Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year, New You!

2010 is here, which means it's time to set (and accomplish) your new goals.

Over the years, there's been countless surveys that prove that most new years resolutions are broken by February 17th.

I say we can do better than that in 2010!

How about a few recommendations from motivation experts on how to stay on track and hopefully make it far past the month of February? Personally, I know I can use all the extra help I can get.

1. Tell Everyone Your Intentions - Research shows if you tell those around you what your goals are, they'll help you stay on "the straight and narrow".

2. Expect Bumps - Don't expect things to go perfectly smooth... expect bumps along the way, and plan in advance to be thrown off course. Peter Gollwitzer, a professor of psychology at New York University in New York City, says that those who plan ahead for obstacles are more likely to stick to their original plan.

3. Stay Positive - It's been proven over and over that if you stay positive, and if you BELIEVE, you can accomplish what you set out to do. Staying positive gives you a better chance of success.

4. Be Realistic - Goals should be achievable, otherwise you're setting yourself up for failure. It's perfectly acceptable to "Shoot for the stars", just be sure you can see the stars first.

5. Baby Steps - Research shows if you take baby steps every day towards your goal, you have a better chance of getting to your destination.

6. Ask For Help - When you find yourself falling back into your old habits, ask your friends and family for help. Even if it means asking your spouse to hide the cookies from you, who cares? One less cookie every day can really add up and help your cause.

7. Set Mid-Points - Goals are great to achieve, but it helps to celebrate your success when you get to your half-way mark. The bigger the goal, the more mini-goals you need to set along the way.

8. Don't Give Up - Just when you think "I can't do this", think again. Refer back to #3 - Be Positive and give yourself a pep talk. If that doesn't work, go shopping. :)

9. Switch It Up - We can all get bored of the same old same old, so be sure to make minor tweaks here and there to help keep you focused. If exercising more often is your goal, then switch up what you're doing so you don't get bored.

10. Stay Focused on Why - Sometimes we work so hard to achieve whatever it is we're working towards, we forget why we chose to change. If eating healthier is what you've set your sights for, don't forget why you've made your choice to do so.

Stay motivated, and achieve what you've set out to do on New Years Day. It's totally possible, just remember to Believe in You!

WOO HOO - HNY 2010!!


Monday, December 21, 2009

Pay-By-Text is Growing in Popularity

I think most of you know that the United Kingdom is at the forefront of technology innovation when it comes to utilizing texting technology. After all, the U K is on record for sending the very first official text way back in 1992, which said "Merry Christmas."

I was at a Holiday party a few nights ago when I heard an incredible way text technology is being used by the TFL (Transport For London) within London's transportation systems, including the subway system commonly referred to as "The Tube".

My new friend had been traveling around the capital, and had left his car for 3 days in the parking lot for which he needed to pay for before catching his next train. He goes to pay, and has only two options. He can either pay with coins (in pounds), which he didn't have enough for the three days of parking charges, or he could send a text allowing him to pay by text message.

My point is this. There was NO option to pay with a credit/debit card at the station... he could only deposit hundreds of coins or pay by text! "Wow" was my first thought, and my second was "I need to find out more about this."

So I did, and here's the BL:

The vast majority of Londoner's walk up to the ticket barrier, text their payment in one fifth of a second and away they go!

Wouldn't it be awesome if we could just text a code to pay our way to travel on the Subway? We could totally bypass the entire process of having to first purchase a ticket prior to passing through the ticket barrier.

Just think of the time we would save if all our major transit systems around the United States implemented the ability to pay-by-text like The TFL has.

The mechanism that allows London travelers to pay by text is a pre-loaded "Oyster" card that can be obtained through the TFL, or if you have a Barclay's Visa Card the technology comes automatically pre-loaded.

We don't have the ability to pay for services on the Subway... yet, but New York based ShopText offers the ability to pay-by-text for merchandise. If you spot that must-have right now item in your favorite fashion magazine, you no longer need to go into a store or go online if the item has a text code associated with it. If you have a ShopText account set up, all you have to do is text the code next to the item you need to have.

If this sounds like a good idea, you'll need to contact ShopText to establish an account by providing your mailing address and credit card information. After your account has been set up, ShopText can take your orders, charge them to your credit card, and then have the product shipped, when necessary, from one of the firms warehouses across the U.S.

This is just one more reason why it's time to Read Between the Lines - Get With It or Wait to Get Your Stuff!

So, I've got to sign off now, because I need to sign up for my new ShopText account and get RBTL it's own special text code!

WOO HOO!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Holiday Shopping Made Easy

When you're shopping, do you strike with precision or savor the experience?

Whichever way you roll, use your texting savvy and add some ease to your holiday purchasing experiences.

To perfect your gift acquisitions while you're doing your part to spur on the economy, text your questions before whipping out your wallet:
  • What size shoe does Brandon wear?
  • Would Patrick prefer a black or a blue sweater?
  • Does Danielle need a jacket? If so, what size should I get?
  • Do you think mom would like a new watch? (Text a picture of the watch along with your note)
  • I'm staring at that Marc Jacobs wallet you wanted, and it's on sale... shall I pick it up for you?
Or maybe you want to take a quick break from your long shopping day and grab a latte with your girlfriend?
  • Can u grab a quick cup of coffee @ *$'s? Meet me in 20 mins
Go ahead, make a list, check it twice, then text it to yourself so you don't lose it in the process of living your crazy-busy life. :)

Whatever your shopping for, simplify your experience by double checking your gift ideas by text... just think of all the returns that will be avoided!

WOO HOO To That!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Confessions of an Unknown Author

There's a lot of things I don't know about being an author. In fact, I know next to nothing except being an "unknown" is EXTRA hard.

What I do know is how thankful I am to all of you who have supported me along my "Read Between the Lines" journey.

Everyone from my BFF to my fellow TVIP babes who've all ventured out in the pouring rain (and usually drag their family along) to support me at my signings. To my amazing friends, co-workers and clients who just continue to surprise me because they truly believe.

It seems everyone from my oldest friends to the new people I meet every day along my "unknown author" journey... are all going the extra mile to help get RBTL into the hands of their friends, family and clients.

Even my family still comes to every single signing... just to see how it's going and if I'm making any headway. I must confess that after every event I have, my family takes bets on how many books I signed, or how many bookmarks I passed out. Nothing like a little pressure!

