Steps on the Journey

Amazon.com Author Central Update

Hazel — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:32:00 GMT

I got word this morning that my author page was up in Amazon.com's Author Central area. I've added my picture and bio. I think the bio needs additions and was almost ready to use those additions as an excuse to wait on posting the bio. However, I was able to recognize that excuse for procrastination and overcome it. Here's the link to the Hazel Hart author page.

If you have a book listed on Amazon but haven't signed up for an author page, visit Amazon's Author Central for more information.

Ninety-seven Days

Hazel — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:18:00 GMT

According to the statistics gathered by GoDaddy, it has been ninety-seven days since my last post. All of the technology for marketing, including My Space, Facebook, Twitter, and You-Tube, overwhelmed me. Just thinking about mastering all these "necessary" avenues for reaching an audience, branding myself, and building a platform left me mentally frozen.

However, with October's activities fast approaching, I'm attempting to thaw out. On Saturday, October 10, I will be speaking to a local writing group about the pros and cons of self-publishing. The following weekend, October 16-18, I'll be attending the Kansas Authors Club convention in Topeka, Kansas. Finally, on October 24, Bonnie and I will be selling our books at the Chisholm Book Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma.

With so much happening and a new book--Like Mother, Like Daughter--to promote, I am taking baby steps toward social networking with a goal of one activity a day. Since my books are on amazon.com, I started there yesterday by signing up for an author page with Amazon's Author Central. Having the page will allow readers to follow a link from my book sales pages to my author information. It will be about a week until the author page is available. I'll post a link here as soon as the page is live.

Getting back into blogging is my baby step for today. I'll let you know what tomorrow brings.

Chisholm Book Festival

Hazel — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:52:00 GMT

Tonya Shook, organizer of the Border Queen Book Festival in Comanche, Oklahoma, has moved the next festival a few miles north to Duncan, Okalahoma. The new Chisholm Book Festival on October 24 will have seventy authors displaying their books. Bonnie and I are happy to be a part of this new festival as we enjoyed participating in the Border Queen Festival (see previous entry on this site).

For more on the participating authors and their books, visit the Chisholm Book Festival web page.

Completing a Creative Cycle

Hazel — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:19:00 GMT

From about 2001 to 2007, I juggled three novel manuscripts, sporadically dipping in and out of them as first one and then another captured my attention. I started writing the first novel, The Night before Christmas, in the 1970s. Family History, the second novel, was begun in the 1980s. The third novel, Runemaster, was actually begun in the current decade.

Some people say that you should consider your first novels as practice and store them away in a trunk or closet. I tried that, but every year or so, the characters in my novels would call to me. They were unhappy being housed in a cardboard box. They clamored to be between the covers of a book and shelved with other books. Until that happened, their creative cycles would not be complete, and that lack of completeness would continue to be a drag on my ability to create new work.

At the beginning of 2008, frustrated with the regular submission process, I decided to self publish The Night before Christmas. Since I am better at writing than promoting, I haven't sold many copies, but my characters, Betty and Wes, no longer haunt me. The story of their marriage is in a book and available on lulu.com if anyone should choose to buy it.

For the rest of 2008, I struggled with what to do with Family History. Here was another novel filled with characters I had loved for decades. At first, I planned to self publish again. Then, I considered the traditional route, only to remember how months and years can go by waiting for agents and editors to reply. At last, I decided to go with Publish America. I realize there are pros and cons to this decision, but for me, giving the book a final form in the light of day will release me to create new projects.

Now, I can give my attention to Runemaster, a story I actually started in this decade. My goal is to complete it in this decade. Since this is 2009. I'd better get to work.

Edge of Nowhere: Published at Last

Hazel — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:48:00 GMT

After our editing party at the lake last summer, Bonnie and I fully expected to have our second book of short horror fiction published within a month. Cover woes and file gremlins kept delaying us, but this morning, all was ready. I uploaded Edge of Nowhere to lulu.com and made it available for sale, both as a 6X9 paperback and a download.

