Building Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age - A Book Review

KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Publication Date: February 6, 2017

Pages: 257 Pages



About the Author
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world.

Being Known is not the Same as Being Famous

"Being known is not the same as being famous. It's not about having millions of fans and red carpet appearances. Being known is about having the proper authority, reputation, and audience to realize your potential and achieve your goals...whatever they may be."

 Mr. Schaefer believes that everyone has a chance to be known. He provides case studies of dozens of people who started out being unknown and used content to establish a digital presence that propelled their dreams.

Consistency is the key to being known. Nearly every person in the case studies said that consistency is the most important element in the journey to be known. 

The formula for success isn't just finding a passion or even a niche. You must find the magical combination of PLACE (A sustainable interest and what you want to be known for) and SPACE (an uncontested or under occupied niche with enough people to matter.)

This book provides solid guidelines for going from unknown to known in a digital world.

My Thoughts

This is a very motivational book. The author is a delightful storyteller and adds touches of humor to the many case studies that are used to illustrate the techniques needed to build your personal brand.

There are stories about bloggers who share there passion using the written word. There are YouTubers who share their musical talent or artistic skills with videos. There are podcasters who produce internet-based radio shows. There are designers, artists and photographers who share visual images on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Consistency and endurance are the common denominators of all the success stories highlighted in this book. 

If you want to be known, read this book and then get started sharing your content and building an audience using social media. Being known can open doors of opportunity in your personal and professional life. 

I like everything about this book...it inspires, motivates and educates. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I borrowed this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Do you have a passion that you would like to be known for? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

Book Review: The Dress by Kate Kerrigan

Title: The Dress

Author: Kate Kerrigan

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Date of Publication: August 1, 2015

Length: 390 Pages

Kindle Copy - "The Party Dress"


This book review was written by guest blogger Cindy Phelps Thomas.

About The Author
Kate Kerrigan is the author of City of Hope, Ellis Island, and Land of Dreams.

Turning Back the Years
Lily Fitzpatrick is a well-known fashion blogger whose specialty is vintage. She spends her time rummaging through piles of vintage clothing looking for the perfect piece with its unknown history.

After her grandfather suddenly passes away, Lily wonders about his mysterious background and family. She has heard little of his heritage, and the need to know becomes an obsession. She learns that the woman wearing a beautiful dress in an old clipping she found may indeed be a relative of hers. Lily longs to know this woman’s story and the story behind “the dress”. The idea plays on Lily’s mind to recreate the dress in the clipping. 

These three women: Lily Fitzpatrick, Joy Fitzpatrick, and Honor Conlon, are all so different, yet bound together for eternity by the dress. 

• Lily Fitzpatrick is in the present-day attempting to recreate the dress, in a highly publicized dual of fashion designers.
• Joy Fitzpatrick is having this one-of-a-kind dress made to rekindle the romance with her husband.
• Honor Conlon is trying to make a name for herself in the world of fashion as an immigrant in New York 1950’s. 

Each woman’s life is changed forever.

My Thoughts
"The Dress" was a wonderfully written book that allowed the reader to travel through time to learn about the history of the mysterious dress. The characters were so well developed that I felt a connection to them all. The descriptions of the vintage dresses were so wonderfully written, I could almost see them for myself. I have even taken an interest in vintage dresses myself since reading it. I highly recommend this book!

Rating: 5 Stars Of 5

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Thrashing About With God by Mandy Steward

Thrashing About with God: Finding Faith on the Other Side of Everything

Author: Mandy Steward

Publisher: David C. Cook

Release Date: October 1, 2013




About The Author
Mandy Steward is a writer, speaker, and blogger in the midst of discovering her authentic Christian self. Her writing has appeared in Brio and Breakaway magazines and on her blog MessyCanvas.com. Her work reflects her life as a wife and mother of four and her passion for art. She lives with her family in Oklahoma City.

Tired of Doing the Christian Thing
Are you tired of pretending?

Are you tired of spitting out right answers for others when your own well has gone dry.

Are you tired of thinking the dreams you long to step into aren't holy enough to warrant action?

Are you tired of religiously giving and sacrificing and having nothing left to feed yourself?

Mandy Steward is a pastor's wife, mother of four young children and a talented artist. This is the story of her search for spiritual fulfillment and peace.

Ms. Steward struggles with the expectations that are placed on Christians by the church and society. She questions the beliefs that she was taught as a child. She copes with the guilt, doubt and fear she feels as she questions her faith and her own identity.

