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Friday, April 29, 2016

I'm done using ADULT as a verb even though I don't want to ADULT today!

I can't adult today tumbler:
From Huffpost: 21 Brutally Honest Coffee Mugs That Nail Your Morning Struggle
This whole adult thing. Ugh. Right? Waking up early. Being responsible. Putting the wrong lunch in the wrong kid's lunch bag. Wishing your laundry would fold itself and the lottery fairy would pay all your bills and you didn't have to be in three places with three different kids at the exact same time. I can't  adult today! 

(There, I said it. I thought I could refrain, but no. As offensive as it is to my grammatically correct mind, I'm jumping on the bandwagon using adult as a verb and I like it!)

How about you? Done with adulting too?

 I kind of want to young-adult it today, though. You know, that magical time when you could drink and thought you had responsibilities but really they paled in comparison with what you just took care of before 9am this morning? 

So, while I wasn't adulting and slurping down some wine (which now that I think about it sounds very much like being an adult) - I mean, sipping on some Kool Aid, I started thinking about this blog or the verb form of it, blogging. And, I discovered something interesting. I don't feel like blogging anymore. Blog, bog, blah-og. It was fun for a while, but let's be honest, I'm not in danger of going viral. Trust me. I tried the whole viral thing and it wasn't pleasant. Plus, my blog posts didn't get a lot of attention either. 

Mermaids. And, might I say, mermaiding - defined as living one's life as a mermaid. No, not me. I get terrible swim ear even if I look at the water. But that's the theme of my next novel - mermaiding. Which isn't getting written because I'm blogging and worrying about blogging and now you see the problem!

Not my last post, but close. This post is probably not the last one ever, but it's darn close to it. You'll know it's my last post ever because I'm going to name the post "The Last Post Ever" and then you'll know for sure. If you're one of my tens of loyal readers, (Hi Mom!), thank you for your readership! If you're super sad, you can start a hashtag #savetheblog or #AudrySayItIsn'tSo or #SnapOutOfItAndBlogAlready! Otherwise, it's #I'mDoneAdultingLet'sBeMermaids for me. I'll be the one lounging on the beach with a margarita.


Done with adulting? Me, too! Run away with me to
www.audryfryer.com and let's escape into a great read. 
A free first chapter will magically, instantly appear in your inbox just for signing up for my I-hardly-get-around-to-doing-it Newsletter. Fun! YOLO! 

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

She said what?!? An interview with my Editor





Meet my fabulous editor of Going Barefoot in Greener Grass, KM Krick!

Today I interview her and ask difficult, thought provoking, deeply philosophical questions. Ha! Not so much! But this interview is perfect for anyone considering hiring an editor or even becoming one. If you're looking for an editor, KM Krick (also known as Kathy) is affordable, thorough and best of all, personable.


~ The Interview ~

Me: Welcome Kathy to All Things Audry! I'm so happy to be interviewing you today!

K M Krick: Thank you! It's a pleasure to be here. I don't usually do interviews, so I'm a little nervous about those deeply philosophical questions.

Me: Ha! Nothing to worry about here. Let's start with an easy question. How did you decide you wanted to be an editor? Give us your background.

K M Krick: Ok, I can answer this one easily! I began my editing career in 2012 as a proofreader. I proofread for a few authors before I edited my first published story in November 2012. With the love I had for proofreading and helping to fix an author’s baby, I became a freelance editor. Ironically, I wasn’t much of a reader prior to proofreading. I hadn’t read a book in many years. In fact, the first book I finally read after so many years was Fifty Shades of Grey. That’s where it all began for me.

Me: Oh, well, Fifty Shades of Grey seemed to turn a lot of people on, ahem, to reading! So, is it safe to assume romance is the genre you prefer to edit?

K M Krick: Romance is definitely my favorite genre to edit. Simply, I love the HEA.

Me: So, now, prepare yourself for that deeply philosophical question. What's the best and conversely, the worst part of the job?

