The M. A. F. I. A. and Thomas F. Monteleone

Buy M. A. F. I. A. at Borderlands Press

I recently did an interview with acclaimed horror writer Thomas F. Monteleone for the upcoming Maryland Writers’ Association Conference (it’s coming soon! I have to finish transcribing it/editing it on paper), and all around awesome guy that he is, after the interview was finished he offered to send me a copy of The Mothers and Fathers Italian Association. It’s the Borderlands Press omnibus collection of his “M. A. F. I. A.” column that has appeared in various publications over the years, currently at Cemetery Dance.

He asked me to let all you readers/writers out there know that you must have this book, and, frankly, he didn’t even need to ask! YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK. Seriously, it covers so much about the publishing industry, how it’s changed over the years, the ups and downs he and others have gone through in the writing and publishing business. It’s an entertaining and very honest look at all of it, no bs.

There’s years and years of experience in “M. A. F. I. A.” and it’s all laid out for you to read and digest. Learn from it, wince when you recognize your own missteps (I most certainly did), and take comfort in the fact that it’s all a part of the process. If you really want to know, I suggest you get a copy ASAP.

I will refrain from using the The Godfather line to persuade you 🙂 .
Buy M. A. F. I. A. at Borderlands Press
# # #
Nancy O. Greene

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The Writers’ Block Carnival – writers from across the blogosphere

Welcome to the February 25, 2008 edition of writers from across the blogosphere. It’s a bit late and there are some repeats from the last carnival (due to an error with the carnival posting–I’ve kept them in so newer submissions weren’t accidently deleted), but it’s also full of new good reads as well. Enjoy!

writing

Terry Dean presents 21 Ideas for Hot Press Releases – Part 1 posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Richard Lee presents How Controversy Works posted at Richard Lee.

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents How To Research 5 Times Faster posted at Rebecca Dean.

Sagar presents Take it Back! 100 Tips to Defeat Content Thieves posted at Virtual Hosting.

Stephen Dean presents The Mathematics Of Testing Your Sales Copy. posted at Stephen Dean’s Copywriting And Internet Advertising Blog – Copywriter.

claire presents Writing Contest | Bebo Author posted at Bebo Author, saying, “Writing Contest – free to enter, lots of great prizes. Anyone who enters, sponsors a prize or promotes this contest on their blog receives a link back.”

Bumbeak presents Tips for a new Notebook posted at Quills are Swords.

Carol Bentley presents Getting your thoughts on paper posted at Carol Bentley.

Tiffany Colter presents Lesson Learned and How I got here posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “This blog discusses how to have success beginning from the first day of this New Year!”

Freddie L. Sirmans, Sr. presents Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis? posted at Can The US Prevent A Starvation Crisis.

James Lee presents The Secret Copywriting Technique That Keeps Prospects Riveted to Your Website posted at Online Business Freedom.

Carol Bentley presents How appealing are you posted at Carol Bentley.

The Countess presents Erotic Excerpt – The Party Crasher posted at The Countess.

Allen Crosse presents Three Hours Between the 34th and 35th posted at Cup o’ Poe, saying, “I wrote this when I was standing in a place that I very much didn’t want to be. Please, enjoy my pain.”

Eric Koshinsky presents ESL Writing Activities – Computer Based Editing and Correction Lessons posted at Teachers Call.

Carol Bentley presents Yesterday?s blog-post was completely off-track posted at Carol Bentley.

CG Walters presents Spirit Story…an Old Genre Reawakening posted at Into the Mist, saying, “A path of communication with the subconscious—as opposed to a communication with the conscious mind—is alive, more a communion between the personal subconscious and the Collective Consciousness, possibly awakening or speaking to the personal consciousness a little along the way.”

Tiffany Colter presents Writing Career Coach: A Pleasant surprise and How I got here Part 2 posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “A pleasant surprise on how to have success beginning from the first day of this New Year!”

Neelakantha presents 50+ Open Courseware Writing Classes from the World’s Leading Universities – College Degree.com posted at college degree.

Steve Osborne presents “Are You Done Yet?” posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne, author of “Writing Tips for the Real World,” is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years of experience.”

Ward Tipton presents Writing in Earnest | The Write Page posted at The Online Writing Resource Center, saying, “While freelance writing is great in many ways, wouldn’t it be nice to have your name on your writing and put the money it earned in your own pocket? I was finally able to get started doing this.”

Carol Bentley presents 4 easy steps to authorship. . . posted at Carol Bentley.

Steve Osborne presents The Well/Good Conundrum posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years experience. His blog teaches writing rules, strategies and techniques in a memorable, easy-to-understand way, spiced with a bit of humor.”

Alfa King presents Degree or experience? posted at Alfa King Memories.

Steve Osborne presents E-Mail Etiquette posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne, author of “Writing Tips for the Real World,” is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years of experience.”

Sagar presents Rookie Mistakes: 15 Blunders New Freelancers Make and How to Avoid Them posted at Bootstrapper.

Alfa King presents Clarity and Brevity Make Good Blogging posted at Alfa King Memories.

Orna Ross presents Planning Your Writing posted at WRITING ADVICE & PUBLISHING ADVICE from Font, saying, “Article on the importance of planning for writers”

Jessse Hines presents The Best Writing Advice I Ever Received posted at Vigorous Writing.

Jessse Hines presents Got Writer’s Block? Just Eat that Frog. posted at Vigorous Writing.

blue skelton presents The First Junkie Ninja Monologue posted at This Wasted Monologue, saying, “Scene: Present Day, Hospital Waiting Room – Blue Skelton is reflecting on the imminent birth of his first child.”

ScottG presents Notebook on a Passion: The Writer Begins with the Begiining posted at Notebook on a Passion, saying, “Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors, but always, at bottom, to be more themselves.
–Aldous Huxley”

Steve Osborne presents First Things First posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne, author of “Writing Tips for the Real World,” is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years of experience.”

Thursday Bram presents What If? Emergency Planning for Your Writing posted at thursdaybram.com.

GrrlScientist presents Bridge To Opportunity (Reprise) posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “This is just a story about the Brooklyn Bridge, as written by a non-native NYCer; me! Includes history of the bridge and Emily Roebling’s remarkable contribution to its completion.”

Vaibhav Gadodia presents Habitually Good » Blog Archive » Writer’s block – what is that? posted at Habitually Good.

GrrlScientist presents Today’s Adventure in The Land of Medicine posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “After a day like this, I would be crazy, if I wasn’t crazy already.”

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents How To Kick Writers? Block posted at Rebecca Dean.

Richard Lee presents How To Write Magnetic Headlines posted at Richard Lee.

Brent Diggs presents Writing Prompts for the Not-So-Prompt posted at The Ominous Comma, saying, “Humor for writers”

publishing

Marcus Hochstadt presents Why Drafting Messages Saves You Time posted at Marcus Hochstadt, saying, “Drafting messages in order to publish them at a later time is a great way to save a bunch of time. You sit down one time, focus on writing, writing, writing, and then you’re done for a couple of days or even weeks.”

