Kathryn gets Skinned with SkinIt!

Microsoft’s first ever retail store opened in Scottsdale’s Fashion Square Mall last October.

Seems the folks over at the MS store have invited local authors to add their book covers to SkinIt skins through something going on involving Facebook. (Ah! Now you know why I’m back on Facebook!)

Joy Collins, my friend on the other side of town, forwarded an invitation to local authors to participate in the MicroSoft Store/SkinIt/Facebook project.

Deanna is the store contact person. She offered to help me do the prep stuff this Thursday (you knew I’d need help, didn’t you?). I’ll blog about what went on when I met with Deanna. Should be cool.

I like tech stuff, I’m just a bit slow on the uptake on some of it.

For the three-day event in the store (Jan 22, 23, & 24) my time to be there (and do what???) is Friday, January 22, from 5-6 PM. If you are in the Phoenix area, stop by and check out the skins from my books.

The Scottsdale MS Store: http://www.outlookseries.com/N2/Infrastructure/3507_Microsoft_Opens_1st_Retail_Store_Scottsdale_Fashion_Square.htm
What is SkinIt? http://www.skinit.com/faq.php
Joy Collins: http://www.joycollins.com/

Well, ain’t that cool! I played with the 'design your own skin' feature on the SkinIt site. They have the template to skin my laptop. Interesting process. What do you think about all of this?

I've added a pic of my laptop (open) with its new skin on it. See above.

Storytelling

Last Saturday I was in Phoenix and had lunch with Joy Collins and Cathy Marley. We met at the Glendale Olive Garden for a chance to catch up, talk shop, and have the Olive Garden's fabulous salad -- plus I was delivering their copies of the Blog Party Book.

We did the usual, "How have you been?" conversation. Cathy asked how I'm doing in Pine. I told a few stories, mostly about the javelina. They were very active last week. Joy and Cathy told about the javelina attacks in Sedona -- thank God, Sedona isn't too near Pine. Actually, they told me lots more about javelina than I really wanted to know.

One thing for sure, those are large, stocky animals and have the reputation of being quite dangerous -- which I believe without a doubt. I was trying to describe the sound they make when they call to each other, it is more like a scream. I'm more sure of it after being outside a few minutes ago hearing one a few houses away.

They seem to have a territory, like most animals. Every few days their travels bring them by Jean's house (where I'm staying). One will call, then another, another, and another -- from every direction, it seems. I think they are saying, "Hey guys, let's go meet at Jean's house and scare the beejeebies out of Nadine."

The other night it sounded like a dance troupe was on the front deck, dancing the Jitter Bug. At first I was sure people were coming to the door -- in the middle of the night. It took forever for Jean's dog to wake up and bark until they left. (Some watch dog!)

Anyway, Joy said javelina's have poor eyesight. I couldn't help going with that and explaining how, because the cabin is built on a mountain, one end of the deck has quite a bit of clearance, while the part that turns and runs across the front of the house ends close to the ground.

As the javelina come up the mountain, they walk under the deck. Since they are the size of a large dog, only more stout in stature, (with the poor eyesight and all) they must be smacking their forehead on the cross beams of the deck. Thump, thump, thump...until there is a really loud one and they must reach the end of their ability to go any farther -- I'm not going out to check, so I'm just guessing, because I see them come out from the side of the deck, form into a group again and head across the road. I was a bit dramatic telling the story, hand to forehead with each "Thump."

Joy and Cathy think I should write these stories down. (There were other stories about local customs and a few colorful people I've met.) I might tell a few of the animal stories from time to time, but I best not tell too much about the locals if I want to stay here a while.

If anyone is interested, there are 4 copies of the Blog Party book left. http://nadinelamanbooks.com/books.html

Find Joy here: http://www.joycollins.com/
Find Cathy here: http://www.cathymarley.com/

More about Javalina:
http://www.azgfd.gov/video/javelina.shtml
http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_javelina.shtml
http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/game_javelina.shtml

Now we all know more about Javalina than we really need to know.

Party with JOY COLLINS, encore!

Welcome to the Blog Party Everyone! We are celebrating writing, reading, and each other! Join in and win an autographed book!

Glyn and Peggy are winners of Irene's book! Congratulations! It pays to play! (email me, please)


Joy Collins returns for an encore. As I said on 12th, Joy and I get together fairly often to talk shop. Like everyone else, we email, but getting together for lunch and showing each other proof books or whatever else adds a dimension to working as colleagues.

I asked Joy to return today to highlight team writing. Joy teamed with Joyce Norman to write Coming Together. I find it interesting that Joy and Joyce have never met. Maybe with the internet that is less unusual.