Take Renee Lovely who owns Avalon Spa and Salon who I only met AFTER she offered to host a book signing event at her salon - just because she loves to help others! Renee got all of her family and friends on board to partake in Saturday's amazing event.

How about Michael, the store manager of Barnes and Noble in Dublin, California? When I walked into his store today for my book signing, he had arranged for a beautiful arrangement of flowers to be displayed on my event table. Justin at Borders Rancho Mirage is one of my bookstore heroes for all of his words of wisdom and extra help he gave me for my very first event! How amazing is that for an unknown author like myself to get such fabulous treatment?

Just a few weeks ago, my mom and step father drove 7 hours to surprise me at my first signing event, only to have to turn around the next day and drive home another 7 hours. 14 hours of drive time for a two hour signing.

One things for sure, I couldn't have dreamed for anything more from anyone.

From what I know now, I must confess that I never realized that writing Read Between the Lines was just 10% of the work until yesterday. The other 90% comes after the book leaves the presses - especially for an "unknown" like myself. Too bad I haven't recently run for Vice President, successfully landed my plane on the Hudson, or found the EASY button for a successful book! :)

Every day I learn a tiny bit more about being an unknown author, but the one thing I know for sure is I couldn't do any of this without without all of you!

TYSM!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Do You Sleep With Your Cell Phone?

According to a recent study conducted by Synovate, close to half of Americans sleep with their cell phones.


Can this really be true? It sounds so crazy!

That's a lot of us who sleep next to there phone. Is your sleeping companion also small, cold and made of metal?

After I read this study, I had to ask myself, "Do I really sleep with my phone?" Does my husband, and do my teens sleep with their beloved iPhones and BlackBerrys?

The answer was almost 88% "yes" for my family. The Edgington family is guilty as charged!

For me, I sometimes leave my phone in my car overnight, or out in the family room, depending on what time my head finally hits the pillow, and whether or not my kids are out or at home. Bottom line, about half the time I have my phone on my night stand... just in case.

For my husband, he sleeps by his phone every night. I'm pretty positive he's waiting for that emergency call that could come in during the middle of the night.

As for Nicole who's 17, she sleeps with her phone IN her bed every night - without fail. This is so she doesn't miss a single text that "could" come in. Thankfully, once she's asleep she usually doesn't get woken by her TM's because her phone's always on vibrate. I'm also pretty sure that her and her friends send out some sort of "I'm going to bed, good night" text notification, which immediately limits the amount of inbound messages.

Derek, who's 15 and doesn't live and die by his cell phone (yet) charges his phone every night, which happens to be on his night stand, inches away from his pillow. Derek also depends on his iPhone alarm to wake him up every morning, which is a ligit reason for keeping it close by.

It's my guess that for those of us who choose to sleep with or by our phones do so for a variety of reasons, just like my family does.

For those of you who don't - WOO HOO to you!



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

What Will Bill O'Reilly Do?

When it comes to texting, there's one thing I know for sure. Bill O'Reilly refuses to text, and thinks that technology is taking over the minds of the under 45'sters - and not in a good way.

My goal is to change his mind.

Here's my talking points memo for Bill:

  1. Texting is not just for kids! Us grown adults are now learning about text benefits too.
  2. The hard of hearing use texting as their primary way to communicate.
  3. Soon, you'll be able to text your 911 calls directly to your local police department. (This is already happening in some US cities)
  4. Businesses are using texting to communicate with clients.
  5. Doctors depend on text messages to get important 411, because a text is more effecient than a phone call.
  6. Go green and text smart by texting important information to your cell phone, instead of printing out bunches of paper.
Even though Bill has laid claim to not wanting to learn how to text, you can sign up for his "No Spin Mobile Alert" to receive a text message from Bill each weekday. So, I'm thinking that he must assign text messaging some value, otherwise he would refuse Fox News the ability to offer this service... right?

I'm not totally sure, it's just my guess. What do you think?

Here's my plan. I'm going to send Bill a copy of my book Read Between the Lines, because one thing I do know is Mr. O'Reilly prides himself on being a scholar. Even though my book is not quite text-book material, I do believe he'll have fun reading it AND learn a few things about how texting is improving communication in more ways than he thought possible.

Wish me luck - and I'll let you know if I ever get some sort of confirmation that Mr. O'Reilly has learned to Read Between the Lines.

TTFN



Thursday, December 3, 2009

Texting Tips For Tiger

As we've painfully learned from the media, in the case of Tiger Woods vs. the alleged gals that are coming out of every nook and cranny with saved voice mails, a text message might have been a safer way to go.

Here's a few texting tips for Tiger:

If you're going to contact your girlfriends, don't leave recorded messages or FB updates that can be later held against you.

And definitely don't leave panicked messages about your wife, on your girlfriends voice mail! Instead, send her a text message. This way, your voice won't be able to be compared against your actual voice by the media (and heard around the world by just about everyone) just to be sure it's really your voice.

Text your inappropriate messages appropriately so you don't get busted.

Make up your own secret text lingo that no one understands but you and your gal pals. This way, your code won't be broken by your loved ones.

Don't risk sexting with your gals - a picture says a thousand words you DON'T want to hear.

Don't use your girlfriends real names in your address book, so your loved ones can easily find them. Names like Bambi, Lola or Bubbles are dead give aways. Think about changing their names to George, Louis or Thomas. What woman would Read Between the Lines with those names?

Seriously, don't try any of this at home - it's not worth it.

Instead, love the one you're with and keep those helicopters that are circling your home 24/7 away... you're just too good to be in the middle of all the crap!


Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Borders Rancho Mirage Rocks the Desert

While I was on Holiday with the family down in Palm Springs, I had a meet and greet/book signing event for Read Between the Lines at Borders Books in Rancho Mirage @ "The River".

Talk about one of the most professional and knowledgeable staff I have ever met. (Justin and Kelley - amazing job)

From the moment I walked in to the most perfect display of RBTL (I had nothing to add), to making me feel right at home and part of the Borders team.

I'm definitely not an expert on book signing events, but I do know quality and great management when I see it. No wonder this store is so successful! (They had the highest revenues of all Borders stores on Black Friday)

I highly recommend if you're ever in the Palm Springs area, stop by and say "hi" to the Border folks, and buy a book or three.

They'll appreciate you as much as you'll appreciate them!



Monday, November 30, 2009

A Texting Vegan?

I have a confession.

Just in case you didn't know, I recently wrote a book "Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style" which came out last week. RBTL provides hundreds of reasons why you need to use text messaging as one of your modes of communication.

