In case you missed it Monday: Best Posts of the Week

WritersMarket.com shows you How to Get a Book PublishedImage compliments of Writer’s Market

Thought I’d share some of the most useful, inspiring, and/or entertaining posts of the week:

What’s So Good About Goodreads Anyway? Part 1: Using Goodreads as a Reader via Hugs and Chocolate

10 Ways to syndicate your online writing and 30 ways to promote your blog posts.via Media Bistro

Johnny Depp seeking “authentic, outspoken and visionary ideas and voices” for his own book imprint, Infinitum Nihil. via NPR

Seven lessons of advertising writing to help writers of all genres make every word “sell.” via Rachelle Gardner

Four key elements of writing success in the 21st century via Writer Unboxed

Facebook is the new resume? via Big Think

How to feel beautiful on the inside and out by Karen Walrond (a.k.a. Chookooloonks) via Upworthy.

Meet the Mom Bloggers Behind @PaulRyanGosling via NYMag

My Berlin Kitchen: Review and Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Poke Cake

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It’s October, and the first hints of fall are in the air some of you already have temps dropping into the 30s and SNOW! Our idea of fall down here in the Sunshine State means temps in the mid-80’s, but it’s still time to bring on the pumpkin: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin candies, pumpkin air fresheners, and pumpkin lattes. I like an addiction—I just can’t get enough. {Though, from now on I’ll splurge on some Dunkin Donuts pumpkin coffee beans or pumpkin spice creamer instead of spending four bucks on that Starbucks concoction. I know, I’m in the minority.}

In honor of this sweet smelling season, I decided to experiment with a new pumpkin recipe. All of the moist, gooey poke cake recipes floating around Pinterest have me salivating. Hmmm. . . One of my favorite cakes is spice cake. Spice cake usually has cream cheese frosting. But I wanted something with less guilt and lower fat than traditional cake, something like . . . pumpkin poke cake.

Yes, I uses mixes, but I never claimed to be a from-scratch baker. But there is no oil, healthy pumpkin, and sugar-free pudding. Not completely guilt-free, but a ton less fat and calories than traditional cake.

Oh, and did I mention it’s quite tasty?

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Poke Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 box (18.25 oz) spice cake mix
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)**
3 large eggs
1 cup water

2 boxes cheesecake instant pudding
4 cups milk
cool whip (or your own whipped cream if you insist)
cinnamon butter pecans (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, water, eggs, and pumpkin. Beat with electric mixer at low speed for 30 seconds then high speed for 2 minutes.
Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake according to package directions.
Let cake cool for a few minutes. Take a chop stick, wooden spoon handle, or other similar shaped object and poke holes all over the cake. Poke down to the bottom.
Make pudding according to directions (pudding mix + 4 cups milk — whisk for about 2 minutes). Pour pudding over cake. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, gently push some pudding down into the holes. It wont all fit, but go over a few times.
Chill in refrigerator.
Add whipped topping once completely cool.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar buttered pecans (recipe below) just before serving.
Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Buttered Pecans

1/2 pound pecans
1 tablespoon clarified butter (or just add a splash of evoo to your regular butter)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar (or 1/4 teaspoon Sweet Leaf Stevia)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, LIGHTLY toast pecans for 5 about minutes. Watch so they don’t burn. Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients. Melt butter & evoo in pan. Add in toasted pecans. Mix and coat for 2 min. Toss with sugar mix. let cool. Store in fridge.

**Wondering what to do with that extra pumpkin? Wait until my next recipe. I used it up in a yummy, healthy snack.

Review: Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

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BLACKBERRY WINTER: a period of cold weather in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom.

As a native Floridian, I had never herd the term blackberry winter. A late-season snowstorm? In MAY? I was intrigued. Then the story began…

May 1, 1933. A late-season snow storm blankets Seattle. Struggling single-mom Vera Ray must leave her young son bundled in their shabby apartment while she slogs through the snow to work her night shift as a maid in the upscale Olympic Hotel. She kisses her son good-bye. . .and never sees him again. Police refuse to search for the boy and consider the 3-year-old to be a runaway, just another faceless loss during the class struggles plaguing the Depression Era. Her simple life disappears faster than the snow melt, and Vera forces herself to grasp ANY option that may help her find her beloved Daniel.

May 1, present day. A late season snowstorm surprises Seattle reporter Claire Aldridge. She has been stumbling through the last year in a haze of grief, unable to come to terms with the results of a horrific accident. With a marriage on the rocks and a disintegrating career to save, she delves into the 80-year-old mystery of the missing boy.

