Becoming a Better Blogger and Writer Through the Creation Process

As I travel around my Blogger blogs today, I see I have failed to update the sites with posts and images. Part of the reason is the numerous niche sites I have been working on such as How to Throw a Party. With Halloween coming up this weekend, I have added a number of posts about Halloween, costumes, party ideas, and much more.

On the sidebar you will find a link to The Niche Blogger. Also, a post not to long ago gives a more detailed explanation of this great learning tool. Amy Bass has done a great job in leading us, day by day, through the challenge of setting up our own niche website and quickly beginning to earn money from that site.

Besides my main website, Elder Care Cafe.net, I now have four niche sites and will link them on the sidebar as they are ready for public viewing. Hopefully, by this time next year I will have more.

Through this whole process, I find I enjoy creating new websites. What a blast to start from scratch and watch something grow into a beautiful creation that hopefully helps others in some way. All of my niche sites are geared toward helping others and that seems to be part of the fun for me.

Hopefully, I will return here often as I would like to write more about writing, blogging, reviewing books, and other areas of writing that I am involved with.

I really hope, if you are reading this, that I can encourage you to step out and try something new. Looking at the past two years reminds me how far I have come as a writer, and certainly how much farther I need to go and can go to become ever better. As much as I love blogging, I seem to love the process of learning how to be a better blogger even more.

That's it for now. My hope is that I can come back often to update this blog and let everyone know what is happening. If you get the chance, you can visit:

How to Throw a Party

I will add more as they become viewer-friendly. All are in various stages of growth.


If you are interested in creating your own niche website, don't hesitate to check out Amy Bass and The Niche Blogger by clicking on the ad on the sidebar. You will be glad you did when you see what you can create in just days and weeks. I had my first niche blog up and running within a week or two - no kidding. I just started The Niche Blogger course in June of this year and already have four sites.

I am also still writing with BellaOnline Mystery Books and you are welcome to join me there as well. We have a growing number of book reviews in all mystery book categories. Sign up for the newsletter and join us in the forum while you are at it.

Please leave a comment and let us know what you are working on, and hopefully we will see you again very soon.

Living a Double Life

Living a double life is never easy. Or do I have a split personality? Either way, sometimes my life gets rather confusing when I forget who I am and try to cross over. Let me explain.

My normal everyday life is lived as Edie Dykeman. Not the name I was born with, but have lived with since my marriage many eons ago. But, in my fiction writing life, I am known as Gail Monroe, also part of my birth name.

Earlier today, I received an email message letting me know someone had put in a friend request on a site. Therefore, I clicked on the link, accepted the friend, then started to make a couple of thematic changes. Then it got a little weird. I realized I was confusing my persona. Who was I? What information should I include?

What surprised me is, that experience has not happened sooner. The double life just started about two years ago when I began writing fiction.

Now the real question is, who am I for this blog? Am I the blogger, article writer, website owner that is a caregiver to my father, or am I the fiction writer who has her own life?

I changed the theme and look of this blog today, because I think Gail would like the softer look. Edie isn't that soft. In fact, at times she can be tough. She used to be a tomboy, you know. Gail is more girly and likes the softer colors.

Now that I know, kinda, who I am, I am going to give readers a couple of links which will give an insight into who Gail really is as a person. These are two of the sites she is involved in, although more may come to mind.

Romance Book Junction is a site that I haven't spent nearly enough time on, but I'm hoping that I can mingle more than I do now. There is a large group of romance readers and writers that are a part of this site, and I would like to get to know them.

Night Owl Romance is a fantastic site that readers and writers will find invaluable. I have written book reviews for NOR since September 2007, and have enjoyed every minute. I've met some very good writers, and read books I probably never would have read otherwise.

There you go - two sites that Gail is involved with and that you might want to take a look at. Gail will have more to say about what she has been involved with at a later date.

If you are living a double life, you are welcome to share your experience in the comment section.

BellaOnline Mystery Books Editor - Yeah!

Just found out early this a.m. that I "graduated" from the BellaOnline Mystery Books Editor training. Now I have a three-month launch period, then I will be off and running...that is reading and writing.

I am very excited about the future as I funnel down my focus. I have blogs and websites all over the place, but I am narrowing my vision for 2009. The Mystery Books site and the Elder Care Cafe dot net site will take priority at this time.

That said, next week is the first Book-in-a-week session for 2009. Moe and company are putting the finishing touches on our new web home. If you would like to join us, here is the link.

Here is a blurb from Moe, our illustrious, dedicated and hard-working moderator:

It is an honor to be listed in the Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Our motto continues to be BIC HOK TAM, which means butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly. This is the best way we know of to get any writing done.

We hope you will join us in meeting our writing goals.

There you have it - two great websites - one geared toward reading and the other focused on writing. Hope you have the opportunity to visit both.

