Sue Vincent is a woman of strength – a huge conqueror of adversity, an artist in more ways than one, and an avid blogger in the writing community. Her blog The Daily Echo is an eclectic mix of wonderful prose and detailed posts on her treks, trial and tribulations, and last but not least, beautiful photos.
In her latest post, Sue shares recognition for some other bloggers, and I was honoured to be named one of them. Also in this post, Sue is doing the 3 Day Challenge with adding quotes. I am not part of this challenge this time round, but I would like to add here one of my own favourite quotes:
Thank you Sue Vincent for including me in your list of bloggers to receive this award.
A little about Sue:
Sue Vincent ~ Echoes of Life, Love and Laughter (by Sue Vincent)
“I am a Yorkshire born painter and writer, living in the south of England. I paint the strange things that come as images in dreams and fantasies and write about life as it happens.
I was raised in a spiritually eclectic family in a landscape where myths and legends were woven into the stones, and have always had an intimate relationship with the inner worlds and the understanding that all paths are but spokes on a wheel, leading ultimately to the same centre. It is not the path that one walks that matters, but how one chooses to walk it. . . . .”
It’s always an honour for me to be recognized by fellow bloggers and given an award. As always, I offer all my fellow bloggers to help themselves to this award to place on your own pages, for we are all deserving.
Sally Cronin of SmorgasbordInvitation began a new Saturday morning coffee and chat with authors and writers. Sally is a wonderful writer and a great sharer of the works of others. In each of her coffee invitations, Sally always shares a beautiful story of her own, which ties in with the company she’s having over for coffee and dessert. Today’s writing is about friendship. As part of her invitation to us, she always takes our order, asking what type of coffee and dessert we’d prefer. Anything is fine with me, as long as it’s gluten and dairy-free.
I was elated to be in the company of, not only Sally, but other friends and esteemed writers/authors, Olga Nunez Miret and Teagan Riordain Geneviene Please join us now for Saturday coffee and chat.
“Friendship can sometimes be hard to define as we, as individuals, play different roles in the lives of others. We are daughters, sons, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, bosses and employees, husbands and wives, lovers and friends. I was browsing the web looking at opinions on the subject and found this post by Alex Lickerman MD author of the book The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self.http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Lickerman-MD/e/B008UT77MW ”
“The Japanese have a term, kenzoku, which translated literally means “family.” The connotation suggests a bond between people who’ve made a similar commitment and who possibly therefore share a similar destiny. It implies the presence of the deepest connection of friendship, of lives lived as comrades from the distant past. Many of us have people in our lives with whom we feel the bond described by the word kenzoku.”
Please join us for the coffee chat by continuing to read by clicking the link below:
Thank you Sally Cronin for inviting me to your place today to be part of your special edition: Fanfare, and introducing me and my latest new book release, Have Bags, Will Travel.
“Today’s featured book is by a firm favourite of us here in Blog world. D.G. Kaye, affectionately known as Debby, with a novella about some of her more memorable moments of traveling. Including issues of overweight luggage and causing rather a celebrity moment when passing through Canada customs on her return trips!”
Sally Cronin – Blog with a view – on most things!
Read Sally’s article by clicking on the link below:
I’ve been such a busy beaver that I haven’t taken advantage of kindle countdown promos since the summer. Considering my books are locked into KDP right now I think it’s time to do a little advertising.
BLURB:
“I have been a great critic of myself for most of my life, and I was darned good at it, deflating my own ego without the help of anyone else.”
What do our shopping habits, high-heeled shoes, and big hair have to do with how we perceive ourselves? Do the slights we endured when we were young affect how we choose our relationships now?
D.G. takes us on a journey, unlocking the hurts of the past by identifying situations that hindered her own self-esteem. Her anecdotes and confessions demonstrate how the hurtful events in our lives linger and set the tone for how we value our own self-worth.
Words We Carry is a raw, personal accounting of how the author overcame the demons of low self-esteem with the determination to learn to love herself.
Starting Thursday September 24th until the 30th, Words We Carry will be on kindle countdown in the U.S. and the U.K. Sadly, Amazon still won’t share those promo prices with the rest of the world, so for those lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this promo, don’t forget to get your copy of Words We Carry if you haven’t already read it.
Oh, and please consider leaving a review if you’ve read it. I know it’s been said many times but . . . Reviews are an author’s gold. Many readers aren’t aware that when authors pay for their advertising, the ad companies will sometimes decline putting us on their ad list even though we’re paying for it, if it doesn’t have enough reviews. Imagine that? We need to pay for ads to gain readership and reviews, but if we don’t have enough good reviews, our ad request may be declined. Quite an oxymoron!
Friend and writer Sacha Black has put together a post with a wealth of information for bloggers who are always on the lookout for great photos to add to their blogs. She points out where we can obtain free photos as well as paid. Check out some of Sacha’s other wonderful posts. Besides great information, Sacha is a wonderful writer and does some fabulous interviews with authors. Surely, a blog to offer something for every reader.
