Task 7: Breathe Life Into An Old Post

Photo taken by me! Stephanie McKibben

Simple! Go back and update your old posts! 

This option is not necessarily for me on Nose Droppings, but my author blog and publishing blog--maybe. 

This one requires a bit more time. I like going through and correcting errors. It gives me a chance to see my own opinions way back when. 

Sometimes my opinions change. 

It did give me the thought to add to the side bar some links such as "our mission" or "Learn how Troll River Publications began..."

I tried and failed because I need to learn more about how to do that on Weebly. 

But this also gave me the idear that I could update a topic from yesteryear and make it a "I've changed my mind" type of post. That would be interesting to link to an old blog then see how you changed your thinking. 

Link to Task 6

Click HERE to buy the book

Link to the Beginning

Task 6: Review Calls To Action

Photo Credit: Parker Fitzgerald via Compfight cc

My ego that was saying, we've done this! And...We totally have this covered!--went hiding at this topic.

I knew I've been missing this. 

- Clickable Buttons (that actually went somewhere)
- Subscription Boxes
- Navigation Links
- Social Media Butttons
- RSS Feed Links
- Email a Friend Link
- Invitation to Readers
-Your contact Form

Okay, so it wasn't as bad as I thought. It's a work in progress. I added Feedburner. Have the social media links and getting the others on there. Navigation Links are everywhere. Have my RSS Feed up. Not too shabby. Okay. 

Again Darren explains what these things are (kinna) in the book. But if your a blogger that's been doing research, you know what these are. One thing I want to add is a html button--meaning a code where other bloggers can put your button on their site so other readers can find you. I was thinking of giving something away, like what Author Marketing Club does, for those who pin my button on their blog.  

Any other suggestions?

Link to The Beginning

Link to Task 5

Click HERE to buy the book

Task 5: Get To Know Content SEO

Click HERE to buy the Book!

This section of the book explained a little bit about the importance of: 

- Categories
- Tags
- Meta Tags
- Meta Keywords
- Meta Descriptions
- Custom URL's 

I went into the back end of my blog thinking...I've totally got this! And...turns out I forgot to SEO my blog. Huh. Fixed now!

Boy did I think of some doosies! There was much fun and snickering with filling out the Meta Keywords with But For You, Yes. I mean how much fun can you have with this cover:

Available at Amazon

Oh, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what people searched under Cougar Bait in the Coffee Shop!
End result--people are creative!

Link to task 4

Link to the beginning

Task 1: What Should It Say?

Click the pic to buy the book!

Task 1: 31 Days To Build A Better Blog. 
 
This is ultimately about BRAND. In a sentence that one word says, "this is what I'm about and what you can expect from me."

If you veer off that course, people stop trusting you. 

So, we are obviously not talking about this blog because it's motto is NO BRAND. 

We ARE talking about www.trollriverpub.com because that blog has the most to gain from these lessons.

Here's my thought: TRP is a blog where writer's can learn about writing and publishing.

That's a bit boring. Especially for me. 

But then I thought about my author blog and that one is Spice and then some so we've got to balance out the scale, right?

The Dirty Blog is a refreshing take on the social taboos in life. That I care about those who want to better themselves and take charge of what they think of themselves. That this blog is a safe place to express oneself. 

Hopefully, that is what's conveyed! I've even put a blurb to readers of the blog to contact me if I can improve the experience. 

So far, I think TASK 1 has improved my blog and my reasons. 

Click Here for TASK 2  

Build A Better Blog

Click Here To Buy This Book

Dear Mr. Darren Rowse;

After purchasing your ebook, 31 Days TO BUILD A BETTER BLOG, I knew I would love this book after I turned the pages and immediately got to TASK 1.

I'm all in for action! I love that you get me to DO not just preach at me or passively tell me "what I need to know". I'm now a fan and shall support your endeavors.

Your book is so outstanding and deserves to be known as a blogger bible. I want every blogger that has a goal in mind to read this book!

Since you give us a hashtag and encourage us to blog about this, that's what I'm going to do. I will now have a label #31DBBBDefineYourBrand. 

And thank you Jeff Goins for introducing me to this book. You too have a fantastic blog for writers and look forward to your posts and emails every day.


