Tag Archives: Blogging

06.30.20
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Getting Personal #213: June Goals Recap

Image Credit: jenny collier blog

Welcome back!

Here’s the link to my June Goals post: Getting Personal #211: June Goals

Here were my goals for the month of June:

  1. Give blood. — Accomplished!
  2. Finish the second draft of my novel. — Did not accomplish.
  3. Send the second draft of the novel to my readers for additional feedback. — Did not accomplish.
  4. Clean out and organize the linen closet. — Accomplished!
  5. Send the box of consignment items to Darby. — Accomplished!
  6. Begin the binder of university newspaper articles for preservation. — Did not accomplish.
  7. Send at least four cards or letters to friends. — Accomplished!
  8. Publish a post about The Ebony and Fire Writing Club at least once a week. — Did not accomplish.
  9. Re-organize the filing system. — Did not accomplish.
  10. Finish cleaning out the cabinet above the oven. — Did not accomplish.
  11. Finish de-cluttering the dining room buffet. — Did not accomplish.
  12. Spend another hour on American Girl items inventory. — Did not accomplish.

This month was weird. I was more deeply affected by the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests than I anticipated.

However, I was able to give blood! Yay! Al made steak the night before the drive, and my iron level was 14.3, one of the highest levels I’ve had. The baseline requirement for women is 12.5. And, my favorite phlebotomist, Spencer, was at the drive and helped me through it. I struggled to fill the bag, which is completely my fault. I forgot to drink enough water. More fluids!

I shipped off the massive Walmart box to Darby. It weighed almost 25 pounds! I paid almost $95 in shipping costs, but Darby offered me $164 in store credit, so I jumped on it. I’ve gotten a lot of pretty things this month, and I found a beautiful shirt with a flower on it and “Mom” on it for my mom.

I did a lot of other things with the house the month. The linen closet is finally clean and organized the way it should be, at least in my mind.

Al and I also went through our closets, filled two garbage bags full of outgrown clothes, and gathered several other things to donate. I dropped everything off at the thrift store on Sunday.

I’ve been slowly making my way through Just Mercy. It’s a good book, but it’s heavy. Look for a review on the Netflix documentary “13th” coming soon.

The Ebony and Fire Writing Club is currently on hiatus. I was disappointed at first, but one of the organizers wanted to take a break to focus on Black Lives Matter and some other priorities for a while.

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of June?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for July!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.12.20
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Tag #94: “Books as First Dates Tag”

I’ve seen this blind date with a book idea in libraries and bookstores! Image Credit: Hawaii State Public Library

I was tagged by the lovely Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts! Thank you!

Here’s the link to Jenna’s post, where I was tagged: Books as First Dates Tag

Jenna discussed her ideal first date. For me, it’s definitely biased, but my first date with Al was absolutely magical. The original plan for September 4, 2010, was to go to dinner at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and then wait for Chicago to perform as part of the American Music Festival. We had a lovely dinner, and then strolled along the boardwalk. We kissed for the first time that night, and I legitimately saw sparks and fireworks. We talked for hours. I think he took me home at 1:30 a.m. Turns out, he knew he wanted to marry me after that first date, so I think it worked!

The Creator & the Rules

The creators of this tag is Alice @ Love for Words! The rules are …

↠ Link back to the original tag.
↠ Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.
↠ Tag 5+ bloggers.
↠ Have fun!

One. First and Last: A book/series you’ve read and enjoyed, but can’t bring yourself to read again.

Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. It’s a really good book, but I don’t think I’ll ever read it again. Some of the visual images I got will haunt me forever.

Two. With a friend of my friend: A book/series someone recommended to you that turned out to be different from what you had expected

The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Many of you know my feelings about Allegiant, so we’ll leave it at that. I don’t have the books in my collection anymore. I was so disappointed. I haven’t picked up any of Roth’s other books since.

