Murder Blog Is Moving – Yay!

Though I’m biting my nails to the quick, I’m very excited to announce that Murder Blog is moving to a self-hosted site. The new site, if all goes according to plan, will be the same domain: http://www.suecoletta.com. I’m adding the upgrade to redirect http://www.crimewriterblog.com to the new site too, so, God willing, I won’t lose all of you in the process.

Why am I chancing this right before Marred is set for pre-release?

Because I’m a glutton for punishment I want to do so many things that WordPress.com won’t allow. As many of you know, we’re at the mercy of WordPress.com to tell us what we can and cannot do.

That’s not okay with me anymore. Also, I can only go so far with WordPress.com. I’d need to add images to the sidebar to sell books, I can’t use a Hello Bar, or any HTML coding. With the move I can also get better SEO ratings because I’ll able to track what works and what doesn’t. The reasons are endless.

WordPress.com was my home for so long it’s still kind of sad to leave. But I’m a firm believer in looking forward, not back. In order for me to achieve my new goals I must make a change. So, I’m jumping in with both feet and hoping for the best (after hours and hours of research).

The only con that I can see is the ability to reblog, which you cannot do on WordPress.org. However, if anyone wishes to republish a post, contact me using my email or contact form, both of which can be found here.

In this post, as well as notifying you of the change I figured I’d share the new features in case anyone else is thinking of moving. If you are, here are simple step-by-step instructions on how to do it: Moving from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.

The best part of moving to a self-hosted are plugins. Here’s a list of some of the ones I’m going to use and what they do:

Comment Luv

I love this plugin. It’s sharing to the fullest degree. If you’re not familiar with this plugin, I’ll explain. When you comment on a post a link will appear next to your name with your latest post. So if you have a new book release, a kickass post, or even just a recent post you’re especially proud of, come by and leave me a comment. All my readers will see your link and you could get new readers. How cool is that?

Shareaholic or Easy Social Share (haven’t decided yet)

I already have share buttons, but these plugins allow for sharing buttons on the sidebar, big or small, you have more flexibility and more options. Plus, you can track your shares. Very cool.

Dig Dig

Allows a floating share bar. Not sure if the others do as well. Need to research more.

Google Analytics by Yoast

This plugin tracks your site and gives lots of information about your stats.

Yoast SEO

I just took a webinar from Mary at Write to Done about using SEO to optimize posts for first page ranking on Google. Stay tuned for an eye-opening post about how to best optimize your posts. She recommended this plugin.

Akismet

Ban that spam!

Front End Editor

Checks for typos and grammatical errors. A must, in my book!

Copyright Proof

So no one can steal your content and post as their own. I’m really not worried about it, but I might as well include it.

Mail Chimp for WordPress

No brainer. It intergrades Mail Chimp with the site so I can use an actual opt-in box rather than the hassle of using an image and having readers click a million times to get to the sign-up page.

Mail Poet

This is cool. It will send you guys an email of my new posts and when I reply to your comments. Because I don’t think I’ll be in your readers anymore, I needed a way to reach you guys. You should have the option of choosing whether you receive a “digest” or “instant”. Digest would be a weekly roundup and instant is self-explanatory.

Facebook and Twitter Widgets

Post directly to FB from the site. Or add Facebook Feed to show your custom feed for your author page. There’s also a Facebook Like Box widget. Show your latest Twitter timeline.

Hello Bar

Instead of those annoying pop-ups a Hello Bar gives a call-to-action discreetly at the top of each post and page.

Social Media Widget

Posts automatically to all my social media sites.

Goodreads

This is really cool. You can ask your readers to add your book to their To-Read List, which raises your rank on Goodreads. All you authors want one of these, huh? Squee!

Subscribe to Comments

Allows non-followers to subscribe to comments so when I reply they’ll get a notification.

Easy Digital Download and WooCommerce

To sell books directly from site, with shopping cart, discount options, and user data. Turn your site into an online store on the sidebar. How cool is that?

