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.

LOST FOR WORDS?

I met George, Jerry, Moore on Saturday and first was struck at how tall he was. OK, I shouldn’t have been thinking that but I mean, it has to be at least 6’6 and standing beside him made me feel like a midget, even in my 5 inch heels. But I digress. I asked him to post to my blog and he agreed. I think it was the heels. So I hand over this weeks blog to Jerry,  I mean George. Please leave him some suggestions; I’m sure he will appreciate it.

I met B. Swangin at a recent writers’ conference where she made an engaging, high-energy presentation on marketing.  Afterward, I gave her my card, so I could receive updates on her activities.  Needless to say, I was impressed by her and her presentation.

She noticed that my card included my blog address.  At that point, I reluctantly admitted that I had difficulty creating content.  She provided a couple pieces of advice, including guest posting.  I filed them away to ponder later.

Then, the next night, she offered the opportunity to guest post on her blog.  "Later" arrived much sooner than I expected, but I’m blocked writing content for my own blog, so how can I write for someone else's--a *REAL* author with a true following?

That's where fear raised its head.  What if I can’t think of anything?  What if it stinks?  I hate declining opportunities, but I had nothing.

Oh, crap. 

I wasn't ready to surrender just yet.  I asked myself what was stopping me, not only doing the guest post, but from posting to my own blog.  I'd been hovering around it for a time, and now it was clear.  Fear was blocking me. 

It’s the same fear you feel as an 18-wheeler is heading for you or when you’re walking in the woods and see a bear up ahead.  For city dwellers, substitute politician for bear and streets for woods--it’s the same thing, really.  :) 

Having fear isn’t a problem.  My reaction to it is what matters.  After all, when our ancestors saw a bear, they were afraid, which made them run--fast.  Eventually, they figured out that the bear was tasty too.  Because of that, humanity survived long enough to build cities. 

(As an aside, my wife pointed out that you could substitute possum for bear in the above paragraph to hilarious results.  Try not to laugh...)

What does this mean to me, an aspiring Sci-Fi writer or to other writers even?  Is it time to run or time for bear jerky?  I saw a graphic recently that had the words “Your comfort zone” written inside of a box.  Outside, the words “Where the magic happens” were written.

The reason I had difficulty creating content was that I didn't want to reveal much about my interests.  The catch here is that that's where my blog content resides. 

So, it’s time to set free my inner-geek (no, not THAT way).  Perhaps, I'll post about comic books.  There's some complex and compelling story telling happening in this format.  Hollywood is making movies based on comic books for a reason.  Perhaps I'll post about a new laptop/tablet combo that I have my eye on. 

Perhaps, I'll even relate how I read a short story about a starlet getting a Goth makeover (including using the words "pushup bra" and "being on display") to a writers' group composed entirely of middle-aged and older women.  It felt like the top of my ears were on fire I blushed so much.

I now return you to B. Swangin.

George G. (Jerry) Moore

http://georgespen.blogspot.com/

Finding Time

In my continuing effort to bring more people to my blog and to give other authors the chance to blog with me. Today I have turned over BSW to Ami Blackwelder. You may know her from her previous two blog posts but today she talks about finding that all elusive thing called Time. Sit back and enjoy and leave a comment at the end, she likes to hear back from you.

How many of us have lives that are so busy we rarely have time for ourselves? I mean the cook breakfast for your hubby-run to the car-drive the kids to school-work for money-clean the house-cook the dinner for the family, kinds of girls or guys out there.

          Seriously, I’m talking about the Superwoman and Superman in this world.

          Well, how do we find the time to do it all?

          I’d be the first to confess I was not the best at time management when I first graduated university. 

          No one tells you that the “real” world is not waiting for you and me. That it is a dog-eat-dog world and the first one to the finishing line might not give you a break.

          So, if you don’t become good at time management, cultivating those skills when you are younger, it will only become harder in time.

Write down what your day looks like on paper. Look it over with a cup of tea, or your favorite beverage. Put the time you start each activity and how long it takes you to do it. Is there a better way to do all of it? A faster way? If you feel overwhelmed, maybe there are certain tasks to do on a certain day and others to do on another? Break up the tasks. Doing everything is not possible, so do what you can and the rest later.

Make a ‘to do list’. This often helps me. I know I won’t forget what I need done and the weight of it somehow is released, because I no longer have to keep it in my head.

          I like to write days or times next to each ‘to do item’ and then tackle them one at a time. Writing down what you have to do and thinking over how to accomplish the tasks will not only make you feel better, you will be able to get a lot more done. Why? Because you are spending more time accomplishing and less time worrying. Before you know it, it will be done and you will have had no time to worry about getting it all done.

          Well, I hope that helps! But if you still need a distraction at night before you go to bed (or at work ;) please check out my books http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Finding a Publisher is Like Finding a New Pair of Jeans

This month starts my guest blogging and today I welcome Mariam L. Thomas.

So there I was, walking into the clothing store with high hopes as I headed toward the jeans department of a major retail store.  As I reached the department, it suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't exactly sure which type of jeans I was looking for.  There were so many different types to choose from.  Did I want a pair that sat below the waist, bootcut jeans, flare jeans or low-riders that are also bootcut?  I almost wanted to turn around and go back home.

So it goes for many aspiring authors.  There are so many publishers out there in the big world of all things literary, they simply aren't sure where or how to start the process.  How did I resolve my jeans dilemma?  I did some research.  True story.  Right there, in the department store.  I read the various tags found on different pairs of jeans, until I found a description for a pair that sounded like me.  Then I tried each of them on, until I was able to walk out of the store with a pair of jeans that felt as if they were meant for me — after I've lost a few pounds, of course.

Going back to the journey for aspiring authors and their quest to find the perfect publisher; I would tell you to do one very important thing — RESEARCH.  It's a waste of your time to blindly send out query letters to every single publisher out there.  Understand what genre your book falls into, and then research publishing companies who publish that genre.  Once you've found your list, look to see who the editor is that handles that genre.  This is important.  You want to be sure that you address your query letter to the right editor.

Now, before you send out that query letter, I need you to do something else quite important.  More research — on writing a "winning" query letter.  I want you to try out a few that you find, the same way you would try on jeans.  How?  Find samples of two or three that fit your writing style and your book.  Many well-known authors have published their winning query letters.  I have always believed that you don't always have to re-invent the wheel.  Its okay to use what is out there if it has proven to work.

Here is a website I used:  http://www.charlottedillon.com/query.html

Now I know it's tempting to want to send your entire manuscript with your query letter.  Fight the urge.  Please.  Keep in mind that most publishing companies only request the first three chapters of your work.

Here is the last thing you want to do before you submit your query letter and the first three chapters of your manuscript to that publishing company that is going to fit your book like a pair of perfectly-fitting jeans:  Have everything edited.  Not by your cousin, friend or mother (unless they're professional editors in their secular lives).  Remember, just like you want your jeans to "make a flattering and modest impression," so goes your query letter.

About the Author:

Marian L. Thomas is the best-selling author of two award-winning titles, Color Me Jazzmyne and My Father's Colors.  Her newest title, Strings of Color, released on April 1, 2012.  You can find more information about publishing and getting published on her blog: http://www.thewritersinkspot.blogspot.com