Amy Munnell presents Writing Nationally… posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

reading

Sol Smith presents 20 Great books to get you Reading posted at How to be a Badass Dad.

ivanisko presents A Report from Budapest posted at Bookstore Guide, saying, “Our blog aims to provide a database of all the European independent bookstores selling books in English. We also publish reports from our travels and personal visits of the bookstores included in our guide.”

uncategorized

Michael@TSM presents Travel Writing Contest! Win $150 Cash Prize | Traveling Stories Magazine posted at Traveling Stories Magazine.

old-wizard presents Old-Wizard.com Top 100 Video Games of All Time List / Introduction posted at Old-Wizard.com.

Deborah Dera presents Have you found a niche? posted at The Rhythm of Write, saying, “Not having found a niche is not necessarily a bad thing. There’s no need to limit yourself and your writing.”

Charles H. Green presents Aristotle, Maister, and the Fat Smoker posted at Trust Matters, saying, “The old writers advice is to draw from your own experience. That’s what author David Maister did, starting with the fact that he’d been a fat smoker for almost all his life.”

Carol Bentley presents Death of the long letter posted at Carol Bentley.

Rob Moshe presents Live Your Best Life By Serving Others posted at Rob Schaumer, saying, “This is not necessarily a fitting post for your carnival. Once the project starts, each day I will recognize a fellow blogger that “Helped””

Amy Munnell presents Short Stuff…Say A Lot With A Little posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Amy Munnell presents 5 Steps to a Better Interview… posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Brandon Rike presents What To Do About BEING FUNNY, OR NOT BEING FUNNY posted at What To Do About.com.

Orna Ross presents Why F-R-E-E-Write? by Orna Ross posted at WRITING ADVICE & PUBLISHING ADVICE from Font, saying, “Scarlett Thomas tells people not to attend writing workshops or do FREE-Writing? Here’s why to ignore her”

Orna Ross presents How to Write Good Fiction: Advice from Kurt Vonnegut posted at WRITING ADVICE & PUBLISHING ADVICE from Font.

Tracy Coenen presents Sequence Inc. Fraud Files by Tracy Coenen » Blog Archive » My incredible book writing journey posted at FRAUDfiles.

Tracy Coenen presents Got the blogging blues? posted at FRAUDfiles.

articles

JRickG presents You Are No Different than Successful People posted at $5000 and Up.

Phil B. presents Bloggers Love Giving Advice « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “The Internet, specifically bloggers, has started replacing self help books and television shows, just how the Internet is replacing traditional news media.”

Kenton Newby presents 10 Ways Article Writing Can Stack the Deck in Your Favor posted at KentonNewby.com.

FitBuff presents Power of the Mind – Much Stronger Than Your Biceps! posted at FitBuff.com’s Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, “If you’re a longtime FitBuff reader, you may remember I’ve personally experienced the power of mind over muscle in one of my workouts when I lifted 50 pounds with my mind!”

DotLobby presents Breaking Bad Habits – 4 Tips to Drop ‘Em All! posted at DotNLP, saying, “Luckily, there isn’t any addiction on Earth that hasn’t been beaten by someone, somewhere. You might just need a little help, so here are 4 tips to stop bad habits, and start some great ones!”

Jay Deragon presents What Do We Expect? posted at A Relationship Economy….. With WHom & What, saying, “The small could actually bury the BIG with the reach of influential conversations, one to one to a million. The power is shifting and the stakes are high. Be careful with what you expect or don’t expect from the social web.

What say you?”

Alex Hansen presents Ayreon – 01011001 posted at RockRoast, saying, “If nobody tells you what music is good and what music is bad, how will you know what you like?”

authors

Raymond Le Blanc presents What You Should Know about Autism Spectrum Disorders posted at Raymond Le Blanc.

blogs

Ask Matt presents Using Stumbleupon To Bring Visitors to Your Blog posted at BlogTactics.com, saying, “Using Stumbleupon to bring visitors to your blog.”

Ask Matt presents Free Traffic Tactic Videos and Understanding that SEO Malarky… | iamUncovered.com posted at BlogTactics.com, saying, “Free Traffic Tactic Videos and Understanding that SEO Malarky…”

Carol Bentley presents Reasons to unsubscribe. . . posted at Carol Bentley, saying, “Reasons to unsubscribe. . .
Sometimes stopping a subscription is the right thing to do.”

HL Grove presents 4 Steps To Creating Quality Content For Your Blog posted at MoneyWeb24.

Brent Diggs presents The Blog Of State Address posted at The Ominous Comma.

Doug Green presents Running Shoe Design Sucks posted at My-Caboodle, saying, “I’m a full time Internet writer living on an island – actually two islands – one North and the other Southern – and this is my own blog-for-the-heck-of-it.”

Alexander Kohl presents Freelance Writers Wanted | Freelance Writing Career posted at Freelance Writing Career.

James Brausch presents Costa Rican Food posted at Costa Rica HQ.

book reviews

GrrlScientist presents Sixty Days And Counting posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Kim Stanley Robinson, is the third installment of his Eco-political thriller trilogy series about global warming.”

Thomas Sweeney presents There Will Be Blood. posted at Think Soul Matter, saying, “Film Review – There Will Be Blood.”

Brian Terry presents Why Bill Gates is unreasonable posted at Big Selling Website Design.

Shamelle presents Your Inner CEO: Unleash The Executive Within posted at Enhance Life.

GrrlScientist presents The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “the book by Helen Epstein, is a clear-eyed look at the African AIDS epidemic and the West’s often misguided attempts to assist in this battle.”

Tali presents The Rise of the Author – More than a Free Marketing Report posted at The Marketer Review, saying, “I’d love to call Mark Joyner the most revolutionary man in our industry, but he’s not just an internet marketer and hasn’t just been one for a long time.
I’d love to call Mark Joyner the most revolutionary man in our industry, but he’s not just an internet marketer and hasn’t just been one for a long time.”

Christina M. Rau presents Turning Poetry Pages posted at Livin’ The Dream (One Loser At A Time), saying, “Three books of poetry. Lots of poems to steal from.”

Raymond presents Rich Dad Poor Dad posted at Money Blue Book.

books

James DeLelys presents New Book/Video posted at Author James DeLelys, saying, “Video of new book!”

Amy Munnell presents Things that make you go “Hmmmm”….. posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “HarperCollins is offering readers the opportunity to “try before you buy” with their “Browse Inside” feature on their website. The company has a number of titles available for readers to read for free on the website, not just sample chapters, but the ENTIRE BOOK.”

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips – Building A Personal Library posted at Tip Diva, saying, “Tip Diva loves reading and one day dreams of a house lined with shelves and shelves of books. She’s started to acquire quite a collection of her favorite books, and here’s how you, too, can build your own personal library.”

GrrlScientist presents The Birdbooker Report: Notes on Bird (and Natural History) Books posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “Update about natural history books that are either new to the market or will be published soon. [new book news]”

David Cassell presents The Why Behind Select Courses Blog posted at selectcoursesblog.com.

interviews

Cheryl Snell presents Shiva’s Arms: Chariots of Flame posted at FeedBulletin for: financialbullet.

Anne-Marie presents Five questions for Sara Zarr, author of the YA novel Sweethearts posted at My Readable Feast, saying, “Check out Sara’s latest novel, Sweethearts – fantastic!”

