for me is not what am I going to do, but WHEN am I going to be able to do it. My writing life is such that right now all I can think about is my next character, my next story line or my next conflict.

Yes, the struggle to get up in the morning is very real but the struggle NOT to write is much harder. Lucky for me, I won't have to make that choice much longer.

My first choice and my first love will be writing and going on tour with great authors!

See you on the book tour circuit!

THE DIVAS HIT THE ROAD

As you know I am on tour with two other fabulous ladies.

What, you didn't know that? Where have you been? I've been talking about it all over my +Facebook+ Fan Page and my +Twitter page. (side note: here is my Facebook fan page link B Swangin Webster Fan Page and here is my Twitter page: Twitter for BSwanginWebster ) Now back to my regularly scheduled post.

As I was saying: I have been on tour with +Dee Lawrence and +KR Raye and we are the Book Divas on Tour. We have been on the 'road' since May. We have visited blogs, conferences, homes and businesses.
 

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

I have been absent for almost three weeks. Did you miss me? What? You didn't even notice that I was gone. Gasp! The horror! Look just pretend you knew I was gone because I have been very busy.

Not only did I start my radio show on +WLVSRadio but I traveled to New York City for my annual trek to Thrillerfest.

Oh the fun we had, the shoes I bought and the friends I made!

If you watched my show...what you don't watch my show! Gasp! Clutch the pearls! We will discuss that later, but last week on my show I told you about investing in yourself. See this is one of the ways that I invest in myself. I make sure surround myself with people that I can learn from, people I can network with and people that have struggled and also had successes. Who better than to tell me what to do when I run into a road block? Who better to tell me when I am being a jackass because I don't actually know it all. Yes even I don't know it all; who would have thought that, right?

But this past weekend showed me that what I am doing, I'm doing very well. What I am doing is making a difference and what I am doing is getting noticed. Noticed in a good way, not the bad way. What's the bad way?

Ask yourself these questions.
Do I always think I know everything?
Am I contrary when it comes to giving a clear answer?
Am I being a pain in the ass to others because I think I know it all?
Am I being pushy at events when others would rather walk away from me?

Yes, those are all ways that NY times authors gave as being a jackass! So luckily I didn't answer yet to any of those questions. However, I know a few people who are and to them; you better stop or you will find yourself on the wrong end of someone's list.

See, if I didn't go to this conference, I would have never known what not to do but I also learned what to do to get noticed. Like wearing the right shoes...aren't they the cutest?

  So to all of you that don't attend conferences, thank you. It just means that I get to talk to Jeffrey Deaver, John Gilstrap, R.L. Stein, Anne Rice, Chris Rice, James Rollins, Heather Graham, MJ Rose, Thomas Young and many others without you interrupting me.

WLVSRADIO; RADIO YOU CAN WATCH

Have you seen me on +Twitter people? If you haven't, where have you been.

I have my own show! yes, that is right, I am now a +RadioShow personality. I am on +ListenVisionRecords every  Wednesday at 4pm and I am loving it.

My show is all about Books, Shoes and Writing and to be clear, I have a Shoe Cam people! A shoe cam! Oh baby!We B Swangin <--That link will take you to my first show.

The first week, we had a party! Yep, complete with disco ball, Moscato, cake and broken glass! (Hey, what's a party without at least one glass getting broken)

+Austin Camacho and +Dee Lawrence showed love for me and came to the studio and sat down and hung out for a quick hour.

Why quick? Because by the time the cake was cut, the bottle was empty and the laughter died down, it was time to sign off.

So if you get a chance, I'd love for you to take a look at our first show and share it around the internet. I want everyone to know that the We B Swangin Show is a lot of fun and you need to be a guest. We B Swangin Show-2 <--this link will take you to the second show!

Well, I'm booked up through September, but hey, I have slots open for the fall and winter. What more could you ask for.

