Day: December 20, 2015

The Newest Rage With Writers

Adult coloring books. Social media is abuzz with authors refilling their wells by coloring.

Seriously? Because I never stopped coloring.

coloring book

In fact, I still have (and use) a box of crayons purchased circa 1974 that I somehow hid from my children. crayons

(Yes, the price tag reads 77¢)

There are colors in the box that are no longer made.

I’m also fond of colored pencils, but that is a taste I acquired as an adult. I particularly enjoy using them to sketch my heroines, floor plans of the house in my books, etc. I won’t share photos of those here because, well, I’m not an artist. I’m an author.

Have you purchased an adult coloring book?

Lemonade Chronicles, Chapter 2

Continued from August 30 . . .

I met many wonderful people on my trip home from Las Vegas. My cranky seat mate was in a much better mood once he figured out his connections. He helped me reach the overhead air vent that I couldn’t reach, even while standing. When I suggested to him the cabin would applaud when the plane left the ground, he didn’t say anything, but he did laugh and said, “you called it!” when the other passengers did exactly that.

When we landed in Charlotte at 1:00am, I called my husband to tell him. TV Stevie asked, “And how is Charlotte?” To which I replied, “She has a big web and there’s a pig named Wilbur.” My seat mate completely cracked up.

The airline agents waiting to help us were a bit on the testy side, but they’d been dealing with irate passengers all evening. I was told my flights had been rebooked and if I wanted a hotel, they would reimburse me up to $75. But no list of hotels. No voucher. No food voucher. They did tell us the Starbucks was open. I trudged to the restaurant, grateful I ‘d been forced to check my bag in Las Vegas. I ran into other passengers. Some of them had hotel vouchers. Most of them had smart phones–and data–so they could look for hotels.

There were none with vacancies.

I purchased a sandwich and trudged back to the gate where my flight would depart at 3:45pm that afternoon. And that’s were I began my temporary career as the hostess of Gate B-10 at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

to be continued.

 

Writing Wednesday: My 1st Book Signing

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I had my first book signing this past Saturday.

When I received the author copies of my first book, Moonlight Serenade, I dashed to my local library branch and donated a copy. The Adult Services Librarian asked me if I’d be interested in doing an Author Spotlight and Book Signing. Well, duh! That was a no brainer. We settled on a date.

The library set up a lot promotion. I was on the front page of the county library system website. My appearance was announced in the local newspaper’s events section. The front page of the branch newsletter carried a feature about the book. And there were postcards available at the checkout desk. 2015-05-17 18.10.012015-05-17 18.09.25 2015-05-17 18.09.03

 

Lovely posters were made up and hung.

2015-05-17 08.51.09(Yes, this poster now adorns the door of my office.)

I had read a great blog about what an author should have at a book signing. That was a blessing. (Thank you Ryan Jo Summers!)I purchased clear plastic stands for signage, a business card holder, a postcard/brochure holder, and individually wrapped berry-flavored candies for a heart-shaped glass dish I have. I packed business cards for my local RWA Chapter, as well as membership brochures. I made stickers about my new release, Summer Fling, for the back of my werewolf book postcards. I had a bottle of water and a pack of tissue. I had my books.

I had a nice turn out. One of my critique partners showed up with a small vase of lilacs and “Local Author” stickers for me. The audience asked great questions.lilacs

I came away with a bit of a sore throat, but feeling good about the event.

Aran West, Adult Services Librarian and MJ Compton, Author

Aran West, Adult Services Librarian and MJ Compton, Author

 

Fellow author Christine Wenger reading a passage from Moonlight Serenade

Fellow author Christine Wenger reading a passage from Moonlight Serenade

 

Author MJ Compton with her husband, "TV Stevie"

Author MJ Compton with her husband, “TV Stevie”

Signing books

Signing books

WIP Wednesday: Nancy Henderson

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This week’s WIP Wednesday guest is Nancy Henderson, multi-published author in historical and paranormal fiction. Welcome, Nancy! Can you tell us something most people don’t know about you?

NH:  Hmmm…tough one.  Oh, I know!  I like dogs just as much as cats.  But everyone who knows me calls me the crazy cat lady!

MJ: What is your secret talent?

NH:  I can train a housecat to fetch a milk ring usually in a single afternoon.  (Milk rings = those plastic rings around the top of the milk cartons.)  Hey I never said it was a good talent! LOL!