Love It Pro

Because WordPress.org does not use “likes,” this plugin puts a tiny heart at the bottom of a post so you can “love it.” Awesomely adorable!

Jet Pack

This is a beast of a plugin with all kinds of features, including a social sharing. I need this in order to switch, but there are tons of other things to do with this plugin. I can hardly wait to see what they are.

WP Touch 3

To make your content mobile-friendly.

Super Cache

This plugin has more users than there are people in Costa Rico. Why? Because it streamlines your site for super fast uploading and allows you to use a static page, like I do now, turning your blog into a website as well.

Notification Bar

Because WordPress.org does not have one, I’ll have to install this plugin in order to see my notifications.

Contact Form 7

I get so many people using my contact form on the front page that I’d be remiss not to include one on my new site.

BackUp WordPress

This is really cool. You never know when problems can arise. So with this, you back up every time you publish and if anything goes wrong…voila. You’re up and running in minutes. Incidentally, you can get your backups emailed to you so they don’t take up space on your hard drive. Cool, right?

Uber Menu (premium feature)

This only costs $19., but I think it’s important to have. With this menu option you can create drop down menus, layered menus, all kinds of different menus to make navigation easy for your users.

Security Ninja

There are two. The Lite, which is free, and the regular. This protects your site from hackers. Very important. Wouldn’t you agree?

Pretty Pink Lite

This is cool, too. You know how bitly.com shortens links but turns them generic? Well, Pretty Pink allows you to customize short links for sharing, using your domain name, or anything else you want, and tracks that link wherever it goes. You can see how well a post is doing on Twitter, or any other SM site, by using this feature.

WP Google Fonts

No more paying for the custom fonts that have a limited supply and you can only use one font for certain things, like header, site title, post font. With WP Google Fonts you can choose from 600 fonts and use them wherever and whenever you want in your theme.

Font

And this free plugin allows you to change the font in portions of your posts and pages, and/or change the color too.

YARPP

Yet Another Related Posts Plugin allows readers to see related content, like you get with WordPress.com. I get many click-throughs to other posts this way, so I’d be remiss not to have this plugin.

Automattic (yup, two “t’s)

If you’re thinking of switching, you should add this plugin to ensure your WP site stays up-to-date and working properly. With one click you’re all set, and safe from hackers, too.

Plugin Performance Plugin

You can install 50 good plugins and if you install 1 bad one, your site will crawl to a stop. By utilizing this plugin, it will test your plugins to make sure they’re working for you instead of against.

There are so many other plugins that I haven’t listed here. Honestly, there’s a plugin for every need imaginable. If you’re thinking of switching to a self-hosted site, you need to be careful when choosing plugins. Like anything else, there are people looking to infect your site with malware, and they do it by offering free plugins. I’ve stuck to WordPress recommendations and ones I know others use and love.

So, I’m off to pack up and move. I’m told my site (this one) should not go down or become temporarily available while I’m implementing the switch.

Wish me luck and I’ll see you on the other side!

Three Day Quote Challenge

I was tagged for the Three Day Quote Challenge by Craig Boyack, Entertaining Stories and S.K. Nicholls.

Here’s how it works:

1.  Thank the person who nominated you, link back to their blog. (Thank you, Craig and Sue!)
2.  Post your quote.
3.  Pass it on to three others.

Here’s the quote I chose…

And I nominate:

Fran, Fran Writes Stuff

Kevin Hotter

Wendy Anne Darliing

Have fun, guys!

 

Searching for a way to commit murder? Sample my 50 Ways To Murder Your Fictional Characters, and receive your FREE copy.

 

8 Things To Expect When Someone Asks You To Guest Post

After a long work week we all can use a good laugh. Which is why I thought the weekend was the perfect time for my next guest to brighten our day.  www.blondewritemore.wordpress.com is my go-to site when I need a good laugh. As such I had to ask Lucy to add some humor to my blog, a site dedicated to crime. And she didn’t disappoint!

Take it away, Lucy!

