New past time

 In recent months, I began smoking cigars.

Yes, women smoke cigars.

After having Covid-19 and not having any sense of taste or smell for 6 months, (my smell still has not come back) a friend of mine introduced me to the 'art' of cigar smoking.

I have always enjoyed the smell of a nice cigar but since I didn't smoke, I never tried it.

Well, it is not like smoking cigarettes'. 

Cigars are not inhaled; they are only puffed on. Yes, there is a difference. Puffing a cigar is like sucking through a straw without swallowing. 

You fill your mouth with the smoke and then you simply blow it out. 

It is about the enjoyment and the relaxation. 

Smoking a cigar has also helped with my writing.

In my next novel; Matthew smokes cigars. He has a humidor in his home and with my new found love of cigars; I am patterning his favorite cigar to smoke after someone that I have met who is a Cigar Sommelier. 

Yes, there are sommelier's for cigars just like there is for wine. 

I will go into this more next week. I hope you take this journey with me and who knows; maybe I will convince some of you women and or men to give it a try.

Until next week, keep writing and keep reading. 

8 MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS

No one knew exactly how long that was until George Floyd was murdered.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds. 

Have you sat for that long? Have you timed it?

I did.

It's a helluva a long time.

It is almost 4 commercial radio songs. 

It is 8 commercials on TV. 

It is 16  thirty second commercials on TV.  

It is half of a quarter of football. 

It is almost a full quarter in basketball.

It is microwaving 3 bags of popcorn. 

It is how long pasta needs to cook to be al dente.

That is a long time to kneel.

I tried that as well. I could barely get up after kneeling for that long.

If you haven't sat still and timed it; I challenge you to do it now.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds it how long it took for someone to take a life.

Think about that the next time we are standing in line for two minutes. Think about that when we are waiting for that latte at Starbucks. Think about that when that red light catches us.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds is how long it took for George Floyd to lose his life.

Everything else doesn't seem that important now, does it?

DISCRIMINATION IN THE WRITING WORLD

At some point we have all encountered some form of discrimination.

As a writer, sometimes authors of color find themselves fighting discrimination of another kind. 

We have our own section in the book store. We have our own section but why? Some authors think this is a good thing but I don't.

My writing should be listed and shelved with every other book in the store. My book shouldn't be singled out because it was written by a black author. 

Yet, we aren't shelved with other books. We have to have our own section. This is a form of discrimination. Plain and Simple.

Our books are priced higher than books in the same genre as white authors. Our books are marketed to a specific audience but why does this have to be?

If you write romance, why can't your book be listed with the other romance writers? If you write mysteries, I shouldn't have to go to the 'black' section to find a black author's book. It should be under "Mystery" like all other books.

Not only do we face discrimination in the bookstores but we face it when we are asked to be on panels at writing conferences. Why am I on a panel with all black authors instead of on the panel with authors discussing the writing style of mystery or romances. 

Some of us are making great strides in breaking the stereotype. Cerece Renner Murphy, is an african american woman author of Sci-Fi and she is taking that world by storm. In part because there is not a black sci fi section in bookstores and because she puts herself out there as being one of the best woman writers of Sci-Fi. 

Make no mistake about it; there are a lot of black authors making a wave in the author world but not enough of them are getting the recognition that they deserve. 

Why is this? Because mainstream is not seeing them. Why? because they are shelved in the 'black' section of the book store. 

Next time you go into a store; make sure you check out my theory and while you are at it; make sure you check out the price of the books. 

That might also surprise you.

SPRING TIME AND THE WRITING IS EASY

Spring came upon us in March. 

Winter came back two days later.

What is going on?

If you are a writer, you can use this time to write some really great novels or scenes. A murder that occurs as a new snowstorm blankets DC or a romance that happens on that first warm day that allows you to sit outside.

We have to use everything around us to make our novels realistic when we can.

How many times have we read a novel and thought, that can't happen? Or why did they do that?

Readers will take you to task if you get a detail wrong. 

Of course they think they know every location in your novel because they have been there, even if it doesn't exist.

Why? 

Because they identify with the descriptions that you set forth.

