Maria Zannini

What's Important?

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Greg finally signed the papers for retirement, with the addendum that he stay another year to train his replacement.

I'm relieved and a little nervous, but I'm also looking forward to it. Now comes the hard part. What do you do with the last quarter (or more) of your life?

I like to stay busy. Greg, on the other hand looks forward to time off so he can relax. Given that we're closer to the end than the beginning of life, I'll meet him half way and plan on doing the fun things we've always wanted to do. We'll travel, entertain, and sit back more.

My mother, a spry 80+ year old is constantly scolding me to have more fun in life. (She thinks I work too hard.) But working IS fun for me--though I suppose I could do more sightseeing and less digging ditches. I'll bow to her extra years on earth and admit that she's right.

So here's the big question. What's important in life? When all the work is done, raising kids, growing/buying food, and providing the family with adequate shelter--what's left for you to enjoy?

I'd love to hear your ideas. If you were retired this very minute, what would you do for fun? What's on your bucket list?

Wood Floor Refurbishing: It Worked!

2013-05-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The floors are DONE and the house is ours again. We still haven't moved all the furniture back, nor did we have time to install a new water heater before Greg left, so it's on the to-do list for his return.

The floors turned out pretty good except for one deep scratch that you can only see if you stand over it. (I'm still upset about that.) We bought runners that cover the heavy dog-traffic areas. First, to keep their sandpaper paws from rubbing off the finish, and secondly because the floors are slick now. They feel more sure-footed on the carpet.

I don't know if the pictures will do it justice, but I'll post before and after photos. But first, a photo of one area that seems to have acquired a couple of spots when I was taking pictures. Pests? Troublemakers? Floor rats? Yes. The only way to remove them was to bribe them with cookies.

I can recommend this process of refurbishing wood floors as long as it's just lost its color or is rough-looking. It disguises or removes light scratches, but it can't remove deep scratches. The company we used is called NHance.

This process was cheaper than sanding floors to bare wood and refinishing. Had we gone with traditional refinishing, it would've taken weeks instead of days, and I'd have to live with fumes until the finish cured. All in all, a better option for us.

Notice the traffic wear marks--all DOG-made. The guy told me that dog pads are the worst things for wood floor. Not their nails, but their pads. All that trotting back and forth slowly sandpapers away the finish.

The same floor but from the opposite angle. Everything is smooth and even-colored.

My front living area and library. It's the most serene room in the house. Excellent for reading.

I am glad this renovation is over. Now to work on the water heater and then prepare for family descending upon us in June.

Can you believe May is half over?

We were hit with supercell thunderstorms last night, and a town where we once house-hunted got flattened by a tornado. There were several tornadoes spotted, one a mile wide, but thankfully, they missed us. I was ready to herd the dogs to the laundry room and spend the night there. Very scary night.

Beer & Bread, Cinderella Style

2013-05-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shelley Munro is in the house and she even included a recipe combining the two most favorite foods in the world. I love fresh bread, but I'm too lazy to bake half the time, so this might be perfect for me. Greg actually has some craft beer in the fridge he doesn't like so I'm going to try this with them.

Oh, and don't forget to enter Shelley's contest. There's a link at the end of this post.

Cinderella Breaks Bread

by Shelley Munro

Most of you are familiar with the tale of Cinderella. You’ll have read the book as a child, seen the Disney version at the movies or taken your own children and grandchildren to watch Cinderella catch her prince.

Recently, I ventured in self-publishing territory with the publication of One Night of Misbehavior. As you might guess from my intro, my story is a modern retelling of Cinderella, and the gorgeous cover was designed by my wonderful host, Maria under her Book Cover Diva guise.

Charlotte Dixon, my poor hapless Cinderella, has good reasons for staying under the roof of her wicked stepmother and slaving away day after day, cooking, cleaning and looking after Gran. She’s a creative person who enjoys design, photography and scrapbooking. Charlotte and Gran spend their free time trying all sorts of crafts.

Cooking is another creative outlet, one Charlotte enjoys—when her stepmother and stepsiblings remember to leave something for her to eat after her hard work. During the course of One Night of Misbehavior Charlotte makes pasta dishes, salads for her diet-conscious stepsisters and steampunk cupcakes. She also makes focaccia bread.

Today I thought I’d give you another bread recipe from Charlotte’s repertoire. It’s the type of bread she makes when her stepmother springs extra guests on her at the last minute or her stepsisters eat every scrap of bread in the house and forget to tell her.

Beer Bread

3 cups of plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
400 ml/12 oz of beer (not low alcohol beer/if your can of beer is smaller make up the difference with water.)

Grated cheddar cheese

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add the beer and combine all ingredients well. Place mixture in a greased tin and sprinkle the cheese on the top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F for 33 minutes. Turn out of tin and cool a little—if you have the patience!

Notes:
1. I vary the types of flour. The loaf in the photo is made with one cup of wholemeal and two cups of plain white flour.

2. Experiment – add sunflower seeds, nuts or herbs to the mixture.

3. The original recipe says to cook the loaf for 40 – 50 minutes. I have a fan oven and 33 minutes is the exact time for a loaf of bread to bake. You know your own oven so just be aware the cooking time can vary.

4. You can free form the loaves but I like mine in a tin because the mixture is on the sticky side.

Doesn't this look good!

This bread is also a staple in my household. I’ve been making my own bread instead of buying it for about six months now. Beer Bread is my go-to recipe when I don’t have time to mess around with waiting for yeast to do its magic i.e. when I want to concentrate on my edits.

