You've heard of "Meatless Mondays" and "Throwback Thursdays." Today I'm introducing a new one: Fan Mail Fridays. Once a month or so, I'll share a positive review of my books or handmade crafts from either Etsy or Good Reads.
As my fellow writers, artists, and other creative types know, it's easy to get discouraged. Most people don't pursue artistic pursuits to get rich. We do it because we love it. Creating art-- whether it's writing books, painting, crafting, making music, etc-- is hard work. Most people only ever see the finished result, but those of us that create know how much hard work goes into creating our art.
We also know about all of the failures. The projects that simply didn't work out. The ideas that were better in concept than reality. And we're familiar with the sad reality that sometimes we aren't at the skill level that we need to do a project justice. To be fair, we get a little better with every project and every time we practice... but, we're only human.
With all of this in mind, it can be really nice to receive positive feedback. And it's worth occasionally going back and re-reading our fan mail.
To get this new series started, I'll be sharing one of my most recent pieces of fan mail. It's a positive review that I received for my most recently published book, "Alternatives." The novel was a "labor of love" as the expression goes. Working on it helped get me through the 2020-- which, as we all know, was an incredibly challenging year! Overall, I spent 2 full years working on the novel. Since I was working with a shoestring budget, I did everything from coming up with the idea, writing the story, editing and formatting the manuscript, and designing the cover. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm so relieved that my readers enjoyed the book too!
Thank you, Earnie and Ellie Efforts, for your positive feedback. I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading my book!
I hope that everyone is enjoying their last few weeks of summer. The weather here on the Oregon coast has been gorgeous! Loki and I have been enjoying lots of long walks! We're so blessed to live in an area with an abundance of natural beauty to enjoy!
Just a quick post today. Someone recently mentioned that they had trouble finding one of my social media accounts. So, I thought I'd make it easy for everyone and list them all here. I use most of the popular social media platforms, but I spend the most time on Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to visit my social media pages, follow me, or send me a message. I love hearing from readers and befriending fellow authors/artists/creative types!
As you can see, I've signed up with numerous platforms over the years. I know that everyone has different preferences and favorites when it comes to social media, so my approach has been to create accounts where people can find me (and by extension, my work).
I usually try to put a positive spin on my posts, but the truth is that the past year and a half have been incredibly difficult. In addition to my writing and running my home-based crafting business, I usually have a part time job. Book and crafts sales can vary a lot from month to month, so it's good to have a steady source of income. Unfortunately, I lost two jobs last year due to the pandemic.
Once again, I tried to remain optimistic. I used my additional free time to catch up on projects around my house, make new craft inventory, and work on editing the manuscripts of two novels.
Understandably, with everything that has been going on over the past year and a half, people have mostly been spending their money on essentials. And for most people this doesn't include books or handmade crafts. As a result, my sales have nose dived.
With all of this in mind, I've decided to have a liquidation sale in my Etsy shop, Reprieve's Corner. From now through August 1st, 2021, all of my crafts and craft supplies are 50% off and autographed copies of my books are 10% off. Free shipping on orders of $35 or more (US only).
Here's hoping that from now on things start looking up!
As always, thank you for reading and for supporting my creative efforts. I really appreciate it!
Since all of my recent posts have been serious, I decided that it was time to write about something light-hearted. A "fluff piece" if you would...
"The name is Fluff... Sir Fluff."
Sir Fluff is my four year old house cat-- although he would disagree with that description. While I'm typing this, he's outside exploring my yard-- after he snuck out this morning and refused to come back in (and he's faster than me!).
He earned his name because he's the first long haired cat that I've ever had. My niece and nephew picked him out for me from a litter of kittens that our local humane society was adopting. He's since grown into his fur, but as a kitten he looked like a grey fluff ball:
Sir Fluff is a conundrum. On one hand, he's a sweet, affectionate cat. He loves snuggles, curling up in my lap when I'm reading, and he even gives hugs! On the other hand, he's incredibly mischievous! Sometimes it's cute-- like when he hops onto my back when I'm doing yoga or when he hops onto my shoulder to "help" me with manuscript edits:
Other times, Sir Fluff makes me grr! For instance, when he decided that the wallpaper trim I installed in the attic made a great scratching post (despite the fact that there are actual scratching posts in nearly every room of our house!). I've also had to use rubber bands to the door handles of every cabinet in the kitchen in order to keep him out. There's nothing worse than retrieving a plate only to discover that your long hair cat has been using it as a bed!
But, overall, Sir Fluff is a great cat and he certainly keeps us all entertained! For instance, he sleeps in the strangest positions-- often with a leg or two sticking out straight:
Sir Fluff also hero-worships his big sister, Loki the Labrador. He loves following her around and copying her:
I hope this fluff piece made you smile. Have a great week!