The story bounces in time between the two women, sharing snippets of their stories, pulling us along until we find the connections which bind them together. And whether it be fate, serendipity, or artistic license, the coincidences cropping up during Claire’s search for the truth are as heavy as a foot of wet snow.

As a mother this story hit me with a a punch. Losing a child is a parent’s greatest fear, and watching both women throw themselves into the search for the vanished toddler and cope with a devastating loss will pull at any parent’s heartstrings. Claire’s quest to discover what happened to Daniel is really a quest to save herself. If she can just find out if that lost child survived, if his story had a happy ending, perhaps she can start living her own life again.

Both women’s stories are revealed with an air of mystery. In Claire’s present day story we wonder what happened to her marriage. Will she be lured away from it by the kind guy at the coffee shop? What’s the major trauma that broke her spirit? Yet I found Vera’s strength and story far more gripping. Who is Daniel’s father? Why is he allowing her to live such a destitute life? And will she ever find her child?

And if you loved Sarah’s debut novel The Violets of March, you will appreciate a cameo appearance during Claire’s visit to Bainbridge Island. Sometimes it’s so nice to catch up with old friends.

I’ve been a fan of Sarah’s since her days on The Debutante Ball blog, and Blackberry Winter did not disappoint. While the plot is slightly predicable, the story is highly readable and tough to put down. Blackberry Winter is a perfect light read to snuggle up with during an early fall cold snap. Keep a box of tissues nearby, just in case.

Blackberry Winter
by Sarah Jio
$15 [paperback] $9.99 [Kindle]
320 pages

Sarah’s website | Twitter | Facebook

Blackberry Winter is the October She Reads Book Club selection. For more about Sarah Jio, links to other blogger’s reviews of the book, or suggestions for other great reads visit SheReads.org.

*I received this book courtesy of Plume and the She Reads Blogger Network. All opinions are my own.

Creating Fun Photos with PicMonkey Halloween Themes

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I know you all have discovered PicMonkey by now. This user-friendly app stormed the photo editing scene just before Picnik shut down, saving us all from boring, unedited pictures.

The site has improved rapidly, adding more fonts, collage options, textures, frames, and effects each month. And now it seems they’ve gained some holiday spirit and added an entire Halloween collection full of fun editing treats.

They offer six brand new Halloween themes from kiddie-appropriate graphics to grotesque zombie gore. All are fun to play with.

And all are still free.

The Trick or Treat theme features sweet goodies like candies, not-so-scary ghosts and goblins,

and scrapbook-like cutouts. It would be perfect for designing a Halloween party invite.

With the Witches theme you can channel your inner enchantress,
wicked or glam, naught or nice.. .

(And no, that’s not a giant jello shot, but that would be a fab idea.)

Let me clarify: my child is NOT a Demon. Not even close. He’s an angel 98% of the time.

This picture just cried out to be played with, and I couldn’t stomach turning him into a gory zombie.

They scare me. I can’t decide if this editing makes him look like an adorable supe or The Exorcist.

The Day of the Dead theme lets you experiment with Día de los Muertos face painting
without without a drop of artistic talent or magical makeup skills.
(If I tried this in real life I would look like my face was painted by a toddler with finger paints.)

Come November 1st, the official Mexican holiday, this will be my profile pic.

And you too can painlessly transform into a Vampire just in time
for the last Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 movie.
You can be monstrous or gorgeous, from the Bella Lugosi or Eric Northman clans.

No sparkle available though. If you want that you’re going to have to get more creative.
I’m ready to join the Cullen family now…

NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post. I just spent far too much time playing with these Picmonkey effects and think you waste a day messing with them, too. Have fun. It’s an easy way to play dress up without buying a costume!

The Politics of Facebook

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Whoo-hoo! It’s election season and the countdown until Super Tuesday is on! Only now instead of just sucking up our political coverage from the nightly news or morning paper, we are bombarded by posturing, heated arguments, and links we may consider offensive to our intelligence and/or core beliefs every time we scroll through our Facebook feed. It doesn’t matter if you hang to the left, to the right, or dangle somewhere in-between: the comments grow uglier as tolerance wears to snapping point.

What do you think about political wars being waged on Facebook?

Opinions are like assholes—we all have them. Social medial platforms are all about expressing your opinions and freedom of speech. Whether it’s an “Look at my cute kid” or “Look at your stupid candidate,” the reason we post anything—photos, memes, links, or status updates—is to share our opinions, our news, and our beliefs.

