Book Review: Building a Life Out of Words by Shawn Smucker

Shawn Smucker has a fascinating story. Fortunately, he is a wonderful story-teller, so that works out well for him.

In his new e-book Building a Life Out of Words, Shawn shares the story of becoming a full-time writer. The first thing that you should know about this book is that it is not a how-to book. If you're reading this to find out how you can make a living as a writer, this is not going to give you step-by-step instructions on how to achieve that goal. However, any time someone shares their story, there will be events that you can learn from if you want to follow in their footsteps.

Through the chapters, Shawn tells us a bit more about his journey. His fears, his failures, his successes, his resolve. I really enjoyed reading about he and his wife Maile navigated the challenges of not knowing what was in front of them, but how they worked together to follow their dreams. Each chapter offers one main ideal that Shawn shares in bold. Again, because this is not a how-to book, these are not action steps or anything like that, but rather larger forces that work against you when you choose to pursue your dream (which also makes them applicable for a wider audience, not simply for those interested in writing).

One other element in each chapter is a contribution from someone who either makes a living as a writer or is on their way to making a living as a writer. I was already familiar with nearly all of the authors in this section, and while each piece was well-written, I felt like this could have been an opportunity to offer a bit more how-to advice and it seemed too scattered for my taste. I'm sure that part of that is just that what works for one person may not work for everyone, but I still felt like these stories could have been a bit more practical. Because they didn't all follow the same format (practical help or more ideology based), they felt a bit disjointed.

That said, this is still a great book and I would easily recommend it to someone interested in pursuing work as a full-time writer. At no point is the journey made to look glamorous (unless living in your parents' basement has a certain cache that I'm of yet still unaware), but it does look like something that is attainable. I always enjoy the honesty found in Shawn's writing and this is no exception. If you're interested in pursuing a path different from the one that you are currently on, this book is for you. And if you're simply looking for a good story about someone who is doing what they love, this book is for you.

Head over to Shawn's site for information on how to purchase this book!

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Shawn blogs (almost) daily at http://shawnsmucker.com. He is currently traveling the country for four months with his wife and four children in a big, blue bus named Willie, looking for service opportunities as well as other writers to meet up with. You can find him on Facebook (Shawn Smucker, Writer) and Twitter (@shawnsmucker).



Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Building a Life Out of Words for the purpose of review and am in a drawing for a $100 gift card. However, all opinions are 100% my own. 

BlogHer Book Club Review: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee

Stephanie McAfee's Diary of a Mad Fat Girl was originally released as a self-published e-book. Just a few months after she put it out there, it debuted at #31 on the New York Times bestseller list. She stayed there for 12 weeks, got an agent, and got published.

It's an impressive story.

I just wish I liked the book as much as I liked the story of McAfee's road to publishing success.

First, I just felt like the book was overwhelmed with pop culture references. If the book was about pop culture that would be one thing, but they just felt like they were put in for no real purpose. They didn't add to the story, they didn't flesh out the characters. If I picked up this book five years from now, I just think these would make it feel dated and irrelevant.

As for the characters, I felt more like they were caricatures than characters. They felt like they could become something interesting, but there just didn't seem to be any depth to any of them. Lots of things happened, but I didn't feel like any of the events had any kind of impact on the characters. They didn't grow, they didn't change, they didn't evolve. They felt almost like they were in a sit-com where everything would reset at the beginning of the next day.

I also get that this is light reading, but she also wrote about really difficult situations. And it's hard to write about something like domestic abuse as a beach read. The tension just felt off to me the whole time.

I think that Stephanie McAfee has a promising career ahead of her. She has all of the makings of a good book here and obviously a lot of people enjoyed it. But personally, I'd give this Diary of a Mad Fat Girl a pass.

For more discussion about this book, stop by the BlogHer page for Diary of a Mad Fat Girl.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee for the purpose of review and was compensated for my review, however, my opinions are 100% my own.

BlogHer Book Club Review: The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith

This month the BlogHer Book Club is reading The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith.

I love memoirs and this was by far one of the most unique books in that genre that I've read. Rather than telling her story in a linear fashion, Claire shares bits and pieces, broken up. Claire at 18. Claire at 22. Claire at 14. Each section gave us a better view of the pieces that we had seen before.

I also loved that because it was, in part, about losing parents, the disjointed story-telling actually helps set the mood. She deals honestly with depression, addiction, and grief. The dialog is all shared without quotes, so the story has almost a free verse form to it.

