Jul 19, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Hey, peeps! I’m gonna try something a little fun and participatory.
The Unemployment Cookbook: What’s on your plate?
So, I’ve decided part of my new meal plan should include recipes from The Unemployment Cookbook so I can also do a foodie blog. I know, I know . . . DUH. But I guess I’ve been so focused on writing NOLA and keeping a clean house (insert sarcastic laughter here) that I didn’t give much thought to it.
And then it hit me. It hit me like a sweet tea on a humid day. Like a misty shade tree on a concrete jungle. Like, well, like an idea worth sharing. Are y’all ready?
I want you to decide what I make.
Yup. You read that right. The fate of my weekly meal is in your hands. That’s not to say I’m only eating once a week. More like, you’re responsible for the meal I make. A meal. “One of”. Not the “only”. Anyway, let’s continue . . .
Here’s how it works: Each week I’ll post three recipe choices on my Facebook Page and pin the photos to the top of the page. You get to hop on over and click “like” for the photo of the recipe you want me to make and blog about. Now, normally, I’ll try to have the selections available for you Monday through Wednesday. By 9pm Wednesday, the photo with the most “likes” will be the recipe I make. Depending on my schedule, the recipe blog will post no later than the following Monday, at which time a new recipe selection will be available. Once a recipe has been made, blogged, and eaten, it’s out of the running.
Now I know today’s already Wednesday, so I’ll give y’all until Friday noon to make your choices. ‘Cause when I leave work Friday, I’m going grocery shopping!
At this rate, it will take quite some time to get through all the recipes, but hey. We’ve got time, haven’t we? And hunger? And a budget? So I’m thinking this could totally be a win-win situation.
Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t have Facebook. You can also vote by leaving a comment on the blog posts.
So, you wanna give it a try?
Which recipe should I make this weekend? Tell me in the comments.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . .: What’s on my Plate? You decide! @RealMojo68 #franklymydearmojo #ameating #cookbook
The Unemployment Cookbook: Slow Cooker Ratatouille
The Unemployment Cookbook: Hamburger Pie
The Unemployment Cookbook: Hot Dog Casserole
With a Cookbook, a plan, and a tea in the desert,
Happy eating!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jul 18, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
INVITATION: Harbingers, Cycle One
This week I read Book Two: The Haunted, by Frank Peretti.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read any further unless you want to know how the story goes.
Are you sure?
You’re still reading.
I’m giving you enough screen scrolling to avoid it.
Okay, you’re still here.
All right, folks. Strap yourselves in. This one is a wild ride.
Okay, for starters, can I just say I love a book that stays with you even when you’re not reading it. I’m not talking like, “Oh, yeah. It’s on the coffee table.” or “Of course. It’s in my backpack.” No, no, no. I think you know I mean the kind of reading that stays with you mentally. Emotionally.
Frank Peretti has a style of writing that always grips me, and this is no exception.
This book is told from the Professor’s perspective. The fallen Priest-turned-pragmatist. He no longer believes in God, and will go out of his way to prove that everything has a logical explanation.
Through a myriad of, well, invitations, our heroes finding themselves together on a plane to Seattle.
Aww, Seattle . . .
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Sea-Tac Airport
They think they have separate reasons, but of course they don’t. The professor meets with his old friend, AJ Van Epps, who tells him of a strange, reappearing house. As if a house can vanish and reappear at will! But Van Epps has data to sustain his theories. Two unseemly townsfolk have died recently, and he knows the house has something to do with it. The House seems to always know all about its inhabitants. He talks the professor into joining his investigation. The professor agrees and heads into town where he inexplicably runs into Brenda, the tattoo artist, speaking with a psychic.
Brenda and the professor go in for a reading, not expecting any truth to be revealed. Earthsong, as she’s called, tells them about a boy, a prisoner set free, and other nonsense. Days pass with little adventure, until the professor is followed by what he can only describe as a specter. He’s being followed by a ghost! The professor braces himself and watches as the specter walks past him toward a house that wasn’t there before. The House.
Two-story Victorian, dull purple, richly detailed, turreted, with a covered porch and sleepy front windows.
The professor enlists the aid of the others, including Van Epps who agrees to stay outside the house with his video camera. The professor, Andi, Brenda, and Tank enter the house. It’s nearly night and there are no lights. It’s as if the house expects them. They take to individual rooms upstairs, using only their cell phones for intermittent light. But when all goes dark, three of the four have nightmarish experiences too real to be a dream. Tank is the only one spared the dark evils of their own minds, and he brings them out of it with his large laugh. Where the others had glimpses of their hells, Tank had a glimpse of heaven. Then, at the end of the hall, in the shadow of the moonlit window, is a young boy who promptly disappears.