Mandy Steward shares her "messy life" and quest to balance her roles as a Christian, wife, mother and artist.

My Thoughts
Ms. Steward has written a heartfelt, thoughtful account of her spiritual and emotional journey over the past several years. She questions almost everything about her life. She comes to the realization that there is nothing wrong with questioning because it is the way a person grows.

It has been several months since I have read a "Christian book." I must warn you that this is not the average book written for Christian women. This book is brutally honest, unvarnished and "messy".  The author writes from her heart and expresses a very realistic view of her personal and family life.

I was very impressed by the patience and understanding that was shown by her husband and church family. This young woman is truly blessed to have a loving support system that will allow her to honestly examine her life and follow her dreams.

The good news is that questions lead to understanding and change. This book will inspire women to take a good look at their own situations and see if they are living the life "to the full" that Jesus promises in John 10:10.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a digital preview copy of this book from NetGalley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Essential Book Blog by Ken Howe

The Essential Book Blog: The Complete Bibliophile's Toolkit for Building, Growing and Monetizing Your On-Line Book-Lover's Community (Brinestone Guides)

Author: Ken J. Howe

Publisher: Brinestone Press

Date: August 4, 2012 (Second Edition)


About The Author
Ken Howe is the founder of Brinestone Press, an independent small press established to provide publishing services, including editing, design and formatting, and cover illustration, to the burgeoning army of new indie authors.

Blogging About Books 
Book blogs have exploded in numbers over the past several years. This book provides information about getting a book blog started, finding appropriate books to review, writing book reviews, building a community of readers and monetizing the blog.

The book features 180 links to useful articles, products and services on the Web. 

My Thoughts 
I started my book blog four years ago. I chose this book because there are very few books available on starting and growing a book blog. I try to read each new book that comes out on the subject. 

The information on finding books is good for beginners. When I first started my blog, I would go to the library and check-out the new books to feature on my blog. When I got a Kindle ereader, finding books was no longer a problem. The author explains how to get review books from publishers and free digital books from Amazon and other sites.

I found the section on how to write a good book review very interesting. I have learned that reviewing books is much more than just liking to read. You have to be a good writer and be able to express your opinions in an interesting manner. Dr. Howe gives some excellent tips on how to evaluate a book and write a review that displays your own voice and personality.

The book explains why it is not ethical to charge money for book reviews. He gives a variety of options for monetizing your blog and your services. These are all practical things that can be done by a blogger with average technical know-how.

This book offers dozens of links for finding more information and services to grow a book blog and get more readers. I think this book is a MUST READ for anyone who is thinking about starting a book blog or is just starting out.
A veteran book blogger will find the tips in this book useful for tweaking their existing blog and taking it to the next level.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased a digital copy of this book from Amazon.Com with my personal funds...well worth the money!

I would love for you to FOLLOW this blog. You may use either the Google Friend Connect or the Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Big Book of Craft Interviews by Alison Wood

The Big Book of Craft Interviews

Author: Alison Wood

Publisher: Alison Wood

Date: October 30, 2012




About The Author 
Alison Wood is a writer in several areas that are close to her heart, including crafts and running a craft business, pets and animal welfare, and themes related to mind, body and spirit. She feels that we all have a diverse range of interests in our daily lives and that we should explore all aspects of these.

Meet 17 Crafters Who Turned Their Love of Crafting Into a Business 
This book started with interviews on Alison Wood's Art of Crafts blog. Ms. Wood became fascinated with how people were turning their love of crafts into businesses so she posted interviews with successful crafters.This book is a compilation of the interviews that were posted on her blog.


Seventeen successful crafters were asked the following question;

• Please introduce yourself and tell us where you are based. 
• What is the nature of your craft and business?
• What first interested you in your craft?
• Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
• How did the idea for your business come about?
• How long have you been established?
• How do you find inspiration and where do you locate your materials?
• Is your business full time or part-time?
• What advice would you give to others who are considering running a craft based business?
• How do you sell your wares?
• Where can people go to learn more about your business?

This book includes a wide variety of artist and crafters from all over the world. The book includes interviews with the owners of "Grammy's Altered Life", "The Sewing Directory", "A Crafting Journey" and "Earthegy".

My Thoughts
I am absolutely CRAZY about paper crafts so I found this book to be both inspiring and challenging.This book features interviews from crafters who sew, knit, draw, paint, bake, make jewelry and other skills and talents.

My favorite part of each interview was the advice that the crafter offered to people who are interested in starting their own crafts-based businesses. There are links to each of the interviewees blog, website, Facebook page, Twitter account and Etsy store. 

