An Open Book

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

This has been a very interesting busy week here in what I call the Vortex.

It has been challenging with all of the things happening on the marketing front, Podcasting front and personal front to get any new writing done. I ask myself this week why aren’t you writing. This story is screaming in your head and you need to get it out.

I discovered to my shock and horror that the answer was, “I don’t have time.” Immediately my personal coaching brain said, “Liar! Yes you do. You must make time in what ever way you can with your schedule. Stop with the excuses and just do it.”

The internal struggle was on. You know that fight that goes off in your brain about where to put something you want to do when things are really busy. My fight went something like this. “Take something off your plate so you can put this on. There isn’t anything I can take off. Get a platter! No, no, no, you will get sick if you take on anymore. You are running on 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night and you know if you don’t get at least 6 to 8 your migraines are worse. Think outside the box, Rhonda.”

That was the key! I simply hadn’t thought of the option I had in front of me. I didn’t need to write it or type it to get it out of my head. I needed to be able to save it. Right? So out comes the micro recorder and I so could have done this on my computer if I had been in the office, but I wasn’t going to be. I had to be out for several days this week. The time in my car is pretty much downtime. I don’t talk on a cell and drive. I usually listen to books or music on the road. I was caught up on the books I committed to reviewing so this was a prefect way to still get the story out of my head and saved. Sure, I would have to type it later but that is easy to do and there is ALWAYS editing to do.

Problem solved. I reordered that part of the story and will type it up in a few days. See I get up every morning and want to write. It is a joy to bang out a story and play and develop the characters and plot lines. And just because I am marketing for the formal release of The Mark of a Druid and the 2009 Contest Series doesn’t mean I should stop the creative process of writing forward.

I guess you could apply this to anything you want to do. Maybe you answer isn’t’ a micro recorder, but if you think outside of the box and don’t place limits on what the answer might be it will come to you.

So what stops you from writing? Put yourself in check. Stop letting your excuses win. If you love to write like I do—then it is time to write in whatever way you can. Let me share this secret with you. No one is going to write it for you. It is your story, your idea, maybe even your dream. Don’t give up on it. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t let it keep rattling around in your head. You will feel better if you get it out and by doing so you are creating a stronger desire to go for the dream.

Announcements

Remember to enter The Mark of a Druid 2009 Contest series at http://www.themarkofadruid.com under last weeks blog you will find the questions for Contest #1 and the Contest 2009 page has all the rules. Win a free singed copy of The Mark of a Druid. The first Winner to be announced 1/18/2009.

Write to you next week!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

Until February 2008 I had never marketed my business. As a professional psychic all of my clients were referral only. As Clinical Hypnotherapist I to relied on refferals to build my client base, the most marketing I ever did was in creating www.lifefirst.com and nurturing it to over 3 million hits a month with little effort on my part. I simple provided a great layout and easy navigation (via a brilliant Web Guru) and give people what they wanted tons for free content and not a lot of sale pushes. Word of mouth, client to client is still the best way to get business by far.

But as a published author I need to learn all the ways I can tell people that my book is out and available, hopefully by not being obnoxious. Because I dislike shameful promotion I try not to go there and am very aware that there is the backlash effect that can occur if you try and ram your stuff at people. And to be honest completely, the here’s what I think about me, what do you think about me thing is boring and seems narcissistic to me.

The thing I want to do is have fun with my writing, publishing and marketing things I do. Here are a few things I have done in the past few months to market my book that were fun for me.

1. I started social networking big time on the web.
2. I started writing blogs in a very consistent way.
3. I have started a contest for the book which kicks off tonight on www.themarkofdruid.com
4. I teamed up with other writers who are either podcasting and/or publishing. (the ideas these folks have are amazing)
5. I have done and agreed to do several interviews on blogtalkradio and other internet podcasts which can just be a blast.
6. I have met and made friends with all kinds of podcasting folks who are more than willing to play a promo read a chapter of my work, add me as a contributor to their site, read a story so far for their podcasts.