The pain of losing a parent, let alone both, is one that I have not had to experience. Because Claire lost her parents at such a young age, it affects all of her other relationships. I found the way that she described her interactions with others because of her loss to be powerful.

If you're looking for a unique and affecting memoir, I definitely recommend The Rules of Inheritance. And be sure to stop by BlogHer for an excerpt and for discussions inspired by the book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith for the purpose of review and I was compensated for my review, however, my opinions are 100% my own.

BlogHer Book Club Review: The Underside of Joy

This month the BlogHer Book Club is reviewing Sere Prince Halverson’s debut book, The Underside of Joy.

This story starts out beautifully with the description of the relationship between the newly married couple, Joe and Ella, and Joe’s children Annie and Zach. Halverson gives us a glimpse of a couple that is happy, but is working through learning how to communicate in a more honest way.

When Joe dies, Ella finds out some of the areas where she and Joe had not been fully honest with one another. In the midst of that, Joe’s first wife and the mother of Annie and Zach comes back into the picture, wanting to become more involved in their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. Halverson has woven a beautiful story here. Her characters are believable and likable. And as a woman who has suffered from post-partum depression, I appreciated the treatment that she gave of this issue. Her dialogue rings true, the relationships are complex, and the outcome is very satisfying. I would absolutely recommend checking out this book.

For more information and discussions about The Underside of Joy, head over to the BlogHer page.

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson for the purpose of review and I was compensated for my review, however my opinions are 100% my own.

Interview with Jason Boyett

The apocalypse is coming, you guys, and who better to prepare us than Jason Boyett, author of the new book, Pocket Guide to 2012: Your Once-in-a-Lifetime Guide to Not Completely Freaking Out.

I've had the opportunity to get to know Jason a little bit over the past couple of years through the social media. His book O Me of Little Faith was the first book about doubt that I ever read and it gave me hope and assurances that I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

Jason is a fantastic, funny, informative writer. I was very much looking forward to his take on the end times and I was not disappointed. Jason gives tons of information in a way that manages to be both hilarious and still somewhat respectful (which is difficult, given the subject manner). I had the chance to ask Jason a few questions about his new book, moving from traditional publishing to self-publishing, and his own apocalypse prediction.

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Alise Write: So what is it with you and the apocalypse?

Jason Boyett: A better question is: What is it with EVERYONE and the Apocalypse? I'm not alone in my apocalypse fascination, but I guess I'm part of a smaller group that's more interested in debunking apocalyptic nonsense rather than promoting it. If we want to get into the armchair psychologist mode, I guess I can tie it back to my early teenage years. I lived through a very real (to me at least), looming apocalyptic threat in the summer between 8th and 9th grades. That was 1988, when a guy named Edgar Whisenant gained a lot of national media exposure for predicting the Rapture for September 13-15 of that year. He wrote a book called 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988, and sent it to pastors all over the country. One of them was my own childhood pastor, a guy I trusted completely. He preached that he believed the Rapture would occur that September, and I spent that summer before my entry into high school thinking it would be my last. I said goodnight to my parents the evening of September 15 -- the tail end of Whisenant's "Rapture window" -- wondering if I'd never see Mom and Dad again in this life.

I was relieved when I woke up the next morning to a bright, sunny, apocalypse-free world. I figure that's when my interest in unfounded End Times predictions probably began. I lived through a summer of apocalyptic fear. I'm a little bitter about it, and I don't want other kids (or adults) to have to experience the same. But rather than stoning false prophets, Old Testament-style, I find it easier to make fun of them. Anyway, Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse was one of my first books. It came out in 2005. Ever since the 2012 phenomenon started gaining steam, I've wanted to update PGTTA to include it. That didn't work out, so I went the self-published e-book route.

AW: There are an awful lot of end-time prophesies laid out in your book. What was your primary source for research on this topic (come on Wikipedia!)?

JB: Totally Wikipedia! Not exactly... Wikipedia is a wonderful place to start, of course, but any good researcher knows he or she needs to dig a few clicks further. There are a ton of good scholarly books about Apocalyptic fervor, many of which I listed in the bibliography section of Pocket Guide to 2012 (and had already used for my Apocalypse book). Other than those, Google Books and the Amazon "Click to Look Inside!" feature (not to mention Kindle downloads) are glorious inventions for researchers like me who already have a shelf-load of apocalypse books and aren't exactly thirsty for more.

