I found Andrew about thirteen years ago down in Miami. Nowadays we live on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, but I’m originally from Miami. Andrew, as far as I know, has always lived in Fort Lauderdale.
I was six months old and I wanted to go out and see the world. I wasn’t getting any younger and the lure of the road was calling to me. So, one day when no one was looking, I just took off. At first, I had a grand time. I’d sniff my way up one street and then down the next. I met up with a few other dogs, chased a few cars, and thought to myself, This is the life. But after a day or so, I started to get hungry and, unlike the home I had left, the humans I ran into had no desire to feed me. I did get…
Traci Kenworth is an author-blogger who regularly shares a roundup of writing links. Her posts are a massive undertaking that consumes a good deal of time in preparing.
Thank you, Traci. You exemplify the heart and soul of thoughtfulness ❤️
http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2018/04/why-editor-isnt-bad-guy.html“It seems in Hollywood and even in other circles (not to give a rap and not to say that all self-pubbed authors are like this but this is frequently the case in self-published circles), the editors are the bad guy. They’re the evil grumps that keep the writers from writing freely. I noticed this trend particularly when I watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Dayswith a friend. Contrary to what the story was trying to portray, what the editor was asking for wasn’t that unreasonable. In the media examples I have these women are not the purest of character (which I also don’t like since I know many editors who are some of the nicest people you could meet), so I’m not defending their attitudes, but I do want to point out that the “obstacles” they’re giving the protagonist are really just what it takes to make a career as a writer.”
http://storyempire.com/2018/04/27/friday-book-cover-kindle-in-motion/ “There’s a new craze on Kindle (at least, it’s new to me) called Kindle in Motion. The books can be read on any device that reads Kindle books, but the covers and insides have motion (hence the name, of course. ) that can be viewed on certain Fire tablets and on the free Kindle iOS and Android apps.” I need to see this!
I always appreciate authors and bloggers sharing
information that makes my blogging life a little easier. Over this past year, I’ve picked up several tips and tricks that I’d like to share with you.
WordPress
1. Check comments regularly for Spam and Pending.
Many of us have experienced our comments on other blogs being relegated to spam. This is disconcerting, as the blogger might think we’re not visiting their blog; and we may have no way of
letting them know we are. Check spam first, because when a
comment is marked Not Spam, it will be moved to Pending. Then go to Pending and marked Approved.
2. Close comments when appropriate.
We might choose to close comments on our posts for several
reasons: e.g., we’re going on a blogging break; we’re reblogging and want readers to leave comments on the original post.
Comments can be closed in a draft by unchecking Allow comments in the Discussion section below the post box. To close comments after publication, go to your dashboard and click on Posts. Find the appropriate post, click on Quick Edit, uncheck the box next to Allow Comments, then click on Update.
3. Click on the Reply button when responding to
comments, in order for them to show in notifications.
When replying to a comment, the commenter won’t be notified
unless we click on Reply. This sounds like common sense, yet I’ve discovered ~ quite by accident ~ many a reply entered as a
comment to my comment.
Image courtesy of Pixabay CCO
4. Make post links open in new tabs.
This is especially helpful when on a blog that loads slowly. Having a link open in a new tab allows the slow-loading blog to remain in place while we investigate the link.
To create a clickable link in a post, click on the ‘paper clip’ icon in the toolbar. Enter the URL, and then click on the cogwheel to the far right. A window will open. Under the URL, check the box next to Open link in a new tab. You can do this with any link, even those in a reblog if you use Press This. Just place your cursor next to or anywhere within the link, and a small box will open. Click on the pencil icon (edit), then click on the cogwheel to open the window.
You can also have a clickable image open in a new tab, but you must do this after the image is entered into the post.
To create a clickable image, copy the designated URL and paste it into the Attachment Details when entering the image into your post. Scroll down to Attachment Display Settings → Link to and choose Custom URL. Then paste the link into the box below this.