You should always allow your surroundings to envelope your writing. It will be a new dimension to your writing.

So get out from that office, or reading nook. Take your laptop, sunglasses and a nice snack and head to your local park. Grab a park bench and just sit for a few minutes then, write that scene that you thought you were stuck on.

Getting out into the fresh air does more than clear your head, it actually gives you ideas.

So Spring is here...take full advantage...the weather is warmer and so are your ideas.

CHRISTMAS TIME AND THE LISTS ARE OUT

Let the countdown begin!

Christmas is less than a month away and I have some great gift ideas. 

Sure, they may be the gifts I want but if you are shopping for an author, feel free to use them as well.

1. Nice Pen- a nice pen to sign those new novels would be a great gift to give; especially if my name was on it.

2. Portable Hard Drive- I have been through the heartbreak of my computer crashing and it is nothing fun. This little beauty could be used to back up those important revisions you are making.

3. Professional Photo Shoot- Let me be clear; it doesn't have to be professional. I just need someone to dress me up, do my makeup and take some great photos of me.

4. Deep Tissue Massage- After all; sitting in a chair all day and writing is hard work. My back is always sore and would keep me motivated. Hint: Massage Envy offers great monthly plans

5. Pretty Journal- That I can travel with. Notes would be so much better if I had a dedicated place to keep them. Plus it would go nice with gift idea #1

6. Carry On Luggage- Now this may seem odd. This is the perfect size to keep my laptop (17 inches), journal, some extra books and all things related to writing. I would use this bag every time I had an appearance to go to. 

7. Wine- After all, I need motivation and for me; my favorite wine, from my favorite winery would do the trick. Hint: Romano Vineyard and Winery is in Brandywine, Maryland. OK; that's more than a hint. 

8. Touchscreen monitor- Yep; I have a desktop and all I want is a touch screen to go with it. That's simple, right?

9. New shoes- C'mon you knew that would be on the list, right? Size 9 with at least a 5 inch heel. Easy Peasy.

and finally

10. How about purchasing some of my novels. Give them as a set or gift them on Kindle! 

So what is on YOUR Christmas list?

GOT MONEY???

You have submitted that manuscript. You waited months for an answer on whether your writing stood out. You were elated when they said YES! You received an advance! 

Now you are awaiting for your 'baby' to be delivered.

It went through edits, rewrites, more edits and now it's in cover design. You rejected the first one but the second one is spot on! Then you had to write a synopsis AND short bio.


Your novel is now in the finishing stages of book production.


But wait! You look at your desk and see it.

There's that check you received! You were scared to cash it because you didn't know if it was actually happening! You didn't want to jink it so you left it there, in the envelope until now.

You are published! 

You got an advance and now you have money!

But what will you do with that sudden 'extra' money that you have.


Here's an idea: Use it for marketing! Buy your business cards, buy a domain name or invest in going to a conference and getting on a panel to promote that novel!

See, getting money is great and getting money as an author is greater! 

However most authors look at it like 'extra' cash to spend on things NOT related to being an author. 

You have to invest that money back into your business. 

Remember, I keep telling you that you are now a SMALL BUSINESS and your business is writing. 

Buy that new laptop, Ipad, or desktop computer you've been eyeing for some time. Buy a printer or portable hard drive. Buy flash drives to keep your novels on. Buy that outfit that will become your 'author wear' when you travel and sit on panels to discuss your novel. Buy that carrying case, messenger bag or duffel bag to carry your manuscript when you travel. Buy a nice pen to sign your books with. Pay for some professional photos of yourself and your novel. There are endless possibilities.

Remember, you can write it all off come April so invest it now; you will get it back later.

So what are YOU going to do with that advance for your novel? 

Make sure you choose wisely.

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND NEW YOU

Well here we are; 2017.

Was anyone ready for this year to begin?

I wasn't but you know what; I am not going to stress about it.

This year I am not making any resolutions. I am simply going to enjoy this year and as a matter of fact, I'm going to enjoy EACH DAY.

I learned that I allowed stress to rule 2016 and it didn't do me any good. I also learned that you can't change people's actions, words or treatment of you. However you can change how you deal with those around you.