AW: Did you have a favorite story associated with impending doom? (I was partial to the apocalyptic chicken.)

JB: Mary Bateman and her prophesying doom-chicken is a hilarious story, of course. But I'm partial to the crazy saga of William Miller and the Millerites from 1844, for a couple of reasons. The first is because it was such a huge, widespread phenomenon that, when Jesus failed to return as predicted, history actually gave the event a lasting nickname: The Great Disappointment. The second is because we're still seeing the fallout from that frenzy today -- the Seventh-Day Adventist Church is a direct descendent of William Miller's disappointed followers, and they remain pretty fascinated with the End Times.

AW: What date would you like to throw out there as a potential expiration date for the world?

JB: In approximately 7.5 billion years, our sun will follow the typical life cycle of a star and will expand into what's known as a red giant, engulfing Mercury, Venus, and maybe even the Earth in its diameter of fiery gases. Which means life on Earth -- if it still exists by then -- will become extinct. That's as far as I'm willing to reach with any kind of prediction. Also, I suspect it will happen on a Thursday.

AW: This was your first self-published book. What was your favorite part about doing this on your own?

JB: The immediacy of the timeline. When you write and get a book published with a traditional publisher, you end up finishing the manuscript months -- and maybe a year or more -- before it hits bookshelves. So you're doing publicity about content you researched and wrote about last year, and have already forgotten. I always end up needing to brush up on a topic when it comes time to do radio and print interviews about one of my books. But with self-publishing, the whole process takes place in light speed. I started writing this book in September. I finished in December. I had it edited, made some revisions, then formatted it and uploaded it and people were downloading it within two weeks of me having completed the manuscript. I love that.

AW: What was your least favorite part?

JB: E-book formatting. I'm a designer by trade. I love drop caps and elegant typography and well-considered chapter headings and justification and spacing and all the little details of book design. But you have to forget that when you're publishing for different sizes of Kindles, and different platforms and devices. You have to let go of the fancy stuff and allow the user to dictate type size and other formatting elements, which can be maddening for perfectionists like me. You get the best, Jason-approved version of the book by downloading the e-book PDF from my website and reading it on an iPad or computer desktop. The other versions, while way more popular and device-friendly, make me grit my teeth a little.

(Alise here. If you want a more detailed answer for why Jason chose self-publishing this time, check out this blog post he wrote.)

AW: What are your plans for December 21, 2012?

JB: December 21, 2012, is a Friday, which means I'll probably be doing what I do almost every Friday night: eating pizza with my family and my brother's family at my parents' house, which is a weekly Boyett tradition. Then we'll play games together and celebrate the fact that we didn't die in an asteroid-induced inferno, or a series of crust-shaking earthquakes, or alien invasion or whatnot. Which is to say: my plans for that day will be no different than any other Friday in 2012 (though they may include dropping the price of my book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, because it will be on the cusp of irrelevance).

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Thanks, Jason, for stopping by today and letting us know where to find you for the end of the world!

Be sure to pick up a copy of The Pocket Guide to 2012 at Jason's site, or for your Kindle, or Nook. I'm not saying it will be the end of the world if you don't, but you never know.

Book Review: The Gospel of Matthew: God with Us by Matt Woodley

The good folks at InterVarsity Press have a new series of commentaries being released, called the Resonate Series. The second book in this series is The Gospel of Matthew: God with Us by Matt Woodley. As someone who is not so much a non-fiction reader, let alone a commentary reader, I was a bit hesitant to agree to read and review even just one chapter for the blog tour. But since it was just a chapter (and because Ed Cyzewski is a persistent friend), I agreed to go ahead and give it a whirl. And I ended up going back and reading the whole thing.

The purpose of these commentaries is to provide insight into the passages in a new way. Rather than to simply break down verses and explain their cultural meaning, these books also seek to make them culturally relevant for the reader as well. The author finds a theme (or several themes) in the chapter of each book and develops those.

I chose to look at the commentary for Matthew 16.

First, I had to smile that the title for the beginning of Matthew 16 (which is also the end of chapter 15) is "Faith is 'Impossible'". I don't know that I could have chosen a more apropos chapter!