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with screenwriter Michael Lucker posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “screenwriter Michael Lucker”

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with humorist Cappy Hall Rearick posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “Humor columnist Cappy Hall Rearick”

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with Novelist Julie L. Cannon posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Jade Blackwater presents Feature Artist Interview – Lisa D. Kastner posted at Brainripples, saying, “Brainripples shares a Feature Artist Interview with writer Lisa D. Kastner of the Rittenhouse area of Philadelphia, PA. Lisa Kastner writes fiction, and is currently shopping her psychological thriller novel “Jersey Diner”.”

life

DandelionBlog presents A Small Treatise on Happiness posted at Author Suzanne McMinn.

Alex Blackwell presents How Much is Too Much? posted at The Next 45 Years.

Lorace presents Looking to the Future, With a Smile posted at What Not Thought: How To’s and A Lot of Randomness.

Nick at BnG presents The Beernut Gallery – Gridlocked posted at The Beernut Gallery, saying, “An article detailing the joys of a traffic jam.”

cait presents Whats the crisis compadre? posted at cait, saying, “I couldn’t find humor up there…maybe its not so funny anyway…”

Alex Blackwell presents In the Blink of an Eye posted at The Next 45 Years.

philosophy

Thomas Sweeney presents To come into the present… posted at Think Soul Matter.

Pearl presents How the movie Groundhog Day can lead to a happier and more productive life posted at :: Interesting Observations ::.

Untruths presents Science + Religion = Conflict? posted at Untruths, saying, “Are Science and Religion Compatible?”

politics/current events

Kathie Goldsmith presents You know it?s getting ugly in some markets when? posted at Team Reba Real Estate, saying, “Team Reba is a real estate firm with a blog that covers many subject. This post is about the turn in the market and how one agent is being sued as a result of the housing bust.”

santousha presents *Seeking*Serenity*: Waiting on the strike to end and my concerns for Ms. Spears posted at Seeking Serenity.

articles

Bela presents How to Catch a Mouse | House Chronicles posted at House Chronicles.

blogs

Michael Bass presents Hints for writing great blog posts. posted at Debt Prison, saying, “Don’t write junk, anything worth writing is worth writing correctly. Bad articles will leave readers with a negative impression of your site.”

Nick Cobb presents Felonious Ramblings: My First Day In The Joint posted at Felonious Ramblings.

Warren Wong presents The Different Types Of Website Visitors And Their Value posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “An article describing the different types of websites visitors such as search engine, direct, referring, and social bookmarking and the value they bring to your website.”

Bob Younce presents Setting posted at Writing My First Novel.

articles

Michel Fortin presents Give Your Joint-Venture Offer An Extra Punch | The Michel Fortin Blog posted at The Michel Fortin Blog.

book reviews

GrrlScientist presents Speciation in Birds posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Trevor Price, is a wonderful review of the literature that reveals the process and nature of speciation in birds.”

GrrlScientist presents Attenborough in Paradise posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “A remarkable set of adventures to the South Pacific islands and beyond on DVD as David Attenborough pursues his most deeply burning passions. [educational DVD review]”

Peter Jones presents The Hunter Becomes the Hunted: New Mystery Keeps You Reading posted at Great New Books that Are a Must Read.

books

James DeLelys presents Am I the Only One? posted at Author James DeLelys, saying, “Prelude to a new book.”

Sarah presents Eugenides and Saunders read from My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead posted at SARAHSPY.

interviews

Marilyn Terrell presents The Inn at Little Washington Celebrates 30 Years posted at Intelligent Travel, saying, “Susan O’Keefe interviews the celebrated chef-innkeeper at the Inn at Little Washington, Patrick O’Connell, as his inn and restaurant turn 30.”

life

Madeleine Begun Kane presents One Car Guaranty I?d Gladly Forgo posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Alex Blackwell presents And a Side Order of Positive Attitude, Too Please posted at The Next 45 Years.

Justin Duval presents www.DarkGrin.com – mind TRIP posted at The Dark Grin, saying, “Philosophical creative writing piece.”

Joshua Wagner presents Getting Your Ducks in a Row posted at Total Possibility.

Joshua Wagner presents Love and Fear posted at Total Possibility.

Alex Blackwell presents Feel the Music in You posted at The Next 45 Years, saying, “While allowing my heart to hear the words to the song, it occurred to me that I did indeed own my life. Regret and shame were just pieces of garbage I had been carrying around long enough. But there was still plenty of time and there was still plenty of hope and fight left in me.”

philosophy

Akemi presents Belief can Change the Course of Life posted at Gratitude Magic.

Samuel Bryson presents The Philosophy of Happiness – Accepting Yourself posted at Total Wellbeing.

Scholars & Rogues presents A human thinking trap (and how to avoid it) posted at Scholars and Rogues, saying, “Thank you for your consideration.”

politics/current events

Meggie Pace presents Craft Research: Craft 2.0 posted at Earthly Paradise, saying, “The arts and crafts movement is experiencing an incredible revival on the web. This article discusses the movement’s origins and future.”

Heidi Whitaker presents Viral Blogging: What is the Price of Profiting from the Politics of Bigotry and Hate? posted at Work from Home Choices, saying, “This article discusses how political blogs are stirring up hatred and bigotry.”

Cheryl presents Cop a plea: to criminal stupidity posted at Glob-a-log, saying, “Dimwitted cops and criminals”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
writers from across the blogosphere
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

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writers from across the blogosphere, blog carnival.

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Writers from across the blogosphere – Writers’ Block carnival

Welcome to the January 5, 2008 edition of writers from across the blogosphere. Enjoy!

writing

M. Cruz presents Developing Unique Characters – Its The Little Things That Count! posted at NOIRLECROI.COM.

Steve Osborne presents Proofreading Tips posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Writing tips for the real world, from a professional writer.”

Missy presents It may not be a traditional dance, but it’s a dance just the same posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “A musical revelation freed me from my self-doubt and writing is back on track.”

Sean-Paul Kelley presents Recreating Long Lost Drama: The Xiongnu and the Han, 200BC posted at The Agonist, saying, “The question I’m facing right now is how to bring out the inherent drama of an event that took place more than two thousand years ago and is little known in the West.”

Carol Bentley presents The power of words. . . posted at Carol Bentley.

Ward Tipton presents Coming Write Up | The Write Page posted at The Online Writing Resource Center, saying, “Many people would like to get into writing but either have no knowledge about where to get started or worse, they become consumed by “analysis paralysis” or feelings of insecurity because they doubt themselves. Doubt no more!”

Jason Mueller presents Poem of Pain posted at Over Ten Years Serving the Reading Public.

Rebecca Wallace-Segall presents Yay, Motivation! posted at a community of young writers in new york city.

Nicola Marsh presents Romance, rumours and rogues posted at Romance, rumours and rogues.

Carol Bentley presents Do your headlines grab your reader?s undivided attention posted at Carol Bentley.

Jason Mueller presents Plausible Denial posted at Over Ten Years Serving the Reading Public.

Tali presents THE NIGHT-CELL posted at Helium – Where Knowledge Rules, saying, “I’m trying to build up this character, while writing a few shorts, involving her. This is the first.”

authors

Jason presents ExecutedToday.com » 1849: Not Fyodor Dostoyevsky posted at Executed Today, saying, “We catch up with Fyodor Dostoyevsky — including some original translation of his “holy crap, I’m alive” message — on the anniversary of his mock-execution.”

