Today's Guest: Samantha Seeley - Blogger, Photographer, Foodie, Teacher

Today's guest is blogger and food fanatic Samantha Seeley, a self-described food-obsessed, camera clutching nerd who has given us Sweet Remedy,  a food and lifestyle blog that focuses on home cooking made with real food and fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Its pages are graced with almost edible photos of original kitchen creations shot by the author. In June of 2013, she spoke at the BlogHer Food conference on a panel titled Pro Food Photography on the Fly. She covers Restaurant Week in the Hudson Valley and has been published in a variety of publications, most notably The Valley Table magazine. She's currently pursing her BA in Multimedia Production. I have the pleasure of working with Samantha at SUNY Orange, where she will present a master class, "Blogging and Online Presentation for Creative Endeavors: How to Market Yourself as a Working Artist," on Monday, March 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. During this class, she will teach you how to “present yourself digitally in a professional way and how to be seen in the crowd.” A question and answer session will follow. The class is free and open to the public, and will be of interest to anyone using or planning to use social media to further an artistic endeavor, whether writing, art, music, theater, etc. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing Samantha! Please tell us about Sweet Remedy. What got you started?

Thanks for inviting me to meet your readers, Marianne. I started Sweet Remedy as a vendor at the Pine Bush Farmers' Market in 2008/2009. I made cupcakes mainly, but also brownies and cookies. I began the website as a way to let customers know when I'd be at the market and as a way for them to see what flavors I had baked that week. Eventually it turned into a recipe blog, and I started to post everything I made in my kitchen.

Why food?

It inspires me: The aromas, vibrant colors of fresh produce and of course the many tastes. Once I started selling baked goods at the farmers market, the food community drew me in. 

How do you create the recipes?

I start out with an idea or a flavor and take it from there. I have a small notebook that I carry with me everywhere and I write down almost every idea that pops into my head throughout the day. The other day, someone mentioned a person named "Rosemary" and all I could think about was the herb rosemary in fresh baked bread! It also comes down to a lot of trial and error and multiple test runs in the kitchen! Rarely is a recipe good enough on the first try. 

Were you always a foodie?

Not always, in high school you wouldn't find me in the kitchen at all. A lot of food bloggers have cute stories about baking cookies with their grandma. Not me!

Who's your target audience?

My target audience for Sweet Remedy is anyone who wants to learn how to cook. I'm currently working on a video series on kitchen basics. I want to make cooking seem approachable and less intimidating to the novice. For my photography blog, my audience is two-fold: Other photographers looking to learn and magazines, publishing houses, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, etc. It is still in the beginning stages and all will unfold as I create more content.

How do you build your audience?

You have to know your audience before you build it up. If you aren't creating content that they want to read, they won't come back to your blog, subscribe or follow you on social media. The first step is to understand them and their needs and then to promote those posts where they "hang out" online. I also firmly believe in sharing knowledge and teaching someone something new. It doesn't hurt to post on a regular schedule! Also, a lot of time and patience.

Which tools do you depend on to create your blog? i.e software, cameras, cookbooks, websites, etc.

I use quite a few tools for my site:

•    Self-Hosted WordPress
•    Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere Pro for videos, Lightroom and Photoshop for digital images)
•    Lots of camera equipment: Canon 6D, Tripod, Cables, SD Cards, Flash Drives, etc.                  
•    Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
•   The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of     America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
•   Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman

This list could go on forever so I'll stop there! 

What is your ultimate goal?

To help people navigate their kitchens and become better home cooks! I also started my photography blog to help teach photography fundamentals. I have multiple personal goals:

•     Write a cookbook
•     Photograph food for other cookbook authors, restaurants and magazines
•     Teach workshops (photography related)
•     Design online courses
•     Finish my degrees

Are you doing a book?

Not yet. I hope to have more time for this when I finish up my bachelor's degree. I currently have too many ideas for a cookbook. 

How did you train for this line of work?

I don't think I "trained" for it, I sort of just fell into it. I threw myself into Sweet Remedy head first and learned a lot along the way. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Production and in turn have taken many design, photography and new media courses. As for the cooking side of it, I've mostly learned by trial and error and now consider myself a pretty good cook! I learned from my mistakes in the kitchen, and try to help others learn by sharing those mistakes! 

Do you consider this a hobby or a profession?

I have two other gigs which are my main sources of income. I suppose I am walking the line between hobby and profession as I do a lot of freelance work through recipe development and photography. 

I see you're an affiliate. With what company(ies) and how does this benefit you?