In the title story, "The Edge of Nowhere," two
sisters move into a house inhabited by a demon. Click here for preview pages of this story.

Other stories in the collection include "Cry Wolf,"
in which a woman fears her twin sister is dating
a werewolf and "A Shrill Note," in which a
husband contemplates the murder of his wife.

Gifts and Sales Tax

Hazel — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Collecting and paying sales tax seems simple, doesn't it? I thought so anyway. As a self-published writer, my concept was that I would sell something, collect the appropriate amount of sales tax, and send the money off to the state during my designated reporting period. I never considered that I would also need to pay sales tax on the books I gave to my family and friends.

Here is the scenario:
I used lulu.com to publish my novel and bought the book at cost. Lulu did not charge a sales tax, which is correct because the book became part of my inventory. When I gave one copy to my mom and another copy to a prizewinner in a drawing, I took the books out of inventory and converted them to personal use. That made me the "final consumer" of the books, which meant I owed sales tax on the price I paid for them.

I learned this bit of information and more at a free sales tax workshop last Wednesday. If you do business in Kansas, you may want to check for times and locations of future workshops at http://www.ksrevenue.org. The workshop also covered record keeping, withholding taxes for those who have employees, and compensating use tax.

If you live and have a business outside Kansas, check your state's website for similar workshops. The best time to get this information: before you start the business. That way you can jot down the gifts to Mom, Dad, Uncle Joe, and the city library as you give them. Remember: Taxing agencies love clear and accurate records, and they make your life easier, too.

Weight Loss Tips and Artificial Sweeteners

Hazel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:12:00 GMT

Whenever I see an article containing tips on weight loss, I give it at least a quick scan. A January 3, 2009 article in my local paper was no exception. The title, "Small tips for fitness success," caught my eye, and I quickly moved to the first bulleted tip: "Drink diet soda instead of regular."

Whoa! That advice ran counter to the reports on the effects of artificial sweeteners on weight loss that I had seen in various media in the past year. While I'm no scientist and can't give you any advice on what you should or shouldn't eat and drink, you might want to click on the links below for more information.

Science Daily, February 2008
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210183902.htm

ABC News, Feb 11, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/Story?id=4271246&page=1

Time, February 10, 2008
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1711763,00.html

A final thought: A list of tips may contain ideas that are passed on from one list to another. They do not necessarily reflect the latest scientific knowledge. Doing a quick Internet search for information on sites you can trust may keep your from following a faulty tip.
Hazel

Party with a Purpose

Hazel — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:57:00 GMT

Last Sunday afternoon, I met with my online critique group in a brick and mortar restaurant/bar for some face-to face-fun and support. Given the day of the week and the 2 p.m. time, we expected to find a quiet corner to discuss writing, but the placed was packed with dartboard enthusiasts engaging in playoffs for an upcoming tournament. After some discussion, we decided to stay for food and drinks and the first half of our intended program: 2008 accomplishments and 2009 resolutions. Later, we would adjourn to a library to discuss our works in progress and techniques to improve our writing.

The five of us began with food, drinks, and a recounting by each person of her 2008 accomplishments, which included writing for a set amount of time every day, winning contests, publishing books, presenting writing workshops, creating web sites and blogs, and other activities. By the time we had completed the bragfest, we were feeling great about ourselves and were ready to move on to 2009 resolutions. Our pledges included time commitments, novels to finish, and marketing strategies to utilize. By the time we were ready to move to the library for a discussion of our current works in progress and techniques for improving them, an enthusiasm for our work in the coming year was building.

After forming a caravan to the library, we settled in a vacant study room just the right size for our group and got down to a general discussion of our work. With previously critiqued chapter in front of us, we each talked about our characters, their overall story goals and the obstacles in their paths. I brought some information on the order information is given in scenes and sequels (as gleaned from Jack Bickham's Scene & Structure), and we looked at ways we might re-order and expand on certain scenes and chapters.

