Links I Love: Week of November 20th

Theo-and-Beau-06Well, I admit it. I’m a little behind in, uh, everything, including blogging. What can I say? It’s been a whirlwind two weeks. Meaning it’s been one truly heavenly week of cavorting around London (and meeting COLIN MORGAN!) and one week of trying to recover from said cavorting without really wanting to reenter real life (while also NaNoWriMoing!).

So as I attempt to work up the time and energy to chronicle my exploits of running around in ol’ London Town, here at least are some cool links that caught my eye recently:

1. How To Write A Query Letter – Yes, I’m still researching this. Because I still need to do it! So here’s a great article breaking down the process into what will hopefully be manageable and mostly pain-free steps.

2. College for Free? – Don’t pack your (or your kids’) bags quite yet; we’re not heading to Harvard. But you CAN take many college-level courses online now – FOR FREE! So if you love to learn like I do, why not go check out the many opportunities that abound out there in good old Cyberspace. If nothing else, you’ll be doing great research for future writing, right?

3. 10 Easy Things That Will Make You Happier – If you’re happy and you know it, clap your — I mean, you don’t need this link. But did you know just a little of some very simple things (exercise, sleep, companionship) goes a LONG way toward improving your day-to-day satisfaction with your life? I’m all for that!

4. Mark Twain’s Top 9 Tops for Living a Kick-Ass Life – Do you think those were his exact words? Kick-ass life? Probably not, but it seems Mr. Twain also had some good ideas about how to live a happier life. I like them all. Now I just need to work on living them all.

5. 20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes – Lest you think I’ve forgotten my main purpose here – to write some kick-ass romance – here’s a guide for me (and any other romance novelist out there) looking to create lovable romance novel heroes. Lustable ones, too, I presume.

6. 10 Ways to Love the People in Your Life – Yes, I dig a sexy alpha male, a divine Regency rogue, a dashing cowboy with a sexy smirk. But I love the real people in my life more. So in the spirit of this month of Thanksgiving, I want to work on thanking them by simply loving them better. Maybe this list will inspire you as well as me.

7. Toddler Naps With His 2-Month Old Puppy – Every Day – And finally, because you need some “Awwww” moments in your day, I present: adorable puppy and adorable kid, adorably asleep with each other, by each other, on each other. I hope the mom repeats these pictures in 10 years!

Links I Love: Week of HALLOWEEN!

Seriously creepy.
Seriously creepy.

Oh yes, my 2nd favorite “holiday” is almost upon us, so a few of this week’s links relate to that creepiest, most orange and pumpkiny of days. The rest – well, see for yourself!

All-Time Greatest Halloween Costumes – Some of these are downright amazing. I think my favorite is the Man in the Box. What’s yours?

The Historical Basis of Lycanthropism, or Where Do Werewolves Come From? – Glad they clarified the meaning of lycanthropism (which, by the way, would make for an excellent Scrabble play). I wish more werewolves looked like Jacob Black.

Your Ancestors Didn’t Sleep Like You – Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night like I do? It may not be strange noises, but rather biology. Read this and let me know what you think – does this sound better than our current sleeping strategy?

Fly Through 17th Century London – In preparation for my first trip ever to London NEXT WEEK,  I’ve been reading up about the city. This fascinating video gives you an idea of what medieval central London looked like – before the Great Fire of 1666.

Castle Fit for a King: Historic Home Owned By Henry VIII For Sale – I think I’ll buy this while over in England. What do you think? (Donations accepted – I’m only about £2.6 million short…)

What Is Your Writing Element? I like to talk about “being in my element” on a good writing day, and this fascinating article takes it one step farther, helping you determine indeed which of the 4 Elements (Air, Earth, Water, Fire) most epitomizes and motivates your writing. I’m predominately water-driven; fitting for a Pisces, no?

The Awesome-Amazing, Super-Duper, WINNING! Checklist for Surviving NaNoWriMo – Hey, I didn’t come up with that blog title, although I kind of wish I had. Check out Sarah’s funny-but-true list (I heartily approve of the recommendation for chocolate rations), and let me know if you’re joining me for NaNoWriMo in November.

Links I Love: Week of October 22nd

Love the ... shoes.
Love the … shoes.

My favorite things I’ve stumbled across while hanging out on the Internet this week:

1. How To Write A Query Letter – I’m getting closer and closer to sending my first book out to agents, in hopes that it snags someone’s interest and leads to a publishing contract. To that end, I’ve been reading a lot about querying and writings blurbs and synopses and the like. Let me know what you think of this article – and if you have any great advice!

2. AgentQuery – Of course before I can send out a query letter, I need to know whom to query! Several blogs mentioned this site, which gives tips on writing query letters, true, but also is a great resource for numerous other writerly-related things, such as finding an agent and info on publishing.

3. Jerry Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret – A friend sent this to me after I mentioned on Facebook that I’m walking more and more to build up endurance for my upcoming whirlwind trip to London. I love it, and it’s very applicable to writing, as well. And now that I realize I’ve neither walked nor written any fiction today, it’s clear I need to follow Mr. Seinfeld’s advice!