Kilroy_60 presents Kilroy Fear & Loathing, A Hunter S. Thompson tribute – A business management consultant, spiritualist & writer looks at life – Sex Drugs Rock & Roll posted at Fear And Loathing – The Gonzo Papers.

blogs

Jeanie Marshall presents Blogging for Coaches, Consultants, and Other Professionals posted at JMviews Meditation and Empowerment, saying, “Over the years while coaching and consulting, I have encouraged many of my clients to write. Sometimes I suggest they write to sort out ideas, with no intention for publishing or even sharing the writing with anyone. Other times, I suggest they write so that they eventually publish something. More and more, I am suggesting that my clients write a blog. The blog is one of those very powerful mechanisms, readily available.”

Alfa King presents Blogging year, against all odds posted at Alfa King Memories.

Susan presents Monetarizing Your Travel Blog posted at The Innovative Traveler, saying, “Montearize Your Travel Blog”

Warren Wong presents How To Start A Successful Blog posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Tips on how to start a successful blog and what it takes to succeed.”

articles

Joshua Seth presents Getting Lost in Istanbul posted at Joshua Seth Blog, saying, “A Voyage to feel the taste of Old Europe through Hippodrome, the site of chariot races in old Constantinople and the Egyptian obelisk.”

Jim Sansi presents PR What? posted at The Kaizen Business.

book reviews

John presents Review: Of a Feather posted at A DC Birding Blog.

Sean-Paul Kelley presents So, You Want To Travel The Silk Road? posted at The Agonist, saying, “In his new book, Shadow of the Silk Road, Colin Thubron makes clear the magnitude of the task for writers who want to tackle the Silk Road. (I’m one of those writers.)”

Tiffany Washko presents Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal! posted at Natural Family Living Blog.

GrrlScientist presents The Snoring Bird posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “This book by Bernd Heinrich, a noted biologist, is a memoir that documents his father’s life and their relationship, and how his father influenced the scientist and the man that the author became. [book review]”

Torrie presents Book Review: Father’s Aren’t Supposed to Die posted at A Time of Grief.

interviews

Jeanie Marshall presents Jeanie Marshall Interviews Peter Shepherd posted at JMviews Meditation and Empowerment, saying, “Jeanie Marshall interviews Peter Shepherd, who is the Owner of Tools for Transformation, a personal development site which he started in 1997. He offers a considerable amount of valuable information at his web site, in his products, and through his mailings.”

Jason presents 1962: Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin posted at Executed Today, saying, “This is an interview I conducted recently with Canadian journalist Robert Hoshowsky on his recent book “The Last To Die” — about the last men hanged in Canada.”

life

Joshua C. Karlin presents Why You Need to Ask posted at Marketing & Fundraising Ideas.

Edith presents How to Stay Focused posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act., saying, “Are you distracted? Are you thinking about 3 things at the same time? Do you have more than 3 screens opened on your computer right now? If you said yes to any of the questions above, please stay focused here and read on.”

Rebecca Wallace-Segall presents Poetry Slam–Now That’s a Competition posted at a community of young writers in new york city.

John Crenshaw presents “He Tells Me To Burn Things” posted at Dominate Your Life, saying, “How do you distinguish good advice from bad, how do you know when someone is just telling you to “burn things?””

Warren Wong presents Conversation Skills / Tips: How To Have A Good Conversation posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Tips to improve your conversation skills and help you have a good conversation!”

Chickens in the Road presents The Slanted Little House posted at Suzanne McMinn, saying, “A writer at a turning point in her life picks up her laptop and moves to the country with her three children to find the real meaning of home–and life.”

Alex Blackwell presents Ask for What You Want posted at The Next 45 Years.

Justin Duval presents www.darkgrin.com – Why You Choose to Get Angry posted at The Dark Grin, saying, “Check out why you choose to get angry!”

Terry Dean presents Overcome Fear posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Carol Bentley presents Invitation to birthday celebration posted at Carol Bentley.

philosophy

Meggie Pace presents A Beautiful House and Books–The Most Important Things in Life? posted at Earthly Paradise, saying, “William Morris’ philosophy integrated art, philosophy and “everyday life” in a way that almost seems impossible to today’s reader. He once argued that having a beautiful home and books were two of the most important things in life. Was he right? On reflection, I think he was!”

CG Walters presents Truth is But a Resting Place posted at Into the Mist, saying, “Many people are willing to accept that experiences and memories of the past become guides for our choices in the present, thereby dictating the future. Most people see these memories or experiences as defined once and never changing. I, on the other hand, am forced to view them as a more fluid commodity.”

Justin Duval presents www.darkgrin.com – The Spectrum of Extremes posted at The Dark Grin.

Pearl presents Spreading the Love via Compassion posted at :: Interesting Observations ::, saying, “Whats your definition of compassion?”

Matthew Spears presents Trusting Perceptions and Higher Communication posted at Loving Awareness, saying, “One of the most fundamental aspect of any growth or is the trust in one’s own perception. There is no question it is an incomplete perception; as a human, you will not see even a minuscule fraction of the totality of what’s out there, or that of your self. But it is still your perception. It is your link to your power. It is the basis for all growth, for if you rely on someone else’s eyes and intuition, you are not living your own life, discovering your own power, but are being a guinea pig for other’s experiments”

politics/current events

Jason Hughey presents The Assasination of Benazir Bhutto posted at Logical Consistency, saying, “Pakistan is emerging as a crisis. Read how the assassination of opposition leader, Bhutto, represents more serious and deadly problems, not only for Pakistan, but for the world.”

Sholom Anarchy presents Stumping for Ron Paul again posted at Anarcho-Judaism.

James K. Bashkin presents Kicked out of Cuba! “When crime fiction is a crime” by K Henkel: Fact and Fiction collide, with serious consequences. posted at Nearly nothing but novels, saying, “The fragility of free speech is indicated by this report of a Cuban writer’s exile in Germany.”

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Dear Editor: Enough With The Polls, Already! posted at Mad Kane’s Political Madness.

humor

Jason Mueller presents Beer, Bear, Body Bag: The Inspirational Story of What Not to Feed Yogi posted at Over Ten Years Serving the Reading Public.

contests

Susan presents New Podcast Documentary Contest posted at The Innovative Traveler.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
writers from across the blogosphere
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

writers from across the blogosphere, blog carnival.

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Writers from across the blogosphere – The Writers’ Block carnival

Welcome to the December 2, 2007 edition of writers from across the blogosphere. Browse, read, enjoy!

Sagar presents 17 Specialty Search Engines Every Web Developer Should Bookmark posted at Virtual Hosting.

Danogo presents The 2 Simple Ways to Get Your Website into Google Search Results posted at Danogo.com – Discover. Inspiring . Media, saying, “For blogs on a budget the inexpensive way to promote your site is right in Google’s search results.”

Jason Hughey presents What is a Conservative Part 2 – Social Contract and the Role of Government posted at Logical Consistency, saying, “In Part 2 of “What is a Conservative?” I go over the social contract theory of John Locke and explain how that ties into the role of government.”

Jason Hughey presents What is a Conservative Part 3 – Moral Beliefs of Individuals Theory posted at Logical Consistency, saying, “In the third article of the “What is a Conservative?” series, I present the Moral Beliefs of Individuals Theory (MBIT).”

Alfa King presents Writing for free? posted at Alfa King Memories.

Alfa King presents Beginner or professional? posted at Alfa King Memories.

