May 2018 Around the Web

Tags

Around the Web, Blog Posts, Blogging, Inspiration, Reading, Sandra Ardoin, Writing

@SandraArdoin

INSPIRATION

A gut-wrenching post, “Healing in the Intensive Care Unit,” on Janyre Tromp’s blog is an honest look at what it means to go through trial after trial and try to keep your faith intact. Life is hard, folks, but it amazes me to read stories like this where one weight is placed on another, and then another. I’ll be honest enough to say I’m not sure how well I’d deal with that kind of refining.

Do you ever find that you need to extend as much grace and mercy to yourself as you do others? The devotion “I’m Not the Judge” by Andrea Merrell rings so true.

If you deal with a chronic illness and dread the idea of traveling, Angela Arndt knows your hesitation and provides seven tips to make the most of your trips.

READING

Curious as to “How to Use Social Media to Help Your Favorite Author“? A. M. Heath recently found herself in Amazon’s reviewer jail, but it didn’t stop her from helping her favorite authors get the word out about their books!

Do you like strong and independent heroines? I do. Enjoy this short excerpt on Kimberly Rose Johnson’s blog. It’s from Jodie Wolfe’s new novel To Claim Her Heart.

My daughter had her favorite preschooler books, so I thought “Our Family’s Favorite Picture Books” on the Never Not Reading blog would be of interest if you’re looking for picture books for your child.

WRITING

“…when they [authors] spend as much or more time on the similarities between the protagonist and antagonist, those characters come with built-in tension….” Have you ever focused on creating heroes and villains with similar characteristics? “When Your Protagonist Sees Your Antagonist in the Mirror” in Southern Writers Suite T made me think.

Are you looking for an agent or editor? “Book Promotion: Do This, Not That—May 2018” on The Book Designer blog provides information to “converse with, sell to, and negotiate with those in the publishing industry who hold the key to your success.” 

I’m always on the lookout for interesting marketing ideas and the BookBub blog is a great place to be inspired. I especially scoured “25 Creative Ways Authors Use Images for Social Media Marketing.”

What kinds of posts inspired you in May?

 

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April 2017 Around the Web

Tags

Around the Web, Blogging, Inspiration, Reading, Sandra Ardoin, Writing, Writing Tips

Sandra Ardoin @SandraArdoin

Wow! It’s May already? Below are April posts I found interesting. Maybe you’ll find a nugget among them that provides you with just the right insight and inspiration you need today.

INSPIRATION:

“Our Shield,” a post from the Woman to Woman blog is short and sweet and a scriptural reminder of Who has our backs when the enemy strikes.

“But we’re never asked to do the things He calls us to alone. We’re just asked to step up, be willing, and follow in His footsteps.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that’s on your schedule or need a spiritual shift in thought, Rosanna White wrote an inspiring post on her blog: “Thoughtful About…Capability.”

How do you handle worry in trying situations? “Instead of Worry Warriors, you need Prayer Warriors.” Barbara Britton provides numerous tips and scriptures for getting through those times in “Kicking Anxiety to the Curb“ on Patti Shene’s Over Fifty blog. 

“Where Does the Book Battle Belong?” on Southern Writers Magazine’s Suite T — This post revolves around writing, but I put it under Inspiration, because I think its advice applies to whatever we do for the Lord that Satan doesn’t want us to accomplish.

READING:

I don’t know about you, but I cringe when I check out recent followers on Twitter. Too much of the list is bogus. While it gives me a laugh to see that Prince Harry has followed me (numerous times) or half of Seal Team 6 thinks I’m dying to follow them back, it gets annoying. Everyone needs to be as careful as possible on social media. So I found Edie Melson’s post “How Can You Avoid Facebook Scams?” on the Novel Academy blog to be helpful for any social media site.

While short and not as in-depth as I would have liked to have seen it, Rachelle Ayala’s post on Sweet Romance Reads brings up a good question: How much violence is enough in a romantic suspense? And I ask, in a Christian romantic suspense?

