How to use fotoflexer for adding text and more to your images.

I had a lovely and sweet lady ask how to put text on an image. Sometimes, even when you are just not at your best you can’t say no to a wonderful woman. So here I am.

You can do it with your various photo editing things. I used to use  ‘Paint’ that comes with windows to do it sometimes but now I use an online site called fotoflexer.com.  I know of this because Colleen of Silver Threading used it on a Haiku Challenge of mine and I went nuts for it. Collen is another sweet and beautiful lady and friend. She shared the site with me and now here we are.

The reason I use it now:

  • They have some cool features you can use to make things look awesome.
  • The text looks sharp and professional.

Why should you add text or other things to your images:

  • You don’t have to but it makes for variety and if you are using Twitter it’s a way to get something said in a visual way that jumps out at people. I get more clicks when I include images than when not.

The step by step looks long below, but if any of you have read my Tips before you know they really aren’t that Long, they are just detailed.

 

First thing to remember is? Take your time this first time out. Give yourself plenty of time to play around with it and have fun with it, because it can be very fun to play with adding things. So if you are in a hurry to get an image done . . . either forget it this time or plan for it another day. Sure you can do this in a matter of a few minutes once you know it, but right now . . . you don’t know it.

 

Once you get to fotoflexer you can sign up for a free account, like I did, or just use it. But either way you need to allow pop up ads. It’s not for the ads themselves but I think it’s for what works on the actual site itself. You can allow pop up ads just for a particular site. Most likely you have ‘Adblock Plus’ or something of that nature. That’s not what I have but it is a popular one. Just click it and click the option that probably says allow for this page.

 

Now we’re good to go. I am not going to bullet point these. Each piece is a step, each paragraph or whatever you want to call it.

 

I simply click on ‘upload photo’ and then ‘upload’. Now you find the image on your computer you want to use and load it.

 

Once loaded you get a lot of ‘tabs’ for features you can use. Play around with them. You can add picture frame borders or little decoration things. It’s lots of fun. But we are looking at just doing text right now.

 

To add text to your photo, click on the tab  that says ‘Decorate’. You will see the big ‘T’ for text here and you can do plain text or glitter text. Both are added the same way, it’s just glitter can be animated so it sparkles.

So click the T of choice. I am using the Glitter one for fun here.

You will get a little ‘Enter Text Here’ box come up as well as a big white box on the photo where the text shows up. Go ahead and type your text. You can resize the actual text box on the picture by clicking and dragging the sides, top and bottom and also dragging the box to the location of your choice. I like to do that early so I see what it looks like as I do it. But it really doesn’t matter when.

fotoflexIn the Text Options box above you can see some options that appear on the right of the screen at this point. I have the glittery one here, and can actually uncheck the ‘Glittery’ if I like. Let’s run through the options quickly.

Background allows you to do the shape of your text box that will appear on your photo. You might want a heart or something, this is where you choose it.

Transparent will get rid of the background of the text box and the words will appear on the photo itself.

Font-Here it’s glittery or not but if you notice the box below as Cretino in it. That’s a font style. Simply click here and choose your font.

You can align your text left, center, or right with the option below the text options

Choose your Font Size-Auto will automatically adjust the text size as you change the height or width of you text box on the photo.

Text Color-Change the Text color

Background Color-Change the background color if not using Transparent.

Then you Apply the changes, Cancel, or Delete.

 

Once you hit apply and you see your results and maybe you don’t like them, if you look to the far left of the screen you will see the ‘undo’ button. Click that and the text disappears and you start over.

 

But you’re happy with the results so what next. At the very top you will see ‘Save’. Click ‘Save’

Once the save is finished you then get the ‘click here to continue button’. Click it.

Now the ‘Save To My Computer’ button comes up. You guessed it, click it.

You can name the file now in the pop up window, just make sure to keep that ‘.gif’ at the  end. I advise you to name it now, like the one below I named something like ‘Ron_Hoodie_Glitter’. I really don’t know how to spell hoodie for sure but there you go. Why do I name my images with the undescore (_) between words? Because that’s the way SEO likes to read them, so why not do it now?

Now you get the ‘Save Complete’ button. Yep, click OK.

Now you’re done.

Ron_Hoodie_Glitter

Things you need to know:

  • You can sign up for a free account for the site or just do the images. I signed up, why not, right?
  • The other thing, you need to allow pop up ads for the page. For some reason it won’t always allow you to load images unless you do this. But it’s only for the one page so no big deal.

Why do I suggest you use fotoflexer and not paint?

  • Paint can make your text look very bad and unprofessional. fotoflexer makes it look clean and crisp.

 

Well, I hope this helps.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

Some fun ones I did:

Ron_Hoodie_Heart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEON Effect

Ron_Hoodie_Neon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com

How to Increase your #SEO Results and get your #Blog noticed.

If you are wanting people to visit your blog or website or to start getting  your name/brand out there, there are things you need to do that are simple and in some cases a one time set up that will help you. They range from blog post content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to adjusting your blog settings. Today I’ll share four with you.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Friendly Blog Post Content

Search Engines, such as Google, ‘read’ your blog content, that’s the way I will explain it. What they are ‘reading’ for is what the person is searching for, what they typed in the search bar.  If you have a blog post about ‘How To Roast A seo_googe_yahoo_upward_trend.jpgTurkey’, then your post needs to OPTIMIZE  and include words that people use to search for when wanting to find out ‘How To Roast A Turkey’. The more relevant words you use the better chances of your blog or website post showing up in Search Engines. No, don’t say turkey or roast every other word. Search Engines actually DON’T like that.

I personally Optimize by having my key words a person is searching for in Search Engines in the first paragraph or two. Why? When a reader clicks to my site I want them to know instantly they have found what they are looking for. I might meander a bit later, but I want to catch their attention to have them keep reading.

Of course don’t get crazy with using the words when it just doesn’t make sense to do so. Sometimes you just need to talk to the reader and sound like you.

Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:

4 until you get the hang of it because you may have to adjust your style just a bit.

Why I mention:

Search Engines are my second place referrer to my site after the WordPress Reader. But here is the kicker, for the past 7 days the Reader only beat Search Engines by 11 referrals. And to be honest we want to be found on Search Engines. (It’s now Dec. 31, 2014 and Search Engines are my #1 referral.)

Including Images Inside of Your Post

Many blogs or website content posts are shared on different platforms or sites. Examples would be Facebook, Google+, Tumblr and Bloglovin. When your content is shared that’s a great thing unless for instance it visually looks like a set of blank photographs.blank_gravatar_image.jpg

You have an image or photograph set as a ‘featured image’. Great, it’s needed at times. I set one for every post I do, unless I am helping with another site and their layout does not use it. But here is something you need to know, put the image in your actual post itself as well. When you get shared on other sites those sites don’t always grab the featured image but they do usually bring the content images along with the share. That way when they do show up, say on Bloglovin you will have images to attract people’s eye.

Facebook is a problem as well in what it pulls in. It will grab an image and carry it with the post if you don’t have one. For a time it was my Blogging U badge on my sidebar, now it is my About.Me image. So I make sure to have images that are for the content itself.

BONUS TIP!

While I am at it, I’ll mention an additional tip. When you add media to your blog notice those different boxes that come up with titles like Title, Caption, Alt Text and Description? Fill those out. Why? When Search Engines read your content you want your images to have words of what those images are. Make sure they include things like .jpg or .gif or whatever format the image is.

Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:

3 just because it can be tedious depending on your amount of images. I sometimes reuse images to make life easier.

Why I mention:

This is one of the things that a lot of people skip and miss out on. Some Search Engines don’t ‘read’ the entire content, just the first so much amount. If you have images taking up the beginning of your post content, then what is the Search Engine reading if you have nothing descriptive in there?

Add Your Twitter Handle to Your Sharing Button

Your Twitter Handle is your brand, your advertising, your contact. You don’t have a Twitter account? That’s fine, it’s all up to you. Twitter is my number three referral for visitors to my site right now. Not a huge number, but numbers. But that’s misleading to say. Some people just don’t click the link in that Tweet. They will open it elsewhere, or copy and paste it. I am sure my Twitter referrals are a lot more than the stats show.

You might be asking me through your monitor screen what I mean by ‘Your Sharing Button’. At the bottom of your posttwitter_bird_image.jpg you have those little buttons people can click on to share your post to various other platforms. One site to share to is Twitter. You don’t have to have a Twitter account for people to share to Twitter. It will simply say wordpress instead of YOUR NAME that created the content. It’s up to you.

If you have Twitter just Go To:

  1. Dashboard
  2. Settings
  3. Sharing
  4. Twitter username to include in tweets when people share using the Twitter button.
  5. Type in your Twitter Handle without the @.

Some of you are wondering why that would increase people coming to your site. Brand recognition. If you have a good name and image people will begin to notice. The more your name gets out there and is seen the more people know it. This is not my personal idea this is a marketing idea.  There are times you will see a TV commercial for weeks before you finally actually watch it. Your child will tell you “Dad, um, this is like the millionth time you’ve seen this.” I am not at all quoting my son.

Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:

1 Once you have a Twitter Account

Why I mention:

It’s a, sorry to say it this way, no brainer. You have a Twitter, you have the option, why not do it?