K M Krick: The best part of being an editor is definitely meeting so many new people. I have formed many lifelong friendships with a lot of my authors. The worst part of the job would have to be a “nightmare” edit. I’m sure every editor has had one. It’s the edit that is so full of revisions, you just want to pull your hair out.

Me: What are you working on right now? Could you recommend any authors/books worth checking out?

K M Krick: I’m currently working on a few stories right now. I would love to recommend every author I have had the fortunate privilege to edit for. So I don’t leave anyone out, search my name on Amazon and you will see all these wonderful authors.

Me: I did a search (click here) and for anyone who loves romance, you have quite a selection for finding your next read! Okay, last question! As my editor - who I must say did a fantastic job, I was thrilled when you expressed how much you enjoyed Going Barefoot in Greener Grass. So, I know I'm tooting my own horn here, but could you share what you liked about the novel?

K M Krick: Aww, I’m blushing. Thank you for the very nice compliment. I love being your editor. My biggest fan, Sheri Wasik, sent you to me, and I couldn’t be more grateful to her. Yes, I loved Going Barefoot in Greener Grass. What I really liked about the story is how you intertwined the stories of two best friends who couldn’t be more different than each other. Your storytelling was so spot-on that it made me want to skip to the end of the story to find out how it ended. I was glued to every word.

Me: Aww, now I'm blushing! And, yes, I'm ever so grateful for our shared hair stylist extraordinaire, Sheri Wasik, for making this literary connection between us! Thank you so much for taking the time between edits to do this interview. So appreciated!

*Want to connect with K M Krick? 
Go to her Facebook Page and say hi!

Are you a fun, witty woman who likes to read fun, witty books? Let's get together and chat! See you at www.audryfryer.com 


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Ever leap outside your comfort zone?

Ready? One, two, three ... leap!

The thing about taking that figurative leap is that you may expect to stick the landing, but usually you don't. Sound familiar?

If you follow this blog, you'll see lots of hype over the recent re-release of the first novel I wrote, Going Barefoot in Greener Grass. In it, main characters, Bethany and Olivia dare to go outside their comfort zones with mixed results and plenty of page-turning drama. While it makes for entertaining reading, I can relate to their stress in real life as well. Every time I put something I created out there, I cringe inside. This voice, I call Felicia (why? see below), likes to warn me that I may look like a fool, that people will be rolling their eyes behind my back and how much better it would be if I just binge watched shows on Netflix like everyone else in the world is apparently doing.

Side story, totally related - Once someone dared me to do a front flip off a real diving board. Let's just say I learned first hand about a back flop and it wasn't pretty. I'm talking it looked like a giant hand slapped me. I mean, I had Olympic form in the air. You know, right until, the water was directly beneath me. Then, I smacked onto the surface where I swear I floated for a few seconds before sinking slowly into the depths.

Anyway, my recent re-release was a fun leap through the air. As for the landing, well, let's just say, I'm overwhelmingly thankful for the support of my family and friends and leave it at that. Since I was feeling back flopped in regards to the bestseller lists I went on an internet search for some virtual pampering.

Here's what I found - It's really all about the leap. The landing is unpredictable. The most important thing is what you're doing is worth taking that leap over and over again. While I never wanted to join the dive team (especially at middle age -yikes), my writing is worth taking this leap over and over again. Do I wish to land on a major book deal? Yes, but that's not the point. It's all about the feeling in the air. How do I know such sage advice? I learned it from two ladies who know a thing or two about leaping and landings, Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat Pray Love" fame plus author of the recently released Big Magic and Dr. Brene Brown, expert on vulnerability, being brave and author of Rising Strong.

Here's the podcast which inspired this post:



As for that little voice I call Felicia that begs me to encase my comfort zone around me like bubble wrap, I tell her,"Bye, Felicia," just like this movie clip that's been getting a cult following:



What about you? Do you have a story about leaping outside your comfort zone? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! Or on my Facebook Page! Let's start a discussion ...

Are you a fun, witty woman who likes to read fun, witty books? Let's get together and chat! See you at www.audryfryer.com