How do you keep AIS?

Once again, I lay awake last night staring at the ceiling! As boring as that sounds, this is the time some of my best ideas come (my mom's always comes as she's drifting off to sleep). While I know I promised to start posting on a strict schedule, a little thing called life continuously gets in the way. However, having said that...I promise to try to post more regularly. Deal?

So, without further adieu, today's post. I kept thinking about my promise to bring writing tips by experts...but, as I lay in bed last night, I thought "who better to give advice than other writers?" Lord knows, I have plenty of those up my sleeves. I'll start the tips and add tips and advice from other writers through the next few weeks.

What's my topic, you ask? How to keep your AIS. For those of you who aren't Everybody Loves Raymond fans, that's A** In Seat.

Okay, CL, how do you keep AIS? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here are a few of my favorite AIS techniques and tips I've learned, read, or come up with over the past year or so.

1. Gotta have the noise. There are some days when I'll turn on the TV while I write. Now, this is not something you want to do if you're easily distracted. If I turn on the TV it has to be something I couldn't care less to watch; you know, Real Housewives of whatever County, Bad Girls Club, or some chic talk show.

2. Easily distracted by the television? This happens to me at times, as well. In this instance, gotta have the music. I always suggest building playlists around a specific book. I'm lucky enough to have a program to burn Cd's, so I can pick lots of songs, and load up a few discs. If you don't have this technology, there is always playlist.com. At this site you can build as many playlists as you want from their large music library. Or, you can choose someone else's to listen to. I prefer mine, thank you very much.

3. Make sure you have food or drink within reach. I'm not saying to keep a small refrigerator within reach, just a snack. My biggie is Jolly Ranchers. This is something I started after I quit smoking. I also have to have coffee or a glass of soda within arm's reach. If you keep these around you won't have to stop to search out a snack. There's one more excuse you can't use....

4. Don't turn off your Internet. Yep, you read that right. Personally, I found if I shut down my Internet I get overly curious and at times anxious. If I keep these things up and in the background, I'll see along the top if I get a new email and can head over and come back in less than a second (I'm obsessed with my email. Never know when an agent will contact you).

5. My last tip for the day is smells. I can see you all making faces. I mean scents, as in aroma therapy crap. I prefer lavender, or apple cinnamon during this time of the year. During the warmer months I lean toward floral or citrus scents. But, back to this season...I have incense sticks I burn in an ashtray (I no longer use them for cigs), or about six candles I burn throughout the house, as well as tarts I melt in a warmer. I get my tarts from the lovely people at Mr. T's Tarts and Gifts. If you use goat's milk soap or tarts, check these people out. Love their products, and they sell them at a great price.

Well, that's it for today. Was any of that helpful? What do you do to keep your AIS? Any strange rituals before you write?

If you make me mad I'll give you a bad review!

Not really, but this sure seems like the way of the writing industry. I guess when I started looking for other authors, I was completely naive. I thought we would all hold hands and encourage each other. Of course, not everyone would get along, as that's just the way it is, but those people would just choose to befriend someone else. I had no idea that if someone disliked my shoes, my nose, my hair, or my style of writing it would become their personal mission to destroy my spirit.

Let me just say this...no, my feelings aren't hurt, I won't be hanging from my shower stall, dragging a razor across my wrist, or even frowning. Just because someone may not like me will not change who I am, or how I feel about life.

So, to the point of this blog...should authors review their friend's books? I've noticed a lot of "give mine a review, and I'll give yours a review", whether or not the book has been read. Hell, I had a couple of friends do that to my first book when I first released it. Then, to my surprise, when these people decided I was no longer a part of the popular crowd, they first took their reviews down, then took turns bashing my book in other's reviews. Grow up! I will not review a book I've never read, I will not give a great review to a book I don't like, and I will not attack someone because I don't like them. There is actually an author I know whom I've lost all respect for, yet I rather enjoy one of their books.

Do you think authors should trade reviews? What if you/they have never read the book? Do you think this is a slippery slope?

I broke my promise to you all....

Get over it! *laughs*

While I know I promised a specific format, I seemed to have forgotten life will always get in the way of my best laid plans. Most of you know we moved two months ago, so I'm still working at getting the house completely unpacked, situated, and organized. Then, as is custom to my personality, I added three more hens to my brood of chickens. I now have five hens and one rooster. Now, I've already gotten two eggs from my new girls, but that doesn't mean they're going to be worth the $15 I spent on them. I guess only time will tell.

This article will be a short one, as my little backyard farm is calling my name, but I wanted you all to know I haven't forgotten about you. I will have an interview up with someone I highly respect within the next week or so, and this is definitely an author you don't want to miss.

Until next time, keep reading and keep writing.