lorisoard.com

Hi all, I have a new article up at my Examiner page. Here is a sneak peak:

Whether you have wonderful Christmas memories from your childhood or your memories are lacking in that area, chances are that you want to create magical Christmas moments for your children that they will treasure for a lifetime. Every family has unique traditions that are passed down from one generation to the next. Sometimes those traditions are commonly shared by many different people: purchasing and putting up the Christmas tree, having ham on Christmas day or going shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

Click here for complete article

It seems that everyone is tightening their belts these days, thanks to an ever increasing difficult economy. If eating out is still on your budget at all, you likely want to eat out as inexpensively as you can. Here are a few tricks to slash your restaurant bill by as much as 50 percent!

Read the tips

Hi folks,

Many of you probably remember the highly successful author yearbooks I put out every so often. We started out doing a scrapbook, but this yearbook model was such a hit, that we decided to move to that instead. Anyway, I try to do one every year or two and it’s time for a new version. Those who’ve been involved in the past have been happy with the results.

This is great exposure for authors and businesses. The yearbook is put out in print and in e-book format. I think you can still scrounge up some old copies of the last yearbook on Amazon. The yearbook is automatically e-mailed to my list of 30,000 + readers that I’ve gathered over the years of attending conferences and doing author promotions.

This year, I will also be sending out to my list of librarians and booksellers. In addition, many people order a paperback copy. I set the price on the paper copy at right around cost to print, so they are very reasonably priced and even more of them sell. If any real revenues come in, then I take out additional ads and we keep the ball rolling until the yearbook fizzles out. It usually takes a year or two for things to slow down. These have become collector’s editions for many readers. You may have seen them arrive with a copy to gather signatures at various functions.

In the past, we’ve had several different packages, but these can get complicated. This year, we’re going to start with just a single package and see if we can fill the yearbook up that way. The package includes:

*Listing on yearbook page (for example, if you are a romance author, your listing would go on the romance author page).
*Full page personal note from you to your readers. You can do other things with this page, such as a poem, short excerpt, short story and so on. The more creative the better!
*Full page ad of your book on opposite page of your note.
*Author Interviews

You reach 30,000 readers, 3000 librarians and booksellers and numerous other fans and readers. The cost is 3 payments of $96.99. One to reserve your space, another due in November and the final payment due in February ‘09. If you prefer to pay the full amount by November 15th, you’ll receive an additional 10% off. We can lock in pricing with our printer, so early payments go toward the discount we wind up getting, which is about 10%.

I also have 10 radio spots available. I will interview 10 authors and put their interviews up on our radio show site. These interviews will also be made available to a couple of radio hosts for their use and will be uploaded as free podcasts to increase exposure. The authors will be able to download the interviews for use on their websites or however else they would like to promote themselves with the interview. These 10 spots will likely go fast, so the sooner you can reserve, the better. To reserve a spot now, see the end of this email for links. If we run out of spots, I will let those registering know in case they want to cancel registration.

We must have a minimum of 10 authors involved in the project in order to pay for minimum printing and advertising costs. The more authors involved, the further our promotional and advertising budgets go. I will also write articles, distribute press releases and conduct interviews about the project. Because I invest quite a number of hours into putting the project together, editing, and publishing and advertising, I do reserve a spot for myself in the yearbook to promote my own books and writing services.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. You are welcome to share this email with others, but you might want to reserve your spot first. Remember that I only have a limited number of the radio promotion slots available and they will be first come/first serve.

Warmly,

Lori Soard

Reserve space with first payment of $96 (please note that this is a limited two month subscription. One subsequent $96.00 payment will be taken out in November and you will be invoiced separately for the final payment in February).

Pay in full and receive 10% discount

Dear Friends,

In this very historical and vital election, I felt the need to share my plans for next Tuesday.

First, I want to encourage you to take the time to participate in the voting process. We are so blessed in this country to have the freedom to choose our political leaders. Yet, only around half of our eligible population votes. Exercise your right to vote and get out there next Tuesday. Off peak hours are typically 11 am to 1 pm, and lines will likely not be as long during those times.

I am supporting John McCain for president. Senator McCain’s views line up most closely with mine, including:

*Against partial birth abortion. Partial birth abortion is a heinous crime. It is murder as far as I’m concerned.

*Against taxes. We don’t need anyone to be taxed with the way the economy is struggling. To tax small businesses will translate to lost jobs.

*Against socialism. Spreading the wealth around is socialism.

*He makes me feel safer. I know that if our country were attacked again as on 9/11, that John McCain has the experience to know how to handle the situation and protect our citizens.

I hope you’ll consider voting for John McCain this coming Tuesday, but most of all, I hope that you exercise your American patriotic right to vote.

God bless!

