DREAMING OF A....

What are you dreaming of?

Is it to write full time? Is it to vacation all the time? Is it to stop your 9-5 and do what you really want to do with your career?

Well, what are you waiting for?

It's true. Time waits for no one and time never stands still.

I know all to well that waiting does nothing but make you lose time.

Why are you afraid to do what you want in life?

Do you think that the inventor of Facebook decided he wanted to wait and start a new social media site?

Do you think that millionaires waited until they had enough money in the bank to begin investing in what they really wanted to do?

Everyone starts from zero. Everyone has the same opportunity to begin something from scratch. However, it is what you do with opportunity when it comes knocking.

Sometimes, it will never knock. Sometimes you have to be willing to tap "opportunity" on the shoulder and meet it where it is.

That's right. Go after what you want. Go after what you feel passionate about.

Don't wait for it to come to you, go after it.

Remember, dreaming of something doesn't make it happen.

Making it happen takes not only guts but it will make that dream a reality in no time.

WHY AM I GOING TINY?

I have gotten this question a lot of times and I give a very short answer.

Today; I am going to give you the longer answer. 

The reason I am going tiny is because my needs in life have changed. I have reached my milestone age. I turned 50 in 2016 and started rethinking my life. 

A health issue reared it's ugly head and I had to re-think a lot of things that I took for granted. 

I stepped down from an amazing job for Intrigue Publishing because my health needed all of my attention.

Lucky for me; I had two men in my life that took excellent care of me and gave me the courage to take life by the horns and fight it until I won.

I had been researching tiny houses since 2015 when I stumbled across the show Tiny House Big Living.

I was like a child wanting for Santa. Every week, I altered my schedule to make sure that I was home to see the entire episode. 

This new 'movement' as it was called, caught my attention.

If you have seen my small 'reading room' you all know that I like small spaces. That space is no bigger than 3x4 sq feet. I love this room and stay in it most of the time. 

The size of my home will be 8 x 24. This model is owned by Regina in Florida. This will be similar to the one I get. 

Regina's 24 foot tiny home

My other reason for going tiny? Financial gain. I have paid cash for a small plot of land. I will pay cash for my tiny house. I will not have a mortgage. I will pay for my land taxes once a year. I will not pay for water because I have well water. The only 'utility' I will have is electric and now I am thinking of trying to use solar power. 

Another reason for going tiny is that I can travel with it. Did I mention that the tiny house will have wheels? YES! Do you feel that excitement? All I need is a truck to haul it. Wait; no I don't. All I need is a +U-Haul  that will tow something that is 12,000 lbs. 

So my reason for going tiny is simple. I want to enjoy life. I want to be able to take a trip whenever I want to. I want to live stress free and going tiny makes perfect sense, for me.

Could you go tiny? Leave a comment and let me know.

I"M IN LOVE WITH....

I think there is a song that goes something like that.

I am in love with Regina's tiny home. I met her when I traveled down to Morristown, Tennessee a couple of weeks ago to see some tiny homes being built.

Regina was there; building hers. This is her tiny and don't you just love her stairs! 


She was a part of the ITHU (Incredible Tiny House University) that is run by Randy Jones and his team. 

Incredible Tiny Homes holds workshops that help you become a tiny house owner while helping to build it yourself.

For the cost of materials and sweat equity; you can leave in 7 days with your very own home. Subscribe to their YouTube channel so you can see more of these incredible tiny homes.When they reach 100K, they will give a tiny house away to one of those subscribers.
 
Just click this sentence and you can see why I'm so in love.

Regina's home is exactly what I envisioned for mine. Hers is 24 feet of sophistication, diva-ness and sexiness.


She had her home delivered (or you can drive your own away but you must have a F-150 or heavier truck to do it)

Most homes weigh between 8,000 and 13,000 pounds and Randy makes sure you know the weight before you pull it onto the highway.

Regina's home features a U shaped kitchen with refrigerator, induction cook top and she will have a convection oven/microwave. She has a FULL bathroom. Yes, you read that right. A 5 foot tub, 24 inch vanity and flushing toilet. (No composting toilet for her either)

She was on FB live while her home was being delivered and it looks even better in the Florida sunlight.

She has become my new "woman crush" or maybe it's her home that has become my 'crush'. She has been very gracious in allowing me to stalk, I mean bug her, and ask her tons of questions about her build, her life in her tiny and her plans for decorating. 

The one thing she suggests you do before going tiny. PURGE! She purged a lot of her things before moving in. (she is coming from a one bedroom, thousand square foot home) but she finds that she still is making those trips to Goodwill and the Salvation army. I am sure they are happy to see her.

Her new 'tiny' home is 260 square feet.

Purge like your house is going to be demolished and you can only take the important stuff.  The key is to do it at least a few months BEFORE you move into your 'tiny' .

So, now you can see why I am in love with a tiny and you would be too if you just step inside of one.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Now is the time that you should be working on those new manuscripts. Why? Because during the summer most major publishing houses do not bring out new books.

This gives the rest of us a chance to get our books out there

You have to take one day at a time and remember that even when you want to give up on writing or being published; you can't.

So when I want to give up I just remember what I normally do.

One day at a time is how I approach my writing.

One day I sit and think of the concept.

One day I begin typing without an outline.

One day I finish and then begin to re-read it and then One day it is ready.

Where are you in your process?

Are you beginning your writing, one day at a time?

THRILLERFEST 2015 HERE I COME

Every year in July; New York City is converged upon by aspiring authors, writers, NY Times Best selling authors and ME.

OK, so I'm an author but I haven't made any "list" yet except the "stylish shoes list" and hey, while I love being on that list; I'm hoping that one day I make THE list. No; not NY Times best selling list but the list of authors who are on panels.

I'm still to afraid to put myself on the panels at +International Thriller Writers Inc Thrillerfest. I know almost all of the people on all of the panels because they have been on my radio show. I have even taken selfies with them but sitting up there with them..nope; "I'm not ready" and yep; I'm admitting I'm scared.

So this year, I will be sitting in the audience being a great marketing person looking for ideas and then I will take my customary selfie shots while in the panels and then I will ask that one question that no one asked or wants to know except me. Then I will fantasize about being up there next year...yeah; next year I'll be on the panel.

Ok, I said that same thing LAST year but really, next year I'll make that leap. After all, I have cute shoes. 

So if you are going to be at Thrillerfest this year; please look for the girl in the six inch heels taking selfies with anyone that will let her. 

'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

 

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?

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