The action of trying to make the marketing fun has been very successful. I love getting up in the morning and twittering from the Vortex, there is a new The Mark of a Druid group on facebook and while myspace is not my favorite I am still trying it out. So I invite you to join me in the marketing party. If you have a book, podcast, blogtalkradio show or a Ustream show or other media event send me a promo and a short one line elevator pitch with a picture of cover if you like and let me help you get the word out! Send your email request to info@rhondacarpenter.com.

I am looking forward to sharing a prolific year with all of you. Please keep the comments coming and the reviews and ratings on Amazon, iTunes and podiobooks they really help!

Remember to check out the contest announcement for the first giveaway at http://www.themarkofadruid.com under the contest 2009 page.

Happy 2009 lets have a fabulous year together!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

A whole new year of writing to look forward to. And I so am looking forward to writing new and fun projects in 2009. Believe it or not I do have a plan for two new books. The first is a family story a Murder mystery, called Truth Slithers and the sequel to The Mark of a Druid called When Ethers Descend.

Marketing is top priority in 2009 as well expect to hear all about the kickoff of the contest of the Mark of a Druid to be announced this week and the first of many book signings to be announced after the first as well. The blog you have come to read this year will continue and I plan on maintaining the same schedule of 3 blogs cranked out for Monday morning reading. There is also going to be some fun things coming up to bring authors and readers closer together. And maybe a monthly blog talk radio show about what is new in pod booking. Interested? Let me know I would be interesting in your thoughts on what you would like to know about pod-booking in 2009. And lets not forget the wind up of The Mark of a Druid on Podiobooks which should be done by March and completely out there in audio form.

Personally we will be putting our house on the market in January. The kids are moving out and healing up… so time to downsize. I want to spend more time writing and less time cleaning. LOL ! We are even considering moving out of California. Nothing set in stone yet. It will depend on the market and how fast this huge house sells. If we do move out of state we are looking in Arkansas, but I sure will miss this mountain and all the great people we have met here. But we shall see what the universe holds in store for the family. Lets face it last year was cool for me but there were more injuries and healing done in my house than anywhere I know of.

I am looking forward to a prolific year and please keep the comments coming and the reviews on Amazon and podiobooks they really help!

oh for all of you who follow me on twitter you may have seen that I rescued two kittens from a wet cardboard box last week. We are keeping one and the other has gone to his new home as of a few hours ago. Ladies and Gentleman meet the latest writing Kitty C II. Who looks just like Cosmo the cat that pasted away about 2 years ago fighting a raccoon at 16 years old. This one seems to have the same personality. Welcome C II to our home!

C II

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

On this Christmas week I would like to wish you all a fabulous time with your family and friends.

Is there a time to be scary? Can I be scary? My kids certainly think I can be scary! I am not usually someone who writes horror and for the challenge for Horror Addicts I had to call in a dear friend, Arlene Radasky. My writing leans toward the very emotional intense side as apposed to blood, guts and gore or Vampires and Werewolves or Zombies. So for this story we went psychological. This is not a gory story but there is blood hehehehe.

Walk-in By Arlene Radasky and Rhonda R Carpenter has been slatted for the 16th Episode of Horroraddicts.net. And if you listened to HA this week you heard Emz give me 13 things I could do to be more scary! It was a crack up and I really appreciate Emz using me to get the word out about all the scary things happening on her site and many others! Thanks Emz!

There is a preview here of the story and at www.radasky.com but please be sure you listen to the episode too. Click on Short Stories Page and listen there to Walk-in! And subscribe to www.horroraddicts.net and hear it there January 29, 2009!

Christmas is family time for me and everyone comes to my house, which in this weather and be super scary, so I will be off line for the holidays for the most part. The next episode of The Mark of a Druid should go live tomorrow on podiobooks.com and this was a very difficult episode to do. See the http://www.themarkofadruid.com for more on the ins and outs of the issues and results.

This weeks Got Insight blog proves to be inspirational, Holiday Joy…  

Merry Christmas folks and here is to having a safe and joyous holiday and to all a good night.

Rhonda Carpenter

Where to you social network? 9 places I am checking out.

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

So what do you think of when you think Horror? Usually not my thing, but I have of late. been enjoying a pod cast called Horror Addicts produced by Emerian Rich. I thought this week I would ask the readers what scares you? Emerian has challenged me to write a horror short for her new season of www.horroraddicts.net. Which I believe kicked off this weekend! This show is not for children! If you like horror, vampires, zombies, listening to horror addicts can keep you up to date on new and old films and information of what is happening in the Horror community.

