Your Health!

Welcome to Slàinte Sundays where I give a toast to those posts I enjoyed during the week.

Before we get to the link love, I wanted to let you all know I’m adjusting my blog schedule from three days a week to two days. With the family and day job schedules picking up, and NaNoWriMo looming, (not to mention the holidays are comin’ up hot) I have less and less time for my novel and blogging. I’ve made the decision to cut back on blogging, because, let’s face it, my novel is much more important! J

Anyhoo…For the time being, I will incorporate my Slàinte Sundays with my Rudan Thursdays. I truly enjoy sharing my cyber finds with all of you and am not willing to cut them. So while I won’t be able to share every week, there will still be plenty of link love goin’ around

Ok, let’s get to it…

On craft…

Jenny Hansen shares Writing Lessons From The Late Great Stephen J. Cannell.

Kristen Lamb continues her series on Structure with Part 3 – Introducing the Opposition.

Jody Hedlund guest posts over at Jenny Hansen’s blog, talking about plot ideas and structure, very helpful with NaNoWriMo coming up.

Amber West has some great NaNoWriMo tips for all of those pantsers out there. Check this out.

On publishing…

Bob Mayer offers a tribute to the reader in his post, Readers Rule: The Ultimate Gatekeepers Publishing and The Rise of the Author.

Kait Nolan shares her Open Letter to Barnes & Noble about PubIt!

On motivation…

Jenny Hansen offers great tips on critique partners or groups via Dan Rockwell over at Leadership Freak. And I swear I’m not stalking Jenny, she just has so many awesome posts, how can I not share them??

Sonia Medeiros says ‘let there be blogs’ in her post on blogging and blog fatigue. Did she write this just for me?

Kristen Lamb reminds us to keep our heads in the game, and breathes new life into that blog fatigue by sharing boring statistical information on blogging and its benefits.

Lyn Midnight is a girl after my own heart in her guest post on spiraling out of control, over at David N. Walker’s blog. No, Lyn, you are most definitely not alone.

On networking and social media…

Jen Talty, via Bob Mayer’s blog, talks about the importance of branding.

Techy Tips

Carrie Spencer – finally! – shares much-needed information on ping backs, via her pal Woodie, cause he knows WordPress. I’ve been waiting for so long! ;p

Just for fun!

Shéa MacLeod shares creepy crawly stories in her post, The Queen of Fire and Darkness Meets the Scorpion King.

Jenny Hansen talks about her undies fetish, interest, um, ok, she’s talkin’ about g-strings people. You gotta go check it out.

Piper Bayard and Kristen Lamb need your help with campaign slogans. They’ve got awesome options to choose from, go cast your vote! Piper/Lamb 2012!

Natalie Hartford brings us the compliment to the tow-hitch stripper pole: The Tow Hitch TV!

Gene Lempp teaches us about the Ancient Silk Route in his latest post from Designing from Bones.

Marcia Richards tells a true story of ‘sweet revenge,’ a family’s quest for justice, and making a difference the American way. I got chills reading this. Amazing post!

Jess Witkins offers an interesting post on Sleep Paralysis. Pretty scary, actually. My husband has this happen sometimes.

To Jenny, Kristen, Jody, Amber, Bob, Kait, Sonia, Lyn, Jen, Carrie, Shéa, Piper, Natalie, Gene, Marcia, and Jess…

Slàinte…your health!

Move Over Modern Family, it’s My Turn!

Welcome to Rudan Thursdays where we talk about…things! Anything from books and movies, to blog posts and authors, to food and drink. And boy, do I have something to tell you!

I won the Liebster Blog Award!

I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Natalie Hartford for bestowing such an honor upon me. If you haven’t checked her out yet, do it now. She blogs three to four times a week on everything from things to motivate and inspire you, to urban lingo, to driving-impaired awareness, to stripper poles on trucks! And each post is well worth the read.

In keeping with the traditions associated with receiving the Liebster Blog Award, I must now convey the following:

Winners of a Liebster must:

1. Post the award on your blog and show thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them via the award graphic ~ Check!
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog or send them a shout out on Twitter. ~ Check!
3. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers (and bloggers) ~ and, Check!

My good friend, Barbara McDowell, says the Liebster Award originated in Germany, and the word “Liebster” means “dear, sweet, darling, beloved.” The point of the award is to help bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers.

Now for THE most important part of the post! Here are the five awesome peeps I’ve awarded – I should note: I have no idea how many followers they have, but they’re too deserving not to be recognized:

Jenny Hansen ~ I was charmed the moment I saw Jenny’s blog page: “Cowbell, You Need More Of It.” Isn’t it true though? Jenny is very talented and very entertaining. She posts on everything from parenting, to craft, to wine. Did you know she keeps no less than 100 bottles of wine at home? My hero…er, heroine!