Did I mention that I will have some kind of "adult beverage" every Wednesday; so come on down and party with me and let's have some fun while we talk about books, shoes and writing!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

Today I am so excited to announce that I will have my own talk show!

I will broadcast live on WLVS Radio you can watch. Every Wednesday I will discuss everything relating to books, shoes and writing! I will kick it off today with an in-studio party! I am so excited I can barely type this.

Tune in today at 4 p.m. to watch me and some of my friends celebrate with some cake and an 'adult' beverage or two.

There are going to be plenty of pictures taken, I will be tweeting LIVE  and I hope to see you on Facebook following me and my friends as we bring you the We B. Swangin Show every Wednesday for an hour.

I will host some great debut authors, debut some great music and also give you some insider tips on writing and on being an author.

So, come and join us as we will keep you entertained.

CONFESSIONS OF A CHEATER

A few months ago I wrote about cheating.

I was caught cheating and although I wasn’t proud of it, I admitted it and promised not to do it again.

Well, I am here again, admitting to cheating

Now stop giving me those looks, I’m not cheating on my significant other but with someone just as important to me.

I have been cheating on my KINDLE, again. 
Gasp! Clutch your pearls (if you are wearing any) and hold onto your hat!

My KINDLE has been replaced with…(ok, I’m taking a deep breath) Wait! Don’t rush me! I am cheating on my KINDLE with…with…an…I Pad!

There I said it! Are you happy now? The dirty little secret is out. I never wanted to be one of Those people but I find myself grabbing for Ivy the I Pad all the time. She is there in the middle of the night, beeping, chirping and glowing whenever someone posts to my Facebook or Twitter pages. 

Her rotating screen keeps me mesmerized and sometimes has me confused as I hold her upside down trying to figure out where that darn home button is! However most of the time Ivy the I Pad is entertaining me. Sure I don't know where everything is nor do I have any idea what the hell AirDrop is but I am learning. I have even learned how to do Face Time. Man that has been the best thing ever! I don't have to log into my computer all I have to do is remember the phone number or push the contacts button. Yes, Ivy has taken the place of the KINDLE but only for those things.

Kay the Kindle still reads to me every day; although not as much. I will always keep Kay the Kindle around because she holds my true love. Books (ok, I didn't say that out loud) 

Don't give me that look Mister! Buster the Book is still a little salty but I bought him some new friends to entertain him but for now, back to Ivy the I Pad

I HAVE BECOME MY FATHER

There are worst things that I could have become but the worst thing for me, is becoming my father. See, you don't understand.

See for me, I would say to myself "I am never going to say that" whenever he said something crazy to me. he would sometimes say, "If it were a snake, it would have bitten you." when I couldn't find anything. It wasn't like I was asking him to FIND whatever I was looking for. I was simply making an announcement.

First of all, I hate snakes and he knew it, yet he said it all the time when I said, "dad, I can't find............(fill in the blank)

Secondly, snakes are not looking for things except their next meal or maybe a hiding place from people like me.

and third...why would a snake want anything I was looking for...(geez dad)

Imagine my horror when I said, to no one in particular..."If it were a snake, it would have bitten me." and I wasn't talking to anyone. I was looking for my sunglasses because I couldn't find them. (I guess that is the only reason to look for something, huh?)

For three days I looked in the car, the house and in my purse and nothing.

I get into the car this morning and what is sitting on the back seat...the sunglasses. Now here is the thing. I looked in the car but not in the back seat. Hence why I said it would have bitten me.

It's safe to say, that if a snake were in my backseat, and somehow crawled to the front, and slithered across my feet while driving, one of two things would have happened.

I would have crashed the car or I would have traded my car in! End of story. Most likely I would have stopped the car, got out and ran away from it like a deer running from hunters!

But that wasn't the scary part..the scary part came when I realized that I had did the unthinkable.

So on May 13th at 5:47 in the morning, I BECAME MY FATHER!