It’s quick, easy to make (as long as I can steal a can of beer from Mr. Munro) and is ready to eat in just over half an hour. It also keeps well and makes excellent toast—if there are leftovers!

CONTEST: Fill out the rafflecopter to win an Amazon gift certificate. What is your favorite type of bread to eat and have you tried making your own?

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand with her husband and a rambunctious puppy called Bella. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel and bake bread. To learn more about One Night of Misbehavior and Shelley’s other books visit her website at http://www.shelleymunro.com.

Rafflecopter code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Madness and Puppy School

2013-05-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm living out of the trunk of my car. Everything is put up or inaccessible. To make things even MORE interesting, we just found out one of our water heaters has sprung a leak. It not only overflowed its basin, but through the ceiling and into our bedroom. Replacing the water heater isn't an issue. It's the idea of hauling that monster up to the attic. The joys of home ownership!

Meanwhile, we are in a state of suspended animation until the floor refurbishing is done. The work crew should be here any minute.

***

Greg & Nana after school

We took Nana to her first day at puppy school yesterday. She was timid, which was to be expected considering the enormous stimuli of crowds, noises, and strange dogs, but she got into the swing of things as the hour progressed.

It's not just a proud mama saying this, but Nana was the best puppy in the group. Not only did she learn our first day's commands immediately, but she sat quietly the whole time.

Meanwhile, one dog never stopped barking and another was looking for a fight. Even Iko didn't misbehave like this when I took him to puppy school. I raise my kids better than that.

I'll be in and out the rest of the week. I'm working off an antiquated laptop and the most it allows me to do is surf the web--if my internet is working. Right now, I'm too frazzled to think. We've been working nonstop to get the house emptied.

The dogs have been good as gold throughout the calamity. Tank is the only one who seems upset by the turmoil. I'm afraid he thinks we're moving again. Poor old guy. We keep reassuring him that all is well, but he's not too sure. We just have to get through this week.

Chaos in 3, 2, 1

2013-05-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our home and our lives will be disrupted for the next few days. Monday, we have a crew coming in to refurbish our wood floors.

We have a lot of floor.

I'm told they'll be working on our floors for at least two days. Inconvenient for us, but I anticipate lots of headaches as we try to reassure our dogs that the workers mean no harm.

Starting today, we'll be moving furniture from two-thirds of the house into the remaining one-third. I imagine we'll be watching a lot of television in the bedroom--that is if we can see past all the other furniture piled up in it.

From what I understand, the crew will then super-clean, buff and then recolor the floor to match its original tone. After that, they'll put a sealer on it then treat it with some UV light that's supposed to make a harder seal.

I'm worried that it won't look as good as the pictures they advertise. The before and after photos look convincing, but I know what Photoshop can do!

Still, the person we talked to seemed an honest sort, so maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Normally, we would've refinished the floors ourselves, but we don't get up and down as easily as we used to, and Greg is gone so much, so we decided to hire this job out.

Anyway, I'll probably be on the computer a lot while we're waiting. They'll be doing one half of the house at a time so at least we'll have bathrooms available.

I'll report back after they're done and let you know what kind of job they did. Maybe I'll post some before and after pictures too.

What's the longest you've ever been inconvenienced due to a remodeling job? Did it turn out all right?

Yes, I'm nervous about the outcome. Can you tell?

Password Tips

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Lately, several of my friends have had one or more of their social networks hacked. None of us are immune. The best we can do is to change our passwords often.

Back when I worked for a large company I had a dozen different places that required passwords before I could access the sites. I got pretty creative coming up with passwords since the system wouldn't allow us to use even similar passwords to what we had used before.

Some of the things I've tried include:

• Foreign words
• Unusual names
• Words spelled backwards
• Made up words only me and my husband would know
• Code words or code numbers that mean something only to me

I have a lot of passwords. I keep them all in a nondescript notebook that's always within reach. While I was writing this post, I decided to count how many passwords I used. Apparently, I need passwords for a whopping one hundred and twenty-nine sites!

Scary, isn't it?

Do you have any tips for creating a secure password? Have you ever been hacked? What did you do?

:passing the fairy dust: Here's hoping none of us ever have to go through that nightmare.

2013-04-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Should I rejoin LinkedIn?

Do you use it? Do you feed your blog through it?

I was on it for a couple of years but I never used it much. I "thought" I had canceled the account, but I still get invitations to add this person or that one to my network.

Only when I went back in, it didn't recognize my email address or my password. Yet, it still sends me invitations to the email address it doesn't recognize.

So what do you think? Has LinkedIn been useful to you?

Didn't someone hack into their database recently, or am I thinking of WordPress?

State of the Homestead

2013-04-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been debating when to post the next state of the homestead, hoping the goats would be here, but my timetable keeps changing. I hope to have goat news next month.

Da Dogs: Everyone is fine, but Tank is slowly diminishing. He still outweighs Iko by 10 pounds, but he's a shadow of his former self. His lumps are growing again and I'm researching some homeopathic cancer remedies to see if we can slow this down. Despite all this, he's in excellent spirits. We deny him nothing and he knows it.

Nana will be out of quarantine this week. We've been keeping her isolated to the house and dog run until her shots have taken effect. The vet says she should be in the safe zone by this Thursday.

Some of you might think I took this to extremes, but when you lose two puppies back to back, you'll do anything not to let it happen again.

She hasn't been idle. I've been taking her on the back porch--an area 45 foot long, and starting her on obedience. In less then a week, she is heeling, sitting, and coming on command. I'm still taking her to doggie school in May so she can socialize with strangers and other dogs.

