I’m blogging today over at the new NOBODY WRITES IT BETTER blog about kick-ass heroines. Stop by and comment to be entered into a drawing for a copy of STOLEN FURY!

Today I’m over at the Mid-Willamette Valley blog talking about faith (a timely topic given the holiday) and books. Hop (pun intended since Easter is on Sunday) over and leave me a comment!

I think blog guilt must be catching up with me. Two posts in two days. Gasp!

So first off, I have to tell you that I debated the pros and cons of this topic for quite a while and finally decided to go with it, even knowing I’m probably going to ruffle a few feathers. But then, you know me. I’m a feather ruffler at heart.

You all know I’ve been a slacker blogger here as of late. I have never been a ranter (well, not usually), and I’ve often gone in fits and starts where it comes to blogging anyway. But I think since selling I’ve been a little more cautious about what I post to the world wide web.

Let’s face it. The blogosphere is enormous. You can find blogs on just about anything these days. Pick a topic. There’s a blog that covers it. The fun part about having a personal blog as opposed to a group one is that you can get a little more personal. You can talk about your kids’ latest temper tantrum, or the mess your dog made in the living room, or how you fell down on the dance floor Saturday night and ended up with bruises you don’t remember getting (not that that’s EVER happened to me *grin*). Readers like to hear about our personal lives to a point. They like to know what makes us tick, because it often gives them insight into how we create our books and characters.

Several of my writer friends blog in more than one place. Many have personal blogs in addition to contributing to group blogs. Currently I have a personal blog (obviously), I contribute on my RWA chapter blog (for which I am also known as the Evil Blog Overlord, or EBO for short, because I manage the techie aspect of the blog and design), and soon I’ll be contributing to a new blog with some of the girls I finaled with in the GH in 2007. Each blog I write for has a different feel, a different goal and shows a part of me you may not see anywhere else. But one thing is consistent on all of them…I try to be careful about what I post everywhere. The Internet is not such a big world after all. And most people these days have their names set to self-Google so they know when you’re talking about them. (Case in point, when my son’s teacher commented on a post I put up here about an inappropriate comment he made one day during class. I had no idea she even knew I had a blog!)

It often floors me that people don’t realize how small the web really is. My philosophy has always been, if you’re going to post something – anywhere online – remember once it’s out there, it’ll be out there forever. Back before I sold, I remember reading an unpublished writer’s personal blog where said writer went on a tirade about so-and-so editor who wrote them – what they deemed – a not so nice rejection letter and how awful that person was because of it. I remember reading that post thinking, “Who cares if the editor was in the right or not. You just shot yourself in the foot at that house, whiny writer.” Editors, agents, writers, READERS have long memories. And these days all you have to do is Google and you can find the dirt on anyone.

So yeah, I guess you could say I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot. You’ll notice that lately, here, I’ve been a little more slack in how often I post and what I choose to post about. Most of my recent topics have been less opinion-oriented and more news-oriented. Does that mean I don’t have opinions? Shee-yeah, right. *snort* You all know me a lot better than that. It just means I’m more aware of how expressing my personal opinions reflects back not only on me now, but on my career. And let’s be honest. I’m this for the long haul, and there’s no way I’m going to blow my foot off right out of the starting gate. Now that I have a book out, and my name is more public, I feel a much bigger responsibility to make sure I don’t open-mouth, insert-foot as I have been known to do in the past.

Tess Gerritsen blogged about this very topic yesterday and wrote a great piece called “So…What Is the Point of Blogging?” If you haven’t read this article yet, you should head over and do so. Lots of good stuff. And I think it’s a great reminder that we should all be more observant of what we’re saying out in public.

I love a good rant now and then so long as it doesn’t name names and it doesn’t overtly offend anyone. Gets the blood flowing and can be cathartic for the soul. But before you go on your next blog tirade, you may think about asking yourself, How is this going to reflect back on me tomorrow, next week, next year or five years from now?

So what about you? Do you have a personal blog? Do you participate in more than one blog? If you’re published, did your blogging habits/topics change after you sold? What sort of topics do you like to read about on author blogs? And what do you think about blogger rants in general, on any topic?

I’m blogging at the Mid-Willamette Valley blog today about random male silliness. Funny videos to share, so pop over and take a look if you’re in the mood for a good chuckle.

It’s technically spring break, but I’m in Central Oregon on a mini-vacation with the family where it’s been snowing ALL day. We’ve gotten about 8 inches of snow so far today and it just keeps piling up. It feels like a winter wonderland!

I’m blogging over at my chapter blog today about irrational fears – I have my fair share. Stop by and say hi.

And I’m looking at websites. Which authors – in your opinion – have fab websites?

Hmm…Jan. 2nd to Jan. 20th. Not quite three weeks. This is a blogging improvement!

First of all, some news. The girls at RWKF have decided to take a blogging break. J’s going back to work full time, Lin’s tackling grad school on top of working full time AND writing for Sahmain, and me? Well, I go with the flow. My RWA chapter duties as the new pres. have taken up way more time than I’d like, and I’m still not back to 100% after being sick over the holidays (still fighting this ear infection. Gah! Talk about irritating). I’m also knee-deep in revisions my agent wanted on my last book and all that coupled with my almost-three-year-old who doesn’t like me to spend too much time on the computer lately has limited my online time. We’re not finished blogging at RWKF, just taking a break, so don’t count us out totally. I’ll let you know when we’re back up and running. In the meantime, I’ll try to check in here more often, and you can also find me at my chapter blog every other Friday.

My girlfriend got me a great Christmas gift which I keep meaning to share with you. It’s a desk calendar called “An Insult A Day”. I know, I know…what? But I guess you’d have to hear my humor in person to get that. I’m fairly snarky and my characters tend to be snarky as well. My g’friend thought the daily reminder would be a good way to “get in the snark mood” for writing. So far it’s just darn entertaining. A few snippets from the last few days:

She’s so stupid she returns bowling balls because they’ve got holes in them.- Comedian Joan Rivers.

I’ve been asked to say a few words about my husband. How about “short” and “Cheep”. – Comedian Phylis Diller

Don’t be fooled by the dumb blonde routine. This woman [Pamela Anderson] is as smart a rock.- talk show host Jimmy Kimmel

You have the charisma of a wax dummy. – American Idol judge Simon Cowell

See the allure? LOL

And finally, I’m taking an informal poll. What do you think about reunion stories? Love ‘em, hate ‘em, ambivalent toward them? Any you’ve read that have been done really well? How did the author tackle the whole past relationship thing? As you can see, I’m dealing with this issue in my revisions.

1. Get sick.

2. Sprinkle in the holidays.

3. Become president of your local RWA chapter (man, is that a time suck).

4. Find a new series you want to read and decide you must go back and read all the books in said series.

5. Get sick again.

6. Get revision suggestions from your agent that leave you scratching your head.

7. Take a mini-vacation to the mountains.

8. Add in a little world-building for good measure.

9. Kick up your workouts because, hey, who needs the new year to be healthy?

10. Spider Solitaire. Need I say more?

How have you been?

I read somewhere you have to blog every day to be a successful blogger. I’m not sure who decides what a successful blogger is, per se, but I think it depends on what you expect to get out of the whole blogging experience in the first place. Since I’m not published (yet), I’m not trying to drum up readers. Instead this blog is a way to stay in touch with my writer friends and make contacts. To offer advice and encouragement. To sometimes vent about the injustices of the publishing world.

So in that vein, I want you to go read this blog post. The Secret To Getting Published – One Year Later. Don’t put it off. GO READ IT.

Did I say that loud enough? GO READ IT!!! You’ll be glad you did.