Lori Soard

Want to volunteer to help McCain? You can make phone calls on behalf of John McCain to encourage voters to go to the polls.  http://www.johnmccain.com/ActionCenter/RecruitVoters/RecruitVotersThankYou.aspx

I came across this hilarious story this morning and thought I’d share. Sounds like Fat Boy will be nursing a hangover from his adventure

This is the moment a ‘drunken’ pony fell into a swimming pool after gorging himself on fermented windfall apples.

Read more and see pics at  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1077831/Pictured-Fat-Boy-pony-got-drunk-fermented-apples-fell-swimming-pool.html

Dear Friends:

This blog post may anger some of you. I won’t apologize for that. Whether you agree with my politics or not, I do stand on very solid principles that have never wavered for the last 20 years of my voting life. At the very least, you should respect my steadfastness and loyalty to my core principles. I base my beliefs upon the Bible. While I haven’t always followed the Lord in the way I should, I have grown a lot in this area in the past few years and have grown bolder and more outspoken on these issues.  This year, I will be voting for John McCain in the general election. While I don’t necessarily agree with everything McCain stands for, I do agree with far more of his policies than Obama’s. I’ll be honest, I just don’t get why Obama is up in the polls.

The man is an excellent speaker, when he has a script in front of him. But, without a script, he stumbles and mumbles. Even with the script, he really doesn’t say much of anything. I disgree so strongly with his votes for partial birth abortion and his stances refusing to vote against infanticide, that for those reasons alone I would not vote for him.

Add to those points his many connections with people I consider to be terrorists and criminals and his childhood ties to Islam. The book Obama Nation outlines many of these ties. How anyone could consider voting for this man after 9/11, I just don’t get. Have people forgotten the horrors of that day so quickly. Just this past week, there have been ties to another Muslim extremist who put in a word to get Obama into Harvard.

Once you’ve read a book like Obama Nation, you realize how this man lies and says whatever he thinks people want to hear. In other words, he is willing to do anything to get into the White House. If he is willing to lie now, what will an Obama presidency look like if he were to make it into office?

But, enough about the man. What I really want to talk to you about is why I am voting for McCain. John McCain is a war hero. He served his country nobly and was tortured horribly for his patriotism. When he was given the chance to leave the concentration camp he was in, he chose to stay behind with the men under his command. The torture continued.

I also believe McCain to be a man of integrity. I can believe what he says and I also don’t think he will just say whatever to get elected. How easy would it be for him to make broad promises? One of the biggest reasons to vote for McCain, whether you are Republican or Democrat is to keep a balance of power between the White House and Congress. Imagine another Democratically controlled government. I find his economic proposal to be much more reasonable. Our taxes will be lowered instead of raised. Quite frankly, there is no way that Obama can fund everything he is proposing without raising taxes on nearly EVERYONE. Sure, he says only those making over $250K (I have problems with this too because of small biz), but he hasn’t told the truth about many other things, so why would he tell the truth on this one either?

Although I rarely listen to Rush Limbaugh, because his paper tapping grates on my nerves, I did catch a bit of his show today. He mentioned that there are rumblings that as soon as Obama is elected (but before he is sworn in) that the Democratically controlled congress has plans to roll back anything they’ve recently passed that is too conservative, including the off shore drilling our country so desperately needs. I hope this isn’t true, but it wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

Please do your research. Don’t just believe what the Main Stream Media feeds you. They are so biased it is unbelievable. Find alternative sources of information and dig into the background of both candidates. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find.

If you are a Republican, I urge you to vote. When good men do nothing, evil triumphs. Do something. If you need a ride to the polls, call a friend. If you don’t really like McCain, consider voting for him anyway. You are voting against something that would truly do our country harm, in my opinion.

You can help the McCain campaign by making phone calls for him and urging others to get out and vote. Here is the link:

http://www.johnmccain.com/PhoneBank/?guid=0A517F03-C3ED-4A24-A14A-3BD9D5F32F2F

Happy voting!

Lori

My dear friend LaShaunda Hoffman is hosting another online conference through Sormag.com. The details are below. If you have questions, please e-mail here. Yours truly will be teaching a workshop on a topic to be decided. Be sure to mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss this.

Hi all,

I just wanted to post a quick note about a contribution I made to the new writer’s devotional book called WORDS TO WRITE BY. I’m so excited about this wonderful resource for writers. It is chock full of useful tips and daily devotionals, along with favorite poems and scriptures. It is available as an e-book or paperback. I have just reviewed the paperback version and it is very nicely put together. I’ll be buying many of these for Christmas gifts this year.

To read more, go to http://www.trebleheartbooks.com/MVRobinBayne3.html

Lori

We had a death in our family and a dear friend lost her grandmother this week. I’ve been thinking a lot about my grandfather, my grandmother and legacies. It just got me to thinking about how what we do in our lives, how the paths we choose, leaves behind a legacy that can impact many generations.