Sincerely,

Stephanie McKibben

Watch my journey to build a better blog! Continue forth!

Shit Jobs

I am queen of receiving the "Inconvenient", "I don't wanna", and "somebody else needs to do this carp (or crap) of a job". 

I take them all! It doesn't matter how crappy, I put my muck shoes on and go in with a smile and a shovel. When you pass by,you'll think...man, she's got it easy. When in reality all that's different is I enjoy the things I do. Even if they aren't wonderful, fantastic tasks. They are often tasks that must be done. Taking out the trash is a dirty job, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with it.

So take heart if you find you're doing something you don't want to do. I'm sure you can find that pony in there somewhere! 

6 Easy Idea's For A Happy Valentine's!

Happy Valentine's from the bottom of my toes! Crap...you forgot didn't you? Let me help you out by giving you 5 minute ideas that can save the day!

1. Here's an intimate message you can write on a memorable card (compliments of me!)...steal-this-poemgive-it-to-your-lover.html

2. Make a message recording on your phone with a cute puppet.
http://fiverr.com/supergirlrockit/get-poochie-golden-retriever-pup-puppet-to-sing-a-funny-greeting-of-your-choice?autoplay=true
 
3. Send an e-card from Blue Mountain or JibJab.

Blue Mountain is more cute and sentimental. JibJab is more funny and humiliating. 

If you have more time...

4. Send them a short story like Lady Alene or But For You, Yes!
Yeah, yeah, shameless plug--but they are perfect stories for Valentine's!

5. See's Candies are wonderful, but what about home-made cookies?
Worth the effort! Guy and girls swoon over someone baking or cooking for them. Do it with love. Even if you do it everyday today is the day of hearts! Display an edible heart ornament or shape the food in the universal sign of love.

6. Flowers lift the spirit, but pictures do too. 
Frame a picture of you two together. Do you have any pics on your phone to print? Even a small one or sharing the picture by text with an explanation of "thinking of you" is heart melting.

Do Ads Make Your Blog Legit?

Everybody hates ads, except marketers. 

But when I go to a website and I see ads I go through a gambit of emotions. 

The, ugh ads phase. 

The oh! Shiny! phase. 

On to, hmmmm, I might...*click* phase.


Because deep down, if a blog has ads, it's probably worth having a peek--at the blog that is. 

Ads seem to give a website more credibility underneath the first reaction of "STOP SELLING ME STUFF!" -- oh, wait, that's just another blog topic. 

Don't get me wrong, I love blogs with no ads. Serenely show me your bio and the topic--I'm happy! 

But ads do two things. 

1) Gives the website credibility.  
Providing that the ads take up less than 20% of the page.

2) Distract me from the topic. 
I'm a clicker and I'll click right off your blog out of curiosity or need. 
 
So...one half of me doesn't mind ads while the other half looks for the fast forward button. 

Here's the Question:

Should you have ads on your blog? 

Well, I'd say if it's you're product or Google Ad Sense is working for you--absolutely! 

But if your a happy-go-lucky blog that meanders from topic to topic (no we don't know any blogs like that!) then maybe not so much with the ads. 

And Now, One long winded AD:

Speaking of ads...I'll just skip the flashy lights and say my first Shorts-off micro story is on Amazon! 

But, those who sign up for my monthly "Love Letters" email will get the next installment But For You, Yes for free in your email! 

Shorts-off #2 - But For You, Yes is to be given freely to anyone who likes Romantica short stories. 

Go HERE to sign up! 

I won't distract you often, and our conversations of "Love Letters" is private so I won't be sharing your name or email with anyone. 

Those that have signed up, be prepared for a wonderful story about Andre's troubles about telling his girl how he REALLY likes it! Find out in "But For You, Yes". 

Okay, totally cheesy. Did it work? *click*

Make Iced Mocha From Home! A Recipe

Fuel for every writer

I love me Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Wanda's drive thru Coffee shop, little out of the way niche coffee shops that have style, ambiance, or the will to stand-up right with duct tape, but there are times when I just have to sit here and write. 