Use Hashtags and/or Twitter Handles in your Post Title

#BloggerBoySayWhat This is something I’ve started doing lately. It’s not something I’ve really noticed being used, the Hashtag thing, yes, the Twitter Handle, no.

chalk_board_hashtags.jpgInclude these in the title of your post so when the post is shared, say on Twitter, you automatically have certain things you want to include to be tweeted. I do this with Authors and Bloggers I interview now. I put their Twitter Handle in the actual title. I don’t use the Hashtags so much but have when it is an important issue of the moment. For example if there were some Spousal Abuse media frenzy going on I might have a title #(FirstnameLastname) is a prime example of . . . Like I said, this one is a rare one, so when I do use it, it not only gets the write Hashtag used but people will do double take when they see the article title.

Difficulty on a scale of 5 being most difficult to use:

2 I only say a 2 because you need to know the Twitter Handle of the person you are wanting to boost/help out/ promote. And you should already have that if you are doing a post about them.

Why I mention:

Twitter is huge and if you are wanting to draw attention then make your blog work for you. People will share your post on Twitter but they might not go through the trouble of using Hashtags. Just don’t be obnoxious with it unless it’s a joke of sorts.

This was a lot longer than I expected it to be and for that I say . . . ouch. Even my fingers are hurting typing that much. As you begin using tips you get from me or from others it becomes second nature to do them and quicker. Turn these into habits/routines and you will think nothing of them. And as long as you have good content you should, I repeat . . . should increase your readership.

For More of My Blogging Tips and articles click here.

For Tips about Twitter click here.

Much Respect

Ronovan

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com

20,000 Views and Announcements!

Thank everyone who has visited my site over the past just under 5 months and bringing it to . . .

20,000 VIEWS

 

I wasn’t going to do this when it happened a couple of days ago but I decided why not. I know a lot of you have more than I do but I truly never thought I would have my work seen this much.

I thought I would take this as an opportunity to go ahead and announce a few things. I wasn’t planning to until just now.

I want to tell everyone about my new site,

litworldinterviews

For now I post Author Interviews here on RonovanWrites and on LitWorldInterviews starting last week, but eventually they will be housed on LitWorldInterviews.

I am just waiting for the following to increase to make that fair to those who are agreeing to interviews. What I am hoping this grows into is a place for interviews with . . .

  • Authors
  • Agents
  • Editors
  • Publishers
  • And anyone associated with the literary world

 

Also there will be Book Reviews, although that is not my specialty, there is a book review there now but we’ll see. I may actually bring on help for that part, especially for some of the umm more interesting books if asked to review them. You know I am the shy and innocent type. If I don’t find the time for it , well . . .

It is a challenge I’ve placed in front of me to grow another site. I still haven’t really grown this one. But I really thought RonovanWrites needed to be where my writing is a home to, like it was intended. I enjoy the interviews and and the lit world so I decided to unclutter RonovanWrites by starting another site.

So Follow

LitWorldInterviews

 

I also want to invite everyone to follow me in a few other different places.

(I wasn’t going to do this either until just now.)

Facebook

I really would like to see my facebook page grow. I post some articles there plus humorous video clips and an occasional poem that doesn’t show up on RonovanWrites. The more it grows in support the more I can do with it. I have a pretty header photo. No, it’s not of me. Sorry. Yeah, you know who I’m looking at.

Google+

Tumblr

Bloglovin’ for RonovanWrites

Bloglovin’ for LitWorldInterviews

Twitter

 

Much Appreciation to Y’all, New Friends and Longer Friends.

Ronovan

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com

Meet . . . Lesie of Lesie’s World. #Jamaican #Blogger #Interivew @Char_Lesie

I had the incredible honor of interviewing one of my favorite people. The moment I saw her name I was intrigued and then I will admit I saw her. I instantly thought power, strength, and beauty. Her name is Charlese, the feminine of Charles, a name originating with Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and meaning Free Man. I know, a bit more of a history lesson about a name than you might have liked or even I intended, but sometimes a name just fits a person so well, and this one of those times.

 

Lesie of Lesie’s World lives up to the legacy of her name, even before I had exchanged a word with her I felt from her something ‘Great’.  From Jamaica, that place where we all want to go, where legends of song and speed come from.

Jamaica_Flag

Without any further words from me, Meet . . .

 

Lesie

Lesie’s World

Lesie

 

RW: Lesie this is about the most I will say prior to a question during our time here today, but your writing, your style, your use of dialect, it is obvious Zora Neale Hurston is a huge influence on you. Your tag line is “Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” by Z. N. Hurston, why that particular quote, and where did this influence come from?

 

LESIE: It’s funny you should ask this as I’ve never really heard of Hurston before I found her quote. I was revamping my blog and planning a wedding and I became overwhelmed with emotions. Her quote struck a once dormant chord within me and I had no choice but to express it. I felt capable of doing so much and more because of the love that circulates a life-changing event such as getting married (or having children, etc). Love really equips you with the courage to do and/or try the things that would normally scare you into hiding.

 

RW: I guess even I can be wrong sometimes, but I think you two have connected for a reason. Tell us about where you were born?

 

LESIE: I was born and raised in Kingston Jamaica, land of wood and water, sun, sea, and sand, and the home town of legends like Usain Bolt and Bob Marley. Jamaica is as tropical as it gets (in my opinion), with daily temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). Thankfully we have thick foliage and countless fruit trees, rivers, and the seaKingston-For Real which is at most a 45 minute drive from anywhere on the island.

Our motto is “Out of Many, One People” which not only speaks to the diversity among us but also the fact that every and any one is welcome on dissa island. We are truly a welcoming people (some would say “we’re too welcoming”), pleasant and friendly, open and willing to make anyone feel comfortable. I feel like I’m biased in my description but honestly … there is no place and no one like us. Our food is rich with various seasons and spices (often with Indian and Asian influences) and can be rather spicy/hot for foreigners, but a jus so we like it. Oh and the jerk thing – you haven’t had real jerk anything until you’ve had jerked chicken or pork in Boston, Portland.

We are also musical bunch, and we loves to dance. On any given Friday night music can be heard, and almost every song has a dance to match. Wherever you go, be it the club, a party, a street dance, or concert, everybody dances in unison. It really is amusing to watch hordes of people dancing similarly to the same music; it’s rhythmic and to some extent ‘freeing’ or liberating, almost trance-like.

 

RW: And have you moved across the waters or still reside in the land ob Marley?

 

LESIE: I’m still in Jamaica. Like Dorothy said: “There is no place like home”. I’ve thought of living elsewhere but the truth is . . . “nowhere nuh good like yaad”. All Jamaicans would say that. I’d like to travel and learn about the other cultures of the world, but at the end of the day, I would come right back home.

 

RW: What’s your favorite thing about where you live now?

 

LESIE: The best part about living in Jamaica, is that my vacation is just a couple hours away, across the island; I don’t beachhave to go anywhere else to vacation. If I need sun, sea, and sand, it’s right there on the north coast, a 2 – 4 hour drive. Start_of_the_Blue_Mountains_just_north_of_Kingston,_JamaicaIf I need nature, there is the Blue Mountains and the parishes of Portland in the north, and Manchester in the south. Even if I need to escape the tropical weather there are those areas as well.

 

RW: What do you think are the biggest differences in basic views of what are the important things of life between say Jamaica and the United States?

 

LESIE: I think the most important thing for people nowadays, is the ability to provide for our families. I think that is the biggest concern for most, whether we are Caribbean, American, European, etc. We all want to provide a better life for our young. How we do it though, is where we differ. Jamaicans are a resourceful set and seek the opportunity in everything. We’ll try to make a living doing anything we can think of.

So for argument sake, those of us who don’t wash our cars every week will have wind-shields with dust streaked across it for days. But for as long as I can remember we have these men on the streets called Sweegy men, who wait at stop-lights to clean our wind-shields. I don’t know if they exist elsewhere in the world under some other name, but that is an example of how we find opportunities in everything.

 

RW: What are some similarities that Americans, and maybe even Jamaicans might be surprised about?

 

LESIE: I would say we are very technologically driven based on the US consumer trends. To be honest, the latest greatest phones and tablets etc will cost an arm and a leg in Jamaica, but we’ll always have the next big thing. All you need to hear is “iPhone 7 will be out in . . .” and our boss has the iPhone 7 before the commercial is even done. I’m exaggerating but you get the idea.

 

RW: What are the fashion differences between the two countries?

 

LESIE: I’m not gonna lie, we do like to keep up with the trends. Sometimes we fail miserably, other times we over-reach. But in true Jamaican style, we want to make sure we stand out from the rest, even in our own land.

 

RW: For the female Friends reading, what are the differences in the personalities/characteristics or whatever you want to call it of the men of the two countries?

 

LESIE: I think in a lot of ways, Jamaican men and American men are quite similar. There are the loud and obnoxious kinds, the reserved and quiet ones, and the macho types. But I think the biggest difference has more to do with our – as we would say – broughtupsy (the way we were brought up by our mothers and grandmothers).

 

RW: What are the three most important things in your life?

 

LESIE: Sleep, and by sleep I mean undisturbed, restful, 8 hour or more sleep; the freedom and the ability to do what my heart so desires; and my husband.

 

RW: What is your favorite dish from Jamaica?stewed_peas_rice

 

LESIE: Oh, food! (smacks lips). Well, I do loves a nice bowl of stewed peas with rice and peas, or food like boil dumplings, yam, sweet potatoes, with a little potato salad on the side. Mmm I’m hungry now.

