Hot Mamas

Okay, after seeing Trace Adkins Friday night at Sears Centre Arena, his performance was so great, some of his songs just happened to stick in my mind. Actually, that probably would have happened even if I hadn’t gone to the show. Like everyone in the world probably knows, I do love country music.

Anyway, his song, Hot Mama, sprang to mind when I read an article in the Daily Herald in the Health & Fitness Section on Monday. It was about Moms participating in an unusual health program called StrollerFit, with all kinds of fun exercises like Peek-A-Boo Lunges and Ring-Around-the-Rosie Squats.

Apparently this craze is sweeping the NorthWest Suburbs of Chicago and classes are being held at many park districts. More on this program is at www.strollerfit.com.

Gone is the idea that once a woman has a child she can no longer be attractive. Instead, women are encouraged to get back into shape and not suffer in the process. Many books feature women who have children. Miraculously, somehow they manage to make it through birthing without losing their svelte beauty.

Some themes centering around women who give birth are the Single Mother Going It Alone, Man Falls for Woman with Instant Family, and the Secret Baby novel. Secret Baby is about how a woman keeps the birth of a baby from the biological father. At some spot in the novel he learns about his child and mayhem results. Although it’s been done often, if it’s done well, the suspense and discovery can be riveting. If you’d like to read one, I recommend This Time for Always by Debra St. John. You’ll hear more about her novel in a later post.

In the meantime, I thought I’d put up the link for Trace’s video, Hot Mama, for you to enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjdpSQD2bns

Good Neighbor/Bad Neighbor

I hope to get another video ready of Rascal's blessing, but since time is short today, I thought I'd post about something I observed on the way to work this morning.

I happened to look down on the sidewalk and saw some foam pieces, black on one side, white on the other, in varying sizes. They were also on the grass. It didn't take long for me to figure out what they were and it made me sad. Vandals had destroyed someone's Halloween lawn decorations.

Another block down, I saw a friendly gent named Tom. We've gotten into the habit of exchanging a few words about his dog or mine, the weather, or neighborhood happenings as I fly by on my way to the train. I always feel good talking to someone as pleasant as Tom. Also, his wife's garden is a sight to behold. She spends her time creating beauty for everyone in the neighborhood to enjoy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates her efforts.

Neighbors can be great characters in novels. They can be good or bad, buddies or enemies. There are enormous possibilities of weaving them into a plot, from the best friend to the cheating neighbor. Think about adding a neighbor to your plot if you haven't already.

Rascal Gets Blessed - 2008

Country Concert Review

Awesome Concert Last Night at the Sears Centre Arena!
We had great seats six rows from the stage on the side. Before the show I met up with Marci Braun, Musical Director at WUSN-FM 99.5, America's Country Station.

James Otto came on first for half an hour, put on a great performance and got everyone all revved up.

Then came the guy I really wanted to see - Trace Adkins. I was not disappointed by his performance. His peformance lasted an hour and he was excellent!! I took the most photos of him since he's my fave.

Then came Alan Jackson, who was not a slouch. He did a terrific job and sang so many hit songs for two hours I lost count.

I went home tired, but happy. It was a wonderful venue to see a show. Not only that, the show was worth every penny.

First are my clips from the show, which aren't professional, but it's hard to get any kind of shots in the dark. After that, I found an official youtube video of Trace Adkins for you to enjoy.




Thought you'd get a kick out of this video of Trace's from www.youtube.com. There's more over there, by the way.

Do You Like Country?

What Country Artist Do You Like? Leave a Comment, please.

I Can't Wait by Morgan Mandel

Tonight my husband and I are going to a concert starring Alan Jackson and Trace Adkins. As some of you may know, I'm a huge fan of country music. I listen to country music at America's Country Station, WUSN, 99.5 FM, in Chicago each night as I go to sleep and wake up to it in the morning. I also love watching and listening to GAC.

I have no idea yet what to wear, except jeans for sure. I don't have any fringed shirts, but I'll find something. I do have a western hat, but am not sure if I wish to alienate people in back of me by wearing it. I don't expect to be able to take photos, because at places like that they don't usually allow it. Too bad. I would have liked to put some up on my blog.

I haven't been to a paying concert in a while. I've been to plenty of outdoor festivals with free concerts during the summer and was happy with the entertainment, although none of the singers were currently popular.