But some people believe others are crossing that tenuous line, that friends and relatives may be sharing opinions that are spawned from hate or anger opposed to a desire to educate others about political topics. Some can be misconstrued as racist, misogynistic, or homophobic—or worse, perhaps they are NOT misconstrued.

Others comment that it’s not the fact that others are stating their opinions, it’s the name calling, the vehemence, and the statements that anyone who does not share the same beliefs is an idiot. And while many may think this, is Facebook an appropriate venue to state this?

Political posts/links/rants are not going to sway anyone who is set on Candidate A to vote for Candidate B. Period. If someone always votes for one party no matter what, nothing we say or post is going to do anything except annoy them or get them riled up to post about why their side is “right.”

But perhaps you also have friends who are swing voters, who {gasp} don’t follow politics, don’t vote, and have no real concept of why any of this “political stuff” matters to them. Their only source of news is . . Facebook. Yes, it’s true. Some of us feel obligated to educate them, to explain why it matters, and how Candidate X will improved their lives/destroy every value they believe in. But do they even pay attention? Should they?

What if you feel like you’ll have to skip Thanksgiving if you have to listen to one more of Uncle Harry’s political rants? Do you ignore him? Do you unfriend him? Block him?

What can you do to avoid the political noise:

Hide offenders. Hover over the Friends button at the top of a friend’s timeline and select Show in News Feed to turn their updates on or off. You can also select Settings to control how many and what kinds of stories you see from them.

Hide a person or a type of story (ex: quizzes or games)
Hover over the top-right menu of a story, click the drop-down menu and choose what you’d like to hide:

Hide story will remove the story you’re looking at from your news feed
Hide all by and Unsubscribe from will remove the story you’re looking at from your news feed, as well as all future news feed stories from a person, Page, group, event or app
Report story or spam will remove the story you’re looking at from your news feed and help keep your news feed clear of stories like it in the future

If you accidentally hide something you want to see, click the Unhide link.

Install Social Fixer. This nifty plug in allows you to filter out any annoying status updates. Lifehacker has an excellent quick tutorial on how to get rid of any status updates involving any range of keywords {ex: debate, Romney, Obama, election}. While it doesn’t block photos, with a little maneuvering you can block those infinitely annoying Clint Eastwood links. {You can also use it to block sports/baby posts—the possibilities are endless!}

Unfriend. This is the measure of last resort. Before you hit that button take a moment to think if the relationship should just go on a temporary hiatus or if it should be severed like a rotting limb.

Do you tolerate political posts? Do you look at both sides and/or see them as a method of educating yourself about the issues? Have you taken any action to avoid them?

Now What—>Writing Goals

Around the Bonfire – DIY S’mores Fire Pot

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Bonfire is our theme of the day. Why? Because I am guest posting over at Kludgy Mom for Gigi’s fabulous Around the Bonfire series.

Over there I’m spilling the challenges of parenting an elementary-aged kiddo (it gets much more complicated than picking the proper pacier, trust me). I thought I’d spill a lighter secret here and share an easy hack the whole family will love: a DIY s’mores fire pot.

Our little family escaped to the beach for a few nights over Labor Day weekend. We had no set agenda, no drama, no obligations — with the exception of s’mores on the beach. I’d been a slacker mom: my kiddo had yet to feel the ooze of melted white sugar goo sticking to his fingers or yelp in awe as he made a marshmallow torch. There is a technique to making a proper s’more, and though I’d camped for years during my own childhood, I’d yet to share the tradition.

I owed this kid some kick-ass s’mores.

One teeny problem: bonfires were not permitted on our beach.

But. . .though it is as crowded as the interstate during rush hour come noon, at night the powered sands are deserted. The beach patrol may cruise by and the neighbors can be tattle-tales with itchy fingers, but save for teenagers hanging out, lovebirds strolling along the dunes, or a group of insane shark fisherman carrying their poles and kayak towards the jetty (did I mention our beach is The Shark Bite Capital of the World?)—there aren’t many poeple.

It was worth the risk, even if we couldn’t do a REAL fire. So we’d make our campfire portable—and easy to extinguish and run.

All you need:

an unglazed terra cotta pot

heavy duty aluminum foil

charcoal

lighter fluid & lighter

S’mores supplies

I used a 10-inch orchid pot—just what I had empty in the garage. Line the pot with foil. If the pot will be exposed to wind or a heavy breeze (like our beach gusts) leave enough foil to pull up to shield the coals from the wind. Fill it about halfway with charcoal and douse with lighter fluid. Light and watch that baby glow.

