For a Writer, I Sure Suck at Blogging....

What is the most asked question I get? Or what is the biggest piece of advice I receive? "Do you blog?' And "Oh, you need to blog"...
Well, truth is. I suck at it. I will do really well for a few days and then I just get caught up or bogged down or just plain lazy, but I stop.
The reason? Honestly, if I am not in a story, so to speak, well, I just get bored. Like what I might be thinking or feeling is relatively unimportant or only important to me. Other than that, I tend to just ramble and ultimately don't say too much...or more than enough, depending on your perspective.

The other issue I have of course is that no one reads them!! Seriously, if you are reading this, I am amazed. I am under the impression no one is reading as no one is following. And I know the correct term here would be noBODY but frankly, I am just focused on one right now. One would at least mean there IS life out there...(see early blogs as they address this very issue)

But, for the possibility that someone, anybody, is reading this....what to blog about?
Blogs, of course. After all, I started with that....might as well finish it.

Okay, so we know I can write. I have a book out there, after all. Oh and if you don't know that, you may want to start with an earlier edition of my rambling to fully grasp the reality of my life. And you will see that I was writing a book, finished a book and published a book. And if you are curious beyond that, you can visit my book's website at http://www.justsippy.com But read this first. I am taking all this time to write it, you know.
Okay, so now what? Yeah, I am still asking that question. Ellen hasn't stopped by to dance, Oprah hasn't called, Regis and Kelly have not asked me on the show...etc. Men think I have stepped into a "pot of gold" with my good fortune and stopped asking me to coffee. Okay, hell, they never did ask me to coffee! But,I am blaming this now and not lack of interest on their part.

So, what now? Well, blog. Blog. Blog. Blog.
Apparently there is something to this. Blog about anything. Comment on other blogs. Turn blogs into full articles and submit them to online publications. Blog.
Blog about your book. Blog about yourself. Blog about others' books. Blog about others.

My response of course has been. "oh I have a blog. No-one reads it!"

Well, I will try to be faithful this time. I will blog every other day. NO! I will blog daily. That is apparently the way to get out there. Be prepared though. If nothing happens to me, I will end up putting my daily menu on here. Maybe how many times my daughter's cat vomited (it does that a lot).
But, I will blog daily. I will try to find other blogs to comment on. Oh yeah, and then I will twitter about it. Forgot that one. After I blog and comment on blogs and blog some more, I am supposed to twitter about it. I don't have a lot of followers there either...but the ones I have ROCK! (that's right guys, you ROCK!)

Okay so the plan is until Ellen or Oprah or Regis or Kelly or one of the hundreds of people who have my book and think it's the shinizzle, I will blog.
I can not promise wisdom. I can not promise you will walk away with anything more than you had. I can not promise you will not waste precious minutes of your time, but I can promise I will try to be here everyday. I can promise I will always be honest although I may hide that with sarcasm. I will try to be witty although I may hide that with sarcasm. The only thing I won't hide-well, is sarcasm. I am pretty upfront with that.

So, there you have it. The new blogs. The aftermath. The what now. The good fortune! I am fortunate. Don't ever get me wrong on that note. My publisher is fabulous and I am eternally grateful for them taking a chance on my book. I just need to do my part to get it out there. Into the hands of people who want to read it.

So, here you go. My book is Just Sippy. It's the inspirational story of an eleven year old girl in the 70's who finds out a secret about her family. She meets a forty-three-year old hippie cousin and they become best friends. The story is their 30 year life together. They learn about life, love, rock and roll, God, and each other.

More information can be found at the website http://www.justsippy.com
There is a book trailer you can view there as well.
Hope you stop by the website.
Hope you stop back here. Read the past blogs too.

Until next time,
Kimberly

Is This Real Life?

I am beginning to feel like David after the dentist. Is this real life?
So much has happened.
Should have the first look at the physical book this week. Once that is approved, it's all a go! We should be on the shelf by the end of March! Party planning is beginning, I have an author fan page on Facebook, a website (www.justsippy.com) and the local bookstore has a list of people who want the book. Holy crap!