The last concert I attended at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois was a problem. Although I love Rascal Flatts and it's not really a rowdy group, the screaming fans were so loud I had to stuff tissue in my ears. I still got a headache afterwards. From then on, I decided to listen to their CDs instead.

That was a much younger crowd than I expect at tonight's show, since Alan and Trace are a bit older, closer to my age. Also, it will be at the fairly new Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, so hopefully the acoustics will be better. I've never been there, so I'm curious to check it out.

Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes. I better sign off now. I have to figure out what I'm wearing still.

Ask Angela

*ARCS - TO SEND OR NOT TO SEND*

CAROL GORDON EKSTER asks: I wondered what your opinion is on how many books to send out yourself (as opposed to your publisher) to reviewers or people who might spread the word about your book. Each book costs the author plus the mailing, and I'm confused about how much promotion to do. Any insight you can give would be appreciated.

Thanks, Carol Gordon Ekster
Where Am I Sleeping Tonight?-A Story of Divorce
a children's book released by Boulden Publishing, fall, 2008
http://www.carolgordonekster.com/

Angela says: Great question, Carol! First, try to find out from your publisher or publicist where ARCs are sent. Some will have standard outlets that always receive ARCs. As for your personal stack, you should only send to publications that you know want the book and will likely do a review. Don't expect every one to follow through. It simply is not feasible. Don't spend a ton of money send ARCs via FedEx, USPS overnight delivery, UPS or DHL. Send it media mail - unless specifically requested by the publication.

There is no guarantee faster delivery will get you a quick review turnaround. To save time and money, ask reviewers if they will accept a PDF ARC via email. Some will, some won't. Personally, I get a better reading experience from a hardcopy, but I do make exceptions - particularly for self-published/POD authors. You may consider using password protection for the PDF, and sending that information in a separate email. If you don't have the full Adobe program to covert Word to PDF, visit Adobe's Web site, where you can do that for a nominal fee.

*BLOG ETIQUETTE*

JESSICA JAMES asks: I am getting ready to plan a blog tour and have a couple of bloggers I would like to contact. What is the proper etiquette for contacting them, and what should I offer them in return for their time and energy in hosting me?

Jessica James
Author of the award-winning Civil War novel,
Shades of Gray
http://www.jessicajamesbooks.com/

Angela says : Jessica -Congratulations for your entry into the virtual realm! You will find most bloggers don't stand on ceremony - but that doesn't mean you should send less-than-stellar email queries.

At Pop Syndicate, I immediately delete all queries with rampant misspellings, poor punctuation and incoherent thoughts. I don't expect someone to be formal; just professional. If they don't care enough to send a well-written, but brief, MySpace message, chances are they won't follow through on their tours.

Keep your queries short and to the point. Use the host's name, if available. Tell them why your novel is a good fit for their blog and ask them to consider hosting you. Include your email, address, phone and Web site in the signature line. Do not send attachments of your book cover or excerpts until they are requested.

In return, tell the bloggers you will promote their site and your tour date to your fans on social networks, in newsletters, forums, listservs, groups and any other online venue you belong to. Some may ask you to do a permanent link to share on their site - I'll post your site if you post mine.

Consider these requests, but do not feel obligated. If you do several tours, your list will become too long and difficult to navigate, and will clutter your page.

Read more about planning virtual tours here.

Angela Wilson is an author, freelance author publicist and professional blogger and podcaster. She requests ARCs and manages the book blog for Pop Syndicate, where she hosts authors on virtual book tours. If you have a question about promotions, visit www.askangelawilson.com, or email her directly at authorangelawilson@gmail.com.
Your question may be used on that site and/or here.

Find Angela Wilson at :http://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawilson
http://www.facebook.com/people/Angela_Wilson/775118823
http://www.myspace.com/angelawilson
http://twitter.com/angelawilson

Habit - Get Into It

(Tune in tomorrow for Ask Angela, a new Thursday feature. This week authors, Jessica James and Carol Gordon Ekster, get answers to their questions about book tours and ARCs. )

At the end of August I joined a listserv called blogbooktours. The aim of this group is to get people ready for virtual book tours. Their August challenge was for its members to post a blog a day for a month.