(The image is the best I could do. Looking at all the Jamaican foods was Jamaican me crazy hungry.)

 

funnel cakeRW: American foods vary, but what American so to speak food have you found that you really enjoy?

 

LESIE: When I was a child spending the summer with my aunt in Pittsfield, I remember going to a fair and trying this sugary dough thing that was like heaven on a plate. I only had one that day but had I been an adult I probably would have had twenty. I don’t know the name, no one ever told me, but I remember it after all these years.

(This is a funnel cake which is a popular fair food here in the States. This might be what Lesie is talking about. If not, well it is still amazingly good)

 

RW: One of the things that one will notice when visiting your website for, well not long really, is your use of dialect, and very well done actually, although you haven’t read any of Z. N. Hurston yet do you intend to perhaps follow that path of dialect writing more moving forward?

 

LESIE: There is a quote (I cannot seem to find) that suggests as writers we should read and devour everything, for it is out of that that our writing styles emerge, by picking up little phrases here and there, and structures, etc. What you see on my blog is my own writing style influenced by any and everything I’ve read to date. I know there are books that I’ve fallen in love with the author’s writing style and I’ve subconsciously adopted some of those things from them. All writers do that. Unfortunately, I haven’t read any of Hurston’s work, but I have committed it to memory. Who knows? I may fall in love with her style as well and it may manifest in some of my work eventually.

 

RW: I noticed there is a ‘THE BIG DAY’ page on your site. Can you tell us about that, and did it involve any specific Jamaican traditions?

 

LESIE: Oh yes, the Big Day. That was my wedding in April of this year, so I am still technically a newly-wed, right? *beams brightly* (lol). Funny enough I don’t think anything was uniquely Jamaican about that day. I did the ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ thing which isn’t Jamaican really. The ceremony was typical, as well as the reception, which was a small family dinner at a restaurant. I should really look into Jamaican Wedding Customs because, as I said, nothing out of the ordinary happened, which kind of makes it sound boring, but . . . I liked it, he and I had fun, and that’s what matters, right?!

 

RW: What is your favorite scent/aroma/fragrance and why?

 

LESIE: There is this plant (bush) in and around Kingston and for the life of me I cannot find it, or find the name of it. It smells of roasted sweet peppers. I cannot get enough of that smell, whenever I happen to find it.

 

RW: What is your favorite beverage?

 

LESIE: I am a sucker for Bailey’s Rum Cream, although I do love a good Mojito and my special concoction is a Lemonade with Vodka (any other variation of that).

 

RW: Finally what is your favorite word and why?

 

LESLIE: I thought long and hard about this one. Turns out I don’t have a favourite word so much as I have a favourite phrase. I tend to tell people about their ‘backsides’ when they’ve said something unfavourable to me. It’s not meant as a disrespect or anything like that, I’m actually being playful in my dismissal . . . is that even possible? But this is how it works: Whatever you may say to me, my response would be “Yuh backside”. I’m known for saying it to the point where some will pre-empt me and say it before I can, just so I don’t, in fact, tell them about their ‘backside’.


 


 

First I want to thank Lesie for agreeing to the interview. It was a long process from beginning to end but we finally made it. I think it was worth it. There are a ton of questions I should have asked now that I’ve finished this interview but perhaps another time.

I have to be honest with y’all. When I approached Lesie for this interview I was under the impression she was now living in the States. So this was to be a Cross Culture interview. Then she told me she was still in Jamaica and asked me if that made a difference. My response was . . . well you just read an interview. People that knew I was interviewing Lesie have been asking about this for a long time. I finally just had to push everything else away, ignore what keeps me from writing most days and get this done. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to visit Lesie at her website/blog Lesie’s World and Follow her on Twitter .

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

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Nice try . . . but even though I may be stupid, I do check.

frowns.jpg

Keep an eye out for messages  in your comments saying things like “I follow you and noticed you liked my post (so and so) how about following my blog in return.” Or a variation of that. Good way to get followers but sorry, I do go look. I didn’t ‘like’ the post, never heard of the blog, and sad to say might have followed it if approached differently.

 

I just wanted to put that out there for y’all. Yeah, I follow a LOT of blogs. I return follow if I like the blog and/or like the About page even if the topic of the blog isn’t my thing. I like to support. But don’t lie and cheat to try and get a follow out of me. I’m easy, real easy. I would have enjoyed the blog this particular post mentions and had someone in mind to recommend it to. But sad to say, two follows not happening, which the person probably doesn’t care about.

 

bloglovin

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com

Keeping Your Sanity in Blog World

It doesn’t take long before those new to Blog World to experience the first feelings of impending . . .

Burnout sign

I experience it every day. Now although I have taken on more writing responsibilities I’ve started taking control of my Blog World. If you don’t do it in the beginning, it takes months to dig yourself out if you are like me. So why not start your experience off on the right foot, or left, or . . . let’s do this the correct way.

 

We all blog for different reasons. I love my Friends in Blog World but too much of a good thing and I am just about dead. I need time for other things, like writing my novels, spending time with my son, reading books (that are really for reviews for my blog) and sleeping. I may have forgotten something important in there, I am sure of it.

But breaks don’t always happen. That’s why you and I have to . . .

 

Three Ways to Keep your Sanity in Blog World

Before you even start a blog need to consider these three things and stick to them.

#1

Set boundaries for your Blog Life

  • How available to do you want to be?
  • Do you want to be personable in your interactions?
  • Do you allow access to your various social networks?

Basically you want to be able to have your readers connect with you through your writing. Be satisfied with that. You will make a few friends and I am not saying to limit yourself. Just keep your Blog World in Blog World. I have made some great friends and we talk on Twitter and Facebook. I’m not saying it’s wrong or bad or anything. If you have thousands of followers and 1 percent want to talk to you, that ends up taking a big chuck of your time. I have one friend who spends as great deal of time just responding to comments.

Also you want to remember why you are in Blog World in the first place, to Blog.

#2

Set a schedule for your Blog Content

  • You can write all you like, but I recommend that you save that writing in drafts for those days you just don’t feel like writing at all.
  • Set how many posts you want to put out per day and/or week and stick to it.
  • Make time to visit other blogs you enjoy.

I have had a problem with this. I blog write like a mad man. I am all over the place writing, and I do enjoy writing. I don’t want anyone to get me wrong about that. If I had saved my writing and limited myself to just 2 posts per day I would be set for the year. Just think about that. You could do all the writing your want and schedule it for months ahead, freeing up your time for writing your novel or whatever else you might like to do.

Another thing about content management. Give your content time to be viewed. If you load up content then things get pushed down and are not seen. Give it time.

#3

When your Blog Schedule is over . . . unplug

  • Disconnect from your blog and social networking
  • Set time for your other life activities.

This is a bit wrong in how I set it. You set time to blog, the rest is your life. Make sure that when you are not scheduled to do Blog World things that you disconnect yourself. Blogging can become an addiction. It replaces needs in peoples lives. We enjoy it, we can share it, we can be us, we can create, we can express ourselves, we are the world. Pretty cool stuff really.

I tried to set a schedule not long ago and ended up feeling guilty as people felt I didn’t want to talk to them. Well Ronovan has to toughen up or just get out of Blog World. Schedule is coming.

Blogging is a great life. If you manage it from the beginning you don’t need to worry about burnout so much and you will enjoy it a lot more. Some reading this will hate it. They will say “You can’t schedule your friends.” Well you know what? I would rather schedule my friends than burnout so bad that I lose them.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

bloglovin

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com

Blogging Tips: 3 More Ways to Increase Your Views . . . the easy way.

I’m a fraud.

I’m a fake.

I’m a liar by mistake.

I’m a spinner.

No complaint.

Hope this doesn’t make you faint.

(If the rhythm feels familiar you may recall a song by Meredith Brooks that was quite popular back in the mid 1990s. I just put my own words to it.)

 

Do you ever get the impression a blog site must be old and the blogger has years of blogging experience? People have said that to me about my site and experience. My experience has nothing to do with the age of  my blog, four months and counting I believe, or vast technical know how related to blogging, Google is a friend y’all.

Where does my experience come from and my sites modest level of following? And yes it is a modest level believe it or not. It comes from pouring my heart out to y’all, researching various ways a blog works, and using my 11 years of marketing analytical skills, my eduction, and my gut instinct. But most of all, I use my love of people. If you want to increase views to your site, love people. Just love ’em and be honest in your writing. You don’t need to read any further. If you are really into making some quick success of things then read on, but if you want to make it easier and more relaxed . . . love ’em.

 

 #1

Don’t content your viewers to death! (or yourself)

I’ve learned this one through my own personal experience. In the early going  of your blog (if you are out to generate traffic/views/people visiting your site) you need to put out a bit more content. Then settle down. Work on a good piece and put it out. And then sit on it.

How often you put out content/articles/posts depends entirely on the purpose of your blog and your own need at the moment.  If you are wanting to develop a loyal reader following, give them quality pieces and give them a chance to read them, react to them, and you a chance to respond to those who comment. You may write a magnificent article or poem but it gets buried in all of your content. I’ve done it! This is something I have recently become passionate about. I get an idea, I write, and hit publish. I can’t help myself. Write a great piece and run with it for a few days then publish another great piece.

Putting out your great pieces slowly, even if you have five prepared will keep you from burning out.