MJ: If you didn’t write, what would be your creative outlet?

NH: I’d probably do clay pottery, or do more with gardening.

MJ: Name one thing you won’t leave home without.

NH: A tote bag.  I have to have it loaded with books, something I’m writing at the moment, and pens.

MJ: What do you normally eat for breakfast, of do you skip it and get straight to work?

NH: Coffee.  That’s about it during the week.  On weekends I go to the local diner with my husband.

MJ: Describe your ideal/dream writing space.

NH: A writing room that’s decorated with Adirondack/rustic furniture, a fireplace, a large window looking out over a remote body of water.  Sigh…

MJ: Briefly describe your writing day/process.

NH: I wish I had a process!  I write in brief moments when I can.  I have a day job, so I write before work, during lunch hours, etc.  I usually don’t write on weeknights because my brain is fried. I write a lot on weekends, especially in the morning.

MJ: Name one writing-related website you use a lot.

NH: Comptonplations — www.mjcompton.com

MJ: ::blushing:: Plotter or pantser?

NH: Pantster. I’ve tried to plot and it never works for me.

MJ: Do you believe in writer’s block?

NH:  No.  For me, it’s plain laziness.  Or being overwhelmed.  When I’m overwhelmed, I freeze up and do nothing.  That’s when I need to take things one day at a time.

MJ: Would you consider self-publishing?

NH: Yes, I’m both small press and self published. I love, love, love the freedom of self publishing and plan to do a lot more of it.

MJ: Thanks, Nancy. Now it’s time for the lightning round. Addams Family or Munsters?

NH: Munsters!

MJ: Last movie you saw in a theater?

NH: Tammy.

MJ: Favorite TV show?

NH: Don’t currently have one.

MJ: Paper or e-books?

NH: Both!

MJ: Coke or Pepsi?

NH: Coke.

MJ: Introvert or extrovert?

NH: Extrovert.

MJ: Now it’s time for the real meat of the blog. Tell us about your current work in progress.

NH: The title is Bounty:  hero is paid to escort heroine to her betrothed.  But will he lose his heart on the journey?

                 He slapped her hard enough to make her head spin.

                Delilah Van Allen opened her eyes.  Her father was enraged, and she could have done nothing to avoid the blow.  She did not back away, for self-protection was a sign of defiance, something Papa had little tolerance for.  Instead she met his hard pale eyes, refusing to look away.

 

MJ: Wow. That was  definitely a hook!   Do you have a current release?

NH: Yes. Stranger in Her Bed  is available on Amazon (Click on the title for the link).

MJ: Do you engage in social media?

NH: Yes. Website — http://www.always-a-story.com

Blog — http://www.always-a-story.com/blog

Facebook —  https://www.facebook.com/nancyhendersonauthor

Twitter —  https://twitter.com/nancyehenderson

MJ: Thanks again for joining me today. Good luck!

 

 

Book Review: LEAN IN

Just finished reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

The book is about women in the work place and how nothing has changed in several decades, how the home place also needs to change to enable women to get to the top. She makes a lot of valid points, but says nothing new. Hopefully a new voice taking up the rallying call will galvanize some change.

Granted, my “career” in the corporate world has come and gone (see bio link above), and I was lucky enough to work in a business that allowed for flexibility when it came to my children. I am also married to great man who was a very hands-on dad. When something came up, we would compare schedules and adjust things as needed. If that meant I worked mornings while he stayed home with a sick child, then he went in in the afternoon, we did it. He prefers working late anyway, so I would drop the children off at after school activities/classes (or car pool with other other parents to do this), then he would pick them up on his way home.

Sandberg is lucky (she doesn’t like that word, but what’s true is true) in that she works for innovative companies (Facebook, Google) that are changing the world starting with the workplace culture. Her maternity leave options were way different than mine were. I do recall telling the first woman general manager of my company that we needed access to personal products in the restrooms. A week later a machine was installed. And that was cutting edge at the time.

I think Sandberg’s relative youth bothers me, too, because she doesn’t always connect the dots, especially if the dots were drawn before she was cognizant. Example: why people are working more hours. She blames technology. I blame reduction in workforce, spreading more tasks to few people. The work still has to get done, even if you do lay-off your entire graphics department. DUH!

If I were a younger woman, I might find this book valuable. I found nothing new, some ignorance, and probably shouldn’t have read it because it mostly annoyed me.

Attitude is a decision.