The Effect of Blogging by @lindaojohnston
October 6, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as blogging, Killer Characters, Killer Hobies, The Writers in Residence
It’s October already, the beginning of a new month. As always, I’m surprised at how fast this year is going. Plus, I’m always both excited and concerned as a new month begins, because I have a lot of blogs to write, particularly early in the month.
Why? Because I’ve committed to write for quite a few blogs over the years. And why is that? Because I enjoy it. Also, I hope to communicate with diverse groups of people about things that I care about, particularly relating to my books and writing.
I started writing for the predecessor of this Slice of Orange in 2007. That’s the same year I started writing weekly posts for Killer Hobbies–you can visit me there each Wednesday. There’s also Killer Characters on the 18th of each month, and InkSpot on the first Monday of each month. And just recently, I started blogging for The Writers in Residence, on Wednesdays about every other month.
Are there similarities? Sure, even though there are also differences. I do sometimes use the same posts for more than one of them, or variations on them.
Would I recommend doing this to others? Sure! For one thing, I enjoy reaching out to the members and fans of the Orange County Chapter of RWA, as I do here. And this is a different audience from those who read, for example, the Killer Characters blog, where each post is from the point of view of a character in a mystery series by whoever is posting that day. Blogs are generally also a different kind of writing from fiction, whether romances or mysteries, more of an or letter most of the time. Writing one doesn’t take terribly long, but it also helps to clear my mind, for a short while, from what I need to write or edit that day.
So–yes, I’d recommend that you, too, blog away, whether here or another blog or a bunch of them. I keep hearing rumors that blogs are now unpopular, but they always seem to be countered by other rumors that they’re now very popular.
Whichever is true, I’m still continuing to blog.
Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published 52 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. More than twenty-five of them are romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense and Harlequin Nocturne. Her latest release is Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire, for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
She has also written several mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs!
Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com and friend her on Facebook.
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Alina K. Field, Featured Author #amreading @A_SliceofOrange
October 1, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Alina K. Field, new release, October Featured Author, The Viscount's Seduction
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring (available along with the rest of her novels below). She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
Visit her at:
http://alinakfield.com/
https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field
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Villains, Victors & Vixens: OCC/RWA’s Birthday Bash
September 21, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Events, Writing Conferences tagged as Costumes, fun, OCC/RWA Birthday Bash, writing
You’re Invited to Join OCC/RWA in celebrating our Birthday Bash!
We’re having the Birthday, but we want to give everyone the presents.
Villains, Victors & Vixens
Come for the day and/or join us Friday night for the Write In and Saturday Night for the Pajama Parties
October 21, 2017
Embassy Suites – Brea
900 East Birch Street
Brea, California, 92821
Cost is $50 for OCCRWA Members
$60 for All other Guests
$30 for Past Presidents
Signup HERE.
Keynote Speaker: Damon Suede
Bestselling Author, Renowned Speaker, and member of the RWA National Board of Directors
Reader’s Block:
Damon’s talk focuses on the modern romance industry, the radical shifts in readership and fandom and how they’re altering what success looks like for professional authors. Genre fictioneers often grouse about writer’s block but more and more what we encounter is something more akin to reader’s block: an unwillingness to step beyond our ruts or move past the shadow of our steeples.
Romance is the literature of hope, simultaneously the most traditional and most provocative of genres. Our industry is evolving, but not necessarily in the obvious ways. Tribalism and division cost us marketshare and media access. In a world expanding and connecting at an exponential rate, where do books land? Who are the readers of tomorrow? What is the future of love stories and genre fiction careers? Join us for a free-range discussion of the art of heart and the business of happy endings.
Bestselling author Panel : Debra Holland, Maggie Marr, Brenna Aubrey, Damon Suede
What Made the Difference!
Lunch will be served
Auction! Auction! Auction!
Incredible auction prizes from Scrivenver, RWA, Embassy Suites, Amazon, Major Publishers and authors
Come in Costume!
There will be Prizes. Dress as your favorite book character.
Book Cover Contest!
Enter your favorite covers for prizes. And help judge the winners.
(you can enter on the OCC website)
Awards for the Orange Rose and Book Buyer’s Best Contests
Friday night Write-In
At least one hour with Damon Suede
Saturday Night Pajama Parties — Damon Suede, Louella Nelson, Maggie Marr and more.
Cost is $50 for OCCRWA Members
$60 for All other Guests
$30 for Past Presidents
Signup HERE.
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Moving Right Along
September 6, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as dogs, OCC/RWA, Pets, writing
Moving Right Along
The September OCC meeting is coming up soon, and I hope to attend. It’ll be my first one since May, when I injured my knee. But I’m moving right along now and have been able to drive, although this will be my longest driving venture since then.
I’m looking forward to attending the meeting and seeing everyone again!
Dogs!
However, as I write this I’m fairly sure I’ll just be there for lunch and the afternoon meeting. Why? Dogs! My pups rule my life, and my actual puppy, Cari, has an obedience lesson in the morning. My husband has been trainer in chief since my injury, but I want to go and learn and try to work more with Cari at home, too.
What did I miss at RWA 17?
But the afternoon OCC session should be just fine with me. For one thing, the topic will be The Best of RWA17, which should help answer the main question I asked here in this blog last month: What did I miss by not attending the RWA National Conference this year?
So even though I’ll miss PAW, I’m sure I’ll have a great time. And attending what I can this month should also help me decide if I can make it to the Birthday Bash next month!
As long as my knee, and my dogs, will let me…
Linda O. Johnston
Linda first novel was the 1995 Love Spell time travel romance A Glimpse of Forever. Since then she has published over 40 novels—mysteries and romances, including paranormal romance and romantic suspense.
Linda has two new books out for 2017. May 8th will see the release of BAD TO THE BONE, the third book in the Barkery & Biscuits Mystery Series. On June 1st, her book PROTECTOR WOLF (Alpha Force) a part of the popular Harlequin Nocturne series of paranormal romances will be published.
Linda also blogs at Killer Hobbies, Killer Characters and Midnight Ink Author blog. You can also find her on Facebook.
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THE LAST GOODNIGHT
With another body turning up, one woman is hot on the trail of a killer . . .
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A SOLDIER’S ITALIAN CHRISTMAS
A soldier and a nun discover forbidden love in war-torn Italy during the winter of 1943.
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