I adore my online friends.They are some of the best people I’ve ever met, even when I don’t get to see them live. Everyone from the posse here at More Cowbell to my social media party buds to MyWANA pals to the ROW80 Team…I’ve met some of the most extraordinary people online, and our friendships continue into “real life.”
I know that many of you have experienced this and know it to be true. Most of us spend several hours a week online or at our blogs. The friendships we make online matter.
A couple shout-outs to my pals:
- Today is our own Gloria Richard’s birthday – join me in wishing her happy down in the comments!
- Laura Drake’s book, The Sweet Spot, is on sale today for $1.99, so if you’ve been waiting to buy it, NOW is the time! She’s also giving a few away over at Writers In The Storm today (see below).
Now on to the Pimp or Promote!!
Here’s the rules:
I’m taking a page out of Chuck Wendig’s book once again and throwing open the doors of the comments section for the following (he makes people do one of each, just sayin….):
- Pimp out somebody else’s work – this can be a favorite author, blogger, post or book you’ve read, a wonderful teacher or just someone who had profound influence on you as a writer or a person.
OR - Promote one of your projects that you’re excited about – a hobby, a blog, a book, a new direction your writing is taking you. You decide. Just tell us all about it in the comments! The rest of us will jump in and “ooooh and coo” at you, and likely promote your project even further (because that’s just how we are).
To give you an example:
My Pimp: Today is the 500th post at Writers In The Storm.
The gals that run this with me are simply amazing. Every month we trade off mistressing duties, including the gathering of posts, and every month they blow me away. Go see what’s up over there today. It’s exciting, and Laura is giving away two copies of The Sweet Spot.
My Promote: I’ve been asked to be part of this year’s Microsoft Office Insiders marketing program, and I’m wildly excited about it. I get to promote their stuff and (big Squeee!), they will also lend their hand to promote mine. I’m completely grooving on Office 365 and OneNote right now, and was just tickled to be asked.
What are you excited to pimp or promote today? Let’s see those links in the comments section! Enquiring minds always want to know what’s going on with you here at More Cowbell. 🙂
~ Jenny
Jenny Hansen's Blog 
Pimp: OMG, I read THE best WF/Romance on vacation. No dog in the hunt, I don’t know this author, but Coyote Dream, by Jessica Davis Stein – awesome! A New York Jewess, and a Navaho hero. How could that end up okay? Read and find out! You’re going to thank me.
Promote: Since Jenny already Pimped me above *showering kisses all over her backside* I’ll just say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gloria! Truck on, Mama!
LikeLike
I don’t know how I feel about your lips on my backside so early in the morning, missy. I might need more coffee for this! LOL…
But that book sounds very intriguing, so I went and got the link (Kindle version is $2.99):
LikeLike
Happy birthday, Gloria! Hope it’s full of all kinds of good things! Hugs. Jenny, congrats on the Microsoft Office Insiders marketing program! You totally deserve it. I still get hits every day from the OneNote post you wrote for my blog a while back!
I’d like to promote and pimp at the same time. Misterio Press has just put out volume one of a two volume set of our mysteries. There are three novels in each volume (vol 2 will come out in a couple of weeks). For $4.99 – the price of one book – you get three! Volume 1 includes books by psychologist-turned-mystery author Kassandra Lamb, paranormal mystery author Kirsten Weiss, and college professor-turned-mystery writer K.B. Owen (that’s me!). Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/WOMEN-MYSTERY-1-K-B-Owen-ebook/dp/B00GGON1C8/
Thanks, everybody, and thanks for giving me the chance to share, Jenny! 😀
LikeLike
That sounds so fun, Laura! And what a great price. Thanks for posting on that. 🙂 Oh, and that OneNote blog for you was part of what got the ball rolling on the Insiders thing, so thank you! I’m having lots of fun.
LikeLike
LOL, I’m Kathy. 😉
LikeLike
Yes, you ARE. Can you tell who didn’t have enough coffee onboard before that comment? I’m leaving it so I can laugh all day.
LikeLike
One note to self: Read Jenny’s guest post on OneNote on K.B.s site.
LikeLike
Here you go!
http://kbowenmysteries.com/posts/techie-tuesday-guest-post-by-jenny-hansen-microsofts-onenote/
LikeLike
Jenny, you are a fantastic friend, even to a guy that doesn’t spend as much time on your blog as he would like! Thanks.
Happy birthday Gloria!! I’ll let you have your birthday package later. 😉
I would like to pimp the Wounded Warrior Project. http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org It’s a fantastic program that could always use the extra help or attention.