What you probably don't know is that my husband (one of my biggest supporters) doesn't text. In fact, he outwardly refuses to do so!

Granted, my hubby is an incredible and successful business man, a jet pilot, an amazing dad, and a lover of his "old school" Motorola flip phone. I did get him a new phone last February, which he returned because he "just couldn't do without his flip".

Something is going on around here!

Then, out of no where, he comes back from Borders on Saturday night with new book called "Skinny Bastard". He said he went to check out "Skinny Bitch" because both RBTL and SB have the the same talented illustrator, Margaret Gockel in common. When I complemented him on his new acquisition, he proclaimed "Next week I'm going to learn how to text, and become a vegan" which is the entire premise behind Skinny Bastard.

OMG... because now he wants me to come along on his vegan journey too! As much as I would love to join his new cause, I'm not 100% sure I can commit to eliminating dairy, chicken, fish and my Skinny Hazelnut Latte from Starbucks. I did read I could have TunO, which sounds completely and totally awful. HELP!

Last week, I did notice David eyeing my sons iPhone, all the way to the point of checking out how it felt to carry in his pocket... which was totally shocking because of his total and complete dedication to Mr. Flip, which I bought him four years ago!

A four year old cell phone is a lot like a 10 year old computer - it's out of date and totally obsolete!

As for his new way of eating, I'm thinking it won't last for long, especially since his daily snacks consist of Lays Potato Chips, lots of cookies, buttered popcorn and several cans of Coke. Maybe going vegan is just what the Dr. ordered, even if it's just for a short period of time?

As for learning how to text, I agree he'll need to dump Mr. Flip and find a new love. Maybe he was finally able to Read Between the Lines?

Stay tuned, because I'm not buying any of the texting vegan mania just yet.






Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Dream A Little Dream

Have you ever had an idea to do something that could turn out to be really amazing? You know, that perfect something that's just begging to be born and become a reality?

What about a new way of doing something, or a product that is really needed but not available? It doesn't even matter what the size of your dream is, because it belongs only to you.

I know that you've had ideas in the past, and they come to you at the strangest times! They come to you in the middle of the night or while you're taking a shower. Or maybe you're just stuck in traffic and POW it hits you like a ton of bricks!

Just today, I had two of my girlfriends tell me about an idea they have, but they're not exactly sure how to go about making the idea a reality.

I say "Don't let the lack of knowing something stop you from doing anything!" Who cares if you don't know how to do something... you can always figure it out! Your smart, savvy and know people who can help you, you just have to ask.

It's definitely not comfortable to try something you know nothing about. In fact, I think that's the main reason why we don't always try. Take it from me, I've had lots of ideas that I've never acted on. Why? For me... I can honestly say I didn't try hard enough, and gave up too soon.

When things become to hard for me, I always tell myself the same thing: "If it were easy, everybody would be doing it."

In the end, I think it's about the long, windy and often difficult road that makes the journey worth traveling. Learning something new is always a process. Sometimes it's easy, and sometimes it can be really hard. But, we have to at least try as hard as we can in order to make our dreams become a reality.

So go ahead, shoot for the stars and dream a little dream, then take the fabulous journey that will allow you to make your dream come true.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Sex + Texting = Sexting

Unfortunately, there are some very bad things that come along with texting, and it doesn't get much worse than sexting!

Sexting or Sextexting is a terrifying concept for any parent, and it's become prevalent within the teen community.

What is Sexting? Sexting involves inappropriate and/or nude photos of themselves or others that are texted to boyfriends, girlfriends and even strangers. Take this practice one step further to the brink of total devastation by adding the ability to forward and share these inappropriate photos with an unlimited number of people. Who knows where these photos could end up?

The possibilities are frighteningly endless.

"Not my child" is what most parents think when the topic of sexting is brought up in conversation. A national organization called The National Campaign (www.nationalcampaign.org) seeks to improve the well being of our youth, estimates that at a minimum, 33% of teenagers have admitted to sexting. This number increases to 36% when it comes to young adult women.

The second someone hits the "send" button that includes a "hot pic" as an attachment to a text, serious consequences and severe harm are possible. Here are just a few ways sexting can change your child's life forever:

Potential to be arrested and charged for child pornography
Requirement to register as a sex offender
Complete humiliation among peers
Attractions of stalkers/sexual predators
Hazing/name calling Sexual harassment
Possible expulsion from school

Teens have been arrested and booked for sexting, which in the eyes of the law can be considered child pornography. Beyond that, sexting carriers the additional risks:

Text Bullying - When compromising photos are texted to others in order to embarrass, make miserable or destroy another person.
Teen Pressure - Feeling pressured to text revealing photos - or else...
Teen Suicide - Resulting from once private, inappropriate photos no longer remaining private, causing humiliation and devastation.
Blackmail - Being made to do something against your will, because if you don't, that naked picture you texted of yourself will be sent to all your friends, teachers, coaches, parents, and anyone you would never want to see it.
Breakups/Relationship Problems - Forced to stay in a relationship for fear of inappropriate photos surfacing somewhere unexpected.

We as parents need to Read Between the Lines and be aware that sexting is a reality, and it's becoming more common than we'd like to believe. We also need to understand the dangers of sexting, and then be able to explain the serious consequences that arise from texting sexy pictures to others, and how it can negatively change their lives forever!

Friday, November 20, 2009

A Magical Night Indeed

Downtown Pleasanton hosted it's "Magical Downtown Holiday Evening" tonight, which I was lucky to be a part of, thanks to Towne Center Books who invited me in for a book signing.

Towne Center Books reminds me of "The Shop Around the Corner", which was the name of the bookstore in "You've Got Mail". It's cute, clever and Judy the owner and her staff are very passionate about their books. Thanks Judy - I just love your store!

Book signings are a lot of fun, especially because of all the new people you get to meet and talk to. And yes, signing your very own book is really great too!

The real reason tonight was so magical was due to this lady who stood out on the sidewalk passing out Read Between the Lines bookmarks for me, encouraging all those "potential" customers to come into the store. BTW, that lady was my mom who surprised me by driving 7 hours last night with her hubby, just so they could attend my first RBTL book signing.

Thanks Mom! YTB mom a girl could ever have!!

Special thanks to my family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who showed up to say "hi", and join in on the holiday and book signing festivities. I couldn't do any of this without your support.

TTFN

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Text Messages DON'T Replace Phone Calls

For all of you skeptics out there, let's get down to brass tacks.