Grumpy's days are numbered

Chickens: Two of my black australorp hens have gone broody. It sounds romantic, them laying on a big clutch of eggs, but in truth, when they go broody, they stop laying. These are older hens so maybe they feel their biological clock ticking.

We do have a couple dozen Maran chicks on the ground, and ten more ready to hatch in a couple of days. Of all the chicks we've hatched, these are the noisiest birds I've ever encountered. They have warmth, food and water, yet they chirp incessantly! I open the door (they're in my laundry room) to see what the commotion is about, and they look at me like I'm the idiot.

I try to handle the chicks regularly. I want them to be tame, especially the cockerels. One of them is going to have a very special job. He's going to replace the grumpy rooster I have right now. Damn bird attacks me whenever I turn my back, but if I'm looking at him, he struts around like Mr. Innocent.

Plants: The comfrey is growing beautifully. I'm told it spreads easily so I might transplant a couple of them to an empty patch and let it grow wild.

Comfrey

Young pecan trees

My poor fig tree got hit by a cold snap after it leafed out but it's starting to recover again. My brand new pecan trees are doing well. The nurserywoman told me they should bear nuts this year. Now all I have to worry about are the squirrels. We have a huge walnut tree that bears nuts every year but we've never gotten a single one thanks to the squirrels.

All my other fruit trees are leafed out too. My lemon and satsuma trees already have tiny fruit.

Irises in the front

Me: I've been fighting the good fight. I had to scale back on yoga for a whole month due to an inner ear infection that messed with my balance. Then the following week, I wrenched my back moving all that dirt. I'm better now, but it really slowed progress for a few weeks.

I'm excited about this year. Things seem to be turning around for us. Greg should be retired next year and we're gearing up for our 'change of life'. It'll be good to have a full-time husband again.

PS If I start complaining that he's underfoot next year, remind me when I said I was happy to get him back. ;-)

FREE Books on Saving Money

2013-04-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of my passions is saving money. You might say that it's an obsession. Okay...Greg says it's an obsession. After nearly 38 years, he still complains (in drama queen fashion) that I am too strict with the purse strings.

It's true. I grew up in a big family. And we were cash-poor. This segued nicely when Greg and I got married because we were poor then too. LOL! But even when times got better, I still handled our finances as if we had nothing to spare.

So it's no surprise that my forays into nonfiction compelled me to write about how we save and grow our money, including all my tips and real life experiences on how to get the most bang for your buck.

The first book, Smart Budgets for Busy People, which I've since updated with a few checklists will be going on KDP's free days sometime soon. But my second and third books: Smart Grocery $hopping and Garage Sale Bible are on sale now for $2.99 USD each.

But wait! You don't think I'd let my loyal friends and readers on a lurch without a freebie, do you? If you're willing to write a review on either of these two books, I will give them to you FREE. Just review it on Amazon, Goodreads, or Library Shelf.

I have to make a confession though. These books have been finished for a while. I was supposed to upload them in February, but I got so busy designing covers for other people that I completely forgot to publish them. It was only when Melissa McClone asked me when they were coming out that I realized my faux pas.

So here they are, two months late. I hope you'll try them. If you'd like to get them free, email me and I'll send you a pdf.

I'll upload them on other sites next week, but for now you can find them on Amazon.

Smart Budget$ for Busy People
Smart Grocery $hopping
Garage Sale Bible
and
Self-Publisher's Punch List

Each and every one of these is available free to you in exchange for an honest review. Just email me. The books are free for a limited time, so grab them while you can. I really did pack a lot of information in them.

My thanks to Melissa for making me get the lead out. :grin: I needed that kick in the pants.

How do you like my covers? I'm going to let the font kind of tie them together.

No Such Thing as a Day Off

2013-04-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today, in the US, it's 'open your veins and bleed for the government' day, otherwise known as tax day. Dutiful citizens that we are, we got them filed before the deadline. But it was close. I don't like to wait until the end, just in case something comes up missing and it takes us half a day to find it.

I haven't blogged in two weeks! That's the longest I've ever gone without blogging. It felt weird. But it was necessary. We got a lot done--and yet we were still short of our goals.

In the past two weeks we:

• Did taxes
• Dug nearly 500 feet of trenches
• Lay water pipes to the future goats and back orchard
• Planted two BIG pecan trees
• Tilled and hoed two full gardens
• Planted one of the two gardens
• Hatched two batches of chicks
• Moved half a dump truck of dirt for the bed of the goat shelter
• Started the skeleton of the shelter
• Cut and burned brush
• Moved some more dirt to low spots
• Buried the trenches back with dirt (back-breaking work, by the way!)

Oh, and when I wasn't working outside, I was designing covers.

In the past two weeks, I've created five of them. I can't show you most of them since the authors aren't ready for their reveals, but here are a couple I did for James Garcia Jr.. These are for a horror series he's written.

Jimmy was a pleasure to work with. He listened to my ideas and allowed me to go beyond the typical vampire cover. (I get a little tired of the fangs and blood myself.) The first story, Dance on Fire is about a man looking for redemption, even though he believes he's beyond help. The second story, Flash Point is about a daughter returned, who is not what she seems.

And wait until you see the cover I designed for a new story he's releasing next month. It's one of my very favorites. I worked as hard on the back cover as I did on the front. When last I counted, there were 28 layers of art and special effects on that cover.

So all in all, I've been busy.