If you’re looking for books to introduce poetry to your kids without boring them to death, try some of the books listed in this post on the What Do We Do All Day blog. 

WRITING:

Marketing is an ongoing learning experience for me and I devour articles about it. I particularly liked “Marketing Books: Understanding Book Launch Teams” on The Write Conversation as it explained why authors should join other authors’ launch teams. 

The next time you’re discouraged about the ways things are going in your writing life, read this post from Steve Laube: “Books Change Lives“. You know, even if you’re not discouraged, go ahead and read it anyway. It’s that good!

Have you prepared a media kit? Is it on your website? “What’s in Your Media Kit?” on the Inspired Prompts blog will have me taking a good look at improving mine.

What has your career path been like? Are you a “Phenom” or a “Slow Build”? “Staying Alive: How to Thrive in the Publishing Industry” on the Writer’s Digest blog discusses achieving success in the slow-build way.

Did an April blog post inspire you to improve your life in some way?

 

March 2018 Around the Web

Tags

Around the Web, Blogging, Faith, Inspiration, Reading, Sandra Ardoin, Writing, Writing Tips

Sandra Ardoin @SandraArdoin

I read many blog posts every month. Some stand out to me, and I include them here. Others stand out, but I can’t include them all. 🙂 I hope you’ll find inspiration from the ones below.

INSPIRATION

“The finished work of Christ has provided for my son and his safety.” Are you facing a fearful situation? What a great testimony to throw into the face of worry. “We Face It; He Graces It” by Ann Cooper McCauley

Seven reasons “Why We Need to Sing in Worship Even When We Don’t Know—Or Like—the Song” by Chuck Lawless. Yep!

“God isn’t looking for perfect people with perfect children, perfect marriages, and perfect lives.” What an inspiring story of “How to Be Enough, When It Feels Like All Eyes Are on You” by Sharon Jaynes on Ann Voskamp’s blog.

READING

I’m fascinated by the process in designing book covers, so I enjoyed “Ask BHP: How Do You Decide on Covers?“. It outlines the procedure Bethany House uses to come up with their gorgeous covers.

I loved this creative way of showing off book covers in a post! “Top Ten Tuesday: Cover Love, Spring Edition” on the Reading is My Superpower blog. Which color…uh…cover contains the story you can’t wait to read? For me? It’s the second book in Elizabeth Camden’s series—all the way, baby!

Audiobooks are on the rise. For those of you who love statistics, check out this Pew Research study into the ways people read. When it comes to your method of consuming a story, is it digital, audio, print, or a combination?

WRITING

“Christian publishing, like the rest of life, is all about relationships.” From Bob Hostetler’s post on the Steve Laube Agency blog, “It’s Not What You Know; It’s Who You Know.” 

Peter Leavell, a regular contributor to the Seriously Write blog, always has inspiring and challenging things to say in his posts. “Encouragement for the Downtrodden” will get you thinking about how, “[w]e write our pain, knowing our readers can never exhaust the story’s wisdom.”

As writers, we want our work to appeal to as many people as possible, don’t we? In fact, having a large platform is preached to us over and over. Well, what if our stories are meant for only one? I’ve often considered that question, so Marcia Lee Laycock’s post “Swimming in a Small Pond” on Novel Rocket spoke to me.

What post topic has inspired you the most this month?

February 2018 Around the Web

Tags

Around the Web, Blogging, Inspiration, Marketing, Reading, Sandra Ardoin, Writing

Sandra Ardoin @SandraArdoin

My schedule got a bit off-track for February, so the month’s Around the Web is coming out in…yes…March. But the posts are still as good.

INSPIRATION

“My fault lines have to rub up against Christ’s fault-less lines before the pressure is released and the tsunami of God’s love can flood the spaces that have resident fears and doubts.” ~ From a wonderful article of faith, fear, and a God who gives by Pearl Allard on Emily Conrad’s blog.

“How Keeping a List of Victories Can Help Gain Freedom Over Fear” by Cathy Baker provides the inspiration to note the little victories and encouragements God provides when fear paralyzes us.

