“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.”
Tag Archives: #authorgram
AuThursday – Libby Webber
Words have power.

AuThursday – Shannon O’Connor
You got this. (something my mother has always said)
From my upcoming short story Christmas Sweets featured in the anthology, A Taste of You:
AuThursday – Hiliary Amanda
She believed she could and so she did.
AuThursday – Katherine Brown

God is within her, she will not fail.

AuThursday – Paris Wynters
Do what works for you.
AuThursday – Amelia Foster
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000447_00006]](https://tinaholland.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/mtbk.jpg)

Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts
AuThursday – Brenda Billings Ridgley
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I’m a Colorado girl who spent a decade in corporate America as a human resources manager and then decades more as an entrepreneur with businesses ranging from brick-and-mortar retail to consulting and direct sales. I am an avid networker and connector.
How do you make time to write?
I set a small daily goal that I can keep up with on a consistent basis. I don’t always get the daily goal done but it kept me on track enough to make up for it within each week. Don’t we all wish we could make more time? I made writing a priority and had to re-negotiate some other things.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I believe that it exists for writers when they are finding themselves less passionate about their work. I have yet to experience it but I am too superstitious to say that it doesn’t exist!
Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.
For much of my adult life I have been drawn to books that help be grow whether that be in business acumen, spirituality, learning something new or just be happier. I wrote Lady and the Tribe for women so they could rediscover themselves like I did through empowering friendships. I love this genre because I believe we should all choose to be life-long learners.
How are you publishing your recent book and why?
I chose to self-publish Lady and the Tribe because I feel the information is timely, our disconnected world needs to remember that our relationships are really what bring joy and meaning to our lives. I didn’t want to wait years for a publisher to pick it up and make it their own.
Are you an Introvert or Extravert? How does this affect your work?
I am an extraverted introvert. A friend told me she calls it an Ambivert. I love to get in front of people, even on stage and present, share, interact… but after I need to go into my little she-shed and re-fill my energy stores. Many are surprised when I tell them I am really an introvert.
What is your favorite motivational phrase?
I have two:
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right. ~ Henry Ford
“You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” ~ Glinda, Wizard of Oz
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Don’t wait for the perfect time to get started because it may never come! Write about things that interest and excite you and you will never be at a loss for words.
Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
My website is BrendaRidgley.com and on social media you can find me @BrendaRidgley
Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?
Quest for Wholeness
We all want to be whole. At some point in time, we may find ourselves asking the universe, “What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? Why do I feel like something is missing?” I found myself asking these questions the year my son was a senior in high school and began planning for college. He had decided to go to a performing arts school in New York, far away from our home in Colorado. I was experiencing some inner turmoil as I realized my life, as I had come to know it, was about to undergo an unwelcome transformation.
As many mothers do, I had spent the last 18 years focusing on my family and much of my identity revolved around that role. What purpose did I have beyond raising good kids? Oh, how I would miss my son . . . and then I would soon be losing my daughter too. Things were never going to be the same again. Our family of four, my world, was a ticking time bomb soon to implode. I struggled to hang on to every possible MOM-ent that school year.
I felt an unexplainable emptiness creep up on me. My life was great, but something was missing. I wasn’t motivated to do anything beyond clinging to the upcoming “lasts” of a child becoming a young man. I longed for a new goal, purpose, or intention to get excited about, but I was not finding the inspiration. In an attempt to find my way, I wrote this letter to the universe.
Dear Universe,
I have heard the analogy that our energy stream is like a river; we should work with the current, rather than paddle upstream. We can be or do or have anything we want, believe, and allow. Everything we want is downstream. All we need to do is turn our boat around and paddle with the current, our inspired action, or let the oars go altogether and let the momentum take us to our best life.
I sometimes feel like I turned the boat around and drifted into a large lake with little current, or my boat was dropped in the middle of the ocean, and I’m lost at sea. The only way out is to paddle. But, I don’t feel the inspirational current, and I don’t see the destination clearly.
My question to the Universe is: “How long do I hang out in this boat adrift being content but not satisfied?” I love the peace I have found, but I am hungry for inspiration and passion to drive me into motivated action. “When will I hit the rapids again and find the current that makes the journey seem effortless and exciting?” I feel incomplete without a burning desire.
There it is, Universe. “What do I do next?” I am so grateful for all of the blessings in my life. I have many. Life is beautiful. I want back in the game of contribution and creation . . . eagerness and excitement . . . joyfully making a difference. “Isn’t it okay to want it all?”
