Blog - Karen A. Chase

Guest Post: Steena Holmes

February 15, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

My guest writer today is Steena Holmes, author of Finding Emma and the soon to be released Emma’s Secret. (She also lives in my hometown of Calgary.) Steena has long been a self-published author, and thanks to having her book featured by Amazon, has recently found herself with a traditional publishing deal, and a full-time writing life. She’s come by to chat about what’s changed–for better and worse. Welcome, Steena…

I’m sitting here with a mug full of homemade mocha (ok, it’s my second mug) and thinking about how my life has changed in the past 6-12 months. When I started my writing journey as an indie author, I never imagined that I would be in the spot I am today so soon.

How has my life changed since I now have a traditional contract? The first answer would be I no longer have time. This surprised me more than I could ever imagine. I’ve always been one who enjoys the PR aspect that comes with writing–I love interacting with readers, being on social media and and going through Pinterest. My normal schedule is:
8–11am, social media/PR/fun stuff
1–4pm, writing
7–10pm, writing, fun stuff, family things

I was (am happy) with the balance…except when it comes to deadlines. I’m realizing my life as an indie author is no more. Yes, I’m still self publishing… but that schedule now has to work around my traditional schedule. And I’m planning my year around my traditional deadlines. For instance, I have two big trips planned. One in April when I travel London Book Fair as a speak and then attempt to follow Karen’s footsteps in Paris (although I only have 3 days, not 40), and then in July for a conference. Those two months are officially deemed my ‘off months’. My goal is to relax, slow down and read. Pure bliss!

But you know what? I’m happy with the change. How could I not? I have a wonderful life and a dream opportunity sitting at my doorstep. Along with a stash of mini chocolate bars and flavored cocoa mix!

You can read more about her process and her books (she’s written a few erotica books, too) by following Steena on her oh-so-sweet blog, on Facebook and on Twitter @steenaholmes.

My First Radio Interview

February 13, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

I just did my first radio interview about Bonjour 40 and writing!

Tim Bowring of 102.9 WHAN Radio invited me into the studio to chat about Bonjour 40, about writing, blogs and more.

For you writers out there, we also chat about my experience in self-publishing, editing a book, turning a blog into a book, and using secret Pinterest boards as a research tool. Thanks so much, Tim, for having me on your show! Nerve wracking? A bit. Fun? Absolutely!

Hope you enjoy it. Click and take a listen.

KChase_WHANRadioInterview

Korbella Bonjour 40 Winner

February 11, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

A big warm hug and thank you to all of you who joined in and helped spread the word. We had so many fabulous new readers join in on our Korbella/Bonjour 40 giveaway.

Congratulations to Kathy Perdue! She’ll receive the gorgeous Korbella’s Charmes de Paris necklace with a retail value of $525, and an autographed copy of Bonjour 40, the special photography edition. (She was randomly selected using the Rafflecopter giveaway app., but I love knowing that a woman who devotes her time and her career to helping SPCA animals has a little good karma returned.)

We had many fabulous comments on the question of what the Eiffel Tower represents for you. Below are the favorites:

• History’s sense of its own beauty.
• Paris!
• Love of life. (I ran my first marathon and got engaged in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower)
• The best week of my life, spent with my best friend in Paris.
• Romance, History, Possibility
• Best trip ever!
• Parisian beauty
• Dreams
• It’s a uniquely recognizable symbol of Paris-can’t wait to see in person!
• The answer to a lifelong dream. I have wanted to visit Paris and the Champs Elysee since I was a child and began to learn the language. That desire is still with me.
• Paris! La Vie en Rose…
• Adventure, whimsy, dreams, confidence, self-expression, art, culture
• Icon, style, dreams, height, viewpoint, aspiration
• Heaven
• Our visit to Paris in 1994 with two of our very best friends!

Overwhelmingly, the most common response was “Romance!” I feel the same way, my dear readers and new friends. Sigh… oh how I do. Happy Valentine’s Day. May you all one day find romance in Paris as I did.

Constructing the Eiffel Tower

February 8, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

In honor of the last day of my Eiffel Tower necklace give away, I pay homage to this fabulous landmark, originally constructed for the 1889 Exposition in Paris. Despite the fact that all of its metal could be melted down to fit a 125-meter-square base less than 2.5 inches high, it took two years to build.

I’m especially thrilled that someone had the smarts, and we had the technology, to photograph the construction process. All these images come from Wikimedia Commons and are in the Public Domain. Click on an image to enlarge and scroll through the gallery. Enjoy!

