First Word

Introduction Why We’re All Dead I am the last free man on Earth. I think. In vampire terms, though, I am a free-range human. Actually, maybe I am being slightly melodramatic. I saw the second-to-the last woman on Earth about three weeks ago when I was wondering the Apocalyptic Highway to Hell. She looked awful and complained about the blisters on her feet. No sooner did I meet her in her all tired and dirty, that night a vamp flew in out the darkness and scooped her up. I have no idea where the dude took her. These stinking vamps and their flying talents – they’re like those nasty spider monkeys and swoop in and grab you to carry you off to suck on you for weeks. They do feed you, though, to keep you alive so that’s pretty good. Some people kind of like it and become super happy companions with their dead masters. I’ve even heard of some vamps marrying their human food source, and everyone is all fat and happy about it, throwing god damne...

Today or more like this morning I want to scream. Last week I was on my own without my trusted operations manager, who has left the company. The entire week was consumed by operations versus editorial and publishing matters, which is really my job as CEO and editor-in-chief. Now some banking issues are dogging my ability to get my own money. In a whopper-size "why-is-it-this-way" banking BS moment, I used our merchant services for one of our accounts only to discover that they were holding a large sum of money (PS, this is Phone Swipe). WTF (and yes, that deserves the "F" bomb) I called them to find out that they were holding large sums of my (MY being the operative word) money because they wanted to verify my credit because (get this) the transaction might be refunded. How? In total confusion and wonder over the concept that they can hold MY money and not pay until verifying my credit (what?) I realized I would either A. have to supply three months worth of banki...

I started watching the new HBO series Silicon Valley , and I was surprised about the great information about creating a start-up company. Young entrepreneurs will learn a lot from this show. My favorite scene was when the lead character takes his $200,000 check made out to Pied Piper (his product's name) to discover he cannot deposit it because he hasn't established the name yet. My first thought was LLC or S Corp. (not that it was mentioned in those terms). Our clueless hero is dumbstruck and doesn't know what the bank clerk is talking about. Seasoned business people were nodding. The show also covered the need for a business plan as our hapless hero is asked by the incredulous billionaire Burke, "Where's your business plan?" You then see one of the other more business-like nerds helping our guy write one and explore the facets of it. But I loved it when Burke sneers, "What's your go-to-market strategy?" Of course, I know what "go-to-mark...

I read this statement in a recent review of the 3L Publishing book Vengeance is Now , which to paraphrase went something like this: strictly bad and good characters are boring. Author Scott D. Roberts and I have discussed flawed characters practically from the first time we met each other. We both have a propensity to enjoy the flaws the most -- and it's those flaws that prevent boring. In real life do you know anyone who is perfectly "white" or perfectly "black"? I know people who are overall good people, and I know people who I question their morals and ethics. Truth is most of us have our good points and our "messier" points. So when you're writing a novel or a story, it's always more interesting and provocative to make characters "gray" and then fill in the greater or lesser color of white or black. Let me give an example: In my forthcoming novel  Body in the Trunk , I've written the ex-husband as a real jerk. Yet our heroi...

A prospective client mentioned she blogged but quit because it was too confessional. I started wondering why the confessional nature of her blog made her quit? I thought she should just quit "confessing" on it and shift the content if she had an audience. Then I wondered, should a business owner or entrepreneur "confess" anything on a blog at all. Here is my conclusion: It depends on the nature of your business . Let's begin with that premise. Are you a counselor? Well, most counselors are not supposed to delve into their own lives so perhaps direct confessions are a no, no. Do you sell products and services? You might want to stick to the product and service world you live in. Do you write self-help or inspirational books? Ah, now we're getting into an area where a little "confession" helps your product and adds credibility to what you're talking about. When I "confess" anything on this blog it typically is with the idea that like ...

Help us make Scott D. Roberts book  Vengeance is Now  the winner in the essay contest for the Author's Show. Please go here, click on his name and read and then vote! The main contest link is here: page:  click here . Click on "Scott Roberts," read the essay, and vote. All you have to do is go to the Vote survey, click on "Scott Roberts" and your vote is done. The essay is hilarious and definitely stands out from the other submissions. His actual submission link: Russell Crow is a Complete Jerk. Read it by  clicking here .  

I know there are many other social media experts out there who have better information on the subject. But the tips I am going to provide come from hands-on experience and a marketing background. You might argue that my approaches and philosophies about it are not the best or the latest intelligence, but these techniques are learned from real-world experience. My Facebook page has over 3,000 connections all organically made without any effort on my part (well, no direct effort). You might wonder how those organic connections were made with only 200 "friends" to start. Well, this is where the real-world marketing and public relations experience comes into play. If you would like to build up your social media, follow my tips. If you don't like my tips ... don't follow them LOL. It's sort'a simple that way. General marketing and public relations = increased visibility and awareness How do you create a personal or business brand unless people know you exist. Y...