Gasp! The Horror! and now all that is left is for me to sit in the chair in the corner, turn on CNN and complain that there is nothing on television.

I AM EVERYWHERE YOU SHOULD BE

Where are you?

That is what I find myself asking whenever I am at an event and I am the only author there. I have been to wine tasting, grand openings, dinners, networking events and at least 6 out of the last 10 times, I was the ONLY author in attendance.

Why aren't I seeing more authors? You must know that this is the way that you make connections. This is the way that you get new readers, this is the way that you meet some people that can help you along in your journey.

Why aren't I see more authors at event's given BY authors? These are also the events that you need to be at. Supporting another author is also a way to make more connections to readers that might not know the genre that you write or maybe they may be the leader of a book club and want more local authors to come and chat with their members.

Why aren't I see more of you at these types of events? Why aren't I seeing more authors at event's like +MaliceDomesticConference or +LoveIsMurder or +Thrillerfest or +MDC3. These are all conferences or conventions that gather lots of readers and very few authors.

So again, Why aren't I seeing more of you at these events?

Marketing and Branding...two different things

A lot of people ask me, why do you always say that marketing and branding are two different things?

That's because they are. Marketing is what you do to get your novel, product or name out in the public eye. Branding is when you are in the public eye and people recognize your novel, product or name by the 'symbol' that you have associated it with.

I am sure that whenever you see an I Pad, you see an APPLE and that APPLE is their brand. When you see Under Armour you see the double U intertwined to look like a U and an A...that symbol is their brand.

For me, whenever people see B.S.W..they think B. Swangin Webster. and that is my brand. Those initials are something that I purposefully wanted to everyone to see whenever I am around. Everything I do, has B. S or W on it. That is why when I tell people start marketing yourself six months BEFORE your novel hits, and make sure that you know what BRAND you want people to remember because when you book comes out, you want that BRAND to be the first thing they see and remember...oh, that (insert your name here:__)

I'm all over social media and when you type in B. Swangin; you will immediately see me...yippee! So my branding is working and my marketing efforts are paying off.

So, tell me what BRAND are you creating to make sure that you stand out among all of the authors dropping books this month and have you started MARKETING yet?

Book Divas On Tour

This past weekend, May 3rd to be exact. The Book Diva's hit the road and was at the MGH Clubhouse in Capitol Heights Maryland.

Our host was Veronica and we had a blast! The crowd was small and intimate and we shared our stories and we shared a lot of laughs.

We, The Book Divas, know that we are undertaking a huge task by putting ourselves at the mercy of our adoring fans but that is what this is all about.

The question was raised, why are we doing this?

Our answer: so that you can get to know us.

We love what we do. Our motto is, Bold, Delightful, Outspoken, Talented, Sister's in Writing and that is exactly what we are.

We are sisters in every sense of the word. We cross promote each other, we share each other's passion and best of all we love hanging out together.

We have developed our own 'language' as it were and whenever you are in our presence, you can't help but laugh right along with us.

We are having fun bringing to you our readings, our stories and our passion.

You can find us on Facebook by LIKING our page. www.facebook.com/bookdivasontour and see where we will be next.

PUBLISHERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

I have seen more and more publishing companies jump into the social media arena.

My publisher is no different. +Intrigue Camacho is now on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads and Google +

The social media magnet, whom we refer to as the Marketing Guru has signed them up and has them all over the place; well all over the internet.

I am sure the big publishers have an entire department that handles their social media presence.

What about the small guys? Who does their's?

Well I know for Intrigue Publishing, that job falls to one person and she does it very well. She has her phone all the time, she is tweeting, posting, updating and announcing things almost 24 hours a day. She does this all while doing her OWN social media.

I honestly don't think she sleeps enough but hey, she handles non sleep just as well as the rest of us who sleep at least 6-8 hours a night.