 I loved that through this chapter, Woodley used contemporary examples to illustrate the themes that he is exploring. While discussing the impossibility of faith, he frames the discussion by using the example of Francis Collins's and his journey to faith through his work on the Human Genome Project. He moves seamlessly between modern examples and the biblical texts. Later, he addresses the idea of "spiritual not religious" in terms of how Jesus wants to build the Church and how it relates to Jesus calling Peter the rock upon which he would build his church. I found each of the examples engaging and easy to understand.

If you're interested in a deeper understanding of the Scriptures, but have a hard time wading through some of the academic language present in many commentaries, I recommend checking out The Gospel of Matthew and the other titles in the Resonate Series.

For a look at some other reviewers' thoughts on this blog tour, you can check out this site.

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Do you have a favorite Bible commentary?



Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for the purpose of review, however the opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Book Review: Because I Can by Janet Oberholtzer

I'm not always the most thorough person when I visit someone else's blog for the first time. This was the case with Janet Oberholtzer. For whatever reason the first few times I went to her site, I read what had been linked, maybe commented and then clicked away. I didn't visit her "about" page for the first several times I went to her site. I just liked her writing and thought it was cool that she ran.

So it took me a few trips to Janet's site to realize that Janet even having a site is kind of miraculous. And the more I read of her story at her site, the more excited I was to read the book that she was working on. So I was thrilled for her when she won the Rhizome Publishing contest allowing her book to be published and available to all of us!

Janet was in an accident that nearly took her life and her left leg. Her book chronicles the events following the accident. It includes her physical recovery, but of far greater interest to me was reading of her mental and emotional recovery. Janet talks about her struggle with depression in this book. Struggles in her marriage. Struggles with her body image. Struggles with her faith.

I loved this book because Janet has what could be a really glurgy story, but manages to avoid the pat, easy answers. In fact, those answers kind of piss her off (can I say that about an ex-Mennonite?). Janet is honest and straight-forward in her writing about her emotions surrounding her life following the accident. She doesn't dress it up and she doesn't back away from the difficulties. She is honest about how it felt to be "Miracle Woman" and still be depressed. To be told that "all things work for good" and to be unable to see that good anywhere.

And she also shows us the importance of continuing even in our desperation. To be willing to ask for help when we need it. To be willing to face questions about God, even when they frighten us. To be willing to work hard for the things that we want, even through pain and embarrassment.

In the beginning of the book, Janet talks about how she couldn't bear to look at her damaged leg. You'll notice the cover of the book is a picture of her legs. This is the story that Janet tells. That shame has no place in her life. No place in anyone's life. Janet's story is amazing, but not just for the obvious reasons. It's amazing because she shows us that no matter what our struggles are, we can push through. She did, and we can.

You can order Janet's book at her website, or for your Nook, or your Kindle. If you want to connect with Janet, you can read her blog, or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Janet's book from the publisher for the purpose of review. However my opinions are 100% my own (and I paid for a paper copy because I hate trees and love my friends).


Disclosure 2: I don't really hate trees.

Book Review: A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans (Pre-Cog Edition)

When I heard that people were already reviewing Rachel Held Evans's yet unfinished book, I couldn't wait to jump on that bandwagon. I've been a fan of Rachel's blog for a long time (well before she was being interviewed on NPR and showing up on Oprah's blog), so I feel that I am uniquely qualified to offer insight on books she hasn't finished writing. I considered reviewing her third book, Pissing Off Liberals AND Conservatives by Daring to be Reasonable, but I thought that maybe I'd at least wait until she had pitched it to her agent.

For the most part, I was impressed with what I imagined Rachel wrote. In my mind, she had, as one would expect, a fantastic blend of humor and insight. From talking about her weekend with Chip to making her own clothes, I believe that Rachel wrote about her experiences with the grace and eloquence that I have come to expect from her blog.

But I will also say, I was surprised at some of the less publicized choices that I'm falsely claiming she made.

While we all have seen the pictures of her time in the purple tent while observing the purity laws, I was surprised to pretend to read about her interest in tampon art during her Proverbs 31 month, particularly trying a project that was so obviously masculine. It felt like a departure from the whole idea of biblical womanhood that I was expecting.

I was also taken aback at the sheer number of Smurfette references that were scattered throughout the book's non-existent pages. I know that this was to be a much longer work than Evolving in Monkey Town, but I thought that padding it with references to the lone female Smurf was a little cheap. I will give her some grace because I know that pop references are hard to pass up.