A text messages will never replace the "personal" side of a phone conversation. It's best to think of communicating by text as a supplement to, not a replacement of person-to-person connections.

There are always times when a call can't be answered for one reason or another, which sends your call straight into voice mail, requiring you to leave a message. Maybe you'll get a call back, maybe you won't.

Think of a text as a Post-it note on steroids. With a text, you can send your note instantly to your recipient, and if they're next to their cell phone and can answer it, they will. Most of the time, you'll find your text "notes" returned within minutes.

There are tons of reasons why a text works better than a call. Here's just a few of them:

Texts are private and discreet
It's too late or too early to make your call
You're in a meeting and can't call or their in a meeting and can't answer
Texts are instant, and have global reach
In an emergency when a phone call won't go through, a TM usually will
If you're reaching out to a teen and want a response, you better send a text

Text messages will never replace the importance of a personal phone call. A text will allow you to connect more often, and stay in the communication loop.

By reading Read Between the Lines, you'll discover numerous ways to assimilate text messaging into your daily life, allowing you to reach triple platinum communication success!

WOO HOO to that!





Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Read Between the Lines - Comments From Book Buyers

This week, I've made several deliveries of Read Between the Lines for corporate orders that were placed over the last few months. I've also dropped off books to the wonderful women in my life who have helped me through the process of getting RBTL published. TY 2 my BFF's!

Also this week, Read Between the Lines made it's first appearance to complete strangers, which means people I've never met had a chance to look at the book, pick it up, flip through the pages and comment how they really felt about it.

Kind of scary - yet exciting all at the same time!

The amazing news is I had nothing but VERY positive feedback, lots of purchases, and several large quantity orders.

Here are the two negatives I heard:

An elderly lady said she couldn't text because she had arthritis in her thumbs. Unfortunately, that was a challenge I was unable to overcome. I also I had a 17-year old and her mom stop by to take a look (the teen had already previewed the book for about 3 minutes before her mom). The teenager definitely didn't want her mom to have all the info that RBTL had to offer, but after her mom had a chance to thumb through, making squeals, giggles and comments about the content, the "too cool" teen finally gave her mom the green light to buy the book.

Here's what I've noticed so far:

The reason why people are first attracted to RBTL is the cover, the amazing illustrations, the color pallet and the polka dot theme that's continued throughout the book. They also love the idea that there's a fun book about texting that includes a text lingo dictionary that they can use to trick their kids. I also noticed that all of my book buyers knew how to text or were just learning, but still want the book because of the variety of RBTL's content.

I have to thank my lucky stars that my publisher was able to secure Margarete Gockel to illustrate my cover, as well as the 11 additional illustrations throughout Read Between the Lines.

For those of you who don't recognize Margarete's name, in the United States she's best known for her illustrations that are on the covers of the "Skinny Bitch" book series.

Margarete had the incredible ability to draw exactly what I had in mind for each illustration. She nailed the cover on her first attempt, she knew what I wanted, and was easily able to capture all the little details I asked her for. I know women (and men) easily identify with her fun and entertaining illustrations, and men just love every single detail about her work.

My thanks for helping me make my dream become a reality goes out to Margarete Gockel.

One women I met tonight said "Don't you just want to jump a plane to Germany to give her a big hug and thank her personally?" The thought had never crossed my mind until tonight...watch out Margarete! JK


Monday, November 16, 2009

Text Your Tweets to Stardom!

Twitter will ask you only one question: "What are you doing?" As long as your answer is 140 characters or less, it's possible for thousands, possibly millions of people (If you're a Twitter Rock Star) to see your answer the moment you hit "enter".

In short, Twitter is a trendy communication tool that's part micro-blog, part social network, part instant message, and part text message that allows you to share information by sending quick updates (AKA tweets) in 140-character snippets or less.

For most of us, it's NOT our goal to tweet "What we are really doing" for the entire Twitter Nation to see, every moment of the day.

There's nothing worse than having to read that someones going to the dentist or getting their tires rotated. Who cares? TMI!

One great thing Twitter offers is many benefits to businesses that shouldn't be ignored. Twitter can be an incredible tool to provide important information about your company, while at the same time showing the "real" side of your business.

With Twitter, you can build relationships with those whom you might otherwise miss out on getting to know. Here are a few things your company can do with Twitter:

Network
Provide customer support
Expand PR and marketing opportunities
Share tips, promotions and sales
Provide important industry related info
Add value to your service offerings
Make important announcements
and much more

Whether you're interested in using Twitter to further your professional career, your company's presence in the Twitter world, or just looking to spread your wings and have some fun, Twitter can be the perfect information skyway for you.

Most people I talk to know nothing (or very little) about Twitter. That's why I decided to dedicate an entire chapter within Read Between the Lines to Twitter.

The good news is You decide if it's for something you want try, or not. It's free, so even if you try it and you don't like it - you definitely don't have much to loose except for your time.

Stardom, here you come!





Sunday, November 15, 2009

Text To Connect With the Under 25'sters!

Most teens keep their phones on vibrate or silent, which means they don't hear their cell phone ring when you call. If you're relying on e-mail to be the window into your favorite teen's world, or if your thinking when you call they'll pick up, you haven't been given the 411 on teen communication.

What will actually happen when you give them a ringy-dingy? You'll probably get voice mail. What about the 37 e-mails you've sent over the last 6 months to your grandson in college? They're probably still sitting in his in-box, or maybe they went into a spam folder. Bottom line: expect your voice messages NOT to be heard and e-mails not to be read.

As of Q1 2009:
Teens average 2900 text messages a month and only 231 calls a month. Some teens send as many as 15,000 texts a month, and make under ten calls during the same time frame.

If this information is brand new to you, it's time to Read Between the Lines and opt for a new communication solution.

Would you prefer to get an instant response to your nagging parental questions - or just a single response from your grandkid?

If this is sounding like a dream come true, then you need to send him or her a text. You should get a response within seconds. The unwritten code of conduct for the under 25'sters is to answer every text within seconds of receiving it.

One of the main reasons I wrote Read Between the Lines was to get more people connecting more often. I know, having a personal conversation is so much better than a text, but often a call isn't possible or isn't convenient. These are perfect examples of when you can take advantage of how easy a text message is to send, and how quickly you'll get the answer to your question - just like that!

Just text it!