If you want to see what they are doing, have a look at what we do in the offices or see the latest events that me and the other authors of Intrigue will be participating in, check out the following links:

Intrigue on Twitter
Intrigue on Pinterest
Intrigue on Facebook
Intrigue Publishing Website
Intrigue on Instagram

HAVING FUN BEING ME

This week has been a very good week to be me!

I was interviewed by +Kaaren Allyn of Forward Motion cable TV show

Let me just tell you the fun I had doing this. It was an incredible experience. She is the coolest Jewish woman ever!

She and I traded stories about concerts that we love, rappers that we like, (She is a fan of The Game) just like me and we also talked about seeing Luther Vandross in concert at Constitution Hall. Like, who knew this woman was hanging out at the same places I hung out.

We then got down to the interview and it was like she invited me into her living room and we chatted like dear friends.

We talked about the Book Divas on Tour and we talked about publishing, writing and most importantly, shoes!



She is a shoe diva just like me. We took selfies and had a fantastic time just chatting. It didn't seem like cameras were rolling and that we were mic'd up. The conversation flowed and the experience is one I will not forget.

The show will air on MCM Access 19 on April 29th but here is a few photos for you to enjoy before the show.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...

Last night I attended a birthday celebration for a friend. She turned 45 and instead of having your typical birthday party, she threw an "Oscar-like" party.

Birthday girl, Kabrena with Me

There were balloons, the #Oscar2014 statue, #paparazzi and even a #RedCarpet. There were 'interviews' with the 'celebrities' and there was a dramatic entrance by the birthday girl herself.

When we all were seated we were entertained by dancers and had a 'not so live band' performance.

Then came the 'nominees' and the awards.

The categories were cleaver. Best Mother Award, Best Catering Award, Best Videographer, Best Photography, Best Community Service and Best Inspirational. There were other categories but after the first two hours they all seemed to run together.

Oscar for Best Author Mentor

Imagine my surprise when I see the category for Best Author Mentor and my picture appears. I was up against some tough competition and I won the award for Best Author Mentor! I was in shock and I didn't have a prepared speech. I did my best #Academy speech and they didn't have to cue the music because my speech was short and sweet.

Although there was a mix-up with the trophy and I needed to hand my back before receiving the right one after the ceremony.

This was a great night for me and I have displayed my #Oscar award proudly in my library. I can now say, I am an Oscar Award Winning Author.

#HASH TAGS, STATUSES, UPDATES AND POSTS

Have you become obsessed with social media? Are you always posting a status, an update or a #

Do you find yourself talking in 140 characters or less. What does 140 characters look like?

In the time it takes you to read the next group of words you will have read 140 characters. Our lives are becoming short bursts of information that make our points quickly.

Those last two sentences were exactly 140 characters. The problem with this is, that our children are not able to communicate with us properly. They have lost the ability to answer in complete sentences. They have lost the ability to speak clearly on the telephone. In fact they are losing the ability to spell words correctly.

For example; have you gotten a text from your child that says. B Home Soon or I C U L (I'll see you later)

Studies have shown that more children are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD.

In my younger days no child was diagnosed with this and if a child were, their parent was the expert and knew what to do for it. It was called, 'sit down until I tell you to move" . Nowadays we are given quick information and if you have to 'think' about it, you become frustrated and give up easily. This is due to the hash tags, the update of statuses and the posts on social media. All of the things that are scrolling up the screen so quickly we don't have time to digest the information

We want everything right now, at this very second, and if we don't get it; we move on to the next one.

So I ask you, has social media taken over your life? Do you need an intervention?

My prescription is; sit down, and write a letter. Yes, a good old fashioned letter. Write it to your parents, your children or your best friend. Then put it in the mail.

Trust me, they will love a piece of mail that doesn't require payment but makes them feel good.

STILETTOS, STETSONS AND STORIES

This past weekend, I attended the +Bay to Ocean Writers Conference on the Eastern Shore and when I normally attend there is always a good time to be had.

This year I took publicity photos with +KRRaye +Dee Lawrence +DBCorey +Austin Camacho. You see we are the people that make up the MysterWrite and Book Divas tour groups.