Sacha Black… Writer, Thinker, Lover of the Strange and Unusual (by Sacha Black)
Blog post pictures. They are, if you don’t know how to do them, a bit of a mystery.
I have had a couple of lovely compliments recently about the photos I use to start my posts, (thank you, and blush!). But what it’s resulted in, is me sharing my photo tweaking knowledge with others. So I thought it might be useful to share that knowledge with everyone else.
If you would like to know how to make photos like mine, or ones in your own style, then read on……
It seems like such a long road was taken to publish my newest little short novella this past year. The book had been put on the wayside a few times as life was presenting a myriad of challenges, determined to steal my time. But without further ado, I’m thrilled to announce my fun little read on some of my more memorable moments of traveling. It seems that with every trip I take I’m faced with issues of dealing with overweight luggage and have become almost a person of interest when it comes to passing through Canada customs on every return trip.
This book has snippets of stories from travels in earlier times when airline restrictions were a little more lenient (when overweight luggage wasn’t a huge concern), opinions on some of the places I’ve visited, and fond memories with best friends.
Here is an excerpt:
Airport Security
Returning home from a vacation is always a nerve-racking event for me. Instead of flying home and basking in the memories of the wonderful time I’ve just had on vacation, I repeatedly go through my receipts from the trip so I can carefully calculate how not to exceed the fixed limit we’re allowed to bring back without penalty. I must remember which receipts correspond to the tags I’ve already cut off so I can take them out of the pile. More math!
Most people don’t worry about such things—but I have to. It’s practically like my face is on a milk carton: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN SHOPPING? For decades now, I’ve been consistently pulled over at customs. A planeload of people pick up their luggage and sail through the exit doors to freedom, and one person (and her husband) get singled out for interrogation. This happens on ninety percent of my trips. Why is it that I’m picked out of two hundred and fifty passengers to be interrogated? I lament, but I’m familiar with all the tricks by now: don’t wear flashy jewelry, don’t dress up, try to blend in. I can’t help it, though. I have what I’ve identified as shopping face. . .
Have Bags, Will Travel is available now in ebook at Amazon, and will soon be available in print.
I recently got a nice gift from my hub; something I’ve been wanting for the past year – a new Microsoft Surface Pro 3, 12 inch laptop, complete with the new Windows 10 operating system.
I’d been wanting a smaller laptop that offered a more compact size, could be used as a tablet, and that worked with lightening speed with a great SSD hardrive, that could be great for multi-tasking. I’d say it’s like a portable desktop that weighs just under two and half pounds with the fabulous detachable Bluetooth keyboard.
These laptops don’t come cheap and I’ve been keeping my eye out on them at various stores for the past year, waiting to see if there would eventually be one on sale. With a sticker price that I found shocking of almost $1100, and that was without the $159 keyboard cover, the $59 stylus pen, the $69 Office Word software, the $59 Bluetooth mouse, or even the 13% tax that would then get added to that large number, bringing the total to just around the $1700 mark, I find that steep. I wasn’t prepared to spend that kind of money on a laptop I wasn’t in need of, but thought it would sure come in handy for traveling or even just taking it with me in a large purse anywhere I’d like to.
I read tons of reviews from many tech and geek sites about this machine to learn about the pros and cons, and it’s been getting predominantly great press. Since I was in no hurry to buy one, I kept my eye on sales, expecting the best ones to come just before school started or perhaps Christmas.
Recently, I’ve read a few blogs from other writers who were using an older version of Windows, from XP to 7 to 8 and 8.1, who had opted to take advantage of the time limited free upgrade to Windows 10 that kept popping up on their screen for a free download. The feedback wasn’t so positive. Apparently, changing your current operating system to a newer one had messed up a lot of files and sent many people running to their local geeks and repair shops. This scared me enough to decline the free upgrade on my not so old desk and laptop installed with 8.1, which I cursed the day I got them, but have since fallen in love with.
When I remember back to all the computers I’ve had, I was happy with all Windows operating systems I used, eventually. My first desktop had Windows XP. My first laptop had Windows 7. I wanted one while Vista came out and heard nothing but problems, so I waited it out until Windows 7 came along. When I finally had to lay my old desktop to rest, the new Windows 8 was out, and I was forced to join the ranks of many unhappy users. From the time I ordered that slim-lined desktop until 3 weeks later when it came, Windows 8.1 was already out. The word was 8.1 was way better than 8, so I installed it on my desktop. I was not a happy camper learning a very different operating system with 8.1, and I cursed that baby for weeks, in frustration of having to look all over the place to get where I needed to on the screen. Many people complained about 8 and 8.1 and the charms on the sidebar and all the tiled metro apps on the middle of the screen. But I was enjoying the touchscreen aspect of it, and after a few months I loved it and then got a new laptop with 8.1, which is my current laptop for the past year and a half. After hearing a lot of horror stories from writers who’ve upgraded to Windows 10, I didn’t even want to try it. I’m one who prefers a new system to be out for awhile before I’ll think about buying it, so I can get some feedback.
Yes, that’s my reflection in the screen.