I am an affiliate with a lot of companies, most notably Amazon. I receive a small monetary percentage of each sale made due to a link to Amazon from my blog.

What advice do you have for new bloggers?

If you're going to start a blog, have a clear focus and a narrow niche. It's also a good idea to absolutely love what you are going to write about, otherwise you will get bored and that will show through your work. 

Lastly, who gets to eat the delicious food after the photo shoot?

Mostly my boyfriend. Sometimes my neighbors! 

Thanks for stopping by Samantha! I'm looking forward to your class. If you'd like to attend her class, please visit SUNY Orange Cultural Affairs. 

Follow Samantha on:

Sweet Remedy 

Samantha Seeley, Food & Lifestyle Photographer

Twitter

Facebook

Google+

Pinterest

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Clean Indie Reads March Madness Blog Hop, Sale & Giveaway - Find Your Next "Flinch Free" Read

Have you ever skipped over the parts of a book with too many graphic details about a violent act or bloody scene? Do you pass over paragraphs or pages that go beyond the bedroom door in a way that makes you uncomfortable? Do you cringe when you come upon excessive and pointless foul language in a story? I do, and too often. Sometimes in these days of "anything goes," I need to take a break from all the oversexed, obscenely violent, and filthy language that permeates popular culture, including  books. This is not always easy because the powers that be at the helms of pop culture think this is what everyone wants.  Well, not everyone, which is why I was thrilled to discover Clean Indie Reads, the home of "flinch-free fiction," and joined them not only as a reader but as an author.

Clean Indie Reads is a group of indie authors writing fiction that's clean, meaning  without gratuitous sex, violence or profanity. Home to more than 2000 (!) authors, CIR offers titles in just about every genre from children's books, to YA, new adult, romance, mystery, you name it. We not only help each other market and promote our work but also support one another through the writing process, publication, and sometimes personal difficulties. We also share our members' news and accomplishments on our website, Facebook page, and on Twitter using the hashtag #CR4U. This is a tight group, but open to others who'd like to join us. Readers are always welcome. Here's the link.

  

Over the next five days, we’re hosting a March Madness Blog Hop, Giveaway, and Sale. Please take a moment to visit our authors on the blog hop to find out what we're all about, then browse through our free and discounted titles on our sale page to try out a clean indie read. I guarantee you'll connect with someone offering just the book you need right now. 

But before you go, be sure to get in on our "Year of Reading Giveaway." Forty authors have contributed books to create an awesome year of reading for one lucky reader! All you need to do is visit as many of the blogs in the giveaway as you can by March 20th.  The books offered in the Grand Prize can be seen in the slide show on the right side of this page. Be sure to fill out the secure Google form at each blog you visit - each time you do, you'll earn another entry! And you can start right here! Good luck! And happy reading!

March Madness Book Bundle Grand Prize!

Guest Author: Judith Lucci, Creator of Author 911, an Online Resource For Writers Writing Medical Scenes

Today’s guest is Judith Lucci, creator and administrator of Author 911: The Authors’ Writing & Medical Academy, an online resource for writing medical scenes. Judith brings a wealth of knowledge and decades of experience to this website. She’s a registered nurse and has worked in the ICU, ER, neurology, medical & surgery, home health, and public health nursing. She’s also a professor of nursing at a large university in the South and holds graduate and doctoral degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. Judith has authored textbooks, research studies, theoretical articles, policies and just about anything needed in a clinical or educational environment. She is also the author of the Alex Destephano Medical Thriller Series, which currently includes three titles: Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center, The Imposter, and Viral Intent. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing, Judith! Please tell us about Author 911.

Thanks for inviting me to speak to your readers, Marianne. Author 911: The Authors & Writers’ Medical Academy is my latest project to help authors write medical scenes correctly. The site includes interviews with experts in a variety of areas in healthcare and medicine, links to educational websites on the workings of the human body, a tutorial on ballistics and gunshots, and information on poisons and fight scenes. There’s also writing tips and author spotlights. It’s all new and under development and I hope it allows writers to create believable, realistic stories.

Your Alex Destephano medical series has gotten outstanding reviews. Please tell us about them.

