Arlee Bird is featured on the VBT - Writers on the Move blog

November was the VBT- Writers on the Move one year anniversary and we did a special posting all month long. We had winners every day during the tour where they were given their choice of either books or guest spots on the VBT blog.

Pop over for a treat about juggling words and coming up with a story. See you in the postings - E :)

Robin Falls Magazine premier is up

EXTRA! EXTRA! COME SEE ALL ABOUT IT!
at Robin Falls Magazine
***********************************
We would like to invite you to visit our new Robin Falls Magazine and tell us what you think. The magazine is a seasonal online display of work by international Writers and Artists. Most are members of FaceBook group Red River Writers.

It is divided into four sections: Red River Writers, Robin Falls Kids, Radio Shows, and the Book & Art Shop. Within the pages of the sections are 5 interactive, recurring posts where you can ask related questions and get answers from experts.

Red River Writers section contains: Articles, Poetry & Lyrics, Short Stories, Writing & Promoting, Book Reviews, Videos, Excerpts from books, and Art Displays.

Robin Falls Kids section contains: Articles, Stories, Poems, Music, Art, Kids Activities, Book Reviews, Writing & Promoting Tips, Coloring Pages, and Book Trailers.

Radio Shows section relates to Red River Writers Live and Robin Falls Kids Blog Talk Radio Shows. There you will find profiles of Shows, Hosts, Guests, and Assistants. The shows motto is “To Entertain and Education.” Currently Robin Falls produces 15 different styled radio shows, representing all genres. There pages will definitely entertain.

Book and Art Shop at Robin Falls Magazine features work of friends of Robin Falls from all genres. Direct links to learn more about each item with ability to purchase are provided.

As if that was not enough, the magazine is stuffed with links and flashing buttons that will lead you directly to one of our more than 500 merchant affiliate stores. Special effort was made to give you an exciting online shopping experience. There is variety galore and discounts to boot.

So, please enter and relax by our beautiful falls while you view the magazine's magnificent scenery at Robin Falls Magazine.

Your FaceBook Friend,
April
April Robins, CEO Robin Falls, LLC

P.S. Help us get the word out by taking one of our Banners at RFM sub guidelines and putting it on your site. Also, e-mail me if you would like to be in a Banner Exchange at aprilrobins@hughes.net.

Blast from the past

Bear (husband) has been cleaning upstairs and going through boxes and came across this. Not sure what year it really is from but I'm guessing roughly 1972 - so guess what folks, I really was a kid at some point - lol.



Don't really think I was all that cute, so no harsh comments - but if you want to comment, that's fine; if not, okay with me.

Reminder of NOVEMBER host time/DECEMBER VBT schedule

November's VBT - Writers on the Move tour is winding down with only a week left. We have six days of blogs to post their guest bloggers. My posting is tomorrow on Linda Asato. Stop by my JGDS blog and find out why spiders live in Linda's mailbox.



As you can see, December is fast approaching and the VBT - Writers on the move will only be doing one posting for the month of December, December 1st, so there will be a lot of blogs to visit on that day. We will be doing some revamping come January and there will be new schedules after the holidays. I think Karen will start 2010 like our anniversary tour was - each person hosting one day in the month. With almost 30 members, we can run the tours all month long. As the schedules are posted, please check each month on my sidebar to see where we will be. I think 2010 will be a very good year for everyone involved in the virtual blog tours.

Here is the December schedule:

Dianne Sagan is hosting Lea Schizas
Karen Cioffi is hosting Heidi Thomas
Kathy Stemke is hosting Martha Swirzinski
Lea Schizas is hosting Brigitte Thompson
Nancy Famolari is hosting Kathy Stemke
Margaret Fieland is hosting Karen Cioffi
Crystalee Calderwood is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Katie Hines is hosting Stephen Tremp
Helena Harper is hosting Deborah Weed
Liana Metal is hosting Dianne Sagan
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Debra Eckerling
Gayle Trent is hosting Dana Donovan
Mayra Calvani is hosting Helena Harper
Marvin Wilson is hosting Mayra Calvani
Linda Asato is hosting Marvin Wilson
Stephen Tremp is hosting Gayle Trent
Elysabeth Eldering is hosting Katie Hines
Darcia Helle is hosting Linda Asato
Deborah Weed is hosting Liana Metal
Brigitte Thompson is hosting Nancy Famolari
Martha Swirzinski is hosting Margaret Fieland
Heidi Thomas is hosting Jane Sutton
Jane Sutton is hosting Darcia Helle
Dana Donovan is hosting Crystalee Calderwood
Dallas Woodburn is hosting Linda Suzane
Linda Suzane is hosting Elysabeth Eldering
Debra Eckerling is hosting Dallas Woodburn

Follow the VBT-Writers on the Move tour (x-posted)