 

#2

Pay attention to what what viewers are clicking and liking.

I have to admit this is not one I do very often in regards to determining what I write. I do notice and in speaking with blog friends I’ll comment on it. But I write what I write. But if you are wanting to specifically bring in followers and viewers, write what they like. You think that’s an easy one, right? You would think that’s one we all should realize. We don’t. One thing about this, if you’re trying too hard to write for the readers, the readers can tell, and it begins to sound fake, and becomes a turn off.

My content is me. Why that appeals to some people, I have no idea. People in person don’t find me appealing. (That may have sounded a bit wrong there . . .  or maybe it sounded right.)

 

#3

Scheduling for the right time of day.

I believe I have mentioned this in other articles but I’ll repeat it because it saves you time. Americans are the biggest blog viewers around. I’m an American blogger. When I write, I write for the whole world in that I write on universal topics. When I schedule my articles to go out I take three things into consideration.

  1. What is my regional target?
  2. What age group am I targeting with the article?
  3. When will they be at work?

If your blog is geared toward, or article is specific to one region/area/country of the world then you need to consider what age group your largest amount of readers are in because of when they will be available to read the articles.

Being an American blogger I schedule my articles to publish normally around 9AM NYCT or Noon NYCT. Why? People primarily check blogs when they get to work and have settled in or they read them at lunch time. What about the rest of the USA or the world? The eastern seaboard has a massive readership. Leave your blog alone for a few days and everyone will get a chance to see it. Publish at lunch NYCT and you might be able to get lunch time eastern/NYCT and morning time in the western time  zones in the USA.

That being said I also publish according to the time zone for Britain. Why? I love British bloggers and want them to see my articles. That’s a five hour difference and that may hurt my views but sometimes I don’t really care. I just like to have fun with it. I reflex and schedule at certain times, but if I do think about it I change it up to Britain and sometimes Australia.

 

And that is a few ways to increase your views. If you’re having fun, it comes through in your work and people will have fun with you.

 

For the first 3 Ways to Increase Views and Make Your Life Easier.

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com

 

 

3 Ways to Increase Views and Make Your Life Easier

3 Ways to Increase Views and Make Your Life Easier

I travel around Blog World a lot, I research and I use trial and error. Experience in marketing doesn’t hurt. I like to share what I find and TRY to make my and your life easier. I thought I would share a few of  them with anyone that just so happens to be foolish enough to click today.

Change Your Article URL also called a Permalink.

I’m sure you all know how to do this, but I need an article for the day so I’m going to explain it anyway. By changing your article URL you give it a better chance to show up in Search Engines.

Step 1-Go to your Dashboard-Posts-And click one of your posts

URL Change WordPress

Step 2-You’ll see just under your Post Title field/box the ‘Permalink:’ section. The grey/gray part is something you cannot change, just the pink/salmon colored field.

Step 3-Now come up with a usually no longer than 5 word identifier for your article with each word separated by a dash/hyphen. It can be longer but the shorter the better. Don’t use words such as ‘the’ or ‘it’. Those are called stop words. Just put in the big words that say what the article is about. It doesn’t even have to be the title of your article, just what it’s about. Example: Your article is called “What Happened Last Night?” but the article is about an episode of a show you like. You want to put the name of the show in the permalink. That’s what people are looking for when the search in a Search Engine.

Step 4-Click ‘OK’ and I usually click ‘Update’ on the right hand side as well.

Now this is what Search Engines will see.

The Example in the image is my ‘What super power would I want? Heart surgeon…sort of.’ article.

‘what-super-power-would-i-want-heart-surgeon’ as a URL is too much I think.

‘super-power-change-hearts’ seems much better to me. I cut out the unnecessary words and got to the point. This is like Flash Fiction for URLs.

This doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to get hits but it will help your chances.

Difficulty with 10 being most difficult? 1

Rescheduling Old Posts

It’s difficult to come up with new material each day. I like to provide two pieces. I know, some of my things are totally random but it keeps me creating. But even I get tired sometimes.

Reschedule your old posts. This sounds a bit odd because you think everyone has seen it so why bother, but your much older stuff from when you were new to the blog world wasn’t seen by everyone and some of it was good, maybe all of it.

Schedule Post Change WordPressI go to edit my post and simply edit the schedule time on the right hand side where it says ‘Published on’ for a different day and date. You can even do this throughout a given day if you like. I’ve done it before. What I have found though is it may not really increase views significantly. It also takes up your time. Rescheduling a  post from a month ago is one thing, and really you can revamp the article, make it fresh with your new blogging experience and give it new life.

WARNING! If you have a post linked in another post you need to check that link after you reschedule because the date in the heading will have changed.

A better thing to do is just copy the post. It’s very simple but no images for instruction this time. Do this: Click Posts-Add New-Scroll Down to Copy a Post under Writing Helper-Type the name of the Post you want to Copy-Click Copy-Now just make sure you put in a Feature Image, Add the Tags which are still there you just have to click add and they all show up. The Post will even be in the same category as before. All the links are the same inside the post as well. Whenever I do this I do make note that it originally appeared on a certain date.

Change the name of a Post that didn’t seem to catch on

Have you ever looked at the title of an article and just didn’t want to click it to go check it out? You may have missed out on a great article. The name just didn’t pop with you, didn’t connect. You’ve probably done a bad job of naming as well, I know I have.

Name Change

A name change, even just one word can make a difference. Just step back and look at the title and think “Would I click on that if I didn’t know what was behind it”.

Naming an article in a way is more difficult than writing the article itself. It’s like writing a Twitter pitch for your novel. You have to hook ‘em. Naming a poem that just came to you is excruciating to me.

I first called myWhat Super Power Would I Want? Heart Surgeon . . . sort ofarticle ‘What super power would I want? Heart surgeon,’ but that just didn’t look right or get the right message over. Then I changed it to ‘What super power would I want? Heart surgeon…sort of.’ That title said what I wanted it to say and makes you wonder ‘what does he mean by ‘sort of’’ and people started to read.

One thing to note here: Your URL will still be from your original article title. You may want to go in and change it if you feel a need to.

Those are three quick tips to help bring more views in.

(This is a post from May. I’ll be bringing a new post with some new tips soon.)

Much Respect

Ronovan

 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com-2014.

Trying out the Bloglovin way. Will update you as I go.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

If you are not receiving email notifications from WordPress blogs . . .

If you are not getting notifications of from your own blog such as from comments made by Readers, or you subscribed to a WordPress blog and are not receiving the emails of the new posts, or if you are sending an invite to someone to either Follow your private blog or become a contributor on your blog, then go to the following link and scroll down to the bottom to ‘Block Emails’ and make sure the ‘Block all email updates from blogs you’re following on WordPress.com’ box is not checked.

https://wordpress.com/settings/notifications/

 

Tomorrow–Suzie81Speaks speaks with Me.

Suzie - Copy (3)

Suzie is here TOMORROW. Don’t miss it.

Tuesday, August, 12th.

And why the three images? If you have to ask then I don’t think telling you will help.

Four eyes are sexier than two

Alexis @collegeladyblog just ended up with her first pair of glasses. She shares what she has discovered. A genuinely good read and a very mature and wonderfully written piece. Please visit and take a look. And yes, FOLLOW HER BLOG! (She’s not crazy psycho massive content like I am!) Did you guys just hear a screaming voice or was that just me?

Site Changes.

You may have noticed the black has faded here at RonovanWrites. But I’m still not all sunshine and rainbows.

 

You’ll also notice I’ve gone to a color version of my photo and a slightly different angle. Yes, red hair, blue eyes, I am a rarity or so the statistics say. That combination is supposedly under 1 or 2% of the population in the entire world.

 

Also there are now drop downs above if you hover your cursor over the various page titles. This means the categories along the sidebar and the tag cloud are gone.

 

Does this mean that you won’t be seeing the Lost Mind Poet? Not at all. He lives on.

 

Also moving forward I want to return more to my writing and less on the interviews, although I have a few lined up I plan to try and slow down on their output. I love doing them but I love my poetry and other writings as well. Also I am beginning to work on a second draft of a romance/love story I have had sitting on the shelf for a few months. It’s back to work on that time, and I have two other books thoughts rolling around in my mind that are unique.

 

Plus there are still a couple of surprises coming up in the future.

 

Let me know what you think of the changes . . . seriously. You are the ones reading and navigating the site. I felt this w as less gloomy and the drop downs made it easier to find things and looked nicer and cleaner.

 

Much Respect and Gratitude to all of my Friends

Ronovan

 

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com

Long & Luxe with Allison Marie-The COMPLETE Interview

There are different types of sites we all like to frequent; humor, life, poetry, manic depression pain ridden men who write about anything that pops into their Lost Minds. But there is one site that is, in my opinion unique. You get a combination of life tips, encouragement, spirituality, and if you read her amazing promo ‘Female Focus Friday: One Q&A from Allison of Long&Luxe’ then you know about The Real Sexy.

Combine those qualities into a long haired blonde with big beautiful eyes and you end up with one groovy lover of love.

Let me introduce to you . . .