The problem with libraries is that they close early on Sunday. At about a quarter to five, we got our first time warning. During a quick wrap up, Arlene presented us each with pocket diaries perfect for jotting down ideas while on the go. Bonnie gave each of us a packet filled with writing charts, including forms to keep track of writing time (a great thing to do if you are presenting your expenses to the IRS on a Schedule C). There were also worksheets on marketing and character and plot development. Armed with these gifts and high spirits, we were shooed out of the room and were off to an exciting and productive new year.

Writing in the New Year

Hazel — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:26:00 GMT

At 11:58 p.m. on New Year's Eve, I finished a sentence at the bottom of three pages of a kidnapping scene, saved it, and sent if off via e-mail to Bonnie, my relentless friend who was responsible for my writing it that night. The scene wasn't finished, but I had brought the kidnapper to the main character's door armed with chloroform and God's approval.

It's been almost a year since I told Bonnie about the planned kidnapping scene, but many things have interrupted my writing. She has periodically pleaded, nagged, harangued, and used other tactics to numerous to mention in an effort to get the scene out of me. You see, Junior is her favorite character in my novel in progress, Runemaster. As the son of an overbearing fundamentalist preacher, Junior's hopes for a television ministry of his own are dashed when his father spends the church's money to pay off a blackmailer. To add to Junior's woes, the woman he has adored for almost fifteen years wants nothing to do with him and seems to be attracted to a psychic. Certain she is possessed, Junior kidnaps the love of his life in the hope of exorcising the demon(s). Once she is free of Satan's influences, she will love him.

Junior's had a hard life filled with disappointment, but he has a good heart, so Bonnie really wants him to win. Right now, I don't think he can. We'll have to see. In the meantime, I brought in the new year writing a scene I had been putting off and brought this novel in progress back on my radar of things to do. The year is off to a great start.

Hazel

Does Everyone Need Counseling?

Hazel — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:45:00 GMT

The question in the title was asked by Jane Glenn Haas in a recent Wichita Eagle article. Haas was reflecting on Oprah's weight gain statement that, unknowingly, she had become depressed and used food as a drug. Following that reasoning, Haas wondered if the 133.6 milion adult Americans who are overweight all needed therapy.

While counseling wouldn't hurt, there may be a wait if all 133.6 milion of us try to make an appointment at once. While we are waiting, we might try some simple things to lift our mood. One is to step outside and take a deep breath of fresh air. Then walk to the end of the block and back. This is not an exercise for the purpose of burning calories, so take it slow and observe the world around you. Depending on the season, see bare skeletons of trees, buds busting forth on limbs, or leaves forming a green halo. Feel the sun and the air. Take deep, even breaths as you walk.

When you get back to your home, find a place to sit and spend another five minutes breathing deeply and observing the present moment: tree branches moving in the wind, cars passing, children playing, whatever is before you. This small break in your routine will, at least momentarily, calm your mind and increase the oxygen your body needs to work properly. Give it a try.
Hazel

Snow Days

Hazel — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:28:00 GMT

The snow came at just the right time for me. On Monday, my mother arrived from Wellington, and I met her at the nursing home here in Wichita to help her get settled. When the snow fell Monday evening and lingered into Tuesday, there was no pressing reason for me to go out. Instead, I stayed home and tackled the book room, which contains mostly books but also a large amount of miscellaneous.

At noon, I was picking my way among the boxes throughout my apartment as I tried to make room for organization to happen. By the evening, I had selected three cartons of books to donate and had a stack of perhaps 300 books for which I wanted to check values before I let them go. Letting go, as I've said before, is hard for me.

This morning, I looked out the door and saw the world was still too frozen for me to venture out, so today will be devoted to finishing the reorganization of the book room. I've been needing these two days for a long time. The snow finally gave them to me.

What has the snow given you, either now or in the past? If you have a snow story, please leave a comment.
Hazel

Letting Go of Books

Hazel — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:34:00 GMT

Last Sunday's paper contained an article titled "Living with only 100 things." Dave Bruno of San Diego has challenged himself to reduce his personal possessions to 100 things (with some admitted rule stretching). I was attracted to the article because as a result of recent and repeated instances of downsizing my mother's possessions as she moved from independent to assisted living, and from assisted living to skilled nursing, and, finally, to an Alzheimer's unit, my daughter has urged me to start getting rid of my stuff.

