KarynHallMi Vida Loca: Books and More

January 24, 2010

I finished Living the Literary Life. She suggests writing personal notes on terrific paper to every one who rejects your manuscript. Interesting idea. She also says not to query, but to send a letter stating you’ll be sending your manuscript. I don’t think that would work, but what do I know.

Building a platform requires creativity and energy. Other experts suggest ttending book fairs, setting up contests, sending out press releases, adding a press kit to your website, making the acquaintence of the buyer at your local bookstore, going to conferences, having book signings, giving workshops, setting up a partnership with a business by putting writing a product into your manuscript and having a catchy excerpt for the press.

I need a good time management book. Or maybe there’s a blog that addresses that. I could network…

January 17, 2010

I’m back in the gym again. Writing is not conducive to staying fit. It’s really a shame you can’t get in shape once and be done with it, check it off the list. No, it’s like making the bed. Exactly like that for me–I don’t make mine anymore cause it wouldn’t stay done.

So I need an attitude change. I’m working on it. I’m bribing myself by having cardio time be reading time. I have too many books on my Kindle now (please hold your boos all you Kindle haters, this little contraption saves my back when I travel and fits perfectly on the elliptical and the treadmill and I still love real books the best) so I look forward to my time now.

I’m finally making some progress with my guitar lessons. I’m persisting anyway.

Hemingway said writers need to stick together like bandits, so I’m reaching out, looking for a community of writers.

December 24, 2009

It’s Christmas Eve! Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope that however you want your holidays to be that your wishes come true. I’m ready to enjoy the slower pace and spend time with friends. By choice, my holidays have not been hectic for many years now and I love the calmer days. Tonight I join friends for dinner and tomorrow afternoon I’ll share Christmas with more friends.

December 2009

I can’t believe it’s been three months since I updated this page. I’ve been so busy writing and traveling that time flew by.

Deceptions has been the focus of my writing, though I’m working on a chapter for The Elephant in the Closet too. A very dear person sent out an email asking hundreds of clinicians to fill out the survey for providers. Many, many thanks to her. There is a survey for the general public as well. Check out the Elephants page and you’ll see the URL if you want to complete a survey.

The weather is wonderfully cool now. And we had snow in Houston this year! Friday, December 4. Christmas is less than two weeks away. I have company coming from out of town and can’t wait to see them. Coco will be in heaven.

Thanksgiving was in Ft. Lauderdale and I was lucky to have beautiful weather. I spent most of my time writing and loved every minute of it.

Christmas will be in Houston. Thanks to some wonderful friends, my out of town guests and I will be sharing friendship and merriment on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and love.

September 13, 2009

It’s cooling down in Houston and my energy is up. I’ve started a new blog at LiveJournal. I can’t figure out how to get all pages of this one to feed to the internet search engines, so the new blog only has one page and connects to those all-important tools. The first photo above is my avatar on LiveJournal.

I love avatars. It’s a lot like playing dress-up. I can be whoever I want to be. The middle photo is my avatar on Twitter. I’m Mindfulnow if you want to follow me on Twitter.

The last photo is Coco, my Golden Retriever. Don’t make fun of his stuffed animal or his blankey.

I’m very excited that my first book review for Internet Review of Books will be up around September 15. Book reviews are more difficult than you think. I’m currently working on one for The Feminist Review and another one for Internet Review of Books. Have you read The Day the Falls Stood Still? Interesting book but a difficult one to review, at least for me.

I’m involved in several writing projects. Check out the pages for The Validated Child, The Elephant in the Closet, Bandaids Fallin From Their Souls, and Deceptions.
I love writing.

Deceptions is about lies people tell for all sorts of good and not-so-good reasons. What sorts of lies have affected your life? What lies have you entangled yourself in? Leave a comment as we take a look at the falsehoods and deceptions we all face.

There’s travel in my future. I’ll be in Virginia in October and in November I’m headed to Ft. Lauderdale for some calm time by the ocean.

There’s sadness in my life with the death of my Mother, Charlsie Hall Anders. She died peacefully in her sleep on August 23, 2009.

Hope you have a great September. Remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take (Wayne Gretzky).

Leave a comment–click on Continue Reading.

Ciao,
Karyn