Jason Hughey presents Part 4: What is a Conservative – The Declaration of Independence & The U.S. Constitution posted at Logical Consistency, saying, “In Part 4 of “What is a conservative,” I explore the undeniable relationship between the two founding documents: the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.”

articles

Robinson Go presents Persuasion 101: How to Make People Buy posted at The Robinson Go Blog, saying, “Make Money Online Now. Waste No Time, Make the Sale! Be Persuasive!”

Tiffany Colter presents Reaching more people with your blog posted at Writing Career Coach, saying, “if you post this please let me know and I will post a link to your blog on mine…..also check out my 9 year olds book reviews…..thanks”

seanjames presents The Actuality of College Life posted at Practical Jokes, Blogging Tips, Adsense, Insurance and Phew!!.

Michael Fowke presents A vision of Canary Wharf posted at Money is the way, saying, “My vision and a mystical celebration of the Canary Wharf financial centre in London’s Docklands.”

CG Walters presents Djalma : Mystic posted at Into the Mist, saying, “Excepted article from Sacred Vow by CG Walters (ISBN 978-0-9774271-0-9, visionary fiction).
Ian has met a young mystic, Djalma, who is trying to explain how Ian has been traveling into parallel lives to meet with a mysterious woman that he seems incomprehensibly bonded to.”

blogs

Christine presents GoogleAds, Keywords and Website Content: Making Money Online Using Web Content, Keywords and GoogleAds posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France, saying, “Writing about what drives your spirit and allowing that force to generate an income for you!”

Matt R presents Elizabeth Banks (C’96): GQ Photo Spread! posted at Dueling Tampons, saying, “Entertainment news about UPenn alumni and undergrads”

Robinson Go presents Don?t Have A Blog? Start One Now! posted at Advice, saying, “I vastly improved my creative and technical writing skills through blogging.”

Sagar presents Top 100 Social Media and Social Networking Blogs posted at Virtual Hosting.

CG Walters presents Sisterhood of Crones posted at Into the Mist, saying, “This excerpted article is from the novel, Sacred Vow (Dragon’s Beard Publishing, ISBN: 978-0-9774271-4-7, paperback, Fiction: Visionary/Metaphysical). There is a rift in the Collective Consciousness because people are not bonding one to another. The Sisterhood of Crones (a description of the order, not their name–as their name is without word) is about to perform a ritual to receive a message from the Collective Consciousness…”

Elvis D presents My Gal Poison posted at 365fiction.

Kathleen Gage presents Is Blogging Necessary? posted at Street Smarts Marketing.

Wakish presents What Is Search Engine Optimization – SEO posted at Wakish Wonderz.

book reviews

Ian Welsh presents Call for Book Reviewers posted at The Agonist.

Carole G. McKay presents One Man’s Legacy: The Politics of Reason posted at McKay Today, saying, “A review of “Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver” and how one man’s focus and passion changed a nation’s social policies and can continue to inspire us today.”

GrrlScientist presents Chosen By A Horse posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Susan Richards, this wonderful book is about horses, love and life, and tells the true story of how a rescued horse actually rescues the author. [book review]”

GrrlScientist presents Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted): All Things Reconsidered posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Roger Tory Peterson, the world’s most famous bird watcher, this collection of true-life essays recounts RTP’s travels and life with birds. [book review]”

GrrlScientist presents Birder’s Conservation Handbook posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Jeffrey Wells, this book presents information about the 100 most at-risk bird species in North America and what we can do to protect them. [book review]”

books

Andrew Edgington presents By Anthony Robbins Offers Successful Life Strategies In Free Book – London – Adzooks.co.uk posted at Anthony Robbins, saying, “Check out this book and it´s FREE, well it is if you live in Europe.”

interviews

Liz Lewis presents Interview with a Travel Writer…Pam Mandel posted at My year of getting published.

Natasha presents Interview with Faye L. Booth | web stuff 4 writers posted at web stuff 4 writers, saying, “Interview with debut author, Faye L. Booth, focussing on how she’s used the internet to promote her book.”

Susan Johnston presents 5 Q’s with Sarah Jio posted at The Urban Muse.

life

Warren Wong presents How To Feel Better And Be Happier posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Some practical tips you can use now to feel better and be happier.”

Yazan Manasrah presents Uncluttering your mind posted at The Blasted Crossing, saying, “Want to find out how to gain the focus and mental energy to accomplish the daily tasks you must do?”

kcawley presents Break posted at Tomorrow’s Confusion, saying, “Take flight”

philosophy

Jeremy Neal presents Don’t Be One of the Herd posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, “Fear causes a herd mentality. Have the courage not to be one of the herd.”

kcawley presents House, Not a Home posted at Tomorrow’s Confusion, saying, “Poetic tale, ironic and short where the hero is nameless and the plot is unkown”

politics/current events

Madeleine Begun Kane presents First Pakistan And Then? posted at Mad Kane’s Political Madness.

Jeremy Neal presents Save Yourself from Government Regulation posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, “Government should protect us from each other, but not ourselves, says Ronald Reagan. Citizens must get involved to ensure government stays within due bounds.”

Jason Hughey presents What is a Conservative Part 1 – An Understanding of Natural Law posted at Logical Consistency, saying, “A summary of the natural law theory (as argued by John Locke and Sir William Blackstone).”

Alex presents The Iraq’s standard of safety posted at Samson BLinded.

publishing

Peter Huang presents Jade Raymond Comic posted at As You Want It, saying, “About something that happened in late November.”

reading

Rebecca Wallace-Segall presents Schools: Celebrate Teen Writers posted at a community of young writers in new york city.

religion

James DeLelys presents Home posted at HOME, saying, “What is Love?”

writing

JJ LOCH presents Sailboat Masts, Arnold Mackinac Ferry, and a Bell Tower posted at Nature Shows and Dreams.

Wakish presents Writing the GP Essay – Write to convince! posted at Wakish Wonderz.

patrick treadway presents How To Write A Haiku posted at How2Blogger.

Natalie presents 3 ways to brainstorm ideas for lyrics posted at Quaxle, saying, “This is a short post about ways to creatively find ideas for stories. This was aimed at writing song lyrics as my blog is about songwriting but this can be applied to any kind of fiction writing.”

Elvis D presents Mortality Acknowledged posted at 365fiction.

Elvis D presents Wiggle Room posted at 365fiction.

CG Walters presents Writing Sacred Vow : Letting a Spirit Story flow posted at Into the Mist, saying, “For me, one of my most powerful connections to the Absolute—the Tao, or whatever you may call the unified intelligence—has turned out to be through just the right story: something that takes the form of an extended mantra, imbued with a rhythm and symbolism resonating so personally that it seems surely to be a direct manifestation of my intuitive self.”

Elvis D presents Chasing Fame posted at 365fiction.

Rebecca Wallace-Segall presents Lessons from the Newest Generation of Writers (& Thinkers) posted at a community of young writers in new york city.

Wakish presents Method Of Presentation Of Topics posted at Wakish Wonderz.

The Career Counselor presents The Scoop on Freelancers Union: How and Why You Should Join posted at ask the CareerCounselor, saying, “Although there are perhaps two or three freelance unions in existence, by far the most well-known and far-reaching union is the nonprofit Freelancers Union. In 1995, Sara Horowitz, a former labor lawyer, launched the Working Today organization in an effort to meet the many needs of the growing freelance and independent workforce. In 2001, Working Today created the Portable Benefits Network (PBN) to help bring affordable benefits to freelancers across New York City. Finally, in May 2003 PBN changed it’s name to Freelancers Union.”