Where I cannot extend my theoretical grace is to Ms. Evans's clear disdain for fiber arts. I feel as though an apology is owed to the Ravelry community for the misrepresentation of how difficult it is to knit. It is prejudicial and my fake disappointment can barely be contained in a mere blog post.

All things considered however, I will still absolutely recommend this book. And next year, when it has been written and released for people to actually read, I will encourage you to take a look and see what you think about it. Because generally, the best reviews are written after a book has been written, rather than before.


Disclosure: I was not provided an advance copy of Rachel's book. Because it still isn't finished. I was not compensated for this review, however, I am hoping that when we meet next summer, I can remind her of this and she'll pick up the lunch tab with her vast piles of author money. All opinions and fabrications are 100% my own. Because the book isn't finished yet.


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If you were writing a fake review of a book that you haven't read or that hasn't even been written, who would you pick as your target? (Also, I really can't wait for Rachel's book and I do expect to enjoy it when it comes out. And I'm sure I'll post a proper review at that time.)

Not Alone Blog Tour

October 1 was the official release from Civitas Press of the Not Alone book. In order to celebrate, I've asked the contributors and some other blogging friends to share portions of their stories and their impressions of the book. This link-up will be active all week long and I hope that you'll stop by throughout the week to check it out and see what people are saying about the book.

If you have read it, I'd love it if you would consider leaving a review at Amazon. I genuinely believe that this is an important book and I would love to see it reach as many people as possible.

Thanks again to all who are participating in the blog tour. I know this wasn't an easy book to read and I appreciate you taking the time to review it. And of course, thank you a million times to all of the contributors. Your stories are powerful and dynamic and I am incredibly grateful to you for your generosity in sharing them.

Now, start to the clicking!

(Quick note to those linking up: Where it says "your name" please type the name of your post or your blog. That's what will be displayed in the link-up. And in the link, please include a direct link to the review. Thanks!)

Interview with Knox McCoy

Back in April, I had the distinct pleasure of being asked to be a part of Awesometown over at Knox McCoy's blog. Now, I'm probably one of the oldest members of Awesometown and it's just a bit too noisy for me, so I summer over here in Prodigiousburgh (with the H because why stop at G?). Still a resident of Awesometown, but without riff-raff like Tamara Out Loud.

Anyway, Knox has taken a moment away from his brand new baby girl to stop by Prodigiousburgh today and talk about his delightfully funny and surprisingly insightful book, Jesus and The Bachelorette: Finding Christ Among Roses, Tanned Bodies and Hyperbole. Because the man has to pay the bills.

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Alise Wright: First, my maiden name is McCoy. What are the odds that you and I are related?

Knox McCoy: One thousand percent. I don’t know about you, but my surname has a collection of “colorful” personalities on the limbs of it’s tree, so absolutely nothing is off the table in terms of relations. If my family had less people in jail and we could actually pull off a reunion, you and I would TOTALLY see each other there.

AW: Most of us can understand the desire to write about The Bachelorette, but what made you think to tie it to Christianity?

KM: I’ll just say it: I’m kind of strange in terms of what I find similarities in. But I think on some level, for me, similarities are more impactful when they are strange. It makes me listen more. If I’m in church and the Pastor makes a limp comparison of David and Jonathan to some other bibilical pairing, I’m probably going to daydream 15 seconds in. But if he compares them to Mario and Liugi or Uncle Joey and Uncle Jesse, I’m ALL in and taking notes.

AW: Did you share this project with anyone in your church? What were their thoughts about it?

KM: Absolutely no one. I’m terrible at self-promotion. I’m savant-like in how truly awkward I can be with positive attention. And also because explaining the link between topics does take a bit of, um, finesse?

AW: While writing this book, were there any comparisons between The Bachelorette and Christianity that caught you by surprise?

KM: I think the chapter using the fantasy suite jumps out in my mind. For the uninitiated, the fantasy suite episode is basically when the contestants have the sex audition for the Bachelor/ette. I compared the awkwardness of that episode with the awkwardness of Christians who are supposed to be all about love and then judge everyone in their field of vision. I wasn’t sure that comparison was going to hold water and it’s probably pretty debatable that it did, but I liked that I got to talk about the sex audition because I mean when you can work an idea like a sex audition into a book about Christianity, I think you pretty much have to do it. Everytime.

AW: What is the line that you’re most proud of in the book?

KM: The bail out answer would be: “anything that bridged a gap between perception and reality for a reader in terms of their faith.” But you know what, Alise? I don’t DO bail out answers.

