My #AGoodDay #podcast is up today re: a scare I had up in the air years ago.
Thanks to @uLibraryDigital for producing these stories!
You can listen below and on the Ulverscroft page on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/07cHfvk7h59dfewTRVxNO7?si=u26TNw4XQVWqZEDq-dW1jA
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During this whole quarantine thing, I’ve often found myself bored, impatient and maybe even not so nice to be around. I’ve never read so many books, watched so much TV, sent so many heartfelt cards and letters or written so many chapters for my latest book. That last part is actually a surprisingly good thing to come out of the virus.
Anyway, for the good of those around me, I decided I better get out of my own head and crawl inside someone else’s. Yes, reading is definitely a good way to do just that, but I somehow felt compelled to move my body off the couch, out of my writing chair and away from the kitchen table. I needed a new form of distraction that might also have the added side effect of expanding my mind.
While many of you are probably familiar with the eclectic world of podcasting, I was not until recently. I am proud to say that I am now. Almost every morning I have been getting up, lacing up my tennies and plugging into a different world; the podcasting world. I make it a point to choose topics I have no prior knowledge of and sometimes even no interest in. Why? To try to jar my brain back to life and it has turned out pretty well. So much so, that I’m now recommending it to the rest of the world or at least to my A Slice of Orange blog readers.
My morning walks or podwalks as I have taken to calling them, have turned out to be one of my favorite parts of my day. I’ve learned so many new and different things as I huff and puff through the hills where I live. I discovered the story of the paleontologist who actually coined the word “dinosaur. ” Now I’m not a real dinosaur fan, but this was one interesting and rather sad story of how ego can get in the way of success. I also enjoyed the tale about how the word “vaccine” was birthed. Both pieces were short, attention grabbing and informative stories from the FridayScience podcast; a site I highly recommend.
But wait, there’s more. I tuned through several other podcasts to learn about the fictional character, Dracula, how to make myself ten percent happier, the true meaning of the word imagination, how the brain adapts when learning a foreign language, techniques for taking a dress pattern from size ten to size fourteen, what happens when you have a heart attack and the value of including kale in your daily diet. I also listened to wonderful stories chronicling everything from mysteries to murders.
Not only did I learn a lot of new stuff, I also benefited in a couple of other ways. I found myself extending my walks for longer periods of time because I didn’t want to quit before the podcast was over. I was also introduced to new vocabulary and exciting strategies for expressing an idea—something every writer can benefit from. The word Crepuscular, a large or bulky body type, was just one of my discoveries and is sure to be a new character descriptor in my next book.
Okay, I admit there is a lot of weird stuff, out there . The number of programs about interestrial visitors is mind boggling. And some of the podcasts featuring famous murderers did nothing for my scaredy cat issues. The good thing is, with the touch of a finger, I can always flip to another topic. Oh, one more thing. I learned how to create my own podcast. Perhaps this could be my next endeavor?
Plug in and start your day with your own podwalk. I hope you find it as enjoyable as I have.
Happy May 20th!
Meriam
0 0 Read moreTo Instagram or not to Instagram . . . that is the question these days.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it can be fun. I post photos, but I love making Instagram videos with graphics I have . . . or when I’m someplace that’s fun to record.
My IG tips:
1 — practice taking pictures, find an interesting angle, make the shot tight rather than too far away so you can capture a “moment.”
2 — type at least one or two hashtags before you Share.
Then once you’ve shared, you can go back and “Comment” with additional hashtags on your PC. It’s easier to type a bunch on your keyboard. Hashtags are super important. Check out other Instagrammers who post similar topics and see what tags they use.
3 — Share across all platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or whichever you have for maximum exposure.
4 — Post photos from your PC — yes, it can be done. I use Chrome. I go to my Instagram account, then to the upper right corner three dots … and click on More Tools; next click on Developer Tools. You’ll see coding on the left side of the screen. Refresh the page and you’ll see the PLUS sign + at the bottom of the screen. Left click on that and you can upload a photo from your computer.
5 — if you love to shoot videos like I do, when you start to Record, count at least 2-3 seconds before you start speaking or you might lose the beginning of what you say. Try to keep background noise down. You have a maximum of 60 seconds to record. I try to find a “core” message in what I want to say before I record and I have a sign-off I’ve used for years.
So, that’s it! Time for some Instagram goodies, so here are some examples of what I’ve posted.
Follow me on my Instagram page and I’ll follow back: https://www.instagram.com/jinabacarr/
Questions? Please ask!
Jina
PS — I’m hoping Santa will give me a tip re: holding my phone. I’m looking into mini-tripods. Here’s an Update: Meet Kandie the Elf!
Here’s a graphic I made for Pastry Day:
I was at my favorite market at the bakery counter — I love this princess cake!
I couldn’t resist these Cinderella shoes when I was at the Spectrum. (I’m waiting to hear back on the m/s I talk about in the video).
Check out my Civil War time travel romance LOVE ME FOREVER
Also, my holiday stories:
A Naughty Christmas Carol — erotic romance
A Soldier’s Italian Christmas — sweet WW2 romance
Come Fly with Me — a New Year’s Eve sexy romance at 30,000 feet:
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They liked macaroni and cheese SO much, if they could, they would eat it for breakfast, dinner, and lunch!
More info →On a battlefield in Afghanistan, Sgt. Ryder Bronson makes an oath to protect his dying friend’s wife from a rogue cop—and from the passion that will threaten to overwhelm them both.
More info →A Slice of Orange is an affiliate with some of the booksellers listed on this website, including Barnes & Nobel, Books A Million, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords. This means A Slice of Orange may earn a small advertising fee from sales made through the links used on this website. There are reminders of these affiliate links on the pages for individual books.
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