Today, I am being hosted by Margaret Fieland. Stop by and leave a comment. Remember if you leave a comment, you are eligible for a prize. There will be a drawing every day this month during the tour since it is our one year anniversary and we want you the readers to benefit. So stop by, leave a comment and maybe tomorrow your name will be drawn for a prize - E :)

First Book - What got you hooked on reading? contest results

And the state receiving 50,000 books is ....... (drumrool please) Hawaii. Kentucky and Oklahoma were fighting it out but in the end, Hawaii and North Carolina stomped all over them. And believe it or not, South Carolina placed in the top 10, ranking at #8. This from down in the lower 25 of the pack, so kudos to all those readers who took the initiative and voted and put Hawaii out in front and brought South Carolina up from being the low man on totem pole. If you want to see all the states' rankings, just click on the title of this posting and you will be taken directly to the results page.

VBT- Writers on the move celebrates one year!

And you readers will be the winners. We are giving away prizes every day of the tour in November for the first twenty three days. Instead of doing our usual 1st and 3rd postings, each person on the schedule will post on a scheduled day (see schedule below). Stop by each stop and leave a comment and you may win a prize (see below about prizes).


VBT - NOVEMBER SCHEDULE:



November 1 - Dianne Sagan hosting Heidi Thomas
November 2 - Harry Gilleland hosting Karen Cioffi
November 3 - Karen Cioffi hosting Martha Swirzinki
November 4 - Kathy Stemke hosting Brigitte Thompson
November 5 - Nancy Famolari hosting Deborah Weed
November 6 - Margaret Fieland hosting Elysabeth Eldering
November 7 - Crystalee Calderwood hosting Harry Gilleland
November 8 - Katie Hines hosting Heather Paye
November 9 - Helena Harper hosting Steve Tremp
November 10 - Liana Metal hosting Crystalee Calderwood
November 11 - Carolyn Howard-Johnson hosting Marvin Wilson
November 12 - Gayle Trent hosting Dianne Sagan
November 13 - Mayra Calvani hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
November 14 - Marvin Wilson hosting Gayle Trent
November 15 - Linda Asato hosting Mayra Calvani
November 16 - Heather Paye hosting Katie Hines
November 17 - Steve Tremp hosting Helena Harper
Novemver 18 - Elysabeth Eldering hosting Linda Asato
November 19 - Darcia Helle hosting Liana Metal
November 20 - Deborah Weed hosting Nancy Famolari
November 21 - Brigitte Thompson hosting Margaret Fieland
November 22 - Martha Swirzinki hosting Darcia Helle
November 23 - Heidi Thomas hosting Kathy Stemke


Each day there will be prizes offered. All you have to do is leave a comment on the host's site on the day he/she is posting for their guest and you may be a WINNER!

The Winner will have a choice of ONE of 2 or 3 books of our members or other related gifts, OR a one day guest spot on the VBT - Writers on the Move site!

Prizes being given away EVERY Day from November 1st through November 23rd!

OH! Wait a minute! That's not all! We are still having our Mystery Site Giveaway and the SUPER-DUPER PRIZE is a $25 (US) GIFT CARD to either Amazon, Target, or an American Express Gift Card. I'll know for sure by the end of this month.

Winners will be notified the day after each posting. The Mystery Site Winner will be notified Sunday, November 29th.

Come celebrate with us and maybe be the WINNER of a great gift in the process.

First competition down

Our school performed in a 3A class yesterday. It was a prelim/final competition, meaning the top band in each class plus four other top scoring bands would compete in the finals. Eighteen bands total competed, four in 1A, five in 2A, four in 3A, and five in 4A. The first performance started at like 12:30 in the afternoon. I didn't make it to see the 1A or 2A bands but did make it to see all the 3A and 4A bands perform. We performed last in out class with a show called "Time Warp". In the preliminaries we received best drumline, best colorguard, best horn line in the 3A class and took first place. This automatically put us in the finals.

In the finals, we were up against a 1A, 2A and all five 4A bands and placed 5th. I think they did a stellar job considering at last week's football game I didn't feel they stood a chance of making it past upper state this year. I think they have a chance to go to state again. I'll keep you posted every week. Next week's competition is one we are hosting, so even though we will be scored, we are not "competing" with any other bands, since we will only do an exhibition. See you next week - E :)

Summer Love by Liana Metal, a graphic novel love story

SUMMER LOVE synopsis: Elira feels trapped running her family's little hotel on the Greek island of Hydra. She's never traveled, never experienced love, never really lived. Then a handsome mysterious stranger checks in, and Elira can't hide her fascination. But Nicolas Soulakis is on a dangerous mission. When he is forced to elicit Elira's help, guilt gnaws at him for taking advantage of her obvious feelings for him. Never mind that those dove-gray eyes entrance him, that her shapely body drives him mad with desire. Soon that desire explodes in a fiery outpouring of need, and Nicolas knows he's lost.