Yes, they are boots and comfortable

It was the brainchild of Ramona and myself last year. Of course being called a Diva is what led to the name becoming Book Divas

Now on Feb. 22, we met up with other authors and I am so well know for my +stilettos that everyone wanted to see what pair I had on and I didn't disappoint as you can see on the right.

I never go anywhere without my 'brand'. I didn't set out for it to be this way but I'm glad that it is.

B. Swangin Webster, KRRaye and Dee

Now, since we are divas, we needed publicity photos, right. so we grabbed our camera's (OK, camera phones) and posed and got some really great shots. Of course we grabbed others into our photo session and we were actually able to get two of the MysterWrite tour group to take a photo with us as well. Now if you notice DB Corey has on a stetson. This is becoming his brand, his trademark. I first saw him at the +MDC3Conference last year and he wore a really nice Fedora and I commented. Well, I think you found your brand. He wasn't so sure and I said, "there isn't a lot of times that a guy can rock a hat, and you are ROCKING that hat". I guess he listened and now that is what people will begin to recognize.

Dee, DB Corey, B.Swangin, Austin, KRRaye

 We all have stories to tell about how much we enjoyed the Bay to Ocean conference and I am sure that the next time we all get together we will share them. But until them, I will continue to rock my Stilettos and DB Corey will continue to rock his Stetson.

What have you made it into your brand? What? You haven't done that yet, what are you waiting for?

As you can see, DB Corey and I are camera ready, him with his Stetson and me with my Stilettos, all of the time.

CATS, DOGS AND FISH....

My house has turned into Wild Kingdom.

First we only had a +Cat

The cat strutted around the house acting like a PRINCESS, hence her name (Princess) and she ruled the household.

Not only did she have her owners trained to jump whenever she started to whine but she climbs all over them while they are watching TV, whining if she can't get her way and finally hiding if they left her alone for longer than what "Princess" felt was acceptable.

I finally had enough of this behavior and proclaimed that I wanted a +Dogs

This wasn't going to be easy since my dog of choice is and has always been a +Rottweiler Fans or +PitBull however they are against the law in the county I reside in so the hunt was on for a dog that caught my fancy.

Little did I know that the dog that would melt my heart would be at the local +HumaneSociety of +CharlesCounty. Mocha was a little scruffy dog who had been abandoned and needed a home. He put on quite the show for me and of course I had to take him home. It's been four months and we all love him except for Princess.

She totally ignores him; well that is what we thought until one day she decided to set her foot (paws) down and scare Mocha have to death. She came at him, standing on her back legs, paws raised high in the air and making some kind of noise that would have scared any other animal senseless but not Mocha. He sat there, un-amused and turned his back to her.

Princes thought bubble
"I will not be filmed with him"

However, the dynamics are such that now whenever Princess comes around Mocha dare not move! It's almost like she has telepathically told him to keep still and he does. Normally lying there like a slug with his eyes wide open and breathing very slowly as if not to make the "princess' angry.

This is such foolishness that now even the +FISH , yes all four of them barely swim around their tank. Secretly I think Princess has gotten on top of the fish tank and hovered over them just far enough that the KNOW they better not mess with her or she will yank them from their watery homes and eat them or at the very least let them lie on the floor flopping around like...well fish out of water.

So you see, my house has become animal kingdom and now I feel like I need a REAL dog to come in and put Princess in her place or at the very least, protect Mocha from her.

LOVE IS MURDER AND I LOVE IT

Two weeks ago I went to Love Is Murder and had the best time ever.

I got to hang out with my great friends, +Hanley Kanar and many others. Love is Murder is the best conference in the Mid-West that you can attend and it is the conference where you make life long friends.

The conference starts on a Friday and runs straight through until Sunday afternoon. We eat, laugh, sit and discuss writing, promotional ideas and best of all we enjoy a few drinks at the bar!