READING

Sitting beside every writer is a cup filled with their favorite beverage. This fun post on Family Fiction gives readers an idea of eleven writers’ favorite order at their local coffee shop.

I know Valentine’s Day is over, but “Ten Book Lover Conversation Hearts (That Really Should Exist)” from Bethany House was too fun not to include. Which is your favorite?

What is your idea of a romance novel? Cammi Woodall gives her opinion in “Happily Ever After or Not?” on the Inspired Prompt blog.

WRITING

How do we find joy in our writing when there’s so much to do and so many who seem to be doing it better than us? “Finding the Joy,” a post on Seekerville from Cheryl St. John, is long but so on target.

It’s that age-old question. Which came first the chicken or the egg? Or in a writer’s case…which is more important, character or plot? James Scott Bell gives his opinion in “Why Plot is Essential to Character” from the Kill Zone blog.

Don’t let that “fictional bubble” pop! “Tips to Keep Your Readers Reading” from Cindy Sproles on The Write Conversation. Not much that we don’t already know, but I enjoyed the reminder.

“When you truly know your audience, writing from your faith should be hard…” Dan Balow wrote a thought-provoking post for Christian writers on the Steve Laube Agency blog, “Markets Are Different Than You Think.” What was your first thought while reading this one? Mine was that readers want emotional depth in a story. That depth comes from the characters’ struggles and how they react to them in more than a surface or fairy tale manner, just as readers (as we all) struggle to understand and deal with personal issues and cultural questions.

Was there a particular blog post/article you read in February that spoke to you? Share it in the comments.

January 2018 Around the Web

Tags

Around the Web, Blogging, Christian Fiction, Devotions, Faith, Inspiration, Journey of Faith, Marketing, Reading, Sandra Ardoin, Writing, Writing Tips

Sandra Ardoin @Sandra Ardoin

INSPIRATION:

I enjoyed this devotional post from author J.A. Marx as she talks about going from “weary” to “wonder.”

“Not coincidentally, ‘your’ word will seemingly appear everywhere and will pop up in various ways to keep it on your mind and heart.” Oh, how true is that sentence from a post by Jennifer Bunderle on the Heart”wings” blog. Did you choose a word to concentrate on this year? I did. Mine is courage. It’s been crazy how many times I’ve already come across that word and its mirror word “fear.”

We love to speak “Christianese” don’t we? Chuck Lawless wrote a post called “10 Phrases I’d Like to Hear More Often in the Church.” Some of those stepped on my toes. 🙂

READING:

Beth Erin at Faithfully Bookish gives her list of “Highly Anticipated 2018 Reads.” Are any of these novels on yours?

Like any other business owners, authors must sell books to keep publishing. If you have a favorite author (or a list of them), here are 18 Ways to Support an Author (Besides Buying Their Book) from the The Write Life blog.

Family Fiction’s interview with Laura Frantz, author of The Lacemaker, reveals the background behind the story, some history, and what’s next for her fans. (Read my review of The Lacemaker.)

This article from Publishers Weekly is both for readers and writers and involves an agreement between Walmart and Kobo to offer ebooks in the U.S. As a reader, it’s an expanded source for ebooks. For indie writers, would this entice you to spread your story’s distribution, rather than going exclusively with Amazon? Do you see this as the beginning of stronger competition for Amazon?

WRITING:

On the Craftie Ladies blog, Lorraine Beatty describes how she goes about building the hero and heroine for her stories.

If you’re a Pinterest user, you might find this article on the Make a Living Writing blog helpful to market your work.

I’ll be honest, I cannot imagine myself writing five books in one year. But, then, I guess I’m not as disciplined as Jody Hedlund. 🙂 For her tips to accomplish that feat, including the “One Essential Tip to Creativity,” check out this post on the Inspired by Life blog.

Since I began writing full-time, I’ve noticed the negative effect working on the computer has had on my eyesight. (Okay, some of it is age.) The article “#5onFri: Five Eye Care Tips for Writers” on the DIY MFA blog caught my attention.

Let me know which internet articles you’ve found insightful this month!