All my love,
Brenda
My letter was not immediately answered. It took some time, but months later, I did find my way out of this funk. Pick up a copy of Lady and the Tribe, How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles to learn what happened next.
Thank you Clog Blog for this great interview and opportunity!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
BRENDA RIDGLEY is an author, speaker, and girlfriend guru who loves helping women connect, find success, and discover joy through friendship. Her mission is to start a movement: women coming together to build thousands of new Lady Tribes around the globe. Through her workshops, vlogs, blogs, and book clubs, Brenda helps women connect and communicate with respect, love, and trust. She holds an MA in human resources and has spent decades cultivating her own Tribe. A Colorado girl at heart, Brenda lives in the Carbon Valley area with her husband, Parker, two kids, Parker Jr. and Gillian, and pooch, Perry. She enjoys hiking and has conquered Longs Peak and several other 14’ers.
To connect with Brenda, visit her website at www.BrendaRidgley.com
Invite Brenda to speak at your next event: mailto:brenda@brendaridgley.com.
Order: Lady and the Tribe – https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Tribe-Empowering-Friendship-Circles/dp/1737289709
Subscribe:
YouTube: @BrendaRidgley
Podcast: @TheConnectionConnoisseur – https://www.podserve.fm/series/website/the-connection-connoisseur,3341/
Blog: https://www.brendaridgley.com/blog
Follow:
Instagram: @BrendaRidgley — https://www.instagram.com/brendaridgley/
Facebook: @BrendaRidgleyConnections – https://www.facebook.com/brendaridgleyconnections
Twitter: @BrendaRidgley
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Brenda Billings Ridgley will be awarding a Cape Diablo wrap bracelet and a $25 Amazon Gift Card (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Author Interview – Kelly Pawlik
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I’m a mother of three, a mediocre gardener, and an avid RPG player. I live on Vancouver Island, BC with my husband, our three inquisitive children, and two lazy cats.
In addition to writing the Olympic Vista Chronicles novellas, I am a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) writer and have released multiple RPG supplements with my husband under our micro-publishing company, Dire Rugrat Publishing. I’ve also contributed to several best-selling works with Kobold Press.
How do you make time to write?
It can be tricky at times for sure! I often set a timer, carving out twenty minutes here or there. If I’m on a roll with it, I might write longer.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Yes, and no. I think there can be a bit of a hurdle, but I think sometimes you just have to push through it. Or write something else! Sometimes, when I’m not feeling as inspired with the novellas, I work on short stories. They can be a fun change of pace and a good way to work around writer’s block.
Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.
I write YA sci-fi and YA horror. I’m not even sure how I stumbled into it, but I had this story and I started writing it. I love YA. I devoured YA books when I was younger, and at some point, I’m not sure when, I stopped reading YA. And then I hit a reading slump. I picked up some YA books again and it was like finding an old friend. I hope when people pick up my books, they get the same feeling.
How are you publishing your recent book and why?
I published the books myself. Some people look down on self-published books, but many indie book authors hire professional editors and proofreaders. I did for these books. An upside to self-publishing is retaining more control over the books. Also, Yesterday’s Gone is the first book in a series of novellas and I feel novellas are more difficult to have traditionally published. I have a vision for the series that wouldn’t fit as well with a traditional publisher.
Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?
Absolutely an introvert! I’m not sure how much it affects what I write, but it certainly affects my ability to promote the book. Being self-published means I do the marketing and promotion myself, and that isn’t as easy when you’re an introvert.
What is your favorite motivational phrase?
“The goal is not to live life perfectly, but to live it completely.”
My philosophy teacher in college said that in one of our classes and it really stuck with me. Sometimes, when I’m paralyzed with a fear of failure, I remember that quote and I push forward.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Just do it. Write. Read. Edit. Practice.
Read books in your genre, read books outside your genre, read books on writing.
And just write.
Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
You can find my website here: http://olympicvistapublishing.com/
But you can also join me on Facebook and Instagram.
Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?
Laughter and playful screams echoed across the lake. The light sparkled on the water as Adelaide floated on her back and kicked her feet gently back and forth. She closed her eyes and turned her face up toward the sun. The air was still. Combined with the clear sky and warm sun, it was the perfect summer day, which was a rare feat for Olympic Vista.
