This is Who I Am

I don't know if it's just my blogs, (I maintain 3 of them), but followers keep disappearing. It could be people cleaning house for the new year, people bored with my posts, or just mad about something. One day I lost a follower on each of my 3 blogs, so it's hard not to take that personally LOL! No hard feelings though, it happens. Sometimes it's necessary to do a clear out, no big deal.

But I decided to start off my blogging year with an upfront appraisal of who I am and what I'm doing here. So you know what you're getting into if you decide to follow this blog or any of my others.

From the Shadows to the Page is about writing from life. It has random personal stuff on it so if you just can't get enough of me here, you can follow me there too LOL. It was featured recently on a genealogy blog site, because I post a lot about writing one's family history, writing from life, and recording a personal history.

The Celery Tree blog was started with L.A. DeVaul, co-founder of Celery Tree, to get interest and share information on the new website for authors. I used to post a lot here about marketing issues that writers face. Those subjects will now be addressed on the Celery Tree blog.

Coming Down the Mountain is where I post mainly about writing, editing and publishing. Yes, I am a writer with two books out. No, I don't have an agent, never have nor ever will. I might have relented if Tom Cruise-look alike guy had stayed in the business and begged me to be his client, but alas he's no longer available.

Yes, I am an editor-- for WiDo Publishing, a small press located in Salt Lake City, Utah. No, I have not self-published. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) My book Farm Girl was the first release for WiDo with the expenses of editing, design, printing and all the rest paid by them, although my family and I have been consulted and closely involved along the way.

Because this is how my family is. We are large (meaning there's a lot of us), loud (not individually but as a group), creative, smart (not bragging here just being honest LOL) and bossy (in a kind of goofy, non-threatening way). We stick together like our own universe. But people seem to like us and want to work with us, so that's good.

I see things from many points of view because of these experiences-- the writer, the editor, the marketer, the publisher, the mother, the daughter, the sister, the cookie-maker. Oh yes, I also make chocolate chip cookies and sell them locally under the name of Karen's Cookies. Our slogan is "When you want just one really good cookie." But that's a different matter entirely and has nothing to do with my online activities.

I'm not young and hip and cool. So if you're looking for that, you better go find Candyland, Bang Out the Prose or Creepy Query Girl. I like to buy clothes, makeup, shoes and purses. But mostly I sit at home in my pajamas editing or writing, not giving myself much opportunity to wear the clothes, makeup, etc etc.

My goals this year for Coming Down the Mountain are to focus even more on writing, editing and publishing issues of all kinds. Because that's my passion. And it is now the absolute most exciting time to be in this business ever.