Crafts blogs are red hot and sites like Etsy have made handmade items extremely popular. I recommend this book to all who are looking for ideas and inspiration in the wide world of arts and crafts. You should also check out the author's blog because she frequently posts new interviews and information about turning your love of crafting into a business.

My Rating - 5 Stars Out Of 5

 FYI ~ I received this ebook from Amazon during a special FREE promotion. Please check the price before ordering.

I would love for you to FOLLOW this blog. You may use either the Google Friend Connect or the Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

Book Review: Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey

Blogging for Bliss: Crafting Your Own Online Journal: A Guide for Crafters, Artists and Creatives of all Kinds

Author:  Tara Frey

Publishers: Lark Crafts

Publication Date: August 4, 2009




About The Author
Tara Frey began blogging in 2004 and inspired thousands of creative souls with her honest and often funny prose about family, friendship and her creative endeavors.

The Creative Blogging World
This book is a visual delight for artists, crafters and creatives of all kinds. The color illustrations are amazing and really add value to the text. Ms. Frey was a creative blogging pioneer and she shares many of her techniques for adding photos and using photo-editing software. She offers tips on enhancing and embellishing blogs with type, art and other visuals.

The author features more than 50 blogs to inspire the reader and illustrate how a creative hobbyist or professional can use a blog to share and promote their skills.

There are many creative bloggers who have made the transition from pleasure to profit. Ms. Frey tells how these bloggers have built blogs that create loyal followers and solid business.

My Thoughts
I have found that craft blogs are RED HOT! Even though this book was published several years ago, I found myself pouring over the pages and absorbing as much of the information as I could.

I found the information about taking great photos, altering photos, designing banners, using photo-editing software, and adding "sidebar fancies" absolutely fascinating. I also learned how to use Blog Roll to attract more readers to my blog.

I enjoyed reading the case studies of 50 creative bloggers who have attracted a large following of readers.  I checked-out these blogs and most of them are still active. Each of these 50 bloggers also listed their favorite craft blogs so this book really offers a wealth of examples to investigate.

I was a little disappointed that the author's blog has been closed down. I could find very little current information about her.

I recommend this book to creative bloggers who are looking for inspiration from those who have found bliss and success in the blogosphere. I would love to see an updated edition in the future.

My Rating:  4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I checked this book out from my local public library.

I would love for you to FOLLOW this blog. You may use either the Google Friend Connect or the Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Notes to Aspiring Writers; Your Dream, God's Plan

Notes to Aspiring Writers: Your Dream, God's Plan

Author: Brooke McGlothlin

Published: Brooke McGlothlin Media (July 15, 2011) ~ 34 pages 



About The Author
Brooke McGlothlin, MA, is the author of the best-selling ebook "Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most", creator of the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons Challenge and co-founder of the well-loved online community for mothers of boys, the M.O.B. Society.

What Is God's Plan For My Life?
Brooke McGlothlin dreamed of writing a book her entire life. This ebook is a collection of five life lessons she learned as she pursued her dream of being a published author.

The author told of her early blogging experiences of writing and working hard to get an audience to read and comment on her posts. She learned that it is wiser to write for an audience of one...God. She has dedicated every aspect of her writing to Him and seeks guidance in Bible study and prayer.

Would it be a huge step of faith for you to stop striving in your writing career, and consider letting God bring the right opportunities to you instead?

The bottom line is that God has lifted up some and not others. More important than asking "why" when faced with disappointment is to humbly seek God's glory. Our life plans are less about us, and more about how He receives the greatest glory.


My Thoughts
Ms. McGlothlin opened her heart and wrote about the lessons she learned during her writing journey. These lessons have drawn her nearer to God and strengthened her Christian faith.

This ebook challenged me to seek God's will and to write for an audience of ONE. There is no formula for success that will work for all writers. This book will encourage you to follow your heart and discover your true life's purpose.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this book with my own funds on Amazon.Com.

I would love for you to FOLLOW my blog. You may use either the Google Friend Connect or Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Business Around A Lifestyle

Business Around A Lifestyle (First Step: How To Dream Your Perfect Lifestyle, Then Go Get It!)

Author: Jim F. Kukral

Publisher: Digital Book Launch (February 19, 2012)








About The Author
For over 16-years, Jim Kukral has helped businesses understand how to build successful new online businesses or energize and refresh existing ones. He is also a successful author and digital publisher.

