Category: General Topics

PBS Blog Schedule

Good evening lovelies (depending on where you are) quick update:

As much as I don’t want to do this, I feel it is time to establish an official schedule to this blog. Well, kind of. I will still post when I want but there are certain special blog segments you may want to know about.

Mondays – Introduce Yourself: Introducing New Authors. Learn more Here

Wednesdays – No Whining Wednesday and Writer’s Wednesday. Click Here to learn more about No Whining Wednesdays.

Writer’s Wednesday is when I post a Chapter or excerpt from one of my books. Right now I am using this space for something new-ish. I started a story years ago and have not had it in me to finish so I am using Writer’s Wednesday as my motivation. I am sort of, blogging a book.  I will post a new chapter every other Wednesday (not every week). This week we are up for a new chapter so you may want to read chapters one and two  of The Men with Blue Eyes before Wednesday.

Click Here for Chapter One 

Click Here for Chapter Two

I don’t know what I am doing with it yet (maybe it can be a short story?) It’s a different direction than what you know me for. I am passionate about literary fiction, specifically African American Literature, but I actually dig Sci-Fi too! Right now I am just writing it for fun so be sure to tell me what works and what doesn’t. I don’t even know if I’ll publish it. This week I intend on incorporating more action for chapter three.

Thursdays – Throwback Thursday. I know, we didn’t have one last week! But I am most definitely making it up to you this week. On Throwback Thursdays I post Throwback music. I have three types: Throwback Thursday Old School (80s on back), 90s Throwback Thursday Jams (90s R&B….my fav!) and Throwback Thursday Millennial Edition I call Throwback Thursday 00s for early 2000 jams. I think we are up for a 90s Jam this week. I think. I’ll check.

Fridays – Black History Fun Fact Friday, Movie Night Friday and Book Reviews. These segments are pretty self-explanatory.

On Fridays I publish book reviews (when they are ready), and write articles about Black History facts (I try to focus on as much little known history as I can). I also write movie reviews of some of my favorite movies on Fridays called Movie Night Friday.

We missed both of these last week but I’m back on it this week. I try to mix these up from silly movies to serious. I did a serious one last time so we’re up for something laid back this week. My purpose with Movie Night is to help you to get to know me better through the movies I watch.

Black History Fun Fact Friday and Movie Night Friday are also the oldest segments and have their own pages in the sidebar.

That’s it. Saturdays I am typically off and won’t blog at all. Some exceptions is when there are guest blog features of me that are posted. I will usually re-blog them to this blog and Sundays can be anything.

I try to make Tuesdays my day of articles on Indie Publishing. It is important to know that these are articles based on my own personal experiences and are not intended to be a right way or wrong way, just what works for me. I also admit to slowing down a lot with them. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here: applying what you know is better than talking about it. So, I’ve slowed on talking about my experiences for personal reasons but I won’t leave you hanging. I’ll publish a few articles when I can.

Though Tuesday’s is the day I mostly publish these kinds of posts, I would like to not limit this to any particular day so it’s not part of the schedule.

I also offer blog tips based on what has helped me to run this blog but again, I like to not limit this to any particular day.

What you are reading above are segments that always fall on those days. With only a few exceptions, I keep them going like clockwork. Anything else (poetry, etc) can all fall on any day.

Now, what shall I make for dinner? Hmmm.

#BLOGGER INTERVIEW – Christopher Graham, The Story Reading Ape

Reblogging in support of Chris Graham for his unwavering support of Indie Authors! Y’all know he’ll reblog you in a minute! So show him the same. Happy Anniversary Mr. Ape!

Tina Frisco's avatarTINA FRISCO

The Story Reading ApeChris Grahamis much admired, respected, and appreciated in the blogging world. His indefatigable support of authors and bloggers is rivaled by few others.The Story Reading Ape‘s 4th blog anniversary is April 4th, and I can think of no better way to show my appreciation than by featuring him on my blog. Here’s to you, Mr. Ape! May you live long and prosper. I’m also putting energy out there for you to win the lottery 😊

Follow Chris’ blog HERE 

When did you start blogging and what prompted you to do so?  

I started blogging on April 4th 2013 after reading authors’ pleas (on Goodreads) for promotional opportunities on blogs. 

What moved you to choose an ape as your gravatar and online presence? 

My Most favourite author was (and still is) Terry Pratchett, who once stated, “The anthropologists got it wrong…

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Dear Authors, This Summer, Introduce Yourself!

 

I love the warm weather! The flowers are blooming and everything is just abounding with life. What a perfect occasion to introduce something new.

Last week I announced the start of a new series on The PBS Blog and boy have you all responded!

So, this post is to remind you that if you want in this summer you may want to go ahead and submit your questions. Spots are filling up fast! I’ll be introducing our first author tomorrow, Monday, April 3, 2017 and then every Monday afterwards we’ll meet a new author (just as long as the spots stay filled). I am booked up through April and there is only ONE spot left for May so again, if you want to be featured this summer, don’t wait.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ON HOW TO GET STARTED!