Friday, November 13, 2009

Back Up the Truck - Warehouse Receives Books & RBTL Goes to Uganda

After seven days on the road all the way from the plant in Brainerd Minnesota, both shipments of Read Between the Lines finally arrived safe and sound!!

Most of the books went to the distribution warehouse in Texas. From there, they'll go to Ingram, a major book distributor used by Borders, Barnes and Nobles and other book stores around the country. JR, the driver who delivered a few cases of Read Between the Lines to my office in Pleasanton was pretty overwhelmed by my excitement, but really sweet about it. He even asked for my autograph before he left.

So, what does this really mean? It means that orders will be filled in the next few weeks, and soon books will be available in stores, ready for their new homes.

I'm in San Diego right now with my daughter Nicole, visiting USD as one of the potential colleges of her dreams. We had a great day at USD's Fall Open House, then went out to dinner at Currant, in downtown San Diego. I'm mentioning this because we met an interesting man that's here from Uganda for a National Real Estate Conference. Vincent Agaba from Uganda was sitting alone at the table next to us, so Nicole and I started chatting it up with him.

Instantly, Vincent from Uganda, Nicole and I all hit it off for a lot of reasons. Nicole has a huge passion for an organization called Invisible Children, which helps support children in Uganda who need help. Vincent helped Nicole understand the differences between the West and the North, and how the most important thing the United States can do for the children in Northern Uganda is to help educate them any way we can.

Like myself, Vincent is in the insurance business (he works in the field of insurance, real estate and mortgages) and he also publishes a real estate magazine, which is distributed throughout Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Additionally, Vincent has a dream to write the first real estate book in his country.

That's when Read Between the Lines came up, and after some more conversation between the three of us, he asked if he could purchase a book.

Let's just say that one of the first copies of RBTL has a new home, soon to be all the way in Africa.

As I'm writing this, Vincent is learning to Read Between the Lines, and how to text American style.

WOO HOO Vincent - and thanks for taking RBTL home with you to Africa!

Thanks Vincent Agaba from Uganda for educating us about your country, and allowing RBTL to educate you... and thanks JR, for delivering my first book into the right hands in Texas and in California.

You guys both rock!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A Magical Holiday Evening in Downtown Pleasanton November 20th 2009

Come celebrate the season by attending Pleasanton's annual "Magical Holiday Evening" where all of Pleasanton's downtown businesses will hold their annual open house on Friday Night, November the 20th between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m.

You'll be able to shop, dine, enjoy wonderful music and last but not least, stop by Towne Center Books and witness my first official book signing event.

If you've never been to Towne Center Books, you're in for a real treat. Located on Main Street, right in the heart of downtown Pleasanton, it's in the perfect spot to stop by right after you've had your dinner at your favorite restaurant, and grabbed your frosty from the drive-through dairy.

The second you walk into TCB, you'll be amazed at the large assortment of books kept in inventory, the way the books are displayed, and the overall book knowledge that Judy and her wonderful staff have to offer. If they don't have that perfect book, don't worry, they'll order it for you lickety split! It's personal at Towne Center Books - which is what makes this store so special.

I'm really excited to celebrate my first official book signing event for Read Between the Liness with my family, friends, and neighbors right in my very own hometown!

If you have just a few minutes, stop by Town Center Books on November 20th between 7:00 and 8:00 pm and help me celebrate the coming out of Read Between the Lines. I'd love to see you there!

After all, RBTL's been waiting to be exposed for months, and is definitely ready for the big event, just like I am!

It's Going to be A Magical Evening for Everyone - See You Then!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sex in the City of Walnut Creek with Candace Bushnell

First, I have to say that I feel naked without my book. I gave my very first copy of Read Between the Lines to Candace Bushnell tonight, the author of "Sex in the City" and "Lipstick Jungle" just to name a few.

I received my advanced copy of Read Between the Lines just last week. That one single copy that I've slept next to for the last few nights has a new home. But, I'm really excited to say that even though RBTL will be missing from my hands for just a short time (I receive several cases on Wednesday) it's worth it because Candace is looking forward to reading the book, as well as providing me her personal feedback!

WOO HOO! Feedback from Candace Bushnell... I just hope she loves it!

I met the beautiful Candace tonight at a pre-party hosted by Junior League at this amazing shoe store called Foot Candy in Walnut Creek. BTW Candace was amazing too! After I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with her, we all moved on to The Lesher Speaker Series event to hear her speak about her career, and how she got to where she is today.

In case you were wondering, the answer is yes! Yes the shoes at Food Candy are so incredible, you'll never go anywhere else for that super special pair you HAVE to have. Manolo, Jimmy, and Christian Louboutin where all in the house!

Back to Candace. As I'm sitting in the auditorium listening to her speak, I noticed she spoke a lot about women, and how they feel they want it all, and still have to do it all, which causes us to often come up short. And when she was younger, living in NYC that her dating rituals would always come to an end (until she met her husband at age 43), but that her girl friends would always be there for her, no matter what.

Girl Power! There's absolutely no substitute for friends... But do we really want it all? And what really defines "It all"?

I also need to mention that the theater was packed with both men and women. The audience was mostly couples 50 and up, which surprised me. For some reason I thought there would be bunches of 30ish groups of women, dressed to the nines. At the pre-party, this was the case, but at the main event, not so much.

The lady sitting to my right had her eyes closed most of the time...could she really be sleeping?

When Candace first moved to NYC at the age of 19, she made $1000.00 to write a children's story for Simon and Schuster which she was thrilled with. After years of dating, she realized that not ONE guy in New York wanted to get married, and she continued to move in and out of her "guy of the moments" place, with her friends always there for her "packing up her stuff in those giant leaf bags". Those moments are what eventually inspired her to write Sex and the City.

Yes, the women next to me was definitely sleeping. All I know is if the discussion we were listening to wasn't going to keep her awake, I'm not sure what will!

Money, power, career, independence, sex, success and Manolo's - the theme of tonight, are all important things us women need to strive for and keep a hold of.

There was a Mr. Big too, and as for the character Carrie Bradshaw, that was really her pen name that she used so her mom didn't know too much about all of her "personal details" she exposed in her column.

Yep, Candace definitely brought the discussion of Sex into Walnut Creek tonight, and Read Between the Lines found a new home.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

OMG - RBTL Has Arrived!!!!!

Joe the Fed Ex guy did NOT let me down today.

I was out of the office most of the day, but when I returned, Read Between the Lines was waiting for me on my desk, along with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered by my husband David. And, get this... by design, the flowers perfectly matched all of the colors of my book!

