Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Shout Out

This is a shout out for help to anyone who has read my book. To date, none of the online sellers have any reviews of the book posted and most only have one rating. I have been informed that this is really important, because these features help boast my visibility in search engines. So, if you’ve read the book would you mind posting a review or rating?
BarnesandNobles, Target, and Amazon all have these features on the page that shows my book. If you don’t feel comfortable writing a review, a simple rating would still be really appreciated. On Amazon, if you scroll down the page you will also find a feature called “tags.” These help put my book in categories like, Christian Fiction or Mystery. You can come up with your own tags or simply vote on the existing ones. This really helps my standing in search engines.
Like I said, every bit of help makes a difference. Thank you so much. :)

Quick reminder: My first book signing is coming up. February 7th at the Borders in Visalia CA. For all the information visit the EVENTS page on my web site, http://www.emilyannbenedict.com/. I hope I’ll see you there.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The blue spot on my computer screen.

Yes, I’m sure you’re wondering why this in any way matters, but hang with me for a moment because it turned out to mean something important in the end.
You see, I got a brand new laptop a few months ago and everything about it was wonderful. Compared to my last computer, this one moves at lightening speeds and furthermore the keys aren’t worn down to nothingness. But then all of a sudden, a tiny blue dot appeared on the screen. After attempting to wipe it off, I came to realize that it is actually part of the screen. My brother is calling it a dead pixel. I’m not sure if that’s really what it is. I do know that, despite the fact that it is extremely small, it was also very annoying. It is located in exactly the spot where a sentence starts on a word document, so I rarely went more than a few sentences without it popping into my field of vision.
After being told there was nothing I could do about it, I tried to settle into the mindset of, “sooner or later I’ll stop noticing it”…But then it would pop up again and I’d forget that mindset.
Then it finally struck me how that stupid little spot was really nothing compared to having a new computer that made life and work a lot easier…and that’s when God decided to step in and use the whole thing as an example.
You see, there’s a little spot in my life right now that is really annoying, at time painful, and by nature tends to be front and center in my mind. But that doesn’t change the fact that my life in general is a beautiful one. I know, it’s kind of sad that it took me a while to figure that out, but sometimes I think God likes to have fun with me on this sort of stuff.
And the really funny part…I hardly ever notice the blue spot on my screen any more, but when I do it actually makes me happy.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Book Signing!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that my first book signing has been scheduled. Honestly, I’m excited and nervous, but I’m sure it will be fun. I’d love to see you there! It will be at the Borders in Visalia, CA – February 7th, 1:00pm. Check out EVENTS on my website for all of the information, including the address of the Borders and if you have any questions send me an e-mail. I’ll probably post some more updates about this as we get closer, but please, mark your calendars and drop by!

Monday, January 12, 2009

The Girl Without A Hobby

That’s what my mom has been calling me lately. Once upon I time I was a very crafty person, but then I discovered writing, fell in love with crafting novels, and never looked back. But as of late I have been getting comments about how I do little else. My family seemed to feel that I could broaden my horizons just a bit. I really didn’t think much of it until last week, when my brother was trying to show me how to play a video game he got for Christmas. My mom walked in the room, gasped, and said, “It’s so nice to see Emily having some fun.” And she was serious.
I still maintain that I’m not that bad, but nonetheless, I decided to find a hobby.
Tada! 100% Emily-made!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

I'm getting so tired of this...

Tonight marks the third time in the past few months I’ve had to throw a book out. Why? Simply because the authors could not restrain their language. I’m talking about really good books. Books that have me enthralled after one chapter and then all of a sudden they feel like cursing the name of Christ for no apparent reason!
I suppose tonight’s failure is worse for me because it’s a book that I’ve been wanting to read for four months now. The backmatter jumped out at me from the moment I picked it up, but it was declared a Christmas present and so I had to wait, knowing it was hiding in my sister’s closet, knowing it was wrapped under the tree, assured that sooner or later I would get a chance to sit down and read it.
It was so good! Four chapters in and I was captivated…and then all of a sudden the heroine felt the need to describe something by using the name of Christ…well, out of context. I tolerate very little language as it is, but that particular one guarantees a trip to the trash can.
(Sigh) Still, I’d much rather have nothing to read than to spend my time on an author who apparently has a limited range of adjectives.
...Off in search of something better...