I’m not sure when I’ll get to the office (a small building in the backyard) again so don’t expect to see a new post for a few days. If your comment goes into moderation, please be patient if there is a delay in comment approval.

I’m looking at this hiatus as an unplanned vacation!

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Table of contents for Blog Book Tour

1. Blog Book Tour: Part 1—What It Is
2. Blog Book Tour: Part 2—Advice for Authors
3. Blog Book Tour: Part 3—Advice for Hosts
4. Blog Book Tour: Part 4—Review

Phil Davis of Authors on the Net interviewed me on a podcast about my blog book tour and the results summarized in my report.

Listen to the podcast as Phil and I discuss blog book tours.

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I wish each of you a blessed 2009, a year of health, happiness, and success. And when your blessings are interspersed with trials and tribulations, may you enjoy the peace that passes understanding as you become stronger and wiser.

Happy New Year 2009!

ALMIGHTY God, who alone gavest us the breath of life, and alone canst keep alive in us the holy desires thou dost impart; We beseech thee, for thy compassion’s sake, to sanctify all our thoughts and endeavours; that in the coming year we may neither begin an action without a pure intention nor continue it without thy blessing. And grant that, having the eyes of the mind opened to behold things invisible and unseen, we may in heart be inspired by thy wisdom, and in work be upheld by thy strength, and in the end be accepted of thee as thy faithful servants; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

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Have You Ever Regretted Buying a Book? Why?

The purpose of the meme is to help fellow bloggers avoid book buying mistakes, a laudable goal. One caveat, though: just because I didn’t like a book doesn’t mean you won’t love it. We all have different tastes and different levels of knowledge.  Mig found Small Is the New Big by Seth Godin a waste of time and money. She writes:

Nothing Seth writes about is new under the sun. Literally nothing.

However, she also says:

If you are an experienced marketer, the book will be a bore, and a huge disappointment.

I haven’t read the book and Mig doesn’t make completely clear, but perhaps someone new to marketing would find the book helpful. So when reading my (or anyone else’s) opinion, remember that your experience, knowledge, and interests are different than mine. Weigh those factors when deciding if you would have the same reaction to the book.

I must confess that the books that have disappointed me the most have been the classics. I always think I should love the books that have stood the test of time, but often I don’t.

The lastest disappointment was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This is a novel I thought I should have read years ago but never did. When I finally tried, I disliked the story so much I quit reading after a couple of chapters. I guess I have no patience with hedonism. The characters had no redeeming value as far as I could tell, and reading the story was a bore and a waste of time.

Have you read The Picture of Dorian Gray? What was your reaction?

You could win a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate from Mig if yours is the most interesting entry before the end of January 2009. Read the the rules of the meme at Don’t Buy That Book Meme and write about the book you regret buying.

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I’m a little confused about the meaning of honest scrap, but perhaps it refers to an honest “detached piece of something written or printed.” Recipients are supposed to tell ten honest (and interesting) things about themselves, so perhaps each thing is a scrap. I can come up ten honest things, but you’ll have to be the judge of whether they’re interesting.

1. When Jack and I went through premarital counseling, the priest cautioned me that I would likely spend years of my life caring for my nearly-14-years-older husband in his old age. In fact, Jack had to care for me when I had a stroke at the hands of a chiropractor at the age of 45.
2. My fingernails are like my father’s, which means they’re usually broken off at the quick. I don’t bite them—I just break them.
3. Although I never lost my faith, there were several years that I didn’t attend church. Once I started back, I got involved in a big way and have continued to be very active for the past 12+ years.
4. My mother used to say, “I know I taught you to cook. Now all you do is put something in either the microwave or the crockpot.” I mentioned that to my sister recently, and she said Mama is probably looking down from Heaven and saying the same thing.
5. I used to do a lot of public speaking and have spoken to groups as large as several thousand. At one convention I spoke at, I acquired a groupie, a guy who followed me everywhere I went picking my brain about interior landscaping (the topic of my speech).
6. I was healed of a seizure disorder by prayer. I’ll write about it someday.
7. When I was younger, I used to be a meticulous housekeeper. Now my house hasn’t had a spring cleaning in many, many springs.
8. My grandmother used to say I “couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.” Since the stroke, I can’t even sing off-key without starting to cough.
9. I am incredibly blessed to have been born of amazing parents with wonderful siblings and to have been married to a loving and supportive husband for nearly 42 years.
10. I found my job as an employment counselor rewarding, and I enjoyed owning an interior landscape company for nearly 20 years. However, nothing compares to being able to make a living doing what I love (writing, editing, and helping other writers). And to top it off, I get to entertain myself and make friends around the world with my blog.

Now I’m supposed to pass the award on to seven bloggers. Though my original list had more than seven names, I narrowed it down to meet the criteria of the award. I’m selecting people whose honesty and willingness to “tell it like it is” I respect. Not all of them will choose to respond. Being honest enough not to respond if they prefer not to will simply reinforce my recognition that they deserve the Honest Scrap Award.

• Catherine Lawson
• Jason A. Clark
• Karen Swim at Words for Hire
• Lori Widmer at Words on the Page
• Matthew Keegan
• Mihaela (Mig) Lica at e-Writings, Online Public Relations
• Renae Brumbaugh @ Morning Coffee

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