I'm going to have to say it again a few more times... OMG, OMG, OMG!

When I picked RBTL up and held it in my hands for the first time, I was really surprised how it felt. It's heavier than I ever imagined, and it feels like one of those big high quality coffee table books, just on a smaller scale.

Then, when I ran my hand across the cover, I could feel all the incredible embossing that was done by the printer. I knew there would be embossing, but not to the degree that I was feeling. (Thank you Kathryn @ my publishers office, she made all of the paper and embossing decisions) After I got past the details on the front cover, I opened it up.

WOW is all I could say. And all I could think was "Is this really my book?"

To be totally honest, it's too amazing to be MY book... The book that my mom, my publisher and I have been working on to decide all of the smallest little tiny content details for months and months and months. I never imagined Read Between the Lines could be what it is today.

I always had it planned out and designed in my mind, and I knew the information I wanted to include, and the way I wanted the words to speak to my readers. As for the packaging, I wanted it to be one of "those" books that you have to pick up the second you see it.

You could say that irresistibility inside and out was my goal.

And when my mom, my daughter and I flew to Dallas in July to meet with Jessica (the key designer at my publishers office) I knew that she was fully capable of helping me achieve my goal of irresistibility! That day, the four of us together worked for hours choosing the perfect color palette, the perfect fonts, and the perfect placement of the design elements. And just like that, RBTL came together like magic.

Read Between the Lines is irresistible to me. And since I can't put it down, I think I'm going to have to sleep with it under my pillow tonight. :)

Mission accomplished gals!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

A Dark Day in Sunny California

Today was not such a amazing day after all. In fact, today was a dark disappointment for me. Read Between the Lines didn't arrive in the warehouse or in my office today as originally scheduled.

My publisher called me this morning and said "I might have mislead you when I told you we had received the books yesterday. The warehouse did NOT receive the books, and your scheduled delivery is also delayed."

Here comes the rain.

What happened was Read Between the Lines was never put on the truck for delivery last Friday, as originally scheduled AND I was never told this until today. What the publisher received yesterday was just a few advanced copies that were shipped from the plant last week.

That's it.

The rest of the books were still sitting at the plant, waiting to be shipped. When all of this came to light this morning, my publisher did do what they needed to do to get the books sent safely on their way today.

Unfortunately, what this means is that both the warehouse and myself will have to wait until next week to receive them. More importantly, what it means is my books will still have to make that long dangerous journey across the country.

Since risk is one thing I know a little bit about (insurance is my profession) I'm not too worried about RBTL's potential transportation risk. I just want them to get where they need to go... sooner rather than later.

I guess this is one of those examples of how things can't always go perfectly, and that stuff happens that I have absolutely no control over. A reality I don't like to face, but must.

The small glimmer of sun behind my dark cloud is that I'll be getting one copy of RBTL tomorrow. My publisher overnighted one of the copies they received, so I will get to see the actual book just as soon as Joe, our Fed Ex guy, makes his appearance.

I have to admit, it's very nerve racking waiting to see the first copy of my finished book. I think I've asked myself at least 200 times "What if it's terrible, and I hate it?" Then I keep telling myself "Think positive, your thoughts must be what every author goes through when their about to get that first copy of their "baby" they've worked so hard on delivered into their hands for the first time."

Tonight will be a very long night for me. I'm hoping and praying for that bright and beautiful sun to shine in sunny California. I'm also hoping that Joe shows up at 8 tomorrow morning because one things for sure, I'll be watching the door for both him and my newest labor of love, Read Between the Lines to make their appearance.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

RBTL Has Arrived!

Today is a very big day, because Read Between the Lines arrived in the warehouse which is where the distribution process originates for all orders across the entire county.

This is exciting, because now any pending orders that have been on hold, waiting for the books to arrive, can now be filled.

It's also exciting because my publisher warned me of all the dangers that could happen during the delivery process, making the actual delivery questionable and definitely impossible to guarantee. Apparently, there have been "delivery obstacles" that have actually occurred in the past, that required complete disclosure.

There was the possibility of the delivery truck being stolen, a fire burning all the books, the truck over-turning, and even the possibility of a strike occurring somewhere during the delivery process.

Needless to say, I've been on pins and needles ever since the books left the plant, bound for the warehouse in that delivery truck that I had too many concerns about.

Lucky me, because none of these things happened, and Read Between the Lines is safe and sound tucked away in nice cardboard boxes waiting for their new homes.

Today is definitely a WOO HOO day for me, especially since I know that tomorrow I'm going to get a small delivery of books. Tomorrow will also be the first time that I get to lay eyes on my actual book. I've seen a draft of the Read Between the Lines, (referred to as a Galley in the book business), but I've never seen the actual hardcover book with the dust jacket that I spent so long making sure was perfect.

Tomorrow, one of the first things I'll do is Fed Ex a few copies down to my mom. She's been helping me with every single little detail of RBTL, every single step of the way. I'm positive she can't wait to see the real deal either!

It's been a long, curvy road with lots of ups and downs from when I first committed to writing RBTL! Some people might say "Wow, you've accomplished your dream of writing a book" but I have to disagree. I know that my goal won't be accomplished until I hear that Read Between The Lines has made a difference in peoples lives by helping them communicate in a new way, or taught them something useful and new that they weren't already aware of.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Aging Up but NOT Out!

If you're a parent or a grandparent, you may be thinking "Why in the heck do I need to learn how to text? Texting is just for kids" or "I'm definitely not going to learn something new at my age!"

You may also be wondering what happened to your darling little innocent children or grandchildren who used to love to stay the night and hear you read out loud to them as they helped you turn the pages. In fact, they used to love doing just about anything with you, as long as you were together. When you called them, they would talk, giggle, and laugh with you and tell you about their day.

Where did they go??

If your children or grandchildren have morphed into teenagers, you're probably finding that your phone calls don't get returned, and your emails you send or calls you make go unanswered.

If ANY of this sounds remotely familiar to you, I'd like you to please
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU.

For the most part, teens don't e-mail like their parents and grandparents do. If your calls are going unanswered, it's because most kids don't let their cell phone ring (it's on vibrate), and they hardly ever check voice mail for messages. The only way you're going to get their attention, or get a response is to text them.

Yep, you heard me correctly... you're going to need to learn how to text, so you can stay in touch with your favorite teenager!

