No Excuses

I finally upgraded to a smartphone.  But owning one of those clever little devices isn't making me feel smart.  Most of the time I feel pretty dumb when I use it.  Thank goodness for children. My son also has a droid so he's been helping me learn my way around the touch screen. 

from FB

I'm getting much better at using the touchscreen keyboard so now I have no excuses for running around the blogsphere on my lunch break and catching up with my friends.  Not only when it give me a fun break during the day but it will free up my writing time at night.

My writing time is usually split between blogging, promotional junk and writing/editing in the evenings and weekends.  But there are so many wonderful blogs out there, I have no trouble spending two or three hours just hopping here and there.  And it is taking from my writing time.

So hopefully, my smartphone was a good business expense.  So a few questions.  Do you think I can deduct my phone as business expenses?  And how much time do you spend on blog visiting? Do you do it from you computer or an other device?

It Takes All Kinds

Not all writers are the same.  We have different processes, work at different speeds and certainly write different stories.  We're different in lots of ways, age, sex, political beliefs, and even our nationalities. Yet when we get together either online or in person, we usually find lots of things we have in common.

Promotion, editing, character development, sagging middles, time management, and oh yeah, promotion. We give each other advice, encouragement and help each other promote.  Yet we're all different people engaged in similar struggles.  This Friday, October 14th, lots of us are going to thank some of those who help us by participating in Alex Cavanaugh's Pay-It-Forward blog day.

Perhaps you can join in and thank some people who have helped you.  Even if you don't join in, please visit and perhaps find some new fun blogs to follow. 

May the Sun Shine on My Friends

I've been the lucky beneficiary of some blog awards from my friends. Some of these wonderful people I only know from our communications online and some are fellow writers belonging to the same writers groups as I do.

Let me put a plug in here for CPRW, my local RWA group. We meet once a month to share knowledge, encourage each other and laugh a lot. The Susquehanna Writers is a sub-group within Pennwriters. Cate Masters glues us together on our blog and honored me with this latest blog award.

Now before you say, enough already with the blog awards, remember how they help link us all together, bring new readers to your blog and remind us to visit our colleagues online often.

The Sunshine Award is perfect for the northeast this weekend since we're supposed to have heavy rain on Saturday and a chance of flooding. Keep the warmth going, think spring and use the rainy days to write and read. If you receive the award, no need to make up funky lies or confess outrageous truths. Just pass it on to up to 12 fellow bloggers.

Vicky Burkholder- she better save a copy of her new release for me

Vicki Smith- she has a very entertaining life

Ava Quinn- I know what she'll be up to when the sun returns

Megan Hart- My daughter tells me Megan looks like a writer and I only look like a mom.

Natalie Damschroder-my 'go to' girl. If you know you know what I mean.

Jemi Fraser- she always has something interesting to say. Where does she find time?

Jarmara Falconer - I hope it doesn't lighten up her dark words too much.

No hurry friends to pass this on but I look forward to seeing who you give it too. I find most of my blog friends through links on other bloggers' pages.