*You can go old school and use whittled sticks or pick up some of the nifty extendable s’mores roasting forks (I found at Target) or 30″ wooden roasting sticks (from Christmas Tree Shop).

*Instead of the traditional Hershey’s bars I used these Moser Roth dark chocolate bars from Aldi. They fit on the graham crackers nicely, were far cheaper, and, well, dark chocolate makes me swoon.

Did I mention it was the weekend of the blue moon? Only when the moon appeared over the roaring waves it shone like a crimson fireball — more like a solar eclipse from a sci-fy tale than a silvery globe. Either way, it was brilliant and bold as the little flowerpot flames seemed to lick at it’s trail.

And the s’mores were pretty damn perfect, too.

Some nights are just made for memories.

Some nights you just have to live in the moment.

And break a few rules.

Remember to head over to Kludgy Mom and check out her Around the Bonfire series and her other words of wisdom!

Craving Comfort: Time for Mac & Cheese with Sausage & Peas

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Sometimes we just need comfort food. We crave comfort food. We think we will clean-out the chocolate section of Walmart if we can’t have some comfort food.

Last night I was in desperate need of some comfort food. My sad & stressed out body pleaded for some homemade mac and cheeses.

Only one problem: my husband won’t eat the stuff.

Yes, I know. . .how can anyone not like mac and cheese? It’s unAmearican. It’s sacrilegious. Luckily he had enough redeeming qualities that it wasn’t a deal-breaker discovery.

His intense aversion is the result of some childhood trauma {stomach flu & a box of Kraft?} so for the past 35+ years he hasn’t touched the stuff. When we first met he couldn’t even look at it. He graduated to serving it once we had a kid (because every other kid in the world loves the stuff). When we visited Savannah, he actually tried Paula Deen’s heavenly, gooey dish and. . .he LOVED it. But only because Paula made it. He trusted Paula more than me.

Yesterday, every taste bud and nerve center was crying out for some homemade m&c. I remember the smell wafting through the house when my mom would bake a batch. It was often accompanied by smoked sausage, split down the center and broiled until slightly crispy and browned.

I needed some. I didn’t have any Velveeta like my mom’s recipe called for. I turned to Panera’s recipe.

Because everyone (including my crazy husband) loves Panera.

It’s a pretty basic recipe. I made a few alterations and added smoked sausage and peas to make it a complete meal.

The comfort factor just oozed though the cheese, and the sharpness of the cheddar combined with the smokiness of the sausage warmed me from the inside. And the husband loved it.

Win.

Stove Top Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Sausage & Peas

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package of small shaped pasta (like shells or rotini twists)
1/2 package frozen peas
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
12-14 oz. package fully cooked smoked sausage (we like the turkey) sliced into rounds
4 tbsp. butter + 1 tbsp. butter
4 1/2 tbsp. flour all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk (any milk or cream)
cheese: 6 slices white American cheese, chopped
            and 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
            OR
            12 oz. Sargento Chef Blends Shredded 4 State Cheddar Cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Prepare peas according to package directions. (I always just toss them in with the pasta during the last 5 minutes of cook time—probably a no-no, but works for me. If you do so, add 1 minute to total pasta cook time.)

Melt 1 tbsp. butter in pot. Saute the sausage and onions for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pot with slotted spoon.

In same pot, melt remaining 4 tbsp. butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Gradually whisk in milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add cheeses, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

Stir in mustard, salt, and hot sauce.

Stir in pasta, sausage, and peas. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

Serves 4 to 6

Blogging Tips from Central Florida Blog Con

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I FINALLY attended my first blog con—The Central Florida Blogger and Social Media Conference (a.k.a. CFL Blog Con 2012).

Yes, I’ve been blogging for years, but (1.) I’m horribly shy and the idea of hanging with hundreds of social media mavens scares the bejeezus out of me, and (2.) there’s no wiggle room for plane tickets or hotels in my budget. I stay local. Luckily, they kicked off the first Central Florida Blog Con last year (but I missed out because I didn’t buy my ticket soon enough). I didn’t make that mistake this year.

I came. I saw. I learned so much my brain nearly melted. So please bare with me if I wander off on any tangents.

This year’s conference was held at the amazing Orlando Science Center. (If you want to know how much I love this place, see this previous AWARD WINNING post—more on that later.) It was a bit of an adventure getting there. I had to drive through the Orlando Heart Walk, weaving between walkers as I drove on the wrong side of the road. (The cop told me to, I swear.) I parked next to Captain Jack Sparrow and his wench who were speaking pirate-eze. Was I in the right place?