This year I am going to do one thing and that will be to be TRUE to MYSELF.

What does that mean?

That means I will not allow anyone to stress me. I will take each day as it comes. However that day ends; it will stay with that day. Each day will be approached with new eyes, new hope and new dreams.

Every day begins fresh and so should we.

Each day is a promise of something new. Each day brings a new chance to do something you haven't done before.

My goal for this year is simple: ENJOY the day that I am given and never worry about what happened the day before.

My motto for the year will be:

TOMORROW NEVER COMES SO LIVE FOR THE MOMENT.

What is your motto going to be this year?

REJECTION IS A GOOD THING

Rejection isn’t something that anyone likes to go through.

Being a published author, I worry about rejection.

Rejection from a publisher, an editor or from readers.

How do you overcome the fear?

By saying to yourself: I will be better for it.

Yes, rejection serves a purpose. 

It allows us to remember that we are humans and make mistakes. It reminds us that we are not perfect, no matter how hard we try to be. It also reminds us that we have to, correction, we MUST continue to get better in our writing.

Readers are not going to allow authors to sit back and push through mundane work. Publishers aren’t going to let authors think that don’t need improvement and if you have a good editor; they will make sure that they are pushing you to bring out the best words you have.

Yes, Rejection is hard but it is necessary.

So don’t just sit there crying because you have gotten another rejection (or your first rejection).

Dust yourself off, pick up that pen, paper, Notebook, computer or IPad and begin the rewriting process. 

Trust me, you will be glad that you did.

SUMMER TIME AND THE READING IS EASY....OR IS IT?

It's summer time and the days are longer and the writing should be easy, right?

Well, NO. Because we want to be outside enjoying it. So as an author, what do we do? We run down to our local bookstore and pick up a few good books for the beach, pool, boat or just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Well, that is getting harder and harder to do because; 1. There aren't many bookstores any more and 2. There are so many great authors to choose from, how can you choose just one.

Just like +Lays potato chips; you can't read or choose just one.

So, as I normally do. I make a budget for myself and say; I'm only going to get 2 or 3 books.

Yeah, like that REALLY happens. I shop for books like I do at the dollar store. I go in for one or two items and come out with a basket full of stuff. (But it's great stuff AND its only a dollar) who could pass that up.

So this summer I am going to try and give you some great new authors to choose from. It's not my fault if you spend to much money. After all, its summer and reading is part of the summer time activity.

1. +Ayesha Shoulders
2. +Frances Frost
3. +Austin Camacho
4. +Jeff Markowitz
5. +JeffreyWesthoff
6. +Annie Rose Alexander
7. +Dee Lawrence
8. +Puja Guha
9. +krraye@jpadpublishing.com
10. +Sharon Lucas

These are just a few of the people that I recommend and their books will keep you on the edge of your seat or at the very least teach you a few things.

So take a chance and go on; pick up a book or two. (Maybe three or four)

Happy Reading!

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AND ALL I WANT...

Hmm, that's a really hard thing to put into words. 


I could say; peace on earth and good will towards man; but you will hear all of that on the +Hallmark Channel in the next month. 
 
I could say my two front teeth, but I think someone already sang that song. 

I could say, two turtle doves but; that's just a little far fetched, don't you think?

So what I want for Christmas is more sales and more reviews. Didn't expect that did you?

Well I'm an author, so of course I want those things. 

If you have read my novels, LET ME JUST SAY THIS or LET ME SAY THIS, AGAIN please go onto Amazon and leave a review. Even if you DIDN'T like it; I'd rather know why you didn't than not know.



So, in this time where I could ask for a lot of things; I'm asking for two simple things. 

Can you do that for me? or should I ask +Santa Claus ?

I'VE BEEN CONNED

I've been conned and I can't be more happier.

This week I am getting ready for the +mdc3conference in +HuntValleyInn near Baltimore.