As I kept my eye on the Surface Pro 3 and school time was approaching, my favourite home shopping network was offering a one day special on it, pre-installed with Windows 10. Although I’d have preferred to wait for the kinks to get ironed out with Windows 10 before buying a laptop with the new system, I was a little more comfortable knowing that the new operating system came already installed and that I wouldn’t have to upgrade and screw up any existing files. This beauty was on sale for just under $1100 complete, with all the added items and software I mentioned earlier as extras, plus tech support for one year, plus on a monthly payment plan with no interest. It was like Christmas for me!
Microsoft says this new system is similar to the Windows 7 that was loved by many. I find it a little like 7 and 8 combined. The desktop apps are now back in the bottom left corner where the start menu is once again. Little mini tiles will also open to the apps you use most, but your desktop and icons are all clearly visible, and of course the touchscreen capability is a great thing to have. The hybrid laptop/tablet has a full-size data port to plug in other devices, and a space for a micro SD card to add more space, should you require it. The screen is vibrant and pages load quick. The camera is 5mp front and back, giving it the ability to take nice pictures and not distort your face for selfies and Skyping. The keyboard is backlit and even though smaller than a regular laptop, my fingers don’t feel like they’re going to hit the wrong key because of its size. I personally hate the trackpads on all laptops because I always seem to hit it while typing and it does weird things to whatever I’m working on, so the Bluetooth mouse is perfect as I shut off the trackpad and don’t have to use up a data port for the mouse.
A Word about Word
My package came with Office 2013. I can honestly say I don’t plan to write my books with this laptop, but I need the program in order to read existing documents in Word and Excel. I’ve been using Word 2007 for years and I love it. I’m used to it and not interested in the last two updated versions. Another thing about my Word 2007, an never-ending licence came with my Windows 7 laptop years ago and I’ve been using it on every new computer since, without having to renew the program annually. So when 2013 licence expires next year, I’ll be putting back my 2007 version on my little buddy.
It’s only been just over a week since I got my new hybrid. It didn’t take me more than a few hours to learn the ins and outs and most of its capabilities, and set it all up. So far, I have to say I’m quite impressed with it, even though I found myself missing 8.1 a few times with it’s search feature in the charm sidebar now gone. For some untechier people, I should think Windows 10 should be easier to operate than 8 or 8.1, especially if your coming from Windows XP or 7. I’d have to say that buying a new computer with Windows 10 pre-installed would be less of a hassle to users than upgrading a current system, especially if it’s an operating system pre Windows 8. And if you’re not in the market to be buying a new machine in the near future, maybe it’s better to wait until this new system has been out for awhile before upgrading. Keep in mind, Windows 8.1 came out very shortly after 8, so there may be a 10.1 before we know it.
I’m no geek, but I thought I’d share my experience about the new Windows 10 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Have any of you had any positive experiences with Windows 10?
I often visit Jack’s blog at Have We Had Help. Jack is a published author, and likes to share his opinions on many issues concerning self publishing, reviews, and writing.
In this time of self publishing, Amazon’s payment structures and promotion avenues are often a topic of conversation between authors. Amazon offers us tools to promote with them if we keep our books in their Select KDP program. Although I’m grateful that we at least have an opportunity to promote our books with them, I’m also not always in agreement with the payment structure. And as for putting our books on FREE, yes, it hurts (psychologically and in pocket), but many authors I confer with agree that when it comes to marketing, we have to take off our author hats and step into the marketing arena with a different perspective.
Putting our books on FREE, enables readers to take a chance on our work without having to pay. In the hopes that we put out our best work and have readers enjoy and spreading the word to increase later sales, many authors including myself, occasionally use the FREE program. But that doesn’t mean I agree with all of their policies.
Below is an excerpt of Jack’s opinion on the matter:
“Everything, that’s what!!!
The fact that today’s readers of eBooks demand it must be free or on offer as part of an all you can read for x number of dollars per month package deal, is just so wrong!
Face it people, when you go to your supermarket to get your groceries, or to any other retail outlet you care to name, do you get what you want for nothing? No of course not. So why should you expect to get a book for free? I’ve . . .” Read Jack’s full post below:
Here was the response I commented back on Jack’s blog:
Well Jack, you’ve said what many of us authors are thinking, and perhaps didn’t dare say. We don’t want to upset the amazon gods that trickle our meager drippings to us. You are so right when saying that free and cheap have become an expected thing with our books without anyone taking in consideration that we spend our lifetimes writing books, researching, revising, editing, and on and on, only to have to give them away free to get us up the ranks. And come to think of it, hmm, I don’t recall going to a store and being offered anything else on this planet free. This kindle page reading chart is annoying. They’ve figured out a way to make money for themselves by readers signing up for ‘all you can eat’. At least before, we got a bit back from our book being downloaded in the program, even if not read. Now it’s by the page, and author’s like me who enjoy writing shorter essay novels are getting less from that new pot. Should this propel authors to write big fat books full of filler crap just to get more page reads?
I’m so reblogging this! Thanks. 🙂
How do you authors feel about the Kindle Unlimited program and the new ‘pay the author a bonus by the page read?’
DGKayewriter.com 