Social networking is becoming great fun and I am enjoying meeting all of these new people from all over the world. Were do I go? Well I am checking out many sites to see if they call to me. Here is what I have found.

Tagged… Sucks! I swear I did not get one follower of my over 200 followers that was more than interested in poking me with a silly or provocative message. I closed the tagged account. Yuck. I am married and happily and have been for 20 years so I am not online or networking to get a date.

Twitter… Digging Twitter.com I don’t profess to know how or why it works, but I am having fun and meeting people and not once has anyone hit on me. YES!!!! I am seeing things on the web I would never have seen if not for whom I am following and who is following me. I have actually sold books and built listeners for the podcast which totally rocks and it has been a great way to meet others who are doing interesting and fun things on the web to promote their books or music or art and even there creations and work. I do want to say that is not just about your work but Twitter is about “What are you doing right now in 140 characters.” If you are interested in social networking Twitter is one of my favorites. http://twitter.com/rhondacarpenter

Myspace… Well I have a myspace page but I find the format hard to use and a tad frustrating. Granted, because of that I have not spent a ton of time developing contacts there. http://www.myspace.com/rhondarcarpenter

Facebook… Well I started out apprehensive about face book. I have since changed my mind. I don’t use any of the give a person a flower or grow your garden widgets basically because I just don’t have time. I field about 3 to 400 emails a days and these emails and actions seem a waste of my time. But I did just recently build a The Mark of a Druid book group to see if it would be an easy way to contact my fans and readers about what is going on. I like the ease of facebook and we will see how far it goes! http://www.facebook.com/rhondarcarpenter#/profile.php?id=748048511&ref=name Sign up for the group to get updates.

Yahoo360… I have been on yahoo of years and find that it is a constant and reliable place to post a blog or update what is happening but they seem to be falling behind the times in what is happening in social networking.

Linkedin… I built a professional deatailed profile from linkedin but I find it hard to use. This week I plan on learn the ins and outs of linked in. I still have not figured out how to tell people how to find me on facebook. But my username is Rhondarcarpenter. And I come up under hypnosis and www.lifefirst.com.

Plurk… is also on the list to learn in the next few weeks.

Tailcast.com Which I totally love! It is a great young community that focuses on your creations. Check it out! http://www.tailcast.com/member-rhonda-r-carpenter-409.html My son is showing his artwork there too.

Dig… Hmmm singed up and did nothing with it yet. So add that to the list of things to learn too.

Selfgrowth.com… this is really a professional site and while I think it is a great and informative site. I plan on writing some technical information for the site as soon as The Mark of a Druid is complete as an audio book.

I have received several requests to join many scocial networking sites. So this week I will have a look at some of them again but I have to say it is hard to follow and keep up with too many sites at once.

How do you use the net? What do you find helpful and where are you hanging out? Let me know I am always interested in new and fun social networking sites and fun things to do on the web.

Thanks again for all the support and keep the comments coming I am grateful to have them.

Seasons Greetings!

Keep Writing! I Know I Will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

1. Never ever tell your computer person that you may be interested in doing some quality video in the near future, because inevitably that will lead to a new this or a better that for your computer. Not that upgrading is a bad thing. Just don’t do it in the middle of a podcast.

2. Never change up your equipment in the middle of the podcast. If your settings are good then stick with it. And if you must do #1 above… Write your setting down!

3. Never loose that editing groove. I’ve found while podcasting The Mark of a Druid that I do much better cranking out a couple of episodes a week. But with the holidays and work demands it is not always easy to do. And because #1 and #2 above happened… I found I had a hard time finding my groove-thing with the editing.

4. Never assume that since the microphone hasn’t changed that it will sound the same after an upgrade. I ran headlong without doing one darn sound check and recorded 4 chapters only to have a hideous buzz that I could not get out… And because #1, #2, #3 above happened… I lost two full nights of recording and it was all my fault.

5. Never give up. Listen, if I can do this podcasting thing and do it from my office and turn out good quality listening, have fun in the process, learn as much as I can every day—then you can do it too.

