Sidebar/Referrals/Market Research/Devo/Recipe

1.  Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, discusses what belongs on the sidebar of a blog. This is Part 6. I think I need to go back and read the other 5 posts.

2.  California governor, Jerry Brown, signed a bill ordering faith-based pregnancy centers to refer women for abortions. Check out this article.

3.  Penny Sansevieri guest posts at Writers in the Storm about How to Create a Book that Sells and a Marketing Plan that works (every time).  Yeah, that title grabbed me as well. She gives some great tips on researching your market.

4.  Dena Netherton shares 3 Thoughts on "Little Zeke's Gift." This boy has a unique ministry that he faithfully exercises.

5.  I confess my idea of making cranberry sauce is to open a can and empty the contents into a pretty serving dish. For those of you who are more into homemade, you might like this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Writers:  Whether you're published or pre-published, did you research the market prior to writing your book? Please share.

Readers:  What special dishes do you make at Thanksgiving? If you'd like feel free to share a recipe in the comments.

Photo Credit:  Keira Bishop

Research/Location/Freedom

1.  Research can present some tricky problems. ShannonVannatter guest posts at Seriously Write, on the subject. What happens when all your normal research avenues fail?

2.  I read a fascinating article by Michael Hyatt on why the place you live can determine your success. Since I moved from an area where Christian writers were rare to a Pennsylvania location that provided support and training, I can testify to the validity of his findings.

3.  The recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex "marriage" will have far-reaching effects on both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. We're already seeing newspapers saying they won't print op-ed pieces against this. Check out the Family Research Council's full article. It's sobering.

One of the items mentioned was how an outcry would result from Americans. But will that materialize or will we sit back the way we did when prayer and the Ten Commandments were ripped from public schools? The heat is turning up on the proverbial frog in the frying pan. If we wait any longer to both act and pray, it will be too late for freedom.

Writers:  How do you get the information you need for your writing when your normal channels dry up?

Readers:  Do you need super intense details when you're reading a book that includes something like technology or careers? I once read a book that had so many techy elements that it resembled a textbook. I finally skipped over all those parts because I couldn't make sense out of them.

Photo Credit:  tijmen