I will get to moderate some panels; something I haven't done before and I am as excited at the +RedskinsZap fans were to see +RGIII in the game last night. (PSA: I'm a +DallasCowboys Chic)

I got my assignment and promptly sent an email to the people that I get to 'chat' with. You see, I got 'conned' about two years ago and I refuse to go back! I attending the +BTO conference on the +EASTERNSHORELIFE in 2010 and was hooked. Meeting other authors and getting to talk 'shop' was priceless to me.

I have become a Con Junkie. (Hello: My name is B. Swangin Webster and I'm addicted to writers conferences. Don't judge me!)

Not to mention that +BrianKeene is now coming to the conference, I'm like a girl in a new store holding it's grand opening and all of the +Stilettos Heels are on sale.

So, I've been "conned" and I am not mad about it, I'm actually happy. This is the only way that I can promote myself, and my writing and have fun doing it.

Have you been 'conned' and if you haven't you need to make plans right now to attend at least one next year. You will be glad that you did.

TEACHING AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

People say you can't teach an old dog new tricks and I don't believe it.

Well, I wouldn't say it about dogs because I had dogs and I would teach them new tricks almost every day. I would tell them to go fetch and after showing them a few times what I wanted them to do, they would...oh wait...they didn't go fetch, it was just me bringing back the branch or paper or the occasional stray dog.

My point is, you can't teach this old girl new tricks. I had to buy a new laptop....well I didn't have to buy a new one, I could have continued to use the one that would need to be angled on it's side in such a way to keep the plug firmly in place to charge it or risk losing all of my important data at the three hour mark. Instead I have a new Windows 8 laptop by +HP

Now, the huge screen, 17.5 inches; I fell in love with. The raised keyboard is another plus but the whole Windows8 application.....lets just say I have been close to tears, close to hysterics and now, close to a mental breakdown.

This moving screen is not good for someone like me, who is like a cat with shiny objects. Every time a new image appears, I fall into a trance like state; that is until another window comes 'alive'.

Then its the whole 'charms' that appear randomly on the side of the screen. They are suppose to help me find my way but all it succeeded in doing was confusing me.

Let's not even talk about how it took me over an hour to 'find' the desktop and then the 'find' my way back to all of the 'live' windows.

Who out there knew that computers no longer come with an owner's manual, well I sure as hell didn't and that was another two hour ordeal to figure out how to OPEN the manual online. Yes. I love my new laptop but can someone, anyone please show me how to navigate between the 'start' screen and the desktop without it taking me over an hour to do to so.

What's that...ohhhh, pretty pictures....ah, there's a new one scrolling right now....wait..there's another one.

See, I'll be here all day.

The heart will always guide you

We don't want to think about the mistakes we have made because we were foolishly following our head instead of our heart.

You know the heart is the most wonderful part of the body and yet we don't listen to it enough.

When that girl/guy comes into our lives, we want to follow our heart but in reality we are following our minds. Our minds tell us to overlook those little things that would otherwise bother us with any other person. Our minds will tell us that "he is just a messy person" when in our hearts we know, he just might be lazy.

When your mind tells you that you can't write that novel, what does your heart tell you.

If you have had that nagging pull, small ache in your chest whenever you think about picking up a pen or opening up your tablet/laptop and then you don't. That would be your heart telling you that you need to follow it.

Our heart will lead us to where we need to be. Our heart is the thing that will tell us to follow our dream, even when our mind and sometimes our friends, are telling us not to.

I listened to my heart about five years ago and now I have two published novels and working on numbers three and four. If I had listened to my head, I wouldn't have taken that step. Instead I followed my heart and I can say that I am so glad that I did.

I dare you to try it, with anything that you want to do. Follow your heart, you will be amazed.

Harper Collins Presents:

Today I get the chance to sit down and interview Wendy Higgins. I found her, by accident, while stalking....I mean, trolling Twitter and I looked at her website and messaged her and she responded. I'm always surprised when authors respond to me (as I am sure people are, when I reply to them) Anyway, she agreed to do an interview with me, sight unseen. That was until I was at the Montgomery County Writers Association meeting last weekend (June 1). I was nervous but I dived in and although I don't swim, she was gracious enough to allow me to use my arm floats and answered my questions.

How did you come up with the characters in your novels?