That's when I decided that it was time to make my own! I Google'd and found the ultimate secret ingredient! It makes the mocha and it's prolly already in your house!

Please take note that "Stephie sized" means that I took a spoon, collected the ingredient, and dumped it in. A spoon could be a heaping full or tipping the bag and shoving ingredient with two strokes of said spoon. You may need to experiment for taste.

Here it is:
 
Iced Mocha:

All The Ingredients you'll need

3 Stephie sized tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Stephie sized tablespoons GHIRARDELLI Chocolate (unsweetened cocoa)
4 cups Coffee
1 Stephie sized splash Vanilla extract (Almond extract does well too) 
1 cup Stephie sized Milk
12 Stephie sized Ice Cubes

Hiking: Los Angeles, CA: Deukmejian Wilderness Park - Rim of the Valley Trail

Back in October 2012, I took the OMG are you kidding me? Dunsmore Creek Trail.

This time I took the switchback and went up to the Rim of the Valley Trail. 
 
The switchback makes it easy,  but don't be fooled by the short back and forth lures. To get there you start off at the fantastic facilities at the parking lot and go up to the trail head. Follow dirt and take the first left. You'll see the humble beginnings of the switchback that gently slopes in a languid, passive taunt, hiding as just another trail to pass the time. Up and up you go, traversing back and forth. "You can do this!" the trail encourages! And yes, you don't notice that the incline is almost a 45 degree angle. The trail is gentle and charomed with creek bed rocks as all the trails in Deukmejian have. You see the beautiful view as you see at the top header of this page.

Then, when you think you're at the top and the view is as gorgeous as it gets, another "easy" switchback taunts you in the distance. Take a look at the picture below: 
Easy, right? Just a few steps and you'll be strolling up another easy switchback.

I thought so too. Until we started our way and I saw another option open to us marked-Difficult with a capital "D".

 So, I says to Emma, with her 1 inch tongue - "What do you say?" 

Emma was all too happy to spend a longer time exploring! 

Ha! I scoffed at the Difficult warning. How can another sloping switchback be difficult? Then, we started down. Went went down, down, down. 

We went down so far, we hit earth bottom. There was water and lots of it! My camelback was still filled and I brought extra water for the trek so we continued. The mountain claiming "difficult" was no where in sight. We descended onto forest floor and came to sights only angles knew about.      


The profound silence with only the flowing babble of water refreshed our resolve to find the top of the mountain. 

Crossing the rock bridge over the creek made the whole scene feel like we were in some sort of wild forgotten Japanese garden, but I believe the beauty of this trail was the careful architecture of this nature made oasis. 
 

People could not plot the trees or the river or the leaves the way nature could. Simply put, we'd descended to a place that felt like home. 

I didn't want to leave this canopy of tranquility until I saw the steps beckoning us to our goal - The Mountain that needed to be taught it was not so tough. 

So, a giant man-made stairway led us into the sun! This was where it got conversely claustrophobic and acrophobia. 

A one person trail with the right side a cliff and the left side a drop off to death was a bit perturbing with a dog that laughs in the face of vertigo.

Emma was running, running, running back and forth while I made sure my steps were firm and my ankles wouldn't break over. Tripping or falling because of weak joints wouldn't be the excuse I'd want to give my family for missing out on Thanksgiving dinner. Which, by the way, this hike was on Turkey day. 
So when I saw the peak after endless back and forth over a gorgeous view, I raised my fist and claimed, "I have you!"

To which the mountain exclaimed, Come and get me!

I totally did! Me and Emma did it together! When we got to the top, we realized, it wasn't the top. A fellow hiker walking down from the trail told me this particular path led up the towers another 4 miles. Wow! I'd just hiked up this behemoth for an hour and a half. I was ready for cranberry sauce. 

So, after snapping a picture of what was to come, we turned back and started our way to family dinner. I'd felt blessed for exploring the bottom of the earth when we got back to the terrace of the forgotten garden. The way down proved the incline formidable. But after the death defying drop of doom and death was averted, we had a easier go of the incline that led us down to paradise.   

Stats: 

Miles: 4.0

Speed: 1.8 mph

Climb: 1,125 feet

Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Dogs: on leash--one trash dispenser at trail head

Notes: Bring water and sunscreen. You will be out in the sun for the last stretch.