We still have the goat shelter to finish--and then of course, the goats. I hope the man we're buying them from still has them. I had promised to see him last week, but there was no way we were ready.

Spring has sprung in north Texas. I'm already pulling weeds. Is there signs of spring (or fall) in your neck of the woods?

And out of curiosity, what's the longest you've ever gone without blogging?

April Fool's Day--Not

2013-04-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm putting this blog on vacation for at least a week. No prank. If it's Spring, it's crazy-busy around the Zannini household.

Aside from the additional chores of working outside, Book Cover Diva is really gaining steam. For the first time since my cover business officially started, I have back-to-back orders. I'm in Maria-heaven!

There's a LOT to tell about the homestead, but I'm going to wait a couple of weeks until we get our new arrivals to do a tell-all. This may be the best year yet for the homestead. Things are really starting to shape up. We might have a full-fledged farm by the end of the year. Or for sure, next year.

Did you have a good Easter holiday? I took Jimmy Garcia's advice and dedicated the whole weekend to my birthday. Yes, we worked like mules, but truth be told, that's my favorite way to celebrate.

Working in the garden is like a tonic for me. Nothing relaxes me more--not even yoga--though I think that's because I don't fall over as much. :grin:

If you could choose your favorite way to relax, what would it be? I'll see if I've got some extra fairy dust on me and sprinkle it on you so you'll get your wish.

See you around the net!

No Spring Chicken

2013-03-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday. My day to par-tay!

After a little work in the back-40, I'll take the evening off and go to a decadent seafood restaurant with the handsome and gallant Greg as my escort. I'll dine on frog legs and lobster salad--my favorites.

I stay frugal all year long. This is the only day where I whoop it up and do what I want to do (without feeling guilty).

What's your favorite birthday food?

What's Your Clickabillity?

2013-03-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

This business with Google Reader got me thinking about which blogs I read faithfully, and where I choose to leave comments. I discovered certain posts have a native clickability quotient.

It starts with an interesting title for the post. This is followed by a great (right) hook in the opening paragraph. Pun intended!

A good blog post is a lot like writing a novel. If it meanders, is riddled with typos, or just plain dull, you probably won't get much action on it.

Everyone has his own taste on what makes an interesting post. My two favorite types of posts are anecdotal and informational, but only if they're short and to the point.

There are a few well known and much loved bloggers out there who beat a dead horse and all its relatives when they write informational posts. I almost never read them. I know someone, somewhere will tweet or repeat the key points without me have to muddle through all the verbiage.

Here at Casa Maria, I follow a few simple rules.

• No excerpts. I dunno. Excerpts always feel like verbal masturbation. But maybe it's just me.

• No whining...unless I can be funny about it.

• Tell tiny stories inside my posts.

• Share a little about me. Not a lot. I don't want anybody stabbing their eyes out.

• Check for typos. This might be a personal blog, but I take pride in my words. My name's connected to them.

• Check my sources. I try to be very careful with my facts when I write a how-to post. (Those posts are usually on the Back to Basics blog, but occasionally I do them here too.)

And my #1 rule:

• Talk to people instead of at them. I almost always end my posts with a question. This is really important for me because the whole point of this blog is to grow relationships with readers. You can only do that if you encourage reciprocation.

So what about you? Are there blogs you read where you never comment? How come?

Updatery

2013-03-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been sick most of this week so I've stayed offline a lot. But I'm on the mend so hopefully I'll be back to my old self soon. I hate getting sick when the weather is nice--especially this time of year when the garden calls to me. (with apologies to those in the northern latitudes)

Goats: I went to see a man about some goats. If he still has them by next week I might just buy a couple. We are very excited. The man lives close by so I hope I can count on him to talk me through some things like hoof care and goat maladies.

Nothing to chew on. Curses, foiled again!

Puppy Report: Nana is growing in leaps and puppy-bounds. She got sick after her rabies shot and I was pretty worried, but she recovered the next day. We still have not given her roam of the property. When she gets her last booster for parvo and distemper then we'll introduce her to the bigger world outside the doggie run. (2 more weeks)

I know some people might think I'm being overprotective, but after losing two puppies to those insidious diseases, no way am I taking any chances.

She looks a little sad in this picture because I put her on my desk and there was nothing for her to chew on. Ha!

I can't complain. She is nowhere near as destructive as Iko, The Terminator.

It must be Karma because Nana's favorite chew toy is...Iko.

***

Book Cover Diva is doing well. I'm really pleased with the jobs I've been getting. So far I've done covers for romance, historical, a cozy mystery, and paranormal. I've got a couple of horror covers coming up soon too. I love doing different kinds of covers! I just wish someone would contact me for a steampunk cover. I've had a few ideas rolling around that I'd like to try.

I wish I could update my gallery, but I have to wait until the authors release their books. I don't want to spoil their reveals.

***

Around the net:
Angela Brown has a new novella out. Frailties of the Bond. Only 99 cents, guys!
In Frailties of the Bond, it only takes one bite to change a life…

And my Canadian sister from another mother, Renee Miller is debuting with her novel: (in paper) In The Bones and in Kindle.
Welcome to Albertsville: Population 397…and falling.

***

What's on the itinerary this weekend? Is your weather improving? You know if you want to vacation in Texas, I'm sure I can find a hoe that will fit your hands. :grin:

9 Google Reader Alternatives

2013-03-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Google Reader is going bye-bye. I almost thought it was a hoax when I first heard the news. To say that I rely on Google Reader is an understatement. With over a thousand blogs on my reader, it's a necessity.