If you click on the title of this posting, it will take you to the purchase page for this story. It is Liana's first romance done in this style. E :)

A day in the life of ...

Liana Metal, writer and artist


A typical week day starts at around 8:00 a.m. when the sun rays fall on my face and the birds’ singing from the trees just off my balcony act as a natural alarm clock. I am usually a very active sort of person, but I hate organizing all my days in advance. I never drink coffee in the morning, though on some cold days I have a cup of tea with milk; a bowl of Quaker oats with honey and banana slices is filling and sweet; and a good start for a productive day!

I turn on my computer after preparing lunch, and while it is being cooked I write an article or two; on my unlucky days though, I just have to cook a second meal because the first one has got burnt! Phone calls are a great distraction during the day, especially when some relatives enjoy a lengthy and juicy conversation! I avoid daily shopping as I won’t get everything done in time. But I enjoy roaming around the town and talking to friends every other day, taking pictures for my blog or doing interviews with local people for Coffee Time paper. Every outing seems to be a small adventure for me.

When the weather permits, I start the day painting in my balcony, and I do some typing after 11a.m. I enjoy doing different tasks as it adds variety to my day schedule. Housework has to be done in between writing and painting-so I have one or two breaks dedicated to family chores. Afternoons are more relaxing. In winter I never have a siesta; I teach some young pupils for 2-3 hours and then I return to my computer to complete the work that I have started earlier in the day. Painting has to wait till the weekend when I have more free time. I spend the evenings computer-free with family members. I love watching my favorite series or a film on TV, and I never go to bed before midnight! On hot summer days I stay up later than usual, but I have a relaxing siesta during the day that keeps me refreshed. Summer evenings are mainly spent outside, at Garitsa Bay, where people stroll and chat. That is a great meeting point for friends and tourists alike and a source of inspiration as well!

Band of the Week for September 25

You all know what time of year it is? Band season. This is the halftime performance (well, okay 43 seconds of it) of BHP"s competition show. Each week three bands go up for votes (and the kids probably pad the votes a lot) and then on the following Monday it is posted on The High School Playbook site. Hope you all enjoy - E :)

VBT coming October 1 - meet author Liana Metal

I'm back on the rotation and will be hosting Liana Metal for October. On October 1, stop by and take a peek into "A Day in the Life of..." and find out a little bit more about Liana and how she typically works. On Saturday, October 3, stop by for a look at her graphic novel, "Summer Love", a romance story. Hope you all enjoy meeting this author from Greece.


On October 11, stop by my JGDS blog for the Viewpoint of the month. I will be doing a viewpoint on a topic that has come up on more than one forum about Children's/MG/YA genres. Hope to see you all there - E :)

VBT - Writers on the Move group - monthly tour schedule

I'm back on the schedule for the virtual book tour group. I will also be doing this month's viewpoint. Posts will go up on the 1st and 3rd. Here is the schedule:

Dianne Sagan hosting Harry Gilleland
Harry Gilleland hosting Marvin Wilson
Karen Cioffi hosting Kathy Stemke
Kathy Stemke hosting Jane Sutton
Nancy Famolari hosting Steve Tremp
Vivian Zabel hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Margaret Fieland hosting Nancy Famolari
Crystalee Calderwood hosting Elysabeth Eldering
Katie Hines hosting Linda Asato
Helena Harper hosting Katie Hines
Liana Metal hosting Margaret Fieland
Carolyn Howard-Johnson hosting Mayra Calvani
Gayle Trent hosting Crystalee Calderwood
Mayra Calvani hosting Dainne Sagan
Marvin Wilson hosting Helena Harper
Linda Asato hosting Gayle Trent
Heather Paye hosting Vivian Zabel
Steve Tremp hosting Heather Paye
Elysabeth Eldering hosting Liana Metal
Jane Sutton hosting Karen Cioffi
Karen Cioffi hosting Darcia Helle
Darcia Helle hosting Jack Edward George

Quite a lineup we have this month. Please be sure to visit our members' sites.

Aside from book promotion, our authors provide useful writing and marketing articles as part of each tour.

We also have the Mystery Site Giveaway: the winner chooses between the Mystery Site Host's book or a guest spot RIGHT HERE! If you're an author, it's a great prize!

Finally, our Viewpoint segment will be hosted by Elysabeth Eldering on Sunday, October 11th. Be sure to stop by and let us know what you're thinking.

Okay, I guess that's about it, except: if you're an author you too can create ongoing visibility and increased readership by joining our merry band of authors.
If you're interested, contact: karenrcfv@yahoo.com

Check out cover for State of Altitude

If you click on the title of this posting, you will be taken to the JGDS blog posting about the cover for State of Altitude. State of Reservations is being illustrated along with another serious project (Aidana's words) and she hopes to have it ready and published by November 1. Fingers crossed. Anyway - pop over and let me know what you think - E :)

Invisible ants who invade

It seems we have had an invasion of ants in the last few weeks or so. They are everywhere - all over the property, in the house but can't see them and in my car, even inside the groove of the trunk area.

