Penned Con was amazing. I loved meeting all the people I interact with online. I met a bunch of new readers, writers, and bloggers. Plus I was able to reconnect with friends from past conferences. Two days was not enough time to catch up with everyone. Living an hour away from the conference meant I drove home each night, which … Read More
Things I learned at Penned Con
I’m coming off the high of attending Penned Con in St Louis. There were books and authors and readers and bloggers as far as the eye could see. It was awesome. Plus I finally met some of my online friends in person. Tackle hugs and awkward selfies ensued. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet all of my FB friends, but there’s … Read More
My Internal Monologue as I Pack for #Utopia2016
MUST PACK ALL THE THINGS! Wait…all the things won’t fit in this suitcase. Maybe I don’t need all the things. *Puts back shoes and pants and tops. Maybe I just need these things. *Attempts to cram lesser amount of things into suitcase. Dang it. Things still don’t fit. Grabs bigger bag. Things fit. There is extra room. Must take more things. … Read More
UTOPIA Conference 2016: Advice for newbies
So, I’m super-excited/mildly panicked about attending the UTOPIA Conference in Nashville June 22-26. I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with my reader/writer/blogger friends that I’ve met over the last three years. I’m nervous because like most bookish people, I’m an introvert. How does an introvert survive a hotel teaming with hundreds of book-loving people who tend to favor tackle hugs? Allow … Read More
Penned Con Report
I attended Penned Con in St louis this past week. It was a conference for readers, writers, and bloggers with a special teen day thrown in at the beginning. This was the second time I’ve had a table at a conference. The first was at UtopYA in June. This time around I knew to bring bookstands and a brightly colored scarf … Read More
UtopYA2015 is Almost Here
What is UtopYA? According to the the official webpage it is: An uplifting, collaborative and educational conference for those who love supernatural and contemporary young adult and new adult fiction! Panels filled with writers and experts in the publishing and entertainment industries will share with established and aspiring authors and screenwriters their tips to improve craft and advance careers, as well as FUN panels … Read More
Naming Characters
When you create a character, you spend a lot of time coming up with the perfect name. It has to hint at their character and their appearance and not remind readers of a famous character they know from another book. That last part is easier said than done. You decide to name your character Dezirae. It’s unusual, not too trendy, and … Read More
Do you tsu?
About a month ago, a new social media site cropped up all over Facebook called tsu (pronounced Sue). It seems to be a lot like Facebook. You can friend or follow people. You can customize the opening screen with banners and text. Here’s a screenshot of what the site looks like. … Read More