Fortunately, Google is giving us until July to find a replacement.

Here are some alternatives for you to consider.

Feedly is a popular reader and is free. It can be loaded as an app or an extension to your browser.

Flipboard is an app for your tablets and phones. Free for iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook, and Kindle Fire.

Feed Demon is an RSS reader for Windows. It allows you to tag, use keywords, and alerts you to the keywords you've programmed into it.

RSS Owl is another reader that can be synchronized from Google Reader. To me, it looks too much like Outlook. I already get some blog feeds through Outlook so I'm not sure this is the one for me.

Feed Booster is a web-based feed reader. Unlike the others listed here, it could've done a better job presenting what it offered. Probably not for me.

NetVibes looks interesting. It seems to have an awful lot of options and is customizable. It's going on my list.

Pulse, another web-based reader. This looks easy to learn, so it's on my list to try.

The Old Reader is a bare-bones RSS feed that is supposed to be very much like the Google Reader we know and love. I will definitely try this out if only so I don't have to learn something new.

Subscribe by Email: Probably the most fool-proof of all the readers. You sign up and the post comes directly to your email. If you want to subscribe to my blog, the subscription tab is directly to your right.

No matter which route you decide to take, be sure to download all your Google data with Google Takeout. It archives all your information in one neat little package.

***
So, how do you read blogs? Do you click on them one at a time from your bookmarks, subscribe by email, or do you use a Reader? Will losing Google Reader affect you?

I am very upset at losing Google Reader. It's possible my blog reading will diminish if I don't find a suitable (and easy-to-learn) alternative.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Book Reviews

2013-03-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Authors, you're in for a treat today. Giacomo (Jim) Giammatteo is like the Pied Piper of reviews. What impressed me is that he makes it looks so effortless and transparent. He uses no hidden agendas or ploys. But as you read his post below, you'll come to understand just how seriously he takes his responsibility for keeping his books visible.

It's not just asking for reviews, but taking every opportunity to secure new readers and fans. That's a talent surrounded by hard work and dedication.

You can't argue with his stats, so I am pleased to introduce my friend and peer.

Take it away, Jim!

The Agony and Ecstasy of Book Reviews

It is damn near impossible to get noticed when you're a new author. Think about this—there are more than 2,500,000 books listed on Amazon.

“Showing 1 - 48 of 1,981,178 Results”

The above was taken from Amazon’s Kindle store list of books. And yes, that is almost two million books on the Kindle store alone.

The city of San Francisco has @ 800,000 people! (City limits) The picture above is from a protest and it was estimated to be about half a million people. In Amazon’s Mysterygenre there are @ 300,000 books. So how the hell is an author going to get noticed in a crowd like that?

I decided that working hard to get reviews would be the key to getting noticed. I figured if I got enough reviews, readers were bound to take notice. Little did I know how difficult getting reviews would be.

The Process of Getting Reviews

◆ Your Book—In the back of your book put a statement about how important reviews are, and ask the readers to please leave a review. Don’t ask for a “good” review, just an honest one.

◆ Bloggers—This bit of advice is perhaps the most important. Do your research. Find the bloggers who read and review in your genre. Follow their instructions and guidelines. Most of them have their policies posted on the site. Read them. Did I mention—Read the Review Policies?

◆ Giveaways—This is huge. I have done three giveaways on Goodreads and two on LibraryThing. I gave away 16 print books on Goodreads and more than 60 ebooks on LibraryThing. What was huge about it wasn’t the number of reviews the giveaways generated—which wasn’t nearly what I anticipated—but the additional exposure, especially on Goodreads. During the most recent giveaway I had more than 100 people add my book to their TBR shelf, and more than 900 entered the giveaway. That generated a lot of exposure, which will pay off in the long run.

◆ Giveaways—I know I just said this, but now I’m talking a different kind of giveaway. These are personal giveaways and this can payoff in a big way. Talk about your book. Don’t be a pest but, if you see an opportunity, talk about it, and give the book away to anyone you think might enjoy reading it.

◆ Giveaways—What? Moregiveaways? Yes. Absolutely. Now I’m talking social-media giveaways. If you get in a conversation on Twitter—give your book away. If you’re talking to someone on Facebook or Linked-in—give the book away. G+, Pinterest—give them away. Any chance you get, give a book away. And don’t forget to politely ask for a review. The keyword in this section is conversation. I’m not talking about spamming your book all over Twitter, or mentioning it in every Facebook post. I’m talking about actually engaging people and getting into a conversation with them. As a side note, I seldom mention my books in social media—unless I’m doing a promotion of some kind.

◆ Bribery—Perhaps the biggest opportunity of all. If a reader writes to you to tell you how much they liked the book, don’t pester them for a review, but offer them your next book free if they leave a review. You’ll get a high percentage of people take you up on this, and the best thing is you can keep the chain moving. If they leave a review on the next book, give them the one after that free. But make sure to say, “It doesn’t have to be a five-star review. All reviews help.” Otherwise, they might feel pressured to write a five-star review, and if they aren’t comfortable with that, they simply won’t write one.

The Bottom Line

This is not an easy road. I spend more than three hours every week. Yes, every week, doing something related to getting reviews, but in the long run I know it will be worth it.

What I Don’t Do

• I don't trade reviews with other authors. I'll read another author if I like the kind of book they write, and, if I’m inspired, I’ll write a review.

• I won't buy reviews. I bought a Kirkus, and a few other "editorial" reviews for Murder Takes Time last year, but I wouldn't do it again.

