Rebekah Lyn

Letters

I have re-read the letters Bill wrote me while he was stationed aboard ship in the Navy in 1958. They are pretty much the same as the ones Dad sent Mother in 1945 during World War II. I suppose a service person’s life can be full of monotony even in wartime.

Receiving messages from home or from loved ones far away is by far the most wonderful, the most exciting, and the most fulfilling thing that can happen for most people in a day or a week. Nowadays it is easier and takes less time than it ever has. I love paper letters, but even more, I love modern technology that makes communicating so quick and easy. Besides being where you can hold hands, what’s your favorite style of communication these days?

I enjoy letters so much I designed some note cards.

Worries-A Poem

This poem is called “Worries” I read my Streams in the Desert Journal every day for the uplifting of my spirit it brings. It’s fun to find things I’d forgotten about. On Jun 3, of this year, I found a poem I wrote on May 25, 2011. At one time I was writing in it just a night when I couldn’t sleep so the dates are mixed. I don’t care. Do you?

Worry is such a sin that right away when I begin, I shut down all my mind and strength and go to such an awful length to deny my worries, oh, and not to ask that they will go, but to bury them where they’ll most do harm and cause my soul a high alarm. Lately though, I start to think, if I’ll admit, I will not sink. So now I say, I’m worried Lord, please throw my worries overboard. He comes, He does, as I have asked, and soon my worries all have passed.

Admit it daughter and come to me . I’ll deal with pain and set you free.

“Let us pass away over unto the other side.”

Mark 4:35

How do you deal with worry?

One Spark 2013

One little spark of inspiration

Is at the heart of all creation.

Right at the start of everything that’s new,

One little spark, lights up for you.

Figment — Click for video of EPCOT’s original Journey to Imagination

Those words from one of my all time favorite Disney attractions, Journey Into Imagination (the orignal version, not the current one), play in my brain at the most unlikely times. They could also be the theme song of the One Spark movement. The world’s first crowd-funding festival took place in Jacksonville, FL April 17-21, 2013. Downtown Jacksonville played host to almost 900 creators, offering them the opportunity to pitch their ideas with $250,000 in guaranteed funding. Each creator was given an id number and visitors were then able to vote for the projects they would most like to see receive funds.

I had a chance to be a part of this event, thanks to Betty Poole, creator of the website, BiblioConnection. Betty’s goal is connect readers, authors, book collectors, and book sellers, with a focus on independent writers, but her dreams don’t stop there. With a real passion of the arts, Betty would like to create a home in Jacksonville for artists from all media — painters, musicians, sculptors, writers — can come together for workshops, showcase their work, use private studios, and hold special events. Betty sent out an invitation to all BiblioConnection members to join her

at One Spark, either in person or virtually through video messages or displayed books. As far outside my comfort zone as this was, I jumped at the chance to get my name out there to new readers.

I spent a few hours with Betty on Friday and Saturday, talking with anyone who would stop at our table, sharing with them the vision on BiblioConnection as well as information on my writing. Betty and I hit it off right away and I am so happy that I went. It was interesting how many of our visitors mentioned their own books and shared about their writing journey.

When I wasn’t hanging out at the BiblioConnection table, I wandered among the other creators, intrigued by the ideas they had to share. I saw some incredibly talented artists and muscians, someone hoping to raise funds to buy her own food truck (she had tasty shrimp and grits), a collective called Fathom Sphere trying to raise money to buy a place where they can host interactive art installations and live performances, and inventors of all kinds. The weekend was truly inspiring and encouraging. In a time when it seems like there is nothing new to be created, these bright minds are showing us that the spirit of innovation is still alive and well in America.

From what I understand, One Spark will be back again next year and I highly encourage you to check it out. You can also learn more about the creators who participated this year by clicking here.

Reader/Author a New Exciting Website

Thank you, Rebekah, for giving me a chance to appear on your blog so I can explain a few thingsabout the new and exciting Reader/Author website. Here are some common questions I’ve been asked and the answers I’ve given. These will hopefully shed some light on what Reader/Author is, how it can make readers lives easier, and make the reviews readers give more rewarding for them.

Q. What is Reader/Author?

A. The short answer is that Reader/Author is an e-book distribution site similar to Amazon, Goodreads, and Smashwords, except with some significant differences. Among those differences are how readers discover new books to read and a rewards program for reviews.

Q. How will Reader/Author benefit readers?

A. One of the more critical benefits is Reader/Author will make it easy for readers to find quality books according to the readers tastes in genres. There will be no more sifting through tons of books and taking a chance on a book that sounds good only to discover after purchasing that the book is a mess.

Q. On sites like Goodreads and Amazon readers receive a lot of unwanted solicitations. Likewise, at the other end of the spectrum is Smashwords, which does almost no marketing of its books. How will marketing be approached for books at Reader/Author?

A. Intelligently; because of the way we’er designing Reader/Author, readers will face NO spam. A reader will see advertisements from only the genres they like and direct marketing from only those authors to whom the reader has subscribed or from whom the reader has purchased. A reader can at any time unsubscribe from an author.

Q. Many sites offer reviews, but a constant concern for readers is finding honest ones. What are your thoughts on this?

A. Quality reviews are a huge concern in today’s market wherein many authors employ a Mutual Admiration Society, providing reviews that are based more on friendships and alliances than the actual book in question. That approach is shortsighted on the authors behalves. A reader who reads stellar review after stellar review only to discover upon reading the book that those reviews were bogus is going to feel misled. Such a reader will be far less likely to return than the reader who simply made a blind purchase.

Q. How will Reader/Author guard against dishonest reviews?

A. The line between readers and authors has been drawn at Reader/Author. Authors can purchase books but are unable to review them, thus preventing one type of buddy-system. In addition to this, readers are encouraged to report bogus reviews. If we discover a majority of a book’s reviews are misleading, we will refund the reader’s money and further investigate the matter. Upon discovering that an author is intentionally bilking the system, said author will be banned and their books removed.

Q. You earlier alluded to a reviewer being rewarded for their reviews. How is this accomplished?

A. Through the Reader/Author Reviewer Rewards program. Readers accumulate reputation points based on the reviews they leave. When a reader gains enough reputation points, they are rewarded with discounts and free books. The number of discounts and free books escalate along with the reader’s reputation point level.

Q. In some ways, book distribution sites make readers feel almost as an afterthought compared to the attention given to authors, as if the reader is simply a means to an end or a purse to be fleeced. How would you say Reader/Author differs?

A. Simply put, at Reader/Author it is the reader’s reviews and ratings that determine a book’s standing in the community rather than sales numbers. Readers are extremely important to us for reasons other than their wallets, so it is imperative that we build an environment in which the reader does not just feel protected from shameful marketing practices but also critical to the book community. As an author, I value nothing more than the reviews a reader leaves; it is through the reader’s judgment that authors become better writers and produce higher quality books.

Q. Are there social aspects to Reader/Author?

A. There are. Readers can friend and message other readers, subscribe to and message authors, and participate in user groups. Each reader will be provided their own page on which they can post a profile photo, a short bio, share their links, and post status messages.

Q. Is membership free?

A. Yes. At no time will a reader be charged for membership.

Q. Where can readers sign-up?

A. By going to Reader/Author sign-up page

I hope these questions and answers have shed some light on Reader/Author Happy reading!