My shameless promote: I was recently invited to be a member of a small, elite group of horror authors called Pen of the Damned. Today is my first official post/short story on Pen of the Damned.
http://penofthedamned.com/2013/11/19/the-manipulator/
If you are unsure about the genre, I give a little insight into wiring horror on a recent tv interview I had in Park City. http://youtu.be/eAMMnMJdDV8
Thanks for the pimp and promote opportunity Jenny. Love More Cowbell!!
LikeLike
Wow, we get to see the G-Man live and in the flesh, IYKWIM. Gloria is going to consider that YouTube video her finest present! Congratulations, Zack!!
And I’m a huge fan of the Wounded Warrior Project. We do stuff for them at my Crossfit gym and it makes me really happy.
LikeLike
In the flesh works too. I’m not very bashful. 😉 Hopefully the interview doesn’t come across like those “Lowered Expectations” videos from MADtv. Do you remember those?
LikeLike
G-MAN! Congratulations on Pen of the Damned!
I’d natter at you about NOT giving me a heads up that you joined Pen of the Damned, but I’m not certain natter has naughty, double-entendre potential. You know how I feel about getting a double bang for my buck. <=== Whoop! You get to decide if "for" vs "from" is a typo. You're welcome.
SKA-WEET! I'll be sure to check out that video as soon as I'm not in a quiet public venue. And, yes, I'm headed to Pen of the Damned in a few.
LikeLike
Thanks Gloria! Sorry, they said mum was the word. You can take it out on me later.
You know, your “Whoop!” sign looks an awful lot like a whopper…. Just sayin’.
😀
LikeLike
So proud of you, Zack!!
LikeLike
Thanks Jenny!
LikeLike
My promote: One of my favorite blogs (besides yours!) is The Galaxy Express. Heather Massey started it about seven years ago, so she could blog about her favorite things (science fiction romance books, movies and beyond). Today she also has a giveaway. http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/ And there is always good fun over there.
My Pimp: I’m excited to have a new cover for Out of Time, my time travel to WWII romance: http://www.amazon.com/Out-Time-Pauline-Baird-Jones-ebook/
My sister in law did the cover for me. She’s also AnaBanana Creations. An awesome person. (whoops, that two promotes!) But she is awesome!
LikeLike
Pauline, I wanted to see your new cover so I clicked the link and it was dead-zo. Here’s a working link:
LikeLike
Thank you so much for grabbing the link! You are awesome!
LikeLike
Lovely, Pauline!
LikeLike
Thanks, Julie! This book is very special to me, so hope this cover signals that. 🙂
LikeLike
I love reading what other people are pimping and promoting! And Happy Birthday Gloria!
I’m pimping my mom — that sounds so wrong — Joan Kennedy (not that one) has written a new book: Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Women
She’s 91 and a dynamo. She gathered the stories of 40 women for this book — I love it because of the different voices and paths these women took to find their success.
LikeLike
That is serious fun, Amy!! And how exciting for your mom, to be published at 91. She sounds AWESOME. 🙂
LikeLike
My pimp: Jane Friedman’s infographic on publishing options: http://janefriedman.com/2013/11/19/infographic-key-book-publishing-paths/
My promote: I’m running a Kickstarter campaign for my next book, and we’re just $600 away from full funding one week into the campaign! http://kck.st/1aCWc9p
LikeLike
I feel so loved! Thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes.
Gosh! My pimp? Even though the Piper Bayard & Jay Holmes duo gets tons of blog mojo, I found the recent guest post by Sally Carey moving, informative and timely. It addresses grief during the holidays (your own, or someone you care about). Here’s the linky-love for that post: http://bayardandholmes.com/2013/11/18/coping-with-holiday-cheer-in-the-face-of-loss/)
Promote? What have I done lately? I haven’t yet put up the posts for More Cowbell. Why? I interact and play in comments when I post. I jump with each inbound ping of a comment. I don’t want to change the dynamics of my on-line dining room table. I could change that habit, or I could…
Charge headfirst each morning into my daily writing, and trust the readers will be there when I’m in a position to play in comments.
Time for The Golden Heart doth draw nigh.[Forsooth]
I've learned to say no, to set boundaries, and to deny myself permission to give up. I ranted about, and then ignored unsolicited advice from a fellow author that ‘perhaps it was time I gave up on this particular WIP’.
She meant well. She had no clue how much time I’ve devoted to ALL INN in the last 30 days. She thought the delay might be an indication of a flawed plot rather than a flawed, bauble-chasing writer. She wanted to give me permission to let it go, speed-grieve, and start another WIP.
