Writers from across the blogosphere – Writers’ Block carnival

Welcome to the May 8, 2008 edition of writers from across the blogosphere. It’s late, but it’s here. 🙂 Also, if you’re into spec fiction (horror, science fiction, fantasy, etc.,) make sure to check out the two editions of a carnival of speculative fiction.

Bob Younce presents A Directory of Internet Article Writing Sites posted at The Writing Journey, saying, “Bob Younce takes a look at the options writers have for publishing their material on the various online article submission web sites. Along the way, he considers their usability, usefulness, and potential for profitability.”

Jean Mosher presents War, Philanthropic and Political Web Sites « Always in Motion posted at Always in Motion.

Jean Mosher presents Kelly’s New Vegetarian Cooking Blog « Always in Motion posted at Always in Motion.

Charlotte Babb presents Hello world…Again! posted at Charlotte’s Babblings.

Alfa King presents Thinking of writing a press release? posted at Alfa King Memories.

Orna Ross presents St Patrick?s Day in Glendalough posted at WRITING ADVICE & PUBLISHING ADVICE from Font.

Ben There presents The Long And Weary Path posted at Beer And Incense.

Jessse Hines presents How to Make Your Blog Stand Out from the Rest: C.S. Lewis on Originality and Truth posted at Vigorous Writing.

Jeffrey Stingerstein presents Emotional Truth Versus Objective Truth (and how they relate to theism and atheism) posted at Disillusioned Words.

Edith presents Obama, Clinton and Web 2.0 posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

articles

Machione presents The Best Coney Dogs In Stark County, Ohio – Coney Sauce, 35 Years In The Making – Catching Fire! posted at The Lives and Times… of Anthony McCune.

Wakish presents Money – The Root Of All Success! posted at Wakish Wonderz.

ben presents Love Is Not Enough: Against Lennon-McCartneyism posted at Head Wide Open.

SJ Yee presents Time Management for Lazy People posted at Personal Development for the Book Smart, saying, “Time is Money. Here’s a detailed summary of the key concepts in the time management lecture by Randy Pausch… You can skim through it to get the points you need…”

Kathy Bringer presents Conscious Flex: Universal Knowledge: by Nicholas Powiull posted at Conscious Flex, saying, “Just sharing for a friend. I hope it helps all writers! Thank you for doing what your doing by sharing :)”

authors

Amy Munnell presents Meet…playwright Eugene O’Neill posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “Meet the greatest American playwright of all time”

Kilroy_60 presents On The Anniversary Of Hunter S. Thompson’s Suicide – An Interview With Dr. Gonzo posted at Fear And Loathing – The Gonzo Papers.

Aaron Powell presents The Hole: A Serial Novel of Supernatural Apocalypse by Aaron Ross Powell posted at The Hole: A Serial Novel, saying, “The Hole is a serial apocalyptic horror novel, based in Mormon mythology, about a global plague, zombies, and a small group of survivors making their way across a very weird Midwest.”

blogs

Jean Mosher presents Blog for Fun and Profit « Always in Motion posted at Always in Motion.

Wakish presents Is a blog the platform you need? posted at Wakish Wonderz.

Adie Dornom presents 3 Tips to Blog Like a Manaic and Still Have a Life posted at Lee McIntyre’s Honest Marketing Blog.

Todd Goldfarb presents What 6 Months of Change Can Do For You (Subscribers Only)! posted at We The Change, saying, “What 6 months of creating and writing a blog can do for you. A great story, enjoy!”

book reviews

Christina M. Rau presents Belonging posted at Livin’ The Dream (One Loser At A Time).

GrrlScientist presents Finding Your Wings posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “A review of the newly published book by Burton Guttman, is a special workbook designed to help beginning bird watchers develop into intermediate birders!”

Peter Jones presents Poetry That Talks to the Heart: A Book for the Modern Age posted at Great New Books that Are a Must Read.

Elizabeth Harrin presents Book Review: Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers posted at A Girl’s Guide to Managing Projects, saying, “This is a book specifically for project managers but anyone who leads teams would benefit from some of the great tips in here.”

Geek’s Dream Girl presents Book Review: Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress posted at Geek’s Dream Girl, saying, “A girly girl’s book about Dungeons and Dragons.”

books

James DeLelys presents healingthroughwords.com » PARABLES posted at Author James DeLelys, saying, “New book.”