I'd gotten in on the tail end of this challenge, but I decided to make my own challenge. Beginning August 29, I started doing a blog each day here. It wasn't easy at first, and sometimes it still isn't, but I did get into the habit of daily blogging.

I went along pretty well, but then a distracting obstacle came along - vacation. Could I or did I want to continue blogging each day while on vacation? With many fun things to do and only a little over a week to do them, did I really want to spend time blogging? Even before I got to our summer cottage in Wisconsin, on Saturday I faced an over seven hour drive. Once at my destination, I also faced unpacking and organizing, which would take up time. Could I do my blog that day?

Fortunately, I remembered a feature on blogger where I could preschedule my posts. I didn't have a bunch of posts to schedule ahead of time, but I did manage to do an extra post the night before I left. I scheduled it to post the next day and it published as promised. The string of blogs was not broken.

I used the feature a few other times on vacation, but most of the time I fit my blogs in no matter what. Why? Because I got into the habit of doing so, even with other things to do, like shopping binges, a visit to a radio station, playing slots at the casino for hours, way too much eating of food, and a book signing at Book World in Eagle River, Wisconsin during Cranberry Fest.

Here's a photo from the signing.
If you start the right one, habit can be a good thing. Think of something you really want to do, but don't know if you can carry it through. It may be blogging. It may be getting a certain number of pages written on your manuscript each day. It may be submitting your manuscript to editors. You decide.

Once you start, pretty soon you'll get into the habit and it won't be so hard to do. Try it.

A Dream Lost

While I've been working on my blog, in the background is WGN Sports describing the White Sox fans dressed in black filing out of Cellular Field like they were leaving a funeral.

Once again, Chicago's hopes have died. Now both teams are out of the running to advance to the World Series.

It was only a dream anyway, especially for the Cubs fans who've waited and hoped for a miracle for over 100 years.

Still, there's nothing wrong with dreams. I have plenty that might not ever come true. They keep me going and hoping that maybe someday...you never know.

For one thing, if I hadn't dreamed, I never would have gotten Two Wrongs or Girl of My Dreams published. In fact, the reality show contest for Girl of My Dreams is based on the producer's concept of his dream girl.

Like many authors, I dream about getting a bestseller, quitting my day job and spending more time writing. I also dream about a larger kitchen with lots of cabinets, eating whatever I want and not gaining weight, so many other things.

What do you dream about?

And Then There Was One

Cubs, Sox and Brewers all in the playoffs! Wow! Lots of excitement around here. I was actually wondering who to root for if they played each other, and I'm not a true sports fan. I usually get involved only when it really means something. Then, I pick any Chicago team, since I live in the area. Also, since our summer cottage is in Wisconsin, the Brewers are my next favorite.

Unfortunately, the Cubs and the Brewers lost three in a row. That left the White Sox.

The division playoff is a great lesson in building suspense. With each loss, the White Sox faced extinction. They lost one, then two. They needed another or it would be all over.

A good author doesn't let anything come easy, but instead makes the character face all kinds of mental and/or physical calamaties on the way to achieving a goal. With each victory, another obstacle presents itself.

The White Six won Sunday's game. Now they've lost two and won one. Will they overcome their deficit or fold? Time will tell.

Remember to keep the suspense going. Drag out the conclusion of your novel as long as you can. Keep the readers guessing, like the Sox are doing to their fans.

Which is Worse?

Which is worse, packing for vacation or packing to go home from vacation? I say the latter. Why? Because I have to look forward to going back to work on Monday instead of goofing off.

One thing I will be happy to get back to and that is my DSL. I know, I rag about the slow network card too much while I'm in the NorthWoods, but I do get so frustrated when I want to get more accomplished and have to be patient. I'm not used to being patient any more. I'm so very spoiled.

I set this post up ahead of time since I know we'll be on the road for at least seven hours and then unpacking. We'll be lucky enough to have time for dinner and getting ready for work the next day.

Though the weather could have been better and I lost money at the casino, all in all I did have a good time. It will be at least seven months until we get to come back and I know I'll miss Wisconsin and my dear friend, Jeanne, who promises to visit our neck of the woods for Christmas.

