Collecting Info and What to Do with ItYou want to collect reader emails for your newsletter. But how? And once you have them, what then? Google has a great app, simply called "Forms". The best part is that if you have a gmail address, you already have this app. Once you have a gmail address, you automatically have Google Drive and all the apps in that suite: Docs, Sheets, and Forms. To collect data, reader info or any information where you don't want to duplicate effort by retyping what someone else already has, create a Form. Make sure to make it "Public" in the "Sharing" settings. And a few months ago, Google gave us new themes (I was tired of the old ones!) with easier customizing (about time!). Once you create a form you like, post the link on your website or in a post on Facebook (or your favorite social media venue). Another option is to embed the HTML code in your website or with a button to the form. The data from the form feeds into a response sheet (Google sheet). That used to be all you got. Other people can and do write scripts that do fancy tasks. Some of us are simple mortals who must wait for those scripts to be turned into apps that are shared through the Add-on Manager Menu. I love the Form Notifications add-on which allows you to automatically answer the respondent with a message like, "Thank you for signing up for my newsletter. I hope you'll enjoy the exclusive excerpts. If you'd like to join my street team, contact me directly at jsmith123@gmail.com." Or something like that. Or you can set the Form Notifications to notify you when you get a new submission. There's also a Form Publisher app. It's like Mail Merge in Microsoft Office Word/Excel. Install the app in your form, create a Google doc template with fields from the Form and you get individualized documents. Think form letters. Try these apps to save you time that you can spend on better things. Like writing! Spicy Turkey LasagnaToday, I'm sharing a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Skinny Slow Cooker special publication. Now, this is not your all day in-the-crock-pot recipe. This is a three and one-half hour recipe so you can toss the ingredients together after lunch and still make it for dinner time. Ingredients: 12 oz. ground turkey 1 tsp. dried oregano 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 1 15 oz carton light ricotta cheese 1 3/4 cups shredded Italian-blend cheeses (I used fresh mozzarella cut in thick slices for this ingredient, and I might add, it was fabulous!) 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (Fresh spinach cut with kitchen shears into the size right for your family works, too. Can't stand slimy greens if I can use fresh!) 3 1/2 cups chunky pasta sauce with mushrooms and green pepper 12 no-boil lasagna noodles 1/2 cup water 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese Snipped fresh basil and/or grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 1. Fully cook the ground turkey, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. 2. Combine ricotta, Italian-blend cheeses and spinach. (Instead, we mixed the ricotta and spinach and layered the sliced fresh mozzarella separately.) 3. Assemble in layers: first a small amount on pasta sauce on bottom of crock, then a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add half the turkey, 1 cup of pasta sauce, sliced mozzarella, half of the water. Last, spread half the ricotta/spinach/Italian cheeses (unless you followed my lead with the mozzarella). Repeat. 4. Cover and cook on low for three and a half hours. 5. Top with reserved 1/2 cup pasta sauce and that 1/4 to 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and continue cooking on low for an additional 10 minutes. There you go! This lasagna is so good, my hubby and chicken nugget addicted youngest eat it, spinach and all! Decided to have a little fun with this one. Just found this video and everyone needs a reason to smile. Enjoy! We're baring our souls this week, allowing you a peek inside our personal lives. I bet Dani Jace's blog was as spicy as her books. If you missed her, head back. This week's question is from the lovely and lively Xio Axelrod: A Day in the Life: What do you do when you’re not writing? Where do I start? Yesterday alone, I was plumber, contractor, chef and maid. Naturally, like others in my particular situation, the other beings in my house, otherwise known as "children," create a continual, never-ending maelstrom of mess. I'm more often than I'd like a referee and sometimes Queen Solomon. When not playing Wonder Woman Super Mom, I train people how to more efficiently and effectively use technology in their careers. But I know very little about what's actually inside the computer, AKA hardware. Once I am free from the day job, I am happiest outside. At home, give me weeding, mowing and getting my hands in the soil any day over housework. Chopping wood, hauling compost. I am so thankful I've found a man who isn't a chauvinist, Someone who sees me as equal, not as the "little woman." For free time, give me the beach. Any weather, any season, any day. I am happiest outside, hair wild in the breeze, sun on my face, salt water lapping at my toes. If I had 100 acres on the ocean so I could rescue dogs and horses, I'd be in heaven! I've rambled on long enough about me. Head over to Fiona Riplee's blog to see what her other sides are.
Stir Fry Vegetables with Rice BlendToday, I'm going to give you a quick, easy and healthy side dish, or vegetarian main dish. It's simply because I buy the frozen stir fry veggies from CostCo in the 5 pound bag.