What Is A Business Around A Lifestyle?
The author encourages his readers to answer the following three questions to help determine the kind of lifestyle they want;

• What do you love, and/or what are you most passionate about?
• How many hours a week do you want to work?
• What does your perfect day look like?

Mr. Kukral answers each of these questions and describes his own "business around a lifestyle".

This book provides several interviews with people who have been successful in creating a business that allows them the freedom to spend time with family, travel and enjoy a variety of interests.

Mr. Kukral is a marketer and he has created his "business around a lifestyle" by Internet marketing and writing books. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes work, persistence and patience to establish a reputable business on the Internet.

This book offers guidelines for setting goals and getting started in a rewarding business and lifestyle. The rest is up to you...you have to take action!

My Thoughts
I enjoyed reading about how Mr. Kukral got started in the business of Internet marketing.  I think it is always very inspiring to read honest accounts of how others got started.

There is no fluff here. This book offers sound advice to those who are serious about starting a new business. I think most people will agree that building a business around a lifestyle is hard work. The rewards are great for those willing to pay the price.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon when it was offered as a free download. Please check the current price before purchasing.

I would love for you to FOLLOW my blog. You may use either the Google Friend Connect or Networked Blog widget to show your support and encouragement.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: 100 Shareable Blog Post Ideas

100 Shareable Blog Post Ideas (Easy to Write, Easy to Share) (The Digital Writer)

Author: The Digital Writer ( Sean Platt)

Publisher: Sterling & Stone (April 2, 2012)


About The Author
After spending three years as a ghostwriter, Sean Platt has written it all: memoirs to fiction, sales letters to info products (and everything in between). As an acclaimed copywriter and creative producer, he has designed and polished editorial calendars for successful blogs that have driven revenue, increased sales, and dramatically improved traffic and search engine rankings for his online clients, and has written copy for some of the largest writing and lifestyle blogs on the Web.

Do You Need Some Fresh Blogging Ideas?
Sean Platt provides 100 ideas that can be used to write multiple articles for your blog. Here are the first 10 ideas that are presented in this ebook;
1) Compile a List of the Most Common Mistakes Made By People in Your Niche
2) Prove an Authority Wrong
3) Add to a List Created by Another Blogger
4) Flesh Out a Single Comment on Another Blog Into a Full Post
5) Find Holes in Your Competition (There WILL Be Some)
6) Curate or Summarize Someone Else’s Work
7) Take a Negative Comment and Spin It Into a Full Post
8) Check Web 2.0 (YouTube, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc) sites. Tweak what’s trending
9) Gather Feedback from 10 or So Different Bloggers
10) Discuss a Topic on a Forum, Then Reprint the Conversation on Your Blog

Need more ideas? Here is a full list of blog post ideas from the book;