Missy presents Setting the Scene posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “Three basic questions to ask yourself when creating a scene…”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
writers from across the blogosphere
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

writers from across the blogosphere, blog carnival.

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One more note about the 2007 Weblog Awards

Thank you to those that have voted for us in the 2007 Weblog Awards! It means a lot that you took the time to consider us for Best Literature Blog. You can take a look at this entry from yesterday, posted at The Book’s Den (a blog that should be nominated and a finalist in the 2008 Weblog Awards).

Today is the last day for voting; the polls close at 5:00 p.m. EST. Sure, it’s a cliche to say that it’s an honor to be nominated, but it really is–being a finalist in a contest you didn’t even realize you were nominated for is kind of like finding $20 on the sidewalk.

Yes, it’s nice to get votes, but the Best Literature Blog category consists of great sites that are all worth checking out. Here’s that list again:

Pepys’ Diary
Avon Romance Blog
Maud Newton
Classical Bookworm
Writer’s Block
Erik Hare
Diary of a Heretic
Bookgasm
Neil Gaiman’s journal
McSweeney’s

See what I mean?

We’re not going to win the contest and (though I don’t speak for the other writers on the blog) never expected to, but just being considered along with the other blogs is so very cool. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tied for first place right now are Pepy’s Diary and Neil Gaiman’s Journal. For my personal preference, I like Neil Gaiman’s Journal for the top spot. Consider his blog if you have an extra vote to give, have already voted for us, and would like to spread the voting love around. Check it out. Read it. Then vote. If you prefer Pepy’s Diary, go for it. And, of course, if you prefer to vote for The Writers’ Block by all means do so!

And also vote for “Jon Swift” for Funniest Blog. Not only does he have an intelligent, great blog well worth checking out, he has endorsed us and his other picks (Diary of a Heretic for top pick) in the Best Literature Blog category. He’s also listed links to the other blogs nominated for Funniest Blog. Whatever your particular political leanings, you’re likely to find something engaging at the “Jon Swift” blog.

What a fun competition. Congrats to all the nominees, finalists, and winners! 🙂

http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-literature-blog-1.php
http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/funniest-blog-1.php

Nancy O. Greene
http://www.portraits.bravehost.com

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The Writers’ Block is a finalist in the 2007 Weblog Awards

I recently found out that our blog was nominated for Best Literature Blog (http://2007.weblogawards.org/polls/best-literature-blog-1.php) and is now one of the finalists in that category for the 2007 Weblog Awards! Thanks so much for the nomination! You can cast your vote and find out more about the awards and all of the finalists in the various categories by visiting http://2007.weblogawards.org. Voting ends on November 8, 2007.

Here is the list of finalists in the Best Literature Blog category:

Finalist Links

Pepys’ Diary
Avon Romance Blog
Maud Newton
Classical Bookworm
Writer’s Block
Erik Hare
Diary of a Heretic
Bookgasm
Neil Gaiman’s journal
McSweeney’s

Also, www.jonswift.blogspot.com is a finalist in the Funniest Blog category. Some of you may remember that “Jon Swift” won The Writers’ Block contest a while back. He lists various categories on his blog as well. Check out the “Jon Swift” blog and cast you vote.

Here are the other finalists in that category:

Jon Swift
Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper
DUmmie FUnnies
Sadly, No!
The Lawsons Do Dallas!
i am bossy
Laurie Kendrick
The Nose On Your Face
The Sneeze
The Hatemonger’s Quarterly

Thanks again!

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Writers from across the blogosphere – The Writers’ Block carnival

Welcome to the November 5, 2007 edition of writers from across the blogosphere. Enjoy some new book reviews, interviews, politics and much more!

Phil B. presents Recycle Christmas Trees « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “It is almost that time of year again when we buy a new Christmas tree. Are you going to just throw it away when done with it?”

fabulousana presents Eclectic Closet : Pride And Prejudice posted at eclectic-closet.

articles

Roger presents Racism, Beyonce, political convenience, and shitty pre-war coverage of Iran posted at mask of anarchy, saying, “This world is increasingly run and reported on by people eager to put square pegs into round bones.”

GrrlScientist presents To The Creationists: Even WORDS Evolve! posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “[This link is about some new linguistics data — which may or may not be appropriate for your carnival]
Or; How ‘stode’ became ‘studied’. This piece explores the rate of evolutionary change in languages and finds that these rates of change are similar to the evolutionary rate of genes.”

Tiffany Colter presents Is Fear Blocking you? posted at Writing Career Coach.

Sagar presents The Digg Toolbox: 70+ Digg-related Scripts, Tools, and Tutorials posted at Virtual Hosting.

blogs

GrrlScientist presents Schemochromes: The Physics of Structural Plumage Colors posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “The physics of why blue feathers are .. well, blue in color.”

book reviews

Mike Bergin presents Soaring with Fidel posted at 10,000 Birds, saying, “Here’s my review of Soaring with Fidel with a response from the author! Thanks.”

James K. Bashkin presents A day without murder; reviews of Chekhov and David Lodge’s Author, Author posted at Nearly nothing but novels, saying, “My impressions of fiction, including crime fiction. To quote from my own writing on crimespace.com, “Crime fiction is such a pleasure, the psychology of this sometimes troubles me (but I know I can quit whenever I want to).” So today I prove that I really can quit whenever I want to. Today is a day for other types of fiction.”

SJ Yee presents The FAQ Book on Public Speaking posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart.

GrrlScientist presents Father Knows Less posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “The new book by Wendell Jamieson, is a father’s delightful and interesting quest to find the answers to his young son’s questions. [book review]”

GrrlScientist presents Cloning: A Beginner’s Guide posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Aaron Levine, is one of the best-written books I’ve ever read about the history, process and ethics of cloning technology and stem cell research. Highly recommended. [book review]”

James DeLelys presents WORDS A Prophecy Fulfilled | New Scriptures: Spiritual Growth, Healing, Help and Comfort posted at New Books, saying, “Had to share this book with you entitled WORDS A Prophecy Fulfilled. A great book that envokes very deep thought. Yet, it is simply written with a portion of its’ contents written in story form. This book may be read over and over again… always something new is found within its’ pages; Magical!”

Stirling Newberry presents The Continuing Tales of Captain Carnage posted at The Agonist, saying, “Michio Kakutani’s New York Times review of Norman Podhoretz’s book, “World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism,” is the nicest review of mindless bellicosity you are ever going to read in English.”

GrrlScientist presents Bait and Switch posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “Inspired by the book by Barbara Ehrenreich, which describes the tribulations faced by job seeking white-collar workers who are “in transition”, I expound upon these challenges while also reviewing this book.”

interviews

Jeanie Marshall presents Jeanie Marshall Interviews Priscilla Palmer, Creator of the Personal Development List posted at JMviews Meditation and Empowerment, saying, “Priscilla Palmer began the Personal Development List of Blogs, which has been circulating the Internet. To thank her, I interviewed her for my blog.”