This is why I attend conferences. I meet people! I like to be around other authors and I think I learn more than I would by just sitting home and 'hoping' that someone notices me.

We exchange business cards and we laugh at the, sometimes, share a drink or two or three...OK, four at the most! But most of all we like to sit down with the fans that attend.

I shared my dinner table with the most interesting pair of women who come to LIM every year. They are two retired librarians and they always come to Love is Murder (LIM)

The reason? Because they feel that they can talk and be a part of the literary world without going to far from home. They leave with plenty of new books from the newcomers and they share lots of stories about their days in the library. Those two women are always a pleasure to see.

The other reason is they give out awards, voted on by the fans of the conference. This year, a good friend of mine +Christine Verstraete won the LOVEY for BEST HORROR novel of 2013.

This is her first novel and she won! She was shocked and were we all but why were we. She was up against, +Heather Graham, who is a NY Times Best Selling author! and Christine brought home the LOVEY!

So if you ever get the chance to attend a conference, check out ones close to home first. You will be in for a treat.

If you need a few ideas, here are a few but if you know of any in your area, please feel free to share

Creatures, Crimes and Creativity
Love Is Murder
Malice Domestic
Bouchercon
Thrillerfest

WHAT IS MY NAME

A lot of people ask me...what kind of name is B. Swangin Webster?

Normally I let them imagine whatever they want. Hey, it doesn't hurt me any for them to think it means something totally different from what it actually is.

Actually my name is actually MY NAME. Yes, B. Swangin Webster is my legal name. Well not my entire legal name but it is still my name.

I'll break it down for you.

First the letter B. That is because I was married and my legal last name began with a B and that is all I will say about that.

Secondly, Swangin (and that is pronounced SwA-gen) is my mothers maiden name. Now I know that might be hard to believe but its true. All you need to do is look on Facebook and type that name in. All of the people that come up with that name, and trust me it is not that many, are my family. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, etc.

Third, Webster...that is my maiden name, my dad's last name. Now don't get me wrong. I like those of you that thought it meant because I was a writer I used the dictionary a lot, (hence the name WEBSTER)

Nope nothing that elaborate, it's just my name

Swangin and Webster (aka my parents)

You see, the people in this picture are Swangin and Webster. Swangin is my mom and my dad is Webster. They have encouraged me like no other when it comes to my writing. This picture was taken last night, as we celebrated my moms birthday. The FIRST word out of her mouth wasn't hello and thank you for taking me to dinner, it was 'when's the next book coming out?" That was all the thing that brought tears to my eyes. You see, my mom is losing her sight. By the end of the year she will be totally blind and she "wants to read my book before she can't see it."

Priceless is the word that I use to describe the loyalty and encouragement that I get from my parents ever day. They offered to pay all of my bills while I was working on my first novel and they have kept that offer on the table.

When I say that I love my parents and wanted to honor them by doing something for them, I couldn't think of anything better than making my author name be something that they could see.

Yes, I proudly say I am B. SWANGIN WEBSTER,  The author and even if I never make millions of dollars, I already have the most priceless gift ever.

My parents support!

.....AND SO I'M OFF

Well, not in the sense you are thinking of.  Although sometimes the voices in my head make complete sense.

This time I'm off to another conference. This is one that I started attending three years ago. Love Is Murder is held in Chicago every year.

It threw me off this year because normally it is held during the +SuperBowl 2014 but this year it is the week AFTER. If I wore pearls, I'd be clutching them right now!

So after getting my head wrapped around not being in Chicago during the Super Bowl; I had to find something to do with my Sunday. Watch the game? you say...gasp! I'm not used to being in MARYLAND during that weekend so I had to entertain myself and that went very well. But I digress.

So, this weekend I will be in Chicago, just as the +PolarVortex is leaving or still there, who knows anymore; in any case. I will be there.

Hopefully I will have the courage to go outside but that is totally dependent on how cold it is when I arrive.