            ~ I wrote this book for the 16-year-old me, so I thought about how I was back then—kind of naive about a lot of things. I wrote Anna, who I would have been able to be great friends with back then. And as for her counterpart, the male love interest, he was easy. I just thought of every sexy trait I could imagine—all   the attributes I lust for wrapped into one, lol. That’s Kaidan Rowe.

 <!--[endif]-->Are your books stand alone or do they have to read in order?

            ~ They definitely follow chronologically, so I do not recommend reading them out of order. The trilogy is one story following one girl, broken into three parts.

What is the biggest surprise that you have learned while being an author?

            ~ How long everything in publishing takes, and how little authors get paid.

You are with a big publisher; which is every authors dream.  What is the biggest surprise you learned while being with one of major publishers?

            ~ Publishers are a business. Yes, they make dreams come true, but they are looking at the numbers, primarily.

 <!--[endif]-->How did you come up with the concept of the cover for your first book?

            ~ The publisher came up with it. I had no hand in the covers. Thankfully, I loved it. It’s not exactly true to the events in the story, but the overall tone is spot-on.

How do you keep your audience wanting more?

            ~ It’s all about the romantic tension. ;)

 <!--[endif]-->Do you have dedicated writing time and when is it?

            ~ I write when both my kids are in school. This past year has been Mondays,       Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9-12. It’s not very much time, but my mother-in-law and husband have set times where they keep the kids for a few      hours while I write, so I get about 15 hours a week, give or take.

 <!--[endif]-->Do you need quiet or lots of noise when you write?

            ~ I’m totally ADD.  I need to be alone with no distractions, and it needs to be silent.

Tell us about your favorite moment being an author.

            ~ My favorite moments have been when I've received touching fan letters about how my book has helped people get through a tough time, like a high-schooler who’s had her heart broken over and over by a certain boy who she now realizes is no good for her, and a female soldier who had a difficult time acclimating          back into society when she returned home from Iraq and said my book helped her. Those letters have meant the world to me, and made it all worthwhile.

Give us the links to your social media footprint.

            ~ https://twitter.com/Wendy_Higgins

            ~ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Evil-novel-by-Wendy-Higgins/118348174915427

            ~ http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com

This blog is about books and shoes and writing. Tell us what are you most beloved pair of shoes, and book.

            ~ My black, flat, flip-flops. I’m all about comfort and ease.

            ~ Some of my favorites Young Adult books are Poison Princess by Kresley Cole,  and Obsidian (the Lux series) by Jennifer Armentrout.

Thank you so much Wendy and you all need to take a look at her website, it is amazing and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. 

Hash Tag Thriller13

For the past month I have been tweeting about +Thrillerfest and I have been having a blast.

Well, it all started with the announcement that there would be a contest...now let me stop there because all I read was 'contest'. I have no idea if there is a prize, or recognition of some kind..all I know is that there is a CONTEST and I have to win it...if I don't I will be disappointed.

See for me, its all about the competition and now that the contest has started, I am obsessed with tweeting. I tweet at least 20-25 times a day, and not just about Thrillerfest. I tweet about my blog, I tweet about my job (the other one that requires I spend 8 hours of my day with middle school kids) and I tweet about upcoming events, like Thrillerfest.

Ok, well it seems I tweet about them a lot, but they are planning such great things like panel discussions on "violence in books, when is it to much" or "why did they kill of my favorite character" or "being ready for combat". See I can't listen to people talk about those things unless I go to Thrillerfest and unless I tweet about them, they (the powers that be that are planning Thrillerfest) wouldn't know how excited I am about it.

So, tweeting about Thrillerfest is such a great thing and going to Thrillerfest is right up there with buying a new pair of stilettos, that I have to do it. (side note: Yes, I have stilettos shoes packed and ready to go and I know I will be buying more before July 10th when I head to NYC.

So #Thriller13 and find me on Twitter. I'll be the one with a 'comment' every 30 minutes or so.

The Life of a Marketing Director

Ah, the life of a marketing director is never easy.

Today, I asked Sandra Bowman, Marketing Director of +Intrigue Publishing to tell you about the day in the life of...