Ciao, and thanks for listening,

Giacomo

Giacomo Giammatteo is the author of MURDER TAKES TIME, MURDER HAS CONSEQUENCES, and A BULLET FOR CARLOS. He lives in Texas where he and his wife have an animal sanctuary with 45 loving “friends.”

I know I have a lot of crime readers out there. If you haven't tried one of Jim's books, please do. You won't be disappointed!

Let's discuss. How do you normally ask for reviews? Is there anything that hasn't worked for you?

Mini-Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

2013-03-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you loved Oz the Great and Powerful, you'll probably be calling me names and spitting on my shoes after you read this review.

In a word: Meh.

It had none of the charm of the Wizard of Oz. And it gave only timid nods to its predecessor.

But the kids in the audience seemed to like it so maybe it was more for their demographic. Still, considering it was Disney, I expected better graphics and CGI.

The CGI was flat and they seemed to overcompensate with color rather than depth. The acting was so-so. But Mila Kunis (Theodora) was the wrong actress for this. All I could hear was her character from That 70s Show.

Poor Rachel Weiss wasn't given any meat in her role so she was wasted. James Franco (Oz) was acceptable in the title role but I couldn't help thinking this was better suited to someone else. He tried, but he lacked the charisma of Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr, or even Adrian Brody.

Perhaps the best characters in the movie were the China Girl and Finley (a flying monkey). At least my interest returned whenever they were on screen. The rest of the time I felt on the verge of nodding off.

Speaking of flying monkeys, this time the bad guys were flying baboons. Considering how much the flying monkeys of the original gave me nightmares, the baboons barely rated a cringe. I don't expect any nightmares from these imaginings.

The base story was sound and that should've been enough to make me care about what happened next. Instead, I was chomping at the bit for the movie to hurry up and finish.

The Wizard of Oz is a family favorite here. But this 'prequel' offers none of the charm or originality of its granddaddy. I hate to be so harsh, but I had so looked forward to this movie--and it disappointed me.

If you have little kids, they'll probably enjoy it. But if you're looking for some of the depth and emotion of the original, rent The Wizard of Oz instead. They don't make them like they used to.

Have you seen this movie? Did you like it?

I wanted to see Hansel and Gretel but it's already left our area so we'll have to wait for the dvd. If anyone has seen that one, I'd love to know what you thought of it.

How to Get Your Book Reviewed

2013-03-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

There's no big secret to getting reviews. It does, however, require a great deal of work and research.

Usually.

Recently, I got an email from BTS eMag, telling me I received not one, but two reviews. One each for True Believers and Mistress of the Stone. Not only that, but they also featured an excerpt from Mistress of the Stone.

BTS eMag (The BTS stands for Book and Trailer Showcase) is a very slick and professional magazine that covers a wide gamut of romance titles and is run by the delightful Myra Nour.

Is this not a terrific looking magazine!

I never approached Myra. I was invited to submit an excerpt and received the two (glowing) reviews all due to another reviewer who loved my work so much she recommended me for the magazine.

Getting featured on BTS and receiving two reviews was a glorious stroke of luck, but there are ways to improve your chances.

If you wrote a good book, do your homework and ask for reviews from reviewers who not only read your genre, but who are well-respected in their circles. How do you find this out?

This is where the hard work and effort comes in. You can't hide all year and then venture out only when you want something from someone. No business works that way.

The reviewer who recommended my books (now retired) was very active in the reading community. I knew this and kept my ear to the ground. When she blogged about a topic I was interested in, I commented. If she asked for book donations to give away as prizes, I gave more than what was expected.

In other words, I interacted, participated, and showed interest in her work.

You can't do this with every person you meet, but if you pick a few respected book bloggers and develop a rapport, you'll find people who will gladly help spread the word about your work.

A few tips:

• Stay active in the reading community. You don't have to comment on every post, but be aware of what's being discussed so you'll remain informed.

• Don't complain. The internet remembers the whiners (in vivid detail).

• Don't ask for something without giving back to the community. Reviewers don't owe you anything. But they will remember the people who contributed to their bloghops and contests.

• Mingle widely. Many authors stay cocooned inside a tight little community because it's safe. It also insulates them from the real world.

Is it time-consuming? You betcha. But if you believe all a writer should do is write, then you've been watching too many Hollywood movies.

In the real world, the most important task is getting to know as many people as possible. The more people you know, the better your chances of getting your work recognized.

A book becomes popular not because how good it is, but by how many people know it exists. Click to reTweet this quote.

Reviews are one way of doing that.

Next week, I'm hosting an author who does that very thing extremely well. If you don't already know him, I'm going to introduce you to Giacomo Giammatteo.

You are going to love what he has to say.

Paws with a Cause: Tank's Story

2013-03-03T07:46:00.000-06:00

I'm posting early today to tell you about a special guest post over at book reviewer, Jackie Burris's blog. I met Jackie several years ago on Goodreads when I noticed her profile picture of a precious chihuahua. I immediately sent a 'friend request' because honestly, you just can't say no to a cute chihuahua. We've remained friends since and even met once when we were both in the same town for a visit.

So when Jackie put a call out for pet stories, I knew I had a million of them. Rather than recount Tank's rescue story, I told what happened after he had settled in and how he became the most revered member of our family. Story here. Bring a tissue. I think you'll need it.

Tank almost didn't get adopted by us. I was still grieving for Isis, who had been gone a couple of years, and I felt I wasn't ready to add to the family. But Greg had been scanning the rescue sites regularly and had chosen Brutus. He was a big older rottweiler. Since we'd had experience with big dogs, he felt we could offer the best home.