Wayne Buckhanan presents Upping the Downside with Self Knowledge posted at Life, Love, & Learning.

interviews

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with first-time author Misty Massey posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with freelance writer Sheila Hudson posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

Amy Munnell presents Interview…with editor & freelance writer C. Hope Clark posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “The editor of FundsforWriters.com talks about one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers.”

Amy Munnell presents An Interview…with ghostwriter Cecil Murphey posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “Ghostwriter Cecil Murphey talks about how to be a successful ghostwriter in today’s celebrity-centric world.”

life

Warren Wong presents How To Deal With Worrying posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Three steps to help you stop worrying in no time!”

Alex Blackwell presents 45 Tips for a Happier, Simpler and More Productive Life posted at The Next 45 Years.

Jean Mosher presents Postcards from Connecticut « Always in Motion posted at Always in Motion.

Jean Mosher presents Once a Trucker, Now a World-Class Opera Singer « Always in Motion posted at Always in Motion.

Carol Bentley presents Research and write posted at Carol Bentley.

Jeremy Neal presents Learning is Easy; Unlearning is Hard posted at Thoughts on Quotes, saying, “Unfortunately for us, our brain doesn’t come equipped with an administrator to resend passwords, retrieve documents and unlock files.”

Terry Dip presents Why English Is But Should Not Be the International Language (1/3) posted at Complete and Creative, saying, “You read and write in English. Any other languages?”

Shamelle presents Not Tonight Dear, I Have A Modem! posted at Enhance Life.

Lin Burress presents Launching Child Safety and Child Sexual Abuse Series posted at Telling It Like It Is.

Alex Blackwell presents Confessions from a Recovering Father posted at The Next 45 Years.

philosophy

Jeffrey Stingerstein presents Why Sheltering Any Faith From Criticism Is Dangerous posted at Disillusioned Words.

ben presents Head Wide Open: Panic Release posted at Head Wide Open.

Alex Blackwell presents Four Rocks to Grasp in Life posted at The Next 45 Years.

politics/current events

Freddie L. Sirmans, Sr. presents 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NIGHTMARE posted at 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NIGHTMARE..

Freddie L. Sirmans, Sr. presents A SURVIVAL PLAN IN CASE THE DOLLAR ACTUALLY COLLAPSES posted at A SURVIVAL PLAN IN CASE THE DOLLAR ACTUALLY COLLAPSES.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Dear Ralph: Go Away! posted at Mad Kane’s Political Madness.

Brent Diggs presents What The Promised Recession Means To You As An American posted at The Ominous Comma, saying, “Urgent Economic Humor, read at once.”

Raymond presents Living In A Litigious American Society Obsessed With Filing Lawsuits posted at Money Blue Book.

publishing

Amy Munnell presents Make Your Fantasy Come True… posted at 3 Questions…and Answers, saying, “Fantasy publishers who will consider unagented manuscripts”

GrrlScientist presents The Birdbooker Report #5: Notes on Bird (and Natural History) Books posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “Here’s this week’s issue of the Birdbooker Report, which lists bird and natural history books that are (or will soon be) available for purchase.”

Catherine Johnson presents Author Budgets and Self-Publishing posted at Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, saying, “If you choose to self-publish, tracking your costs is crucial, as the process can quickly get expensive.”

Amy Munnell presents Still a Kid at Heart…Children’s Book Publishers posted at 3 Questions…and Answers.

reading

Wakish presents A True Teacher Is An Emperor Whose? posted at Wakish Wonderz.

Wakish presents posted at Wakish Wonderz.

writing

babs mountjoy presents Research?a novel idea; or, Why is Homeland Security here? posted at Awalkabout’s Weblog, saying, “Because the world isn’t what it was when I started writing 36 years ago…”

Joshua Dodson presents Writing tips: Blogging for the Wary posted at Fragmentist.

Tauri Miller presents Blind Obsession. posted at What you sow, saying, “I hope you like it.”

Cathrene Gehue presents Writ Bits » Blog Archive » Amorphous Aphrodite posted at Writ Bits.

Caroline Barnard-Smith presents Yes, I?ve Had A Bad Day posted at Author or Bust.

Michael Mehas presents The Fugitive Captured posted at Stolen Boy’s Weblog, saying, “A writer faces a Sophie’s Choice moment.”