This line is probably my favorite because of the idea behind it, which is close to my heart:

“Though the big picture focus is good, we Christians tend to get caught up in thelittle picture things. The fine print of our faith, as it were, and this serves toinflame the larger cultural opinion about us. Whether it’s only paying lip service toloving our neighbors, allowing ignorant ideas to speak for us or rigidly holdingnon-believers to our biblical standards, the point is that these little details fog outour overarching hope and instead emphasize our worst qualities.”

AW: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

KM: 

• Write. Don’t ever stop producing. Your early stuff will be awful, but it will get so much better.
• Make friends that if you never ask them to help you, you’d still be friends with them.
• Three drafts of everything. If beauty, wit and realization are going to arrive, they will always arrive in that last draft.
• Find your voice and fly your freak flag. People will resonate with authentic voices, never with imitations though.

AW: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring Bachelor/ette contestant, what would it be?

KM: If you have a child, just don’t. Instead of pouring all that energy into hopefully seducing a stranger, maybe be a parent instead?

AW: If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring Christian, what would it be?

KM:

• Challenge yourself. Know what you believe and WHY you believe it.
• Love people, first and foremost, and this will allow others to define you with you supplying the definition.
• Concern yourself with others, particularly the less fortunate, and your happiness will be easy to maintain.

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Thanks so much Knox! Now, go forth from this place and purchase Knox's book. Because you guys, it has a chapter about sex auditions. And for reals, I have watched half an episode of a Bachelorette-style show and never the ACTUAL Bachelor/ette, and the book is still fantastic. Also, please be sure to subscribe to his blog so you can read his new serial and follow him on Twitter.

Book Review: Run With Me by Jennifer Luitwieler

From the first post I ever read by Jennifer Luitwieler, I have been a fan. It's always a joy to find someone who is able to blend of humor and honesty in their writing and in Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo, Jen does this with a deft hand.

Despite the title, this is not a book about running. Jen begins running to train The Dog to poop outside rather than in her craft room and is, of course, forced to carry his feces after he has done the deed. But long after she dumps the dog and runs for herself, Jen discovers that she is still carrying poo with her. Crap that clung to her and weighed her down and told her that she was unable to do everything that she wanted to do. That stopped her from doing everything that she could do.

She dives into her struggles with depression, both as a young woman and as an adult. She talks about growing up, the daughter of a pastor, dealing with judgments from church. She writes about overcoming body issues and loving her Lycra running shorts. She shares stories that will make you laugh, will make you gag (I can take poop stories, but draw the line at booger stories!), will make you cry and will make you reflect.

I've become friends with Jen through social media over the past year and a bit, but after reading her memoir, I feel that I know her even better. And I love that in reading Run With Me, I know a bit more about myself as well.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Run With Me: An Accidental Runner and the Power of Poo. Also, connect with Jen at her blog, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Bryan Allain's Blogging Mojo Isn't for Powerpuff Girls

I'll be honest, when I think of Mojo, I mostly think of this guy:

Mojo Jojo

So yeah, I kept looking for tips to defeating a big-brained monkey to show up somewhere in Bryan Allain's new book, 31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo. Alas, I was disappointed on that front.

However, that was where my disappointment ended! In 31 Days, Bryan lays out all kinds of fantastic, practical advice to help improve your blogging skills so that you can get your message out more effectively.

What I really appreciated about this book was that it required something from you. Not just the normal stuff like, go write more!, but instead he offers targeted suggestions to help you hone in on your audience, your perspective, and your content. And to get the most out of the book, you need to follow through on his suggestions. Probably even the suggestions to do jumping jacks. (We writers tend to be sedentary folks.)

Bryan has a great mix of humor and butt-kicking in this book, and there's no doubt that the former helps the latter go down easier. He walks you through what you need to in order to have a better blog, but like any kind of self-improvement, you have to do the work. Fortunately, 31 Days to Finding Your Blogging Mojo has the tools that you need to get that work done.

If you're a new or seasoned blogger, I recommend checking out Bryan's book. There's good advice in it for all of us and it can help you improve your blog.

Check out the 31 Days to Mojo website and for reals, head over to Amazon and pick up the book. It's five bucks and your blog is worth more than that.

But if you're a Powerpuff Girl, you'll want to look elsewhere for tips on defeating your arch enemy. Maybe Bryan's next book.