Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Linda Brody - Episode 89 - A True Texas Pantser

Linda Brody - Episode 89 - A True Texas Pantser 





You will really enjoy our guest this month on Blondie and the Brit. We have Linda Broday on the show and she is a sheer delight. Linda shares her writer’s journey from humble beginnings to award-winning, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author. 
Her delightful Texas cowboy stories set in a different time are not only charming, but she also explores a time of challenge and determination. This is reflected in Linda’s desire to write better endings for her friends who have difficulties in their own lives. She shares her journey from competitions to publication and her experiences of indie vs. traditionally published. Pull up a chair and be drawn back to a time gone by in the Wild West.   
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Saturday, May 19, 2018

Make 'Em Laff - Writing Comedy


I actually didn’t set out to write comedy; I kind of fell into it one day as I was writing something serious and I’ve been trying to find my way out of the canyon of craziness ever since. What I’ve learned since traversing the humor terrain is that writing funny stuff is no laughing matter.
Here are some tips if you are thinking of falling into funny yourself.
FirstDon’t read books on writing funny stuff. What I’ve noticed is people who write comedy don’t tend to write books about writing comedy very well. It’s like trying to explain a joke after the moment has passed; it kind of gets there but the spontaneity is lost along the way. There are many books out there that claim to help people write hilarious stuff but, I have to tell you, the ones I’ve read, have been as entertaining as re-mortgaging a house. So. trust your gut rather than another writer’s process, even mine.
SecondDon’t force it. Forcing is like forcing someone to love you. Before you know it you’re boiling their bunny. The more obsessive you become over the comedy, the harder it becomes to work. This is not good. I once met a very straight-laced, old school teacher-type who looked me dead in the eye over her half-rimmed glasses as she handed me her manuscript and said in one long monotone, “I can write funny.” After reading it, I hadn’t the heart to tell her SHE was funny; her saying it that way WAS funny but, alas, her writing wasn’t.
You see, she approached it in a very rigid and controlled way. She read a bunch of books, commanded all her words to sit up straight in their chairs and line up quietly in very grammatically correct order. Then she slaved over the perfectly crafted punchline, but it fell flat.
Comedy for me isn’t like that. It’s just not rigid; it’s more like a form of free-falling. I jump in naked. I run with the wild bulls of the adjectives. I dance with my hair on fire. My first drafts are a mess.
It’s just a raucous can-can with the dancing red squiggly lines and me.
I just have fun with words. We hang out together like two old friends laughing at the bar. I type something funny and then I answer myself in a kind of schizophrenic double act. So try free-falling, and don’t edit that first draft.
ThirdThink I do is look for visual extremes to take along on my word journey, such as “run naked,” or “hair on fire.” The funnier you can make the visual for the reader, the more fun they’re going to have reading it. You can always pull back if your editors rolls their grammatical eyes. You can tell they are doing that when they send you back little bubbles in the “Track-Change” function accompanied by the tut-tut-tut of the three-question-mark disapproval—“???” This is editor talk for: “What the heck was that?
Lastly(because I can’t think of any more tips), I allow my mind to go on a constant party or Mardi Gras. Enjoy everything around me, especially characters that I meet. I’m always eavesdropping other people’s conversations too. Firstly, because it’s fun but mostly because I often hear nuggets that will take my mind into a million comical directions. Like the result of someone shouting “FIRE!” at a clown convention. Did I tell you I like writing in extreme visuals?
So, there you are—my process—read from the back of a postage stamp. If you want to make them laugh, I encourage you to find your own voice in it. Because, at the end of the day, you should enjoy it; after all, it’s comedy. And if you meet the tut-tut-tut of the bubble of doom, at least you had a blast of a time while you were free-falling

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Rachel Thompson — Episode 88 — Books, Blogging and a Bad Redhead



          


LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE -> -> https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-cfbhk-916b6c

This month on Blondie and the Brit we are delighted to bring you one of our all-time favorite guests, in fact her podcast last year was voted #1 in our podcast awards. Rachel Thompson is the face behind BadRedhead Media and always brings great energy and information to the podcast.
This time she shares her expertise in book marketing and introduces us to her current promo event, #NaNoProMo (National Novel Promotion Month), inspired by #NaNoWriMo. 
Rachel's version is a month-long initiative of tips, resources, and daily giveaways from experts across the book marketing and publishing industry -- all free. 
Rachel also gives advice from her two #BookMarketing books on how to optimize SEO for your blog, the advantages of choosing Wordpress blogging platform and how to target your perfect reader.  
Suzanne is featured on the blog and we are giving away a 30-minute podcast or consult with Suzanne here.
Visit the fun over on Rachel's blog here.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE -> -> https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-cfbhk-916b6c

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Podcast with US Today and New York Times Best Seller Jodi Thomas - Your Life as a Quilt


Podcast with Jodi Thomas - Your Life as a Quilt





This month we are excited to bring to you the delightful Jodi Thomas. Jodi is not only a USA Today and New York Times bestseller, she is also the eleventh writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers Hall of Fame after winning her third RITA award. Five of them now sit on her crowded shelf along with National Reader's Choice Awards, and Booksellers' Best Awards.
With nearly 50 books under her belt, Jodi gives us an insight into her journey to best-selling author in her charming Texas drawl. She talks about changing genres with her latest book Mornings on Main and about the upcoming Christmas release Mistletoe Miracles. We had a good laugh when Jodi shared her experiences at Avon KissCon. She also demonstrates her tenacity in describing her library tours and the dogged strategy at the beginning of her career to get the word out about her books. Don’t miss this wonderful interview with a truly lovely lady.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Friday, March 9, 2018

Jesse Lakes from GeniusLink — Episode 86 — Using Book Links








This month on Blondie and the Brit we are pleased to introduce you to Jesse Lakes, one of the masterminds behind the company Genius Link (www.geni.us). Genius Link is an incredible online tool that provides intelligent links to help you to improve your sales by routing international readers to their local stores while helping you earn affiliate money and valuable insights in the process. They also own the booklinker.net link management service that is a simpler version of this concept but focused on authors, indie publishers, and Amazon.
This in-depth interview covers many of the elements of this fascinating tool that would be ideal for any authors toolkit. Jesse is also giving a wonderful gift to our listeners, offering a 30-day free trial (double the standard) to anyone who mentions "Blondie and the Brit." Just click here to begin your trial (https://my.geni.us/join) then use the messaging bubble inside the dashboard to mention the extended free trial.
Suzanne and I also give you our latest tips on planning and rewarding your accomplishments with a Victory Journal.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Amazon Bestseller - The Rejected Writers' Book Club is on sale for a limited time


ON SALE for a limited time, grab it for just 99c while the sale lasts! I still can't stop laughing! A fast, fun read about a ridiculous group of ladies who joined to form the Rejected Writer's Book Club! This book is a comedy of errors and personalities.




Friday, February 9, 2018

New Podcast with Bestselling Author Amy Vansant



This month on Blondie and the Brit we are excited to introduce you to the work of Amy Vansant. Not only is Amy a USA Today Bestselling author but she also runs a highly successful book marketing company for authors. In this informative interview she will give you a rundown on her services including how to grow an email mail list with ease, partipate in a newsletter swap, and have your book included in her own line book fairs. Both KJ and Suzanne have used Amy's services with great success. 
 
Amy will tells us about her latest multi author boxed set - The Twelve Sleys of Christmas which was just released with proceeds going to her favorite dog shelter. Don't miss this great interview, espically to learn all about her highly unusal book titles. Visit Amy at Authorsxp.com.