It’s all too much, and they leave the house. Van Epps is furious; they need more data! They need to find out how the house does what it does, so they can harness its power and use it. The professor and the girls return the next day, to find Tank is already there. With a young boy. The same boy from last night. The same young boy tattooed on his arm.
His name is Daniel, and he has a friend. A big, strong, invisible friend who may or may not be imaginary. But where did Daniel come from? They’re distracted by something outside. Van Epps is mowing the lawn. His argument is if he does something nice to the house, perhaps the house won’t hurt him like it’s hurt so many others.
Okay, I’ve recounted enough. Except to say there’s some fighting. A locked door. An imprisoned child. A murder. And a tall, strong being who helps Daniel even as the winds of hell suck Van Epps and the professor toward its door. Will they be taken? Will they be safe? Who is this Daniel kid? Why does the house always know everything?
For the last week, whether watching TV or cleaning house or driving, I found myself worried about the characters. I forgot they’re not real. I needed to find out what happens next. And I needed that House to stop reappearing at every corner.
I think you need to pick up INVITATION and find out for yourself what shadows can do.
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Harbingers, C1B2: The Haunted, by Frank Peretti. @RealMojo68 #harbingers #amreading
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Jul 17, 2017 |
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
[republished with permission. And be sure to check out my post today on Edie’s blog, The Write Conversation. ~Molly Jo]
Edie Melson: Social Media Lies People Tell Themselves, Part One
I get a lot of emails and phone calls from people who really believe social media doesn’t work for them. They’ve convinced themselves that they are the exception to the rule. And because of that, they’re somehow exempt from having an online presence.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s called an exception because it rarely ever happens. Actually I’ve NEVER seen an instance where it was true. But I’m skeptical about absolutes, so I’ll grant that there might be one single person out there that social media doesn’t work for.
The rest of you need to quit claiming it doesn’t work and get busy working it.
The Four Main Types Who Fail at Social Media
First, there’s the person who has really tried to make it work, but they’ve been trying all the wrong things. Doing it wrong won’t get you much further than not doing it at all.
Second, there’s the person who’s been paralyzed by over-thinking the process. They’ve spent so much time analyzing every possible scenario they’re confused and defeated before they ever start.
Third, there’s the person who starts and stops. They work at it consistently for a week or two then stop. Then start again . . . then stop . . . . I think you get the idea. A big part of social media is building on success. If you keep stopping, there’s nothing to build on.
Fourth, there’s the go-getter that’s spending so much time on social media they no longer have time to write. So they throw up their hands and walk away.
What You Need to Do to Have a Successful Social Media Presence
- Start a blog or become a part of a group blog.
- Have a presence on Facebook.
- Have a presence on Twitter.
- Utilize a scheduling program (like Hootsuite) to help manage your time efficiently.
- Never break Edie’s five-to-one rule. For every five social media updates on a particular platform, you may only post one additional update about yourself or your product (this includes your books, a blog post, or an announcement about a guest blog post you’re doing).
- Quit overthinking the process. Social media isn’t a science. It’s relationships, and relationships are messy. So get busy, take a chance and find what works for you by DOING, not THINKING!
I recommend you start with the following minimum goals and work up from here:
- Blog once a week, if it’s your personal blog. Blog twice a month if it’s a group blog.
- Comment on a minimum of one other blog once a day, four days a week.
- Post on Facebook a minimum of three times a day, four days a week.
- Comment on someone else’s Facebook post a minimum of three times a day, four days a week.
- Tweet a minimum of four to six times a day, four days a week. (This can include retweeting something someone else has tweeted).
But no matter what you do with social media . . .
Don’t spend more than 20-30 minutes per day on social media.
Spend more than 20-30 minutes a day on social media and you’ll run into the law of diminishing returns. You just don’t get as much bang for your buck. Beyond that, you’ll be cutting into valuable writing time.
What things are standing in your way with social media?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . .: Social Media Lies People Tell Themselves, Part One @RealMojo68 @EdieMelson #socialmedia
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . .: What things are standing in your way with social media? @RealMojo68 @EdieMelson #socialmedia
Blessings,
Edie
Edie Melson
Find your voice, live your story…is the foundation of Edie Melson’s message, no matter if she’s addressing parents, military families or writers. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Connect with her on her blog and through Twitter and Facebook.You can also connect with Edie through Twitter and Facebook.
