I’ve seen lots about the con side of net interaction lately so I thought I’d talk about the pros.

1. Community. You can get to know people via online interaction you might not meet otherwise, or you might bump into them at a conference but not long enough to get a chance to know them. I’ve met so many great people via blogging and groups. Writers and readers. These are people who make me want to go to conferences in order to get a chance to hang with them in person.

2. Opportunity. I was invited into the Sekrit Projekt I mentioned yesterday by people I would never have met outside of the internet. We are having a lot of fun with our project and I have high hopes it will be profitable for all concerned, but because of online interaction, they knew who I was, judged me a good fit, and approached me. I was also on Angela James’ list of people to invite to sub to Samhain before it launched. (I beat her to the punch and emailed Crissy first, heh, but if I’d been more patient I would’ve been invited.) The Wicked Writers, our group Yahoo loop, is another opportunity I was invited into by other authors in my genre; none of us could devote the time to running a group solo, but by banding together we could all benefit. Creative, business and promotional opportunity, all because of online interaction.

3. Education. I just finished taking an online class from Jamie Denton on budget promotion. I learned some valuable things from this class, have some new ideas and tools to apply to my next book release. I have also greatly benefited from Candace Haven’s Fast Draft, or how to write a book in two weeks. And then there’s the ongoing He Wrote/She Wrote Crusie/Mayer workshop with new topics twice a week, and the wealth of information in industry blogs. If you want to know how to write, what publishing terms mean, where and how to submit your writing, it is all online and readily available.

4. Fun. Yes, fun. Movie trailers, TV episode extras, the fun that is You Tube, music, comics, there is a lot of entertainment online. Netflix has watch-it-now for some of their titles, which we love.

Yes, there is a dark side to the internet because there is a dark side to human nature. But I’m enjoying the good too much to want to unplug because of the bad. I think about where I go online, how I spend my online time. It’s up to me to decide what works for me and how to use the powerful tool that is the internet for my benefit. Can it be a huge time waster? Yes. It can also be fun, informative, an excellent resource. It makes my world a bigger place. It’s up to me to make an experience valuable for me, and that’s true online or off.

Posting this in advance because we’re under Flood Watch and you know what that means. Very likely to lose power and/or internet. So if I don’t answer emails or comments, bear with me. (We’re not likely to get flooded out, just the usual annoyances.)

Finished brainstorming a Sekrit Projekt yesterday. Wrote a blurb. Have theme song. Fun stuff ahead. I also did the math breakdown for the rest of the year and have my target page count in order to get everything done that I want done. So now I just need to stay on track. Yeah, not taking the holidays off this year, but it’s worth it to start off the New Year ahead of the curve.

Romance Junkies has reviewed Ellora’s Cavemen Seasons of Seduction III and awarded us 5 Blue Ribbons!

“Just when you think the Cavemen anthologies can’t get any hotter or more captivating Ellora’s Cave puts out a new addition to this series that rivals its predecessors. This is an anthology you’ll want to read and add to your keeper shelf.” - Chrissy Dionne, reviewer for Romance Junkies

And of I Was An Alien’s Love Slave, she says, “Who hasn’t heard stories about alien abductions? Charlene Teglia’s story will have you giggling your way through each page and longing for an alien abduction of your own.”

Not that we have weekends around here. The husband has a web project to get up and running and I have writing. I have a window of time between Seasons of Seduction III’s release (on Sept. 21) and Miss Lonely Hearts’ release (Oct. 30) in which to put the hammer down and get some projects done. I haven’t had a window like this without releases or edits or both since early winter and I am making the most of it. It may not sound like very long, but time without interruptions from other projects is gold.

The seasons have definitely turned a corner and we’re predicted to get snow in the Olympics this weekend. Glad we’re down here by the coast where it’s warmer! This time of year is pretty much perfect hiking weather, not too cold or wet and the afternoons are usually gorgeous. Hoping to spend some time in my boots over the weekend.

