1. Reach 49.

2. Forgive. Doesn’t matter if they deserve it, you do.

3. Some people will be negative and hate, so what, what’s that got to do with you?

4. Learn your parents, family, and friends’ stories.

5. Ignore people who tell you to try surfing or skydiving or extreme sports if you don’t want to do it, they’re not going to spend the time in hospital or rehab.

6. Help someone who needs help and don’t tell a single soul you did it.

7. Learn to compromise.

8. Conquer a fear. Doesn’t have to be a big one.

9. Take the time to write that email, make that call, write a letter, visit, send a card, it may not matter, but what if it does?

10. Ask for help. Accept it gratefully.

11. Smile. Laugh. Often. Quit thinking about why. Smile. Laugh.
12. Cry. Into someone’s…

So, as an author, one of your greatest tools is your media kit.

At least that is what I have been told. A media kit is a marketing tool used to sell not only your book(s) but yourself – as an author. Remember – You are not gearing your media kit to readers, your media kit is designed to attract potential agents, publishers, book retailers and interviewers (bloggers, radio, magazine, newspaper, etc.). I have read many – MANY – articles about what an author should include in a media kit. Everything from author head-shots with bios to full-length copies of your printed books. I have weeded through all the information I have found and have settled on the following list of items I plan to include in my media kit.

….Drum Roll Please….

Nope… wait a second. I’d like an opinion first. I had thought about doing two media kids…

Doesn’t age have any advantages? I still don’t sleep well. Stars glistening, moon beaming, I think of bills, appointments, problems… I make lists, read, try to write (curse your inevitable betrayal writer’s block), and tried to simultaneously organize and turn off my thoughts.

It gives too much time for reflection. I ponder if my life would be easier if I had a hero. He can’t be just any hero; the term so loosely used nowadays. He’s gotta be strong…he’s gotta be sure… and he’s gotta be larger than life….my exhausted brain sighed, you’re just tossing and turning, with that Bonnie Tylersong in your head. I think of heroes as I slip into the arms of the sandman.

As a teen, I was a soap opera junkie. I couldn’t get enough of the endless tangled story lines, because like sands through the hourglass, so was that phase of my life.

As 13 Going on 30 is one of my favorite Rom-Com’s of all time, I decided I couldn’t resist a play-off post when my thirtieth birthday arrived today.

I usually think my birthday is neat because it’s tax day, the day Abe Lincoln was shot, and the ice-ing on the cake…day the Titanic hit the iceberg. This year, I think it’s neat (or rather, absolutely dreadful) that I am turning 30. I had my proper freak-out last week and this week, despite the pounding migraine from all this crazy weather, I decided I’m going to rock it.

So here we go. Here is the list of my lessons to me by me. Feel free to add your own life lessons / morals in the comments. I LOVE hearing new lessons and inspiration!

1. It’s going to be okay.
2. No really, it is. It really, truly, honestly is going to be okay.
3. You can’t change…

There are many ways an author can Pay it Forward to the writing community. The regular followers of this blog know I like to but books from fellow self-published authors and promote those I’ve most enjoyed via my Recommended Reads. This is a great way of giving something back to those who’ve supported you as a writer, either directly or indirectly, but I understand it can be cost prohibitive to some. However, there is another way authors can support authors, and that’s through beta reading.

The more eagle-eyed of you will have spotted I’ve not posted a new recommendation recently. This isn’t because I’ve been slacking with my reading but because I’ve taken the opportunity while my current WIP is resting to beta read for a couple of authors.

What is beta reading?

Beta reading is where you read an early version of a manuscript in order to identify…