8 Things to expect when someone asks you to be a guest blogger 

Being asked to do a guest post for another blogger can fill you with pride and put a twinkle in your eye. Someone out there likes you and wants you to write them a guest post. Cue the warm glow followed by a hop skip and a jump around your writing desk!

It’s a wonderful moment when you excitedly type back ‘I would love to be a guest blogger’ and then your suffering begins…

1. Your ideas will dry up immediately after you accept their request. Cue the worst period of blogger’s block that you have ever experienced.

2. You will agonize a lot over your guest blogger post. If you thought you fretted a lot about your own posts (i.e. are they any good? will anyone like them?) writing a guest blogger will take this to a whole new level. Suddenly you are faced with the daunting task of putting your work on to someone else’s blog. Cue the sweaty sleepless nights where you lie awake wondering whether your guest blogger post will send their loyal followers running for the hills.

3. You may consider booking a holiday with no access to Wi-Fi when the guest post goes live. Going to a remote spot in the world where you can’t be contacted will suddenly feel like a good idea. If you are uncontactable then the angry email from your blogger saying that your post was so bad that it made their blogging stats tool ‘flat line’ (it got no visitors, views, likes or comments) won’t reach you.

4. You may find yourself praying for a sudden bout of amnesia when your guest post goes live. Hopefully you will forget that you are a blogger for a while and by the time your memory returns your blogger will have forgotten all about your clanger of a guest post. Other bloggers will also have forgotten about your dire post so there will be no guest blogger shame for you to endure.

5. You will send your blogger an apology email in advance of them putting your guest blogger post live. In this email you will explain at long length your life’s personal struggles and how these have contributed towards you producing such blogging tripe. This email will be your ‘get out of jail free’ card when you notice that your guest post got 0 likes and 0 comments.

6. You will dread the day your guest post goes live. Expect similar feelings to taking an exam, going to the dentist and having an internal examination.

7. You will develop a nervous twitch the day your guest post goes live. If anyone mentions the word ‘blog’ in a conversation you will find yourself acting like someone has hooked you up to the electricity mains.

8. You will find yourself kissing the ground when you receive that golden email from your blogger to say that your guest post did ok. Cue feelings of joy, elation and hugs for any other human being standing near you. Your work is done!

This might explain why by the time I received the post I looked like this…

 I’m kidding, Lucy! You’re great.

 

She is blonde, some say she is funny, and she’s writing her first bestseller. Visit Lucy at: www.blondewritemore.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter: @Blondewritemore

Let’s all show Lucy some love in the comments, and hopefully stop that annoying twitch. LOL And please hop on over to her site. She has many of these “lists” that will leave you in stitches.

Have any of these things happened to you?

If you haven’t received your FREE copy of 50 Ways To Murder Your Fictional Characters you can read a sampling of what’s inside here, or just sign-up here.

 

A Nice Surprise

Over the weekend I received a nice surprise from Robin Rivera and Heather Jackson from Write On, Sisters! They were just nominated for the Real Neat Blog Award, something they deserve in spades! So, I’m reading along, learning more about these talented authors, when I see my name. They nominated me, too!

I’m always so honored by these awards. For one, it tells me that I’m not just talking to myself, even though some days it feels like I am. And secondly, someone thought enough of me and my site to take the time to nominate me. That’s really cool. So, if you have a minute check out their blog. You can find them listed on the sidebar, in the menu, and in my Crime Writer’s Resource, or go here. It’s an excellent blog devoted mainly to craft.

To accept this award I must answer five original questions that Robin and Heather thought up specifically for this nomination. Here they are with my answers…

What book, show, or movie do you wish you’d written?

There are so many. If I need to pick just one I’d say Silence of the Lambs. Do I really need to explain why? This book, then adapted to film, paved the way for the serial killer thriller. Its intricate plotline, characters, and an antagonist you couldn’t help but like — even if he was a cannibal — upped the stakes and made it nearly impossible to put down.

If you wrote fan fiction, what would you write for and why? If you already write fan fiction just say why.