Allison Marie

Long & Luxe

allison_long_luxeTwitter

I asked Allison for an interview and she graciously agreed. Then her answers ended up being so great that this was originally a two part interview. But now I have combined it for easy viewing for those who want the complete story.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: First of all, why Long & Luxe?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Awesome kick-off! Well, I consider my blog a journey of uncovering our highest potential, so it’s all about our journeys together. I wish for all of my readers that their self-discovery journeys last long enough to uncover the true luxuries of life: peace, love, joy and creativity.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: There is a great deal of spirituality flowing through everything you write about; where does that come from, such as influences?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Yes, spirituality is the birthplace of everything meaningful in my life. I believe the universe, that divine energy, call it whaIMG_0661t you like, is what ignites our passions and keeps us coming back to play and serve. So to answer your question ‘where does it come from’ I would honestly say it comes from my soul. I’ve always been deeply spiritual and believed in a higher power.

Recommended Readings

These folks in particular have inspired me deeply and taught me much of what I know today to be true: Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Bernstein (check out her incredibly powerful book May Cause Miracles), Brene Brown, Maya Angelou, Mastin Kipp (check out The Daily Love website), Rain Wilson (check out SoulPancake website).

Ron Cover ShotRW: A lot of people start a blog but don’t stick with it. You’re still here and doing very well. Why did you turn to blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Thank you! I adore the blogging scene. It is astounding that we can connect through our creative endeavors this way, across time and space. It blows my mind. Obviously, people are the heart of social networks and the potential for collective, inspired change to happen quickly is like IMG_0563nothing we’ve ever seen before. It’s an incredible time to be an artist. When I first began, blogging was a creative outlet for my love for fashion. I wrote all kinds of fun tips and tricks about clothing, accessories and beauty. I loved the power and fierceness of a woman’s beauty and the mystery of uncovering it; I wanted to invite people into that. Over time my passion evolved into writing about what makes us beautiful, fierce and loving from the inside. Not because I don’t still love me a fabulous pair of jeans, but because I had some deeper convictions that were beginning to want to claw their way out onto the page. I began to see myself as an inspirational writer and a spiritual seeker. I want to lift people up – that is my number one goal. So I let my writer run wild and began posting original poetry and sharing my transformative journey. Now I’m all in, writing from my most authentic place and sharing with the intent to inspire others to be their most creative, artistic, brave and wholehearted selves. All in, baby. It’s my spirit work, my offering.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: There is an obvious skill in your writing, not only in what you write but how you write. What experience did you have in writing prior to your blog, such as perhaps classes, University, workshops?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: When I was very young I wrote all the time, poetry, prayers, journals, essays. It was just part of how I made sense of my feelings and experiences. In 2000, I graduated from Penn State University with my BA in Liberal Arts. Most of my academic work was writing intensive in the areas of English Lit, Creative Writing, Sociology and Psychology. Unfortunately, once I started working in a corporate environment and raising my son (he’s now 16) I made less and less time for writing. It was still in me though, stirring to come out. Finally, after reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art a million times, I gave in and started pouring my soul into writing. It’s been saving my spirit ever since.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: With that type of degree, I would think there was likely an intent to write something other than a blog, perhaps something lengthier. Do you plan to do any kind of publishing, perhaps of your poetry, or is there a story in the works such as a novel, or some spiritual journey philosophy?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Yes! Some of my poetry has already been published in a book titled Heart Whispers, a compilation of poems by poets whose work focuses on the quiet musings of the heart. Heart Whispers features three of my original poems: Begin, Open, and Cry which can also be found on my blog. The indie poet book Heart Whispers can be purchased at Amazon.com. I also have a debut book in the works that will include more of my original poetry and just what you reference “spiritual journey philosophy.”

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What do you think makes your book idea a little different than others out there?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: I think it is becoming increasingly important to come forward and talk about our connection to a higher consciousness and a transformed way of living. I want to make that feel invigorating and accessible for real people who feel called to do soulful work but they don’t know where to turn to talk about it or explore it. People still have this way of thinking that it’s “out there” to honor your intuition and your spiritual connection. It’s not out there at all – it’s who we are at ground level, it’s our greatest potential, it’s our molecules. And the more we understand about our divinity the more we can come to understand our tremendous potential for love, creativity, compassion and peace as human beings. I want to get my story into the world to invite others in and to hear their stories.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Back to blogging, you have a loyal and loving Following. So another question would be what do you contribute to your success or your ability to connect with your Readers?

 

IMG_0641allison_long_luxeALLISON: Thank you! I am so, so blessed and humbled to welcome every single reader into my world. It is an honor and a privilege to have my work read by another interested person. I think (I hope) I connect with people because I write from my truth and if that resonates with someone else, then we know we are kindred spirits. We can trust each other. I pretty much love my readers to bits. There are so many good people out there doing tremendously inspiring things – it rocks my spirit to know them! The energy I put out comes back to me tenfold, that is a fact. My readers make we want to give it all I’ve got. They are my teachers and they light me up something wicked. I hope they know that.

 

AllisonRon Cover ShotRW: Allison, I have to say I am disappointed in you. You lied to me.  Okay you didn’t lie to me, I asked why Long & Luxe, and right now your answer IS what it means, but you started your site as a fashion tips site . . . come on . . . what was the real original meaning to Long & Luxe?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: You got me! So my original reason for L&L is kind of similar but more fashion angle – ready? My favorite song of ALL TIME is Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies – my favorite thing to wear is long flowing hair and a long maxi dress so luxe! Luxe to me was and is always about comfort – that is the ultimate luxury.

 


 SET UP ALERT!!!

*****Ron Cover ShotRW: Perfect. This just shows how things mature and change over time, even a site now matures into something more than we thought it would be. I set Allison up for that question because I recalled that when we first met she said something about it had to do something with something from her earlier days. So yes, Allison Marie, I gotcha on this one! And you can all hear the song at the bottom of the screen and now you know why I have the slide show above today rather than yesterday.*****


 

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: We share a common bond in that we don’t write or blog to gain followers. I personally think of everyone that ends up clicking to follow my blog as Finding a new Friend. To me it’s more of a support thing than a following thing. What is your own personal philosophy of blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: I know just what you mean. If you are up for the lengthy version of my answer on this question do feel free to check out my 25 Tips On Beginning A Blog That No One Else Will Tell You. It’s not only tips for beginners but also my blogging philosophy in general. For the quick and dirty summary, I offer you this quote from the article: “Don’t write for numbers. Numbers are OK left alone. Write for people. Write for people because people don’t want to be alone.” In a nutshell, that’s what always brings me back home.

 

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: I’ve found that many that do have the ability to care deep have been hurt deep.

Where does your deep heart come from? Is there a history?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: You know, I’m really not sure where my deep heart comes from. I was always a sensitive, empathetic, introverted type and studied psychology because I have always been very interested in people, why they think and feel as they do, what choices they make, and what philosophies they adopt as their own and why. I do think I love big and I hurt big and it just comes naturally. A friend of mine and I talk about being ‘empaths’ or people who feel what others are feeling. I suppose a lot of my inner conviction to follow my heart comes from my mom, who died eight years ago very young. The experience of seeing my mom go through tremendous physical trauma to fight her cancer, and then to go through dealing with her death, has taught me that nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s up to us to love deep and spread love wide in the time we are here. It’s the only thing that really matters.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What tips do you have for someone to be able to keep blogging? For example do you have burnout tips?

 

ALLISON: Well, for sure my 25 Tips are my best gems so far. As for burnout I would say ask yourself why you got started in the first place and go from there. Maybe you need to go in a new direction? Maybe you need to post less often? What is so important to you that you couldn’t go another day without sharing – write and publish about that. I would also say that the more authentic your writing and connecting, the more likely you are to want to stick around. It becomes part of who you are, your way of sharing – of giving and receiving.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: How is the family with all of your blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: My husband is thrilled that I found blogging. I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass when I don’t have a creative outlet and this one seems to suit me quite well. The rest of the family doesn’t really get that involved. My blog isn’t for everyone and that’s totally ok with me. I think it should be that way – if you are writing from your soul, some people will groove with that and some won’t. It’s your job to stay true to you. It’s sort of a good life lesson as well.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Where does the hippy chick come from?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: My mom, I think! It’s so funny you say that because in all honesty I don’t know why I connect to the peace, love and grooviness vibe but it shows up in my world all the time. I love the music and clothing of that time and I love the peaceful revolutionary mindset of possibility and change. I have been channeling my mom’s spirit more and more lately and from what I understand she was quite an earth angel back in the day. I believe that love and peace can change the world. There’s a freedom of spirit there that – you guessed it – I dig. We are going through a time of global awakening and people are looking to come back to center, through meditation and mindfulness and a re-evaluation of our priorities. We know as a species that we need to change in some fundamental ways if we want to protect our precious lives and our planet. Greed will not get us there – love will. That is why I think my old soul always finds its way back to a peaceful revolutionary place.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite scent?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: The beach. There’s no way to bottle it – you’ve got to sit in the sand and breathe with the wind and the salt spray and the waves.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite beverage?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: A crisp, lemongrassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite word and why?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: LOVE. Because it’s everything.

 

I doubt anyone was surprised with that last answer. Even though I had never asked her before, when that word came back to me, it was no surprise at all.  I want to thank Allison for the interview and those great answers that turned some simple questions into what I think will be some life eye openers for some who read this interview series.

I leave you with . . .

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

© Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com

Long & Luxe with Allison Maire-Interview Part 2

In my last article here on RonovanWrites I shared Part 1 of Allison Marie Long &Luxe The Real Sexy. Check out Part 1 if you would like to read in order. I won’t waste any more of your time.

