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[mariekorman]

If you are a writer but a serious introvert then this article is for you!

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The “Bottom Hundred Project”

As writers our voice is powerful and we can use it to create positive change in the world around us by bringing attention to important issues.  The individuals involved in the "Bottom Hundred Project" are creating positive change.  I'd like to challenge everyone who reads this to create positive change in their own life/community this month. Even the smallest gestures count! I'd love to hear your stories and I promise to post mine!

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DVDs Have Chapters-(Excerpt From the Book “Crazy @ss Brothers In Laws”)

Martin strolled into my house asking if he can use my DVD player.  “Yeah, why?” I replied.  “I have a book report due tomorrow so I need to watch this DVD,” he said casually.  Puzzled I inquired what a DVD had to do with a book report.  “I have to write the thesis statement for each chapter of Eat, Drink, Man, Woman”, Martin replied as he plopped down on the couch.  Still wondering how the DVD factored into the assignment I probed further.  “So exactly how are you going to identify the thesis statement of each chapter if you are watching the movie instead of reading the book?”  Smugly, he replied, “Duh, Sis that’s why I got the DVD instead of VHS because DVDs have chapters.”

At this point, I was dumbstruck and speechless that anyone in college could be this moronic. When I inquired if he knew what a thesis statement was, I was surprised to discover he did.  Yet somehow he was still convinced he could listen closely to the dialogue in the first few minutes of each DVD chapter and capture the thesis sentence.

I took a deep breath, looked at the clock and leaped into action to save dorkwad from himself.  “Martin, first of all, you’re an idiot.  Second, you can’t use a DVD to do this assignment.” Martin immediately tried to protest but I quickly cut him off.  “You have to use a book for this so did they give you any other book options?”

Martin produced a wrinkled handout that had a list of 15 different book titles.  The handout indicated jerkwad had been given the assignment three weeks earlier. I grabbed my keys and sped to Barnes and Noble to grab the shortest book on the list. It was written in the new “Chicano Style” which meant while significantly shorter in page count it had far more chapters than all other books. When I returned with the book, Martin was asleep on the couch. I booted up my computer and shook him awake. To my horror, the only thing slower than Martin’s reading was his typing.  Each time he typed a letter he spent up to twenty seconds on the keyboard trying to find it. It was excruciating to watch for someone who can literally type with their eyes closed.  I told him to move over and to simply dictate the thesis sentence to me while I typed.  Unfortunately, a chimpanzee can read faster than Martin so soon I was reading and typing the thesis statement from each of the 27 chapters for him.  When I finished at 4 am in the morning Martin was snoring on the couch.

I woke him up, handed him the finished paper and went to take a shower, seriously pissed that I now had to be at work at 8 am with zero sleep. Martin got an “A” and I learned NEVER to select a “Chicano Style” book when you need minimal chapters.

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Sunny the Skunk Visits Amazon!

“How Sunny the Skunk Found His Smell” is now on pre-sale in eBook format on Amazon. The 8x10 print paperback will also be available for purchase by July 20th.

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Sunny the Skunk Succeeds!

How Sunny the Skunk Found His Smell earned 2nd place in the June Book Cover Contest!  A big THANK YOU to all of you who voted! Sunny is extremely grateful! 

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8 Basic Tips for Social Media Etiquette

8 Basic Tips for Social Media Etiquette

A great article on Social Media Etiquette! I highly recommend following the PBS Blog!

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What’s It Like to Attend DFWCON for the First Time? Grab a Beverage and I’ll Tell You!

People come from all over the country to attend the Dallas Fort Worth Writers Conference (DFWCON). I became determined to attend the DFWCON after participating in the #WriteClubDFW contest. If you don’t know what this contest is, go immediately (Yes, right now!) to the DL Hammons.com website! This annual contest is a great way to hone your writing skills, where you get FREE feedback on your work if you are within the top 30 selected short stories. While the details of the contest are outside the scope of this post, you can find them at DL Hammons’ site or visit Solange Hommel’s WordPress site (a past winner), to see a great post on what it’s like to compete in the contest.

I’m a complete introvert so was happy when a writing buddy agreed to join me for the conference.

The week before the conference Twitter buzzed with posts from people all over preparing for their journey to DFWCON.

My friend and I are in Houston, so we decided to drive up to Dallas on Friday afternoon. The night before I was frantically packing, and then unpacking, and then repacking trying to decide what to wear and terrified I would get there and wish I had brought different clothes.