I was exactly where I needed to be. There just happened to be a big pirate fest going on also.

As we settled into the dramatically steep CineDome, the laptops and smart phones glowed and a flash mob broke out. No, I did not dance. I would have needed a few mimosas to gather the courage for spontaneous, extremely public dancing.

I thought I’d just share a FEW nuggets of wisdom that rocked my blogging/social media world. You probably know all this. Remember: I’m new to these things.

First up: keynote speaker Lou Mongello (of WDW fame)

If you want to blog full time, treat it like a job. Don’t expect overnight success.
You never know who is watching. Build great content from day one.
And the much debatable Don’t accept freebies. Coca-Cola doesn’t pay their employees in coke. Freebies won’t feed your kids or pay your bills. Demand more.

Them: laptops, iPads, technology. Me: pen & paper.

Marketing Yourself: How to Build a Media Kit by Callie @The Wannabe Athlete

Always have an elevator pitch ready.
Add services offered (i.e. freelance articles, sponsored posts) to your media kit.
Save it on an EDITABLE pdf so it can be sent out and updated regularly.
Your social media stats are important, not just for high numbers, but to show engagement and influence.
Include your location. You never know when people are looking for locals.

Fitting Blogging into Your Life with Christine @Cook the Story, Jackie @Momjovi, and Michelle @Crazy Running Legs.

ORGANIZATION is the key to success
Organize your Google reader to make scanning blogs more efficient (and find the plug in to comment directly from reader).
Make Pinterest work for you: use a Pinterest widget on your blog sidebar & WooBox app creates a tab on your FB page to show all of your boards.

From I.P. to M-A-G by Kyle @Brink Magazine

Feature others who already have a built-in audience.

Tweet Your Way to Success: Developing a Social Media Strategy for Twitter by Rachelle Lucas @The Travel Bite

Use manageflitter.com to prune who you follow and keep your ratio balanced.
Curate & share content from your niche AND other areas of interest.
Must, must, must use Hootsuite, TweetDeck, or other tool to manage lists and schedule tweets.
Old school “RTs” still rock. Don’t be a me, Me, ME tweeter. Don’t be a stalker.

Widgets and Gadgets for Bloggers by Professor Josh @Professor Josh

Use Delicious to bookmark tweets, posts, photos, videos, articles. Tag and organize, share and have access to links anywhere.
IFTTT.com is some kind of magic I must figure out.
Use Zite to create your own perfect source of news feed.
Evernote syncs projects between all your computers and devices.

More Ways to Monetize Your Blog with Amanda Tinney @Disney Everyday

Did you know you can FLIP blogs? I had no idea. Check out flippa.com. Mind Blown.
Use google trends to discover what terms people are searching.
It’s better to link a post to FB with an image.
Brands want video: just 30 seconds of exciting and engaging content will make them swoon.

Extreme Makeover Facebook Edition with Jeanette @J’s Everyday Fashion

You CAN monetize FB through affiliate links in captions.
If you build a consistent, engaged following, you can sell it as a part of your package.

Whew. Are you tired yet?

Organizers made this Blog Con paper-free. All the presentations slides (including the 12 or so I couldn’t attend due to conflicting schedules) are available to attendees via Doccaster. I’ve downloaded all of the sessions and I’m waiting for a chance to learn about the ones I missed.

Now, imagine squeezing in some social time, a yummy lunch catered by Bahama Breeze, a quick yoga session, and gadget recharging time. I’m tired and exhilarated just thinking about it. (Note to self: I MUST get more gadgets. Like an iPad. And an iPhone. Or at least a tablet. My laptop with a burned out battery just does not cut it.)

Mmmmm. . .Death by Chocolate and Dulce de Leche

After all these amazing sessions, there was the Yelp after party in the DinoDigs. Yes—food, friends, and adult beverages while surrounded by dinosaur fossils. Absolutely fabulous.

I need to track down this new cider.

And I was so honored to have my #CFLGood Blogging for Good post about the Orlando Science Center selected as the winner! I am proud to support such a wonderful organization.

Hanging with some of the Central Florida Lady Bloggers (me, Paula, Michelle, Christine, J, and Jackie) at the Yelp party. They make me feel short even in 3-inch heels. Photo borrowed from J via Paula.

Thanks to all of the organizers, speakers, and sponsors of this year’s event. They did a fantastic job. I’m ready for next year!

*Thanks to Macbeth Photography for letting all the attendees use his photos!