NOTE: https:// is already entered into this box. Delete it before you paste in the custom URL, because it doesn’t disappear on its own.
To have the image open in a new tab, click on it, and then click on the pencil icon. A large window will open. Scroll down to Display Settings → Advanced Options, and check the box next to Open link in a new tab. Notice that you can also enter the custom URL within this function. Under Display Settings → Link To, click on the down arrow and select Custom URL. A box will open into which you can paste the URL.
If you’re on a blog that doesn’t have dedicated link tabs, you can open any link in a new tab by right-clicking on it, and then left-clicking on Open Link in New Tab.
5. Calendar
It’s helpful to have a calendar on your blog if (1) your home page isn’t your blogroll, (2) you don’t have a designated blog page, or (3) your most recent posts aren’t listed in a sidebar. Clicking on a specific date in the calendar will pull up all posts for that day.
6. Link your blog to Twitter
When your blog is linked to Twitter, Twitter will notify you when someone shares your post. This also makes it easy for the sharer to follow you on Twitter, because your @username will appear at the end of the tweet, and Twitter will ask them if they want to follow yiou.
Go to Settings → Sharing, and scroll down to Twitter username to include in tweets when people share using the Twitter
button. Type your Twitter username in the box.
7. Single space when creating posts.
If you have a free WP site, single-spacing isn’t an option in the tool bar. But you can single space by clicking Shift and Enter simultaneously. This works in (most) emails and word processing software as well.
Image courtesy of Pixabay CCO
Gravatar
Be sure to add your website and social network links to your Gravatar page. Also, if your name isn’t identifiable by gravatar or website, and if you’re not purposely maintaining anonymity, state your name in your gravatar profile.
Facebook
1. Open a notification or link in a new tab
This can be done by either tapping on the wheel of your mouse, or right-clicking on the link/notification and checking Open Link in New Tab. This is especially helpful with notifications, because it
allows you to hold your place in your notifications list.
2. UseSee First (a News Feed function) andClose Friends (a profile function) to easily keep up with those you are close to. You won’t receive post notifications with See First, but you will with Close Friends.
See First
Click on the down arrow in the upper right corner of your FB page. Click on News Feed Preferences → Prioritize who to see first. FB will pull up images of your friends. You can select up to 30
people or pages. Selections aren’t ranked (the first selection isn’t seen first, the second selection isn’t seen second, etc.).
You can also use this function on profiles and pages after you friend or follow someone. Locate the Following button (bottom right of cover image) and hover your mouse over Following (or click on the down arrow), then select See First.
Close Friends
To select s person as a close friend, go to their profile page,
locate the Friends button (bottom right of cover image) and hover your mouse over Friends (or click the down arrow), then select Close Friends.
You can view and adjust your News Feed preferences by following the instructions in the above link. By default, we’re taken to our News Feed when we log on to Facebook. To return to it after
navigating to your profile page, click on the f in the upper left
corner of your page (next to your name in the FB search bar).
Amazon Author Services
When encountering a problem with Kindle or CreateSpace, I’ve found it helpful to speak first with Author Services, and have them transfer me to Kindle or CreateSpace if needed. Issues
regarding manuscript upload will most likely be directed to the
appropriate department. But issues such as what appears on your author page will be handled more efficiently and effectively by
Author Services.
Bookmarks
All browsers save bookmarks in different ways. Some browsers call them favorites. Some allow you to choose the category in which to add them, while others do not.
If you want to insert a bookmark into a specific place, first copy the URL, then right click where you want to add it in your bookmarks list. Select New Bookmark from the menu. In the box that opens, type the name of the bookmark and paste the location of the URL.
When bookmarks are imported from a different browser, they tend to get listed under several other headings and are pushed to the right. If you’re like me, you prefer to have your bookmarks open in a sidebar while you’re online. But the farther right they’re pushed, the less screen space you’ll have. You can solve this to a certain
degree by adding bookmark icons to your browser’s toolbar.