4. The Beauty of Highgate Cemetery – Speaking of London, these gorgeous photographs of Highgate Cemetery, located in London, caught my eye. I’d love to go walking amongst the grave markers there, but in truth because Highgate was founded AFTER the Regency period, it’s more likely I’ll limit myself to enjoying these pictures.

5. How Historical Figures Would Have Looked Today – Ever wonder what Queen Elizabeth, Marie Antoinette, or William Shakespeare would look like if they were running around in our time period? Would you recognize them on the street? I’ve often played this game with the early American presidents, trying to picture them without those puffy wigs, but here digital artists actually make this imaging reality, showing us some famous people in modern garb.

6. 22 Things That Belong in Every Bookworm’s Dream Home – Which of these strikes your fancy? All of them? Personally I’m most envious of number 4, but I’d love many of the others, too!

7. 40 Shirtless Guys In Kilts – Yes! It’s completely gratuitous! I could pretend I’m doing research for future novel covers, but let’s be real – I just like pretty things. Even if I’m pretty sure the Ewan McGregor one is photoshopped.

Links I Love: Week of October 14th

10-Ways-to-Annihilate-Fear1. Facebook Groups for Indie Writers – Isn’t the internet amazing? Not only does it aid immensely in researching for writing, but it also connects authors in invaluable ways. Here’s a nice list of Facebook groups specifically geared toward indie authors. I have not checked all of them out – let me know if any are particularly wonderful.

2. 32 Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh Out Loud – Wow, that’s quite a promise. How many have you read? Did they live up to this claim? I don’t want to admit I’ve read only 3 (hey, many more are on my ever-growing To-Read list), but I have to admit, The Princess Bride cracked me up and more than lived up to my high expectations, given that its movie version is my favorite film of all time.

3. La Belle Assemblée Links – I love Rachel Knowles’ Regency blog, with good reason; she provides concise, informative explanations and snippets about Regency life. Here she has gathered all the links she is aware of to online versions of the popular Regency fashion magazine, La Belle Assemblée. Hooray! More fashion pics for me to add to my Pinterest boards!

4. Top Ten Monsters of the Middle Ages – It’s almost Halloween; this seems like an apt time to explore the monster of the medieval period. Dragons and unicorns and giants, oh my!

5. Ten Ways to Annihilate Fear – Now that those medieval monsters have got you quaking in your boots, here are 10 ways to banish those worries. Well, O.K., maybe it would be more helpful to apply these things to modern dilemmas, but still…

6. Study: Read Romance, Be Sensitive – Do the result of this study, that people who read romance tend to be more sensitive to emotions in others, surprise you? It doesn’t me, but then again, I’m probably biased.

7. Colin Firth Was Supposed to Be What? – Yes, and now to leave all of my fellow Pride & Prejudice fans with something to drool over, read this to find out how that lake scene was really supposed to go down.

Links I Love: Week of October 7th

Just chillin'. From the National Geographic Link mentioned below.
Just chillin’. From the National Geographic Link mentioned below.

While I try to find links applicable to a broad spectrum of people, lest I bore you with my writerly navel-gazing, in truth much of what catches my eye these days relates to the craft and business of being an author. Several of this week’s links, therefore, deal with issues facing writers today, but hey, I’ve thrown in a couple of completely-non-writing-focused links, too, just for the heck of it.

1. Why Blogging Is Key For Authors – When I first heard Malcolm Gladwell’s assertion that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert in anything, I felt discouraged. How would I ever find 10,000 hours to devote to writing when I also wear the hat of mom and wife and taxi driver and school volunteer, etc., etc. Turns out a) I’ve been writing my whole life, and need to keep that in mind, and b) blogging not only lets me hone my skills even more, but means I have a chance of staying current in the eyes of my…9 followers (did you know you can follow my blog?). It’s all good, people. It’s all good.

2. Start Your Author Blog in 5 Easy Steps – So now you know you should be blogging (well, at least if you’re pretending to be a real writer like I am). How do you start? What topics should you address? Search no further, dear friends – here you’ll find a hilarious list of things to do (and, well, not do) as you start up your own blog.

3. This Is Why No One Follows You On Twitter – Wondering why you can’t get followers on Twitter? (Just as I’m wondering what steps I need to take to increase followership on this blog – one of which might include not using made up words like followership?) Here are several hints. And yes, can I please get an Amen on the one about sending DMs (direct messages) soliciting a book sale? Nothing sends me to the “unfollow” button more quickly…

4. Banned Romance: What’s So Bad About Happily Ever After? – Sure, Banned Books week may be over, but that doesn’t mean conversations about such books need to end, right? Here Maya Rodale takes on romance novels – in the modern sense, but also including classics such as Fanny Hill and Lady Chatterly’s Love to discuss what makes these type of books so scary in the first place. I don’t know – I’d take heaving bosoms over heavy artillery any day.

5. Things You Didn’t Know Women Invented – My mother would find this list lacking, as she has always informed us it was Katherine Green who invented the cotton gin, NOT Eli Whitney (apparently Ms. Green asked him to get the patent because, as a woman, she couldn’t legally do so – he did, and got all the credit, too.). Aside from that, though, this is a great list full of achievements by women – some of which I knew, many of which I didn’t.

6. The 35 Most Spectacular Wildlife Photos From The National Geographic Photo Contest – If a picture is worth a thousand words, you don’t need any more of mine here.