Theme: Grasshoppers that eagerly show you the path.

Emma: Gives it a 4 inch tongue difficulty. (Modestly difficult.)

Thank you all who helped put this trail back in order!

In The Event Of This Post, I Must Be Dead...Oh Wait...

If you are reading this, it means I died in the Mayan Apocalypse. If that's the case, I'm probably not going to write any more blogs past this one -- or am I?  

This is in effect my last will and testimate.  I swear on a book of bibles that I'm sane, sound and whole. As one can be during their last day on Earth. 

 

Donald--Take good care of Emma.  I love you.

Emma--Take good care of Donald.  I love you.

Momma--All's been said on my part.  I'm pretty sure all's been said on your part.  Oh, and Luke's Tale is all set to go in Amazon, all you have to do is push the publish button. I love you.

Daddy--I hope one day you learn that having control over anything but your own actions is a lie.  I love you.

Rett--I'm so proud of you!  I think you hide too much so I'm just gonna say who gives a fuck what they think of you.  I felt better when I told mom and dad to screw off with their opinions--I don't care what they think--maybe you should do the same, and believe in it. Still, I respect what dignity you try to collect.  I love you.

Lauren--You're the best of all of us. Beauty, good looks, brains, heart stopping face, awesome head on your shoulders, gorgeous body--get the picture?  I love you.

Diesel--Chin up, man.  What's winning when there's no challenge?  Great, Kid--don't get cocky.  You have a wish coin -- See Slater's.  I love you.

Slater--You're my hero.  I love you.  Come get your birthday coins on my desk.  Grandma knows what I'm talking about.  There's one for you and one for your brother.  They grant one wish.  Rules are: 1) Do not wish anyone to come back from the dead.  Corpses rising is just gross.  2) Do not wish for anyone to fall in love with you.  That bends free will too much.  3) Do not ask for anyone killed.  I won't do it.  Make sure you're asking for something that will not cause another harm, or bend the laws of physics.  I'm not that good at science.

Bob--Sometimes, when you talk or make a joke or recite a movie quote, and you think no one's listening, I am.  You make me laugh.  I love you.

Lorie--I always wished you could see yourself through my eyes.  Your beautiful, strong and fierce like a mother bear.  I love you.

Alley--You're just like your dad.  Just female--see his note.  I love you.

Sam--You can tell them I was the one who slipped you cookies under the table.  I think it's a moot point now.  I love you.

Lee--You and Mal were always an inspiration.  Watching your loss, parent Lindsey, move away from my ancestral home to Floriday (not a typo, that's what I call that state).  All that was pure lion strength love.  I love you.

Mal--Your frightening you know that?  Stoic determination has a picture of you on it's wall of hero's.  But you'll always be my magician.  I love you.  

Lindsey--You're made of awesome sauce! You've been inspiration incarnate. I love you.

Frances--You were always such fun to talk to.  You're also wise as a crone but pretty as a young maid!  Thanks for putting up with me :) You give good advice.  I love you.

David--You're energy was always so boundless.  I liked being near you because of it.  You should also see my Daddy's note.  I love you.

Coleson--Dude!  I'm so going to kick your butt at chess when you get here.  I'll have decades on you.  Also, don't sell yourself short but don't get cocky.  I love you.

Ivy--Hey beautiful!  Don't let anyone push you around.  That's an order! :)  I love you.

Grandpa BD--See momma's note.  I love you.

Carolyn--I may have found you more interesting than you me, still I love you.

Tracy--You & Kevin are there on my mind. I'm so happy you're happy! I love you all.

Jesse/Ryan--Yeah, you don't know me well, but I think of you guys and think you two are super awesome. I love you.

Pam--We're good.  Just don't make me work for you.  I love you.

Josh--Anything I put here your going to make a joke about so laugh at this--I love you.  Yes, we're good.  I hope you laugh at me.

If I've forgotten you, know--I still love you.
 

Always look on the bright side of life...

 

Does that mean I should look at the dark side of death?  

Oh...wait...so if the world ends no one will see this? Dang! That means I'll be alive!