The rescue site agreed...but then came a strange heavenly intervention. Somehow, a mistake was made on Brutus's application papers and he had already been adopted by someone else.

Greg was devastated because he'd had his heart set on getting Brutus. The lady at the rescue site apologized profusely and offered another dog, a long, lanky boy called Tank. But she had to warn us. Tank was an escape artist. They would have to examine our fence to make sure he couldn't get out.

We agreed and the lady brought him out to us. When he got out of the van, the whole vehicle lifted up. LOL! The first thing out of Greg's mouth was: "Oh, I see you've brought your horse."

Tank was young and hadn't yet filled out to his adult weight, but he was BIG. Greg fell in love immediately, but I was reluctant until Chelly, my best buddy, sniffed him and wagged her tail. She liked him--a lot. And that was good enough for me.

He settled in beautifully. He and I had only one altercation when he scarfed down a pan of freshly cooked liver off the stove. I'd never had a dog so tall he could counter-surf. But once corrected, Tank never makes the same mistake twice.

In the beginning he was Greg's dog, but then came the night that changed things between me and Tank forever. This is that story. I hope you'll stop by and share your experiences.

Note: That escape artist tag was a misnomer. Tank didn't actually climb the six foot fence to escape. He had noticed a big comfy couch in the breezeway on his way to the dog run. He felt that was a much cozier bed than concrete.

***

Paws with a Cause is a site I've donated to regularly. Jackie will have more information on her blog on how you can too. With so many pets abandoned or mistreated, it's definitely a worthy cause.

Can you see the passage of time on your pets?

Young Tank

Tank 2012

One Foot in Front of the Other

2013-02-28T09:20:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, when LD Masterson, Angela Brown and I attended ConDFW we met up with an old friend of mine. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years and she asked me what I'd been up to.

My first thought was--nothing. I haven't done anything of import, and truth be told, half the time I feel like I'm running in place.

But then Angela started chiming in on the books I had published, and LD mentioned my work with Book Cover Diva. I was gobsmacked as they rattled off a laundry list of my accomplishments.

Even though it felt as if I'd been standing still, I really had been busy. I've been a good mule, completing or mastering tasks slowly but steadily.

It made me wonder if I'm the only one who feels they never move forward. Maybe we all move forward, but the steps are so incremental that we don't realize we're making progress.

For instance: Writers, I'll bet your writing is far more mature than it was two years ago. If you're a gardener, I'll bet you don't make the same mistakes twice. And if you're a reader, I'd wager your range and understanding has grown from where you were a couple of years ago.

The point is, none of us really stand still. We're always growing, maturing, and accumulating experiences for our life's resume. Click to reTweet this quote.

So what does your life resume look like? Tell me what you've accomplished in the last two years. Jobs, children, education, WIPs, publications? Which accomplishment are you most excited about?

Vicious Rottweiler Mauls Puppy

2013-02-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

...or maybe it was the other way around. Both combatants came out of this unscathed but there was a lot of flashing teeth and name-calling. I think Nana might've implied Iko's parents were not lawfully wed.

Oddly enough, the bystanders in this film refused to get involved. Smart dogs.

If you're reading this off a feed, it looks like you'll have to come to the blog to view the video.

Despite Nana's over exuberance, everybody likes her; even Maggie who generally shows disdain for anyone on four paws.

Potty training continues with only random accidents. I hate to say this out loud, but she's been accident-free for two days. I'm not going to rest easy until I can get a whole week like this. As soon as she proves herself dependable, we can dispense with doggy jail when I go out.

I so didn't want a puppy, but the extra work has been worth it. She's been a character and a half.

***

Back to Business

Getting your name out: What works and what doesn't? I think it boils down to two things.

• Tweets and posts must offer something of value.

• And it has to be delivered to the right audience. Click to retweet this quote.

This leaves me in a bit of a quandary because I write both fiction and nonfiction, plus Book Cover Diva is strictly for authors.

What to do?

Then a brainstorm.

What if I stick to my general topic posts here and do publishing-related posts as guest posts? These won't have anything to do with book releases or blog tours. The only thing I'm interested in is meeting new people and perhaps future blog followers.

If you have a good-sized audience (300+ followers), or a lively comment stream, and you think your following would body-slam their own brothers-in-law off the computer just to read the latest article on book cover design or marketing topics, email me and we can plan something for the future.

In the meantime, I have a guest post coming up at Jackie Burris's blog the first week in March where I talk about a good friend of mine--Tank--and the day that changed us both forever. I'll let you know when it goes live.

***

Libraries: I have to admit, I don't have a clue how to get my books in a library, but somebody must because they recommended Mistress of the Stone to the Austin Public Library. Whoever you are, thank you!

***

I've got a crit, a book cover, and some blog posts to write this week. If I get a chance, I also have a new contemporary fantasy novel to finish. A recent house guest has been bugging me to finish it.

LD Masterson and Angela Brown stayed with me a few days so we could attend ConDFW together.

Brown was cool. As long as you kept her fed and let her molest the avocado I gave her to mash, she was fine. Masterson just wanted to work. Sheesh!

What's on your to-do list this week?

***No brothers-in-law were harmed in the making of this post.***

ConDFW 2013

2013-02-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm still recuperating from the whirlwind weekend I spent with LD Masterson and Angela Brown when we attended ConDFW. The panels were so-so, though I thoroughly enjoyed the steampunk panels and the Tai Chi panel where I discovered that Tai Chi is not as easy as it looks on tv.