A few more Eiffel facts:

~ Thomas Edison visited it in 1889.
~ Radio transmitters were fitted in WWI to jam German communications.
~ There used to be a pâtisserie on the second level.
~ Gustave Eiffel entertained in an apartment on the third level.
~ 72 names are engraved on the tower–all French notable people.
~ It’s painted every seven years with up to 60 tonnes of paint.
~ When it opened, the lifts weren’t operable.
~ It took visitors and hour by stairs to ascend the tower.
~ The original spiral stairs were removed in the 1980s.

Korbella is helping me give away an Eiffel Tower necklace made from that spiral staircase to one lucky reader. Korbella’s Charmes de Paris necklace has a retail value of $525. This sterling silver necklace is hand-finished, with a heart-shaped Swarovski CZ drop, a charm in the shape of Paris’ famous landmark. Enter before midnight tonight, February 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bonjour 40 Korbella Giveaway

February 1, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

Imagine it. You could wear an actual piece of the Eiffel Tower! Korbella is my First Friday artist–a darling company that has lovingly crafted pieces of old Eiffel Tower stairway into gorgeous silver and vermeil charms.

BONJOUR 40 KORBELLA GIVEAWAY
Beginning today and running through February 8th, next Friday, Korbella is helping me give away a necklace to one lucky reader. Korbella’s Charmes de Paris necklace has a retail value of $525. This sterling silver necklace is hand-finished, with a heart-shaped Swarovski CZ drop, a charm in the shape of Paris’ famous landmark, and an actual piece from the original Eiffel Tower! And you can wear it while reading a free, signed copy of Bonjour 40.

How Korbella Created The Pieces
The line of stunning jewelry came into being after its founder, Paul Michael Bedell, and his wife, Janel, and their nine-year-old daughter, Samantha, traveled to Paris in 2011 and were inspired. Soon after, Paul acquired a section of the original spiral staircase that had been removed back in the 1980s, when it was cut into twenty-four elements, auctioned off, and scattered across the globe. Then, they went on to design the collection. (See below for pictures of Paul on the stairs, and the Eiffel Tower pieces.)

As the company says, Korbella’s Eiffel Tower Forever collection “draws inspiration from the strong architectural cues of the Tower… a nod to the Tower’s Art Nouveau roots—and its world-renowned latticework.” And part of the design is a rustic artifact from the spiral staircase.

I’m thrilled to bring you a chance to wear your own little piece of Paris, with love to all my readers. Enter to win here and have a sweet and charming Valentine’s Day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 72 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send us an email!

Guest Post: The Sweet Lindy Dale

January 25, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

My guest blogger today comes all the way from Australia! Lindy Dale is an author of Chick Lit and paranormal romance (wow). After writing books for ten years, she recently went through a brand redevelopment for her books and author platform. So grab some coffee or chocolate, curl up and read on…

When I first started out, I had a homemade cover and a book. No website, no blog, Facebook Page or Twitter accounts. It didn’t take long for me to realize that if I wanted to be noticed, I was going to have to do something more. If I wanted to be regarded as a professional I had to have a professional look– not some tacky thing that screamed “DIY”. That’s where branding came in.

The first step was to define myself. Okay. I’m a Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction (WF) author. My Chick Lit runs to the humorous side and my WF is often sadder. The common thread is love. Always love.

Next, I created a logo with a cute, fun caricature. You can see it on my Facebook page. It defines the type of book I write–fun, easy to read, happy endings. I carried this over to my website and blog. I also changed my pen name from L.A. Dale to Lindy Dale to strengthen the Chick Lit theme–you don’t hear of many CL authors using initials. It’s a more personal, friendly genre.

Then late last year, I engaged a cover designer to redesign my covers to give them a cohesive look. The font and style will be the same, though there will be differences between the Chick Lit and WF that will instantly tell the reader what type of book they’re going to read.

The last stage has been the blog and this is a work in progress. Instead of the hit and miss process I had before, it now has a structure with regular posts on topics chosen by my readers. It comes out weekly and is backed up by a newsletter of exclusive content only given to subscribers.

So what about you? Have you ever considered branding yourself?

You can find Lindy on her website, her Facebook and Twitter under @LA_DALE. Below is a screen snapshot of her oh so cute website redesign.

