So Nice, I Did It Twice

Welcome to my new site! I know, I know... I made myself a new one just last spring. I loved my new-old Posterous website. In fact I still do. It's just that I now need a full-fledged domain with more content possibilities and email. Look around and let me know how you like it. FYI, the graphics for Sparks are placeholders - not the real cover. I'm a couple of weeks (more or less) away from revealing it.

My blogger and posterous sites have seen their last posts - this one. The links on the posterous site are broken and I won't fix them, but I'll keep both the sites around as long as I can. Maybe until next year. August 10 seems to be an appropriate date for taking them down. If memory serves, that's the day I decided to respond to the call. Yes, Google links will also be broken for a while - again - but I have about a month before I release Sparks. Many errors should have disappeared or healed by then.

This new site is self-hosted, with Wordpress as the content management system (CMS). I've avoided self-hosting because as a techie, I know how much work it is to build and maintain a full website. I want to use my time for writing - not plug-in, widget and theme chasing. But since I'm publishing Sparks, I have a true need for my own site. Luckily, there are now a host of tools for making site maintenance easy - almost pleasant - without impacting my writing time. Another win-win.

Seems I'm on a role. Luvin' it!

Which Me Shall It Be?

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. True - but which words? In the case of my sepia flower, the thousand words distills down to exactly two: Cathryn Louis. As my profile avatar, it is on just about every site I've joined. Because I've been involved in social media and portions of the online writing community for just about three years, it has become my brand.

On the other hand, common wisdom insists that readers are more comfortable when there's a picture of the author. Even so, I can't recall ever choosing - or laying aside - a book (print or electronic) because of the author's picture.

For me, including a picture is not a problem. Currently, there are several on my Facebook page from which I will choose. But what about my flower? Cathryn Louis, the author, is easily recognizable because of it. I truly believe that doing away with it is a mistake.

After much thrashing of my brain cells, I finally figured out that I don't have to choose. I'll keep the sepia flower as my profile avatar, and use my picture on my website and novels. Win-win! Love it when that happens.

Help!!!

This week just about finished me. Even so, I'm determined to stay on track for releasing Sparks as an ebook in October.

Getting hold of the reins of a runaway horse while trying my best to stay in the saddle would be far easier - and I can't ride.

Can things get any more complicated?

Oh no, I shouldn't have asked that...