Maria's Journal

Funny thing about New York, no matter how long one is gone it all looks the same.  Good old New York... FYI, for everyone's viewing pleasure I will be keeping a video journal of our time here in NY, so if you are so inclined, tune in to my YouTube channel to see what we're up to. http://www.youtube.com/user/MyWritingDen1 I will be recording more videos to showcase the city and places we visit, so check back often. Take care and until next time!  Maria

Family/Friends - I will be vacationing in New York the next couple of weeks, so I may not be able to blog often. Feel free to stop by my Twitter page and NEW YouTube Channel in the meantime -- details on my website @ mywritingden.net. Thanks and take care!

Family/Friends, Since becoming more active in the Social Media circle, I've been familiarizing myself the myriad of the venues available - it's actually quite mind boggling! Just a couple of days ago, I created my own YouTube channel ( http://www.youtube.com/user/MyWritingDen1 ) and was surprised at how easy it was and how much fun I had doing it. As for Twitter ( https://twitter.com/mariathewriter ), I've had the account nearly two years, but was not utilizing it.  Since December 2012 however, my followers have quadrupled and my Tweets have gone from 45 to 523 (quite a jump, ah?). Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Writing-Den/368907206455014 ) is my everyday exposure to fans and potential fans, I keep the page open all day long and post periodic updates.  LinkedIn ( www.linkedin.com/in/mariapiork ) is trailing significantly in my list of priorities but since having to deliver a presentation to the Phoenix Writer's Club on the subj...

Family/Friends - To date most of my blog had the format of an online journal and it has worked for a couple of years. Going forward however, I will be providing much more variety, things suchb as helpful hints, links to useful information, quotes, anectodes and other type of interesting information. Stay tuned :-D Be well! Maria

Family/Friends, Today Mike and I had a unique opportunity to attend a 3-hour SEO seminar.  With my new Wordpress site and Mike's ready for deployment in a week we need to learn the best way to stear traffic our way.  Tomorrow's class is Wordpress Intermediate. To anyone out there looking to launch a website I strongly recommend attending a class on SEO and  Social Media, it''ll be worth its weight in gold. Now, I need to catch up on paperwork and tend to my own social media circle Take care and be well!! Maria

Family/Friends, I spent half of my weekend and two hours yesterday talling up receipts and logging all expenses, a task I so detest.  It is done, however and now we move on to the appointment with the accountant today. Wish me luck! Until next time. Bel well...Maria

Family/Friends: Establishing new habits this week, this blog in particular >>> need to blog more often :-D  So, here I am sitting in front of my computer rattling my brain to come up with something witty, intellectual to say, but the more I think about it, the more it occurs to me that what I write doesn't always have to be funny, and remarkable, it just to be from the heart, so here it goes: Thank you to: My husband who's very supportive of my writing, wherever it may take me. My daughter who's my friend and cheerleader oh and tech support of course. My sister Alice who sent me a congratulatory text and supports my writing. My sister Cheryl whose keen interest in my writing early on encouraged me to keep putting my thoughts on paper. My sister Lucy, who has read one of my steamiest stories and provided good feedback - Lucy and I share the same passion for writing so her input is invaluable. Charisse who's a dear friend and a cheerleader. Amy who...

AIN'T I A WOMAN? by Sojourner Truth Delivered 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about? That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief,...

Family/Friends, This week was a very prductive week: --Fnished writing 5K words toward my Secret Cravings Publishing story, lots of editing already done. --I've taken the Social Media Coordinator volunteer post at the Phoenix Writer's Club --Made a contact with an erotica blogger at the East Valler Writer's Workshop today who is looking for contributing authors. --Applied to be a freelance writer at the examiner.com. --I've upgraded my site to Wordpress-unveiling of NEW & IMPROVED site on Tuesday, March 6 Now, at my desk Tweeting, blogging and catching up on my FB fan page :-) Until next time! Maria

Family/friends - as of now my site is down.  However, I'm working furiously to get it up and running as soon as humanly possible :-) In the meantime, I'd like to inform you that I'm working on a short story for Secret Cravings Publishing and I'm SO EXCITED!  Secret Publishing requires that the story be 6k-10k words so as usual I'm madly typing away.  Stay tuned for details! So long for now...Maria