Bonus #6 On the never do this when you are podcasting list is: Never tell your audience that you will be on time and then be late. Have a reserve. Don’t give away everything all at once unless you can release the whole book in one shot. And yes, I have heard of that being done from a few authors on podiobooks.com. The idea of a serialized podcasted novel is to let the listener listen at their conveyance either as it comes out or to wait and listen when the entire book has been released. But as a listener here and I listen a lot. I tend to get discouraged when a book is rolling along and I am ready for my weekly fix only to find the author didn’t upload it. Now I know life happens. Heck it happens to us all, but if there is a reserve then the reader doesn’t feel that sense of being forgotten.

In short never ask for more until you are ready and then you will not have to hassle the change until you are ready. That being said I love the new system and the sound is wonderful.

Last announcement! Thanks Gary and Ruth of Celtic Myth Podshow for playing the promo and all your kind words about the book in Episode 18. Love your show!
You can hear it too at http://celticmythpodshow.com/ Subscribe by RSS, Zune, iTunes or listen on their site!

Keep Writing! I Know I Will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Photo by Henry Diltz

Welcome Readers!

What an interesting week, and I mean that in the most sarcastic of ways. My computer went bye bye after installing an upgraded video card. Which made me seriously grateful for several things.

1. My husband is a genius when it come to PC’s. (thank you honey!)
2. I always back up my system off the computers to a server once a month sometime more if I am writing something new. As you would have it that was the case and I had just backed up. So no lost data! Soooo Grateful.
3. I am ahead in the recorded and ready episodes for The Mark of a Druid podcast. Again so grateful.
4. After having some new trouble with my injured right neck, arm, shoulder, arm and hand… a cortisone shot, while it hurt like heck, really helped, just in time for the new system to be up, loaded, and running. Grateful!
5. Which all gave me a really big head start on the holiday decorating! Yes, that is right, the tree is up and the house beautiful. I love the holiday season. Grateful to be here this year.
6. While doing cooking prep for this coming Thanks Giving Feast, I caught up on my listening of my new favorite podcast www.celticmythpodshow.com If you are interested in Celtic lore and myths then you will not want to miss this pod cast. The voices are wonderful it would be great to listen to it with the kids most of the episodes are kid friendly and the ones that aren’t are clearly marks. So I am grateful to Gary and Ruth for their extraordinary efforts to bring us the old tales and some glimpses of newer ones too. This pod cast will become a family tradition of listening for my family. My husband is listening on his commute on disk and two of my sons are listening as well. Grateful to Gary and Ruth for doing the Celtic Myths Pod Show.

This week is all about getting the rough draft of a new horror story for the next season of http://www.horroraddicts.net/ done, so I can go into edit along with recording new episodes of The Mark of a Druid www.themarkofadruid.com, for more info. Wednesday family arrives (I here there may be snow!) for the celebration of giving thanks. This tiny touch of a vacation will not stop or slow the releases of the podcast.

This week in promotion: I am also working on press releases and booking one book signing well be scheduled if all goes right and maybe a newspaper article put on the books to go with that signing. I will be twittering and updating some of the new social networks I have joined this week. I am meeting some of the most interesting spirits! Again Grateful!

Now, where am I going to put those 2000 words for Truth Slithers… Here space.. This will likely happen on Friday.

Thanks gain for all the support and keep the comments coming I am grateful to have them.

Happy Thanks Giving!

Keep Writing! I Know I Will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Welcome all!

This week in writing. I actually had life take over this week. There were a ton of meetings and medical things that I had to attend and I was out of the house and off the mountain for three days this week.

I did manage to can and upload another audio episode and edited half of another but I truly did not get the chance to do anything new. Sad I know. But I was challenged on horroraddicts.net  to write a scary short for next season. If you haven’t listened to Horror Addicts you should it is a cute, fun and interesting look at horror and the season of horror. Thank you, Emerian Rich, for the big shout out about the print release of The Mark of a Druid.

It was very cool to meet, Mathew Wayne Selznick  author of Brave Men Run, this week. I am posting his promo and cover with links on the hot promo page. Thank you, Mathew your insights into creating communities and marketing they were very helpful. You can also hear Brave Men Run on Podiobooks and itunes and I understand he has bridged the e-book/iphone media sources as well has being available on Amazon and I am sure everywhere else.

