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I don’t know when it happened. Could have been in February 2006.  I used to have just a business blog and a family one.

In February 2006 my Pastor mentioned the term God-Incidence and I thought I would write an article about that and soon realised in fact it could become another blog.

Then I started looking for an excuse to play with the Wordpress platform so I could provide blogging as a service for clients of my VA business so I did a personal study on the Proverbs 31 Woman.   That has since become a book and I now have a separate site and blog for that one called Worth More Than Rubies.

And as different topics came to mind to write about, each became a theme for a blog so I could continue to write about that theme.  I shifted my Blogger blogs to Wordpress as I became more adept at using it and modifying the themes and adding plug-ins.

I had heard about blogging becoming addictive, I just didn’t realise how bad I had it till earlier this year.

And so, I’ve just begun another one last week.  A group I belong to - the Baby Boomer Divas (I’m smack bang in the middle of all the photos) - has many authors amongst the group and it occurred to me that it would be good to highlight their books and provide opportunity for people to make comment and leave book reviews for each author.  One of the members, Claudia, has a similar site, from the view of a reader called e-Book and Book Reviews and I’ve done one from the view of an author called Blessed Reading.

I found a template I liked at Blogger to start with but then a good scout found me the same template in Wordpress so I’ve migrated back to Wordpress as that is my preferred blogging platform.

If you are an author and your book would fit into the theme of Blessed Reading, then I invite you to let me know about it, so the book can be added. If you’ve read any of the books at Blessed Reading, then please do add your comment or review on the book - the authors will be thrilled and so will I!

Tags: Blogging by Kathie Thomas
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I’ve been the recipient of heaps of holiday and Thanksgiving wishes from well meaning senders. And that has opened my eyes to something. I don’t live in the US and therefore do not celebrate Thanksgiving. I do have some idea of what it’s about but since American history was not something I majored in, my knowledge is limited. I have experienced a slight annoyance, though, in these bountiful messages being sent out to entire lists and so I’m receiving them multiple times.

I got annoyed because it’s not holiday time for me, I don’t need all the extra emails as I get plenty already, and I don’t need the recipes and tips and everything else that’s coming out at this time of year relating to an event I don’t participate in. I’ve simply just deleted in most cases until I received one email via a forum. The sender actually wished a Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the US and a good weekend to everyone else. At last, here’s someone who realises the celebration is only taking place in his country, or amongst his compatriots elsewhere.  And his email made me think about why I was feeling annoyed.

Then this thought hit me. How many Christmas and Easter wishes do I send out? I too have been guilty in the past of not remembering that my audience spreads much further beyond those who might have the same beliefs I have, or the same traditional practices. Although I did try to remember that last Christmas period.

I want to encourage you to think about the messages you send out to your audience and to remember to acknowledge that there are many who might not be celebrating the same as you, or even experiencing the same season as you are. How many emails have I received about ‘back to school’ or ’springtime’ specials when it’s been a different season and school period for me in my country? Remember that your audience is global and acknowledge that in your messages. It will help you gain more attention in the things you have written about, rather than being dismissed as ‘not for me’.

Of course, if your listing is purely a group that would celebrate whatever the season is, then by all means that’s not a problem.  But if you belong to a list or group, or have a mail list of your own, that is multicultural and global, then please do consider that some of the recipients might not always have appreciation for what you are celebrating or the good wishes that you are trying to send their way.

seasons, Thanksgiving, celebrations, Christmas

Tags: Networking for Business by Kathie Thomas
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Yes, that is what is happening. If you own a blog at Blogger, you’ll see mention of one blog that has recently become a book.

I have also turned one of my blogs into a book. There was so much interest in my personal walk through the Proverbs 31 chapter and about the Proverbs 31 Woman that I launched a book late September called “Worth More Than Rubies: The Value of a Work at Home Mum“. Those who have read Proverbs 31 will know where the title has come from. The book would make a great Christmas present for any woman who has a desire to return home to work and be there for family - or perhaps she already is but feels very much on her own. “Worth More Than Rubies” is available in Australia online, and also in the US at lulu.com. You’ll also find it in Koorong Bookstores Australia wide and Dymocks in Melbourne. See my website linked above for full details.

Going back to the blogger book - just in case you don’t have an account at Blogger, here it is for you. There are some great tips below.

Sasha Cagen’s To-Do List blog (which you may recognize as a blog of note) has just been released as a book! Both blog and book are collections of, well, to-do lists, mailed or emailed in by people. Think PostSecret meets Getting Things Done.

Watch the trailer, read the blog, buy the book, and make sure that you have an awesome screen name.

— Pete

Tags: Blogging by Kathie Thomas
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