Three. Double date: A book whose sequel you immediately had to read

The Hunger Games! I didn’t have the sequel after finishing it, so I immediately went out and bought both Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Four. Let’s go to the movies: A book/series that should be adapted to the screen.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

Five. Dreamy stargazing: A book that made you go ahhhh and ohhhh

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

Six. Fun at the fair: A book full of colours

Mosquitoland by David Arnold.

Seven. Amusement park adventure: A book that was a roller coaster

Smashed by Koren Zalickas.

Eight. Picnic with cherries: A book whose food descriptions made you feel all *heart eyes*

I agree with Jenna, the descriptions in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban always make my mouth water.

Nine. Trip to the museum: A book that taught you valuable stuff

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond.

Tag – You’re It!

Kristian – Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table

Destiny – Howling Libraries

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

06.01.20
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Getting Personal #211: June Goals

Image Credit: Fueled By Carrots

Welcome back!

Here are my goals for the month of June:

  1. Give blood.
  2. Finish the second draft of my novel.
  3. Send the second draft of the novel to my readers for additional feedback.
  4. Clean out and organize the linen closet.
  5. Send the box of consignment items to Darby.
  6. Begin the binder of university newspaper articles for preservation.
  7. Send at least four cards or letters to friends.
  8. Publish a post about The Ebony and Fire Writing Club at least once a week.
  9. Re-organize the filing system.
  10. Finish cleaning out the cabinet above the oven.
  11. Finish de-cluttering the dining room buffet.
  12. Spend another hour on American Girl items inventory.

What about you? Do you have any goals for the month of June?

Let me know in the comments!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.31.20
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Getting Personal #210: May Goals Recap

Image Credit: pinterest.com

Welcome back!

Here’s the link to my May Goals post: Getting Personal #206: May Goals

Here were my goals for the month of May:

  1. Re-organize the filing system. — Did not accomplish.
  2. Clean out the cabinet above the oven. — Semi-Achieved.
  3. Start a new writing prompt series. — Semi-Achieved.
  4. Spring clean my closet. — Accomplished!
  5. Publish at least one Book Review. — Accomplished!
  6. De-clutter the dining room buffet. — Accomplished!
  7. Spend at least one hour on American Girl items inventory. — Accomplished!
  8. Start re-organizing the garage. — Accomplished!

I made a lot of progress this month. I’m really pleased with the number of posts I published here!

I threw out all the expired products in the cabinet above the oven, and made a list of needed replacements. The job isn’t finished, but I’m happy with the progress.

I learned that my favorite consignor, Darby, was going to be accepting new consignment boxes as early as June 1st, so I rushed to sign up for a box. I’m mailing it to her new house in Washington State next week. I had a lot of fun going through everything in my closet, and I nearly filled the huge box from Walmart that our new Blu-ray player came in. Plus, everything is now organized for the summer!

We made a ton of progress on our garage. I’m so happy with it. Everything has a place. We filled our trashcan. And we can walk around freely without tripping. Al also was able to move the refrigerator from the detached garage out back to the attached garage, so we can have drinks out there and some overflow space for freezer items. We also worked together to clean and sanitize it.

I published THREE Book Reviews! Yippee! I’ve finally gotten back in the habit of reading between 15-45 minutes every night before bed.

I also embarked on a new Writing Adventure with joining the Ebony and Fire Writing Club. Stay tuned for more posts every week!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of May?

Come back tomorrow to see my goals for June!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.29.20
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Writing Adventures #6: The Ebony And Fire Writing Club – What Projects Are You Working On?

Welcome back!

Buckle up, friends. Expect a post about The Ebony and Fire Writing Club coming to you every week for the foreseeable future!

I’m so thrilled with the reaction and support that I received earlier this week when I announced that I was joining the club in my Writing Adventures #5 post. If you’re interested, contact Tiana or Phoenix!

Here’s the link to Tiana’s newest post: The Ebony and Fire Writing Club: What Projects are you Working on?

Here’s the link to Phoenix’s newest post: From The Ebony and Fire Writing Club: Tell Us What You’re Working On!

Also, here’s the link to the main club page: The Ebony and Fire Writing Club

Here’s my details!