Defrost the veggies. While these are thawing, prepare sprouted rice and quinoa, also from CostCo. The directions call for water but I use chicken broth. My husband loves this for the nutty flavor and texture. It takes half an hour to simmer in the broth or water and an additional ten to allow for steaming, covered and off the heat. Heat peanut oil (I use EVOO because that's what's on hand) and add the veggies. Season with onion salt or powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, whatever you like and stir them up to heat through. This is where I add the rice blend and stir another minute or two. Even my meat-and-potatoes hubby eats veggies like this. Wow! An amazing story...Let me warn you... Don't read this when you have anything pressing because you will not want to put this book down once you start it. Oh, and maybe don't finish it right before bed. This story gets in your head and every shadow becomes so much more than a shadow. I won't summarize, that's what the rest of the post is for, and I don't want to spoil the read. What I will say is I read this in one day, with several unwilling breaks. Ms. Johal grabs you by the fears and immerses you in her boiling cauldron of seething spiritual oppression. Heart pounding, breath holding, fist clenching scenes made shivers run up and down my spine more than I care to remember. Throughout, I rooted for the good guys and kept an eye out for the bad guys. Ms. Johal created realistic, likeable characters. Most books I don't like result from unlikeable heroes or heroines but Gwynneth is a girl after my own heart. She's sweet, sensitive, and broken. Her motivations for her actions are unselfish as she struggles with a full on spiritual attack. Throughout the story, I was never sure what was coming next. Who was helping Gwen, who was hindering her, who she'd end up with? Hell, would she even survive? The pace was perfect: gave me just enough detail to satisfy my need to create an image in my head while keeping me on the edge of my seat, needing to turn the page. Turn the page! I loved the characters, especially best friend Seth. I mean, really, hot best friend who's neat, tidy and cooks like a Parisian chef? What's not to like? Fenton, her good friend and co-worker, kicked her ass or hugged her, whatever the situation called for. Every woman needs a friend like that. Horror is not my usual pick. I love paranormal but I've got a pretty active imagination and Ms. Johal did such a superb job painting the story, giving life to the shadows, that I have to admit having trouble falling asleep. Actually prayed a little harder, a little longer than usual. And maybe I had to sleep with the light on in the bathroom. Not that I really needed it. (Totally needed it!) This. Is. A. Must. Read! Buy Links: Amazon Link to Clarissa Johal's Author site. Can't wait to read the remaining books! Google VoiceSo if you've read my previous tech posts, you might think I love Google. You'd be close. I really appreciate many of their services that they offer in an organized suite of tools for maximum productivity. And they are free! Free! If you have a Google account, you can get a free local phone number for your writing business. Yes, I know, we're all in it for the creative aspects: plot, mystery, relationships, and I'll admit it- the hot heroes and heroines we create. But we do have to consider the promotional side. How will editors, beta readers, the Pulitzer foundation reach you? What number are you putting on your letterhead, your business cards, your query letters? Sure, most writing business these days is done electronically or in person but having a phone number where people can reach you or leave a message is critical. Google to the rescue! There are treasures included with that simple email address. Lots. But let's look at Google Voice. I didn't want to give out my home phone (don't do that much anyway, enough telemarketers have that number) or my cell number. Google Voice is a local number you can set up through your Gmail account to receive voice messages which show up in your inbox. Voila! You can also manage all your phone numbers to go to this same number. Different ringtones define different numbers. Personally, I keep all my numbers separate as I keep personal, day job and writing careers separate. At least until Pulitzer calls. The tradition of making New Years resolutions goes back millennia. Romans and Babylonians pledged to their gods to make better choices and live better. In present times, people make resolutions to improve eating habits, exercise more, or stop bad habits. So basically, humankind has been breaking resolutions for all time. A long time ago, I decided to make a simple resolution: do something new each year. Wouldn't have to be big, grand or amazing. Just new. It was easy to keep and required little persistence. Here are a few of my "accomplishments": diving with a shark (wreck dive), ride a camel, swim with a dolphin, get an auric reading. This year, however, I will publish a second book in the Wiccan Haus series with Musa Publishing. I plan to finish the first in my Ghost Story trilogy (not the final name, but I kind of wait and let it name itself) as well as self-publish a military novella with CreateSpace. This will truly be my new experience. I may like having all the responsibility as well as all the creative power or I might think it's too much but I won't know until I try. Somehow I will fit all this in with a full time job, family of two preteen daughters and lovely husband, along with all the required responsibilities of kids' activities and adult meetings. Not to mention a summer vacation to Florida! So I guess my kids' firsts will be snorkeling on America's coral reefs at John Pennekamp Park. What will you do in 2015? By the way, hop on over to Katie O'Connor's blog to check out her take on 2015. Coq au vinThis is a super easy, super yummy crock pot recipe that even my picky eater loves! Even begs me to make.
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat and brown chicken pieces. Drain and place in crock. Brown onion and garlic in remaining oil, then add wine and bring to boil. 2. Pour over chicken, scraping pan to get all the brown bits from the bottom. Add carrots and mushrooms, if desired. 3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Chicken will be tender and fall right off the bone! 4. Serve over hot cooked rice. (I like to remove the chicken to a platter and add the rice to the juices in the pot, cover and cook.) Enjoy! So this post is based on my own, and my DH recent, experience with computers. I've been researching laptops and tablets to replace the one I currently compose on and fear is on its last legs. And since hubby's work computer crashed, without his backing up anything might I add, I am recommending, pleading really, that you regularly back up your files.
The first way is with a flash drive. Either drag your files to the flash drive icon or use your computer's backup program to save all the files on your desktop and in your documents file. Second way is an online backup program like Carbonite, with plans that start at $60. Third, try a web-based drive like Dropbox or Google Drive. Not automatic but free and online so if your computer crashes or you use multiple devices, you can always access your files! Whatever you choose, whichever mode is right for you, back it up! |
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Shifters & Spice (e-book 99 cents!) AuthorRomance writer. Paranormal and contemporary. Mother of two and wife of perfect husband. Love the environment, travel and reading. Subscribe:Archives
May 2017
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