Blogger Book Fair Kickoff & Giveaway

The 2013 Summer Blogger Book Fair has officially begun!  This is my first time participating in a virtual book fair, but it's certainly shaping up to be quite the experience.  Authors and bloggers from around the world have come together to bring you a week saturated with wonderful guest posts, book reviews, giveaways, free & discounted books, and so much more!  Check everything out through the BBF directory.

All books participating in the Blogger Book Fair have been entered into the Reader's Choice Awards, including mine! Head on over to Shut Up & Read blog to cast your vote. Votes for my collection would of course be greatly appreciated, but don't forget to check out the many other categories!

Guest Post Etiquette

This isn't my first post relating to virtual etiquette, and while I certainly do not aim to become the Emily Post of the blogging world, there are nevertheless some dos and don'ts I'd like to share, based on both my experiences and common sense. I hope you will find them useful!

Flash! Friday: Prompt #33

It's Friday, and by now readers familiar with my blog know that that means it's time for Flash! Friday Fiction! The prompt is the lovely photo below, but this week we're challenged with an exact word count of 200.  Here goes!

Photo taken by Florian Fuchs (from Flash! Friday site)

Time-release Quid Pro Quo

All those of us who have been raised to be respectful know the importance and value of saying "thank you" to those who help us out, in ways great or small.  In many cases, people communicating through social media continue this nicety, which allows for courteous and amicable interactions.  Important as it is to demonstrate our gratitude, however, sometimes the best way of doing so on social media is not simply by saying, "Thank you."

This does not mean that demonstrating your gratitude is optional! But sometimes, there are better and more effective ways to repay the kindness that was shown to you.  So next time someone shares news of your release, retweets an important message, pays you a compliment, or anything else: 

• Do thank them when it happens.
• Do not consider that to be sufficient, especially if this person repeatedly supports your efforts to promote your book, blog, or other product.

Instead, go the extra mile:

Why Do I Write?

By Katherine Polillo

It’s a simple enough question, so one would think it has a simple enough answer, but it doesn’t. Why do I write? Because I enjoy it, it makes me happy, I crave the creative release… yes, but there is more than that.

Many years ago when I packed my bags and went off to college I envisioned a life and career very different than the one I’m living. I wanted to make a difference, and the naïve 18 year-old I was thought that the best way to do this was through politics. I became a history and political science major and began pursuing internships with Congressional Representatives. After several years and key life experiences I became very disillusioned with the political system, and washed my hands of the entire affair. I transferred colleges and tacked on a key piece to my college major. I decided to enroll in the Secondary Education program. I wanted to make a difference and the way I saw to do that was by teaching.

Flash! Friday: Prompt #32

• Words in WIP: 13,761
• RWA chapter contests entered: 5
• Blog posts I've intended to write but haven't yet: 1

P.S. Have you checked out my recent guest post on Silent Rejections?

 And, it's Friday! This round of Flash! Friday requires 250 words +/- 25 on this prompt: