Smoke Signals

» Posted by Alissa on Aug 3, 2011 in Random Thoughts, Shameless Self Promotion | 6 comments

I used to work for a newspaper publisher that among other things published the newsletters put out by some of the private communities in the area for distribution to their residents. More than one of those communities had names that referenced Native Americans though this being Northeastern Pennsylvania other than lending some of their words to place names, there was no longer any trace of the earliest residents. Of course, generating a small amount of confusion around the office was the fact that two of the communities had chosen to name their newsletter Smoke Signals (note: it’s unlikely that any of the American Indians that had lived in that part of the country ever used smoke signals to communicate, but modern Americans are not troubled by such inaccuracies.) Anyway, I mention this because I think both of those communities were under the impression that they were being highly original and creative when they named their newsletter. I think there might be a lesson here for writers. Maybe. Don’t take it from me. My first novel had two highly original titles before it became Popular, which doesn’t seem highly original though in terms of novel titles, it surprisingly is.

Actually, the real reason I bring up smoke signals is that if you have a Yahoo email account that’s how you are going to have to contact me. Either that, or send a carrier pigeon. The great Google gods have decreed that Yahoo is evil (or something like that) and I am not receiving any email from Yahoo email users. Gmail is completely blocking it from reaching my inbox or Spam folder. So, that’s why you haven’t heard from me. Probably. Unless you don’t use Yahoo, and then, well, I’m fresh out of excuses.

Someone who is not communicating to the world via Smoke Signals and whose blog has a completely original name is teen book blogger Khadija who writes the Black Fingernailed Reviews blog and who was nice enough to interview me for her debut author feature. So send a carrier pigeon her way or better yet stop by her blog to give her some comment love. You can read the interview here.