This week I have slatted to work on Truth Slither, a murder tale that takes place from 1890 ish to 1920 ish. As well I have recording and editing to do for the pod cast and I have to say thank you to all of the great folks who are leaving comments it really helps and truly appreciate it.

We are working on the new website for The Mark of a Druid and the contest prizes. Look for announcements on www.themarkofadruid.com.

Announcements this week in time for the holidays if you hurry!

Bookplates are available so you don’t have to ship me your book and pay to ship it back. What is a bookplate? It is a sticker basically that I personalize for you and send back to you in a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). Make sure you go over to the book Send me a note and enclose a SASE and I will be happy to autograph the plate and you can place it in the front of the book. Go to http://www.themarkofa druid.com for details.

This proves to be another off the charts busy week! Nose to the grindstone and all that! I am so blessed to be doing something so exciting and to love it so much.

Keep Writing, I know I will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Welcome all!

Releasing a novel can be intimidating for a new author! The Mark of a Druid is now available in print versions. Click the buy now button to go to Amazon and get your very own copy. If you want to know, more go over to the book site. http://www.themarkofadruid.com

The advice I received this week is to look at this as a 3 year project. This gives it a bit less of a sense of urgency and gives me some room to look at what I need to do to market this project to the general public in the biggest way possible. But to be honest I love deadlines. I know, I am weird. But if you say to me, by this date, I will have it done and usually before. It is just who I am.

There are so many things to think about when sending your work out into the world. As some of you may have heard I am podcasting the novel on Podiobooks.com, itunes and may other venues on the web. It has been really well received to date and I am only half way. I am on schedule and plan on getting a jump this week on recording again.

Here is what you can do to help… Go to www.podiobooks.com listen and leave some feedback or listen anywhere and leave some feedback. Your comments help me to do a better job and it helps others to know is this novel is for them.

Please stop by the interview lick here for the Dr. Sally Witt show on Blogtalkradio.com http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Dr-Sally-Psychic-Healer/2008/11/08/Rhonda-Carpenter-and-Mark-of-the-Druid Sally also does some amazing social networking training and I am proud to call her friend.

Marketing is a interesting thing fro this book and I find myself flowing into it more easily than I thought. Now I have to say Video is not my thing but I did shoot an oovoo interview that is playing on u-tube now. Here is the link. Can you say bad Godzilla flick! We have ordered some equipment that should get me to be able to move my lips and have the voice actually be right in the next few weeks. I am looking forward to making the websites more accessible to the disabled. And if you all can talk me into it I might make these blogs audio if you are someone who needs to listen instead of read. Just send me a comment and let me know.

I am so very excited to kick off the contest for the book. And we have set a date to do that! The contest will start officially on January 1, 2009. With a new website over at www.themarkofadruid.com. There are some great prizes to be won and we are working on the contest being interactive. There will be an ask the characters a question section and a ton of other things including a very cool leave a comment or testimonial that you can record right on the site as well as a fan forum to discuss the book and the things in the book. There is a lot of work yet to do to have the site ready to kick off this contest but I invite you to stick around and watch the progress. Should be a really fun ride.

Announcements this week!

Bookplates are available so you don’t have to ship me your book and pay to ship it back. What is a bookplate. It is a sticker basically that I personalize for you and send back to you in a SASE. Make sure you go over to the book site for more info and the address the how to of it.

The Book of Bubba has a new chapter posted this week. Lick on the link to your right and see what the happiest dog has to say and think on his words of wisdom! Thanks Bubba for being in my life. You totally remind me to smile at least a hundred time a day.

The Fox and I am very pleased to announce that The Fox, By Arlene Radasky is completed podnovel on podiobooks.com. Congratulations Arlene! Her podnovel is linked on the blog roll of this site. Go subscribe it is a wonderful Celtic story of sacrifice and love, that will warm your heart, bring your tissues. Or check out her site at www.radasky.com.