First open the page you want to add, click on the icon to the left of the URL, and drag it to your toolbar.
NOTE: The above bookmark tips work in the Firefox and IE browsers. I don’t know if they’ll work in other browsers, but dare to try!
I hope you’ve found this information helpful. If any of it is incorrect, feel free to note this in the comments. And please share the tips and tricks you might have up your sleeve 🙂
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Namaste, my friends ❤
One year ago, I published a post on Chronic Illness and Self-Acceptance. I wanted my fellow bloggers to understand when I wasn’t unable to visit their blogs as often as they did mine. I wanted my fellow authors to understand when I was unable to read and review their books as quickly as they did mine.
My condition hasn’t changed, but the state of affairs in my country (U.S.) has. I mention this because stress has a profound effect on inducing flareups. Not knowing from one day to the next if I’ll continue to have health insurance or a roof over my head has challenged my inherent optimistic perspective on life. Also, the cold of winter tends to exacerbate symptoms.
So I’m writing this to let all of you know I might be a little scarce over the next couple of months. But truly, I just don’t know. I never know when I’ll have a flareup or how long it will last. What I do know is that the everyday stress of dreading what havoc my government will wreak next upon its citizens is threatening to take a toll on my health.
Believe me when I tell you that living in the U.S. right now is like being on a nonstop roller coaster ride, minus the thrill. I don’t understand the mindset of those who think our current POTUS is America’s savior. Perhaps they’re not dependent on healthcare for their lives. Perhaps they don’t live paycheck-to-paycheck. Perhaps they’ve never experienced having the rug pulled out from under them. Or perhaps they’ve experienced all of these and are so desperate for change that they cannot see through all the lies.
One has only to read how Hitler came to power in 1930’s Germany to see the analogous framework already established here in the U.S. Denying this or accepting it as a benign trade-off is extremely dangerous. Our democracy wasn’t built in a day, but it could be destroyed swiftly and imperceptibly. However, I remain hopeful.
I know the old patriarchal world order is dying; and as with anything facing imminent death, it’s digging in its heels for a last stand. Conditions might even get worse before the beast takes its final breath. Yet I will not be daunted. I won’t allow the power elite to rob me of hope; or worse yet, scare me into questioning what I know to be true.
Humankind is skating on the edge of heightened consciousness. But in order to fully know and appreciate expansion, one must experience constriction. We are germinating in the rich soil of explosive growth. The challenge is keeping our wits about us while embroiled in chaos. Which brings me back to my reason for writing this.
Maintaining a positive healthy attitude amid the confusion and uncertainty in my country is a demanding exercise. Coping with a chronic illness while riding this wave necessitates an ever-refueling energy reserve. I’m finding myself inordinately fatigued and requiring more sleep.
So please know that while you might not see me around very much over the next couple of months, I have not forgotten you. I hope you understand and will remember me 😊 Much love to you, my friends. Hope reigns. Namaste ❤
I’m thrilled that Chris Graham The Story Reading Ape’s post was the most viewed on my blog in 2017. I posted it to celebrate his 4th blog anniversary on April 4th. If you missed Chris’ interview the first time around, I hope you’ll enjoy it now 😊
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Chris Graham is much admired, respected, and appreciated in the blogging world. His indefatigable support of authors and bloggers is rivaled by few others. The Story Reading Ape‘s 4th blog anniversary is April 4th, and I can think of no better way to show my appreciation than by featuring him on my blog. Here’s to you, Mr. Ape! May you live long and prosper. I’m also putting energy out there for you to win the lottery 😊
When did you start blogging and what prompted you to do so?
I started blogging on April 4th 2013 after reading authors’ pleas (on Goodreads) for promotional opportunities on blogs.
What moved you to choose an ape as your gravatar and online presence?
