Shorts, T-shirts, Snowbanks and The Book Trailer

It's Cinco de Mayo and we're celebrating....  it's an excuse to pull out the tequila and put out the lawn furniture.  It's time to wave goodbye to what remains of the snowbanks.  Yes, all my warm weather friends - there's still enough snow to make

The last dregs of prairie winter.

a snowman here on our little piece of prairie.  But that aside, the jackets are in the closet and the shorts are out.  In fact one intrepid little neighbour is right now dressed in shorts and burrowing into a snowbank with a sand shovel.

So before I get to all that celebrating, winter's end and the final arrival of spring and, of course, Cinco de Mayo, let's talk book trailers.  I never appreciated the book trailers for my first two books so much as when I set out to make one myself.

Where to start?

I have a Mac so the first thing I learned was that the Powerpoint version for Mac is a possible option, but it requires an additional program for us Mac users to load to youtube.  The second thing I learned

Fatal Intent - in the heart of the jungle.

is that imovie, Apple's movie making program, doesn't come with a half hour learning curve.  I
suspect that imovie works better if you were familiar with it before you jumped in to do a book trailer.  Yes, I tried Powerpoint, didn't locate the program to upload and fiddled with imovie as well - why focus on one thing if you can do two or more at once is my motto.  Neither was providing me with a quick and painless trailer - one that I could live with and someone might actually want to watch without grinding their teeth.  And then I tripped on an online program that provides a free option.

So off I went, after all what did I have to lose?  It took a bit of work but Fatal Intent has a book trailer.  With a bit of creativity you can come up with something workable.  It's a base to try something a little more complicated next time and then the next... and before you know it the book trailer will evolve to a full size movie...okay, not.

So here it is, my first step into creating  a book trailer click on through to see the finished product:  Fatal Intent

What else is in the works?  Well, Monday is the final day of Fatal Intent's epic tour and to cap off the tour, my last stop is at Black Velvet Seductions tomorrow, Monday, May 6.  If nothing else you've got to stop by to see the header picture on the blog, it's adorable!  Seriously, although it is adorable, I'm looking forward to the day, kind of sad that the tour is over but excited that someone is going to win the grand prize - a signed copy of From the Dust and a DVD copy of that vintage movie, East of Borneo.  So come on by, chat with me and be entered for prizes.

There's more than that happening.  I reviewed Eldon Taylor's recent book, "I Believe" and I loved it.  I'll be posting all about that here on May 7 as Eldon begins the launch of another inspirational book.

So, yeah it's going to be a busy week.  But in the meantime, sit back and enjoy Fatal Intent's trailer.  To celebrate - hey it's Cinco de Mayo, how timely.  Margarita anyone?


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

You Won What? - The Liebster Award

Today I was considering what I would write about.  There's been a lot of gloom this year  from weather to that of the more bad news variety and just one too many funerals.  But, unfortunately, that's life.  Still, I was striving for motivation today, struggling with it actually.  I thought maybe I'd give my blog a new face and with fingers poised over the keyboard to begin that, I was waylaid when I found I'd been awarded the Liebster Award!  Now that was motivation!  The blahs slid right off like a cheap coat as I discovered my award all decked out in loveable pink.

 So thank you Murees Depree who is the face behind the fantastic blog Daily Drama of An Aspiring Writer, for awarding me with the Liebster Award.  

What is the Liebster Award?  It's an award given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers to show recognition and support.

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.  

Congratulations and Happy Blogging!

And before I collect my award I must answer the questions that Murees provided below:

1. What is the worst job you ever had?  In high school I had a job in the kitchen of a hospital.  It was hot, gloomy and clean up was disgusting.  I lasted a grand total of three days before throwing in the tea towel.
2.  What is your favourite snack?  Theater popcorn - not the kind you get at the grocery store but the popcorn that can only be bought at the theater.
3. What is your favourite TV series?  I honestly don't have one. 
4. Who would you like to meet? (Person could be dead or alive)  My paternal grandfather
5. If you could be any animal, which would it be?  A dog but only if I could be my dog.  I don't know if there's a more spoiled dog on the planet.
6. What are you most grateful for?  I'm grateful for my health and for the health of everyone I care about.
7. What do you hate?  I hate petty people.  Maybe not so much hate as dislike.
8. Do you include exercise into your daily routine?  I walk every day and in the summer I ride my bike and sometimes roller blade.
9. Do you like animals?  I love animals, well most animals.  I admit I'm leery of the ones that might consider me a light snack.
10. What is your favourite season?  Summer
11. What is your favourite food?  ice cream

Eleven random things about myself:
1.  I'm usually awake before sunrise
2.  Halloween trumps Christmas
3.  I make fantastic dog biscuits
4.  I walk at least a mile a day
5.  I love dogs
6.  I don't like rice pudding or tapioca
7.  I love a warm rain
8.  I read two or three books at once
9.  I love being on the road - whether by plane, car, etc.
10. When at a loss for what to do - I'll go to the library
11. I've never ridden on a skidoo

And here are the bloggers I've nominated for the Liebster Award:
Lisa McManus Lange - lisamcmanuslange.blogspot.ca
Tiffany T Cole - tiffanyrambles.blogspot.ca
La Gradiva - postitletterario.blogspot.it
Cerian - rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk
Amy Jo Ehman - homefordinner.blogspot.ca
Rebecca J Clark - shywriters.blogspot.ca
Shelley Banks  - latitudedrifts.blogspot.ca
Trish Jackson - romanticreviewramble.blogspot.ca
JeffO  - doubtingwriter.blogspot.ca
Lee - leezamloch.blogspot.ca
Marcia Colette - marciacolette.wordpress.com

 And the award winners questions:
1)  If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
2)  What are you reading right now?
3)  What do you love about blogging?
4)  What would you rather have, a dog or a cat?
5)  Have you ever been lost?
6)  What's your favourite colour?
7)  Coke or pepsi?
8)  How long have you been blogging?
9)  What's the worst thing a stylist has ever done to your hair?
10) Would you ever jump from a plane?
11) There's a storm coming in - which would you prefer, rain or snow?


Blog Tour Alert - Today's Monday and I'm out visiting again.  My blog tour with Fatal Intent continues with a stop today, Monday, March 11 at Wicked Readings by Tawania.   I'd love to see you there, the more the merrier.  The prizes continue and every stop leads up to the grand prize at the tour's end.   So stop by and leave a comment.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com