Exhaustion finally beat out my fear of looking like a dork, so I climbed into my own bed one last time before departing to Dallas.

When you purchase a ticket for DFWCON you get one free pitch session, during which you get to pitch your manuscript to an actual agent. In the weeks prior to the conference, someone from DFWCON will ask you to pick an agent from a list. The pitch session is approximately nine minutes long, so focus and brevity are key.

In addition, if you are brave enough, you can anonymously place a copy of your attempt at a query letter into the “Query Gong” box. On the last day of the conference, a panel of literary agents will listen to randomly selected queries. The goal is to have yours read without getting three gongs. A gong signifies that if you had submitted your query directly to the agent, they would have stopped reading and placed it in the slush pile.

On Friday afternoon, we piled into my friend’s SUV and spent the time during the drive up, rehearsing our agent pitches.

Several hours later, upon arrival at our hotel, we sat down armed with highlighters to chart out our plan for the conference classes as if we were mapping our attack on Disney World!

We carefully reviewed each class description and any limited seating classes for which we had registered. We were determined to ensure between the two of us, that we maximized attendance in all of the topics, which interested us the most.

An hour later, with our color-coded conference schedule complete we were ready to grab dinner!

Over dinner, we chatted about our networking goals, discussed how to best minimize my introvert handicap and shared business cards.

Upon return to the hotel, I took to Twitter, reading posts from DFWCon.org and others who had posted pictures from the pre-conference mixer and agents dinner.

This instantly made me nervous and my heart sank at the thought of my author pitch, so I spent a couple more hours rehearsing.

Early the next morning, (conference starts at 8 am), I was feeling confident and well prepared. Besides, I had a buddy, so I figured I could keep my social anxiety in check.

Then it happened. On my way downstairs to get breakfast and meet my friend, I felt my stomach drop the minute the elevator door opened. It was full of complete strangers peering at me and worse some wore DFWCON lanyards. I froze, my face flushed hot and my stomach tightened. I meekly shuffled into the elevator and tried to stare at the floor terrified of accidentally making eye contact. I felt frustrated and disappointed in myself. What was I thinking? If I couldn’t even talk to the DFWCON crowd on the elevator how was this going to work at the conference?

The conference center was huge and buzzing with activity as people checked in at registration. Vendor tables were humming with activity, finalizing last-minute details to accommodate the numerous visitors they hoped to attract.

After registration, color-coded charts in hand, we headed to our first class. My friend had to leave early for her pitch session but we arranged to meet up afterward. Safe in my class I decided this wasn’t so scary after all and began to feel more at ease.

Right before class ended and about 30 minutes before my agent pitch she sent me a text telling me the agent she met with wanted to see her manuscript! I was so excited for her and we swapped virtual high fives! Suddenly, it hit me. What if I totally bombed my agent pitch? OMG, I thought. Now I felt pressured and like she had raised the bar impossibly high. Pure panic set in and I began to completely second guess myself. Now the perfectly rehearsed pitch seemed wholly insufficient. I began to revise it in my head and sought out the refuge of the restroom so I could decompress and silently mouth my pitch to myself, in hopes of smoothly delivering this newly revised version.

In the safety of the bathroom stall, I pieced myself back together and rehearsed my pitch until 20 minutes before my scheduled session. During this time, people came in and out of the bathroom. I washed my hands and casually walked to the door on my way to the pitch area.

Upon exiting, I bumped into a man who was entering the bathroom. Startled he apologized and I smiled at him trying to assure him it was okay, making every attempt to minimize the embarrassment he must have felt for inadvertently entering the women’s bathroom.

As he continued to try to proceed into the bathroom, I gently motioned for him to stop indicating this was the women’s room. His face flushed red with embarrassment as he pointed to the sign on the door that read “men’s room”. Time stopped for me at that moment. It seemed like an eternity passed as I stared blankly at his face trying to decide how to respond. All I could muster was a faint “sorry” as I hurried off to find a corner to hide in so I could process this new humiliation.

Here’s a picture of the corner I hid in attempting earnestly to avoid running into the man on his way out of the restroom.

Finally, it was time to get in line for my pitch session. They were running slightly behind so I had a moment to sit and that’s when I saw a Twitter notification on my phone. As I read it, I sat in complete shock. It was DL Hammons. He had sent a tweet asking when I was going to come and see him. What? How did he know who I was? Did he actually read my tweets? I was overjoyed and completely star struck. This is a person I had admired for months and now he wanted to meet me.