My Most favourite author was (and still is) Terry Pratchett, who once stated, “The anthropologists got it wrong when they named our species Homo sapiens (‘wise man’). In any case it’s an arrogant and bigheaded thing to say, wisdom being one of our least evident features. In reality, we are Pan Narrans, the storytelling chimpanzee.”
From this I extrapolated that since I didn’t TELL stories, but listened to, or READ them, I must be a Story READING ape (Pan Audiencia – as near as I can get).
What motivated you to make author promotion and support the focus of your blog?
I’ve always enjoyed reading, either to learn or be entertained, and owe a debt of gratitude to authors, so when I saw their pleas on Goodreads, I decided to focus on authors, rather than the stories they wrote.
After all, there are LOTS of book review blogs, but very few that give authors the opportunity to talk about themselves (as well as getting a plug in about their books).
You also add a weekly dose of humor to your blog. Does humor play an important role in your daily life as well?
Yes, it does.
Like everyone else in the world, I have my bad times, as well as good, but was raised not to dwell on, or agonise over, the bad things. It’s better to learn from them and get on with those aspects of life I DO have control over.
Laughter and the ability to see humour (or the stupidity) in bad situations helps me get over, or overcome, the depths of despair that others seem to slip into easily.
It may well be an Irish trait, an example being after a funeral, where humour, song and celebration are an important part of remembering the deceased (and overcome grief).
This could be summed up in the old joke about friends putting a crate of drinks on top of the coffin and saying, “He left instructions that the drinks were to be on him.”
How much time each day do you spend blogging?
Too long I suspect; I often pop in and out of the blog to respond to comments and thank those who share the posts, while I’m reading emails, other peoples’ posts and searching around for articles that might be of interest to my blog readers (and myself).
Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?
Apart from Terry Pratchett, I enjoy books by the old masters like Dickens, et al, but there are quite a few modern (and self-published) authors I enjoy as well – however, I’m not going to say who – they already know who they are 😊
You and your sister recently published a book of your mother’s poetry. Tell us a little about your Mum, her poetry, and the book.
It was my sister Lorna who collected the poems and Jo Robinson who edited and formatted the book – all I did was upload and publish it.
Poetry was a side of Mum that I never knew about until Lorna sent them to me. So I was both surprised and humbled when I read them.
What most inspires you in life?
Nature in all its diverse forms, from the variety and tenacity of life, to the wonder and immensity of the Universe.
Any parting words for your followers?
Read, learn and experience as much as you can about everything.
If Reincarnation exists, it will help you progress.
If it doesn’t, you will have enriched your time while alive.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about our very own blogging Ape. I’m sure I speak for all of us in thanking Chris for his abiding support of authors and in wishing him a
This post on #Respect by John Fioravanti moved me so much that I had to share it. As I told John: I hope people around the world see this time as a fleeting, albeit bleak phase in U.S. history that does not reflect the will of the American people. Respect is crucial to tolerance, understanding, and good will. So is an open heart. Being able to loathe someone’s behavior while keeping our heart open to them is, in my opinion, a hallmark of respect.
John Fioravanti
I hope you’ll visit John’s blog and read this outstanding article ❤
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“We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.” ~ Barack Obama
In my last post in this series,“Let Us Change the World!”, Ireflected upon the role of education in bringing about positive change in the world through a quote by Nelson Mandela. His words were spoken in the context of a speech he made to students in Boston in 1990 to encourage them to remain in school and help transform the world into a better place.
As a retired secondary school educator, I am a firm believer in lifelong learning, and it need not take place in a formal classroom. In Mandela’s day, the Internet was in its infancy, and now it allows anyone who is curious to discover information and analysis about any topic they can imagine. It is in the context of the lifelong learner that I wish to reflect on President Barack Obama’s words quoted above from his final State of the Union Address on January 12, 2016.
As a student of history, I realize that human progress does not occur in a linear pattern and that often we regress on the way to positive growth. In some very tangible ways, we are experiencing a regression in our behavior towards others today. News headlines from around the globe give testament that division and polarization around extreme ideas and attitudes are fuelling discord and conflict between us.