11) Ask a Question on Twitter and Record the Best Replies
12) Compile the Best Posts About a Particular Topic
13) Write a Post Designed For a Total Newbie
14) Highlight the Best Comments Your Blog’s Ever Received
15) Make a List of The Best Quotes From Your Niche
16) Make a List of the Best Videos From Your Niche
17) Make a List of the 10 Best TED Talks That Apply to Your Niche
18) Create a List of Free Resources
19) Create a List of Paid Tools (With Affiliate Links!)
20) Write a Step-By-Step Tutorial
21) Publish an Image Roundup
22) Write a Product Review
23) Make a List of 10 blogs in Your Niche You Couldn’t Live Without
24) Carry Out an Argument to its Furthest Extreme
25) Publish a Rant
26) Write a Parody of a Popular Post
27) Publish a Manifesto
28) Craft a Well-Articulated Confessional
29) Make Fun of a Marketing Email That’s Recently Hit Your Inbox
30) Write About a Tool or Service Everyone Loves That You Just Can’t Get Behind
31) Controversial Post
32) Make Up 10 Blogs in Your Niche That Don’t Really Exist (And Make Them Funny)
33) Make a List of Up-And-Coming Bloggers
34) Make a Prediction That No One Else Has
35) Interview Someone Controversial
36) Make a List of People to Follow on Twitter
37) Create a Roundup of the Best Tutorials in Your Niche
38) Interesting Examples of People Using Facebook or Google + Well in Your Niche
39) Write About an A-Lister You Admire
40) Promote Your Competition
41) Best of the Year
42) Review a Niche-Specific Publication
43) Write About How You Organize the Information You Need Most For Your Niche
44) List the Things You Would Change About Your Niche If You Could
45) Imagine the Future of Your Niche
46) Write a Long Comment on Someone Else’s Blog, Then Turn It Into a Post on Yours
47) Detail a Case Study
48) Publish the 10 Commandments of Your Business
49) List the Best Jokes in Your Niche
50) Draw a Parallel Between a Movie and Your Niche
51) Record the Ways Social Media Has Completely Transformed Your Industry
52) Discuss Something at the Fringes of Your Niche
53) Sift Through Industry Titles on Amazon to Spark New Ideas
54) Write a Letter to Your Future Self
55) Publish an Interview
56) Respond to a Criticism
57) Tell a Story
58) List 10 Things You Learned About Life, and Where You Learned Them
59) Write About Your Guilty Pleasures
60) Interesting-Things-About-You Post, Tied to the Interests of Your Audience
61) Discuss Someone Famous Who Dealt With Similar Issues as You
62) Write About a Specific Hurdle and How You Hopped It
63) Relate Your Niche to Someone Famous
64) Reflect on Where You Were One, Two, or Three Years Ago
65) Look Through Your Analytics For Searches Without Matches, Then Write Copy to Match
66) Thank Your Audience
67) Publish a Roundup of Your Worst Posts. Say Why They Were Poor and What You Would Do to Fix Them
68) Publish a Roundup of Your Best Guest Posts
69) Publish a Roundup of Your Best Posts
70) Deconstruct Your Successes
71) Update an Older Post With a Fresh Perspective
72) A List of Your Goals For the Coming Year
73) Explain What’s Different About You and Your Blog
74) Write About Why You Started Blogging
75) How You Use Marketing in Your Business
76) How You Outsource or Automate Something Complicated
77) Write About a Hypothetical Situation, Clearly Outlined and Detailed
78) Provide an Industry-Specific Template
79) Explain How to Do Something FAST
80) Explain a Cool Way to Use an App or Hidden Feature No One Is Using
81) Write a List Of 10 Books That Have Changed How You Do Business
82) Draw a Mind Map, Then Explain It
83) Take a Problem and Break It Into Its Simplest Parts
84) Compile a Large Number of Single-Sentence Tips
85) Write a Satire Post
86) Run a Contest
87) Write a Timeline
88) Write a Series
89) Offer Your Services For FREE
90) Debunk Your Niche’s Top Myths
91) Do Some Keyword Research, Then Fill in the Blanks
92) Publish Link Bait
93) List the Pros and Cons of Something Relevant to Your Audience’s Interests
94) Take a Stand
95) Use a Metaphor to Tie Your Topic to Something Entirely Unrelated
96) Research Amazon to Come Up With Pain Points of Your Audience
97) Create a Giant List of Something
98) Conduct a Survey
99) Cover a Quickly Growing Trend
100) Write an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
There 100 blogging ideas were originally published on Mr. Platt's blog ~ 100 Blog Post Ideas (Turn Your Brainstorming to Autopilot)

My Thoughts
You might think that you don't have to buy the book because I listed the 100 ideas in this post. You are very WRONG!
The book explains exactly how you can use these ideas to write multiple posts for your blog. These ideas are great but it is up to you to make them original and awesome.

Mr. Platt provides three or four sample blog titles that you can use with each of these ideas. These titles will grab the reader's attention and have them eager to read your post to learn more.

This book is an excellent guide for writing fresh content that you can use in your niche blog. You will never have writer's block if you keep this list of ideas handy.
Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering. The link at the top of the post is my Amazon affiliate link. I appreciate your support!

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Book Review: Platform by Michael Hyatt

Platform; Get Noticed In a Noisy World ~ A Step-By-Step Guide For Anyone With Something To Say Or Sell

By Michael Hyatt

Published by: Thomas Nelson

May 22,2012






About The Author
Michael Hyatt is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world and the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S.

The Platform
Mr. Hyatt posted this infographic on his blog and encourages reviewers and bloggers to share it with others. There is no way that I could do a better job summarizing the information in the book.



My Thoughts
This book was a real learning experience for me. Mr. Hyatt shared information that he learned from many years of working in the publishing business. He provided detailed information about how he started a blog and used social media to get thousands of readers each day.

I think this book provides information that will help anyone who has something to say or sell achieve success. This is the kind of book that should be studied carefully and reviewed on a regular basis. This book offers many of the tools, tips and advice that you need to "be heard" in a noisy world.

You MUST have a compelling message/product and you MUST be willing to take personal responsibility for doing the hard work that is necessary to achieve success. Mr. Hyatt makes it clear that social media marketing is not always easy and it is not a get rich quick scheme. Your best efforts will always be rewarded if you stay the course.