Brent Diggs presents The Secret to Writing Humor posted at Humor Blogging.

Catherine Johnson presents Truth and Consequences in Writing posted at Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace, saying, “It’s not just telling a good story; if it’s true, or inspired by truth, the writer has a responsibility to readers to support that claim.”

Wakish presents Wonderful Blogging Ideas – How To Breed Them In Your Garden? => PART 1 posted at Wakish Wonderz.

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

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

Kathryn presents 10,000 Ideas and Resources for Writers and Bloggers: 100 ?Top 100? Lists posted at Real Words, saying, “This is a list of one hundred links to articles that each have 100 tips or resource ideas for writers. That means there are 10,000 ideas for writers all in one place.”

Jessse Hines presents David Mamet’s View of Today’s Writers: Not Real Enough posted at Vigorous Writing.

Tip Diva presents Tip Diva | Top Ten Tips – Beating Writer’s Block posted at Tip Diva, saying, “When Tip Diva is not thinking of advice and how-tos for this website, she writes for a trade magazine. Writing for both a magazine and a blog can be pretty taxing on her brain, and she sometimes finds herself continuously staring at a blank Word document. Writer’s block happens to the best of us, but there are some ways you can beat it.”

Edith presents Are You Making Meaning in Your Company? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

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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Interview with Mare Cromwell, Award-Winning Author of If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . Searching for Spirituality in America

Mare Cromwell is the author of the award-winning book If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . Searching for Spirituality in America. It was a finalist in the ForeWord Magazine 2003 Book of the Year Awards and received honorable mention in the 2003 DIY Book Competition. We met at a small coffee shop a little while ago to discuss her book, the interviews featured in the work, why she decided to write it and self-publish, and her upcoming projects.

If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . explores spirituality from many different perspectives—from an 8 year old child raised Episcopalian, to an atheist, a prison inmate, a Sufi spiritual master and others. The book was self-published through her company, Pamoon Press (http://www.pamoonpress.com). As many know, self-publishing in this way is far from easy and often very costly. It requires–among other things–purchasing one’s own block of ISBNs, finding a printer, hiring an editor, and finding a cover designer. For those that are interested in knowing more about it, this interview may also help to shed some light on the process.

About the Author (from the author website): Mare Cromwell is the Director of Sacred Dog Productions. She is a sustainability specialist and author. With a Masters in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, she has worked in the environmental field for 26 years both internationally and locally in the Baltimore-Washington region. Most recently Mare was the Executive Director of the Prettyboy Watershed Alliance. She trained in The Natural Step framework under Karl-Henrik Robért and Paul Hawken and has led dozens of sustainability workshops in the Mid-Atlantic region. In addition to her sustainability consulting efforts, Mare occasionally speaks on Deep Ecology, simplicity and “Right Relationship”.

Interview with Mare Cromwell
NG: What inspired you to seek out different perspectives for this book?

MC: I was raised Catholic but since my early twenties I was sort of spirituality shopping, or whatever you want to call it, and I wrote the book in my thirties. The Catholic church didn’t fill me up; while there are many good points about the religion, it just wasn’t for me. It took me seven years from the start of the book to complete it.

NG: What does the question mean to you?

MC: Well, spirituality is really an ongoing thing. It’s not like you can just come to a point where you’ve stopped growing spiritually. It’s an ongoing dialog, so I guess that would really be it. The ongoing activity of asking questions and finding your personal spiritual answers that resonate and feel like spiritual truths.

NG: What interview did you find yourself connecting with the most when you edited the book?

MC: There are so many. As you know, there is the Sufi mystic, and that interview took place just after 9/11, so that was very powerful. But I didn’t connect with the religion itself, you know what I mean? Now I’m studying with a Native American spiritual healer, and that’s what works for me.

NG: You encountered some interesting people while you were doing your book tour for this book. Some people loved it, some thought it was sacrilegious. Can you tell us a little about that?

MC: It was an adventure. There were a lot of people that wanted to debate and get into arguments about what is spiritually right and what is not right, and that’s not what I’m about. I wanted to present this for people to make up their own minds, to ask their own questions about who they are and what a spiritual life means for them, and for people to see religion and spirituality from other points of view. And there were times when I got rather upset, when people said some pretty hateful things.

NG: Why did you decide to form your own publishing company for If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . ?

