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Conversations with Jann and Barb

February 2, 2014 by in category Jann says . . . tagged as , , , ,



              


A couple of weeks ago, Barb and I decided to take in a movie, so off we went to our local theater. We grabbed some popcorn and found our seats. We like to sit in the middle about halfway up. There were only about eight people scattered around. I love it when it’s not crowded. The lights dimmed. When the camel came on the screen reminding us to turn off our phones (Barb loves that camel), we checked our phones and settled back to be taken on a wild ride of action and adventure with the new Jack Ryan movie.
Now, I know all of us have had the experience of people who talk and text during the previews, occasionally you might hear a tune playing. But usually you get through a movie with little disturbance. Well, that wasn’t to be the case for us this time.
The movie started and the guy sitting down a few rows and to the right obviously didn’t listen to the camel. He was texting. Since the theater wasn’t full, the light from his phone really reflected. I moved my head just a little so as not to be distracted, but the older guy sitting behind and to the right of him had full view. I felt really sorry for him, but figured Jerk would finish and turn it off. That didn’t happen. Over the next thirty or more minutes he texted constantly. How do you follow a movie if you are texting all the time? He was a texting ABUSER! The guy behind him got up and left, but came back to his seat. I figured he went to tell theater management to come in and tell Jerk to stop. But no one came. About ten minutes later, the older guy did what most people would do – he asked him to turn it off.
Well holy moly, all hell broke loose.
Jerk jumped up, called the old guy names and threatened him. Then he came at the guy still calling him names. A man sitting with the woman in front of us got up and tried to get Jerk to settle down. It didn’t work. One woman ran out to get help, another man sitting with his family also got up to help. Jerk came at the old guy again and this time threw punches. Barb and I called out for Jerk to stop. I tried to find my phone to call 911, but couldn’t get it turned on. My heart raced. I wondered what to do next. The two men who intervened got Jerk off the old guy. Jerk and one man left the theater; the old guy got up and went out the exit. Barb and I sat there wondering what was going to happen next. Meanwhile the movie had been rolling along and Jack Ryan was in a high speed car racing scene on the big screen.
The movie stopped playing, the manager arrived and we gave her the details of the altercation. We each received a free movie ticket and a full refund. They started the movie again, taking it back to the point when the disturbance began.
Later that day I thought about what happened and how texting has gotten out of control. How lucky we had been. We hear about the situations in movie theaters, texting and driving, and the lives destroyed by it. But then I thought about other times people text (myself included) and wondered how it affects others. You know what it’s like to be with family and friends having a conversation and they pick up their phone to either send or answer a text while you’re talking. Or at a meeting, have you ever wondered what the speaker is thinking when they look out over the audience and see people with their heads down tapping away on their phones? They could hope we’re tweeting about what a great speaker they are. Or do we consider if we’re annoying the people around us and being rude to the speaker?
All I know is that after my experience, I think twice now before I take my phone out to text in public and when I’m with my friends and family.
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Getting Organized in Digital Age: Mission Impossible? @LyndiLamont

January 16, 2014 by in category The Romance Journey by Linda Mclaughlin tagged as

Another January, another set of resolutions some of us will never keep. Is it futile?

I wish I knew the answer to that age-old question.  I suspect resolutions and/or yearly goals work for some people but not others. Or maybe they work some years but not others. There are organizing methods that work for some people, but not everyone. All I do know is that I have to try doing something different this year to make some sense out of my messed up schedule. That won’t eliminate the chaos in my creatively messy mind though.

In the interests of organization, I signed up for the current OCC/RWA online class Going the Distance: Time Management for the Writer taught by our own Kitty Bucholtz. The class has just started but I’m hopeful of learning new techniques to use my precious time more productively. Goal setting will be part of the process. I’ve had good luck with that technique before, when I’ve paid attention to my goals and taken steps to meet them. Goals somehow seem more serious than “New Year’s Resolutions” which have a bad track record, plus goals can be revised or abandoned in favor of something better. Once a New Year’s resolution is abandoned, it’s all over until the next year. Right?