 

Allison Marie

Long & Luxe

The Real Sexy

AllisonTwitter

Ron Cover ShotRW: Allison, I have to say I am disappointed in you. You lied to me.  Okay you didn’t lie to me, I asked why Long & Luxe, and right now your answer IS what it means, but you started your site as a fashion tips site . . . come on . . . what was the real original meaning to Long & Luxe?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: You got me! So my original reason for L&L is kind of similar but more fashion angle – ready? My favorite song of ALL TIME is Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies – my favorite thing to wear is long flowing hair and a long maxi dress so luxe! Luxe to me was and is always about comfort – that is the ultimate luxury.

 


 SET UP ALERT!!!

*****Ron Cover ShotRW: Perfect. This just shows how things mature and change over time, even a site now matures into something more than we thought it would be. I set Allison up for that question because I recalled that when we first met she said something about it had to do something with something from her earlier days. So yes, Allison Marie, I gotcha on this one! And you can all hear the song at the bottom of the screen and now you know why I have the slide show above today rather than yesterday.*****


 

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: We share a common bond in that we don’t write or blog to gain followers. I personally think of everyone that ends up clicking to follow my blog as Finding a new Friend. To me it’s more of a support thing than a following thing. What is your own personal philosophy of blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: I know just what you mean. If you are up for the lengthy version of my answer on this question do feel free to check out my 25 Tips On Beginning A Blog That No One Else Will Tell You. It’s not only tips for beginners but also my blogging philosophy in general. For the quick and dirty summary, I offer you this quote from the article: “Don’t write for numbers. Numbers are OK left alone. Write for people. Write for people because people don’t want to be alone.” In a nutshell, that’s what always brings me back home.

 

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: I’ve found that many that do have the ability to care deep have been hurt deep.

Where does your deep heart come from? Is there a history?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: You know, I’m really not sure where my deep heart comes from. I was always a sensitive, empathetic, introverted type and studied psychology because I have always been very interested in people, why they think and feel as they do, what choices they make, and what philosophies they adopt as their own and why. I do think I love big and I hurt big and it just comes naturally. A friend of mine and I talk about being ‘empaths’ or people who feel what others are feeling. I suppose a lot of my inner conviction to follow my heart comes from my mom, who died eight years ago very young. The experience of seeing my mom go through tremendous physical trauma to fight her cancer, and then to go through dealing with her death, has taught me that nothing is guaranteed in this life. It’s up to us to love deep and spread love wide in the time we are here. It’s the only thing that really matters.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What tips do you have for someone to be able to keep blogging? For example do you have burnout tips?

 

ALLISON: Well, for sure my 25 Tips are my best gems so far. As for burnout I would say ask yourself why you got started in the first place and go from there. Maybe you need to go in a new direction? Maybe you need to post less often? What is so important to you that you couldn’t go another day without sharing – write and publish about that. I would also say that the more authentic your writing and connecting, the more likely you are to want to stick around. It becomes part of who you are, your way of sharing – of giving and receiving.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: How is the family with all of your blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: My husband is thrilled that I found blogging. I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass when I don’t have a creative outlet and this one seems to suit me quite well. The rest of the family doesn’t really get that involved. My blog isn’t for everyone and that’s totally ok with me. I think it should be that way – if you are writing from your soul, some people will groove with that and some won’t. It’s your job to stay true to you. It’s sort of a good life lesson as well.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Where does the hippy chick come from?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: My mom, I think! It’s so funny you say that because in all honesty I don’t know why I connect to the peace, love and grooviness vibe but it shows up in my world all the time. I love the music and clothing of that time and I love the peaceful revolutionary mindset of possibility and change. I have been channeling my mom’s spirit more and more lately and from what I understand she was quite an earth angel back in the day. I believe that love and peace can change the world. There’s a freedom of spirit there that – you guessed it – I dig. We are going through a time of global awakening and people are looking to come back to center, through meditation and mindfulness and a re-evaluation of our priorities. We know as a species that we need to change in some fundamental ways if we want to protect our precious lives and our planet. Greed will not get us there – love will. That is why I think my old soul always finds its way back to a peaceful revolutionary place.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite scent?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: The beach. There’s no way to bottle it – you’ve got to sit in the sand and breathe with the wind and the salt spray and the waves.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite beverage?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: A crisp, lemongrassy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite word and why?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: LOVE. Because it’s everything.

 

I doubt anyone was surprised with that last answer. Even though I had never asked her before, when that word came back to me, it was no surprise at all.  I want to thank Allison for the interview and those great answers that turned some simple questions into what I think will be some life eye openers for some who read this interview series.

I leave you with . . .

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com

Long&Luxe with Allison Marie-Interview Part 1

There are different types of sites we all like to frequent; humor, life, poetry, manic depression pain ridden men who write about anything that pops into their Lost Minds. But there is one site that is, in my opinion unique. You get a combination of life tips, encouragement, spirituality, and The Real Sexy.

Combine those qualities into a long haired blonde with big beautiful eyes and you end up with one groovy lover of love.

Let me introduce to you . . .

Allison Marie

Long & Luxe

The Real Sexy

allison_long_luxeTwitter

I asked Allison for an interview and for some insane reason she agreed. Then I came up with the questions and they apparently sent some serious sparks through that groovy gray matter of hers. Instead of doing like I often do and scale down the interview to be a little shorter just because at times its information that simply is cool to me but not really part of the interview itself, I decided to make this a two part interview.

Each day you will be able to take in what Allison avails us of a little easier. I have to tell you, you may have to read it at least twice. The woman really loves what she does and believes in what she is spreading.  And now here we go.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: First of all, why Long & Luxe?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Awesome kick-off! Well, I consider my blog a journey of uncovering our highest potential, so it’s all about our journeys together. I wish for all of my readers that their self-discovery journeys last long enough to uncover the true luxuries of life: peace, love, joy and creativity.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: There is a great deal of spirituality flowing through everything you write about; where does that come from, such as influences?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Yes, spirituality is the birthplace of everything meaningful in my life. I believe the universe, that divine energy, call it whaIMG_0661t you like, is what ignites our passions and keeps us coming back to play and serve. So to answer your question ‘where does it come from’ I would honestly say it comes from my soul. I’ve always been deeply spiritual and believed in a higher power.

Recommended Readings

These folks in particular have inspired me deeply and taught me much of what I know today to be true: Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Oprah Winfrey, Gabrielle Bernstein (check out her incredibly powerful book May Cause Miracles), Brene Brown, Maya Angelou, Mastin Kipp (check out The Daily Love website), Rain Wilson (check out SoulPancake website).

Ron Cover ShotRW: A lot of people start a blog but don’t stick with it. You’re still here and doing very well. Why did you turn to blogging?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Thank you! I adore the blogging scene. It is astounding that we can connect through our creative endeavors this way, across time and space. It blows my mind. Obviously, people are the heart of social networks and the potential for collective, inspired change to happen quickly is like IMG_0563nothing we’ve ever seen before. It’s an incredible time to be an artist. When I first began, blogging was a creative outlet for my love for fashion. I wrote all kinds of fun tips and tricks about clothing, accessories and beauty. I loved the power and fierceness of a woman’s beauty and the mystery of uncovering it; I wanted to invite people into that. Over time my passion evolved into writing about what makes us beautiful, fierce and loving from the inside. Not because I don’t still love me a fabulous pair of jeans, but because I had some deeper convictions that were beginning to want to claw their way out onto the page. I began to see myself as an inspirational writer and a spiritual seeker. I want to lift people up – that is my number one goal. So I let my writer run wild and began posting original poetry and sharing my transformative journey. Now I’m all in, writing from my most authentic place and sharing with the intent to inspire others to be their most creative, artistic, brave and wholehearted selves. All in, baby. It’s my spirit work, my offering.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: There is an obvious skill in your writing, not only in what you write but how you write. What experience did you have in writing prior to your blog, such as perhaps classes, University, workshops?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: When I was very young I wrote all the time, poetry, prayers, journals, essays. It was just part of how I made sense of my feelings and experiences. In 2000, I graduated from Penn State University with my BA in Liberal Arts. Most of my academic work was writing intensive in the areas of English Lit, Creative Writing, Sociology and Psychology. Unfortunately, once I started working in a corporate environment and raising my son (he’s now 16) I made less and less time for writing. It was still in me though, stirring to come out. Finally, after reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art a million times, I gave in and started pouring my soul into writing. It’s been saving my spirit ever since.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: With that type of degree, I would think there was likely an intent to write something other than a blog, perhaps something lengthier. Do you plan to do any kind of publishing, perhaps of your poetry, or is there a story in the works such as a novel, or some spiritual journey philosophy?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: Yes! Some of my poetry has already been published in a book titled Heart Whispers, a compilation of poems by poets whose work focuses on the quiet musings of the heart. Heart Whispers features three of my original poems: Begin, Open, and Cry which can also be found on my blog. The indie poet book Heart Whispers can be purchased at Amazon.com. I also have a debut book in the works that will include more of my original poetry and just what you reference “spiritual journey philosophy.”

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What do you think makes your book idea a little different than others out there?