I currently maintain two official author blogs-- one on Blogger
(https://hscontino.blogspot.com/) and one on WordPress
(https://hscontino.wordpress.com/)-- so readers can choose their preferred
platform. Although I initially created the blogs to promote my writing career
(updates on my writing, books in progress, book festivals, and author talks), I
also like to post about other topics that are important to me. The basic theme
of my blogs are creativity and creative outlets. But, I also write about current
events, fun things to do, and some of my other hobbies (including crafting,
drawing, geocaching, and amateur astronomy).
I recently learned that Blogger is disabling their subscribe by email feature.
Despite my best intentions, I'm not very good at keeping up with a regular
blogging schedule. As a result, the email feature was helpful for letting
people know when there was a new post available for them to read.
If you'd like to continue to receive email notifications when I publish a new
blog post, please subscribe through this email message. Or, you can subscribe
to my WordPress blog. (As far as I know, they're planning on keeping that
feature).
As always, thanks so much for supporting my writing or visiting my Etsy shop,
Reprieve's Corner (www.etsy.com/shop/ReprievesCorner). I really appreciate your
support! Without you, I wouldn't be able to pursue my passions-- which all involve some sort of creative outlet! :)
Good morning and welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
Okay, let’s face it: 2020 has been a major challenge for all of us.
Between the world-wide pandemic, job losses, natural disasters, and
nose-diving economies around the world, it’s been rough.
On a personal level, I was furloughed from my day job in March then
officially let go in July. In late September, I applied for and was
offered a new position which I started in mid-October. Things finally seemed
to be looking up; then I overheard part of a phone call between my new
boss and a co-worker– who had the call on speaker phone– about things
“not working out” with me. After only a month on the job, they let me
go– while I was home sick and the day before Veteran’s Day. (How’s that
for honoring veterans? Letting the only veteran on staff go the day
before the holiday intended to honor them).
I’m not the only one that has been struggling. I have many friends
who also lost their jobs due to the coronavirus (either during the
shutdown in March or later when businesses re-opened with limited
capacity). I have other friends who have been battling major illnesses
and disease. One friend’s husband had a major stroke this suffer, but he
survived. Another friend’s husband had a major heart attack, but he
didn’t make it. Fortunately, he lived long enough for his family to come
to the hospital to say goodbye.
So, like I said, it’s been a rough year!
In an attempt to simultaneously increase the sales in my online Etsy
shop and make the holidays more affordable for the many people out there
that are struggling financially this holiday season, I decided to run
two big sales:
Starting today, ALL of my handmade crafts and crafting supplies are 50% off of their regular prices. And, all of my autographed books are 25% off (personalized messages available).
I’m calling it my 2020 Blow… out sale (since this year seriously blows)!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I
appreciate the support– especially during such trying times. I read
somewhere that 2020 was the year that “people came together while
staying apart.” While we all practice “social distancing” to slow the
spread of the coronavirus, we have the opportunity to come together
virtually through social media, blogs, and other online activities.
Wishing everyone health and happiness during this unusual holiday season. Fingers crossed that 2021 is better– for everyone!
Well, it’s officially September which means that it’s been a full year
since I first started working on my novel “Timelines.” This time last
year, I pulled out a spiral notebook and started jotting down my ideas
about the story. Then, in October, I sat down at my computer and started
writing it.
The rough draft for “Timelines” came together quicker than any other
writing project that I have ever worked on. I was thrilled when I had a
completed rough draft within 3 weeks– which is the equivalent of warp
speed for me!
The next step was to set the manuscript aside so, when I returned to it to start the long, agonizing process of editing it, I would be able to view it with fresh eyes.
Amazingly, I succeeded in writing another novel manuscript a month later
which I’m tentatively calling “This Forgotten Life.” I chose the word
“amazing” because I have always struggled to complete drafts. I’m really
good at getting ideas and starting rough drafts, but I usually run out
of steam mid-way through a project and then struggle to finish it.
I initially began editing “Timelines” during the winter, but I only had a
limited amount of time to work on it, and I didn’t make much progress.
Then, in March, most of the country shut down due to COVID-19.
Like the majority of workers, I was furloughed from my job at a local
library. I remained in email contact with my supervisor, who reassured
me for months that I still had a job whenever things returned to normal.
But, even after the library re-opened for a limited number of hours per
week, they didn’t need me to come in. Then, on July 31st, I received an
official letter informing me that they were letting me go.
