Wednesday, January 17, 2018

I'M A GUEST!


I'm stepping out... 
As soon as I typed those words, an old Fred Astair tune from the movie , Easter Parade, came to my head and it won't go away... I'll share the video with you at the end of this post.

Okay, back to business. I'm kicking 2018 off with getting back into guest blogging. I haven't been around to meet other authors and their readers in far too long. So when Delilah Devlin did a call-out for guest bloggers, I jumped at the opportunity.


I've known DD for several years, every since I joined her yahoo group - Roses Writes 50 Books.  While the grand scheme isn't to actually write 50 books in a year, it is more of a mindset to just keep plotting and writing - writing towards our dream of being a career-author.

With writing and publishing comes marketing. I'll be guesting on her blog on the topic of Social Media Marketing. While some people navigate the waters like pros, there are a lot more who are just lost. In today's technological age, marketing is far different than when we started reading books by our favorite authors rather than writing them. 

Speaking of writing, Delilah really knows her cowboys, as she brings us another in her Texas Cowboys Series. 


You'll find this as well as her other books on Amazon

I hope you'll stop by her BLOG on on Thursday and join the conversation. Share your tips! How do you navigate the waters of Social Media? What's your biggest challenge? What comes easiest? Inquiring minds want to know!

Happy Reading!
Angela

Now.. a zippy little tune from Fed Astair:

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

WHERE I AM TODAY - Back in Step


When I signed in today to welcome in 2018 I was shocked (though not surprised) that I'd done nothing here since July. Posts for several weeks prior to that had be set to auto-post in an attempt to keep some life on here while I prepared for a four-month visit with our granddaughters. At the time they were 9 and 5. We'd not seen the girls in four years, and not knowing when our next visit would come, our summer was all about the girls. 

While the girls were here I put all work with Oghma Creative Media. After they left, I tried to find ground again but I just couldn't gain footing. Something was missing. I wasn't doing what I loved - writing and creating. 

Following a very visual dream on October 31st, - known as the eve of the Wiccan New Year, I knew what I needed to do. I turned in my notice to Oghma effective December 1, 2017. From that point my focus was on ENJOYING the holidays and time with my husband. 

A new year, a new start. 
I've been back to work on a manuscript that made the rounds nearly twenty years ago. While I got great comments from Harlequin editors and contest comments, I put Ozark Angel aside and moved on to MANY starts of new stories whirling in my head.

The time has come to stop being stuck in the publishing mire, pull myself out and move forward.
I like working with song titles. They are recognizable to the general public and a good marketing prong so I've changed the name to A Christmas To Remember. Trust me, this story is about just that. Full of secret child, second chance at love, and tug-of-war as Brendan and Stephanie strive to find a common thread that can bring them back together for the happy ever after.

I also still believe my stories are still Hallmark-worthy. While Hallmark have their own eBook line, I won't publish strictly eBook again. The area in which I live, the people I know and talk to on a daily basis, many are still print readers and that's a market I can't alienate. With that in mind, I search for a publisher as I make changes to things that were missed by my first editor. A Christmas To Remember has waited way too long to see print. That is the first thing I want to change in 2018.

I'm also connecting with the powers that be at The Hallmark Channel as well as writers of the stories we love and the actors who bring the characters to life.  My hope is to bring you interviews and profiles over the coming year. 

In the mean time, I'm just getting a work flow in place so this site may not be as 'busy' as I want. Great things come in small accomplishments.  I'm off to accomplish.

What is your plan for 2018?