I was hoping EJ Wesley would've met us at ConDFW, but noooooooo. He had better things to do--like promote his latest book, Blood Fugue.

Even though I know Angela, LD and I would've been far more entertaining than a book tour, duty must come first. Go pick up Blood Fugue so EJ's sacrifice will not have been in vain. It's only 99 cents.

I'll talk more about the con when I'm more recovered, but meanwhile I'll leave you with some steampunkery. I was so stoked to learn how creative you could get building these costumes and accessories. It really appealed to my frugal side.

The pictures don't do these actors justice. There was so much in the details, makeup and even to the stitching on the clothing. They were so much fun to watch while they went into character too.

I apologize for not getting everyone's name. But my hat is off to them. They brought steampunk to life and turned me into an avid fan.

Steampunk was especially popular at this con, from the characters in costume to the Dealer Room where they sold books, accessories, clothes, and glossy magazines with slick photos of models in sexy steampunk attire.

Ramon & Radha Fagan (above and below)

Orvis Bloodletter, who was delightful despite the spiky teeth.

So how about you? What's the last conference you attended? Have you attended any where people walked around in costume?

Our Newest Addition

2013-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

I took a few days off earlier this week. I hadn't planned on it, but Greg came home after five weeks away and I let the internet fall by the wayside.

There is one more reason for my distraction.

I'd like you to meet Nana. (She's named after the border collie on Snow Dogs.)

The red thing is what's left of a toy after Iko finished with it.

First day in a new home

I have been in communication with a rescue organization for over a year. I had asked for an older herding dog, but the rescue lady insisted that I give Nana a chance and meet her. From the moment I picked her up, I knew she was the one.

We are taking extra precautions and limiting her to the dog run until she's had all her boosters. I've spoken to a couple of vets and both feel the parvo and distemper threats have since passed. The viruses can't survive triple digits, but I worry in case any strange dogs traipsed through our property after the initial viruses died.

After all we suffered last year, better safe than sorry.

Tank and Nana: size difference

Nana loves everyone, even when her exuberant affection isn't reciprocated right away. She's so sweet tempered, I fear falling into a diabetic coma. :o)

I've waited a long time for her. A week short of five years to be exact. I think my Chelly would approve.

Cheating Cover Models

2013-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

How to find out if your cover art has been used elsewhere

It's bound to happen whether you're an indie or published with the Big 5. Occasionally, you'll find your cover image reused--sometimes straight out of box on someone else's book.

It's irritating, but it happens. Popular images tend to get overused.

If you'd like to see if your cover art has been used elsewhere (and how). Right click your cover and click on View Image Info. The url of that image will already be selected. Copy and paste into Google Images.

If Google has found that image anywhere, it will spit out all the places it's seen it. It will even list any images that look similar to it.

By the way, this is how photographers and artists find out if someone has used their images without permission or payment.

It's also a reminder that you are simply buying the license for the art, not the art itself.

There's not much you can do but either customize an existing image, or have a cover designed and buy the rights to it.

Does it bother you to see the same image used on different books? I think it dilutes the message a little. And I can't help but feel a little sorry for the authors. Everybody wants a unique cover.

Tractor Pulling & Curious Cowboys

2013-02-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I worked like a dog over the weekend. Well, not like my dogs. They sleep all day and only come alive when they hear me in the kitchen. Suddenly, I'm their best friend.

Saturday was filled with errands and cleaning. But Sunday had me for breakfast and then spit me out in pieces. Yoga was first on the agenda and I had an instructor who might've had a little Marquis de Sade going on. My muscles were screaming when it was over. But it's all good, right? No pain, no gain.

Then I came home and worked on the back forty. It needed mowing. A lot of the late season weeds had sprung up after we had put the mower away last year. So I was a good girl and got the Bad Boy mower out.

Greg bought this mower a few years ago and it's a dream to operate...unless you get it stuck.

Somehow I had come across a patch of mud that stealthfully hid under a crusty surface. No matter what I did I could not get that thing out of there. Having been in these situations before I tried all the regular options. I dug the mud off the wheels and wedged pieces of wood underneath to try to give it traction.

No dice. It was a thousand pound paperweight. And Greg was still nine days away.

If I was going to get it out I'd have to pull out the big guns. I had to get the tractor.

I must've been quite a sight, me strapping the back end of the Bad Boy with a piece of chain, then maneuvering the tractor into position.

I even had a man on a horse stop and watch me for a while. I waved at him to let him know I had it under control. I didn't want to trouble him--or his horse. He finally mosied off.

The mower was in so deep even the tractor couldn't drag it. I had to winch it up with the bucket and then drag it out of the maw of that mower-sucking pit.

Finally, success!

I probably should've called it a day after that ordeal, but it was such a pretty day, I hated to waste it and not get any work done. I got everything trimmed, but gave a wide berth to that pit of despair.

After I showered I managed to get a little freelance work done. Book Cover Diva is starting to get some lovin' and I'm beginning to pick up some gigs. Designing covers is such a pleasure. I can lose myself in my work and never feel a bit tired.

It was a productive weekend, but it wore me out. I need a husband.

***

How was your weekend? Hope you weren't involved in any tractor pulls.

***

Oh, and don't forget. Mistress of the Stone is in the running for BEST BOOK of the YEAR at LASR. I was so pleased when it received a BEST BOOK rating last year. Vote for it, okay? Go here for the list. It should be in the middle.

I think I'm going to take it easy today.