Hannibal, the TV series. The murder scenes alone are some of the most creative I’ve ever seen. But, I doubt I could ever do it justice. I just don’t see how it could be improved, or changed in a way that would warrant attention.

What famous author (living or dead) would you most want to team up with to write a book?

This one’s easy. Larry Brooks. He’s a master storyteller and one of the nicest, most generous people I’ve ever known. Maybe someday, eh?

If you could have one day to use a time machine to go forward or backward in time, where would you go and why?

Forward. To the day my début novel hits the shelf so I know how much longer I have to wait and which novel it will be. Ha! Sad but true.

Have you ever written anything that you wish you hadn’t?

Oh, absolutely! A short story that I posted on this site AND on Prose & Cons. Nightmare! Thank God for the delete button. I’d also say my first novel, but that really wouldn’t be accurate because I was learning the craft and if wasn’t for that novel I wouldn’t know half of what I know today. Would I ever want the public to read it? Hell no! Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?

So, that’s it. Now comes the part when I nominate other bloggers. Which is not my favorite thing to do. Because I follow hundreds of blogs it’s difficult to choose just a few. So, I’m going to cheat a little here and nominate some upcoming guests instead. Ben Wallace, Adam from Law Enforcement Technical Advisor, and Lucy from Blondewritemore. Incidentally, Robin Rivera will be joining us next month, too, so keep an eye out for that.

And here are your questions…

1. What is your all-time favorite book and why?

2. If you were a serial killer what fictional character would you be (books, TV, or movies)? 

3.  What is the best and worst piece of writing or blogging advice you’ve ever received, and why?

4. What’s the best thing about blogging for you?

5. (Barbara Walters question — confession time!) What’s your guilty pleasure social media site and how long do you spend goofing off there when you should be working? 

I can’t wait to read your answers!

I also nominate all of you. My blog would not be where it is if it weren’t for awesome people like yourselves. So, for anyone who wants this award, consider yourself nominated. Grab the award, say who nominated you — moi — and answer the questions. And don’t forget to tell me about it in the comments so I can read your answers. I’m laser-focused on my WIP now so I’m behind in reading posts… again.

Next up for murder blog: A guest post by a homicide detective who still works in the Major Crimes Unit. This promises to be an exciting, informative post that you won’t want to miss.

As always, if you haven’t received your copy of 50 Ways To Murder Your Fictional Characters go here, or read a sample here.

Where I’ve been… and why.

I don’t normally talk about my daily life. I guess I’m private that way. But I feel I need to clear some things up. I’ve been seriously lacking lately in reading your blog posts. I know this and I’m doing the best I can to rectify this. There is a good reason for it though. One of my dogs– Gideon, I’ve talked about him before– is gravely ill.

Gideon

 

He’s been sick for a few weeks, but took a turn for the worse six days ago. Without going into detail, he requires massive amounts of my time while I attempt to keep him alive, with a quality life. At the same time my other dog, Cascius, is seething with jealously. So I try to give him extra attention. It’s both physically and emotionally draining.  

As such, everything else falls to the wayside. Family first. It’s a must.

I wish this wasn’t the case. I wish Gideon would magically bounce back, return to being healthy, running and playing. I wish I could leave him for a few hours to see my granddaughter, too. She’s growing so fast and we’re missing it. But the sad reality is I don’t know how much time he has left, could be days, could be weeks. When I do get a break I read to escape the horrors of my reality. Books are magical in that way. Don’t you agree?

Image from Dishin’ the Dirt with My Friends

So, I haven’t abandoned you. I always have and always will support you in any way I can. I just need a little time to deal with the ones I love. I think everyone can understand that.

I do have some exciting news, a surprise guest appearance by the author of six critically acclaimed thrillers, who’s also written two of the best craft books I’ve ever read. A must for every writer’s toolbox, IMO. I’ve also added some new links on the crime writer’s resource page and added menu items. More on all that later. For now, I’ll hold you in suspense.

This pic just never gets old.