Book Signing at Book World in Eagle River, WI

I had a great time in Eagle River, Wisconsin at Book World. Sue Greenman, the store manager, was loads of fun. Here she is on the right with me. Sue and her assistant, Laurie, filled me in on all the local happenings, that is, in between when she rang up sales and I hawked Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams. Lots of coming and going of customers since the store is located on Wall Street, the main street in town, and it just happened to be the popular Cranberry Fest weekend. That event is usually a madhouse and today was no exception. The streets were jammed even before we entered the main thoroughfare. The sunny day helped, since the week before was generally cloudy.

This time my mystery, Two Wrongs, though not the latest release, was more popular than the romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams. Because I can't predict readers' preferences, I always bring both along just in case. Good thing I did. Here I am holding them up. No, I didn't stand in that position all day. Just wanted a photo with both books in it.

I've been reinvited by Sue to come back again for the Saturday of next year's Cranberry Fest. I intend to take her up on her offer. I wouldn't miss it. It was a great way to spend the last day of my vacation in Wisconsin.

Meme - Six Book Things About Myself

I missed the first round on the meme since I had my blog critique yesterday, but better late than never I guess.

Chris Verstraete from Candid Canine tagged me to say Six Book Things About Myself, so here goes:

1. I like to use photos to break up my blogs. Here's Rascal at the Blessing of the Animals two years ago. We were disappointed to learn that Holy Family Church wouldn't have the Blessing this year, but Fr. Hoffman promises to have it again next year.

Unfortunately, Rascal doesn't promise to behave in the meantime.

2. I don't stick to one genre when writing. My first book, Two Wrongs, is primarily a mystery, though it does contain a romance. My second book, Girl of My Dreams, is a romantic comedy, though it contains a sliver of mystery. Now I'm working on three books: one is a mystery, another is a romance, the other is a book about my dog, Rascal, based on actual experience.

3. I listen to other people's conversations when I'm walking to work in Downtown Chicago and try to remember what they say so I can include some version in my books. Often by the time I get somewhere to write it down it's lost, just like my dreams when I wake up after them.

4. I don't always know what I'm going to blog about, but figure it out by something that strikes me while I'm walking my dog.

5. I'm a slow writer. It takes me a long time to get the word count up. Part of my problem is I don't always have large blocks of time to write, so each time I have to go back into the story a bit to ground myself. Another reason is I like to edit, probably more than write. Once the words are down on the page, it's a lot easier to make everything better. The problem is getting the words down in the first place.

6. I created Book Place, a network for authors, readers, illustrators, reviewers, librarians, publishers, editors, and anyone else connected with books to market and share thoughts about their books and writing in general. So far, more than 1300 members are over there networking.

That's my six.

I tag these people to come up with 6 Book Things about themselves:

Helen Ginger - Straight From Hel
Dana Fredsti - Zhadi's Den
Vivian Zabel - Vivian's Site
Maryann Miller - It's Not All Gravy

At the Radio Station by Morgan Mandel

Morgan with Mark Everett

While we're on vacation near Minocqua, Wisconsin, my husband and I enjoy listening to WJJQ FM, from Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

The morning man, Mark Everett, is one of our favorites. He adds personal touches to his program by announcing birthdays when people call in. We get up early on each other's birthdays and call so we can hear the announcements more than once.

Tuesday, we took a trip to the station and brought along my mystery, Two Wrongs, and my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams, for Mark to read. He let us into the broadcast booth. It was fun sitting in the On the Air room in the hot seat with the headset on, pretending I was going live.

Mark suggested an on-the-air author interview some time soon. Due to calendar conflicts, the earliest we could settle on was next Spring. I'm looking forward to the broadcast when I can share a bit of my author world with the station's listeners.

Morgan Mandel

http://www.morganmandel.com/

Exciting Happenings Here By Morgan Mandel

Exciting things are happening soon, here at http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/. Besides my own blogs, I'll be featuring these guest bloggers:


Beginning Thursday, Oct. 9 - Ask Angela, a new weekly column starring Angela Wilson, author publicist, virtual tour editor and author. Angela will answer questions sent in by readers.

I'm gathering information on more guests. Their dates will be finalized shortly.
They are:


Michele Cameron, author of Moments of Clarity.

Dan Herman, author of a non-fiction marketing book.

Cyndia Depre, author of Oblivious, a romantic mystery.


Consider bookmarking this blogspot to keep track of the various guests.
It's simple. Just click the bookmark link in the left column.