Out of respect for the fact that my daughter has answered every plea for help I have issued as I dealt with my mother's possessions, I have tried to get rid of some of the items clogging my apartment, but most of those items are books, and while I haven't read most of them, I may want to some day. Even Dave of the "100 thing challenge" stretched the rules when it came to books and lumped them all as one thing: his library. If I did that, I could easily get down to 100 things.

Unfortunately, it's my books that my daughter would like to see reduced in number. She doesn't see them as one thing but as the thousands of individual items they are. They fill an entire room and overflow into several bookcases in my bedroom and living room. Then there are the stacks on the floor because there aren't enough shelves. I tell her that unlike her grandmother, I have not stored money or family pictures in my books. All she will need to do is call a used book dealer and say, "Come get them."

In the past month, I have donated about six boxes containing approximately 150 books to various thrift stores. At one drop off location, I winced as the warehouse person lifted the boxes out of my car and bounced them onto ground during the unloading process. I worried about bumped corners and bent covers. I love books. Seeing them mistreated really put the brakes on my ability to let go.

While writing this, my eyes kept straying to a nearby bookshelf and a book titled Basic Macrobiotic Cooking. I can't tell you exactly how long I have owned this book, but it has occupied that specific shelf for at least a year. I have never used a recipe from this book, and I'm not into macrobiotics although there was a time I thought it would be interesting to try. As I looked at the book, I thought, "I will never use that book. I will put it in the donation box." With the intention of doing just that, I picked up the book. The subtitle, Procedures of Grain and Vegetable Cookery, sounded interesting, so I flipped through the book and was caught up in layered vegetables, granola, and yin and yang theory. I checked the copyright page and saw the book was a first edition. Then I thought about the information. What if someday I write a story with a main character who eats only macrobiotic foods? I need this book for possible research. It is now back on the shelf.

I'm with Dave; a library is ONE thing. But how about clothes? Are all those jeans and shirts I might be able to get into now that I am exercising again individual items that may need discarding, or can I label my clothes a wardrobe and keep them all?

Is Oprah a Seasoned Aspirer?

Hazel — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:27:00 GMT

Today's newspapers reports following up on yesterday's TV gossip news, which were following up on Oprah's announcement in her magazine that she had gained weight, serve as a reminder that no matter how knowledgeable, determined, and surrounded by support we are, some areas of our lives repeatedly get out of hand. In those areas, we are seasoned aspirers.

For anyone who even occasionally watches Oprah's show, her announcement that she had gained forty pounds was no suprise. While I am not the avid Oprah watcher I once was, I still tune in when she has experts like Suze Orman (financial) and Dr . Oz (health) as guests. Sometime during the summer, I noticed her weight gain. Since I've had my own ups and downs with weight, I identified.

At the beginning of the summer, I was looking good. For over a year, I had been faithful to a diet and exercise program, and I had lost weight and inches. Friends and acquaintances even remarked on how good I looked. I had been waiting and hoping for those words. Yet, once they were spoken, my health regimen took a dive.

The first to go was exercise. I blamed the shoulder injury I received while trying to keep up with eighty-year-olds in my seniors exercise class, but I didn't have to stop all exercise, just the shoulder stuff. However, when someone is in self-sabotage mode, any excuse will do. The next to go was diet. I traded in my no-fat cottage cheese and pineapple breakfast for bacon and eggs, not just occasionally, but as a regular thing. I added more bread and carbohydrates, which just made me hungrier for more, so I added some extra helpings.

Now, like Oprah, I am embarrassed. I wanted to do well and encourage others to fulfill their goals. I've turned out to be a poor role model. Oprah has thyroid problems, and I have diabetes, but I'm guessing these health challenges are not the reason for our fluctuating weight but a result of it. I'm thinking Oprah's announcement means she is once again ready to tackle her weight and whatever personal issues cause her to seek comfort in food. Me, too. That's what seasoned aspirers do.