She needed to be here today. Rico, her mother’s latest boyfriend, was over. Adelaide hated being around Rico. She sighed in contentment as she stretched her limbs like a starfish and basked atop the water.
Her eyes snapped open as something wrapped around her ankle. Adelaide tried to kick her leg free, but whatever it was held fast. She opened her mouth to call out, but only took in a mouthful of water as she was pulled below the surface.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kelly Pawlik dabbled with story writing from a young age. She spent her childhood reading, dressing her beloved cat, Midnight, up in doll clothes and hunting garter snakes in the backyard. Her childhood dream was to be a writer and she is proud to have made her fiction debut with the Olympic Vista Chronicles novellas.
Kelly is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) writer and has released multiple RPG supplements with her husband under their micro-publishing company, Dire Rugrat Publishing. She has also contributed to several best-selling works with Kobold Press.
Kelly lives on Vancouver Island, BC with her husband, their three inquisitive children, and two lazy cats.
Yesterday’s Gone is available on Amazon.com
Songs from the Wood, book two in the Olympic Vista Chronicles series, will be available on Amazon in September 2021.
You can follow Kelly on:
Facebook: kellypawlikauthor
Instagram: kellypawlikauthor
Twitter: @KellyPawlik84 Or visit her website at olympicvistapublishing.com
FREE SHORT STORY: Sign up to receive Kelly’s newsletter and get access to sneak peeks of upcoming novellas, behind the scenes information and other exclusive content. PLUS, you’ll get “Snow Day,” a short story set in the Olympic Vista Chronicles universe, right away! Sign up now.
The book will be on sale for $0.99.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Kelly Pawlik will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway
AuThursday – Tina Holland (yeah, it’s me)
So I wasn’t able to squeeze in a fellow author, today, so I thought I’d interview myself ahead of Valley Con which begins tomorrow in Fargo, ND.
How do I make time to write?
I’m pretty lucky – I’m almost a full-time writer, meaning it’s my day job. I get up in the morning, eat breakfast and head to write. I have an office in our guest-room where I write, blog, e-mail, go on Zoom Calls, Stream on Streamyard and craft on Saturdays. I leave the office between 4 and 5 weekdays. That’s not to say I don’t sneak writing in at other times, cuz I do. I don’t write full-time June-August when I’m helping my husband with his crop-dusting business. I take it easy the month of December because I’ve usually finished NaNoWriMo and also the publishing industry as a whole seems to be taking a break.
Do I believe in Writer’s Block?
Yes, but not in the sense there is this great muse that won’t give me words. I think writer’s block is a manifestation of stress in your personal life or an indication there’s a problem with the story that needs to be fixed. When I have too much going on, I will cut back on my word count goal for the week and manage self-care along with refilling my creative well. I find small breaks are helpful in maintaining momentum. If I step away from a project for more than a week, I have a very hard time getting back into story. So, I find if I at least open the page and stare at it or edit or write a few lines, I don’t lose my place, but I try not to pressure myself to write.
How am I publishing my recent book and why?
Currently my back-list and my most recent work, “Alchemists of Archangel” are published with Book Boutiques. They are a small distributor that takes care of the copy-editing/line editing, provides a cover, does the formatting and distributes my book on digital platforms. This removes a lot of components about self-publishing that scare me. While they don’t do developmental editing, that was unnecessary when I released my back-list as those books were already edited. I found editors for my two recent novels in the “Archangel Revolution” series to help fix issues with them so the editing was already completed.
My current manuscript – “The Widow Spy” (this poor ms. has gone through about ten title changes), is being shopped around. I’m hoping to get in traditionally published but I fear it may be too short for NY and will happily settle for a larger digital press. I like small presses, but I really want more exposure. I may Self-Publish it if I have a hard time finding a home, but I still have concerns about doing Indie publishing correctly.
What is my favorite motivational phrase?
“Just Do It!”
It’s so cliche’ but when it comes to writing, you have to put butt in chair and muddle through until you reach the end.
What advice would I give aspiring writers?
There’s so much, but I think most important is find your tribe of writers. There are so many out there and the connections can be invaluable. I’ve found that my writing friends are supportive when you need to be lifted, ground you when you are floating away and commiserate with you through troubles. It’s no surprise that many have become life-long friends.
I hope you found this interesting and feel free to ask questions below. I’ll be happy to answer them. If you’d like to read some excerpts of my work feel free to hop over to my Books page. You can find my social links on the About Tina page.