Linda Jo Martin presents Writing Festival Friday #5 – Featuring Mel Trent posted at Linda Jo Martin.

life

Priya Darshini Shivakumar presents Memoirs of Bygone New Year Eves posted at A screenful of thoughts, saying, “Nostalgia of bygone happy times”

John Crenshaw presents Are You Proactive or Reactive? posted at Dominate Your Life, saying, “You can learn a lot about how to be successful in life and business by studying what works for people in really intense situations. Am I ever going to be so bombarded with information that I’m incapable of processing it all?”

politics/current events

Roger presents Chilling: mass slaughter, live cremations & Burma?s last blogger posted at typing is not activism…., saying, “This is very much a summary of some of the leading edge coverage of Burma, but what I have found on these sources has not yet been widely reported, and I find both this information and the relative silence from world media chilling and sickening.”

phil F. presents SUNDAY FEATURE: Is Elizabeth Edwards Throwing a Wrench in the Campaign? posted at e-news daily.

writing

Susan Johnston presents 5 Hints for Writing Headlines posted at The Urban Muse.

InterfaceLeader presents Dealing with Writer’s Block posted at Words Words Words, saying, “Some tips on dealing with writer’s block.”

Rebecca Wallace-Segall presents When one boy plays video games… he finds inspiration posted at a community of young writers in new york city.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
writers from across the blogosphere
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

writers from across the blogosphere, blog carnival.

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Time well spent – The Baltimore Book Festival, 2007

On September 30th, 2007, I woke up from a very relaxing sleep to realize that I was late for the start of the last day of this year’s BBF. I had planned to make an early start of things in order to enjoy the readings of some of my friends and colleagues.

So I quickly got myself together and headed down to the festival. Fortunately, I was in time to hear most of the readings of Works in Progress, sponsored by Gregg Wilhelm’s CityLit Project and moderated by Paul Lagasse, MWAB’s President. Unfortunately, I missed the first reading by Edith Goldman of her work “Pan-delerium,” though I’m sure it was excellent.

Michael M. Hughes, a local horror writer, read an entertaining and funny piece called “Lunch Meeting.” Barabara Friedland read an excerpt from her upcoming novel A Member of the Force, based on the true story of a local murder case. Having heard and read earlier excerpts from the novel, it was wonderful to see that it is coming along so well. I think it could possibly become a Baltimore staple, one of those novels that people mention when they talk about Baltimore’s literary scene. Jen Michalsk’s reading of “The Movie Version of My Life,” from her short story collection Close Encounters, was another interesting read. It was, if memory serves correctly, my first introduction to her work.

Mathew Lee Gill’s novel excerpt “Broken Charm” was a telling piece about a shady characters. Lalita Noronha also read an excerpt from her novel in progress. Afterwards, I purchased a copy of her short story collection Where Monsoons Cry. The last time I heard her read at one of the MWA meetings, her writing stuck in my mind and I knew before she finished that I would be purchasing a copy. Lauren Eisenberg Davis read a selection from her memoir-in-progress. Eric D. Goodman read “The Silences” from Tracks, his novel of interconnected stories. It’s always good to hear Eric read; in fact, a few months ago he read “A Good Beer Needs a Good Stein,” one of my favorite pieces from the novel, on NPR. It’s an excellent example of how authors should read their work, and a first-person version of the story is available at To Be Read Aloud.

Last, but not least, Ian Hochberg read several of his poems. I was reminded of the beat poets, he just had an energy about him that was so fun to watch and his pieces were engaging.

I enjoyed the readings so much (despite having to take a seat outside of the tent because of my late arrival, and therefore baking in the hot, hot, too hot sun), and afterwards I chatted briefly with some of the other writers before heading off to find some food. Even though hadn’t had breakfast, I ended up waiting several hours to buy something to eat–a soda sustained me while I walked around and decided on what books to devour.

Last year I didn’t have much time to purchase. This year was different. Thanks to huge discounts, I walked away with two bags full of books, magazines, and miscellaneous items.

Raw Dog Screaming Press (publisher of the wonderful book Vacation by Jeremy C. Shipp) was on hand, and we talked and I browsed and on my second time around—after deciding on what I would and wouldn’t purchase—I bought The Bizarro Starter Kit: An Introduction to the Bizarro Genre. It turned out that one of the men I chatted with, John Edward Lawson, was also featured in the collection and he signed it for me.

I also purchased several copies of the literary journal Mosaic. It was a surprise to find out that such a professional publication was no longer stocked in bookstores. The publisher and I talked a bit about their attempts to get it back into stores now that the magazine is non-profit. I personally prefer to buy literary magazines from the stores, whether a big chain like B&N or a local independent, simply because of problems with receiving subscriptions in the past, but maybe I should re-evaluate that policy. Maintaining a lit mag is undoubtedly a difficult job.

There were many other events that I enjoyed, including a staged reading of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, musical performances, and I bought several more books. But eventually my legs wore out and I was nearly past my spending limit, so after a quick stop at the Walters Art Museum and a local aromatherapy shop, I grabbed my bags and headed home. Good times.
Nancy O. Greene
http://www.portraits.bravehost.com

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Writers from across the blogosphere – The Writers’ Block carnival

Welcome to the September 30, 2007 edition of writers from across the blogosphere!

Hungry Writer presents R-E-S-P-E-C-T posted at Writing For Food.

‘Colorado’ Gumi presents Chap. 1 – ‘Proto-Gin’ posted at The History of Gin, saying, “This Blogger, who ‘claims’ not to be a famous writer, says it’s a biography of a young woman in an existential
world. . .but aren’t ALL Blogs about that???”

Roseate presents Review My Blog For TWO Link Backs posted at Make Money Online At Roseate Marketing Tips.

Eldon Sarte presents Mobile Writers: Do You Really Need a Laptop? posted at Wordpreneur.com.

Salman Siddiqui presents Is Increased Usage Of Computers Isolating People? The Verdict! posted at CompuWorld.

Michael presents Upon Meeting The 100% Perfect Moncton Girl posted at project hitchhiker.

Dannie Phiri presents Daniso Mapiri technotalks…sort of – Daniso’s Rants, Mumbles and Whatevers posted at Daniso Mapiri technotalks…sort of.

articles

Lucynda Riley presents El Dorado posted at The Traveling Man.

FitBuff presents How to Speed Up Your Metabolism posted at FitBuff.com’s Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, “A slow metabolism can do more than just add inches to your waistline. It can increase overall lethargy in your body, possibly leading to depression and other health-related problems.

But, there’s good news: There ARE ways to speed up your metabolic rate for increased energy, fitness, and overall health!”

Admin presents Anything Goes & General News: Britney Spears in the Bathroom posted at Anything Goes & General News, saying, “What really went down when Britney Spears asked a photographer to join her in a restaurant bathroom? It’s widely rumored that she asked for a tampon. According to the story, and it’s simply not true.

Cameras swarmed Spears when she popped into a Quizno’s in Brentwood to use their restroom on Monday afternoon. When she was done using the facilities, she called to a cameramen waiting outside to join her. Adnan, a Finalpixx photographer, taped his closed door exchange with Britney.”

authors

Ashok presents Rethink.: Some Personal Notes re: Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 posted at Rethink., saying, “Why write? Shakespeare gives an ambiguous answer about whether writing enshrines a memory forever in “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” I think.”

blogs

Ashok presents Rethink.: What Constitutes Plagiarism Exactly? posted at Rethink., saying, “How should we judge what is plagiarism and what isn’t, and what should guide our sentiments on the matter?”

Elvis D presents Generations posted at 365fiction.

Ant presents Guarantee Your Sites Page Rank posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.

Elvis D presents Forum posted at 365fiction.