Talking in Circles

Hazel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:41:00 GMT

Remember your teacher making the class put chairs in a circle for discussions. I have to admit I didn't like the arrangement in junior high. It was harder to hide when I was in a circle. I didn't like to talk much in those days. Blending in with the group was my main goal.

How times have changed! Being a teacher, I now have lots of experience in front of groups. Now that I am also a self-published writer, I'm trying to expand my presentations to other groups. For that reason, I volunteered to be on the small publishers panel at the Kansas Authors Club convention. I figured even though I was new to self publishing, I could offer up some experiences to people who were thinking of doing the same. The panel turned out to be a small one. I and Susan Howell, publisher of Kansas Traveler, were the only panel members.

I'm not sure who suggested we put the chairs in a circle, but it turned out to be an excellent format for presenting to the approximately twenty writers who attended the session. While I had only a beginner's knowledge of self publishing, others in the room had far more experience. The circle format allowed for a free exchange of ideas that might not have happened in the traditional rows-of-chairs situation. I both contributed to and learned from the discussion, which covered a range of topics, including book formatting and printing, book covers, marketing, and the advantages of your business being a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC).

I might have been embarrassed because so many in the group had more knowledge than I did. However, I'm glad I volunteered. If I hadn't, the self publishing aspect might not have come up for discussion, and many in the room who were only thinking of taking that route would not have gained from the collective experiences of the group.

The circle formation was also excellent for Susan Howell's discussion of Kansas Traveler, including what she's looking for and guidelines. Participants wanted to know how much editing she does on submitted articles and also asked her about themes, reprints, and simultaneous submissions. If you have a Kansas event you want to publicize or have written an article about Kansas, check out Kansas Traveler at http://kansastraveler.com/.

And don't forget, for maximum participation in a discussion, it's hard to beat talking in circles.

Hazel

And the Winner Is...

Hazel — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:18:00 GMT

Bonnie and I attended the Kansas Authors Club (KAC) convention in Dodge City this weekend. On the drive out, Bonnie mentioned that she had entered the club's writing contest, but she hadn't won anything. I knew that KAC didn't let entrants know if they were winners ahead of time, but I didn't say anything. I just had the secret hope she would win.

Guess what? Secret hopes sometimes come true. At the awards luncheon Sunday, Bonnie's name was announced for taking first place in the fiction category, First Five Pages of a Novel, for her novel, Assisted Living. Congratulations, Bonnie!

Bonnie is quicker on the draw than I am when it comes to cameras, so I didn't get a photo of her accepting the award. However, KAC took photos of the winners, so eventually there will be one. In lieu of the winning photo, here are two others of Bonnie at the convention.

	Bonnie and our book display in the KAC book room.
	Bonnie and the cowboy at the Dodge House.

There will be more about the conference and more pictures in a couple of days.
Hazel

Self Publishing Questions

Hazel — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:29:00 GMT

I'm preparing a presentation on self publishing and need your help. If you were attending the presentation, what questions would you want answered? I'll post answers here as well as include them in the presentation.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Hazel

Ten Minutes or Less

Hazel — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:47:00 GMT

At a meeting Sunday, one of the group members said she'd have to get back to blogging since she had a book coming out soon. She followed that with the statement that her entries take ten minutes. If it took longer, she wouldn't get it done.

Ten minutes was a "Wow!" moment for me. I can barely complete a comment on a student essay in ten minutes. But I decided to give it a try. If it didn't work, I could always delete.

This emphasis on time got me thinking before I even got to the computer. I had a poem about time. In fact, I had often thought of it as the title poem for a chapbook. I don't often write poetry, but last week I attended a readaround and sorted through my poems for something to read and realized I had enough for a book.

But what about a cover? The answer: a clock. I could take a picture and work up a cover in my Photoshop Elements program.

