Musings from the basement...

How I first got published, part 2 – Ideas and Execution

March 7, 2017 1 Comment

The following is an encore from 2009, presented here in the hopes that the info will be helpful for aspiring authors. I’ve authored or coauthored five books since, and self-published another four, and most of this still applies. So enjoy. Hope it helps! So as I mentioned in the first part of this series, ideas are, in the grand scheme of things, relatively worthless. In some ways they are the least significant piece of the puzzle. After all, creative people – and I assume that if you’re reading this you’re probably a creative person – usually have far more ideas than they know what to do with. Had I 48 hours to each day and no need to sleep I still wouldn’t have time to do and…
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Writing

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How I first got published, part 1 – Introduction

March 6, 2017 2 Comments

The following is an encore from 2009, presented here in the hopes that the info will be helpful for aspiring authors. I’ve authored or coauthored five books since, and self-published another four, and most of this still applies. So enjoy. Hope it helps! Chances are, if you like to write you’d also like to be read. While you can throw things onto the Internet and be read instantly, it’s not quite the same thing as a publisher saying, “I like your work. I’d like to invest our time and money into it. I’d like to publish your book.” Because let’s be honest with ourselves: Blogging is nice, self-publishing is interesting, but the majority of aspiring writers know being picked up by a legitimate publisher is key to…
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Writing

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SUNDAY SIPS: 5 Beers You Can’t Believe Will Flatten You

March 5, 2017 8 Comments

Every Sunday I take a look at five beers worth checking off your list. This week, it’s five beers that taste so good and drink so easily you can get yourself in a world of hurt if you’re not careful, because they are also heavy hitters in the alcohol department. Dogfish Head Raison D’Extra Beer has a rep as being a booze that isn’t “booze” because it’s low enough in alcohol that you can drink it all day. Thing is, that’s not always true. Sometimes a beer will taste as approachable as any other beer but will knock you flatter than a tortilla shell. Take Dogfish Head’s Raison D’Extra, for example. It’s a Belgian-style dark ale based on their Raison D’Etre, which itself is a…
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Craft Beer

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Turn Your Garden Into A Wildlife Haven

March 3, 2017 1 Comment

Contributed Post If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, one of your first priorities will probably be getting it to look great. But if you’re a nature lover, you may well be looking to attract different types of wildlife into your garden. If that’s the case, there are a few things you can do to encourage different species into your outdoor space. Photo Credit Colourful Planting Just because your garden is biodiverse, it doesn’t mean that it has to be untidy. Your regular lawn care services don’t have to go undone so you are left with a rugged garden wilderness. Instead, try introducing some colourful planting for pollinators so you can attract bees and butterflies. Choose some plants that flower between early spring and…
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Gardening

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Four Smart Garden Hacks For Easy Maintenance

March 3, 2017 1 Comment

Contributed Post Image Credit Having a beautiful, colorful, and healthy garden can take a significant amount of work. Some green-fingered types will happily spend every sunny day in their garden mowing, pruning, sowing and weeding, and of course, their hard work pays off. But it’s possible to have a beautiful garden without quite so much hard work, just follow these four hacks and see how much difference it makes to your garden.   Get the right tools for the job   You wouldn’t try to cut a pizza with nail scissors or mop the kitchen with a toothbrush, so don’t try to work your garden with the wrong equipment either. Having the right tools for the job can make all the difference between an arduous,…
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Gardening

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