My Current Writing Project

I’m currently editing my draft of “Experiences From Camp.” This is the novel that I started during my first-ever NaNoWriMo in November 2012. It took 6 1/2 years, but I finished the first draft on March 30, 2019. I’ve sent it to several people to read and critique since then, and I’ve received some really good feedback.

For Camp NaNoWriMo April 2020, I printed out the first draft, threw it in a binder, and went to town with a blue pen and hot pink Post-It notes. Now, coupled with the reader feedback I’ve received so far, I’m translating it into a second draft on the computer. Once the second draft is done, I’ll send it back to my readers. I have set a deadline of sending the second draft to my readers no later than June 30, 2020.

Writing Advice

You don’t have to write a novel! You may enjoy writing poetry, fan fiction, blog posts, short stories, or free verse. It doesn’t have to end up as a book or something published. As long as you’re writing, that’s amazing! You have a gift. And, since you’re on WordPress, you’re creating!

I recently wrote a short story for a contest, and I had so much fun! It was a great way to stretch myself and actually submit something.

What are you working on?

If you feel comfortable, tell me what you’re working on in the comments! I’ve always enjoyed supporting others and being a cheerleader.

Stay tuned for another Writing Adventures post, coming soon!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.26.20
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Writing Adventures #5: The Ebony and Fire Writing Club

Image Credit: H.R. Phoenix

I’m embarking upon a new adventure! It’s been well over a year since my last Writing Adventures post, but this one is special.

Here’s the link to Tiana’s original post: The Raven Writer’s Accountability Club

Together with Phoenix, she’s starting a club of writers. It’s so exciting!

After her original announcement, they changed a few things. Here’s Tiana’s update post: Announcement! The Ebony and Fire Writing Club

Here’s the link to Phoenix’s post: New: Join the Ebony and Fire Writing Club Now

If you’re interested, click on either one the Ebony and Fire Writing Club posts, and comment with your name.

The idea is those who want to participate will do a weekly post about the progress they’ve made with their work.

Tiana and Phoenix are also setting up donation pages through Ko-fi (Please note: This part is completely optional, it’s not a requirement to join) to give club members special access to writing advice, tips, tricks, and inspiration.

I’m really excited to participate! I’ve admired Tiana since she started her blog, and I’m looking forward to getting to know Phoenix better, along with the other club members.

What about you? Have you joined any blogging clubs or groups? What abour on social media?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.21.20
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Commentary #105: “I Wrote A Research Paper About The Publishing Industry … Here’s What I Found”

Image Credit: The Reedsy Blog

I thought Charis Rae’s research was so awesome, I wanted to share it!

Here’s the link to Charis Rae’s post: I Wrote A Research Paper About the Publishing Industry … Here’s What I Found

Charis brought up some excellent points and statistics. Here are a few of them:

  • Nearly 100,000 books were published by major publishing companies in the United States in the year 2019.
  • In 2018, more than 1.6 million books were self-published digitally and physically.
  • The odds of getting a publishing contract is 1 in 4 (25 percent), according to a 2014 report.
  • If you choose to self-publish with Amazon, you will get roughly 70 percent of the profits.
  • A traditionally published author will only receive 6-10 percent of the royalties.

Reading her analysis, it’s pretty obvious that self-publishing is the easiest way to get your book out to potential readers. However, you also face stiffer competition because there are far more self-published titles available by volume, and for less money. If you haven’t, just take a glance at Amazon Books, plus their Kindle Store. It’s overwhelming.

That said, there’s other booksellers, and publishers, than just Amazon. Many traditional book publishers still exist – HarperCollins, Hachette Livre, Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Kodansha, Scholastic. In terms of other stores, there’s Barnes & Noble, Walmart, ThriftBooks, Books A Million, 2nd and Charles, Waterstones (UK), Strand Books, Book Depository, and even eBay.

In addition, you can also request Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) through sites like NetGalley. Several of my friends have done that.

I was really impressed with Charis Rae’s research and analysis! I hope you take the time to read her post.