My Alex Destephano novels are a compilation of my very active imagination, my years as a clinical nurse, and current events in the news.  The main characters are Alexandra Destephano, a nurse attorney who is legal counsel for Crescent City Medical Center, and Jack Francoise, a dedicated, gnarly, unyielding New Orleans police commander who covers the 8th Precinct and the French Quarter, where in the deepest, sleazy and sordid areas copious crime occurs. Add in dashing surgeon Robert Bonnet, Alex's ex-husband, and psychiatrist Monique Desmonde, her best friend, and the cast is complete. Crescent City Medical is intent on offering the best care in the world but is constantly challenged by competition, health care reform, incompetent management, psychopaths, murder and viral disease outbreaks, not to mention bad guys intent on doing the hospital harm. Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center, The Imposter, Viral Intent and Toxic New Year (release date Winter 2015) are fast-paced, riveting medical thrillers that offer readers believable drama and memorable characters and allows them to escape into the complex, often mysterious world of health care. 

What are your goals as a writer?

I have three goals when I write: to engage the reader to keep them reading, to entertain the reader and to educate them. I have been a college professor and clinician for many years, and each of my books has underlying themes. In Chaos I talk about the changes in health care based on the Affordable Care Act. The Imposter highlights the dismal state of psychiatric medicine in the US. Viral Intent highlights ethical and political issues currently in society.

 

What is the time span in your novel?

Chaos takes place over a week, The Imposter a week as well, and Viral Intent only four days. Toxic New Year spans several months.

How much research goes into your writing?

There is a ton of research in all of my books. I know a lot about medicine and health care but not so much about explosives, AK47s, drones and counterterrorism.

When, why, and how did you start writing?

I have been writing ever since I can remember. For many years, as an academician I wrote research reports, theoretical articles, and textbooks, and I only returned to fiction writing in recent years.  I love writing…It allows me to continue to teach and educate my readers as well as entertain them.   Writing allows me a ‘work through’ and rights the wrongs that I have experienced in clinical practice.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my readers. There is nothing more exciting for me than to receive an email from one of them or a great review.  They energize me and propel me forward.

Where do you get your ideas?

My plot lines come from copious research, my experience, a TV show, the newspaper, almost everywhere.  An ongoing plot line in all of my novels came from the New Orleans Police Department website for unsolved crimes.

How much do you read? Which genres?    

                     

I read incessantly. I love thrillers, literary fiction, suspense, historical fiction, just about everything.  I am amazed by people who say to me “I never read.  I don’t have any time.”  I have learned about people and the world by reading. I cannot imagine a life without books.

Can you tell us what you’re working on now?

I am currently working on the fourth Alex book, Toxic New Year, which I hope to release in a few months. I also have another series, Michaela McPherson, Private Eye.  Mic is a retired homicide detective in Richmond, VA who, no matter how hard she tries,  cannot retire. These will be shorter books but just as exciting as the Alex series.

What advice do you have for beginning authors?

My advice would be to read, revise, write, read, revise, write, revise and get a great editor.  It is impossible for many authors, myself included, to edit ourselves and find simple errors that don’t stand out to us.

Thank you, Judith. Best wishes on Author 911 and your medical series.

Judith loves to connect with readers. You can visit her blog or contact her via email at  judithlucciwrites@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and her new website Author911.

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Library Love and How Library Journal's SELF-e & BiblioBoard Get Indie Authors on Their Shelves.

If you saw my Jeep downtown, most likely you spotted it in the library parking lot. This is a frequent stop, and has been for just about all of my life. I owe my love of reading and the writer fire it ignited in me to all of the public libraries I’ve had the privilege to use. Without these libraries I would never have been able to read the thousands of books I’ve absorbed. I would not have discovered the beauty of the written word, nor aspired to become the creator of that beauty myself, to study and learn the craft, to challenge myself to write my own books. 

I grew up going to the library. As a child, visits to the Campello branch of the Brockton Public Library were, at the least, a weekly thing, and involved hours perusing the shelves for just the right stack of books to bring home, some titles checked out again and again because they were so good and needed to be read one more time. I even loved the school library and looked forward to Library Day. I never knew what I’d find, and, being a naturally curious and open-minded child, this was a wonderful place to explore. When I grew up and left the Campello library and all its rich adventure behind, I made it a point to become acquainted with the public libraries in my new home towns, obtain a precious library card, and avail myself of their unique offerings. 

The library has been a haven for me as a reader, and now as an author, where I am fortunate to see the copies of Blue Hydrangeas I’ve donated to my home library and to libraries on Cape Cod (where the book is set) enjoy lots of check-out action. I’ve also been invited to do book readings and signings, teach classes on self-publishing, and organize a local author and illustrator showcase at my home library. Yes, the library and I are great lifelong friends. 

