Thursday, December 6, 2012

Do You Read Me? I Could be the Next Big Thing.

I have a few little housekeeping details for you today. No, not like cleaning the toilet (by the way, look out... my next actual commentary humor post is going to be about pubic hairs) or washing windows. It's a little Cindy Brown Everyday Underwear writing career housekeeping.

NUMERO UNO:
If you read me (and I assume you do, or your eyeballs would not be ogling my website right now), I need to ask a favor. I entered a contest in which I could receive a feature and a mention if I make it into the top 25. Circle of Moms has a Top 25 Book Author Moms category and since I am now a published author, I entered, not really thinking I'd even rate. I started at #54 and quickly jumped to #24, then other votes knocked me back into last week, so to speak, but I'm still close!

VOTE FOR CINDY BROWN AND HELP PULL UP HER EVERYDAY UNDERWEAR!

I need a push to get back into the Top 25. Please click here and hit the gold circle with the thumbs up to vote for me. Just two clicks, nothing to sign up for, etc. I will love you forever and have your babies if you vote for me. That's a boldfaced lie. I don't birth no babies for nobody. However, I would sincerely appreciate the vote. Voting ends tomorrow, December 7th, 2012 at 4 p.m. PST. You can vote once a day, so you could even vote today and again in 24 hours - or tomorrow if you forget today or don't read me until tomorrow, you know, leaving me languishing in your e-mail... waiting... waiting... waiting.

NUMERO DOS:
My book finally came in the mail! As soon as I get some stock, I will put it up on the site for purchase. For now, though, this is my baby! Isn't it cute?



I am one proud mama!
NUMBRERO THREE: (to heck with it, I don't speak Spanish)
I've been invited to join the Next Big Thing blog hop several times and never did it. Until Norine Dworkin-McDaniel posted about it. Nancy Hinchliff tagged Susan Bearman of 2KoP, Susan added Norine, Norine's adding me, etcetera, etcetera, etceter-ahhh. Check out their sites, as well as a few others I've learned about from Norine's post, and keep things hopping.

Please check out my fellow blogger goddess Kelly Hashway who will be posting her Next Big Thing post on 12/12/12. She is the author of many books and will be promoting her YA Novella, Love All. UPDATE! Here's the link.

Shari Brady: Wish I Could Have Said Goodbye is a story about Carmella D'Agostino, an average sixteen-year-old girl who is faced with coming to terms with her older sister's accidental drug overdose and death. Through Carmella's eyes, we witness the courage and strength it takes for her and her family to overcome their grief and guilt.

Christine Wolf: Christine's manuscript is called My Life Afloat—With her parents both out of work, the anchors of Maeve's "normal" life come undone. Riding the waves of her family's private shame, 12-year-old Maeve tries to save the family from sinking, even as their ship heads toward catastrophe. Christine blogs at My Life Afloat on her website and Riding theWaves on Chicago Now.


Norine Dworkin-McDaniel:  The book-to-be is a collection of essays from by blog Don't Put Lizards In Your Ears about my being a late in life mom, done "snap-shot style" a la "Shit My Dad Says".

Also, check out my friend Chris Dean who finally did her Big Thing post: My Next Big (Pfft!) Thing!

Do I have a book of my own? Well, yeah, I kinda do! I have started writing a book, many years ago, actually. It's something I hope to complete in the next 8 months to take to the BlogHer '13 conference with me.

My Next Big Thing Q&A's:

1. What is the working title of your book or project? Forty Days Without a Face.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book or project? I journaled a bit during a life-changing experience.

3. What genre does it fall under, if any? Probably self-help or religious/women's issues.

4. If applicable, who would you choose to play your characters in a movie? Charlize Theron, totally!

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your manuscript or project? Fasting from hair and makeup for forty days revealed more than skin deep beauty for Cindy Brown... it shed harsh light on her fears and insecurities ripping away the mask she wore to hide her disturbing past.