When you make the decision to not let a new super-simple technology like texting hinder you or keep you out of your families "communication loop", go ahead and send your first text to your favorite youngster with a cell phone (which BTW I've heard of children as young as 8 years old now have cell phones).

If you're a texting newbie, it's a great excuse to either ask for help (and gain some new respect for wanting to learn) or refer to the Quick Start Guide that is in the very beginning of Read Between the Lines. Also, be sure to add a texting plan with your wireless provider (which there are tons of options, and are now very cost effective), so you're not over-charged. If you want to text for free, you can do so directly on your wireless providers Internet site.

Texting is a fabulous way for parents and grandparents to stay connected to Generation Text; it allows you to easily communicate across generations easily and more often. It's certainly not the same as hearing their voices on the phone, but something is better than nothing, and with texting, you'll be able to reach out more often, giving you the ability to be involved in their lives on a daily basis.

You can say a lot in 160 characters, and you can do it as often as you'd like - and you'll get a response within seconds every single time! What could be better than that? Teens almost always respond to every text within seconds of receiving them. Even if you have an older, low tech, "old school" cell phone, you can send simple texts just to let them know you're thinking about them.

Hi, how was school? or Just thinking of you...xoxoxo, or How was your game today? Even if you just send your note with just a few words, you'll get an instant response! WOO HOO to that!

Yes, we're all aging up, but that doesn't mean we have to age out of the day-to-day activities of our families! And please, don't bother with the "I'm too old, or I don't wanna learn" because there are no excuses to NOT learning how to text. It's too simple, and too important to ignore anymore.

I recommend that we all... Get With It or Get Deleted!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

To Blog or Not To Blog

I'm definitely a newbie at blogging. I've been told that when authors come out with a new book, especially unknown authors like myself, a blog is an absolute necessity to attract BUZZ to the new book in question.

Just in case you didn't know, I've written a book, "Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style" that's been published, and is about to be released in just a few weeks.

So, I've been spending the last week educating myself on "How in the heck does a blog really work?"

It's totally unimaginable as to the amount of "stuff" you need to be aware of to achieve blog success.

Lets start with just the basics like RSS, CSS, Back-Linking, Code-to-Text Ratios, HTML Validations, Wikipedia Edits, Google Everything, Digg, Hubspot, Ping-o-Matic, Key Words, Meta Tags, and Search Engine Optimization just to name a few.

Now don't get me wrong; I've definitely heard about most of these tools, and have used some of them over the years. But, I never really knew the internal workings of any of them, like of how to edit properly within Wikepedia, or how an RSS feed actually works. I'm more of the kind of person that just wants things to work the way they're suppose to, without actually knowing any of the nitty-gritty details.

As my eyes were turning cross-eyed today working with RBTL's website designer Torrey, (who BTW is doing a great job) I had to ask myself "is all of this really worth it or is blogging one of the necessary evils of being an unknown author that I must endure?" After all, if I was "well known" I would have "people" that would just make all of the nitty-gritty details become completely invisible and perfectly operational, leaving me only to the writing and hitting the "publish post" button.

That would be amazing, but this is not my reality.

While I realize it's probably not that difficult to learn all this cool stuff, it's still not easy to jump into the deep, dark and scary unknown of a new anything. That being said, I've decided that learning to do something new like blogging is worth it.

I'm thinking it's kind of like the day I had to show my mom how to text. I'm sure she was thinking "OMG I can't possibly learn how to text at my age of 63!" (sorry mom to mention your age). But after she learned in just a few short minutes, then put what she learned into practice, texting became second nature to her. In fact, she texts everyone she knows who will text her back! Officially, she has become a texpert. Go mom!

Maybe there's hope for me. Maybe I'll (hopefully sooner rather than later) begin to understand the technology behind what makes a blog a blog, and soon I'll be the resident expert on RSS Feeds and Back-Linking.

However, I'm positive that won't be the case for me anytime soon. I'm also pretty sure my wonderful assistant Jesse is about ready to jump off a cliff, which means he and I better get this whole "blog" thing figured out now!

So please, bare with me, I should get it right by next week. And, if you have any wonderful words of wisdom, by all means, feel free to comment, tweet, or post an update my way.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Get Ready for the Holidays - They're Almost Here!

As November nears, it's hard not to think about the Holidays that are almost upon us.

Personally, I love the Holidays! The festive decorations, the beautiful lights, school performances, the gift of giving, helping those that are less fortunate than me, and the extra time I get to spend with my family and friends really make me happy.

I really like the champagne too! :)

Doesn't it seem like all of the years parties, celebrations, and the fifty family functions seem to happen all in the month of December?

How do we keep up with everything we have yet to get done? We write lists, we get organized, we commit and sometimes we over commit. Even though its hard to get it all done, we some how find a way to do it ALL and do it WELL.

We do it all because we are women! It's what women do best. We say "yes" to everyone, and we want do to everything we can to have as much fun as possible.

When I find myself thinking of things I need to get done, as I mention in my book Read Between the Lines, I just send myself a text that lists the things I need to do that day. Then, I don't delete the text until I've completed the task(s) I've assigned myself.

Since a text is a lot like a Post-it note on steroids, this method makes me feel super organized, and accomplished at the end of each day.

Give it a try - and let me know if this little tip helps you manage your to-do lists of your "life's little reminders" over the upcoming Holiday months.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Book Signing Adventures Continue

Before Read Between the Lines gets shipped off to the various book stores across the country, I decided I had better make sure that it gets slotted into the right category. I'm thinking it's pretty important for "would be readers" to be able to find RBTL if they are looking for it, or if they're just browsing, I'd like the book to stand out in the crowd.

So, off I went to Borders to verify which category Read Between the Lines belongs to. And, while I was at my local Borders store, I figured I might as well go ahead and ask "The Question" again today which is "would you be interested in hosting a book signing?"

I must admit, I also kept hearing my mom's voice in the back of my mind saying "requesting a book signing isn't difficult Shawn, all you need to do is ask!"

As I walked into Borders this morning, along with the butterfly's in my stomach, I thought to myself... "is this what all newbie authors go through to get book signings on the schedule?" I don't even know why I asked this question, because the answer was clearly part of my reality.

In I walk, and I'm immediately offered assistance by the customer service expert. I hand her my galley, and she gets this great big smile on her face. She says she loves the cover, and then begins to flip through the book. I then let her know my mission for the morning, which was to find the right category for Read Between the Lines. She immediately tells me it belongs in "Humor".

Then she offers to ask her store manager her opinion, because she's the "resident expert".