I'll clue you as soon as I get more information.


Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

Breaking News - Subway Series? By Morgan Mandel

I was going to blog about something else today, but how many times does this happen? Every 102 years?

The Cubs and the Sox both in the playoffs? Strange, exciting and true.

The Cubs clinched their playoff spot first.

Tonight, wonder of wonders, the Sox beat the Minnesota Twins and also clinched a playoff spot in an exciting winner-take-all game.

I confess I am not the most rabid baseball fan, but these circumstances could get even a fair weather fan like me take notice.

My problem now is who will I root for? They're both Chicago teams. This is not easy.

When you're writing a novel, make it easy for your reader to identify with and root for the main character. One way to do this is to introduce that character first. That way your readers can immediately get into that character's point of view and root for him or her.

What are other ways? Please leave a comment if you can think of any.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

ASK ANGELA Column Hosted Soon By Morgan Mandel

Angela Wilson
What mystifies you about marketing? What don't you know about virtual book tours?

You'll find answers here in a new feature column called Ask Angela.

Angela Wilson, author publicist and virtual tour editor for PopSyndicate.Com will clue you in on things you should know, whether you're a newbie, intermediate or seasoned pro.

Don't be afraid to ask even the most basic questions, because it's the only way you'll learn. You may be surprised at how many other people would like to know the same things.

Angela says, "There is no stupid question. I am always surprised to learn of how many people don't know how to use Twitter or MySpace or Facebook. But that's OK. That's what I'm here for - to share the knowledge."

Send your question(s) to morgan@morganmandel.com with ASK ANGELA in the subject line.

If you're a published author, be sure to include your author name, latest book, and website or blogsite, so they can be included. If you don't have a book out yet, leave your name and website or blogsite, because it's never too early to start promo. If you don't have a website or blogsite, better get one or both.

If you don't want to post your name, use some other identifier, such as "member of such-and-such listserv or writing organization" and I'll include that instead.

As soon as we round up enough questions and hand them over to Angela, the feature can get started, so don't delay.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/

The Color of Leaves by Morgan Mandel

One of the draws for visiting the NorthWoods in the Fall is color. It looks like we may have hit it right on our vacation this year. It's predicted the colors should hit their peak in midweek. Already we've seen some great displays.

It may seem obvious, but it bears mentioning. In your manuscript, be sure to add seasonal colors for flavor.

Leaves have always been a great way to describe the Seasons in a book. This is what happens in Illinois, Wisconsin and other neighboring states:

In Spring, except for evergreens, most leaves are light green in color. Summer turns them into a deeper greenish hue.

In the Fall, leaves change into a splendid spectrum of colors --- cranberry, russet, tan, orange, and gold. They're not only on the trees, but also in the wind and underfoot.

Then Winter arrives. The leaves are gone. The trees are bare.

I don't know if this holds true in other areas of the country. If anyone not from around here would like to share, please leave a comment.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/

Back on the Road Again by Morgan Mandel

Off to Wisconsin again. This time for Fall colors and Beefarama in Minocqua.

Hope to have some good photos to share in my blog. Also, I hope I don't lose

too much money at slots at Lake of the Torches Casino.

Lots of traveling today, so I'm keeping this very short.

Morgan Mandel

http://www.morganmandel.com/

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/

Why Write? By Morgan Mandel

I’m listening to the radio and wondering. Why do Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and so many other popular singers keep recording? Don’t they have enough money already?

Then there’s the movie industry. What makes Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt keep acting? They have to be loaded by now.

I see the window display at Barnes and Noble. Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Richard North Patterson, Stephen King all have books out. Why? They’re rolling in dough.

There has to be some other reason besides money that drives these people. What keeps them going? Is it ambition? Is it name recognition? Is it insecurity, feeling somehow the money will vanish? Is it sharing? Is it wanting the world to know they exist? Is it addiction? Is it more than one of these?

I don’t know the whys governing these people’s actions. I only know what I would do. If I were lucky enough to be a bestselling author with no money worries, I’d still write. It’s so ingrained in me, I can’t think of doing without it. It's part of who and what I am.

Bottom line-- I’m a writer. Writers write.

What about you? If you got rich off of one or more of your books, would you stop writing? If not, what would keep you going?

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/