Dear Abby

January 18, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

Dear Abby,

I have a problem. Pauline Phillips who founded your column in 1956 has died. She was 94. She picked up a pen and began a job that spanned a lifetime. “It never occurred to me that I’d have any kind of career,” Mrs. Phillips told The Los Angeles Times in 1986. “But after I was married, I thought, ‘There has to be something more to life than mah-jongg.’ ”

Her sass, and her determination to help people see the good in situations and themselves, was inspiring. What’s the best way to honor her? Yes, I think a few of her best comments are the most fitting. Thanks for the words, Pauline.

KAC in Virginia.

If you’d like to read a full story about her, the New York Times did a great job. Let me know if any of you ever wrote her…

Dear Abby Quotes:

“You could move.” Her response to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”

“The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

And a letter…

Dear Abby: I have always wanted to have my family history traced, but I can’t afford to spend a lot of money to do it. Have you any suggestions? — M.J.B. in Oakland, Calif.

Dear M.J.B.: Yes. Run for a public office.

Will Travel For Words

January 16, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

I am thrilled to announce that beginning today, I will have a monthly column on the website Shelf Pleasure–a destination spot for women who love reading. My column is called Will Travel For Words. Once a month, I’ll share with you my travels and explorations in my quest for the best story and the best research. If I take a jaunt for anything book related, you can come along.

This month, I take readers up the road, and back in time, to George Wythe’s house for research on my novel about the Declaration of Indendence. We’ll venture into his study in Colonial Williamsburg. So, come on over, take a read, and travel with me to find just the right words. Click here, to go there.

Guest Post: Kelly of Austen Hill

January 11, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

Today’s fabulous guest is the lovely Kelly Fitzgerald, founder and creative voice behind the lifestyle blog Austen Hill, where she writes about fashion, design, travel, food and more. She created the site as an outlet to share things that inspire her, and she’s come to chat about how it all started. Kelly…

Take a Chance on Yourself
When I began Austen Hill I had no idea how hard it would be, but I had felt for some time that there was a burgeoning designer inside of me just waiting to get out. What did I want to design? I had no clue. I just knew I had all of this creative energy and I needed a way to channel it. Blogging seemed like a wonderful way to explore things that I loved, and also write a bit.

Step 1: What do I do well?
A lot of my friends have asked me to help them plan parties, re-decorate rooms, or pick out the perfect shade of gray. I soon realized I had a knack for designing, and I was never asked to run the final length of a relay race. So I can’t run very fast, but I can design the heck out of a tablescape.

Step 2: Find my style.
For those of you in the marketing world, you know brand is everything. Articulating my brand, or style, consistently ensures that my readers immediately identify Austen Hill. What is my style and why does it matter? I created my Pinterest Board to get started and I always come back to it for inspiration and continuity.

Step 3: Drink a lot of wine!
It can be scary putting yourself out there. What if people don’t like what I’m doing? Through this experience I’ve learned to trust my design instincts and go for it. I took a chance on being myself and I’m so happy I did.

Check out her blog, AustenHill! Or visit the blog’s Facebook Page. Starting Monday, 14th, AustenHill will be holding a week-long give-away in conjunction with moi! If you like Paris and free books, this contest will be for you.

For her day job, Kelly travels the country working on health policy issues, but calls Richmond’s historic Church Hill home, where she lives with her dog Miss Austen. Below are a couple of her lovely pics from her blog, including an appetizer set-up in her living room, and a mood board she put together inspired by Les Misérable.

First Friday: Caaalvin

January 4, 2013 By Karen A. Chase

It’s a First Friday. The first Friday of the month when I’m supposed to feature an artist. But as I’m writing this it’s 8:45 on Thursday night, and I’m already behind with no clue about what to do for my first post of the year. Did I procrastinate? Uhm… Maybe I put it off a little. “But I was having such a nice holiday,” she whined.

The first half was a whirlwind Manhattan day, then mostly Italian dinners and sitting in traffic, but the last half was sitting with friends, in movie theaters, over coffee, and having a lovely time taking a break.

So alas, I’m sitting here at the beginning of 2013 resolving to accomplish great things while I am falling behind (and yet hopefully giving off the appearance of being completely organized). I’m only four days in. Geesh. Good grief. Deep breath. Sigh…

Actually that’s my best resolution idea yet. Let’s all take a deep breath. No lofty unattainable goals. No distressing resolutions. Maybe just a deep breath and the willingness to give everyone, including myself, a break. A chance to begin anew (that includes you, too, Congress). A little change will do us all a little good, and that starts by taking a deep breath. Yes, Calvin, even you.

So here’s to you Bill Watterson, the creator of my favorite comic strip. My year begins with a big thank you to you as Calvin and Hobbes remind me to stretch, give a good tummy rub and breathe.