But what clock? And then I looked at the Seth Thomas clock my grandparents received as a wedding gift. It's my one treasure from the people who raised me the first twelve years of my life. Definitely, it's the cover image.
Here, in the final three minutes of this entry, is the title poem.

IN TIME

Today's ache; today's smile
Fade, are gone,
Without a note, a line
A poem to hang them on.

Hazel

Publication Delay: A Book and Its Cover

Hazel — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:33:00 GMT

People say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we do. With thousands of books available, we pick up what attracts us. Different genres require different images. Edge of Nowhere, the book Bonnie and I are preparing for publication, contains mostly horror and dark fiction and needs a cover that conveys that genre. A former art student of Bonnie's had offered to do the cover for her, but the cover choices submitted didn't fit the tone of the book, so we are thinking of what to do next.

I have suggested to Bonnie that she do the cover. As a former art teacher, she has all the skills necessary, and as the author of the title story, she has a definite idea of what she wants the cover image to be. In the early days of paperbacks, many of the covers were artists' drawings or paintings. No final decision has been made, but book publication is on hold for now. As soon as we have a cover, I'll upload the image for your comments.
Hazel

Book Editing at Lake El Dorado

Hazel — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:49:00 GMT

Bonnie and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday, two beautiful days, at Lake El Dorado, where we edited our new book of dark fiction/horror stories, Edge of Nowhere. We were not alone, however. A full complement of insects joined us in the great outdoors, including spiders and ants of various sizes. One particularly stout-looking bug was a large, orange insect that Gladys, the lady at the park office, helped us identify as a cow killer ant. Every once in a while, Bonnie would be staring at the ground instead of the page, and I'd know she was bug watching again.

In the cabin picture below, you will see regular coffee cups. Bad idea! I found a spider floating in my coffee. If you go camping, take those covered cups.

In spite of the insects, we each read the entire Edge of Nowhere manuscript and marked needed changes, from passages that needed revising to punctuation and formatting problems like headers and gaps between words. After completing the 6X9 paperback, we scanned the mass market size paperback for gaps. For those of you who haven't formatted a book, when you justify the margins, there are places where the words spread out on the line. There are ways to get rid of those large gaps, a tedious, but necessary, task.

However, the trip wasn't all work. We took time to cook and enjoy the scenery. We also discussed our favorite subject, writing. More about those discussions, mostly about description and point of view, in the next blog.
Hazel

Bonnie took this picture
of me editing on the front
porch of our cabin.

Bonnie took this picture
of our picnic area. We spent most of Wednesday editing here when Bonnie wasn't bug watching.

I took this picture of Bonnie trying to cremate her hot dog.

Bonnie took this picture of the lake at sunset.

Write-in at the Lake: Proofreading Party

Hazel — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:45:00 GMT

Later today, Bonnie and I are headed to El Dorado Lake and a two day write-in to complete the editing and proofreading of our new book of short stories, Edge of Nowhere. We are going to the Kansas Author's Club Conference in Dodge City the first weekend in October and want to have the new book ready to sell.

Our new book of horror stories, Edge of Nowhere, contains nine short stories, five by me and four by Bonnie. However, Bonnie's story, "Edge of Nowhere," is novella length and is the title story. Our stories include demons, vampires, and other mythical creatures, along with some stories of murder thrown in. We will publish the book in two sizes: a 6x9 paperback and the smaller mass market paperback.

Because there are two sizes, there are two files to format. Besides the usual proofreading one must give every manuscript, whether self-published or not, we have to check headers, footers, and their spacing on the page. Because there are different stories and, therefore, different sections, the page numbers sometimes do strange things that take time to decipher. Just when we think we have nailed them down, something shifts, and we have to start again. Perhaps, one of these days, we will have published enough books for headers and footers to be a snap. That's my dream, anyway.

Of course, after all the work, we intend to spend evenings gazing at the lake, cooking hot dogs, and and talking--our idea of a party. The two days will end at noon on Thursday, all too soon. Our goals are to get both sizes of our book publication-ready and to have a good time. I'll update you on Friday on how our write-in went.

Hazel