I completely forgot about the bathroom incident. Now I was focused on DL Hammons and my pitch.

I met with literary agent Dr. Uwe Stender of the Triada US Literary Agency. He graciously alerted me my manuscript wasn’t for him. He provided me, however with lots of great advice and encouraged me to keep trying. This is a great individual, so writers if you have stuff that falls within his niche, I encourage you to submit to him. It would be an honor to have him represent you!

After reconnecting with my friend, I got my coveted photo with DL Hammons! I’m sure he must think I am a total dork!

Finally, it was time for lunch, which was great as by now I was starving. We sat down and my friend instantly began chatting with everyone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silhouette of someone taking the last seat at our table.

Of course, it had to be the man who caught me coming out of the men’s bathroom! He smiled at me and all I could do was smile back and wonder how long it would take before he mentioned our chance meeting earlier. Before I knew it my friend and I were actively engaged in a conversation with him about his latest book and the Marvel film “The Infinity War.” I braced myself the entire time to gracefully engage in dialogue about my bathroom romp, but he never once brought it up (If you are the man and you are reading this post, know that I am sending you a virtual hug!).

Tiffany was at our lunch table. Click here to see her book “Keep Your Eyes On Me”

After lunch, it was off to more classes. Prior to departing back to the hotel for dinner, we cruised by the vendor tables and met so many great people! Be sure to save time to peruse the vendor tables, as you would be surprised at the connections you can make. My friend and I connected with the DFW library who generously offered to house our book and we even met other individuals who we plan to enlist for our next project. So, don’t bypass the vendor tables!

During dinner, my friend gave me tips for surviving the mixer as an introvert. She stressed that everyone is in the same boat and challenged me to give out at least ten business cards. I’m an overachiever so having a task helped me focus on that, rather than the fear of meeting new people.

At the mixer, I ran into a person I met on Twitter who had offered advice and refuge to any introverts needing a home base during the conference. She told us we could spot her if we looked for her butterfly cane. I immediately went to thank her for the encouragement and she not only gave me a hug but also introduced me to other people at the mixer. This is a great example of how when writers help other writers awesome things can happen!

While I was terrified, my OCD overachiever nature beat out my social anxiety, so I kept mingling until I handed out all ten business cards. I met so many interesting and talented writers, editors, and book designers.

We met Joy at the mixer. Joy is a nurse and she and her partner Terri are releasing their first book “The Wake Up Call” this July. You really have to read about this book!  Visit her website bakergoodman.com

I felt exhausted after day one of the conference but was pumped for day two to begin.

Early the next day we headed to the conference. Once again, we had mapped out a plan of attack. Time flew quickly and soon it was time for my memoir workshop. I encourage you to monitor the list of available workshops as they fill up fast! The workshops, unlike the class lectures, provide the opportunity for you to work through problems or get 1x1 feedback.

When we got to the part of the workshop where we each had to read some of our writing out loud, I felt dizzy but at this point had committed to bravery. I read an expert from my manuscript, which is a non-fiction collection of humorous short stories about six brothers in law. To my relief, I got chuckles from around the classroom. My bravery paid off. I learned so much from hearing the memoir writing of the others in the group. Be sure to make the most of all the workshops!

Finally, it was time for lunch and the highly anticipated Query Gong Show. This year they had so many submissions they were unable to get through all the query letters. It was helpful to see the common themes in the query letters that made it through without a gong, in comparison to those axed.

I came away with tools I could immediately apply to my query letters and advice to pass on to others.

Sadly, day two of the conference was now ending. On our way out, we ran into people we had connected with earlier in the conference, so spent the last few minutes exchanging goodbye hugs and business cards.

To my surprise and delight, the registration for the 2019 DFWCON is already live! If you register before June 17, 2019, you get a discounted price and pay only $279 instead of the regular price of $399.

Now you know what it’s like to attend DFWCON and I’ve shown you that it’s possible for an introvert to not only survive but to actually have fun at the conference, so get registered! Still, have questions??? You can send them to me via Twitter @MarieKorman or visit me at www.MarieKorman.com

[mariekorman]

Great 2018 Summer Reads For Kids

Looking for some good books to keep your kids busy this summer?