Last announcement!But certainly not least! There is a this very neat podshow I ran across because of Twitter. Check it out. I love this show. Can’t get enough of it. Gary and Ruth are doing a fantastic job of sharing the ancient Celtic Myths with all of us. Thanks to you both for doing this. Love it! Tune in at http://celticmythpodshow.com Subscribe by RSS, Zune, iTunes or listen on their site! Celtic Myths Pod Show promo! And go leave them a comment on itunes!

Keep Writing, I know I will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter

Welcome all!

Big announcements this week. First The Mark of a Druid is now available in print versions. Click the buy now button to go to Amazon and get your very own copy. If you want to know, more go over to the book site. http://www.themarkofadruid.com. Contest to be announced soon!

There is so much going on that it is hard to talk about it all and not sound like I am tooting my own horn. To be quiet frank, I am thrilled that I have made it this far with my dream of writing professionally.

In February of 2008 I was done hearing that mainstream publishing had no clue how to market the book because it didn’t fit into any of their categories. I was happy that the editors and publishers loved the book, I agreed with them that it needed to be edited, but I was completely disheartened that they were not willing to go out on a limb for an unknown author who did not have a platform. In other words, I wasn’t famous or known enough to create sales with just my name.

I attended a writing conference in Southern California with a dear friend. I left the conference more convinced that I needed to do this myself, but had questions about how to make it happen. My dear friend, Arlene, knew exactly what she wanted when she left the conference. She decided to podcast her novel The Fox and I am very pleased to announce that The Fox, By Arlene Radasky will be a completed podnovel this week on podiobooks.com. Congratulations Arlene, you have worked so hard and your book is out there in full for all to enjoy. I heard there is going to be a print release in the near future too! I love that we both took different routes and ended up in about the same place. Her podnovel is linked on the blog roll of this site. Go subscribe it is a wonderful Celtic story of sacrifice and love, that will warm your heart, bring your tissues. It will be a little sad when I can’t get a new episode of Jahana’s story. But I am looking forward to your new project Sea Hawk.

At the conference, there was a lot of “talk” about how publishing is changing. I listened and wondered where I was going to be in those changes. But I was unsure that I wanted to podcast alone so I decided that I was going to self publish and see if I couldn’t market the book myself, then podcast as an adjunct and a way to build a bit of a platform. I also started blogging and getting involved on net marketing for the books release. Which was this week! I am so enjoying podcasting the story as well! I can’t imagine not podcasting.

I have met so many wonderful people on this journey and here is a new friend. November 3rd on Podiobooks.com William Bostock is releasing “Searching For My Wives.” Click here to listen to the promo and subscribe for free and listen on your schedule at podiobooks.com.

Imagine how it all began, one and one-half million years ago, this marvelous,
long journey of Humanity.

“Not many protohumans were alive at any time back then, but all of us had souls, and souls persist, and there are souls which lived in hominids in Chesowanja, eastern Africa who have lived among us almost to the present day.”

Some souls, for instance, Shimmer, his wives Sita and Ahalya, Old Shiver,
Gliff, and Silver, work for peace and happiness. Others, though, often driven
by the trickster Murk, despoil, degrade, and kill, intent on dragging Mankind
down.

Life after life, from Kenya to the Ganges, Shimmer fights the old destroyer,
but all the while he tries to find and share lives with his beloved wives.

Come along as Shimmer leads migrations. Relive the waning of the Great Ice
Age and the planetwide disaster. And remember how Old Kingdom Egypt travelled
through a pleat in time to stabilize and rule the riverplains of Northern
India.

Re-experience Murk’s dark campaign to undermine that peaceful land, and once
again respond to Shimmer and Old Shiver’s call to arms and meet the enemy
between two rivers at fabled Kurukshetra.

Come relive Mankind’s infancy in “Searching for My Wives”, at podiobooks.com.

Last announcement!

 Click on imgase to hear the promo!

There is a this very neat podshow I ran across because of Twitter. Check it out. I love this show. Can’t get enough of it. Gary and Ruth are doing a fantastic job of sharing the ancient Celtic Myths with all of us. Thanks to you both for doing this. Love it! Tune in at http://celticmythpodshow.com Subscribe by RSS, Zune, iTunes or listen on their site!

Keep Writing, I know I will!

Rhonda R. Carpenter