I was inspired this morning by a Facebook friend to write about essential oils. I do essential oil treatments known as Raindrop Therapy twice monthly at Tre Bella Spa in Auburn and work with Cheryl Mullick. What I want people to know is not only do I no longer get colds or flus, but also I have rheumatoid arthritis and I no longer take any kind of anti-inflammatory drugs or traditional RA treatments such as Enbrel or methatrexate. The Young Living essential oils (100% purified plant extract) contain properties that when put on the neck, spine and feet seep into your system and not only reduce inflammation, but also boost your immune system. I have asthma, too, so every time I would get any kind of cough, I would spend weeks hacking and unable to breathe well. I would cough so bad at times that I would actually throw up. It was awful. To make matters worse, I got sick like this at least five times a year. I began doing Rain Drop Therapy about four years ago -- and we had no idea what ...

I wasn't inspired yesterday so I didn't blog. OMG! How is that possible? Well, I had some other things on my mind and two major projects to edit. So, you know ... life! Today, though, is blog day Friday. I am going to make a social commentary this morning versus actually teach my spectator friends anything relevant or important ... or heck! Maybe what I'm going to laugh about might actually be a learning point ... who knows. Here we go ... today's self-described "learning point" has to do with social media and the obvious. The obvious being that my profile shows that I'm in a "relationship" and the less obvious being men who overlook my relationship status and essentially go for it anyway. If you're a guy who doesn't wish to be shot down, perhaps you ought to observe not only the relationship status, BUT also the fact that I gush publicly about my boyfriend, too. Yes, if you really look beyond the superficial (my profile picture) and m...

When you work from your domicile, it's awesome. No commute. No lost time on the road. Not need to to dress up except for meetings. The downside, your work is right there 24 x 7. I always find it super challenging to pull away from my computer when it's so "near and dear" LOL. And just like anything else, work-life balance whether you work at home is super important. Balancing out your professional life with your personal time takes skills, especially if you're the CEO of 3L Publishing where many authors demand after-hour attention. But like anything else, you can make life the perfect balance between the two areas. Here are my tips. Boundaries -- you have to establish work hours. I know it defies logic when you can flex your time. If you don't instate boundaries, and more specifically work hours, you will be at your desk round the clock. So designate your work hours. You can, of course, flex them, too; but like any good business, use specific work times an...

It's humorous Saturday so nothing serious. In my newly single status, I have encountered so many different ways men try to meet or pick up on me. I find the biggest offenses seem to almost always involve social media or at the very least something electronic. Here are my top 5 picks that we'll sarcastically call: who are you kidding ? Here it goes from the bad to the worst: "Hi" -- who ever thought that monosyllabic "hi" was somehow a great conversation starter. Just so you know ... where exactly can I take "hi"? Seems to me not very far. Texting a stranger with "how are you?" It should be more like, don't text a stranger at all. Don't ask me how I am when I have no clue in the world who the hell you are. And why I am responding to some random strange guy from area code 209 is beyond me. Posting wine, roses, love cups or anything else completely random on my FB wall. Let me back up ... I don't even know you and you'r...

Sitting here staring at a blank screen ... just start writing ... okay, what can I say to help people who are in business ... maybe I should just tell you what I did last night ... whoops! Nope! Not going to do that. The world doesn't get to hear about my private life ... okay, there is a great topic: How to write about your life in memoir and not offend half your family. First, you have to realize that if you don't get family members to sign up for your version of the truth, they can sue you for defamation. So, if you're going to write your "version" of the story then get them to sign a release. If they are dead you're fine. If they're alive and they don't like your version of the story, you will have to back off or run the liability of a lawsuit. Now if your story is amazing and upbeat, you won't have much of problem. Telling your parents you love them doesn't draw too much wrath. Telling your parents they screwed you up, well, that might ...

People worry about money. Listen to a casual conversation, and most often you hear something like, "I'm worried I won't be able to pay my bills." What is always fascinating is that if you asked, "Did you pay your bills and are they are paid now?" Nine times out of 10 that person would say, "Yes." A dear friend of mine always told me that if your bills are paid, what are you worried about today? Why are you worried about what hasn't happened yet or what may never happen at all. Another dear friend of mine was just worried about his balance sheet. I told him he needed to change his relationship with money. Don't focus on losing money or not making money. Always focus on making money. I guarantee you when you focus on making money, you will earn it -- and that piece of advice essentially out of the book The Secret , but almost all books on the subject teach us to focus on what makes us money versus what doesn't earn us anything but an ulce...