Here’s a blog article by James Clear (recommended by Alina K. Field) that I found interesting:

Why Trying to Be Perfect Won’t Help You Achieve Your Goals (And What Will)

Rather than worrying about goals and resolutions he recommends focusing on repetitive behavior, i.e. creating habits that will keep you moving towards whatever it is you want to accomplish.

Author P. J. Sharon wrote a blog this week on sticking to your plan that you may find interesting.

Tough Love

I swear this was all easier in the 20thy century. Nowadays social media is such a distraction. I set out to read my email in the morning, but keep finding interesting links to click on, or something that cries out to be tweeted, and before I know it, I have seven or eight tabs open in Firefox and two hours have disappeared, never to be seen again.

In the cause of taming the social media monster, here are links to a couple of blog posts you may find helpful. Don’t be put off by the title of the first. It’s a pretty good beginner’s guide to Twitter, and I found some helpful ideas in it.

The Ultimate Twitter Guide to Crush Your Competition

Infographic: The Secrets of a Killer Blog Post

At the Marketing for Romance Writers blog, Erin Moore asks: Newbie World: Do I Really Need Social Media? Good advice for the new author.

Middle Grade author Chris Eboch on A Year of Success contains more links to older blog posts on the subject.

If anyone reading this post has any brilliant ideas or getting or staying organized, please let me know. Will you be setting goals? How did you do in 2013? I’d love to hear about your successes.

Hope to have some progress to share next month.

Linda McLaughlin / Lyndi Lamont

Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of books and history, so it’s only natural she prefers writing historical romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.

She also writes erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont, and is one half of the writing team of Lyn O’Farrell.

You can find her online at http://www.lindamclaughlin.com or http://www.lyndilamont.com.
Blog: http://flightsafancy.blogspot.com/
Facebook:
Linda McLaughlin Author http://www.facebook.com/LindaMcLaughlinAuthor
Lyndi Lamont http://www.facebook.com/LyndiLamont
Twitter: @LyndiLamont

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Happy New Year!

January 6, 2014 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , ,

Can you believe it’s 2014 already? I can’t–and yet I can. Time passes quickly, especially with lots going on.

I’m looking forward to the first OCC meeting of the year. Will you be there? I will! The topics all sound great–including the afternoon one about writing military heroes. I do that–although mine are shapeshifters.

The PAW topic will be a discussion of blog tours, and I’m in the middle of one right now to promote my new Pet Rescue Mystery, TEACUP TURBULENCE, just released this month. I may be signing it, as well as my December Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel COVERT ATTRACTION, at the meeting.
Meantime, I’m planning for another three books to be published this year–two Harlequin Nocturnes, both part of my Alpha Force miniseries about a covert military unit of shapeshifters, as well as my first Superstition Mystery later in the year.

And of course in addition to promoting, I’m working on proposals for additional ideas that I hope to be able to write… and will soon be starting another book under deadline.

 How about you? Are you doing a lot connected with your writing career this new year? My fingers are crossed that we all have a happy, productive, and utterly fun year!

I’m still active on Facebook. Please come friend me there!

Happy reading,

Linda O! Johnston

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Season’s Greetings from the OC

December 16, 2013 by in category The Romance Journey by Linda Mclaughlin tagged as

Wishing you a happy holiday and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Linda McLaughlin aka Lyndi Lamont

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Leaving PAW

December 6, 2013 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , , , ,
COVERT ATTRACTION 

Okay, I’m not really leaving PAW. In fact, I hope to remain a proud member for a long time to come. But I’ve been helping to run PAW for several years now, starting when our dearly missed Charlotte Lobb was in charge and now being Debra Holland’s backup.

Soon Tara Lain and Skylar Kade will be taking over. I’m delighted! Debra’s done a great job despite my limited backup, and I’m sure our new PAW people will do it well, too.

This month, Karen Fulbright of Tailored Book Trailers will be our guest for part of the PAW meeting. She did a book trailer for me–the one I won from her at RWA National, for my Pet Rescue Mystery OODLES OF POODLES, and it’s really fun! 

 
Hope to see you there or at the regular OCC meeting.
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