I’m over at Romancing the Blog talking about the more than 50 Ways to Meet Your Lovers. It’d be so much easier to write a book if there really was a formula you could just fill in…

TT is below.

Posting Thursday 13 early because Thursday is my Romancing the Blog columnist day. It’s easier to be productive if you make writing comfortable, so…13 fixes for your day at the keyboard.

1. Stimulate circulation. Get up, move away from the desk, do a few stretches or jumping jacks. Try this once an hour at least.

2. Eyestrain. Wear glasses? Put ‘em on. Wear contacts? Check out a pair of those computer glasses.

3. Eyestrain B, check monitor settings. Make sure it’s adjusted for the right brightness, etc.

4. Eyestrain C, check your writing format. Are you in Times 12 pt? That puts 300 words per page as opposed to 250 and the compressed font makes it harder to read onscreen. Try switching to Courier New 12 pt. I write everything in this format now and my eyes thank me daily. Any time I have to work in a different format, it slows me down. A lot.

5. Eye positioning; the top of your screen should be eye level, sitting upright and relaxed.

6. Body positioning. Your arms should be level from elbow to wrist, not slanting up or down. Relaxed arms, neck, and shoulders will help prevent strain.

7. Uncomfortable keyboard. If yours feels awkward to you, get a more comfortable one. Ergonomic keyboards take a little getting used to, but if you like the feel of it it can significantly improve your typing experience.

8. Mouse positioning. If you’re always reaching for the mouse, you’re straining. Position it comfortably close to your keyboard and edge of desk. Get a wireless mouse, one with a longer cord, or plug it into a different spot if you have to in order to get it positioned right. Also check out a mouse pad with gel-filled wrist rest. I love mine.

9. Keyboard wrist rest, another need for gel-filled comfort.

10. Different workstations so you can change position. It can be cheap and low tech; a pad of paper at the kitchen table or couch.

11. Comfortable chair that supports your back and doesn’t cut off circulation on your legs.

12. Try to avoid having direct light coming from in front of or behind your screen. From behind, you’ll get glare onscreen. From the front, you’ll be looking towards the source of glare.

13. Keep your desk in a comfortable state, so it feels good to sit down there. If it’s too messy, too sterile, or too cold or too hot, you’ll want to avoid it just because it’s uncomfortable. If you have your back to a doorway and notice you’re always tense, close the door.

From Just Erotic Romance Reviews, Anya Khan rates Earth Girls Aren’t Easy 5 Stars and a big O!

“Earth Girls Aren’t Easy is a terrific book and readers should jump up and get it now. It has excellent characters, a logical background that supports the story, “wow, that’s hot” sex, and an interesting, if short, storyline. The hero, Danek, is a perfect gentle giant. Angela is enchanting in a girl-next-door style that complements Danek well. Few writers can produce such great chemistry between characters in a short story. The background is well defined and allows readers to understand the couple’s actions. I love it when none of the science fiction is too convenient and Ms. Teglia explains all aspects completely. The sex is fantastic, starting with a mind induced orgasm to scenes that are to die for. Each scene is fresh, hot, and thrilling. I loved this story and hope Ms. Teglia quickly writes more.”

I think that merits a cupcake.

from I Was An Alien’s Love Slave: Ellora’s Cavemen Seasons of Seduction III
Ellora’s Cave Publishing, All Rights Reserved
copyright 2007 Charlene Teglia

One more book, one lousy book, that was all she had to come up with to fulfill her contract. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be a book about killing her landlord for not fixing the broken light in the foyer of her building, forcing her to go up the stairs to her apartment in the dark.

No, it had to be a book about true love, blazing passion, happily ever after. And she’d been staring at the blank screen of her laptop day after day, week after week, as the months to complete the manuscript and fulfill her obligation crept past until desperation drove her out into the streets looking for some star of inspiration to hitch her imagination onto and ride to The End.
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