It's been a long month of April. I finished and submitted HOME to The Wild Rose Press, got a request for the full and am now waiting on the future of this sweet story. I finished revising (read- rewrote) the first five chapters of Perfect Dr. Viv and sent that to my editor yesterday. I now await her approval (or denial) to move forward on that one as it now reads. I started plotting a new medical and started it. Now I think it won't work for medical so it will target another line.
When I say moving I mean cyber-wise and physically. Here's the deets:
In early April I took a website design workshop through RWA PRO. We had two wonderful and so very patient instructors, Cynthia D'Alba and Gwen Hernandez, who walked us literally step-by-step through how to set up a blog using WordPress.com. After setting up a blog, which as you've seen here with this one I already know how to do most of, they taught us how to add pages which I discovered through the course of the two weeks Blogger also offers so I was excited about that. They also showed us how to create nesting (or sub) pages. This is something I needed and that Blogger doesn't offer just yet, but something I really wanted.
In my opinion WordPress' themes aren't as fun and interchangeable as Blogger's are, not as varied in how I design my own, but they have some really nice ones and they 'walk' you through creating your own header. That is something I still haven't figured out on Blogger, though a lot of others have and have done a green-with-jealousy-great-job with.
Anyway I have been wishy-washy back and forth for the last three weeks trying to decide if I want to move from my comfort zone that Blogger has become for me in the last five years- or move and give WordPress a chance to enamor me. I've been unable to decide, so today I forced myself to make the choice and just do it, or don't.
I thought about the pros and cons, of course. I thought of reasons why I should move to WP. Here's what I came up with (and maybe it's just m adventurous side taking the lead):
a. I'm hoping to publish this year and need to brand myself in a more defining way. That is hard to do with an existing blog where everyone knows me as that 'persona' and not who I need to be when I publish that first book.
b. I like new things. Whether it's a 'toy', car, shoes, style of dress, or my blog I want to try it and learn from it if at all possible. A new blog allows me that chance.
c. I'm having more guest bloggers in the near future than in the past who are all, or mostly, debut authors and I thought it would be nice to have a nice clean place to invite them. Rather than this crowded and over done page, that I really don't want to redo yet again. (I get bored easy)
d. I just want to confuse everyone, and this is a good way to accomplish that. Just kidding! I can maneuver WP so easy that I actually have my own self-created website. I'm proud of that accomplishment since I've been trying to get one functional for years and didn't know how, so had to depend on others to do it for me. That's fine, but I was left with no way to personalize or add content when I wanted to.
e. When I do sell my first book I can buy my first domain name with that profit. I love the sound of supporting myself, even in a virtual way. Contributing in a meaningful way.
f. I've chosen my pen name and the new site is set up to headline that 'person'. I'm so excited about that!
In the very near future (like this week) I will be changing my Twitter name (again for some of you) to my new name, and possibly starting a Facebook page to reflect that name, as well.
There are a couple of down sides to WP. Aren't there in most aspects of life? One is that you can't 'Follow' me. But you can 'Subscribe' which, I'm told, is the same basic principle to keep informed of what I'm doing on my blog. So, I ask (ok, beg) you all to visit, subscribe, comment but, please, don't leave me over there in a new place all alone! There's so much to see and appreciate (I hope) in my new home.
I only opened the new site to search engines today so you can find it...or you can just go to Calisa Rhose's site from right here.
Did I say I was moving physically, too? I am. Father in-law needs hubby and I to move in and are for him sometime around the first of June. Lots of changes in my life and not all as I'd hope for, but we do what we have to to make life work and to better the lives of those we love. I'll have a little more on the move when the time nears.
For now, in case you missed it... Pen Of The Dreamer has moved! I'll check back from time to time to make sure everyone finds their way to my new home. All I ask is when you visit the NEW BLOG/WEBSITE, leave a comment THERE for a chance to win a book! (of my choice)
Dodadagohvi~