If I do nothing else between now and December 13th, there will be a completed novel (albeit, one in need of a weed whacker) on file at RWA. I ring More Cowbell when I need a MoJo booster shot.
p.s. I play around in other people’s comments during breaks so as not to be forgotten.
p.p.s. Yes. I’m going away now. Back to writing. 😉
LikeLike
Ya’ know, Jenny Jo — if you put a > at the end of the line with Forsooth in it, my HTML code would be fine-and-dandy.
Ya’ know, Glo Jean — since you’re in a time crunch, you might want to forego HTML shenanigans in future comments. Just sayin…
LikeLike
And you know, Glo Jean…there’s a Starbucks card from me waiting for you in Facebook. Should have gotten to you this morning (my hope was in time for your morning cuppa). 🙂
LikeLike
OMG! THIS is what happens when I disconnect!
WOOT! I must get over to give you virtual hugs to go with my virtual happy dance when I get my REAL Skinny Vanilla Latte. You are one cool friend, Jenny Jo.
LikeLike
I saw you picked it up. Caffeinate away, girlie!! And write, write, write, write, write…..
LikeLike
I’m late to the festivities, but Gloria, I hope you had a fantastic birthday! And congrats, Laura! I’m heading over to buy the book right after this. 🙂
My pimp is for Debi Matlack’s book Old Dogs. Debi is one of my online critique partners, and though I’ve never actually met her, I love her to pieces! She has such an amazing voice, and this book is just wonderful. http://www.amazon.com/Old-Dogs-Debi-Matlack-ebook/dp/B009U2W084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384915626&sr=8-1&keywords=debi+matlack
My shameless promotion is for my latest book, Song Without Words, full of murder, mystery and music set in New Orleans! http://www.amazon.com/Song-Without-Words-Juli-Morgan-ebook/dp/B00GB1QUW4/ref=la_B00B2O07QA_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1384916027&sr=1-3
Jenny, big ol’ hugs to you for doing this cool thing! 🙂
LikeLike
Wooo-hooooo! I love books set in New Orleans. I can’t wait to get me a peek at that. And I’ve never heard of Debi or her book, but if she’s your crit partner I know she’s groovy. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ll do a two for one on the pimp since the only thing I can say for promote is I reached 52235 words on Just One Look and went back to work on the rewrite of Standing Stone. The Pimp:
First Bev Allen has been a fantastic friend to me. She was a great support when the Other Half was ill and dying. I can’t say that she was the total motivation to write because frankly she writes much better than I do. Her rough drafts are in excellent shape but she is part of what started me thinking about writing again. First was a few short stories for the Other Half which fermented until it blew and I started Standing Stone. Her book Jabin & the Space Pirates isn’t YA exactly it is more like older YA and adult. And she intended it to only be called Jabin but we all know how publishers go: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14760461-jabin-and-the-space-pirates
Next is a major reason I am writing. I have my own Graphics Designer for my covers. She does excellent work and created both Standing Stone and Just One Look for her. I gave her space on my website so she could put up a few of her covers as premade. http://1standingstone.com/rpmas-designs/ She even did a cover for Bev’s next book, Lucian [and the tattooed tribe. Again not Bev’s choice of title.] I am not sure if I didn’t have her if I would have even thought about publishing anything. So it’s her fault that I have no time any more.
LikeLike
sigh she creates both Standing Stone and Just One Look for me. I can’t believe I changed myself into a woman on that typo.
LikeLike
Phil, that’s a fantastic thing. Over 52K is some serious numbers. I’m happy for you, that The End is in sight. Keep going!!!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Gloria! I’ll be over in my special outfit to give you a birthday dance!
Gotta pimp out my gal Susie over at Susie Lindau’s Wild Ride – http://susielindau.com/ – as she is recovering from a double mastectomy and living life to the fullest. Very inspiring lady.
Have to promote my next foray into self destruction. I just signed up to compete in a Tough Mudder and I am doing it for a terrific charity – Wounded Warriors Project. Here is my blog post about it and these great organizations. There is a link to donate in case anyone is interested –
LikeLike
You and Zack are both doing stuff for Wounded Warrior Projects…SWEET! I feel like I should help sponsor your run. I love WWP and feel like we can never do enough for our veterans. Running to your link…
And I haven’t gotten to Susie’s full post yet, although I love that photo of her doggie looking out the window. I feel like that many days.
I appreciate the kick in the butt, Phil! But I still don’t know how y’all do these mud runs.
LikeLike
Hi Jenny!
Thanks so much for your donation! It’s much appreciated.
I know this won’t be easy. The Warrior Dash seems like a walk in the park compared to Tough Mudder. I better put down the donuts and start running!
LikeLike