The Sunday Salon -- Bloggiesta Update and Awesome News

So this weekend I've been pecking away at Bloggiesta, and while I'm not accomplishing as much as I'd like, I have managed to get the bulk of my three reviews written, as well as a few details on projects. I did take a break to watch several episodes of the second season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles which is so achingly strong in these last episodes I know I'll feel a sense of loss when it's over.

So I hope to get a bunch more done today--like those stinking RSS buttons! And a few more posts written. But really, I have many different days in my week that are like mini-bloggiestas.

In other news, Beth Kephart has revealed the cover for You Are My Only, her new book coming from Egmont in October. Personally, I love it!* Read more on Beth's blog.



In the Lunch Community, I asked the question, Will the Physical Book Go Away Completely? Come join in the discussion!

At the Underground Lit Society, we shared our most recent podcast--a personal favorite--ZOMBIES! I hope you'll check it out since it talked with both Mira Grant, author of Feed, and Jesse Petersen, author of Married with Zombies and Flip This Zombie.

And just a reminder, tomorrow at 1 PM EST, 10 AM PST Deborah of Books, Movies, Chinese Food and I will be on Twitter hosting a chat about Christian fiction. We're really hopeful a lot of people will show up for the chat and engage in honest respectful dialogue. Even if you don't see any problems with Christian fiction as it is, we encourage you to come and listen. Deborah recently wrote a very brave and honest post about how she feels about Christian fiction and Hannah of Wordlily also shared some thoughts. I've heard rumblings that a few more bloggers might post their own thoughts as well. I hope they do and also join in on our Twitter chat!

Coming this week:
More thoughts on Christian fiction, reviews of Never Been Kissed by Melody Carlson, Drought by Pam Bachorz, and the return of The Vampire Diaries, plus much more!

Have a wonderful Sunday! If you're bloggiesta'ing, reading, or doing something else, I hope it's wonderful!



Please note I'm an Amazon affiliate. If you click on a link and make a purchase at Amazon, I may receive a small commission.

*In my brief days doing online publicity, I worked with Beth Kephart. But I have loved her books long before that.

Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: Setting Goals

Welcome to Bloggiesta #4 amigos!

Are you wondering what Bloggiesta is and what you're doing here?
Bloggiesta is:

In short, it’s a blogging marathon. A opportunity to cross those nagging items off of your to-do list and improve your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two! It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta!

I am welcoming you here today to discuss goals for your blog. Since it's the start of the new year, you may have already made some resolutions, but now's a good chance to really consider what YOU want YOUR blog to be.

There are many things to consider when evaluating your blog and deciding on goals. There are many different kinds of goals you can make as well. But first you might want to consider your blog as a whole.

I have a story to share with you. I have been blogging for close to six years and simply can't imagine my life without it. My blog has gone through many changes during that time, and suffered from a lame name the entire time. But recently I heard an author say, "write the book you want to read." When I applied that to my blog, it completely changed the way I viewed blogging. I realized I wasn't writing the blog I wanted to read. I decided to set out to write a blog I would want to read. So that's my major goal for 2011...to keep trying to write the blog I want to read.

How about you? What are your goals for 2011? Do you set blogging goals? Or do you just go where the spirit takes you?

Here are some things to consider when making blogging goals.

• Think about you blog as a whole. Do you feel that your blog reflects who you are as a person? Do you have a mission statement or purpose for your blog, and if so, are you meeting it?
• What isn't working? Are there design elements or technical problems you'd like to change or fix?
• What do you love about your blog? What do you think you're doing right?
• What do you wish you could do with your blog?
• What are your favorite blogs to read? (not your favorite bloggers as people!) Why do you love them? Can you figure out what they have in common?

Now that you've considered these things, it's time to think of some concrete goals. One of the worst parts about making goals is that it can seem overwhelming. So it's really helpful if you make goals according to what can reasonably be accomplished. For example:
My overarching goal for 2011 is to write a blog I want to read.
By July, I'd like to have move my blog to wordpress with a new design and higher functionality.
By March, I'd like to have developed a rhythm and schedule for posting so that I'm not always flying by the seat of my pants.
By Sunday, I'd like to have changed my RSS buttons and be caught up on reviews.

As you can see, I have a lot of goals, but I've set them out according to timeline so they seem a bit more reasonable. This is one way of tackling your blogging goals.

If you'd like to participate in this mini-challenge, I need you to do the following.
1) Make sure you're signed up for Bloggiesta!
2) Leave a comment and tell me what some of your blogging goals are after reflecting on the above questions. Even if you have no goals, tell me that your goal is to have no goals.

Everyone who follows the above two steps will be entered to win a prize from a publisher!

Good luck everyone and have a fabulous Bloggiesta!

My List of Goals for Bloggiesta!

Bloggiesta is the ever fun blogging marathon created and hosted by fabulous Natasha of Maw Books Blog.

Basically in the spirit of blogging camaraderie, we all dig into that ever increasing to-do list and try to knock as much of it out as possible. Usually I have some sort of timing conflict with bloggiesta, but this time I don't and I'm thrilled to buckle down and get a bunch of work done. I won't be working the whole weekend, but I will devote a few chunks of time to getting things done.

So what's on the agenda?

1) Write reviews. I actually have very little of this to do...3 reviews to be exact, but I'd like to get them finished. Two of the books don't come out for awhile, so it's important I force myself to do this now. It will be nice to have this done so that when they release I can simply publish!

2) Work on the BBAW newsletter. I need to figure out the template and process for the awesome little crew working on this.

3) Finalize some other BBAW details. It's about time to get that show on the road, believe it or not.

4) Work on the RSS buttons on the sidebar of this blog--they are kind of small which I have liked but realize that some people don't see them.

5) Research options for design and moving this blog. It will be a huge project, but I'm ready to make some changes. Additionally, I'd like to figure out something new for The Friendly Book Nook which also needs a lot of work.

6) Work on the Lunch community. I want to add a few more reviews.

7) Work on a few resources I'll be offering here--sorry to be vague, but you know how it is!

8) Create buttons for a few features and also send out more emails to get them figured out.

9) Write posts for my other blogs, Intimate Strangers and Brave and Bittersweet.

10) Delete spam comments on the BBAW blog.

11) Update my review index. (ugh)

12) Start framework for two major projects that have been on the wait list for far too long.

13) Update goodreads group for Underground Literary Society.


I like having this list, because while I'm unlikely to get even a fraction of this stuff done, it reminds me of everything I want to eventually get done. And that's worth quite a bit! Will you be participating in the bloggiesta?