First, thank you for allowing me to vent...oh I mean, share the joys of working with all of the authors at Intrigue Publishing.

They are much better than the other group I work with at my other full time job.

Even though at times I get emails that say..."did you get my email" or "you need to look at this''...which I probably already did. So I smile, nod and respond (sometimes)

Even with all of that, I think I work with the best group of people I work with.


Being marketing director is literally a full-time, 24 hour a day job for me. I wake up thinking about the things I need to get done during the day, I go to sleep stressing about the things that didn't get done, and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because of things that I need to do.

I schedule book signings, (well try to anyway with the closing of Borders), set up interviews, make sure ARC copies of books are mailed to reviewers, keep all the author's on deadline, make sure that they get that friendly 'reminder/to-do' email from me at least once a week and that is on top of making sure to show up at different events to get photos, videos and making sure the authors know I'm there for support.

Take the +Gaithersburg Book Festival a couple of weeks ago. Do you know how hard it is to wrangle a working author, a television personality and the father of a famous football quarterback into the same picture, all while making sure the picture is in focus. That took three people, a little running and a little begging on my part, but I got the picture. +Leon Harris and +Robert Griffin II, were very gracious as I pulled +Austin Camacho away from his booth to get that picture. They were also gracious when I told them I needed to take it again because it wasn't in focus.

Intrigue Authors

Then there was the +Bowie Senior Center event where I had a meeting at my other job, drove for 45 minutes to get there, hoped that the authors were set up; was informed that someone never responded but that they could still read from their novel and take video and pictures before rushing out of the door an hour later for a doctors appointment, heading back to the other job until five that evening and then needing to send out some galley books for review. (which the doctors informed me that I am working to hard) Ya think?

Boy am I glad that I have an assistant now.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being able to help people and I love being able to see other authors reach their potential. It doesn't hurt that I work with the best group of authors. +DB Corey, +Penny Clover Peterson and +Christine Verstraete are all Intrigue authors and I hope they feel the same way about me.

Now, my list of to-do things just got a little longer as I need to get a meeting with the people at this local station in hopes of getting more interviews, oh and there is the little matter of +Thrillerfest and a book release party for DB Corey to finalize.

But first, maybe I need to lay down, after all it is 2am in the morning and my other work day will begin at 5am.

Getting Better At What You Do

Have you ever wondered why some authors have a hard time making it through edits, rewriting, or just finishing a novel?

One of the reasons could be: They haven't learned the tools to keep them moving forward. They haven't learned how to take their work to the next level.

Being an author, is just like being a doctor. You have to continually make yourself better. You don't get to be the best at what you do without taking a few lessons from others that do the same thing that you do.

As an author, you should sign up for writing classes whenever you can. Making yourself the best writer that you can, is what makes people (the buying public) want to know more about your works and your style. You can't move forward while standing still.

As a writer, if you haven't taken one class since you have been published, than you are standing still. If you have, I congratulate you, but if you haven't, I encourage you to take a class on editing, character development or setting.

I have signed up for classes and I am even a full time college student. I want to learn as much as I can to be competititve in a market that sees continual growth everyday.

What about you?
Here's is a class being offered on Character Development why not check it out and see if this is for you.

I know I will. If you have a class that you are offering or know of someone giving a class, send me an email; I will gladly post it for you.

Friendships via social media

Sometimes in our lives we come across people who become our friends and we have no clue as to how they became that way.

I have many friends that I have met due to our similarities or our work environment or by just being an author. I also have many friends on social media. Friends that 'friended' me or 'liked' my page or 'connected' on the more professional sites but I call them my friends.

One day those friends, for whatever reason may stop commenting on your blogs, or your FB 'status' or your 'comment' but you don't think much of it and you may forget all about them. But not me. I remember every person that has ever posted a comment on my page and one woman in particular has stuck with me. Her name is +Sandra Humphrey and she became my 'friend' on LinkedIn. We belonged to almost the same groups and we 'connected' via the blog posting group.