Take the one side of my family. I had a great-grandfather, who to put it bluntly, was a drunk and just downright mean. I never knew him (not something I’m upset about from the stories I’ve heard). He passed his legacy down to his son, who in turn drank himself into the grave, although I don’t ever remember him being mean. This legacy has continued to be passed down, generation to generation.

The other side of my family, I had a grandmother who was a good woman. She did what was right, she loved the Lord, she raised children by herself when her husband died. She was good, and kind, and honest and forthright and sincere. She had the sweetest spirit and outlook on life. By contrast, she has left a legacy, for the most part, of happy families, most of whom are saved and gentleness and peace.

This all got me to thinking about the legacy I’ll leave behind. Sure I try to go to church, do what is right, be a good person. But I’m also impatient with my kids at times. I’m cranky, tired, busy. I don’t always take the time to stop and help others when I should, it’s just sort of hit or miss. And I have made a commitment to do better. To pass a better legacy than even the one I was given to the next generation. To make up for any little holes in that legacy and to most of all let them know they are loved unconditionally, so they can always hold that close to their hearts.

So, ask yourself today, what is your legacy? What are you leaving behind for future generations? Your attitudes have a ripple effect. Will your ripples turn into rings of joy or circles of despare?

In this world, I’ve faced my share of sorrows - when my cousin Michael died, when we lost grandparents, when I miscarried our baby and when I’ve lost opportunities. I’ve also had my share of joy - when each of my girls was born, watching their smiles and laughter along the years, finding joy in Christ and always having animal companions by my side. Although I have friends and family who love me, it is true that no one loves you like a cat or dog. Not only do pets love us unconditionally, but they love us when we’re mean. They love us when our hair looks like we stuck our finger in the light socket and we haven’t had a bath in two days because of the world’s worst flu. Cats and dogs love us when we are truly unlovable. I have had many wonderful pets. I still have three dogs, a cat and a turtle that are all pretty great. But there are those pets that define us. They come into our lives almost accidentally it seems. It is one such pet that I write about today, my little Sissy cat.

When my husband and I were first married, we desperately wanted a child. We tried for over a year with no success. We went to doctors to find out what was wrong and they could find nothing. Everyone around me was having children and I wanted a baby! It was like a clawing need. One day my husband took me on a surprise mission. It was to pick out a Siamese cat. I love Siamese cats. I have always owned one. They are affectionate, smart and wonderful in many ways. Anyway, we picked out this little blue-eyed Siamese kitten. She was so small that my husband put her in his pocket and we carried her home.

I wanted to name her Chelsea or Zoe, but my husband said she was the baby sister cat and we should call her Sissy. Sissy it was. She was sweet and affectionate and loved to be held, so that’s what I did. I held her. All the time. She even drank from a baby bottle. Something I’d regret teaching her later as she tried to steal the girls’ bottles when they were babies.

I sometimes wonder if God knew what I needed at that moment and he sent me an angel in this little cat. She clung to me as a lifeline and I clung to her and she crawled right into my heart. She was a bit skittish for many years and scared of other people. Yet through all the moves and the changes in our lives (adding babies and so on), she and I were side-by-side. There wasn’t a night that I sat down that she wasn’t at my side. I even had a bedtime for my little Doxie so that my baby could get her time in with me without interruption. If my lap was free, that was where she’d sit. Sometimes she’d crawl up onto my chest and kiss me on the chin. She always purred. If my computer was on my lap, she sat on the arm of my chair and placed her paw or her chin on my arm and stared at me with those beautiful light blue eyes, purring (of course).

If I left on a trip, she’d pout when I returned as though to ask why I’d left her behind. Yet, she hated to travel in a car. After she was through pouting, she’d come out and howl at me for a good hour, fussing and arguing about why I’d been gone. I didn’t leave often, but she didn’t like it when I did.

My beautiful baby aged as I have, but a cat’s life span is so much shorter than ours. As I hit my mid-thirties, I noticed my baby beginning to slow down. She slept more. She ate less. Her fur lost its once beautiful sheen. Her eyes were still brilliant and she was as sweet and wonderful as ever. She was just elderly now and I knew our time would one day come to an end.

My precious Sissy died this morning around 5 or 6 a.m. I had rushed her to the vet yesterday because her pupils were crazy dilated and she was so disoriented. I couldn’t even see the blue in her beautiful eyes. I suspected renal failure. The vet said that isn’t what took her. He suspects an aneurism or stroke. She was 16. I hate that I left her there, but I had prayed that the Lord would take her if all she was going to do was suffer, so I praise him for his mercy and for answering that prayer.

This cat changed and defined me. She taught me about the depths of unconditional love and that I was great (in her eyes anyway). She was always sweet, always happy to see me and just good to the core. We could all take a page from Sissy’s chapter and learn more about how we should act. She taught me that love is more than carrying a child. Love is about a bond and a connection, whether it is with a child that you didn’t give birth to, one you did give birth to, or a tiny cat that came into your life and taught you these things.

I love you, precious baby, and I’m going to miss you terribly.