Monday, October 26, 2009

To Blog or Not To Blog

Today I am going to talk about about all the various blog projects I have going on.  Yes, I am addicted to blogging.  I get an idea for a cool blog, I just...do it.  I know, there is something seriously wrong with me.  You'd think I have enough to write with three books due by March, without having to also write on my various blogs daily.  Call them a reflection of different parts of my personality.


So my own personal author blog is DUSTED.  I decided long ago I would not try and teach anyone how to write, or post updates on the 'business'.  There are a lot of authors out there who do that well.  At DUSTED you get a peak at me, dorky as that person may be.  I post updates on what I'm writing, pics of my latest crush, guest gardens and toes and pets, and just general 'this is my life' stuff.

COLOR ME HAPPY was born of my obsession with coloring.  Yes, you heard that right.  I like to color.  I have so many Dover coloring books I'm not even going to tell you the total because you will roll your eyes.  It started with those fashion coloring books as a means to research.  I could color my heroine's dress the way I wanted it to be in the story.  But it's quickly branched out to mandalas, animals, geometric designs, sealife, etc.  If you're interested in it, there's a Dover coloring book for it.  I like to post my colored pages at the blog and feature my fav coloring books, but haven't done for a while because my scanner isn't working!  Coloring addicts, unite!

RIDING WITH THE TOP DOWN is my way to connect with my fellow writers and I feel like we have a sisterhood of sorts, at this blog (yes, that includes all you Followers).  It's been a great way to learn about my friends and share our lives with all of you.

SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE is a blog that's...you guessed it, all about shapeshifters.  The authors there have all written shapeshifter romance and, well, if you love that genre, stop by and check us out!


I recently began the VAMPCHIX blog, and it's really taken off (go figure; Vampires, dude!).  It's a blog for those who love vampires.  We interview authors, have authors do guest posts, report the latest vampire news (man, is there a lot lately), talk books, movies, and anything to do with vampires.  This week at the blog we're holding a VampBash, and all week we're giving away books, movies and assorted prizes.  Do you like wine?  Well Vampire.com gave us a coupon code for 10% all purchases at their sight for the week.  (They sell vampire wine and chocolate.  Num!)


The BITE CLUB was born from the VampChix blog.  This is the only blog I've created that I don't actually post at.  (Well, not frequently anyway.)  I drafted the lovely Anna Dougherty (lunaticcafe, who comments here at Riding) to head this blog and she's taken it and run with it.  Bite Club is an online book club.  We only read vampires.  This month marks our first read, and we'll be discussing it starting on Friday.  First rule of Bite Club?  Tell everyone about Bite Club.  Second rule of Bite Club?  Don't bleed on the freakin' carpet.  ;-)


And finally, another offspring from VampChix is the VAMPBOYZ blog.  This one is simple.  I post pics of sexy, bloody vampire men every few days for you to drool over.  Heh.

Oh, you can also find me posting regularly at the NOCTURNE AUTHORS BLOG and occasionally at the PARANORMAL ROMANCE BLOG (both sponsored by Harlequin).

Do you think that's enough blogs?  I'm not sure.  Might need to squeeze another one—  Wait!  Someone stop me before I do it again.  No more blogs for me!

Maybe.

Okay, for sure.

Sigh...

So you're here because you are reading a blog.  Is it a part of your regular daily 'blog crawl'?  Do you have a blog crawl?  Or do you just visit a random blog here and there?  Tell me what appeals most to you about the blog format, and why blogs keep you coming back to read the contents.

I've got a copy of MIDNIGHT CRAVINGS for one commenter today!
Michele

29 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Michele :)
I check my Google Reader in the morning & read the new posts on the blogs I follow while I eat my breakfast. (A 21st Century version of reading the newspaper).
I like to keep up with the lives/events/books of my favorite authors & being introduced to new authors.
Thanks for the links to the blogs above.
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo

Helen Brenna said...

That's a good way to do it, RK!

Wow, Michele, you are amazing. I'd burn out in one month doing what you do!

Keri Ford said...

Michele, just wow. I mean, just wow.

I have several blogs that I read daily. I do read them daily. Depending on my schedule depends whether or not I comment...oh look! The sun, is that the sun?! I am climbing out of my cave now and finding the energy again to think to comment.

It's been a bogged down start to fall, but winter is looking up!

Cindy Gerard said...

Michele all I can say is OMG as I sit here slack jawed in awe. I WISH I had HALF the computer savvy you do but the part of my brain reserved for 'anything even marginally techincal' is about the size of a gain of sand split a million ways.
And while I'd love to be a blog crawler, I'm afraid I only hit the topdown site daily and others REALLY sporadically.
so you go, girl. and know you are a blogger goddess

GunDiva said...

My morning work ritual - yes, at work - is to log on and catch up on all of my blog reading. Then again in the late morning or afternoon. And again at night. Somewhere in there, I do actually get some work done and manage to keep my three blogs rolling. I don't know what happened. I had one blog, then I had a great idea for another, and a great idea for a third. I did manage to stop myself from starting a NaNo blog. I thought that maintaining three would be plenty while participatinig in NaNo. The good part about maintaining all those blogs is that I'm absolutely confident that I can write 1,667 words per day because I already do it :) The question is, can I write all of those words on just one topic?

I'm off to add a few of your blogs to my reading list :)

Pamela Keener said...

I check this blog and Romance Junkies blog more frequently than others. I really don't want to spend my whole day on the computer even though some days I try *wink*.
I love to read blogs as it gives me info that I would normally not have known. That goes into my learn something new each day.
Thanks for blogging here. You sound like an awfully busy woman.
Love & Hugs,
Pam

Unknown said...

