February 2020 Around the Web

For a winter’s month when we should simply hunker down inside, sipping a hot beverage in front of a roaring fire, February has a lot going on: Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, Super Bowl Sunday, the start of the NASCAR season. (Okay, those last two were for me.)

Then there are the historical events, such as, the Challenger explosion, the explosion of the battleship Maine (remember the Maine?), the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in WWII, and of course, the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Not to mention, it’s leap year! Happy birthday to all those born on February 29.

It’s also been a busy month for bloggers who post helpful online articles. Enjoy some of the following.

INSPIRATION:

Yes, Valentine’s Day is over, but for those times you’re feeling left out or lonely (it doesn’t need to be on a romantic holiday), try some of the tips in “Alone and Lonely Are Two Different Things” by Cammi Woodall on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog.

Is it just me, or has the word “sin” all but disappeared from our vocabulary? We don’t often call our actions out-and-out sins. Sometimes, we don’t even recognize them as such. I found the analogy in J. D. Wininger’s post “Locust-Like Sins” to be interesting and spot on.

READING:

At the end of January, one of my all-time favorite authors died. I enjoyed this look at the life of “Mary Higgins Clark, Queen of Suspense, Dead at 92” on the AP News site.

Are you looking for a new Regency read? Check out “The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd,” author Sarah Sundin’s take on Sarah Ladd’s new story.

Have you prepared a list of questions you would like to ask an author next time you meet one? “Questions Authors Don’t Really Want to Answer (And Some They Do)” on the Bethany House blog gives a run-through on some desired questions and some you might want to scratch off your list if they’re there.

If you submit your work for publication, you’ve heard that two-letter word “no” at some point. It can be crushing, or it can be a matter of how you hear it. Check out “How to Hear ‘No’” by Bob Hostetler on the Steve Laube Agency blog.

As someone who struggles in the marketing area (who doesn’t?), I found Shawn Inman’s “You Don’t Need to Suck at Marketing” on the Indies Unlimited blog to be an encouraging post—or as encouraging as any post about marketing books. 🙂

Writing is a business, and we hope businessess make money. However, if you’ve been published (for ANY length of time), you’ve probably had your bubble burst when it comes to profit. I came to this article “Authors Guild Survey Shows Drastic 42 Percent Decline in Authors Earnings in Last Decade” on Authors Guild through a February LitHub post. There were a few things I took issue with, but what do you think?

And in honor of February’s Presidents Day (and the Marines):

What other February historical event stands out in your mind?

Hey, y’all! Need some romance to warm your heart and soul…and at a discount?

You’ll find A Love Most Worthy on sale through Thursday (2/27) at 99 cents! And it’s not the only one. Get over 30 books, each 99 cents or less with Romance to Warm the Heart and Soul.