Every mornning we exchanged a 'good morning' email to each other because we shared one thing in common. She reached out to me when she saw me join the group and even bought my novel. Every day was the same thing...a good morning email and then at least three or four emails throughout the day as we talked about grandchildren and her children's books. Then one day it happened, no email. Hey, we all get busy but I figured I'd see one before noon. Then noon came and no email! and then a whole day went by and no email!

I logged into 'our' group and tried to find her and the strange thing was, she wasn't there. What was going on? I then got a notification that there was a fire and that Sandra Humphrey and her husband had been killed. I burst into tears. I knew it had to be a mistake, but as I tried to search for something that would make that horrible news go away, all I found was a picture of her burned to the ground home and the picture of her signing her books with a big brown teddy bear sitting next to her. That was on November 23, 2012. Our 'community' was shocked and saddened. She and her husband were the love of their community and although I never met her in person, I felt a true sense of loss.

It has taken me six months to finish this post because every time I thought about it, I would cry and now although I am misty eyed, I know that she wants 'our' group to continue to show support to each other and to continue to do what we love; which is to write books that inspire, and help children believe in themselves. For all of the authors that knew Sandra...count yourself fortunate that you knew such a great person; I know I do.

Confessions...........

Today I'd like to make a confession. I have committed a crime of the heart. Many people will condemn me but I must come clean.

I confess that I am a cheater. I've done it over and over and over. I have tried not to but it is just to easy.

I want to apologize to him and hope that he forgives me. Here goes:

I've cheated on my books with...gosh this is so hard...with my KINDLE...ok, I said it.

Yes I feel better. But I would do it again..and yes, I did it just before writing this post. I can't help myself.

There "she" sits, with her pink jewel case and her black shiny buttons and the glowing screen...I can't resist her. I don't mean to pick her up and bypass my book but she calls me, I swear she does.

She keeps sitting there, looking at me and I can't resist her. When I open her up and slide my finger across that screen, she is happy to see me. She lights up and her face is glowing and I can hear her saying, "I've missed you B." and I whisper..."I've missed you too."

Then I catch a glimpse of him. "He" sits on the same nightstand. On his pedestal, on his high-horse and judges me for not picking him up. Then he throws himself down...falling to the floor. Making me put her down to pick him up.

That's when it happens. I dust him off and as I go to put him back. He purposefully jumps from my hands, landing on the floor, upside down; to the page I stopped on..drawing me back into his world and then...then...I sneak..and read him...I don't let her see.

I turn my back to her, reading him in silent and trying to muffle the gasp or the laugh when I turn his pages and he has pointed out the next scene to me. Then as my eyes tire and he tells me it's ok to put him back, I turn over and there "she" is, she has gone quiet.

I touch her and she doesn't respond and just as I reach past her, the bump causes her face to light up but now, she is locked and doesn't want to be disturbed. So I close her case and wait until the next time.

Now I have to choose. Do I give in to her demands of time, or do I give him another chance. Either way...I'm to exhausted to think about.

They were both holding me hostage! It's a vicious cycle and I had to put an end to it. I had to confess because the guilt was strangling me.

So now you know. I've cheated but I have learned my lesson.

...wait...what's this...my phone...what Droid...I can't hear you...you want to read to me? I shouldn't...

Shh, ok...just don't tell 'them'..ok....

The power of...

The power of the social media.

People are using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many other social media outlets to get the 'word' out.

Using social media can lead to arrests in such cases like the Boston Bombers or to raise money with sites such as GoFund Me.

In any case, make sure that when you use social media, that you use it responsibly.

Facebook had a video posted of a woman being beheaded and when people complained about it, their answer was. "This video did not meet the criteria of graphic violence". Really? What is more graphic than a woman having her head cut off while she is alive.

Now, the video of the man whipping his daughters with a cable cord for dancing inappropriately; was taken down IMMEDIATELY...but a video of a woman getting her head cut off WASNT...what is wrong with this picture.

Did this woman not deserve the same level of respect that those two teenagers did..I ask you...where does social media's responsiblity begin and end?

The power of social media is such that if it is violent or graphic they have to 'determine' if it is 'too graphic'.

News outlets have an obligation to 'warn their audience' of graphic content. Why doesn't facebook have this same obligation?

The power of social media...use it responsibly