Excellent! An expert who can solve today's question of the day.

The manager comes out, takes the galley, thumbs through the pages, and then we begin to walk around the store to look at each of the potential categories it could go in. As we did this, she explained why Read Between the Lines would or would not "get lost" in each category.

Get lost? THAT'S MY BIGGEST NIGHTMARE! Read Between the Lines needs to be found, not lost!

She was amazing and knowledgeable to say the least. It also helped that she really liked Read Between the Lines, and was excited as to it's potential.

Then, just as she finalized her decision on the "Humor" category for RBTL, she said "how would you like to do a fun event for your book here at the store? This is the perfect time for a book like this to get noticed during the Holiday season"

To say the least, her offer to host a book signing "fun event" was music to my ears! I LOVE fun, and I'm now officially a big fan of book signings.

Hmmm.....maybe, just maybe I need to start believing that requesting a book signing isn't as hard as it sounds. Or, could it be that book store managers are just awesomely wonderful lovers of books?

Maybe it's all true, and it's just the perfect combination of perfect.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Book Signings Adventures by a Newbie Author

First of all, it's kind of crazy referring to myself as an "author". Secondly, the thought never crossed my mind to be "that person" at the book store signing books, let alone signing my own books! That is... until my very own mom booked my first book signing today.

My mom has this great way about her. She can just walk into Borders and Barnes and Noble with ease, ask for the store manager, confess she knows nothing about what she's asking for (which btw is a book signing for her daughters new book; Read Between the Lines) and end up getting exactly what she's asking for.

Of course, a lot of really cool things happened to her in the process of her book signing adventure, all very much worth mentioning.

My fabulous mom walks into Borders with the galley and bookmarks for Read Between the Lines in hand, ready to tackle the world. She asks for the manager, and whips out the Galley she's so proud of. She promises me there were "OOO's and AHHS's" coming from the employees around her, with even a few "struggles" as to who got to thumb through the Galley first.

As you can imagine, this is music to my ears! But, I had to be sure my mom was telling the accurate story, so I asked her to repeat the story 7 times. :)

But, there's more to this book signing adventure.

My mom manages to get the attention of the right person to not only get the book signing on the calendar, but he was so great and so enthusiastic, that he provided her with some really great hints as to how to make the book signing a success, and how to get Read Between the Lines national attention within his corporate systems.

After my mom bragged about her experience, and "how easy it is to get a book signing scheduled" I decided to give it a try myself.

I have to admit, I had major butterfly's!

I walked into a Barnes & Noble store, spoke directly to the store manager who was more than willing to help me with my book signing, and was one of the most wonderful and full of energy retail store managers I have ever met! Lucky me! Or, are all book store managers this wonderful?

Since I'm a newbie at the book signing requests, I'll have to get back to you on that.

So, my point is this. As scary as a book signing sounds, there appears to be amazing book store representatives who are more than willing to help us authors (and mom's too) with our causes.

Timing is everything. Be sure to go into the store at a slower sales time (usually in the morning during the week) and call ahead to make sure the store manager will be there. When you go in, be friendly and professional, and most of all be very respectful of the managers time. Book store managers want to sell books, and if you're going to help them sell more books, a book signing can be a match made in heaven for everyone.

For all of you newbies out there like me who are interested in promoting their book by scheduling book signings, I say either get your mom to go first :) - or just go for it yourself - after all, what do we really have to loose?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Newest Texting Scam you Need to Know

Here's how it plays out.

You get your purse, credit cards, ATM card, and cell phone stolen.

The perp goes through your phones address book or your recently dialed calls and figures out who your hubby or S.O. is.

Then, the perp (while standing in front of an ATM machine) sends him or her a text message that says: "Hi honey... for some reason I've forgotten my pin number - can you plz text it to me?"

I'm sure you can figure out how the rest of this story goes.

HINT: You need to Read Between the Lines. Don't text your pin number out to anyone, and be sure to let your loved ones know that you'd NEVER forget your PIN number! After all, based on the number of times you've used it, you could probably say it backwards 5 times fast in your sleep! :)

Please pass this information on to you everyone you know. The last thing we need is someone stealing our hard earned money by text message!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What's A "WOO HOO" Moment?

A WOO HOO moment is when you have an exciting super-great experience happen to you, one that makes you feel like you just want to scream out at the top of your lungs and tell everyone "WOO HOO...I DID IT!"

Wouldn't it be great to have a WOO HOO moment every single day?

I know what you're thinking... how is it possible to have this type of OMG feeling day after day? Well, I'm here to assure you that it's VERY possible for you to achieve daily WOO HOO success, just as long as you set out to achieve something, and I mean anything big or small, every single beautiful day of your wonderful life.

I'm a big believer of the WOO HOO moment, which is why I've incorporated them into every chapter of my book, "Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style" for all of my readers. I'm hopeful that once you get used to what a WOO HOO moment feels like by reading Read Between the Lines, you'll start to develop your own fabulous habits of extreme accomplishments!

Why not? You deserve you're very own moment of glory - don't you? Yes you do! So go ahead, add a WOO HOO moment to your daily "to do" list, or spend some time with our WOO HOO friends... and just like that (snap), you'll be achieving WOO HOO success every single day!


WOO HOO!

Is Texting Worth Learning?

Texting is a way to communicate "instantly" with just about anyone. So, why do you need to communicate instantly? Why not just make the call?

Quite simply, calls don't always go through or get answered.

It's going to be my goal to educate as many mom's, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, or anyone who will listen, that learning to text is simple, fun, and a necessity in our digital society.

Believe it or not, texting is not just for teens anymore. A text can save someones life, help you reach someone who's in a difficult situation, or help you get a message out to someone who's tied up and unable to pick up your phone call.

Yes, texting is definitely worth learning for hundreds of reasons.

The countdown is on! I have until November 27, 2010 (A year after Read Between the Lines becomes available) to reach 1,000,000 women to teach them how texting can help everyone juggle all of life's situations more easily!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Welcome to the RBTL Guide

Read Between the Lines is perfect for the person who wants to improve or learn how to communicate instantly with anyone at any time, from just about anywhere. In just ten short chapters, you’ll learn how to:

* Improve daily communication across the generations
* Tweet on Twitter™
* Practice appropriate texting etiquette
* Keep up with teen texting and know what to watch out for
* Understand how educators and the hard of hearing use texting
* Use texting in an emergency situation

To learn more, please visit www.rbtlguide.com