So when I learned last week that Blue Hydrangeas was accepted into Library Journal’s curated SELF-e collections, I did a happy dance because now my book will be available to readers all over the United States via 2,500 public libraries subscribed to BiblioBoard Library, a service that brings quality self-published works to the attention of the librarians who stock digital libraries. This will enable me to gain readers in an area – public libraries - that has, until now, been closed to most indie authors. 

BiblioBoard provides an easy to use online library browsing system that offers readers a variety of unlimited reading material, including books, articles, and documents, as well as multimedia content such as images, video and audio from traditional publishers, indie-published authors and the library’s own special collections. BiblioBoard also creates new library business models for publishers while helping authors build a brand and reach new audiences. Upon my selection for SELF-e, I received a “badge” for my book, free marketing materials, exposure via Library Journal, and inclusion in a service that will reach millions of potential readers. 

This is a boon to indie authors who have historically been denied access to library shelves, primarily because there was little to no system in place to vet the million+ titles out there. With Library Journal (the gold-standard for library reader services) curating submissions to SELF-e, there’s no need for individual libraries to read and screen submissions. They can add to their collections with confidence the materials are suitable for their patrons. And, since the platform allows unlimited checkouts of the same book (most libraries are only allowed to loan out one copy at a time) librarians don’t have to worry that a popular book will cost them more money to keep on hand, or that long waiting times to check out a book will upset patrons. 

As an indie author, at this point in my career I’m more interested in gaining readers than royalties. The opportunity to have my book (books) available in public libraries all over the country and throughout New York State (my home state) as a "highlighted selection," will help me build a strong base of readers, some of whom may write a review of my book, post it on Facebook or Goodreads, refer it to a friend, or purchase my next title. 

The first Library Journal SELF-e curated collection will be available to libraries in mid-2015. 

To submit your book visit SELF-e.

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Guest Post: How to Write a Book in Two Months with Author Lois D. Brown

Today I welcome mystery author Lois D. Brown, who will share with us how she wrote a book in two months, something I bet all authors wish they could do. Since it takes me years to write a book, I'm especially intrigued with Lois' accomplishment. Lois also has a special contest to tell us about with a grand prize of  3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah, thirty minutes from Zion Natinal Park. Read on!

About Lois D. Brown

Lois Brown's love of all things fantastical began at an early age when her five older brothers made her watch television shows such as “Dr. Who” and “Lost in Space.” (Yes, the originals.) Her passion for science fiction continued when, at age 12, she spent an entire summer buying “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” collector cards. As an adult, she has appeared on television shows such as “Myth Hunters: The Curse of Montezuma's Gold” and “American Unearthed” discussing Montezuma’s treasure and Freddie Crystal in Kanab, Utah. If you’d like updates on Lois’s adventures in writing and treasure hunting, please subscribe to her newsletter at www.loisdbrown.com. Other novels by Lois include: Cycles (a top five finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult Indie Books of 2012); Spaces; and Catching Katil (a tween mystery set in the 1980s.) 

Welcome to Adventures in Publishing Lois! Please tell us how you wrote your mystery Robbed of Soul in two months.

Thanks for inviting me to visit your blog, Marianne. So you want to write a book in two months. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)

Two years ago it took me almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long. This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery in two months. What made the difference?

Point #1: Like your book

First off, let me say that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good premise and was marketable. However, I was completely passionate about Robbed of Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It includes legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters in the 1920's. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much so that I've actually appeared on a television show about Montezuma's treasure. 

Point #2: Make it a competition.

I contacted a friend of mine who was about to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone personally, there are tons of online author support sites that would work too.) My friend and I made writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in less than ten weeks.

Point 3: Get rid of distractions 

I created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I wrote Robbed of Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my kitchen as possible.  I also put my cell phone in a different spot than where I wrote. 

Point 4: Write while you do chores

There is a free app for iPhone called Dragon Dictation. It's easy to download and it's simple to use. While it's not perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even while I walk around the house picking up messes.

Point 5: Stay awake!

Caffeine does a number on me. I really don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in it, tastes good, and I feel like a legit writer with my steaming mug of brown liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the companies.)

About the contest

Do you like books? Do you like Zion National Park? 

Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway

 and you may win 3 nights in a vacation townhome in 

Kanab, Utah. (Thirty minutes from Zion.) A $450 value!

 (Or a $100 Amazon gift card if preferred.) 

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway 

About Robbed of Soul

Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really is.

Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.

Follow Lois on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Don't miss a word. Follow my Adventures in Publishing. 
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