Besides, the Love Is Murder conference is used to seeing me in my cute shoes and this year I am researching a murder scene for #TheStilettoStalker. All I will say is: It involves the ice machine, dragging a body and not making noise...yeah this should be interesting.

So if you are in +Chicago this weekend, anywhere near the airport and pass by a place that sells the best burger, I heard it was +RockitBurger, feel free to bring me one and chat about the murder that will be committed there.

Oh and don't forget to say hello to +Intrigue Camacho because they will take pitches for new novels and one of their authors, +Christine Verstraete is up for a LOVEY award.

Hope to see you there!

THE JOYS OF SNOW DAYS

Nothing causes such joy in teachers as the words, SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED.

Don't get me wrong, we teachers love teaching but sometimes there comes a time when parents push those buttons or the students just don't want to be in class. In those moments, we want to scream, or at the very least have a drink. Makes me wonder why most teachers are not alcolhics because goodness knows we could be.

Dealing with the parents who don't want to believe that their 'little darlings' could ever talk that way to a teacher. For those parents who never see their child bring home any books or do homework for that matter and just 'can't understand why their child isn't passing" or "why you can't give him makeup work to do." 

Hmmm, how about because he/she had over a week to do the first assignment, chose not to do it and yet you believe that he will do something in one day because it's 'extra credit'. So we hope that the snow predictions are right and we get that great day from work called a SNOW DAY.

Ahh, the joys of snow days.

When we don't have to face another classroom full of disrespectful children. Another day we don't have to make that dreaded, "your child didn't do their homework" phone call. Another day we don't have to prepare the students to take a hour test that will measure if they have learned something new in math or reading or social studies.

Ahh, the joys of snow days.

When we get to sleep in without fear of over-sleeping. When we get to get up and realize that we have NOTHING to do that day except eat breakfast, turn on the TV and maybe, just maybe, walk the dog. (Cat lovers don't have to worry about such things) When we loaf around all day in our favorite footie pajamas, hair not combed, the shaver still on charge and the bed still crumpled from us laying in it all day. 

Ahh, the joys of snow days. 

But with the joy of snow days comes the dreaded, 'make up days" because we took to many snow days. 

But for now, we are just going to enjoy our snow days and worry about the rest later. 

I'VE GONE AND DONE IT NOW!

Well, if you know me than you know that I have always wanted to be a talk show host. What you didn't know that? Then where have YOU been?

At the C3 conference I talked about how I wanted to do it and another author in the audience yelled out, "then why don't you?"

Hmm, well she was right. Why hadn't I done it. She was right. I had been talking about it forever! I had a new computer that had the capability to create great videos. I had great friends who would love the chance to sit down and talk to me and I had the personality to carry a 'show".

So I did it! I went and did it! I dragged a friend, ok, well not quite dragged but nagged him enough that he agreed to be my guinea, I mean my first guest on my show. Now the name of the show is The BSW Show because I do everything with BSW.

I sat down with my little sad bunch of flowers, a small table and two folding chairs and started talking.

+Austin Camacho was gracious in granting me an interview. The room was dimly lit and I talked a little to fast but my first 'show' is now on Youtube.

Click here, The BSW Show is live and hoping that you don't judge it to harshly....remember, I have a low budget right now and it will get better.

At least next time, it will be better lighting and the flowers won't be so small. So tell me what you think and be kind....

Oh No! I'm one of THOSE People

Do you see this? Huh? I mean....I actually have workout shoes that are flat to the floor. Gasp! What is happening to me? I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that I have tennis shoes. 

As you can see, my 'heels' are trying to intimidate the cute little purple/grey shoes but they are standing their ground! The tennis shoes have taken up residence in my work bag. Correction, my work bag; which used to only hold my laptop, various pens and pencils, a notebook and the occasional bottle of juice or my coffee mug has now become...