Carrie Spencer ~ It was love at first meeting with Carrie. Who doesn’t dig a smartass? Not only is Carrie witty and funny, she’s also one of THE smartest, techiest peeps I know. She blogs about all kinds of cool stuff like arts & crafts, fun drinks, and cats. She’s also friends with a super cool woodchuck named, Woodie. He knows WordPress, so if you need some help, let Carrie know. One last thing, you HAVE to check out is Romance University. Carrie blogs over there, and she and the other ladies give really great info on craft and romance.

Diana Murdock ~ This is one amazing woman. She never ceases to inspire and motivate me. And make me cry. Diana is very real, very human. She’ll open your eyes, and have you searching your soul without you even realizing it. In a world full of shallow self-servers, what a refreshing change to hang out with someone like Diana. Check her out!

Kerry Meacham ~ Kerry is a relaxed, chill dude. You can hang out at his place, have a nice cold glass of iced tea, put your feet up and chat. He always offers great info from out there in the blogosphere and some of the best videos youtube has to offer. Check him out and give him a ~clink~ from me.

Amber West ~ A new fave of mine, Amber delivers her two cents with, not only wit and humor, but really great pictures and quotes! I tweeted a quote I saw on a recent post, and its become my mantra: “Don’t Try To Win Over The Haters, You Are Not A Jerk Whisperer.” I’m always excited to meet peeps who are comfortable in their own skin, speak their minds responsibly, and take the time to find really great pics :) And while you’re getting to know her, read her post on classic tales – so great!

Thanks again to Natalie, and congrats to Jenny, Carrie, Diana, Kerry & Amber!

~*~ Kate ~*~

Your Health!

Welcome to Slàinte Sundays where I give a toast to those posts I enjoyed during the week. Without further ado:

On craft and the technical side of things…

Sonia Medeiros shares her lessons learned on the way to becoming a writer – valuable information.

Bob Mayer introduces us to Natalie C. Markey, a pro when it comes to the fine art of balancing writing and family.

Kristen Lamb reminds us not to treat the writer like a moron in her post, “Deadly Sin of Writing #7.”

Piper Bayard, the Pale Writer of the Apocalypse, shares her story of trials and tribulations on her way to becoming a writer…it’s an awesome reminder that we are all in this together.

What do you know about widgets? Take a quick and painless lesson from Woodie a.k.a. Carrie Spencer with Woodie Knows WordPress.

For fun…

Get ready for an awesome adventure in reading! 33 books…one series…all genres! Steena Holmes has all the deets.

Check out Carrie Spencer’s crafty side here – jewelry, t-shirts, and more!

Natalie Hartford delivers yet again in this hysterical post about the hottest new party trend…you gotta read this!

Come take a look in an ancient kitchen and learn the history of cooking from Gene Lempp.

On diversity…

Kait Nolan makes some great points about how certain traits in a character should not be written out, and about how important it is to give readers characters they can relate to.

Cate Woods talks about allowing kids to feel free to be themselves, and how they can relate to diverse characters in books…a thought-provoking post.

On life lessons…

YOU are the only one responsible for YOU! A must read from Marcia Richards.

A great point: Change doesn’t have to be painful. An excellent post from Diana Murdock.

To Sonia, Bob, Kristen, Piper, Carrie, Steena, Natalie, Gene, Kait, Cate (ok, how many of us are there?? LOL), Marcia, and Diana…

Slàinte…your health!

Your Health!

Welcome to Slàinte Sundays where I give a toast to those posts I enjoyed during the week.

In this, my very first toast, I wanted to send a special shout out to those people who helped me make it happen:

First, I would never have even considered a blog if it weren’t for the amazing Kristen Lamb. I’ve taken two of her blogging & branding classes, and have been following her for months. I’ve learned so much from her…she is a genius, and I recommend every writer, regardless of where you are in your career, to not only check her out, but subscribe to her blog AND buy her books, “We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide To Social Media,” and “Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer.” I believe that every bit of information Kristen has to offer is critical to achieving a successful and rewarding career as an author.

Next up, Kerry Meacham and Kate MacNicol. When I was at the end of my rope, they walked over and tied an extra bit of length to it. THANK YOU, Kerry and Kate, for snapping me out of my creative block!

Then there’s Sharron Gunn. Sharron, a fellow author, is an expert in Scottish history and Celtic studies. She is a particular hero of mine and I cherish her teaching spirit, and her patience with all of my questions. Thank you, Sharron!

And finally…Carrie Spencer. Oh, how I adore thee, let me count the ways… Ok, enough silliness. Carrie is not only an unending fount of knowledge of all things WordPress, but she also has endless patience. I know me…quite well, in fact…and I can say without any doubt that I can be a bit slow (read frustrating and/or annoying) when it comes to the techy stuff. My hat off to you, dear Carrie, for being the wonderful teacher you are. Thank you so much for everything…if it weren’t for you, this blog would not be here.

By the way, check out Carrie’s group blog – Romance University – where she and six other witty and talented authors are, “Dedicated to helping writers establish and advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors, and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind.”

To Kristen, Kerry, Kate, and Carrie…

Slàinte…your health!