MC: There were a number of reasons for that. I had sent it out to a few agents but did not find one that understood what I was trying to do. They wanted to change the title or other things about it because they weren’t sure how to promote it to publishers. It had God in the title, but it didn’t fit strictly into the Christian category. Also, time was a factor. I just wanted to put it out there. The book took years to write, and I didn’t want to wait any longer to have it published the way I wanted it published.

NG: What was the process like?

MC: I hired a consultant and printed about 10,000 hardcover copies. The paper used for the book was 100% recycled so there were no trees cut, and that was an expensive process. The company had to be formed, ISBN purchased. And there was a book designer, a copy editor. There are a lot of people you need to hire to put out a book, you have to hire everyone yourself and make sure they understand your vision. This was before Print on Demand (POD) was really an alternative, when most of the POD companies you see now were in their infancy and didn’t provide many options, like editing or custom cover designs, or the option to ship books to stores on a ‘return’ policy–a big factor in getting your book accepted by book stores. Getting a book distributed successfully to a broad set of bookstores is another huge challenge for small mom and pop publishers. I liked the process of putting everything together, but it was difficult.

NG: What about promotion?

MC: That’s a huge amount of work also. I worked with several promotional companies which were not inexpensive. I spoke at churches, went on book tours all over the country, did radio shows, and arranged other speaking engagements. There’s so much to go through, and it really is amazing if you break even. I still have copies of the book at my house, if anyone would like to purchase one!

NG: What are you working on now?

MC: I’m working on a spiritual journey memoir. It incorporates much of what I’ve studied—yoga, Catholicism, and it covers my work with the Cherokee spiritual teacher.

NG: How has working on If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . prepared you for your next project?

MC: I’m just writing and not concentrating on anything but that. Obviously you want your book to be interesting. I think it’s a rare person that doesn’t care about the reader. And that is a part of the promotional aspect. But right now I’m just writing, just trying to get it all out; I’m not worrying about that aspect.

NG: What was the hardest thing about working on your last book?

MC: Promotion, definitely. Major reviewers aren’t often interested in self-published books. And I had a hard time, I think mostly because God was so prominent in the title. One promotional company stated, after the fact, that they believe that they were not able to get good publicity on the book because of that. Barnes and Noble initially shelved the book in the Christian Inspiration section, but the book is far more than that. However, there are no general spirituality sections in their stores. I eventually convinced them to put it in the New Age section. It seemed the only okay fit for the book. Libraries are a huge chunk of the market, but they base their selection primarily on certain types of reviews, like the Library Journal. And publications like that are wary of self-published books no matter what.

NG: What advice would you give to writers?

MC: Just get it written. Don’t criticize yourself while you’re writing, because there are going to be plenty of people/editors out there to do that when you’re finished with the book. Don’t give up, just allow the creative process. For anyone interested in publishing their writing, I highly recommend going to Elizabeth Gilbert’s website [http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm. Author of Eat, Pray, Love]. She has posted a letter that she wrote for writers, and it gives the best advice to encourage us writers to not get held up by our internal critical voice.

If I Gave You God’s Phone Number . . . can be purchased at the book website at http://www.tocallgod.net/html/tcg_orde.html, or at any online book vendor site. You can also visit Mare Cromwell’s website at http://www.sacreddogllc.com.

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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.

Read Full Post »

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
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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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RIP Madeline L’Engle

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/09/07/obit.lengle.ap/index.html

I would count Madeline L’Engle as an author who got me into writing. I read her books as a kid, yes and deeply loved them. But it wasn’t until I read “Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art” several years ago that I began to seriously think about writing again. I had always meant to write a letter to her thanking her for writing the book, but I also knew she was sick for the longest time, so I didn’t.

Rest in Peace, Ms. L’Engle. Your books were such a great inspiration to me. I know one day we’ll meet in heaven and we’ll talk face to face, you and I.

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Seeking new members for The Writers’ Block

This is an announcement that the popular group blog, The Writers’ Block, is seeking new members.

In order to join:
1) You must be a published writer with verifiable credits.
2) You must be able to post a minimum of one entry per month.
3) You must be proactive.

If you are active in promoting your work and your thoughts on various issues, and can spare the time to participate in a group blog, this can be a great opportunity for you. So far authors on the blog have generated increased sales and have been interviewed based on their posts on the blog. We are an eclectic group and all viewpoints are welcomed!

If you are interested, please send a reply to this message.

Thank you!

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