Also, consider your sources when you purchase books. Of course, I will always recommend borrowing books from the library or getting e-books if you’re into that (I’m not, but that’s just a personal preference). Amazon makes it really easy and convenient, but I encourage you to think outside the box a bit, and consider other sellers once in a while. For example, I bought a copy of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson from a friend’s online store through eBay!

As for me and my writing journey, I’ve been studying both avenues for the last several years. I personally want to go the traditional route first, mainly for the experience because I’ve never attempted it. If I find myself struggling after a period of time, I’ll consider the self-publishing route. I’m excited to get my work out there!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.18.20
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Tag #93: “The Stuck At Home Book Tag”

Image Credit: Ebook Friendly

I saw this amazing tag on Howling Libraries from Destiny!

I wasn’t tagged for this, but this is the link to Destiny’s post: The Stuck At Home Book Tag

Ellyn at Allonsythornraxx created this tag!

tag_therules
  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Answer all the questions down below
  • Pingback to the creator: Ellyn @ Allonsythornraxx
  • Nominate 5+ bloggers you’d like to know more about, to do this tag

1) What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and Daily Guideposts 2020.

2) What’s your favourite ‘can’t-leave-the-house’ activity?

Writing, either on my laptop or in a journal. I’m working on the second draft of my first novel. I also have four other novels in progress.

3) A book you’ve been meaning to read for forever

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott.

4) An intimidating book on your TBR

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton. I know the backstory behind this book, Betz-Hamilton’s memoir, from the Criminal podcast. (Make sure you listen to Episode 51 first, then Episode 125). I want it to be as amazing as I think it is, based on the podcast episodes that were so masterfully produced.

5) Top 3 priority books on your TBR.

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Re-Read), and Educated.

6) Recommend a short book

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (103 pages).

7) Recommend a long book

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (759 pages).

8) Something you’d love to do while stuck at home

Start pastel painting again.

9) What do you plan on reading next?

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if you want to do this, please do! I love reading people’s answers.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

05.14.20
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Getting Personal #208: “3 Story Treehouse, Scotland” (Reblogged)

I wanted a treehouse so badly as a kid. We had so many trees in our backyard, but I never got my wish. So, I wrote about them, daydreamed about them, and got overly excited when I saw them on TV or in movies. I certainly climbed trees and enjoyed every tire swing, rope swing, and hammock that I came upon, but nothing really compares to a treehouse.

This image caught my eye immediately. Did you know that you can stay overnight in treehouses in certain areas? I would love to do that someday.

But, for now, I’m staring at this photo and daydreaming.

If you could build a massive treehouse, what would you put in it or do with it?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

Just Wunderlust

3 Story Treehouse, Scotland

View original post

05.12.20
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Commentary #104: “Ten Books I Wish I Had Read As A Teen” (Top Ten Tuesday)

Image Credit: that artsy reader girl

I saw several posts recently about ten books I wish I had read as a teen!

Books, Libraries, Also Cats – Top Ten Tuesday Books I Wish I’d Had As A Teen

The Bookish Hooker – Ten Books I Wish I Had Read As A Child

bookloversblog – Top Ten Tuesday #261

that artsy reader girl – 22 YA Contemporary Romances Teen Me Would Have Loved

Here’s my list!

Note, there are several here that were published after I left my teenage years. I turned 20 in 2008.

  1. The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)
  2. The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky (1999)
  3. Crank, Ellen Hopkins (2004)
  4. Looking for Alaska, John Green (2005)
  5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie (2007)
  6. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher (2007)
  7. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (2008)
  8. Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson (2009)
  9. Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell (2012)
  10. Dumplin’, Julie Murphy (2015)

Out of these ten, I’ve read The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Looking for Alaska, Thirteen Reasons Why, The Hunger Games, and Wintergirls. I read most of these when I was in college.

As for the others, I’ve only read parts of them, or heard of them through various media sources or other bloggers. However, I plan to add these five to future TBRs.

What about you? Have you read any of these books?

What books do you wish you’d read as a teen?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