Holy crap, Hauf! And you still pump out about a million pages a day. Crazy!!

Linda Henderson said...

I just discovered blogging a few months ago. I am at home most of the time so blogging allows me to socialize without leaving my house. I have rheumatoid arthritis which means I have a weakened immune system so staying home and away from sick people is a priority to me. I have a list of favorite blogs I go to every day. I enjoy reading about all my favorite authors and I love discovering new ones. I read a lot of different genres and I have discovered some of them through blogs. I always enjoy your books and I usually follow your blogs.

Zita_the_Dreamer said...

hello,

I read blogs that I have marked as a follower and then on my e-mails, people send me to blogs too. I read anything that I can when I get to have the time to read it.

What is a blog crawl??? I don't know what that is.

I like a blog that is like the person that is blogging. If you like butterflies, then have butterflies everywhere and talk about butterflies some time.

I read blogs, because I want to learn something that I have not learned or to see what someone else is doing on a rainy day like it is here in South Texas.

Zita

Michele Hauf said...

Zita, a blog crawl is like your morning ritual of going to your favorite list of blogs. Sort of like a pub crawl, but...not, and with no alcohol (or so I assume). :-) So each morning I do a blog crawl of my favorites while I'm reading email. That's how I start my day.

Sounds like others like to start the day that way too. I admit I'm a Follower on some blogs, but I never check my 'Follower' list for updates. Weird.

Kathleen Eagle said...

Wow, Michele, you're the Nora Roberts of blogging. I'm in utter awe.

I can't do more than this one blog. I'm intimidated by the amount of interactive stuff available online these days. I'm still in the thinking about it stage for Facebook. But some of you might remember how long I dragged my feet about getting online in the first place. It's that multi-taking thing. I'm not good at it.

The cover article for one of the Sunday paper mags--Parade?--is "Our Love Affair With Vampires". Michele flew to mind.

tetewa said...

I have a list of blogs that are on my favorites that I visit daily, this being one of them!

Zita_the_Dreamer said...

thank you, Michele Hauf.

I don't do that.I read the blogs after my e-mail check and that has no set time. lol

Zita

Minna said...

There are some blogs I visit daily, some blogs I don't visit daily, but quite regurlarly, anyway, and quite a few I visit every once in a while.

Debra Dixon said...

Okay, I feel like a complete underachiever!

I love the idea of blogging. I just don't have much time. I dream of blogging (cleverly and with style) on a number of subjects. I've threatened (silently) to start an obscure blog and just see if anyone finds it. (g)

But I don't have the time. :/

Michele Hauf said...

OOh, start the obscure blog, Deb!

catslady said...

I am amazed at how many blogs you have - kudos!

I have certain blogs I visit every day (dozen or so) and then there are blogs that I visit from the suggestions of other blogs. That's where I get into trouble. I try to write down where I've been but I forget and then I drive myself crazy trying to find them again. Sometimes I find new ones and sometimes I drop some. I think most important is the back and forth - having someone reply back (doesn't have to be always but at least some of the time). It's disappointing sometimes when you get no reply or only others seem to get answered. But overall I truly enjoy my blogs :)

catslady said...

Oh, goodness, short term memory - I meant to reply about the coloring books. That had to be one of the favorite things that I did with my children. Especially my youngest who is going to college for art (what I would have loved to have done). Just yesterday she brought up the fact that I stopped coloring with her but she was in jr. high or high school and I guess I was embarrassed to still do it with her. Kudos again for doing something you love.

Christie Ridgway said...

Michele, I had to take a little nap after reading about all your blogging endeavors! Wowza.

And now I'm super curious about the Dover coloring books and must make a purchase. Do you get them at a bookstore? Art store? Where?

Christie Ridgway said...

Oh, just went to the Dover site and love so many! Must have the Arthur Rackham coloring books and the heroine of the MIP is a fairy tale book collector and I think she might be a closet color-er too. Hah. Thanks for the inspiration.

Janga said...

I am awed by the number of blogs you do. I blogged for two (my own blog Just Janga and Romance Vagabonds)for two months before the group blog put out the campfire, and I felt as if I never did anything else.

I use Google Reader to check about a dozen favorites in the morning as I eat breakfast. I mostly lurk though. If I get caught up in commenting on all of them, updating on Facebook, and reading and sending tweets, I'm left with no time to write.

LSUReader said...

I have a few author and book blogs I visit daily. I was intrigued enough by your description that I had to visit Color Me Happy. I love the kaleidoscope designs!

Michele Hauf said...

Christie, if you check my Color Me Happy blog I have a link to my list of coloring books (yes, I like to make lists too) I've sorted them by genres like Fashion, History, Animals, Mandalas, Geometrics, etc. They are all linked to Amazon too for more info. :-)

Teonda Tollison said...

I am part of the dangerous women, lorelei james gang and write minded readers groups. Through them I constantly check out the blogs that are recommended. It keeps me on top of what is going on in all the different genres that I read and introduces me to new authors.

Asylumgirl said...

I hit a whole long blog list pretty much every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. I know, sad isn't it? lol

Deidre

Terry Odell said...

I swear I left a comment this morning -- the second one, but it's not there. Probably forgot the spam word and clicked away.

It was brilliant, of course, but now I'm tired and going to bed.

Pamk said...

i check my blog reader every evening. great way to keep up with whats happening with my authors and other things

KylieBrant said...

Michelle, I've been appearing on a lot of blog sites as promo for my trilogy and am surprised at how many 'familiar faces' I see at each. It appears a lot of people have a regular blog path they follow daily. Wish I could!

Minna said...

Most blogs which I visit often are like this one, written by many different authors.