What’s Happening Around The Web???

Tonight’s post is only going to be a quickie but there were a couple things I wanted to mention.  First and foremost, Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft.  He would have been 121 today.  And for as creepy as some of his work was, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out that he was still among the living, but in another dimension.  LOL

Another thing I wanted to tell you about is a giveaway happening right now at Paranormal Haven.  They are holding a Fright Night giveaway and 2 winners will be chosen.  Winner will get a Fright Night baseball cap, a full-length movie poster, and some Fright Night removable tattoos.  And though I’m not a huge movie buff, I’d kinda like to see this movie.  Why?  Well, I do like some vampire movies—–though I prefer vampire books.  But, the idea of having Colin Farrel nibbling on my neck would turn me into a movie buff right now.  Then to find out that David Tennant (The previous and most awesome Dr. Who) is also in the movie made me want to run out and see it asap.  Hubby would never go, but wouldn’t matter anyway.  I’d never remember he was in the room.  LOL—Go get in on the giveaway while you can, it ends on August 24th.

And finally, as of Monday (August 22nd), Amanda from On A Book Bender will be hosting her very first Bout of Books Read-A-Thon.  This sounded like a lot of fun so I jumped in with both feet and have put my name it the hat to officially be part of this event.  Of course, all I’ll be doing is reading, but I have to set goals for this and I will.  I just hope I can attain them.  LOL

The Read-A-Thon will run from the 22nd through Sunday, August 28th, while the sign up form will be open until Saturday the 27th.  There will be 10 different giveaways held during this time, but you’ve got to be signed up in order to enter.  So, here are my goals for this event.  Because I don’t get a chance to read as often as I’d like, I’m kinda setting myself up for a fall here but what the heck.
Goal #1–To finish reading Perception by Heather Cashman and get my review posted.
Goal #2–To read at least 2 more full books before the end of the event.

I know those don’t sound like big goals, but I really don’t get a lot of time to read.  When I do, it’s usually late at night and I’m doing all I can to stay awake to finish at least the next chapter.  LOL

So, go check out some of the things happening around the web.  If you’ve got an upcoming book related event and would like me to do a post about it, just ask.  I’ll be more than happy to pass it along.

GoodReads

I am a huge fan of GoodReads.com.  I”m sure most people who come across this site will have heard of GoodReads and/or are a member of the site.  Some of the best books I’ve read to date, I’ve found from the reviews of my friends on the site.  And though it’s true that many of the books on the site are non-fiction, most are fiction and that makes me very happy.

I know they say that a person should never judge a book by its cover, but it’s quite alright to judge it based on the reviews of hundreds of other people.  One of the things I love the most about this site is that I can read several reviews about one book.  Not everyone is going to absolutely love or hate the same book.  There are going to be a varied array of feelings for each story and that gives me a good basis to go on before making a choice.

The other thing I love about the site is the fact that it’s a great place of writers and readers to intermingle.  I love the idea of being able to visit with the people who actually wrote the stories.  Unlike the major authors of the 20th century, it’s possible to see our modern authors as real people who can sit in your kitchen and have coffee (or tea) with you.  That’s very cool.

If you happen to be a member on GoodReads, please feel free to add me as a friend.  If not, go check it out and find out just how cool this site really is.  I guarantee you’ll find at least one thing you’ll love and that will keep you going back for more. 

The Best Time To Write

When is the best time to write….for you anyway.  I’ve read in several articles that it’s always best to write first thing in the morning because you’re refreshed and ready to start a new day.  Seriously?  I’m barely conscious first thing in the morning.  I do well after a few cups of coffee, but then I only write my non-fic articles.  When it comes to the fiction stuff, I do my best work after dark.

I think it’s because that’s when I finally had time to sit down and do something for myself.  When I was a kid, that’s when the chores were done–homework was done–and the folks were off to bed.  I’d sit in my room in the quiet and write my stories.  After having kids of my own, night time was the only time I had to myself and didn’t have babies under foot.

Now that my kids are all grown, you’d think I’d be able to write anytime I wanted.  The truth is I still do my best work after everyone has gone off to bed.  It’s quiet and the ideas rolling around in my brain start to get a bit louder than normal.  I find it relaxing and it even helps me sleep better to get all that stuff out of my head because it can get quite noisy in there and it’s hard to sleep with all those people in there yakking and trying to get their voices heard.

When is your best time to write?  Are you a day writer or do the words flow more easily at night?