This book will motivate and inspire you to take your business or cause to the next level. Highly Recommended.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the author's publicist.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Video Marketing with Animoto

Would you like to spread the word about your book, business or blog? 
Is video marketing right for you?
You don't need an expensive video camera to make a video for YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.
Camera shy? You don't have to talk in front of the camera.
Today I will share a video slideshow that I made to promote/advertise this blog.



I designed the following slideshow with Animoto. I think a picture/video is worth a thousand words so I am offering this video as an example of how you can use a slideshow to tell the world about your business or product.

Do you use video marketing? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

The eBook Revolution and a Happy Book Blogger

The year 2011 is quickly coming to a close. This year has seen some dramatic changes for the book publishing and marketing industries.  I can honestly say that the Amazon Kindle has made this a fabulous year to be a reader and a wonderful year to be a book blogger.

The ebook revolution has made a huge difference in the accessibility of books, reports, articles, magazines, newspapers and essays. Amazon has reported that they are selling more ebooks than print books. I believe this trend will continue and I think this opens new doors of opportunities for both authors and readers.

I would like to share a few of my personal observations about the Kindle and the way it has changed my life for the better.

• I downloaded the free Kindle for PC Application to my laptop computer in 2009. I ordered several ebooks and was very pleased with the experience of receiving them in a matter of seconds and reading them on my computer screen. The only problem was that I could not carry my laptop computer in my purse and it was a difficult to curl up in bed with a computer.
• I began dropping hints to my husband that I would like to have a Kindle ebook reader. He didn't know what a Kindle was until he noticed a co-worker using one at his job. She showed him how it worked and he liked it. He also knew that I would like it. In October of 2010, my husband surprised with a Kindle 3.
• I had been writing book reviews on this blog for over a year, but I did not have access to the kinds of books that I really wanted to review. When I got my Kindle, a whole new world opened up to me. I was able to purchase and receive new books on their release date, receive books from authors via email and access free ebooks from Amazon.Com. I am now able to check-out ebooks from the public library and read them on my Kindle.
• My goal for 2012 is to continue to read, review and promote ebooks using this blog, social media outlets and video book trailers. I am a happy book blogger who is dreaming of writing and publishing a book for the Kindle during the next few months.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to read this blog during 2011. I appreciate your time and your participation. I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope to see you again in 2012.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: How To Make Your Blog the Centerpiece of Your Business

Denise Wakeman, of the Blog Squad, has written a report that will help you understand why a blog is an essential part of your online business.
"How To Make Your Blog the Centerpiece of Your Business" provides tips on how to make your blog the foundation of your  business. Your blog is where you educate, entertain, engage and enrich your reader.


About the Author
Denise Wakeman is an Online Marketing Advisor and Founder of The Blog Squad. She works with entrepreneurs and business professionals to leverage blogs and social media tools to boost online visibility to get more traffic, leads, customers and opportunities.

Blogging for Business
This 20-page report offers many valuable suggestions on how to plan, launch and write your business blog. Here are some tips from this ebook;

• Do your homework before you launch your blog. Who else is writing in your niche? Ms. Wakeman shares 10 key steps to take before starting your business blog.
• The author offers important advice on how to market and promote your blog. She provides 14 attention-grabbing tactics for launching a business blog.
• Ms. Wakeman suggests that you keep your blog content conversational and write in the first person. You will get more traffic to your blog if you post content consistently.
• The author explains how to share your blog content on social media sites to drive traffic and get more leads.

My Thoughts
I found this report to be innovative and informative.  If you are thinking about starting a new business blog, this book is for you. It will get you started on the right track and help you create something that will put you and your business on the road to success. I highly recommend Denise Wakeman's blog for more business blogging and online marketing information.

FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com while it was being offered as a free digital download. Please check the price before ordering.


Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Storytelling About Your Brand

We all have stories to tell. Storytelling makes your personal brand come alive by allowing you to express your key attributes, values, passions and accomplishments in a relevant and compelling way.

Storytelling About Your Brand Online and Offline by Bernadette Martin provides tips, tools, resources and examples that will help you decide what you want to say and how you can deliver it through the power of storytelling.


About The Author
Bernadette Martin is Founder of Visibility Branding, LLC and is a Career Transition Brand Strategist where she offers career development services for individuals (professionals, entrepreneurs, MBA and Executive MBA graduates) and organizations (universities, associations and corporations).