I am so thrilled and thankful for my life right now. I cherish everyday. I get stressed and the last two months has been full of it but I wouldn't change a thing.

I am nervous. Once I know strangers are reading, I will be really nervous. There are time I get so nauseated, I have to literally stop and breathe a little slower.

This week will be the final stress I think. At least until party day. Or maybe newspaper interview day, or radio spot day. All these events are things in the near future. WOW!

My first book tour is in April. I get to go back to Colorado. And this time it is for fun. Well, work too, I guess, but how cool, right? Maybe this WILL pay the bills. Time will tell. It's a small publisher so no million dollar advance or anything. But, hey, didn't have to pay them either. That's a good thing. Another book signing in Omaha but dates aren't set yet and Ohio at the end of July. Can ya say "WOW!"?
Will try to remember to do another update soon. Time gets away easy these days. But until then, if you have stumbled on to this. Check out the website. http://www.justsippy.com
And search for me on Facebook. Kimberly J. Coleman There is an author page and publisher is giving away a FREE copy of the book if we hit 100 fans. We are close!

Will post cover of book when I have one in hand.
This is truly the most amazing life!

Until next time
Casey (Kimberly)
And just so you know, Kimberly is the real name. Casey is just a play on the initials. Was always going to be the "writer name" but when it came right down to it, I used my own name. Just felt right.

Now is just the beginning...

I FOUND A PUBLISHER!!!

Looks like it is going to be a reality. I called on an artist to start the cover design and I am in final final edit. I have business cards on the way that say Author under my name and am waiting to hear the words "deadline". This is all very dreamlike.

So, now what? Yeah, now what? Have people asking when and what now and I don't know.

I don't know when or how or what.
I don't know any more than I did before.
It's crazy that you think writing is the hard part. Yeah, that is so not true.

Writing was the easy part. Now, is when the real work begins.

Now is just the beginning!

Until next time.
Casey

PS....ironic that no one but I reads this....really hope it's not a sign. HA!

What Now?

Well...the results are in!

The "in-house" critic called it "the best story she has ever read" and my sister has not "been this sucked in to a story since The Shack" and also sent me the most touching email ever about the way it made her feel, think, cry and laugh. I am still in the "oh my god" phase of this positive feedback.

My best friend has been reading slowly but did, in fact, blow up my phone for the next chapters. My "northern" best friend also has it but I have not heard any feedback yet...he is, however, a city slicker and probably busy with the night life. I will wait patiently.....LIE...I will text him today!

The kids have begun....they like it, but have not had that "can't put in down...OMG MOM! This is unbelievable!" reviews I was hoping for. A neighbor of my mom's is going to read it, my niece will read and another friend and her daughter will read next week when they return from vacation.
Those reviews will be honest as they do not know the hidden references to my real life that serve as memory or humor to my sister or mom. I wonder if those inferences made it more entertaining for my close family?

But, aside from the others, my dad also has it. Now, he is forgetful so it may take awhile for him to remember he has it. He is also tired and naps alot due to his cancer fighting medications. But, he is also a writer and busy with writing his latest venture, which is about baseball so he is passionate, excited and consumed with finishing it.

But, his review is also important for me...because of his writing, but also, because of his view on the things I wrote about....family, heritage, music, love, God, loss, friendship, and life.

This list could go on and on and be filled with people I want to read the story...I want the world to read it. How do I go about doing that? I have checked into some of it and it seems like a dead-end road. There must be a publisher out there though, looking for this kind of story. I have faith that there is. And I have faith I will find them.

What now?
Re-edit over and over while I look for a publisher to read it?
Keep my head up...
Stay positive.....
Pray......
Have faith....
Maybe I will call Oprah....LOL!

Until next time
Casey

The FINAL edit!

WOW!
It's been a long time since I last wrote here. Sorry about that.

My book is in final edit. That is such a good feeling. I sent the first six chapters to my "in house" editor. My lifelong critic of fashion, hair styles and boy choices. My forever critic of room cleaning, mess making and long distance phone calling. My best critic and my worst, all in one....my mother.

