Vocal Expressions

This month was packed with webinars and teleseminars about writing and marketing strategies. I learned a lot as usual and hope to slow down enough to put some of these same strategies into making my novel, Gotta Let It Go , a success. I also found time to check out the movie, The Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence. The idea for this movie is unconventional. However, while I enjoyed the action of how the heroine could survive and ultimately win the games, I thought it was disturbing watching how the kids were selected and fattened up only to be slaughtered. I have no doubt with the amount of money it grossed at the box office, part two is definitely in the works.

I met a fellow author for dinner this evening at Copper Canyon Grill in Silver Spring, MD. This restuarant served up American cuisine in a casual yet elegant atmosphere. The wait staff was very knowledgeable and the servings were hefty. After hours of conversation about writing, marketing, and publishing, I found that I had only eaten half my dinner. Anyway, it was even better the next day for dinner. So if you're looking for great food, by the way, the signature dish is wood-fired rotisserie chicken cooked with fresh ingredients. They also make a "mean" yet delicious juicy burger just in case that's what your palate calls for. I would definitely dine at this resturant again.

Today, the mentoring program had an outing for the mentee and mentors at ShadowLand (laser tag adventure). I thought why should I let the kids have all the fun so I joined in the activity, strapping on my lightweight high-tech suit with my laser gun ready for some action. It was definitely a work out as I dodged behind columns and under over head passes from being tagged by the mentees. Athough my team was beaten in the first game I was determined to step up my game and joyously celebrated winning the second game. It was so much fun finding my inner child and I would definitely recommend this activity for any group looking to create team building activities.

It's always great when I read something refreshing on how to get more love in your life. This past week I read an article on Oprah.com that talked about the "5 (doable) Ways To Increase Love In Your Life." After reading the article, I thought it would be great to share those things with my audience: 1. Letting go of exhaustion. 2. Creating joy. 3. Making room for playtime. 4. Discovering your artistic side. 5. Practicing calm. Now any of the above 5 things could mean different things to each of us. As for me, letting go of exhaustion can be challenging at times especially when it involves not doing things that bring me joy. So instead of always saying "yes" to things that I feel obligated to do, I'm now beginning to say "no" and finding time for me. In doing so, I get to create joy in the things that I enjoy doing, making time to be silly (dancing around my house), continuing to discover my artistic side (writing) and ushering in the calmess...

This week I tuned into a teleseminar hosted by Zenobia Garrison who spoke to Lavada Thompson about the 5 secrets of copywriting. Copywriting is using your own words to sell and market your own products. Lavada shared the following 5 things to get potential customers to say "Yes" to buying your products: 1. You must emotionally connect with your potential customers. Think about a story that they could relate to. 2. Create the gap in their minds that would make them want your product. 3. Answer their most pressing questions and concerns in the sales page. 4. Add value by selling bonuses. 5. Create the sense of urgency using time and quantity limits.

This evening I saw the musical play "Into The Woods," which was a great spin on several fairy tales. It made me laugh out loud at some of the twists on Cinderella, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Red Ridinghood, Rapunzel, etc.

This week I tuned into a teleseminar hosted by Steve Harrison who shared some very insightful tips regarding the differences between rich and poor authors and how to get a quantum leap. The bottom line is that you need FAME: F - Focused Plan A - A lot more exposure and publicity M - Models that are proven to work E - Execute, in other words "JUST DO IT!"