When Words Collide Festival in Calgary this August

There's lots going on in Cowtown this summer. Not only is the Calgary Stampede celebrating 100 years but the fantastic writers and readers festival, When Words Collide is happening again this August. This is a great place to talk books whether you read 'em or write 'em. Tons of authors, published and non-published, editors, publishers, there is something for everyone. Mark August 10-12, 2012 on your calendar and plan to attend. The cost is a mere $55 for the whole weekend until August 1, 2012 when the price goes up to $65. Still a deal. There are readings, pitch sessions, a Blue Pencil Cafe where you can show your work to professional editors and the ever popular Live Action Slush where author can submit a couple of pages of their work and have it read aloud while a panel of four editors and/or publishers assess it. This event was so popular last year that they have more than one session this year. The room was packed last time. I am honored to participating this year. I am sitting on two poetry panels, a Live Action Slush panel and a Blue Pencil Cafe. I will also be doing a reading from one of my published novels on Sunday at 3 pm. I am still deciding if I will read from Laurel's Miracle, A Step Sideways (both from The Cornwall Adventure Series) or Christmas Storm-A Longview Romance. I love them all. I'm just saying, putting it out there...there might be some free stuff if you show up to listen...just saying... Okay, yes it is bribery of a sort, but it would be nice to have a full room. I guess I should tell you all where the Festival will be held shouldn't I? It is at the Best Western Village Park Inn, Calgary, Alberta. If you visit the When Words Collide website there is a link to the hotel reservations and festival goers get a special rate. So don't delay, do it today! I'll even make it easy-- here is the link to the site When Words Collide I hope to see you there. Be sure to stop and say 'Hi'. I am thrilled to represent MuseItUp Publishing at this event. MuseItUp Publishing is a Canadian house situated in Montreal, Quebec. The publisher is Lea Schizas, a dynamic lady who goes the extra mile for her authors. MuseItUp Publishing is a traditional royalty paying house. Books are released first in eformat and there is an option offered in the contract to give the house print rights for the period of one year from the release of the ebook. If MuseItUp chooses not to exercise that option, print rights revert to the author. Looking forward to meeting tons of interesting and talented people this August. See you there!

ACK Social Media is going to be the death of me!

Just this morning I see a note saying I should sign up for Pinterest. I mean, for heaven's sake, I could spend the whole day just updating my social media accounts. Twitter, Facebook, the MuseitUp Publishing Blog, my own blog, my website and a host of other places I have a presence. Does it never stop? It would seem not.
Not to mention that once I get the hang of posting and tweeting and Lord knows what else, they go and change the dang thing. If something isn't broke please don't 'fix' it. Seems like ever few months one site or another gets a 'new look', whether its a new timeline or a new feature which I can now access but will never use, something is always changing. I suppose maybe it is the way of the world now, a whole generation has been raised with the expectation of instant gratification. No longer do we have to wait for the mail to bring us news of loved ones, email does that. Pictures and images appear instantly on our computer screens, no waiting to have them developed or to arrive via snail mail. Weddings and family gatherings are at our fingertips and with Skype and other similar media we can be there virtually.
Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this, per se, but there is something to be said for learning patience.
To get back to the point, however, I'm just not sure how many more social media sites I can juggle. But I do have to admit, the thought of one of my book covers going viral is very appealing. So, perhaps I will jump on the Pinterest  band wagon and try not to fall off and be ground into dust by the ever quickening wheels of social media. See you on FB, twitter, Triberr, etc  Don't you think it would be cool if one of my covers went viral??? Oh, be still my beating heart!