Take care and see you soon!

Daily Dose of DailyLit.com Recap

Well, I wrote earlier this month about the daily dose of Pride and Prejudice I received as an email.

It is time to 'fess up and reveal the truth. I got so involved in the story that I spent last weekend clicking on next installment until I had read the whole book. So much for daily installments.

I was really surprised that I got so involved in the novel, but the characters came alive to me and I had to find out what happened next. Mr. Darcy became my favorite character and I am so glad everything worked out in the end. Now I would like to see the movie version.

Not sure what my next daily lit dose will be - think I will check out the site today and see what I come up with next. Hopefully I won't get so involved that I spend a day and a half just reading. Of course, that certainly hasn't happened before. ;>)

How about you? Have you ever gotten so caught up in a story you couldn't put it down? Which story was it?

China Bayles and Thyme and Seasons

One of my favorite authors is Susan Wittig Albert of the China Bayles mystery series.
China is an herbalist and amateur sleuth based in fictional Pecan Springs, TX, midway between Austin and San Antonio.

Every week, I receive an email newsletter from Susan through her AboutThyme website and blog.

The newsletter I received this morning reminded us that November is National Peanut Butter Lovers' Month and National Raisin Bread Month. Great reminders as I love both. But the greatest news is November 28th is National French Toast Day.

The best french toast ever is made from raisin bread. How cool is it that both are the same month.

Along with the french toast made with raisin bread, is that November 29th is National Chocolates Day. Dessert anyone?

If you would like to read a good mystery series with a cast of interesting characters, check out China Bayles, and find out what she, Ruby, Mike and gang are mixed up in now.

Author Matt Richtel and His Twiller

Matt Richtel has created a techno first. He is writing his latest novel, as yet unnamed, via Twitter, the web- and text message-based service that allows users to send frequent updates of no more than 100 characters at a time to friends, family and the Internet at large.

He has an update on Blogger, that will bring the reader up to date as of September, then go to Twitter and follow Matt/Lev as he travels around the country trying to regain his memory, and find out how he was involved in the death of a D.C. madam.

Richtel leaves random updates on Twitter, as hundreds follow his story. At last count, he had over 800 Twitterers following his story.

Richtel's first novel, Hooked, was published in 2007. Check out his website by clicking on the title of this post for more information.

Monday Morning Writer

As an avid fan of new beginnings, I love Mondays. I always feel like I get a fresh start at the beginning of every day, week, month, and year. As an early morning riser, with coffee at hand, some of my best ideas are able to surface.

This week looks very promising as I venture into new waters. More details to follow, but I am applying for an online editor spot on a huge website.

Also, completed another successful BIW, this time with a total of 59 pages. I have gone over the 100 mark, but with my current Squidoo addiction and caregiver duties, I will settle for over 50 pages.

If you are a writer, check out Book-in-a-Week. Join Moe and the gang once a month as they write like crazy to reach their predetermined goal. Much is accomplished when writing within an active and encouraging group.

Do you have a favorite online writing group? Let us know in the comment section and we will check it out. Thanks for stopping by!

The Best of the Best Bloggers

There are some wonderful blogging sites on the internet. So many topics, so much to read, so little time. I would love to read the best of the best, if not daily, than at least weekly. Unfortunately, I find I run out of time by the end of the week.

One very good blog to follow is ProBlogger. Darren Rowse developed this blog to help other bloggers add income streams to their blogs. He always has great tips and goes deeply into the blogosphere to garner news and information.

Another blog that has meant a lot to me is Entrepreneurs-Journey which was developed by Yaro Starak. I am in the process of taking his BlogMastermind course and really tons about setting up a profitable website.

Yaro is a great guy and excellent teacher. His instructions are clear and to the point, he doesn't beat around the bush or present shallow information like some do, and you know when the course is finished, he has given his best.

There are many other bloggers who are great at what they do. Just wanted to offer up a couple of the very best, in my humble opinion.

Do you agree or disagree? Who would you add to the list of great bloggers? What makes them stand out?

Sassy is Savvy on Squidoo

Sassy is resting after a hard day and night's work.


Sassy joined Squidoo yesterday with two lens - one going green and the other savvy writing. More to come, with the next one likely to encourage baking from scratch.

Squidoo is fun and one of those, gosh I wish I had done this sooner, thoughts kept occurring during the lens building.

It will be fun to see how God, and of course Sassy, puts all of this together. We, all of us - God, Sassy, Savvy, and I - have worked hard and will continue to work hard in building our web empire.

So many passwords and websites are causing Sassy, and Savvy, to remember they are in their 60's after all. Who says you can't teach an old senior new tricks?

And what are you in the process of learning? What makes you stay up well past midnight and up again at 4 or 5 a.m. just cuz your excited? Anything? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great and productive day!!!!!