He everyone. Hope you all had a great holiday season! It’s great to be back and I feel refreshed and ready to go.
Vision For 2014: I feel I was all over the place last year with the topics I blogged about. For 2014 I’m going to focus mainly on science and science fiction, along with a few smatterings of what I’m doing with marketing and promotions. I’ll share with you what’s working for me and what isn’t. 2014 is a new year full of promise.
2013 in Review: What a crazy year. I basically had to start my blog over from scratch last spring. Right at the beginning of the Blogging From A To Z Challenge while I was out of state for three weeks with no real means to do anything about it.
But not all was lost. In retrospect, I have to say the Hookers and Hangers Blogfest was the most helpful to me. I went back through my MS for Escalation and took a good look at how my chapters began and ended. I put end some really cool hookers and hangers that added a lot of the WOW factor to the story.
I'm a much better writer because of this Bloghop.
And I’m thankful for Captain Alex’s "I Rock award". Receiving that helped take the sting off having to rebuild. Thanks Alex!
I really needed that boost.
Blog Hops: I’m only going to host one this year (more on that in an upcoming post). Oh, I’ll also be co-hosting the amazing 2014 A to Z Blogfest in April. But other than that, I’m not going to host any as I want to focus on other things including a couple stand alone novellas. But I'll be happy to co-host. So if you have a blogfest theme you think I can help with, just let me know.
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| Good Bye Kibbles and Bits |
Good by Kibble and Bits. I'll miss you. Especially mixed with milk for breakfast.
Escalation: The MS is finished. I just need to go over the final last time edit with my editor and I’ll be good to go. I’ll be announcing the release date Monday January 13th. I have lots of really cool stuff planned and I’ll share more of my vision for 2014. I hope you’ll join me. That’s next Monday.
Author Of The Week: Carolyn Howard-Johnson and The Frugal Book Promoter. I've heard so many good things about this book. I just downloaded and will begin reading tonight. Click on the image at the top right side bar for more info.
Author Of The Week: Carolyn Howard-Johnson and The Frugal Book Promoter. I've heard so many good things about this book. I just downloaded and will begin reading tonight. Click on the image at the top right side bar for more info.
Question: So what’s your vision for 2014?
You do rock!
ReplyDeleteYou've done well to rebuild. Google Reader's demise probably didn't help, but I'm sure most of your former followers found you again.
Sometimes it's best to step back and figure what direction we want to go. Otherwise we are all over the map.
Here's to an awesome 2014!
Happy New Year, Stephen! Glad your holiday refreshed you. Me too. Looking forward to your reflections on marketing and what worked and didn't. I'll be cutting back my blogging a bit this year to focus more on writing, job training for a new job when I get laid off, being swim mom to the high school swim team, and helping my daughter with her college and scholarship search. Feels like a lot to do.
ReplyDeleteYay for cliffhangers! I think every chapter should end in a cliffhanger or a big reveal. I hope all your plans come to fruition in 2014! :-)
ReplyDeleteHey, Stephen...
ReplyDeleteHappy 2014! Glad to hear all is well and you are geared up for a new exciting year.... Is another health hop in the future? We should talk about it if you'd like to do it again....
All the best with your new projects....
Michael, great idea. Will email you later today regarding this. Man, the Blogfest addiction is a hard one to shake.
DeleteYay for your fabulous start to 2014! And looks like you're off to a flying start - straight to the stars to explore the universe with all its black holes, cosmic rays and atomic vapours! Have a good one! Take care
ReplyDeletex
I liked the Kibbles and Bits though. Maybe you could focus only on science Kibbles and Bits?
ReplyDeleteDiane, I like it. Maybe I can Photoshop a space helmet on the dog and keep it.
DeleteSounds like an organized way to begin 2014!
ReplyDeleteI love how the new year, even though just a symbolic flip of the calendar, is a chance to rethink where we want to go in the next 12 months. I've seen a lot of reconsideration of blog, themes, and time spent in many blog posts. As the amount of blogs increase and yet stay the same, I think many of us are giving this a fresh look. All the best to you in the coming year-- may your focus and passions bring you closer to your mission in life.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a great holiday with the family. I love reading your science bits every time I visit. Glad you've bounced back from the blog disaster.
ReplyDeleteI love having a fresh start! I feel great. Now I just have to work off those ten pounds I gained over the holidays.
ReplyDeleteThe Hookers and Hangers blogfest was fab. That really helped me too. Maybe that's a sign someone should do it again...
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a fruitful and fun 2014, Stephen!
Hi Stephen .. so pleased you've finished Escalation and rationalised your plans for 2014 .. good luck and you deserve lots of success after the horrors and muddiness of last year with your blog .. It's excellent to hear you're drafting up some novellas for release ...
ReplyDeleteCheers and have a great 2014 .. Happy New Year .. Hilary
Getting more focus is a great direction to take. I'm allowing myself more time to focus on writing. I'm also publishing a series of short stories under my pen name Rayven Godchild. They're erotica tales so I want them to be housed under my alter-ego. I'll still be working on works as both Rayven and Angela and allowing myself to publish as I'm ready. Very excited for 2014 :-) Wishing you the best with your new year as well.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good break and have returned refreshed and ready to jump into 2014. Sounds like you have some great plans ahead too. Happy New Year, Stephen :)
ReplyDeleteSo organized and focused! I'm jealous. :)
ReplyDeleteHeather
Sounds like a great plan!
ReplyDeleteHappy 2014!
I like to remain open, but know I need to discipline when it comes to writing, so looks like you're on the right track! good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy focus for 2014 is to get everything in my life organized. Everything else will fall into place. I'll continue to work on improving my health and losing weight, but those are ongoing things not resolutions.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading ESCALATION!! Happy 2014!