When Joy and I had lunch the weekend before the blog party one of the first things I ask was what was it like to team write. Her answer goes beyond team writing, it fits with working with an editor, a literary agent, a publisher, PR firm, just about anything in this industry. Joy said: 1) You have to get over the idea that every word is priceless and not worry about rewrites; 2) You have to check your ego at the door. Good stuff, Joy.

Coming Together is set in Brazil, the opening scene involves police kicking in a door, orphans, and the women who care for them.** (Got you hooked, didn't I?) The same thing happened to me.

Coming Together is a love story. A story of foreign intrigue. A story of the coming together of cultures, of passion, and, most of all, of unbelievable hope in the face of staggering odds. This is also a story of choices, hard choices, where life and death are constant reminders of making the wrong decisions. Lives are at stake when Daisy, Luis, and Isabella take on the Brazilian dictatorship in order to bring freedom and a future to those who matter most. It was written for the heart and spirit in all of us. You will not soon forget this book.

Joy in Arizona and Joyce in Alabama queried the ms and were accepted by a small publisher. When the contract terms were read, the two decided to create their own small press, Chalet Publishers, LLC. The books are printed in Arizona and Alabama, which has proven to work well for them. This book is only a month or two old, so it is practically hot off the press.

Party Game: In one line or two, make up what might happen in that scene I set above **. Joy is a pro at the blog party now, so ask her questions about team writing, about creating a small press, or ask her about Coming Together, today's prize.

This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?) -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Party with JOY COLLINS!

Blog Party: Day Three! We're just getting started!

Yesterday's winner is Kate (coffee with Kate - from the UK). She did the most log lines...and had fun doing them! (I'll email you and we'll work out the details of getting your book to you!)

Joy Collins gave me her books for the blog party last Saturday when we met for our usual lunch date. We get together fairly often, but not on a set schedule. We have this thing going on where we will email each other (though it is a local phone call) furiously for a couple of days, then not hear from each other for a couple of weeks. Then the emails start again.

Before this blog party came up, I was trying to remember how we met - it is a big city, after all. We think that somehow Cathy Marley figured in the equation - so thanks for the connect, Cathy! Joy's friendship is a treasure!

I got hooked on Joy's book, Second Chance, in an unusual way. (Her book was published before we met.) We were talking about something, I don't remember what, and she emailed me a chapter of her book to help her find something or look at something - formatting, I think. So I'm scanning away looking for whatever it was, and next thing I know I'm reading her book. As it turns out, Joy sent several chapters and by then I was hopelessly hooked. Yep, I got her book right away.

The normal way most people get hooked on a book is to check out the cover (number one tool in marketing is a great cover), read the back, read the first paragraph or page, then skip through a few pages.

So for you normal people out there, this is what the back of Second Chance says: "Mothers, fathers, children, wives, husbands -- everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?

Sara Weber has always felt she was married to two people -- her husband and his ex-wife. Suddenly her world -- and her marriage -- is turned upside down when his ex demands money for their college-age daughter. Her husband's response? He wants his daughter to move across the country to Arizona, live with him and Sara and attend the local university.

As if this wasn't enough stress, Sara's mother is becoming more senile and Sarah has to help her sister place her only living parent in a nursing home. When Sara's stepdaughter is in a car accident, the ex swoops in and attempts to re-kindle a relationship with Sara's husband. Devastated, Sara turns to the last person she ever thought could help her -- her own stepmother.

Second chance is the story of one woman's marriage and how she learns that understanding and forgiveness are the keys to a second chance at love."

I have to add a side note here: Somebody tells a huge lie that really has a HUGE impact on the lives of the people in this book.

Now, Check out this YouTube...



Joy's Party Game: scavenger hunt

Nadine and I often discuss blogging. Not only can blogging be a good networking tool, it can be downright fun - and addicting. I say that because I have three blogs! Each blog serves a different purpose, My first blog was started to track my writing career. The second blog was started to give me a place to vent my feelings about life in general and life as a Baby Boomer in particular. The third blog was started because I love talking about my fur-kids and my little boy kitten, in particular. So, today's game is:

Who is Riley's new neighbors?
Who sent Joy her favorite rejection letter?
What is does Joy do when she cooks?

Website: http://www.joycollins.com/

Blogs:
The Life of Riley - Tails of the Kids! http://rileycollins.blogspot.com/
The Aging of Aquarius - Thoughts from a Baby Boomer's Heart http://fromaboomersheart.blogspot.com/
Joyful Thoughts - My Writing Journey http://joycollins.blogspot.com/


CAROLYN "CARRIE" SHEPPARD is here tomorrow!

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com