At the root of this discord is a startling lack of respect for others. What do I mean when I speak about respect?
Zoe the Fabulous Feline has graciously given her monthly guest spot on The Story Reading Ape‘s blog to her human, Emily. She is a most magnanimous feline, even if she is using this time to chill out in her condo 😊
Dear friends, I hope you don’t mind, but my human, Emily, apparently needs some attention. She asked if she could take my spot this month to show off share something she wrote recently. I thought, Yeah, why not? I can use a break. So, I’m sharing my space so she can share her poem. And, without further ado, here it is. Now excuse me . . . I’m going to go chill out in my condo.
Over the past year, I have been a monthly guest author on Chris The Story Reading Ape‘s blog. Chris says he will continue his guest author series for as long as authors wish to participate.
Thank you, Chris, for your ongoing support and generosity.
This is my latest guest post. Hope you enjoy ❤
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Let Us Keep Our Hearts Open
Image courtesy of Lucie Stastkova
It is easy to close our hearts; not so easy to keep them open. Or so it seems …
When we experience emotional pain, a common human response is fight or flight. Become angry or shut down. Neither of these reactions solves anything, and both can cause serious health problems if sustained over time.
Fear is the culprit in any action or reaction that is not love-based. It obscures awareness and keeps us ignorant of its deleterious effects. It constricts our bodies, imprisons our minds, catapults our emotions, and darkens our spirits. When trapped in fear, it is impossible to keep our hearts open.
If we close our hearts to one, we close them to all. Open is open and closed is closed. At one time, this was a difficult concept for me to get my head around. I thought I could open and close my heart at will, as easily as I removed and replaced the lid to the peanut butter jar. I soon learned how utterly deceptive this was. I began to feel as if I were zip-tied to a revolving door.
A husband and wife are furious with each other. Unaware of the discord, their daughter approaches them and asks for $20. Neither one hears her above the internal argument they are having with one another. The daughter asks again but is refused. She raises her voice and says, ‘What’s the big deal? It’s only $20!’ One of her parents reacts by slapping her hard across the face. Immediately contrite, the parent apologizes for behavior that was clearly out of character.
When storming in anger, simmering in blame, or smoldering in hurt, the heart automatically begins to close. This is a defense mechanism that frequently backfires, hurting not only the victim of our troubling emotions, but ourselves as well. The oftener we close our hearts, the nearer our subconscious moves toward believing this is the way we want to be in the world. Since the role of the subconscious is to serve, it will do all in its power to manifest this belief.
A politician unfit to serve is elected to high office. The people soon realize that his ignorance and egoism make him a dangerous head of state. They are inundated daily by media coverage of his prejudicial claims and wild assertions. They cannot turn off the news for fear he might do something perilous. They cannot remove him from office without an ‘Act of Congress.’ They live in fear of his rash judgments and loathe his narcissism. Soon, they begin to loathe the man himself and close their hearts to him. This impacts all of their relationships, because they are left having to switch tracks with every encounter. And derailment is a constant danger.
Is it possible to be angry with or despise someone while keeping our hearts open to them? The answer is yes. Doing so, however, requires separating the person from the behavior. Accept the person, loathe the behavior. This might be a laborious task, for example, in relation to the above-mentioned politician; but it is not impossible. The question we each need to ask ourselves is: Do I want fear to infect my spirit and rule my life? All negative emotion is fear-based. When fear is at the helm, the mounting storm goes unnoticed.
Remembering to separate the person from the behavior requires daily practice. Sometimes it is demanded; and sometimes it is demanded moment by moment. The heart closes only when the soul no longer recognizes itself in another.
It is okay to feel angry. Feelings are raw and arise unedited. It is okay to rant and rave with like-minded friends and associates. Verbal expression is a release valve for pent-up emotion. It is okay to . . .