Moments Become Memories

Don’t waste it today. Don’t waste your time or hold back your goodness. Do not withdraw your kindness or take for granted the gratitude you can gift to someone else. Gift someone today. Crown them with hope and courtesy. Who knows which of us will be called back to the dirt. Whose breath will leave their lungs to be stored away in the chamber where breaths are. Whose body will melt back into the dirt? Whose bones  will become the home of carcasses that roam the cemeteries? We are told to live every day like it is our last. But how? How do we take what is cliché and make it real? Think of moments. How they live for only seconds at a time. Think of pictures. How they capture those moments when they become memories. Don’t gamble with your life today. Enjoy the warm weather, accept the truth for what it is, and apologize. Apologize and forgive like a well of “I’m Sorry’s” that won’t run dry anytime soon. Be not held captive by anything or anyone. Do not enslave yourself to pain and emotion and sorrow. Always be forgiving. If only because it makes no sense to give us flowers when we’re gone. Do not weep for me, or throw arms around caskets that could have hugged my flesh when breath stopped the skin from melting back into the earth. Don’t waste it today. Don’t waste your time or hold back your goodness from those who need it. You don’t know if today is their day or if it is yours. Because moments only live for seconds at a time and soon they become memories.

What Your Author Website is Likely Missing

Do you have an author media kit on your Author Website?

Staci Troilo's avatarStory Empire

BlogHi, SEers. Forgive me for being a hypocrite, but today’s post is going to be a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do post. Remember, I used to work in corporate communications, so I know marketing strategies. (That doesn’t mean I use them myself; it just means I know them.)

Okay… Unless you literally just decided to become an author today, you almost definitely have an author website. Hopefully you’ve included the basics:

  • landing page to advertise news and collect email addresses
  • blog to share content, generate interest, and remain fresh in the minds of your fans
  • book pages so your work is well-defined and easy to find
  • about page to introduce yourself to new visitors
  • social media links so people can find you elsewhere online
  • contact page so your readers can reach you
  • platform-wide cohesion and pleasing design

Many authors stop there. Okay, let’s be honest—many readers fall short in some/most/all of those categories.

  • Their…

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GET OUT

This is probably the most powerful movie out right now, specifically for the African American and I highly recommend it. This is not conspiracy theory, political, militant, or a religious type deal here and its even a step deeper than racism itself. This is real. I won’t go into it now because I want to give you a chance to go and see it. I’ll just say this: the movie is symbolic of the traumatic experience that black people have been subjected to in America since we got here. Your mind has been put into subjection since the moment you stepped foot into this land and the exposure of such high-level witchcraft is present in this movie. You have been under a spell since stepping foot on these shores. Or from the movie’s perspective, since you’ve stepped foot into that house.

Carter G. Woodson said that once you control a man’s mind you do not have to worry about his actions. You don’t have to tell him to go to the backdoor. Control his mind enough and he will carve one out for his special benefit. Why? Because his education makes it necessary.

The silent auction itself was very powerful. What is a silent auction and what is it symbolic of? Where do modern auctions of today descend from? Oh, so you think there just happens to be people bidding on paintings and furniture and that just came from, what? And what is silence? Silence is representative of a secret, something being done without someone else knowledge. Something hidden. What are they trying to tell you is still going on? Why did Martin Luther King Jr., say that he ran into people who had never seen money? Farming, but have never seen money? This thing is real. Watch the movie.

If you have not already read The Willie Lynch Letter, I recommend that too. Read that and then watch this movie and we’ll talk about it later.

I won’t say anymore, I’ll wait. Go see it. It’s worth the money.

“Black people are viewed as pawns in an international game of control and manipulation, and our worldwide misuse is an accepted by-product of business as usual.”

– Haki R. Madhubuti
The Psychological Racial Personality, Bobby E. Wright

WRITING CHALLENGE: See It, Write It – PLUS! A Special Announcement About My First Word Weaver WRITING CONTEST

I’m so into this!

Dan Alatorre AUTHOR's avatarDAN ALATORRE

Your humble host. your humble host

This week’s writing challenge looks kinda hard, so a LOT of you are not gonna wanna do it, but you’re ALL gonna wanna hear about the SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

First, the writing challenge. Hey, no pain, no gain.

Here is a road rage scene from the movie Marathon Man. Watch it…

Okay, NOW what I want you to do is one of three things. (Extra points for number three)

EITHER:

  1. Describe the place where dramatic irony occurs. Can you introduce that in a written scene? How would you do it? (Don’t know what dramatic irony is? Join the club.) OR
  2. Describe the action in the chase scene between the Mercedes Driver (The Nazi) and the Caprice driver (The Jewish Guy). Can you write that scene? Why or why not? OR
  3. The place where the nanny is crossing the street and the little girl…

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