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13 Things I’m Thankful For #thanksgiving
Blessings. As the owner of Romance Lives Forever, I’ve had the opportunity
to interview about two hundred authors this year. I’ve learned some fun things about
them, their books, and their characters. As I thought about what to write for Thanksgiving
Day on the blog, I couldn’t help but be grateful for their friendship and the insights
I’ve gained by knowing them. I decided that would be the best thing to share. There
are more than thirteen things, but in the spirit of Thursday Thirteen, that’s all
I’m listing. Besides, that gives me a good thing to write about on another day!13 Things I’m Thankful For
- I’m in
good company. The authors who interview here are amazing men and and women.
I’m privileged to make their acquaintance. - My characters,
with their idioms and quirks, are no stranger than anyone else’s. I’ve met
characters here in interviews, and I can say mine are normal. (Okay, that’s
a lie, but I’m still going to say it.) - I appreciate
the honest interviews that I get every week. They are a joy to read, and I
love getting to know so many wonderful authors, characters, and books. - I’ve discovered
that no one else is balanced in their writing life either. Writers know the
definition of balance, but seem to have no idea how to implement it. It’s nice
not to be alone. ;) - I’m thankful
that with rare exception, writers who interview here turn in their material
on time. Thank you more than you know. - I’m grateful
for macros that let me format documents in a snap. No two people use the same
formats, and despite a nicely pre-formatted interview, I usually get back text
that’s in a different font, size, or with indentions where I hadn’t planned
them, so the macros help. A lot. - Having
to change all those things has shown me that there are easier ways to do things.
I would never have discovered that if everyone did things the same way. - I’m thankful
for the idea to share blog stats and show the top bloggers. It began in January
of this year, and I’ve kept it up every month. Now I can track trends and see
what works. Wish I’d thought of it sooner! - This blog
has helped me meet some incredible people I’d never have met otherwise. The
Romance Lives Forever Paper.li
ezine that comes out because of the blog has also helped me meet
many cool new friends. - Can’t talk
about things I’m thankful for related to this blog without mentioning Twitter
and Triberr. That combination is powerful. I wouldn’t want to be without either
one. - I’m thankful
for a family that supports me in what I do. I couldn’t help others if I had
no help myself. - Which brings
me to friends again — because I could not run this blog, help other authors,
interview so many people, and post so much if not for them. Thank you. - Finally
— and yet foremost — I’m thankful for my health. I was in the hospital earlier
this year. Thought I was having a heart attack. Although it wasn’t, I did discover
some issues with my heart that have made me be much more careful of my health.
I joke about “balance” — but I do try to rest more, eat well, and
take better care of myself.
2012 has been the most successful year ever for Romance Lives
Forever. It’s because of the people who post here, share their books, their lives,
and the people who come to read about them. I look forward to another wonderful
year in 2013. I hope to be back here next year, sharing a list of good things I’ve
learned. Maybe I’ll even have figured out a little balance.About the Author
Kayelle Allen is the owner of Marketing
for Romance Writers, the Romance Lives Forever blog, and The Author’s Secret. She’s a writer of immortal role-playing gamers,
warriors who purr, and agents who find the unfindable–or hide it forever.Homeworld http://kayelleallen.comFacebook http://facebook.com/kayelle.allenTwitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallenBlog http://kayelleallen.blogspot.com - I’m in
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Salute to Veteran Authors #VeteransDay
Kayelle Allen here. Romance Lives Forever is dedicated to new
authors and new books. As such, I rarely step in as a blogger — I prefer to interview
guests and feature others. My personal blog, Unstoppable Heroes, is where I do my
own “bragging” about new books and events. But today on RLF, I want to
honor some special people: veterans.Folding the Flag. The first Veteran’s Day was called “Armistice Day”
and was proclaimed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919. In proclaiming
the holiday, he said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will
be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service
and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has
freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy
with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Unlike Memorial Day,
which celebrates those who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates the service
itself. WikipediaToday’s blog features fellow veterans who are authors. This is
by no means an exhaustive list, but these folks are proud to stand and be counted. Please
visit their sites, and get to know them and their books. I believe the highest honor
one can pay an author is to buy his or her book.Authors Who Served
Listed in alphabetical order by first name.Romance Tangled with SuspenseCK Crouch — US ArmyHot RomanceDelilah Devlin – US ArmyParanormal and Contemporary RomanceEliza Gayle — US Marine CorpsRomanceElla Quinn – US ArmyMilitary RomanceGeri Krotow — US NavyLove Is In The Air – And In The FleetHeather McLachlan — US Navyhttp://HeatherMcLachlan.comUrban Fantasy RomanceIsis Rushdan — US Air Forcehttp://isisrushdan.blogspot.com/Historical RomanceJeane Westin — US ArmyErotica Romance where the destiny is love ~ Let me take you on