Sally Cronin is a steadfast and generous supporter of fellow authors, and I am delighted to share her post. She is inviting us to promote one of our books in her new series, Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair, to begin on November 27th. Whether a new author or seasoned, whether already in her Bookstore or not, you are invited to participate. Do visit her blog and join in the holiday festivities! ❤
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From next Monday27th November all the four general book promotion posts will come under a festive heading of Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair.
Rather than just open to new releases and recent reviews this is open to every author in the Cafe & Bookstore.
This is your chance to showcase any one of your books and its best review it has received.
I will still be checking for reviews and will include as many of the authors in the bookstore as possible but if you want to book a slot then please email me at sally.cronin@moyhill.com
All new books that are released between now and Christmas will be posted in their own promotion… New books for Christmas.
I know that some of you are releasing your latest books in the next month, so please get in touch with me so that I can reserve you a spot. It is better to schedule it for a day or two after release to make sure that the book is available without any problems, and also if possible included on your Amazon author page and Goodreads.
Email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com
If your new book has been released since November 1st and had not been featured in the Cafe and Bookstore updates then let me know and I will include in the New Books for Christmas. If it has been featured it can still go in the Christmas Book Fair.
The New Book for Christmas is open to authors who are not currently in the Cafe and Bookstore but would like to be going forward.
If you are in the Cafe and Bookstore, you will notice that I am currently updating entries with up to 7 book covers and I now include an extract of a recent review of one of the books on the shelf. I hope to have completed that update in the next couple of weeks.
To get the most from being in the bookstore, it is helpful if you . . .
Mr. MN, The Militant Negro, shares his thoughts on people who do not understand the finer points of blogging. He is candid. He pulls no punches. He is also generous and compassionate. One has only to read a post such as Fighting ALL Injustice to recognize his open heart ❤ #Recommended
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I thought the time is right to inform those bloggers NOT familiar with my blogs mission statement, to issues one. Seems to be some confusion as to why I reblog other bloggers content. So I’ll be brief and then go into much detail.
Me being brief……… Because I want to reblog other bloggers content. And WORSTPRESS agrees with me, it’s a right of other WORSTPRESS clients to reblog.
Me going into detail……… I have learned over the years that The Arts may well be the only thing that keeps humanity from becoming extinct. Our current world leaders are all insane, every last one of them. Planning nuclear annihilation, allowing mass murder by well armed insane civilians, and just being greedy dickheads.
My way to help society and humanity survive the likes of Dumbass Trump and his buddies on Capital Hill, is to support and market all things connected to The Arts. My way of accomplishing this is to share, reblog and Press This of all content by “worthy” WORSTPRESS bloggers. Now oddly enough, WORSTPRESS agrees with me by allowing me to reblog, share and Press This of any bloggers content I choose.
If you happen to be in the minority of bloggers who do not comprehend what share, reblog or Press This actually is or how that all works…pull up a chair, get a cup of flavored coffee or get a drink and come on back…..I’ll attempt to explain, in my own way.
About 5 years ago WORSTPRESS did the only thing, in my opinion, right in the 7 years I have been using their platform to host my blog. Why am I still here if I hate WORSTPRESS so? Because the plethora of bloggers, whom I love and respect, are here at WORSTPRESS and my leaving removes them from my bloggersphere.
Back to the purpose of this post……. WORSTPRESS started allowing bloggers to reblog other bloggers who were a part of the WORSTPRESS community. It was and is a brilliant concept to help blogs get visitors and followers. Brilliant. The idea is if a blogger likes the published content of another fellow blogger, that blogger can share that content of that other blogger. Confused? Don’t be. If YOU like something a WORSTPRESS blog/blogger publishes on his/her blog, you can share it on YOUR blog.
It’s pretty simple. You just click a sharing button found on your blog and the reblogging, sharing is done for you. You don’t have to do a thing but click the “Reblog” button that is on the very blog you use everytime you publish a blog post. Can it be any simpler?
focus of your blog?
TINA FRISCO 
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