 

allison_long_luxeALLISON: I think it is becoming increasingly important to come forward and talk about our connection to a higher consciousness and a transformed way of living. I want to make that feel invigorating and accessible for real people who feel called to do soulful work but they don’t know where to turn to talk about it or explore it. People still have this way of thinking that it’s “out there” to honor your intuition and your spiritual connection. It’s not out there at all – it’s who we are at ground level, it’s our greatest potential, it’s our molecules. And the more we understand about our divinity the more we can come to understand our tremendous potential for love, creativity, compassion and peace as human beings. I want to get my story into the world to invite others in and to hear their stories.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Back to blogging, you have a loyal and loving Following. So another question would be what do you contribute to your success or your ability to connect with your Readers?

 

IMG_0641allison_long_luxeALLISON: Thank you! I am so, so blessed and humbled to welcome every single reader into my world. It is an honor and a privilege to have my work read by another interested person. I think (I hope) I connect with people because I write from my truth and if that resonates with someone else, then we know we are kindred spirits. We can trust each other. I pretty much love my readers to bits. There are so many good people out there doing tremendously inspiring things – it rocks my spirit to know them! The energy I put out comes back to me tenfold, that is a fact. My readers make we want to give it all I’ve got. They are my teachers and they light me up something wicked. I hope they know that.

 

 

That ends today’s portion of the interview. Tomorrow will be Part Two, and I finally find out the REAL meaning of Long & Luxe. (Click here for Part Two.)

I leave you with this quote from tomorrow’s portion.

“I think I’m kind of a pain in the ass . . . ”

Those of you who know Allison, what in the world could she possibly mean? Leave a comment and we’ll see who might know her best.

Much Respect and Until Tomorrow

Ronovan

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Cross Culture Interview with: Nishi Pal

What happens when a woman from one culture finds herself set down in the middle of another, literally half a world away? Why she ends up doing a Cross Culture Interview with me of course. From The Showcase . . .

 

Meet Nishi Pal

Nishi Head Shot

 

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: First of all for those who haven’t met you yet, tell us a little about where you grew up and where you happen to find yourself living today?

 

NishiNISHI: My family is from India that is where I was raised and where I went to school and college. I currently live in Salt lake City, Utah, USA

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: How did you come to move to the US? Was it a difficult decision to move half a world away from your home?

 

NishiNISHI: It was definitely not an easy decision, however not the most difficult. In spite of the hours I was putting in I was enjoying my work at the bank where I worked. But situations were changing as I had become a first time mum to a beautiful baby girl. She needed me but since I had my family to support me in taking care of her I continued to keep my job.That’s when my husband got the opportunity from work to come to the US on a project and so you could say it was a decision in the best interests of my family.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Nishi, what have you found to be the biggest difference between India and Salt Lake City where you live now?

 

NishiNISHI: There are so many differences from where I come from – India and here demographics, the people, the culture. India is the land of the ancient Indus Valley civilization and home to 1.2 billion people making it the second largest country in the world. With 29 states and 7 union territories divided into four regions – North, Taj_MahalSouth, East and West we have people speaking over 30 languages and numerous other dialects with Hindi and English considered the language for official communication. India home of the Taj Mahal, is considered a mega diverse country with its widespread and unique bio diversity which makes it a hot tourist destination.

Salt Lake City is a very lovely place very rich in natural beauty. What I  would note as the biggest difference between India and the US would be in the public infrastructure and the medical care system here. India in spite of being such a large country lags behind when it comes to roads. The roads in the US are much wider and public infrastructure is very well managed however, medical care is so much cheaper in India and hassle free.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What do you think of the political atmosphere in the US and how does it compare to that of India?
 

NishiNISHI: This is not a question that I can answer in a couple of sentences but I’ll start off with the similarities; both the US and India are democracies and in both countries citizens enjoy a lot of freedoms. However, when you have a two party system here . . . in India we have several political parties and small regional parties so the diversity of the nation shows even in its politics.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What was your life like back home as far as how people in the US would find different or unusual than an American would be accustomed to?

 

NishiNISHI: In India life for me revolved mostly around work and home.When in America people are more accustomed to an 8 hour work schedule, in India we tend to extend the hours to 10 maybe even 12..Its not the rule but it happens. Also in India we have a very close knit family structure and when in America you move out of your parents homes when you are 18, in India  we continue to stay until we get married and even then many people live close by their parents or even take care of them in their old age so you don’t exactly miss out on family time. 

But in general Americans would find India crowded and chaotic.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What would you say was the biggest challenge when you first moved to the US?

 

NishiNISHI: Getting to places on my own used to be a challenge initially. Here I’ve noticed you have the system where places where you shop are far from residential areas so without a driver’s license and a car it was tough to get to places on your own. That was a challenge.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What do you think your American friends find the most surprising about you?

 

NishiNISHI: American friends find the fact that I had an arranged marriage very surprising. Here I guess the girl and the boy fall in love and then let the parents know but in India majority of the marriages are arranged and fixed by the families of the bride and the groom.Which is not as bad a situation as it seems.. 🙂

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: We’ve talked about the differences and challenges, what if any are some surprising similarities between your home and the US?

 

NishiNISHI: The retail experience is similar I think..A by product of globalization no doubt.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What do you miss about home?

 

NishiNISHI: My Family and friends.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Of course, are there special things such as favorite foods from home you have a difficult time finding in the US?

 

NishiNISHI: I’ve found there are Indian stores here that sell Indian food and they seem to have everything – the spices, the mixes – everything we need. So not much difficulty there.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Now I want to ask a few questions about your Blogging. Starting a blog can be an impulse but working a blog is more than that. What brought you to create your blog and what keeps you engaging in it?

 

NishiNISHI: Yes, Ron, you are right, you could say it starts off on an impulse. Writing I feel is for me a highly meditative and therapeutic experience. I was looking at blogging as a creative outlet, a space where I could just write and express myself. With time I realised to make your blogging experience worth the while, to maintain the momentum, was not always so easy you have those phases…where you feel your mind is like fallow uncultivated land land and you look for seeds of inspiration to feel alive again. Not all of us are lucky like you Ron.. 😉

What keeps me engaged would be a sense of commitment to continue and develop what I started…also the positive vibes and the energy that I receive from the comments and feed back of my fellow bloggers and the wisdom and knowledge they share through their blogs.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: You don’t often write stories but more often slice of life articles and poems, is there a hidden author inside waiting to escape? If so, what would you like to write?

 

NishiNISHI: I’m still experimenting and learning, Ron. Serious writing is something I would consider pursuing down the line. Maybe a historical novel . . . I’m not sure. It’s too early to say still.

 

(Note: I knew Nishi was a writer, I was already following her blog, but then she wrote a piece that jumped out and showed me what she could really do. It was called ‘My Best Friend’.)

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What about blogging has been the most surprising to you?

 

NishiNISHI: What most surprised me is the strong network of bloggers or as I would like to consider them the wonderful new friends I have made here at WordPress. Their varied talents and the rich experiences just take my breath away every time. My friends in blogging have opened my eyes to a lot of new things. Also, I’ve learnt a lot about myself in the process.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Where would you like to see your blog head as far as content and what it represents?

 

NishiNISHI: I would like to see it grow creatively and with respect to the quality of the work I put out. I would like for it to represent me as the best possible version of me as only then will others benefit from reading what I write and what I have to offer.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Now for a few fun things, what is your favorite scent or smell or aroma and why?

 

NishiNISHI: I love roses. I’ve always loved the scent of roses also since Roses are associated to my birth month June. But, since we are doing a cross cultural piece one smell that I love and reminds me of my home in India is the smell of jasmines. My mother used to wear a perfume that had the smell of jasmine also we had a couple of jasmine bushes behind our home. It’s the most refreshing smell when you wake up in the morning and step into the backyard . . . the dewy morning air mixed with the scent of fresh jasmine flowers. Divine!

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What’s your favorite thing about where you live now?Salt Lake City Mountains

 

NishiNISHI: I love Salt lake City simply love the place!  My most favorite thing would be the mountains surrounding the place that we live. In the mornings stepping out into the balcony and just looking at them relaxes me.

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: What is your favorite word and why?

 

NishiNISHI: I don’t use this word often and I know it sounds funny but I like the word ‘Splendid!’ and how it sounds.. Splendid isn’t it?

 

Ron Cover ShotRW: Splendid indeed.

 

 

I want to thank Nishi for joining us today and agreeing to this interview. I enjoy following her blog The Showcase and I also follow her Tweets. I suggest you all visit her blog and get your enjoy on.

 

Cultures are varied but we find they are so much alike in many ways. Our internet world has made it easier to learn about each other. We just need to take advantage of it and maybe we can make this world better and more united. Perhaps we may even rid ourselves of the misconceptions we are fed.

 

Until the next Cross Culture Feature,

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

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10,000 Views For RonovanWrites-Thank you Friends.

Thank you, all my Friends, for getting our Blog this far.

 

I know most of y’all probably have a ton of views, but I was happy to receive this today. It’s just a nice round number to see. This particular blog is three months old today, and I think maybe I need to put more into it to get the views coming in more, although that hasn’t been my real goal here. (I have been around writing in some forms on facebook pages and even a couple of ghostwriting freelance articles before this.) I just write what comes to mind as fast as they come and put them out to everyone in the hopes one of them will be like by some of y’all. I want to thank y’all for helping get RonovanWrites this far.

10000 View July 17

I wasn’t going to post this originally but you all have helped me so much and encouraged me and made me happy, that I wanted to share it with y’all.