the journeyJennifer France — US Navyhttp://jenniferfrance.comTapping into your Flights of FancyLacey Falcone — US Air ForceDark Heroes, Feisty Heroines, Scorching StoriesLisa Carlisle — US Marine CorpsMilitary Memoirs – Parris Island — Journey of a Woman MarineLisa Cordeiro — US Marine Corpshttp://lisacordeiro.comLet Fate guide you… One story at a timeLoni Lynne — US NavyMystery/Romance authorLori Avocato — US Air Forcehttp://loriavocato.comLove … Laughter … ForeverJoyce Adams — US Armyhttp://joyceadamscounts.comMysteryKathleen Toomey Jabs — US NavyUnstoppable heroes, Uncompromising love, Unforgettable passionKayelle Allen — US NavyA Dash of Romance with a Dusting of MysteryMisty MacRae — US Navyhttp://mistymacrasblog.blogspot.comWhere Romance is Always an AdventureRogenna Brewer — US NavyUnexpected Romantic FictionSandy Wickersham-McWhorter — USAFRomantic Suspense, YA, Juvenile, SciFi, and Hard Boiled DetectiveWayne Greenough — US Navyhttp://waynegreenough.comScottish Medieval Romantic SuspenseDiana Cosby — US NavyDark heroes and heroines with bite…sink your teeth into a romance
bySapphire Phelan — US ArmyEscape to the past with a romantic adventureTerry Irene Blain — US Navyhttp://www.terryireneblain.com/
Military Romance and Medical DramaTracey Cramer-Kelly — Army National GuardStatistics on this list:
US Navy – 11RomVets US Marines – 3US
Army National Guard – 1US Army – 6US Air Force – 4Men – 1Women – 24One unusual Veterans group that is special to me is called RomVets. They are all women who served in the armed
forces and who write Romance. I am proud to be a member. Click the link to visit
the website and learn more about this organization and its members.img credit (flag): everystockphoto.com -
RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Oct 2012
October on Romance Lives Forever saw eleven author
interviews, ten character interviews, and two articles.This month marks the first full month during which we used the author’s Twitter handle as part of our post titles. The impact of hits mentioning the author on Twitter help show them how valuable a visit on this site can be. Does it help bring people to the blog? Consider this: 18 of the 24 bloggers this month placed in the top 33% of overall hits on the blog.Here are the top five posts for the month of October
(judging by page hits).1. Susan Lodge — Character Interview with Hetty Avebury2. Charlie Cochrane — Character Interview with Ben Edwards3. Ally Shields — Author Interview “Awakening the Fire”4. AR Norris — Author Interview “All Female Planet?”5. Stephanie Burkhart — Character Interview with Lady KeiraOther participants this month in alphabetical order by first
name are: Adriana Kraft, Andrew Grey, Barbara
Bradley, Brenna Zinn, Casey Sheridan, Cynnara Tregarth, Dominique Eastwick, Elle
Druskin, Holley Trent, Jennifer Stevenson, Kate Hill, Kendall McKenna, Keta
Diablo, Kristina Knight, Rhea Rhodan, Sharon Kleve, Terry Spear, Tmonique
Stephens -
RLF Gems: Blog Stats for Sep 2012
RLF Gems. September on Romance Lives Forever produced many big hits
with readers. Top with readers are articles, followed by author interviews,
character interviews, and new book releases. Blog tours continue to do well. Here
are the top five authors (judging by page hits) with a tie at number five1. Elysa Hendricks — Sword and the Pen (Article)2. Denyse’ Bridger — Vampire Erotic (Interview)3. Tiffinie Helmer — Dreamweaver: Paranormal Romance (Interview)4. Viki Lyn — Lover’s Trill (Interview)5. R Ann Siracusa — Game of Seduction (Interview)5. Candace Shaw — Suspense: A Fist Full of Ashes (Interview)I did not include myself in this list, but my article on alpha hero Luc Saint-Cyr would have been counted among the top three. Go, Luc! ^_^ He and I are sitting out this “hit parade” since I also blogged about him on my personal site, Unstoppable Heroes.Participants this month in alphabetical order by first name
are: Candace Shaw, Danita Minnis, Denyse’
Bridger, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Elysa Hendricks, Justine Elyot, Karen Sue Burns,
LM Brown, R Ann Siracusa, Tiffinie Helmer, Ute Carbone, Viki Lynn -
RLF Gems – Blog Stats for Aug 2012
RLF Gems. The month of August had some heavy hitters where interviews
are concerned, and one article that blew away the group. Irene Preston’s
article Bad, Bad, Bad, Writing the Wrong Kind of Bad Girl, wins top awards, far
outdistancing any other article on the blog. However, one of the most popular types
of articles on Romance Lives Forever continues to be interviews with authors,
and with characters. Here are the top five with a tie at number five.1. Irene Preston, Bad, Bad, Bad, Writing the Wrong Kind of
Bad Girl2. Lynda Bailey, Interview3. Synithia Williams, Interview4. Danita Minnis, Character Interview5. Kay Jaybee, Book Release5. Elise VanCise, InterviewParticipants this month in alphabetical order by first name
are: Amber Kallyn, Ashlynne Laynne, Belinda
McBride, Christi Barth, Danita Minnis, Elise VanCise, Irene Preston, Jan Graham,
Jean Joachim, Kay Jaybee, Kaylin McFarren, Keira Kohl, Lillian Grant, Lynda
Bailey, Malia Mallory, Melissa Keir, Paul Harry, Synithia Williams, -
RLF Gems – Blog Stats for July 2012
RLF Gems. I’m proud to present the top bloggers (by page load) for the month ofJuly 2012. There were two ties with the exact number of hits. I checked that twice – and it’s correct.
We had huge hits this month for the articles on MFRW Summer Camp, and readers were enthralled by new releases from Gemma K Murray, Starla Kaye, Kendall McKenna, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Maggie Brooke, and others. Here are the top five by page hit:
1. MFRW Summer Camp (Kayelle Allen)
2. Gemma K Murray
3. Terri Molina
4. Starla Kaye (TIE)
4. Elizabeth J Kolodziej (TIE)
5. W Lynn Chantale (TIE)
5. Maggie Brooke (TIE)Participants this month in alphabetical order by first name are: Casey Crow, Elizabeth J Kolodziej, Gemma K Murray, Jannine
Corti-Petska, Kendall McKenna, Lisabet Sarai, Liz Borino, Maggie Brooke, MS
Spencer, Ruby Duvall, Starla Kaye, Teri Molina, and W Lynn Chantale.