#NationalPoetryMonth The Rope Swing

Until I get my latest reviews up for your reading pleasure, here’s a little something of mine. Hope you enjoy it!

The Write Stuff

Since we’re still short on #FabulousFridayGuestBloggers, you get . . . tada! . . . ME. I’ll just fill in with whatever seems like a good idea at the time, until we get back on schedule. And since it’s still National Poetry Month, here’s a poem of mine. It’s been in the early 90’s here, already, so my thoughts have turned to hot summer days. Hope this little boy’s enjoyment of one captures your imagination.

THE ROPE SWING

Sailing up, up into
Blue summer sky,
Hot rope rough against his hands,
He shouts with joy, and lets go.
For a crystal moment,
He hangs suspended,
Frozen in time
Like a fly in amber.
All awkward angles–
Shoulder blades and
Elbows, and
Knobby knees,
Painted against the sky,
Heart filled with fierce joy.

Dropping, down, down
Into clear green water
Cold on his skin,
He sinks to the silty bottom,
And sits suspended

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#InspirationBoardSunday #SundayBlogShare A Dark and Stormy Night

Inspiration? Could be! Check ’em out!

The Write Stuff

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

. . . at sea . . .

. . . on another planet .

There’s a reason “a dark and stormy night” is such a cliché, you know–there’s hardly a more dramatic setting imaginable–so I thought it would be fun to share some storm images with you today. I suspect there’s inspiration to be found amid these pictures, and I hope you enjoy looking through them. (But you might want to use a different opening line when you start your own dark and stormy tale . . . if you want to be taken seriously, that is.)  Check ’em out and let your imagination soar.

 

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Update on Self-Publishing Workshop

A Change in Schedule! Hope you’ll still try to join us, if you live in central Florida, and want to learn the basics of self-publishing.

The Write Stuff

*Insert beeping noises, here*

We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcasting with breaking news! Due to several factors, we have decided to reschedule the April 23 Self-Publishing Workshop at DeBary Hall. The new date will be October 8, from 1:00 until 4:00. The fall is a better time of year for this particular type of event, with fewer folks away on vacations and holiday travels.  If you live in this area and want to learn a bit more about how to self-publish your books, be sure to mark your calendars for October 8, and join us for the discussion. Reminders  will be forthcoming, as the new date approaches. 

And now, we return you to the program in progress.

Oh, and Happy Tewe’s Day! 🙂

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Self-Publishing Workshop at #DeBaryHall

Are you interested in self-publishing your first book? If so, and you live in central Florida, come chat with me on April 23, at DeBary Hall! Would love to meet you!

The Write Stuff

DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd, DeBary, FL

Two weeks from today, I’ll be giving a self-publishing workshop for beginners. I stress the “beginner” category, because I am not an expert in self-publishing, by any means. All I know is what worked for me. But at every Meet the Author talk I give, I’m asked detailed questions on how to go about publishing a book on Kindle and through Createspace, so it seemed like a good idea to set up an event where we can focus on the process.  I’ve published four novels and a book of poetry, so I do have a lot of tips to share, and plenty of suggestions for what authors should NOT do.  😀

If you are a new writer, or at least new to self-publishing, and you are in the area, please consider joining us for a three-hour discussion, with handouts,  at DeBary Hall, from 1:00 to…

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Deltona Authors’ Fair & Building A Local Readership #SundayBlogShare

I know I’ve been absent a long time, and I apologize for that. This post from The Write Stuff might help explain where I’ve been. Writing four novels in 2-1/2 years has kept me busy, busy, busy, but I’m hoping to get back to reviews again soon. Honest! Thanks for your patience! 🙂

The Write Stuff

Would You Buy a Used Car From This Person?
How About A Book?

I’ve posted my thoughts on building a local readership several times, but once in a while, it seems like a good idea to address it again, especially when I’ve been to an author event like yesterday’s Authors Fair at the Deltona Regional Library. I know it might not be something everyone enjoys as much as I do, but I really think attending local events where you can meet not only readers, but other writers, is a great way to promote your books, and most importantly, yourself.

I stress the importance of promoting yourself, because I have a theory that if readers meet you face to face, and enjoy chatting with you, they are very likely to buy a book or two that you’ve written. If not at the event, then later, for their Kindle, or whenever they…

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