Tag Archives: Granny Skewers A Scoundrel

Granny’s Out and About and She’s Giving You A Shout!

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Granny_AIt’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I just felt like saying that. I loved Sesame Street as a kid and still do as an adult. Today’s sunshine after a few day’s of rain makes me Sesame Street giddy. I have been neglecting my blog lately because I have been out having fun. I will be posting some fun things in the next few weeks. But I am back and it’s time to get to work.

I started my new series. I think is going to be called the Brilliant Minnesota Series. Don’t panic, for those of you that are Fuchsia Minnesota Series and Granny fans, that series will continue also. There will be a connection also between Brilliant and Fuchsia.

The past couple of weeks Granny Skewers A Scoundrel was made into an audiobook that I hope will be released soon. Granny Hooks A Crook is already out in audiobook and can be found on  Amazon and Audible and ITunes. Granny Hooks A Crook Audiobook

This is a fun week as I have had the privilege of guesting on four blogs. Some are guest posts and others are interviews and one I was the spotlight author. I will list the links with this blog. Keep watching for upcoming posts. They won’t always be about me and maybe I will surprise you with some interesting contests. Have a beautiful day and let Granny take you away into being fun and frivolous, so be revelous. In know that’s not a word but if Granny can make up words, so can I.

Shelley’s Book Case
Griperang’s Book Marks
Omni Mystery News- Interview
LisaK’s Book Blog – Author Spotlight

 

Some of these were yesterday so you might have to scroll down to find the interviews. You won’t find just me on these blogs but also lots of good authors. Enjoy

Am I A Sap for Apps

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SOMETHING ABOUT NOTHING by Julie Seedorf- Published in Albert Lea Tribune week of August 10

How many steps did you take today? People counting their steps have invaded my life recently. Everywhere I turn someone is counting steps. I feel left out, or as if I am missing something because I am not counting my steps.

It doesn’t matter which child’s house I visit, someone is checking their wrist to see how many steps they have logged so far. Even the grandkids are stepping it up. While on vacation with friends, my friends were checking to see how many steps they have logged. I felt the odd man out because I couldn’t look at my wrist to gage how many steps I had taken that day.

Do I want to purchase one of those fancy gadgets that help me log my steps and tell me how well I sleep? I know I need to lose weight, up my exercise and watch my eating. I also realize I have a hard time shutting down my creativity or my responsibility and relaxing. I seem to be more stressed if I don’t have something planned that I must do. Then I am stressed because I have thought of so much to do.

It never used to be that way. My husband points this out continually that I never had a problem being lazy and reading a book all day in my earlier years. And I didn’t. Perhaps it was easier when I was tired and needed to rest from following toddlers around all day.

I decided to revise my day. Instead of getting up, having my coffee and going straight to work I would start my day with meditation, prayer time, exercise and then get to my workday of writing. I didn’t realize how hard that was going to be.

It made me anxious to change my routine. It is hard to take time right after I got up for the day for prayer and exercise. In my home environment it was hard to change.  I concluded this was crazy.

In a different environment it was easy to get up and take a walk when I had a beautiful walking path and nature to entice me in the morning. I could meditate and pray at the same time while I walked in the stillness of the morning, without car noises, and people activity.

My friends and family also recommended another app to help me change. This app tracks calories and eating habits. This app was free so I decided to try it.

The app calculates how much weight you want to lose, how long it will take you, and how many calories you should eat each day. My calorie count was 1,200 calories. It informed me on this regimen I would lose 1 pound a week. Only a pound a week?

The first day I ate wisely or at least I thought I did. I logged my oatmeal, my low-cal lunch, my healthy snacks and my healthy dinner. I was 495 calories over. I hardly ate anything, and I was over!

I decided the calorie count was still lower than what I normally ate. It was a start. For me, it was hard to remember to log what I ate, but the app kept reminding me.

I don’t care how many steps I take in a day. It would stress me out knowing I didn’t take as many as I should. I have a feeling I don’t want an app that counts calories. I would stress over going over the calorie count.