She loves it!
Now, I hear you all now. "Of course, she loves it! She's your mother!"
You have to know the woman. She is by far, honest in everything. Even when it comes to me.
But, it is more than that. This is a true success story. An amazing feat of literary success in the hands of a woman who can't make it through the opening credits of a movie and must "read" books on cassettes in order to make it to chapter 2 , as in her approaching destiny of pre-retirement, falls asleep as soon as she stops moving and the cat jumps on her lap.
She made it through SIX CHAPTERS! This is great news.

My sister also has the first six chapters. Now she is no critic of me at all. Not even slightly. She is all pro-me. But, honest as well. And the most that may surface is her inability to understand it due to lack of time in her "post-closing, current re-do and pre-equity phase" of the new house, or the inability to focus on it in her "got two kids, a husband, a cat and dog, not to mention a new pool" life. I won't hold it against her.
Now, if she takes the time to text or call instead of email...I may faint right on the spot.

The last chapters will be edited and ready by the week's end. Two of which will be emailed to mother tomorrow so she can stop bugging me about them and catch a nap.

What to do after that, I do not know.
My best friend has six chapters as well. Her honesty in most of life true. But I do not think she will critique. She will be calm. And she will say she likes it. I don't look for her to be blowin' up my phone for more chapters though. She is a book expert and has read the best. Her interest will falter quickly, I am sure. I will be replaced by Alex Cross by Chapter 4. I don't feel bad about that at all. I am no James Patterson!

How do the unknown become known? How do the inexperienced get experience? The un-agented get agented? The unpublished become published. I do not have those answers. Not even sure those are the right questions.

And I am not out to make a million. Or even be famous. I just want people to read it.

But, until then, I will finish the final edit. I will celebrate when that is done and I can click PRINT.
And then I will sit and look at the 100-plus pages of double spaced literary accomplishment and say "what now?".
That is the right question.

Until next time.
Casey

Back in my own land...

Sorry i stopped writing from Colorado. I just couldn't keep up and the negative energy flowed and I won't do that here.
I am home now and back in my own land...my own room, my own bed, my own rules. HA! That is a funny thought that I control this destiny. I so don't.

My life is controlled by outside forces as is everyones. Jobs, work, money, kids, friends...all is controlled. My life as of right now is controlled by my book, my kids, my house...and my money.

Life is good. It is exactly the way it should be. I am happy. I hope my kids are. Granted my son would prefer more frozen pizza and my daughter more mac and cheese. One daughter would prefer less cigarettes and two of my kids would prefer better transportation than they currently have, but overall, happiness is evident.

Goals are still waiting to be reached, however, and deadlines are looming near. It's been a great ride though and although times are about to change, we are ready for those changes. Maybe not welcoming them, but ready all the same.

Friends are plentiful all the way around and that is always a great thing. Great times and good friends. True friends. Not the people you know of or have heard of but the ones that walk in without knocking and can text at all hours...those kind of friends. True ones. The ones who know your parents. The ones who borrow money and pay it back. The ones who would never eat the last oreo or drink the last beer but yet, you wouldn't get mad if they did. Yep, those kinds of friends. We got those!!

So, all in all, life is good. We have sadness and turmoil. But we help each other through it. We have laughs and humor! We have a great time!

That's all for now. It's great to be home, back in my own land!
Until next time,
Casey

From the Windy State of Confusion...aka Colorado

I write from the state of confusion...aka Colorado. The windy state of confusion. Not only does the wind literally blow, but the mental wind also blows. The mental state of confusion on being here and missing home.
I miss my kids, my house, my friends. I miss Natalie. I miss Iowa. I miss things being mine.
I am here to help my mother and although I love helping...it's not my stuff to sell, keep or throw away so I can not choose to do so. So, I ask and I wait. Minds are changed two or three times. Justifications are made, excuses are heard. Explanations are listened to....ugh!
I miss Iowa. I miss my kids. I miss my house. I miss my family.

I miss Daddy.
This is his stuff and he should be here...mad that I moved everything!
Until next time (sorry...can't write right now)
Casey