A WORKOUT BAG!  I think I feel faint! *fans self in an attempt to not faint*

You see, I went to the gym to help a friend who is on the journey of a life-time. She has lost over 80 pounds by walking and needed a little motivation and she asked me to go. I went and then I asked her to do the circuit training with me. After walking 4 miles in a little under 35 minutes; I was pumped. I was barely sweating so I figured I needed to do something else to get the old sweat glands to work. Like who does that? Well, I do because with me it is all about the competition. I couldn't have THOSE people in the gym looking at me like I was a slacker. I could imagine what that group of women thought when they walked in, "look at her...taking up that machine walking and she aint even sweating''. I can't help it that I don't sweat much! Get off my back! 

Wait, they didn't actually say that but I felt like I wanted to have an attitude with them so off to circuit training I went and for the next 30 minutes I sweated like I was in the park playing frisbee with my dog Mocha. Except he wouldn't catcha frisbee and I wouldn't have him in the park with all of those fleas and ticks. But I digress.

So afterwards, while cooling down and chatting with my friend, I felt alive, I felt new, I felt like; one of THOSE people. I immediately needed new clothes, new shoes, a new workout bag and most of all, one of those emblems for the car! 

I felt like I belonged in the gym, like I wanted to be there all the time, like I wanted to become a workout enthusiast. So I did what I figured most people would do. I joined +Planet Fitness and became a Black Card member that allows me to use the gym whenever I want to and to take advantage of the hydro-therapy massage tables or the massage chairs. The plus side, it only costs me $20 a month because I'm cheap and would never pay anything more than that...so yes, I am officially one of THOSE people. 

You know, the ones with the gym bags, cute little shoes, the weights, water bottles and the emblem on their car (except I'm not putting it on my car; instead its on my workout bag)

So, if you live in Waldorf and are ever at the gym, look for me and my cute little purple and grey tennis shoes; I'll try and leave the +Stilettos at home or at the very least in the locker. 

NEW YEAR, NEW ATTITUDE

Every year people make resolutions and every year, around February, most of the resolutions have been broken.

This year I challenge you NOT to fall into the trap of making a resolution. Instead I challenge you to have a new attitude.

A lot of women fall into the trap of, "I'm going to start my diet" and come December, they look in the mirror and they have not lost one pound but and have gained at least five. Then they moan, groan and complain that they didn't have the right food, or they couldn't make time to work out, or they didn't have support but what they won't do, is blame themselves. 

See most women want to lose weight but they don't have the motivation to do it. They want someone to blame when they don't lose a pound instead of taking the blame themselves. Instead of saying, I chose to eat that entire bag of chips, or I chose to eat out for lunch everyday or I chose to eat that ice cream even though I said I wouldn't. They look for a scapegoat when all they need to do is look in the mirror.

Men are not exempt from this. "I'm going to work out everyday" "I'm going to stop smoking" "I'm going to work harder and get that promotion". But come December, they say, "well I couldn't stop smoking because my job is stressful because they gave that promotion to someone who just started working there a year ago." 

See the pattern? Those people didn't have a new attitude, what they had were new excuses. But come next January 1, 2015; those same people will again make the same 'resolutions'. 

I challenge those people to say, in 2014, I am going to have a new attitude about my eating. I want to be healthy, I want to live longer and I won't make excuses for my behavior. I want them to say, I'm going to try and limit my cigarettes and I am going to try and work out more and I will work harder and apply for that new position.

See, if you do that and post it everywhere. Put it on your computer at work, in the desk drawer that you would have junk food in; or in the drawer you keep those cigarettes. Put it in your bathroom, on your refrigerator; anywhere you will see it everyday because until you change your attitude, you won't lose a pound, you will still smoke and your weight bench will continue to be a clothes rack.

So, what is your new attitude this year? 

Well for me, I am going to try and learn to be patient and learn how to speak up for myself. If I don't like something, I will not let people change my mind about it.

So, tell me; what is your new attitude this year?