Elvis D presents Dirty Old Man posted at 365fiction.

Eric Michael Johnson presents The Feeling of What Happens posted at The Primate Diaries.

Phil B. presents Blog Carnivals « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “Do you want to drive more traffic to your blog? Well, I have a really.. REALLY easy way. And no, this is not a gimmick.”

Christi presents Analysis of a Blog Reader posted at Blogging Writer.

Terry Dean presents Finding Your Unique Ability posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Michael Fowke presents Deranged bankers in the City of London posted at Money is the way, saying, “A blog post from the Arthur Rimbaud of finance.”

book reviews

GrrlScientist presents Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Headaches? posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Mike O’Connor, this delightful little book answers a whole flock of offbeat questions posed by people who love birds.”

GrrlScientist presents Peterson Reference Guides: Gulls of the Americas posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “by Steve N. G. Howell and Jon Dunn, this is the definitive reference work that teaches the art and skill of identifying gull species that occur throughout the Americas.”

GrrlScientist presents The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “a review of the book by Natalie Angier. This book explores the basics of all the sciences from to physics to cosmology.”

GrrlScientist presents The Body Has a Mind of Its Own posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “A review of the book by Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee, that explores the fascinating concept of body maps; the relationship between mind, body and environment.”

books

Peter N. Jones presents Marketing Your Book DeMystified: New Book Explains All posted at Great New Books that Are a Must Read.

Scott H presents Top Ten Most Popular Books in College posted at College and Finance.

interviews

Linda Martin presents Writing Festival Friday #2 – Featuring Donna Alice Patton posted at Linda Jo Martin.

life

Dawn Xiana Moon presents Kid-Friendly Food posted at Dawn Xiana Moon: Randomness.

Cheryl Snyder Taragin presents Goatse is a Hoax and Other Internet Disinformation posted at The Spewker, saying, “I find the whole concept of Internet Disinformation amusing. So easy to check facts, and yet, people don’t. Bloggers should have a moral code of ethics.”

Warren Wong presents Why You Should Show Appreciation posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Why you should show appreciation for the little things people do and how to go about doing it.”

philosophy

Sonia Simone presents Make something for its own sake posted at remarkable communication, saying, “A creative mindset—the mindset that makes a thing because you want that thing to exist—is more likely to make something useful and exciting. Look for that feeling—”I want it because I want it.” See if you can find something juicy and real there.”

politics/current events

Sheppard Salter presents Does T.V. Make You ?Soft In The Head?? posted at salterblog.com.

Alex Landis presents Cyber Bias: The Threat of a Two-Tiered Internet posted at AlexLandis.com, saying, “A two-tiered internet is getting closer and threatens the network neutrality principle, and freedom of speech on the internet itself.”

publishing

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Fantasy Dear Editor Letter posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

writing

Elvis D presents Interview posted at 365fiction.

Elvis D presents Uprising posted at 365fiction.

Charlotte Rains Dixon presents LA: It’s a Different Writing World posted at Word Strumpet, saying, “Visit my blog for all kinds of information and commentary on writing fiction, articles, SEO copy, novels, creativity and journaling, plus books and authors.”

Terry Dean presents 25 Ways to Increase Conversion posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Terry Dean presents 20 Ways to Add Value to Your Products and Services posted at Integrity Business Blog by Terry Dean.

Rhonda Leigh Jones presents Writing Foreplay Relieves Writer’s Block posted at Rhonda Leigh Jones.

Elvis D presents Paparazzi Fodder posted at 365fiction.

Matthew Cory presents Free Novel; Short Stories Anyways; I?m Done posted at Chocolate For Dogs, saying, “I’m not completely sure if this is appropriate or not; a friend of mine suggested I submit to you. I’m actually trying to submit my novel, if possible (though I’d ‘settle’ for the blog in general). Please contact me with any questions or recommendations, and I apologize if this is a little out of place.”

Elvis D presents Speedy Date posted at 365fiction.

Tim King presents Episode 1: How to Stay Out of Jail in One Easy Lesson, Chapter 1 | The Conscience of Abe’s Turn posted at The Conscience of Abe’s Turn, saying, “The first part in a new online drama serial, The Conscience of Abe’s Turn. It’s about a group of friends and civil rights activists who live in the fictional town of Abe’s Turn. Abe’s Turn needs a conscience.”

sethpollins presents The Queen Bully of Garlic posted at FoodVibe.

Doris Chua presents The Sebel Suites, Auckland posted at Doris on Travels.

Mike White presents Effective Communication Skills posted at Life According to Mike White, saying, “Tips on effective communication and presentation skills”

Elvis D presents A Director?s Life posted at 365fiction.

Elvis D presents An Actor?s Life posted at 365fiction.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
writers from across the blogosphere
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

writers from across the blogosphere, blog carnival.

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Time has come today…TIME!

So September is upon us. I’ve been feeling like I’m in a back-to-school mentality mode, though I have no reason to–my only child isn’t in school yet. And I’m not planning to start the edits on my novel until October, giving me a full three months for it to sit and percolate.

I haven’t been completely bored. I’ve been working on some fun freewrites that have turned into stories. Some of them I’ve been doing for contests, some just out of pure fun.

Mainly, though, I’ve been pondering how long I can do this. This whole “full-time writer”, work at home mother thing.

Don’t get me wrong. Being a stay-at-home mother is awesome. In staying home, I’m doing something valuable for my son. I’m extremely grateful for my hubby, who works very, very hard at his job, to allow me to do this. I really have no desire yet to re-enter the workforce. Granted, I had fun and I was good at being an administrative assistant. In staying home and working on my writing projects, I have a chance that so few writers get–some allotted time to focus on their work (albeit it is interrupted many times by “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”)

But being the worrywort that I am, I’m also looking towards the future. My kid won’t be a toddler forever. He seems to be racing towards independence faster than I can chase him. Just this week, we finally took down his crib and put up a bed, and that has opened new avenues for him to race down (with his mommy desperately panting behind him). Soon, my kid will be in preschool, and I will find myself with wondering, what now?

Should I continue to be a stay-at-home mom? Is it possible that I can bring in some extra money working at home? How can I do that and focus on writing at the same time? I know that you could never get rich writing fiction, but at the same time, I don’t want to get burned out working as a freelancer. I don’t know how to teach, nor do I have a desire to. So if I need to go to work and continue to write, what are my options? What, exactly, is a perfect job for a writer?

Perhaps the whole point will be moot. By the time next year rolls around, I could be flat on my back pushing out another kid. Or I could be working part-time at a cafe. Or full-time as a secretary again. Or maybe, just maybe, my novel will be such a big hit that I will become the next J.K. Rowling, and I will be rolling in money. Maybe get a huge house with servants. Make it so I will never have to work again. Just sit on the beach and crank out books.

Or maybe the Apocalypse will come instead.

Time is precious. What is happening today could be completely different a day, a month, a year from now. As writers, we need to be strong managers of our time, whether the time we allotted for write is only 15 minutes, or whether it’s several hours. We need to decide when we should work hard and when it’s okay for us to take time off to rest. It’s all equally good. But whatever we decide, we need to use the time wisely.

Hmm. Maybe I should move my novel editing phase up by a week. Then again, I do want to finish these stories and get them out the door. But I shouldn’t rush through them. Oh no. I think I’ll just take my own, sweet time.

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