Posts

Linda Hansen: Journey of an Accidental Watercolor Artists

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Jolene's Book and Writer's Talk Podcast Interviews South Florida Author Linda Hansen. She hand painted each of the pages in her two books and is contemplating a third. "Curious about self-publishing, watercolor art, or storytelling? 📚🎨 Check out our latest episode featuring Linda Hansen who shares her unique journey as a late-blooming children's book author. Inspiring doesn't even begin to describe it! 

Jolene's Quick Review About Link Hubs such as LinkTree And Other Rambling Thoughts

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Jolene's Quick Review About Link Hubs such as LinkTree And Other Rambling Thoughts: I just finished presenting this video and did a Q&A session with those who showed up from the Writers Alliance of Gainesville author group. Of which I have been a member for a number of years now. We just closed the books on the 2025 Sunshine State Book Festival season and I may not be returning to that in the fall. I will be still giving the Marketing Coalition presentations once a month and have asked to be paired with a writing pod so I can finally get my fiction books published. I try to always video the presentation portion because it gives me a chance to say all the things I want to get across before people interrupt with questions. I do not mind people asking questions but my brain loses its train of thought and off we go on a tangent not related to the talk. I do have a tendency to talk quickly when I am recording as I do not want the videos to be too long. The Q& A session was good...

Getting The Podcasts Done With the New Descript App

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I am so happy, so far, with a new app called DESCRIPT which as an app for you computer as well as a web interface to use. It is probably best that I have Fiber Optic Cable Internet with decents speeds these days to use the program. It is saving me hours in editing, adding captions, and integrating the various parts of the podcast that I film separately into a final product if one video for YouTube, a high-quality MP3 file for Apple Podcast and Spotify which leaves me more time to get more done. The price for the AI Driven software package is $30 a month. I used it to take out all the double words and uhs and ums that people make while recording and to shorten videos with a more precise hand. You can assign speaker names if there is more than one person in the video so when you download the finished transcript you have an idea of who said what. There are several levels for beginners even a free, cut-down version for you to try before you commit to a monthly or yearly price. Ther...

BookMail, Upcoming Events, Staying at a Hotel

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Thank you so much L. A. Boruff for sending this great BookBox. An excellent selection and some great stickers. Cannot wait to get some time to start reading bookmail. My two daughters and granddaughter have already laid claimed to some of the items. Of couse, that may not happen until April or so. The Sunshine State Book Festival is fast approaching. I volunteered to create author promo videos and in return the authors stayed to participate in my Jolene's Book and Writer's Talk Podcast. The ads will be created and shared on the SSBF social media pages prior to February 1, 2025. The podcasts are, out of necessity, are not being editing and uploaded until after the show. Between my school schedule, recording, editing and posting schedules there just isn't any time left over to edit the 20 to 40 minute shows. I have also created videos for the Teen Lit Contest, the Writer's Workshops and A Call Out for Volunteers. Finally, I will have to do a "Thank You" to t...

Middle of January and Busy Just Doesn't Really Describe My Schedule

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There is so much happening around the world right now. My own personal area is quite booked up. Most of it is all my own doing. I volunteered to help with the social medial for the Sunshine State Book Festival in Gainesville, Florida which I will also have an author table on February 1st. And I am doing another year of conducting a monthly online writer's marketing seminar for the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. I am still a semi-volunteer with the First Coast Romance Writers in Jacksonville, Florida and their 2025 schedule is packed with workshops, romance awards, book cover contests and three anthologies. I recently volunteer to help take care of the website and social media for the Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime group out of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. They have monthly writer workshops that need to be posted on social media and I just realized I volunteered to hold a monthly Writer's Business Workshop for their members. Finally, I volunteered to do the website up...

Welcome to 2025 and WTF are We Going to Do Now

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 Welcome to 2025 and WTF are We Going to Do Now Over the last few days I have been unindated with video ad requests from the participating authors of the Sunshine State Book Festival on February 1, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida. Yes, silly me volunteered to do the videos again this year thinking that may be 10 or 15 of the 200 would show up on Zoom. But so far, there are 32 authors who have scheduled and on 3 haven't shown up. I am using my Zoom scheduler program because I already had it in place with my availability. I had to quickly adjust it though because I have new classes starting on January 6th and I want to attend some of the writing workshops that are scheduled over the next two weeks. Plus, I have my own workshop that I have to give on the Third Monday.  I am thinking About Doing Another One of these this year. Any Takers? The good thing (and, of course, the bad as well) is that, so far, each of the writers have agreed to participate in the Jolene's Book and Writer...

Literary Indulgence Festival June 2025 - Jacksonville Florida

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Coming in June 2025 is the 2nd Annual Literary Indulgence - Bookish Delight Book Festival with authors, crafts and local venders as well as featured speakers on a variety of subjects. The founder and organizer of the event Marie Morton asked me to help out with the website and social media. She and her festival committee, local authors and volunteers, are working hard to get sponsors for the event, provide real value for the vendors (Authors, crafts people and food) inside and outside of the terrific, historical venue. Check out the website for more: https://literaryindulgence.com  MORE LATER! - HAPPY HOLIDAYS - RELAX AND READ A BOOK OR TWO!

Writers Workshops Happening in Florida 2025

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 Writer's Workshop being offered day before SSBF 2025 Attention all authors living in Southern Georgia and Northern to Central Florida! The Sunshine State Book Festival is sponsoring the Writers’ Workshop Intensive - January 31, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Cross Creek Room at Best Western Gateway Grand, Gainesville, Florida. They will be providing a light breakfast bar and lunch for the participants. Seating is Limited so please sign-up early. Visit the website for more information: https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/writers-workshop/