June 1, 2018       By Marie Korman

Delilah’s Birthday Surprise By Danielle Van Alst

Coming Soon in Early June 2018

It’s Delilah’s seventh birthday and what could be more fun than a birthday surprise! When Delilah wakes to the excitement of her big day, she is looking forward to a party with all of her friends complete with hats, noisemakers, decorations, and games.…

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Vendor Agreements: Avoiding the GDPR Administrative Nightmare

Vendor Agreements: Avoiding the GDPR Administrative Nightmare

By Marie Korman, J.D.- Freelance Writer

The compliance deadline for the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) is right around the corner. As companies scramble to meet the May 25, 2018 deadline, it may be tempting to quickly sign contractual amendments received from vendors to achieve GDPR. compliance. To avoid an administrative nightmare in managing GDPR commitments within vendor…

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2018 New Emerging Children’s Writers

Do you know what the best thing is about a new children’s author? They bring the possibility of discovering a new book your kids fall in love with and the chance to fall in love with an author they will follow for decades. Here are some great new children’s authors who are making their debut in 2018.

What You Should Know About Antalaya:      

How She Became a Writer- While attending Humanities High School, she found her passion for writing in her children’s literature class where she first wrote “How Sunny the Skunk Found His Smell”. Later in life she would have a chance meeting with Joy Thomas Anderson, an illustrator, resulting in the opportunity to finally bring her story to market.

 What Makes Her Writing Unique- She believes in short simple children’s stories that are easy for kids to memorize like the mother goose stories of old. Antalaya explains further, “Sunny is a young boy just trying to fit in and make friends. My book is unique because it uses a fairy-tale format, while addressing a serious concern kids have today, which is wanting to fit in with others and feeling different, alone and without a "smell".

 One Thing That Might Surprise You to Know- Antalaya created the Sunny the Skunk character based upon her own experience as a child. “I didn't grow up having money and sometimes I felt alone because my family couldn’t afford the latest sneakers or jackets that were in style.”  

What Readers Can Expect Next- She hopes to turn How Sunny the Skunk Found His Smell into a series. So be on the lookout for more adventures of Sunny the Skunk!

What You Should Know About Stephanie:  

How She Became a Writer- Stephanie’s been writing since she was kid. She loved writing short stories and even wrote a fictional newspaper called The Oracle that she handed out for fun in middle school.

What Makes Her Writing Unique- In her own words, “My middle grade book stories are simple and traditional, which I don’t think you see often these days. The kids love and respect their parents and the parents are involved in their kids’ lives.  

 One Thing That Might Surprise You to Know- She lives in Hawaii but the ocean terrifies her. Stephanie said, “I'll sit by the ocean and read, but I will not dip a toe in the water!”  

What Can Readers Expect Next? - Stephanie indicated while she does hope to continue The Jensen Adventures as a series, she is currently finishing some adult book projects. Her post zombie apocalypse book, Division Tennessee will be available in June, so be sure to look for it.

What You Should Know About Erin:    

How She Became a Writer- Sadly, she lost her mother at age 5. School officials thought it would be beneficial for her to keep a journal so that she would have a “safe” outlet for her and emotions. Erin stated however, “I found myself turning it into a challenge to see what completely ludicrous scenarios I could create.” Later, as her children got older, she realized she needed to find another focal point for her attention, which had been exclusively her children, up to that point. It was at this point, that she decided to take the courageous leap, of transitioning into a writer, as an adult.

What Makes Her Writing Unique- Her writing is based on her own experiences raising her three children, over the past 20 years. Her vast experience means her stories will resonate with most kids, as well, as their parents. Nothing draws readers in better than real life experiences, that are totally relatable.

 One Thing That Might Surprise You to Know- She is terribly afraid of heights.

 What Can Readers Expect Next? - More adventures featuring Eden! Erin has already penned the next two books in the Eden series, “Eden Visits the Orchard”, and “Eden’s Bad Day” and hopes to have the next book available by August.

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Organic Parenting

When people hear, the word “organic” most associate the words “food” or “heath”. Most individuals hearing the word “organic” don’t think of the word “parenting” but they should.

 As parents, we are parenting 24 hours a day non-stop whether we realize it or not. Every word and action we take sends a signal to our children about what behavior to emulate. These signals come together to form the foundation children will utilize for becoming a responsible adult. Little life moments are often the most powerful building blocks of child instruction. It is surprising the life moments children latch on to and later remember vividly as some key discovery from their childhood.

 Purchasing organic items for your household is so much more than just a smart health move. Every time you make an organic purchase, you send a signal to your children about community and the importance of being socially responsible.