Much Respect

Ronovan

 

© Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com.

Brave Heart Award

Brave Heart Award

Brave Heart Award

The lady of Embracing a Wounded Soul honored me with this award. I had never heard of it before now, but I think I like it. I don’t know if I would call myself brave but I do have a heart. So I’ll take half credit for it. The lady deserves it for sure.

  • Tell us a little bit about your blog. Who designed it?
The Theme is a free one from WordPress and I have put together the look and feel of it to match the place I was in at the time I began the blog. I’ve thought of changing it a little but each time something seems to make the look appropriate. I’ve done a bit of experimenting with the various aspects available to come up with something a little different here and there.

 

  • What is the title and description of your blog?
 RonovanWrites. Author of MG/YA/NA/A Fiction through the eyes of a Lost Mind.

 

  • Who is your intended audience? Whoever happens to wander through. I want to be a place people can come for a little variety, enjoyment, and understanding.

 

  • How did you come up with the title of your blog? My name is Ronovan and I write . . . anything and everything. If people are wondering about the Lost Mind part, well, that has to do with amnesia.

 

  • Give us an interesting fun fact about your blog. It will be 3 months old on July 17 and I put out at least 3 pieces of content each day. Why? I’m nuts.

 

  • What other blogs do you own and what makes them alike? I have some in the thought process but not sure if I will actually do anything. I do have an actual website that isn’t hosted, why, money. It’s ronovan.com, very original, huh?

 

  • Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? Talents? Hmm, I can teach little girls to drive golf carts. Actually I don’t know of any. Hobbies? I write. Unique ones? I love people. Actually maybe one talent is the ability to listen and just be open to actually listening to what others have to say and putting aside my own feelings in order to try and help them to get to where they need to be.

 

  • What can we expect from you in the future? I need to, as they say down in my part of the country, hunker down . . . and get to work on revising my YA novel. I just this week started three Haiku Challenges and have Author, Cross Culture and Blogger Interviews on the way. But in truth, I want to get back to more of the writing, although I am learning a great deal about writing in everything I do. I have found the more you write, no matter the kind of writing, you learn, you learn your voice, and you learn your art. Oh, and I also have a second book in a romance novel trilogy that I was writing that I actually want to do possibly as a stand alone book instead. It’s a bit of a unique take on romance I think. I’ve found my writer’s voice now, I think I can do something more with it.

 

  • Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers/bloggers? I like to say that tips from me are like chastity and relationship tips from the Kardashians, not worth much. But I suppose for writing . . . keep writing, read a lot, and not just books, but anything you can get your hands on. I read blogs of other writers and learn what does and does not work. For Bloggers . . . just don’t stop. Proofread what you put out, preview before you publish, take advice from other bloggers, engage with your those who comment on your articles and posts, and do not argue with an internet troll. Don’t feed the trolls. Also don’t be afraid to experiment with your blog early on. Also always be honest. A reader can smell a fake a mile away and won’t come back.

 

  • Before you go, could you share a snippet from your blog? I will share a post I wrote once. “I don’t write poetry, I write micro chapters of my life.”

 

I would like to nominate the following blogs for the Braveheart Award:

To be honest I don’t know what constitutes a brave heart for this award. We all have them. We all live each day and don’t give up. Perhaps those who are willing to give of their hearts even when they know it won’t turn out well for themselves or perhaps follow their hearts when it won’t make loved ones happy.

 

I suppose Kate of DazzlingWhimsy comes to mind as she raises her daughters by working so hard. I don’t know how she does it all, but she does. I’m not sure her girls even realize what all she does yet, but they will someday. Moms don’t come better than this one.

I think Cielo of Ways of Life for loving as she does and showing fun on her website. A brave front and brave face to go with a bravery to follow her brave heart. I read her site and see these funny articles and all of her fascination with makeup and I know there is more behind it. She’s helped me understand there is a lot more to people sometimes than you think. She’s a good one folks. Just don’t tell her I said that.

Hannah of Inked Roses comes to mind for bravery to throw herself out and into her writing in spite of her tendency to hold back. I want that brave heart to break a lot of walls down.

 

I think the rules are to answer the above questions, post the award, link back to who gave it to you and nominate others.

 

Much Respect

Ronovan

Very Inspiring Blogger Awards . . .

Very Inspring Blogger Award

 

Hello Everyone,

I normally don’t like to group awards together but things are getting a little rough for the old Lost Mind of late. He’s starting to struggle a bit. The flames are beginning to be felt.

I recently was nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award by TWO wonderful and talented ladies.

First to arrive was Hilary of The Joy of Writing. I was pleased with this award coming from a fellow educator and one with a “Master’s degree in Secondary Education with a specialization in English”. (Please no proofreading, Hilary.) Hilary has the tips we all need. If you come to my site to be a better writer, I should have a header photo sign saying go to Hilary’s site instead. We met through The Blogging U Writing 101 June Class.

Then Hannah from Inked Roses arrived. A lovely young lady who I greatly admire in many ways. We met through The Blogging U Writing 101 June Class and my admiration has grown all the more since. I wait eagerly for each of her new works to arrive.

Here are the rules for accepting the award:

  1. Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.
  2. List the rules and display the award.
  3. Share seven facts about yourself.
  4. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
  5. Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

 

Seven Facts that I haven’t Revealed so Far?

1. I have attempted to go Vegetarian but it’s a bit difficult without a little bit of support from the Grocery Shoppers when one cannot get out often.

 

2. I enjoy writing poetry as a visual art in that I once I finish a piece I look and see if there is some form to it that with a slight wonder change can give an artistic shape to it, or I space the lines and stanzas out among photographs to act as accents or frames for my words.

 

3. My writing seems to be supportive of women in their individuality, equality and my adoration for them as an amazing creation above all other creations.

 

4. I dislike people who like to hear themselves talk or type when they actually have nothing to say at all.

 

5. I once won a speed skating contest in my younger days.

 

6. The more I write the more I discover that there is more I don’t know about writing and the more things I wish to write about.

 

7. I am always about 3 minutes away from burnout in blogging but without it I am lost.

 

My nominations for this award will be brief:

 

Jennifer of THE THINGS I YELL AT MY TELEVISION. “I got tired of going hoarse screaming at the television, computer monitor, and radio, so I decided to start a blog to share my illuminating thoughts and reflections on life in the modern world with all of you, or with my mom, because I think she might be the only one who ever sees this.” Look at the name of the blog. Do I really need to do anything or say anything to get you to click that? Didn’t think so.

 

Christine of The Journeyman’s Moments. “I am a dreamer who dreams of perfection but to say that would be to relinquish most of my imperfections too. Quite impossible, I have my own weaknesses. We all have. But I pursue where I do good and not the other way around.”

 

Sarah of The Lit Bear  “Before she ever learned her first words (which took little time), her old Choctaw grandfather bestowed upon her a second name: Bear.” Poetry and Fiction and she says she can really pull of the short hair look, and that it makes her feel like a real bad . . . well you use what word you wish.

 

Justine of Eclectic odds n sods. “The above picture kind of sums me up and the ‘feeling’ predominantly filtering through most of this blog.  No I am not a troll, but doesn’t he have the look of being a ‘right little ole cheeky monkey?’” And that is what you get from Justine. I need humor in my life and this is one place I go to find it. I never know what to expect and at times that’s just what you want. She’s a wedge of her life type of writer. (I have become disenchanted with typing slice of life, although I know that fits, well sometimes hers is a wedge.)

 

Linda of STUDY GOD’S WORD. “Often, as I study, I hear my dad’s words in my memory as well as those of other great men and women of the Word  that it has been my privilege to hear over the years.” If I need to explain what her blog is about . . . well okay. Visit her to Study the Bible. She shares the message. I may write anything and everything within reason but I always try to remain a decent person. I had even thought of doing my own Bible related blog at one point, but my ministry is elsewhere.

 

Hugh of Hugh’s Views & News. “Based in Hove, East Sussex, in the United Kingdom, I write about all kinds of everyday life and what it brings to us all. Nothing too serious, most of the time just about the little things in life and how important they can be to all of us. Some of my blogs will be humorous, while others may bring a tear to the eye.” Fiction, life, photography. He keeps things varied. I seem to really enjoy is photography and I also appreciate his comments on my articles. That seems to be something those on the list so far have in common. It seems those that are inspiring seem to be the ones that do reach out and connect with others. I appreciate Hugh for that as well as everyone else. Hugh actually commented recently and made me rethink a way of writing articles. He doesn’t know it, but perhaps I will notice what it is someday.

 

Mikhaeyla of [w]rite of passage. A writer with a nice way with words. Vague enough? Visit the site. I’ve put in quotes from the About pages so far, but this time I have only seven words to say. Pearl Jam and To Kill A Mockingbird.

Florence of Meanings and Musings. “I embody these – ‘child of the Universe’, counselor, daughter, educator, friend, lawyer, lover, mother, psychotherapist, sister, wife – and many more. What do they reflect, I wonder. 🙂 ”

 

I am not sure how many nominees that was. To those I didn’t nominate, I know I should have, I apologize, I will do so in time when the names I can attach to faces. When you don’t know what day it is, it’s  can be a bit difficult to remember a few other things at times.

 

Again I am honored by the nominations. I hope that I at some point live up to deserving the award.

 

Much Appreciation

Ronovan

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