A little divine inspiration for you all this morning ... Control is an illusion . We don't have control over anyone or anything except our thoughts and actions. We can't control other people. We can't control outcomes. We can't control love. And we can't control situations. What we can do is have a positive attitude . A positive attitude is more likely to help your achieve the things you want in life. If you think positive and act positive you will attract what you want ... Law of Attraction. I like to say to others, do you think an Olympic athlete looks himself or herself in the mirror and says, "I'm going to lose today?" No, successful people think and act positive. Actions speak louder than words . A person's action tell you much more than their words. People can tell you one thing and quiet literally do another. So watch what the person does and not what he or she says -- that is his/her truth. What does it matter when it's over . I...

I've decided that today is going to be "rambling blog day" and let's meander off into the unimportant, meaningless, trivial and super entertaining. I just wrote all of these serious blogs, so it's time to be un-serious ... it's a super un-serious day. I actually got my day off right. My special someone texted me funny jokes to get the morning moving. Of course, I was decidedly serious because I hadn't had my coffee yet. Coffee is the jumpstart for the funny bone. In fact, coffee is the great jumpstart for everything, including my will to get out of bed (I know you're all nodding now). Well, in the better news and announcements department, I am moving north again. I should be back in Northern California by month's end. My same friend asked if I was near water. Darn it! I was so eager to get back, I forgot to search for a "room with a view." Oh well, at least I will be back at my home base. So, this is truly a go-nowhere blog full of meanin...

One of the most important focuses any business should be customer service. Never undervalue or under-rate customer service. Focus on superior customer service and reap the rewards, which are repeat business, referrals, and essentially more business. And when it comes to customer service, here are some suggested policies and ideas you should adopt: Consistent, on-time and on deadline -- if you promise to do something you honor it. You deliver whatever it is you said you were going to deliver. If it's a project and you say you're going to get it done by a certain time, honor it and make it happen. If it's a meeting and you say you're going to be there, you show up. It doesn't matter what it is, be consistent, be on-time and meet the deadline. 24-hour response time -- at 3L Publishing it's our standard policy to always respond to a client with 24 hours. We might not always be able to take the phone call on the spot, but we will do our best to ensure we call ...

Have you thought about writing or having someone write a book about your business topic or area of expertise? Did you know a book is better for your business than a brochure and way more effective? Want to know why? Brochures get thrown away, people don't toss books in the garbage . So true! How many times do you see a book land in the trash can? Don't we all kind of have that feeling waste and "tree vengeance" when we have the nerve to toss a book? Now brochures are a whole other story ... where's the trashcan? Speaking engagement requests galore . A book is like someone waving a magic wand and sprinkling all kinds of fairy dust on your head to make you an instant expert. What do people do with experts? They ask them to speak. When you get asked to speak, what do you get? Exposure and new business. New business makes money, which equals profits. Public relations opportunities rock ! A book gives you something to announce and promote to the media. It...

Think about it. What glues and holds you to a novel? Yes, a great story is important, but isn't it really great characters that make it memorable? My book California Girl Chronicles has a very basic story: young screenwriter goes to Hollywood to make it only to be distracted by hot men. It's not a terribly complex story by any means. It's definitely frothy, good fun, but what do people talk about the most in all of the reviews -- my flawed, beautiful character, Brea. You can have a "thin" story, but if the characters are really interesting, great and fun to follow, it won't matter. People will be hooked to the character's adventures or in Brea's case, her misadventures, which makes it critical that writers understand that their characters must be fully developed, interesting, compelling and made to do provocative things that hold the reader's interest. So how do you create a memorable character? Distinct Voice -- make sure you start with the ve...

If you're an aspiring novelist or you have a book you've written yet you can't seem to get a "yes" when it comes to getting an agent or publisher, maybe it's time for an objective third party to take a look at it. A qualified professional like one of our top-notch editors at 3L Publishing who can provide insight and guidance not only on the content of the book, but also on the marketplace. A qualified book coach can provide the following: Objective story or content analysis -- whether your book is fiction or non-fiction, a coach can review the contents. If the book is non-fiction, the coach can look at the overall structure to ensure it's organized in a readable, easy-to-understand way. If it's fiction, the coach will look at the overall story arc and structure, character development, and dialog. Provide recommendations and comments for change -- your book coach will go into the heart of the book and provide specific recommendations on what to...

I think I can write the book on turning points and transitions LOL. This year's theme is all about turning points that catalyze transitions. I am fearless (most of the time). I am also one of these people who will go so far and then break. I also simmer, which isn't good. Sometimes all that simmering boils over, and hence, the turning point. Some people never get past the turning point to really make the transition forward. If you can keep moving forward in a positive direction your results and your life are sure to prosper. Of course, karma is big, too. Always try to do all of this with integrity and honesty. Yeah, you'll stumble and fall and yeah you'll make mistakes, but if in your heart you try do everything with the intention to get positive results, you'll be OK. I have cuts and scrapes all over my knees from metaphorically falling, but don't worry, it always heals over. If it leaves a scar rather than feel blemished marvel over it. It's now a part of ...