 I started purchasing organic products when my oldest son was two. As a new mom, I was suddenly more aware of the importance of nutrition and health. My son spent years sitting in the cart watching me select organic produce. As he grew older, he looked forward to helping me grocery shop, no longer confined to the passive role of observer in the cart. At our local market, they keep the organic produce at the rear wall of the produce section. One day I sent my son to grab some bananas. He naturally selected those bananas nearest in proximity, in this case those from the non-organic area. I thanked him, but explained we needed to return the non-organic bananas to their original spot and select some new bananas from the organic section, further in the back.

 “But why mama? What’s wrong with these bananas?” he asked.

 I then tried my very best to explain the concept of organic to a six-year-old.

 I explained, they grow the bananas he had selected, with chemicals such as insecticides, which were harmful to the earth, humans, and animals. They grow the organic bananas without those chemicals, making the bananas friendly to both humans and animals alike. In addition, the farmers that grow the organic bananas work hard to ensure they don’t harm the earth when they grow their fruit, taking steps to conserve water and other items we all must share. I stressed it is everyone’s responsibly to take care of our planet, since we all must share it. So even though we have to walk a bit farther to get the organic bananas, it is important we put forth the extra effort as it helps fulfill our role in protecting the earth, ourselves and the great farmers who grow them. After we grabbed the new organic bananas, we moved on with our shopping excursion and I quickly forgot about the produce isle conversation.

 About a week later, I overheard my son explaining to a family member how important it is that we take care of the earth by buying human and animal friendly bananas. He had remembered our produce isle conversation and clearly understood buying organic bananas was about more than just eating healthy. It was about doing our part to protect the planet and making it a safe place for all of us to live.

 This was the first time I realized choosing organic was more than just about good food, health, or social responsibility. It was also about good parenting!

 If you don’t have time to trek to your local market to purchase organic food for your family, you can engage businesses like Farmhouse Delivery, The Organic Place,  or Mother Earth Produce who can help deliver it right to your doorstep!

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Spiced Avocado Toast

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School is Almost Out- (If This Made You Panic Read This Post)

Any other parents besides myself, feeling frantic at the thought that school is out for the summer in just a couple of weeks?

 As a working mom continually pressed for time, finding ways for my kids to survive summer boredom and to keep them from binging on junk food, is at the top of my May “Must Do List”!

 Here is a parenting hack alternative to junk food snacks.

  Spiced Avocado Toast

The key to getting kids to eat healthier is to keep items on hand for making quick, easy snacks. I love this recipe because it does not require cooking and it so simple that kids can make it themselves. It makes a great afternoon snack, as well as, a nice addition to any breakfast. Best of all, it utilizes other organic produce which is in season at that same time as avocados. As an afternoon snack, it goes great with chilled orange slices. Bon Appetite!

Course: Breakfast or Snack Food

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Prep Time: Less than 10 minutes

Cook Time: None

Serving: 3-4

INGREDIENTS:· 3 ripe organic avocados· 1 teaspoon mince garlic or garlic paste· 1 teaspoon paprika · ½ teaspoon black pepper· ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil· 1 organic lemon (juice only)· ½ cup shredded fresh organic spinach for use as garnishment· 6-8 pieces of toasted bread

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut avocados in half and remove pit.

2. Scoop avocado from peels and place in a small bowl.

3. Cut lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from both lemon halves into the bowl.

4. Add extra virgin olive oil. 

5. Use a small masher or fork to smash the avocados until they form a smooth creamy paste.

6. Add paprika, black pepper, and minced garlic.

7. Stir well.8. Spread spiced avocado paste on toast and garnish with shredded spinach.

9. Enjoy!

Need to restock your avocado supply but short on time? Check out providers who deliver fresh produce to your doorstep. You can find providers like The Organic Place online and they can deliver all the avocados you need right to your doorstep!

[mariekorman]

#AuthorConfessions Podcast

Looking 👀 to eavesdrop on some very funny female writers who also do book 📚 reviews? Then hop on Stitcher and visit the #AuthorConfessions Podcast. https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=54383628&autoplay=1

You can follow the hosts on Twitter ‪@jjulien25 ‬and ‪@jmsullivanbooks.

They were kind enough to include a thank you sent to my by another great writer @ReedRothe in this weeks episode #19.

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New children’s book author Antalaya Israel- Author of “How Sunny the Skunk Found His Smell”- Anticipated Release Date Summer 2018

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Kat Damen - Author