6. Will your book or story be self-published or represented by an agency? I am hoping to be picked up by an agent or publishing house, but if not... well, self-publishing - here I come!

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? That is incomplete at this time.

8. What other book or stories would you compare this story to within the genre? I once searched for books on different types of fasting, but found none on fasting from pride, so I am not sure there are any to compare to. I once saw somebody start a Facebook group of women challenged to do the same thing, but the participants quickly dropped out, so they discontinued the group!

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book or story? A friend, Rebecca Merten, shared the beginnings of my writings with someone who in turn shared it with her women's group at church. They wanted to turn it into a bible study and they were anxious to hear the rest of the story. My friend suggested a book/workbook/workshop/speaking engagements. It was then that I knew that subject should probably be my first book.

10. What else about the book or story might pique the reader’s interest? I made it the entire forty days without curling my hair or wearing any make-up! And yes, it was freakin' hard! Other women tell me how impossible this would be for them, so I feel I have accomplished something worthy of writing about.

23 comments:

  1. You with your book! Yay! And congrats on being The Next Big Thing!

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  2. Congrats on everything! Such accomplishments! :-)

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  3. Congratulations Cindy. Nice to see your success!!

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  4. Kelly, I want to add you in if you can do a post with your answers, I'll add you in ;0) You are closer to the next big thing than I am.

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  5. Thank you - here's to hoping it just gets better and better and I can start passing some love on to all of you!

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  6. Cindy, I'm scheduled to post on the 12th already for this. So if you want to tag me, go right ahead. If not, that's okay too. I'm posting on my upcoming YA novella, Love All. :)

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  7. Awesome, I will give it a mention and link to your blog ;0)

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  8. I will link back to your blog too, then. :)

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  9. Gotcha in there - remind me to link up to you next week when you post if you think of it.

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  10. Thank you, thank you! :)

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  11. I love this idea. I wouldn't last a day, however.

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  12. It was really hard - I felt so naked. Wait, you are talking about going without makeup, right? I never leave the house without makeup and there was no way to spend 40 days holed up in my house!

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  13. 1. Voted for you. 2. Thanks for jumping into the blog hop. 3.

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  14. 1. Voted for you. 2. Thanks for jumping into the blog hop. 3. Congrats on your book. 4. Your next big thing sounds awesome. 5. I would have to "fast" by wearing makeup for 40 days because I generally go face naked and look like a witch. But I can totally get where you're coming from because I have committed to walking an average of 3 miles a day. Today was day 61. I have hated every minute of it. Best of luck on all your things.

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  15. congrats cindy on everything. i voted for you. i'm certain you'll be the author of many published books. :)

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  16. For someone like me, not wearing makeup or doing my hair was huge! Pretty interesting results, I must say. By the way, my 2KoP Pee in the Shower post is #1 on my most popular posts! They fluctuate some, but that post is always in the top 5!

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  17. Hi Cindy and Congrats on your book! It looks fantastic. I voted for you. Just a note on the no make up. I went make up free for two weeks last spring as an experiment. I wrote my blog post Finding Your Inner Sex Goddess and emphasized beauty wasn't about make up so I thought I better walk the talk. It was a great experiment and I felt naked the first few days but soon got used to being out without my war paint. But I was thrilled to go back to my mascara. Truth is without the make up I was more careful and concerned about my skin. Anyhow, congrats on all your great news and looking forward to hearing more from you! :)

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  18. Cool! Pretty soon your head will be way too big to communicate with - what with all of your fame and all. I'll get to say I knew you back before The Publication Days, when you were just Cindy! :)

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  19. Wow, I will have to look for that post! It's a good experiment, but not one I'd want to do again. Thanks for the comments!

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  20. I am trying to keep my head under control. If it gets too large, please alert me! I will still be Cindy, just hopefully Cindy with more money and notoriety. Cindy, but enhanced. Cindy, new and improved! Oh, I could go on....

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