Hello Gentle Reader,

I often get questions about what my day is like as a full time author.

So here, for your mild amusement, is my morning routine.

1. Wake up, stumble out of bed, greet the cat, make tea.
2. Put tea to cool, great AB, stumble to computer.
3. Open my desktop, review or write the day’s blog post, publish, paste links onto social media.
4. Check through email for new activity, urgent matters, and major action items.
5. Remember tea. Drink it.
6. Move to iPad and couch. Cradling tea like the lifeline it it.
7. Twitter check over feed, DM, and lists.
8. Make more tea.
9. Cat honors me with lap time.
10. Feedly blog consumption, find interesting things for Twitter and blog posts, catch up on industry news.Here are links to some of the articles that caught my attention yesterday morning and why:
    1. A mysterious teacup ailment on Tea With Friends ~ I actually answered her question, it happens to be exactly my (archaeological) area of expertise.
    2. Trader Joe’s Raises the Bar on What’s Good at Trader Joe’s? ~ I read this blog because I do most of my shopping at TJs. I don’t always agree with the authors’ taste (they lean sweet) but if they endorse something and it fits my general diet preferences I will usually make a note to pick it up. Because I travel I am always looking for bars, and lower sugar content on this one piqued my interest.
    3. Join The Geek Girl Gang! on The Nerdy Girlie ~ I really like the t-shirt she had in this post, and I generally pay attention to what the Nerdy Girlie is wearing. I love her style.
    4. CC Loves… on Couture Carrie ~ I like this series in particular from this blog, it’s a nice insight into current fashion trends off the runway and touches on my own personal aesthetic.
    5. Dress 1910 Collection Galleria del Costume di Palazzo Pitti via OMG that dress! ~ I’m always interested in western historical clothing that shows non-western influences because of how often my characters travel,  also these garments provide insight into trade, cultural misappropriation, imperialism, and colonialism.
    6. The Difference Between a Travel Alert and a Travel Warning on Lifehacker ~ because I travel so much this kind of information is invaluable.
    7. This Charger Should Be Bundled With Every Smartphone on Lifehacker ~ I’m always looking for better travel kit. I already have a fold-able two prong one but it’s a bit big so I decided to buy this one on Lifehacker’s rec for $10.
    8. Details on LAX’s Agreement to Add Gates on The Cranky Flier ~ I fly in and out of LAX pretty regularly so I’m interested in what’s going on with the expansion there.
    9. On Fiction University, Indie Choices: Writing in Multiple Genres or Specializing ~ since I’m writing a not-Parasolverse m/m paranormal romance I thought this worth a gander.
    10. A Practical, No-Nonsense Guide to Earning Passive Income Online via Smart Blogger ~ almost everything I do career-wise right now (that’s not writing) is in an effort to drum up passive income. Because if a freelance creative can count on a reliable steady paycheck, stress levels go way down and the freedom to create goes way up.
    11. You Should Probably Ignore Your Friends’ And Family’s Career Advice on Fast Company ~ because I want the excuse to do just that.
    12. To suggest a book written for young adults has any less merit than the classics is sheer snobbery via The Passive Voice ~ I happen to agree with the headline, so I was curious about the article.
    13. Spotlight and Giveaway – The Gate to Futures Past by Julie E. Czerneda via The Qwillery ~ I don’t participate in giveaways (I prefer to buy what I want to read without obligation) but I perked up at this because I have read Julie’s stuff in the (way) past and I didn’t know she was still writing. Also, I love space opera. Turns out this is the second one in the series so I jetted over to check out a sample of the first one: This Gulf of Time and Stars: Reunification #1.That’s a pretty average morning read for me, some fashion stuff, bunch of travel and book business things, occasional tea and food related. Just the alternate to your old-standard morning paper, I suppose.
11. After Feedly, I check Facebook Pages app. FB regular on mobile just isn’t good enough to handle my volume, plus it’s a overwhelmingly UI. So I wait until later to use the desktop. (This is why interaction with me via my Author Page is always faster.)
12. Scan through Tumblr. Post, Repost/Schedule, investigate recipes.
13. By this time the AB departs for work, smooches all round. I eject the cat from my lap in order to feed us both breakfast and the day officially begins.

{Gail’s monthly read along for August is Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.}

GAIL’S DAILY DOSE

Your Infusion of Cute . . .

Quote of the Day:

“Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.”

~ Oscar Wilde

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