I debated between “Inspire Yourself” and “Motivate Yourself” as titles for this post. I looked them up in the dictionary to find out which word was more appropriate for my purposes. I realized that inspiration is the cause for motivation.
Instead of motivation look for inspiration. Inspiration comes from the same word as spirit. When you are inspired, the spirit moves you.
-Deepak Chopra
Deep stuff. Inspire was definitely my word. What sorts of things do you do to inspire yourself? As a writer, I can tell you that without inspiration, I can’t write. I must have a vision. This is true for both fiction and nonfiction. I don’t mean hallucinogenic-induced visions (although I’m sure those are fantastic), but I have to love an idea, a concept, enough to make it rock. So what do I do for inspiration? I can tell you, but I’d have to kill you.
I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to those of you who ordered The Noble Pirates in hardcover eons ago and are still waiting for it. Just so you know, you may never get it. The publisher is going through some “restructuring” and has had to “reassess” their publication schedule.
For the record, I am going to be self-publishing my next books. There will be absolutely no confusion about how, when or where my books will be released. They will be awesome, I promise you.
What compels someone to purchase a book? It may be that they heard great things about it from someone else. But what if someone is just wandering around a bookstore (which I am known to do), or, what with the e-publishing revolution in full force, skimming the “Books” section on Amazon?
Getting someone to pick up your book or click on your book title is the first step to success, and the images on the front cover are a HUGE factor in what makes one do that. When browsing through a list of books on Amazon, the thumbnail image that catches the eye is more likely to get clicked.
Big, bold font; bright colors; large images that have universal appeal — these are all things that make an impact, whether a potential reader is looking at a table covered in books or browsing thumbnail images online.
I’ve always been obsessed with the design of blogs. To me, a design can make or break a website. If I click on a link and end up at a site that is poorly designed or organized, I’m out. Judgmental of me, I know. But I’m just not going to waste my time trying to figure out what I’m looking at and how to find the information I want. I hate clutter and blinking graphics. I like order and colors that work together well. That’s not too much to ask, is it?
When trying to decide on the design of my blog, I immediately looked into WordPress, because it is the best blogging platform out there. (IMO, of course). The designs are gorgeous, the dashboard is intuitive, and you can either host with them or self-host your blog. There are so many high-quality, free WordPress themes out there, you just can’t go wrong. I often grab a free theme and customize it to my liking.
When selecting the best themes for mommy bloggers, I kept both design and simplicity in mind. I looked for themes that had useful features and customizable options. And most importantly, I made sure they were F-R-E-E! Click on the images to go where you can download them.
1. Blissful Blog. Clean, simple, and classy. Not to mention, girly. For those of you who want to focus on content.
As a historical fiction writer, I find myself looking up certain things over and over again. If you’re dealing with any time period prior to the 20th century, knowing about swords is *kinda* important. I got tired of trying to remember what the heck the differences were between the pommel, grip and hilt. So I made a diagram for myself — and for you. Don’t thank me. Really.
There are certain words that I simply cannot not say in my 3-year-old daughter Audrey’s presence without sending her into a wild-eyed frenzy. “Cookie,” “ice cream,” or “candy,” for example. I can’t even utter these words in passing, even if I speak quickly or in a whisper. The little rodent has this hearing super power that, not surprisingly, doesn’t work when I say things like “come here.” Thus, when I need to keep her from understanding what I’m talking about, I’ve had to resort to spelling out the words. When my girls were younger and only understood a handful of words, this was fairly easy, even for a retard like me. As they’ve gotten older and their vocabularies have expanded, however, I’ve found myself struggling to spell out words that, quite honestly, require far too much thinking on my part.
When I take my kids to school in the morning, I look like a big pile of poo. It’s shortly before nine in the morning, and I’ve managed to get my girls fed and dressed, AND I’ve packed their lunches. (What I’ve packed is totally beside the point. I’m sure that the frozen chicken nuggets I didn’t have time to nuke will thaw by lunch time.) I generally don’t have time to do much more than brush my teeth before I drag my kids out the door. (FINE. I don’t brush my teeth. Ever. Just kidding. Sort of.)
Anyways, I look like feces. I’m in clothes that could double for pajamas (i.e., they are my pajamas) and my hair hasn’t been brushed. As for makeup? HA! Don’t make me laugh. My kids’ teachers cast me a pitiful look as I drop the girls off, and I shuffle back to my car in a haze, desperate for my first cup of coffee. It’s a wonder I manage to drive to the school at all, considering my last good dose of caffeine was 24 hours before.
Download it for the Kindle 
Download it for the Kindle 
Download it for the Kindle 