The Power of Storytelling
The author begins this book by sharing the "D-words" that are used in the Reach personal branding process. You will DISCOVER and DEVELOP your stories, DISTILL the ones that resonate with your target, DIGITIZE and then DISCLOSE and DISSEMINATE online and offline. Finally, you will DOCUMENT and DESIGN with your unique visual branding.

The author provides several examples of product brand storytelling. Brand stories are designed to create emotions like desire, craving and trust to win the hearts and minds of customers. The Walt Disney Company has used storytelling to market it's brand for many years.

This book features interviews with Susan Guarneri ("Career Assessment Goddess"), Rebecca Castleton (Certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator practitioner), Julie Vetter ("Google Goddess"), Lou Bortone (Founder of Online Video Branding, LLC) and several others. These experts offer a wealth of information about developing your personal story and telling your story.

Ms. Martin offers detailed information on developing online portfolios, summaries and bios. She gives guidelines for creating an "elevator pitch" that can be used online or offline. The book provides some very helpful tips for using storytelling during the job interview process.

How Can I Use The Information In This Book?
This book is a fairly short read but it is packed full of useful information. I worked as an elementary school librarian for many years so I was attracted to the word "storytelling" in the title of this book.

I am often hesitant to share personal details about my life. The author explains that these stories make you unique and marketable. People will forget your statistics but will remember your stories. I was inspired to write the blog post, My Little Girl Joined the Navy, after reading this book.

This book provides some excellent information on developing online portfolios, summaries and bios. I learned that I really need to work on my "Summary" on LinkedIn. I also need to work on the "Bio" on my blog and on Facebook. This book provides tips that will help you develop the "brand that is you".  I recommend this book for anyone who wants to take their personal brand to the next level.

FYI ~ This is the first Kindle book that I checked out from my public library. I am so excited about having this resource available. I am very impressed with the selection of quality books that are available. Woot!!!

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BBAW Interview Swap

I recently signed-up for the book blogger's interview swap on the Book Bloggers Appreciation Week site. I was given the name of the "Nothing More Delightful Book Blog" by Sarah Merz.
Sarah Merz is the owner of a popular book blog in Germany. I wish I could read German, but Ms. Merz is fluent in English and has shared some delightful information about her blog and her life.


Sarah, please tell us something about your blog.

It is called "Nothing more delightful - Reading from Passion" as this is what reading is for me. Therefore, I also decided to make books my profession and started studying book sciences in Munich in 2004, which is an interdisciplinary programme combining courses on handson skills with business management knowledge. I quickly got interested into two main areas, which are historical development of the international book trade and new digital technologies. Ok, I am not only passionate about reading, but also love studying, which is why I also did a degree in Technology Mangement and an MSc in Material Cultures and the History of the Book in Edinburgh (which also many library-people do, because we worked with special collections and rare books and thought about things like conservation and so on). As my boyfriend is an archaeologist, I wrote my dissertation about the German 19th century archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and the international publications of his works, which also was a quite funny topic, because Schliemann really has a distinct personality. The next year I will spend in Oxford to do an MA in Digital Publishing at Oxford Brookes University
and I am very much looking forward to it - I think it will be a great year, but I have promised my mum that afterwards I will definitely stop studying and start working - maybe in online marketing of a publisher or something like that.

What kinds of books do you like to read?

What I love to read: quite a lot actually and it is hard to sum up. There is general literature, all-age-titles, fantasy. Since the publication of the Hunger Games I am also especially fond of dystopias*, as you always start to think about things when you read them. I therefore take part in a dystopie challenge. Another of my real passions are books about books or reading - bibliophile titles so to say including books such as The Name of the Rose or The Uncommon Reader. At the moment I am planning to launch a books-for-booklovers-challenge, but this still needs a bit of preparation. And beyond that I love bookish places such as book stores, libraries, birth places or houses of authors but also places out of books such as any Harry Potter locations or so on. There is a little category on my blog, where I load up photos of places. At the moment, there is only one post in this category namely about a German town called Tübingen. Many German writers have lived or visited the city, partly owed to the very old university located there. Goethe for example had his publisher Cotta there and stopped by two times. Now there is a plate remembering his visits saying something like "Goethe upchucked here". But also Mörike, Hölderlin or Hesse lived there. And I do have a category on my blog called Friday Tea, where I ask a question to a certain book blogger every Friday. I initiated this meme, because I am quite new in the "business" and love to get in touch with other book bloggers, which is also why I signed up for the BBAW interview swap.

