Be a Wholehearted Author! These articles share with you the techniques I’ve used to build my author platform and publish fiction and nonfiction books.
Find the Beautiful, the Strange at Your Local Botanical Garden
I am not a botanist, but I enjoy spending time at Botanical Gardens. These gardens can take many forms, but the specimens are usually suited to the particular climates found in the state. According to Wikipedia, the inception of botanical gardens is linked to the history of botany, and most 16th and 17th-century scientific
The Eager-Beaver Writer
Are you an Eager Beaver Writer? Does this describe you? This person has wonderful intentions, and after riding the wave of motivation, promises to: Wake up early to write Write 1,000 words per day Learn how to use Scrivener Build an author’s website The Eager Beaver Writer burns out, generally in the first week, because
Useful Guide to Free Photos, Media and More
As a writer, you're not always concerned with visual or audio artwork. It's often secondary to the Muse dictating the story to you. As a Self-Sufficient Author, however, you need media for marketing your author brand, so how do you find it and use it legally? The Ultimate Guide to Free Photos, Media & More
Reawaken Your ‘Sense of Wonder’: Remembering Rachel Carson
The spirit of Rachel Carson lives on, instilling in the Earth's human population awareness of its fragile environment and an urgency to protect it from toxins. Although it's been five decades since the publication of her runaway bestseller, "Silent Spring" (1962), Carson remains one of the greatest nature writers of America and one of America's
Why I Broke up with Smashwords
Why I Broke up with Smashwords Fall In Love with D2D Excuse me, please, but this is a "Rant Post." I've been struggling with the dreaded Meatgrinder at Smashwords for years. In fact, it's been a battle since I self-published my first novel, DISTRACTED. The problem with the Meatgrinder is, it requires you to
Use BOTH Sides of Your Brain in Harmony
Use BOTH Sides of Your Brain in Harmony Does the left side of your brain dominate your actions, or the right? Are you logical, organized and methodical, or are you intuitive, spontaneous and creative? Or, do you use both sides of your brain in harmony? Scientists have studied brain-injury patients for years and have
We Know We Have to Market Our Books, But What’s the Best Way to Do It?
Let's face it, there's too many types of social media applications, and software subscriptions, and email providers, and landing pages and funnel pages and squeeze pages and ad nauseum, to learn how to use all of them. Trying to find our way through the business of Internet marketing is a minefield, and we're wary and
Easy on the Hooptedoodle
If you've never read Elmore Leonard's Rules for Writing, you're in for a treat. Leonard was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph
National Archives Releases Civil War Documents, Photograph Interested in the ephemera of the Civil War? The National Archives has released thousands of documents and photographs from the American Civil War, and Wikimedia Commons is organizing them. Here's just one of many photos of U.S. History in the category: Virginia, Army
Our Milestone: 35 Years Together
We celebrated a milestone in the Van Auken family: our 35th wedding anniversary. Robin and Lance Van Auken Mr. and Mrs. Lance Van Auken, South Williamsport, observed their 35th wedding anniversary Feb. 14, 2016. They were married in Seminole, Fla. Mrs. Van Auken, the former Robin Butler, is a native of San
Small Changes Ripple Outward
Small Changes Ripple Outward I spent a delightful 12 minutes watching a Ted Talk by Shawn Achor, a psychologist who teaches about positivity and its effect on happiness. Shawn Achor(Photo courtesy Alexismbr, Wikimedia Commons) Not only did I laugh most of the the time, but I was inspired to pause the
Thinking Like Leonardo
Thinking Like Leonardo I've been pondering the concept of a New Renaissance. I've been wondering if it's possible to think like Leonardo da Vinci. On the topic, Parade magazine's resident genius Marilyn Vos Savant once wrote she would: "... found a school for art and music, dedicated to bringing back the classical beauty in sight and
Weapon of Love
I discovered an interesting newspaper article from 1918 on the subject of women spies, and thought it might be fun to share with readers of my blog. While transcribing the article from the scanned (public domain) newspaper, I couldn't help but think the topic would make for a great short story. Someday, I may