They are buggers for sure. I brush off the bed before getting in it. Can't see the darned little things or feel them crawling on me but I can feel the after effects - the bites. I tried to sleep for over two hours only to feel the bites. I finally decided whatever, no sleep tonight. So decided to get up and blog about the stupid things.

I don't know what to do about them. I've tried sprays and powders and other poisons to get rid of them but without knowing where they are coming from, it is hard to get rid of them.

Have you voted yet?

Click on the title and go vote. Only ten days left. South Carolina is still way down, not even in the top 25. We don't have much of a chance to pull off getting up to number one but it can't hurt to keep trying. South Carolina is ranking 29th; Kentucky, Hawaii, and Oklahoma are the top three spots and I think North Carolina is in the top ten somewhere; if not there then at least in the top twenty. Do it now. Vote today. Every vote helps. E :)

Thank you Mr. Hughes

I now have a book trailer thanks to the efforts of Mr. Hughes. I really wasn't expecting him to do this so quickly but he took off and worked on it over the weekend. I think it turned out rather well. Please comment on what you think - E :)

09/09/09 - and 20 years

I'm not really blogging about the significance of today's date to numerologists as it has been done many times already, I'm sure. I'm really blogging about co-existing with a person for 20 years on this date. Today is my 20th anniversary and for the past 10 years of married life, we have pretty much co-existed in the same household and not much else. I still do all the grocery shopping and pretty much preparing the food or making sure that he gets fed when we eat out. I don't do his laundry (thank goodness). I run all the errands because he works third shift and is too lazy to do anything unless he absolutely positively has to because I have an important meeting to attend. We don't communicate much unless he feels I really need to know something. I, on the other hand, don't really see a need to tell him much because I know he doesn't listen to anything I have to say nor does he care.

So why not get a divorce? Hmmm - the thought has occurred to me but I financially couldn't make it on my own with kids and all. I don't make enough to support myself and the kids even if he were to pay child support and alimony. It is less costly this way and the kids still have their father around, not that they spend much time with him as it is since he works third shift (has worked second and first since moving to this area) and they are in school during the day and he usually sleeps until about noon or so and then goes outside to the creek (he's a sun worshipper and will take any sunny day over a cloudy one; those are the days he just sleeps and watches TV all the time until dinner and then sleeps until he leaves for work).

If my books ever become self-supporting or I get a sponsor (Jeopardy would be nice to have as a sponsor) and all, I would probably get the divorce, but at this late stage, it would be mostly paperwork than anything else. Finding a place to live and all would be easy and since Benjamin just started high school this year, no sense in doing anything until he completes high school. That way the kids are out of the house and the divorce would be pretty simple. I wouldn't ask for much - as long as my books are supporting me by then.

So now you know - I co-exist on the same plane in the same house (not even on the same floor as I live in the basement and he lives on the second floor) and have done so for half of my married life - See you all in the postings - E :)

Week 3 (what a day) - lol

Yep, tomorrow is officially three weeks since Hailie got her learner's permit. She's been driving down the driveway when we have to go anywhere but that had been the extent of driving, other than last weekend when she spent the night with her friend who got her permit the Friday before she did. She called me up and asked if it was okay if she drove in the parking lot with her friend and her friend's mother. So as long as there is a licensed driver over 21, she is good to go. They drove in the parking lot at the high school since it is huge and there are no vehicles there on the weekends. Great place to learn turns and parking and work on parallel parking.

So today when I picked her up from church, she wanted to drive home. I know she needs to practice driving on the street but I still have a hard time letting go right now. I just don't think she is ready. I let her drive home and she did okay except at the stop signs, she still tends to be heavy on the brakes - can't seem to grasp that easing on them. We had a little bit of traffic on our road and I know she was scared but she did pretty good. I didn't yell at her except reminded her to pay attention to her mirrors and what's going on around her and to be aware. I know with more practice she will get there but I'm not sure I can survive the practice times too much - lol - Anyway - if you are in the area, be on the lookout for new drivers in town - at least two right now - Hailie and her friend - until next time, see you all in the postings - E :)

Still time to vote for the First Book, Hooked on Reading

I haven't voted every day like I wanted to or should have but when I voted today, South Carolina has moved up from 37th to 29th. So come on all you South Carolina readers out there, vote and let's see if we can move the state up in the standings. Oklahoma is still in the #1 spot, followed by Kentucky. It would be nice to move up the rankings. Let's vote - just fill in what book got you hooked on reading and why and what state you would like the 50,000 books donated to and your name and email and you are good to go - E :)