*Dystopia is defined as a society characterized by poverty, squalor, or oppression. Most authors of dystopian fiction explore at least one reason why things are that way.

I want to thank Sarah for this interview. She is a real inspiration and I wish her much luck in her academic endeavors and her career.

Please visit "Nothing More Delightful" to read Sarah's interview with me. She came up with some great questions and I did my best to answer them.

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Book Blogger's Appreciation Week ~ Community

Today is the start of the fourth annual Book Blogger's Appreciation Week. This is my first year to participate and I am discovering some great ways to connect with book bloggers all over the world. The theme this year is "Community" and participating book bloggers are writing about this topic today;

"Today you are encouraged to highlight a couple of bloggers that have made book blogging a unique experience for you. They can be your mentors, a blogger that encouraged you to try a different kind of book, opened your eyes to a new issue, made you laugh when you needed it, or left the first comment you ever got on your blog. Stay positive and give back to the people who make the community work for you!"

Here are two of my very favorite book blogs;
Man of la Book
Zohar is the "Man Of La Book" and writes book reviews and sponsors book give-aways. He espe­cially likes biogra­phies, his­tory, historical-fiction, espi­onage and mys­ter­ies. He started this blog to share his thoughts about books. Most peo­ple think of read­ing as a soli­tary activ­ity, but Zohar takes the oppo­site view — he thinks read­ing could eas­ily become a social activ­ity and it's even eas­ier to do with the advent of the Inter­net. Zohar is active on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and the Ning Book Boggers Group. He is a real inspiration to me.

Gently Mad
I met Sharon Henning in the Ning Book Bloggers Group. She is a fellow Texan and specializes in writing Christian book reviews. She states on her blog, "I am hopelessly and helplessly condemned by my own lust for literature that I recklessly and depravedly buy books with remorseless abandon. My day job is the ever more practical occupation of freelance musician. I'm not rich. Which makes my licentious book purchasing all the more irresponsible."
Sharon writes honest book reviews that leave the reader curious and eager to read the entire book. She writes from the heart and is not afraid to voice her true thoughts. She has encouraged me in my book blogging endeavors and often leaves positive comments on my posts. Sharon is a real treasure in the book blogging community.

Tomorrow I will post an interview with German book blogger Sarah Merz at Nothing More Delightful. Sarah will share her love of reading and some interesting aspects of her life. I had the opportunity to connect with Sarah through the BBAW Interview Program.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Zarrella's Hierarchy Of Contagiousness

Want to learn how to maximize social media? Are you a snake-oil salesman or are you a scientist? 
"Zarrella's Hierarchy of Contagiousness: The Science, Design, and Engineering of Contagious Ideas", by Dan Zarrella, reveals the results of data and experimentation in the world of social media marketing.
This book was published by Seth Godin's The Domino Project and is being offered as a FREE Kindle book this week (offer ends August 27th).


About The Author
Dan Zarrella is an award-winning social media scientist at HubSpot. He has a background in web development and combines his programming capabilities with a passion for social marketing to study social media behavior from a data-backed position and teach marketers scientifically grounded best practices.

What Makes An Idea Contagious?
Dan Zarella is a social media scientist. He has spent many years collecting real data from a variety of social media platforms. Mr. Zarella dispels many myths about the proper ways to use social media marketing to grow your business. He describes three criteria that must be met before someone will spread an idea in any format;

• The person must be exposed to your content. This means that numbers count when it comes to followers on Twitter, fans on Facebook and subscribers to your email list.
• The person must become aware of your specific piece of content (the idea you want to spread). This means that the person must read your tweet, update or email message. The author shares his findings about the best times to post your ideas and the best/worst words to use.
• The person must be motivated by something in order to want to share the idea with his contacts. Mr. Zarella states that "rare information is power" and you must give your reader a reason to pass along your idea to his friends. The author presents his investigations into what motivates people to spread ideas.

My Thoughts
This book will encourage you to take a new look at the way you are using social media platforms to market your business. Mr. Zarrella believes it is time to take social media marketing to the next level and discover what is really working.

Most people will be able to read this book in about an hour. I suggest that you read it all the way through, and then go back and slowly read, highlight and take notes on the the key passages in this book. There is a wealth of information presented here.

I suggest that you grab Zarrella's Hierarchy of Contagiousness: The Science, Design, and Engineering of Contagious Ideas this week while it is being offered as a FREE digital download. This book is a real gem and the price is right!

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.