While it’s been an incredibly difficult year, I have attempted to stay
busy and focus on constructive tasks to get through it. I’ve completed
several home projects including painting the ceiling in my attic
office/studio/spare bedroom. Since we’re living through such stressful
times, I wanted something cheerful and fun. And, since I use the space
to do a lot of writing, painting, and crafting, I wanted the room to be
inspirational. So, I chose a blue skies with clouds theme. What do you
think?
To make the project even more fun– and to amuse my nieces and nephew
when they come to visit– I added stencils of different animals, plants,
and bugs. So, when you’re in my attic you can play the game where you look for shapes in the clouds.
I had so much fun painting my attic ceiling! I already had glow in the
dark stars and planets, so I added some stencils with glow in the dark
paint. The result: during the day the room is blue skies and clouds and
then at night the stars and planets are visible.
I’ve also been plugging away at editing my “Timelines” manuscript. For
the past six months, I have worked on it for anywhere from thirty-
minutes to several hours nearly every day.
Slowly but surely, the story is coming together. I’m currently on the
7th draft. For the first few, I read through the manuscript on my
computer and made changes. For this draft, I printed everything out and
I’ve been attacking it with a colored pen. Then, one chapter at a time,
I’ve been making these changes in the computer version.
My current plan is to go through two more drafts– one where I highlight
sections based on the type of content (dialogue, action, backstory, etc)
in an attempt to make sure the story is “balanced.” Then, I plan on
reading the story out loud from start to finish (which can help identify
problem areas).
Once I’ve completed these steps, I’m going to release a “Beta Reader
Edition” of the novel. Since I’m working with such a limited budget and I
don’t have the backing of an established publisher for this project, I
don’t have the money to hire a professional editor. So, instead, I plan
on putting the novel out there and encouraging people to read it and
then provide me with feedback.
What have you been doing to stay positive and/or constructive during the pandemic? Feel free to leave a comment.
Like many people around the world, the
ongoing coronavirus crisis has had a big impact on my finances. Under
normal conditions, I have three jobs (one traditional and two
freelance). I work part time at a local public library, I write and sell
my books (which includes giving book talks and history lectures), and I
run a handmade craft business (which includes selling items both online
and at local markets).
Since mid-March, all three of my jobs have
come to a screeching halt. Technically, I still have books and crafts
listed online; but, people have been more focused on purchasing staples
and paying their basic bills.
In an attempt to (hopefully) get more
online sales, I’m running several promotions through June 25th in my
Etsy shop, Reprieve’s Corner:
25% Off Autographed Copies of My Books
30% Off of All Handmade Crafts and Craft Supplies
50% Off of items in my Clearance Section
Additionally, I’m offering free shipping on orders of $35 or more (US customers only).
Please, feel free to check out my Etsy shop and take advantage of these discounts.
I'd love to have everyone's feedback on something.
I created my online Etsy shop, Reprieve's Corner, back in 2011. Personally, I love the name. Reprieve is my favorite word in the English language. As I explain in my shop's "about" section, my logo is a frog taking shelter under a mushroom during a rain shower. I relate the image to the items in my shop since pretty much everything could be given as a gift. They're like my "little moments of reprieve"-- things to cheer someone up or make them smile. Eventually, like the frog, they're going to have to step back out into life's rain shower; but, hopefully, the items that I sell will help bring them moments of happiness.
The problem is that I'm finding that most people don't understand my concept and they find the name of my business both confusing and hard to remember.
So, I've been thinking about changing the name of my shop. I'd like something catchy and easy to remember. The hard part is finding something that "fits" since I sell a variety of different products. I'm a published author, so I sell my books-- which, like my crafts, cover a variety of topics. And I sell handmade crafts including jewelry, greeting cards, plush toys, hand painted wooden signs, pictures, and magnets. I also recently started making items out of clay (figurines and jewelry components).
The following are some of possible shop names that I'm considering and my concerns about each one. Please feel free to leave a comment on your favorites or add a new suggestion
Hannah's Handmade (although this doesn't completely fit my books)
Contino's Creations (but, I worry that people will have trouble remembering my last name)
Hannah's Creative Corner (too vague?)
Hannah's Hodgepodge (covers the variety, but I worry that it implies that I'm unorganized)
I had so much fun painting my attic ceiling! I already had glow in the
dark stars and planets, so I added some stencils with glow in the dark
paint. The result: during the day the room is blue skies and clouds and
then at night the stars and planets are visible.
So, I've been thinking about changing the name of my shop. I'd like something catchy and easy to remember. The hard part is finding something that "fits" since I sell a variety of different products. I'm a published author, so I sell my books-- which, like my crafts, cover a variety of topics. And I sell handmade crafts including jewelry, greeting cards, plush toys, hand painted wooden signs, pictures, and magnets. I also recently started making items out of clay (figurines and jewelry components).