There is also an app to remind me to be happy. I forget to check that too. Looking at my phone if I spent my mornings checking all the apps that are supposed to save me time, remind me to do things, and give me a more peaceful life, I might not get to live that life because I am too busy learning how to have a life from my apps.

Those apps are appetizing and I am always downloading a new one because I am sure it will improve my life.

We’ll see how I do on my pray, exercise, write journey. I have friends joining me to support one another on our journey to balance. We are doing it manually. I must admit if it doesn’t work the old-fashioned way I am sure we can find an app for that.

Enter To Win?

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This blog post is one I wrote on The Cozy Cat Chronicles Monday July 20. It is my thoughts on free books. I still do a giveaway now and then and here is a link for my goodreads giveaway.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Granny Forks A Fugitive by Julie Seedorf

Granny Forks A Fugitive

by Julie Seedorf

Giveaway ends July 31, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Recently I made a decision to stop downloading free books on my Kindle. I am sure I will break that rule every now and then, but for the most part I will buy my books.

A great deal of thought went into my decision. I am an author and I pour my heart and my soul into my books. It takes blood, sweat, tears and time to write my books. To me my time and my creativity are worth something. And so is the time and creativity of other authors that I read.

The premise behind the free book giveaways on certain sites is that a reader will read someone’s book and like it so much, they will read the rest of the series. When an author signs up for the free book giveaways on book sites they hope to attract many new readers and for many authors it appears to work. Now let me be clear, I am not including the giveaways on blogs authors visit or contests on author’s sites. I am merely addressing the giveaways on Amazon and other free sites.

My reading habits and those of many of my friends are what led me to this decision. I have hundreds of free books on my Kindle. Some of them are worth reading but for many I skim a few pages and take them off because I download freebies of genres that think I might like to read, but once I am into the book I realize it is not something I normally would read. I do find many authors that I love but……my intentions are always to go on to their first book or their next book, it never happens because I download another freebie to read. Those intentions go right out the door.

I have polled some of my friends and they only read free books. Some never have to buy a book and don’t. The same goes with the Kindle Unlimited. My friends enrolled in that program never read anything that is not enrolled in that program. And why should they, it’s a good deal for them. For that reason I enroll my books in the program.

I made a decision to support authors and their hard work. I will buy what I need to read either in paperback or on Kindle. I will read the authors works that I like and if I see a new author whose book entices me, I will buy that one too. One of the reason’s I like e-reads is because it affords me the chance to read more books at an affordable price. I love paperbacks but my budget doesn’t allow for many of them.

Contrary to popular belief authors do not make a lot of money . Their budgets are tight but they choose the career of author because they love to write. Writing is breathing. Not only do authors spend time writing they must also promote their work. If an author is lucky they have a publishing company that does some of their promotion for them, such as sending out promotions and book releases and makes a splash of their new books when they come out, and then continue promotion. Many authors do not have that and they do double duty with the writing and the promotion and they get tired. For me, it is hard to write when I am tired and mentally exhausted from details.

Why am I writing about my decision? Because I am making a stand to support authors in every genre. I applaud their hard work, sharing their hearts with their readers and struggling though the excitement and ups and downs of being an author. Many have day jobs along with their writing career. Many give up because they are tired. Others never give up the dream because there is always another book in their head and they work 24/7. Today I salute writers. Today I will buy their books. Today I say thank you to those that let me immerse myself in their pages.

Readers, as authors we value you. I am lucky to be included in a great group of people joined together at Cozy Cat Press. I value them too and their dedication. These writers are talented and I want to give them the fanfare they deserve. If you have read a book by one of them, tell the world. You have no idea how that will touch their hearts.

It was with trepidation I write this blog. Events in my life have recently given me the courage to be me. Along with that is the freedom to say things I formally might have been afraid to say because it would cause controversy. It’s not done to say to readers, “I work hard, please buy my books.” I have to believe every author has the thought in their mind. So I will say it for all authors and let the chips fall where they may. I won’t hide the fact that I want you as readers to buy our books. Let us transport you to our world. Support an author. And if you have read my book Something About Nothing. This is the something that we authors don’t say in the nothings that we speak to each other every day.