EMPOWERED RESULTS ~ Creating A Difference In Our Communities…

There are approximately 49,000 grassroots arts groups in England with an estimated 9.4 million people participating in arts based activities on a regular basis.

I can't find figures from the whole of the UK or Europe or the rest of the world but I imagine we are in the billions.

If you know anything about the Simmons household it's this; yes, they are all talented and musically inclined, but education comes FIRST.

That's why the non-profit organization, Get Schooled, is collaborating with rapper Diggy Simmons to engage and inspire the youth to help them excel in school and imporve graduation rates.

And - speaking of graduation - guess who is about to walk across that stage?

I've been thinking very hard about my priorities, and have finally come to the conclusion that what I really, really want is a handsome butler.

My soul would sing of metamorphoses.

But since, o gods, you were the source of these

bodies becoming other bodies, breathe

your breath into my book of changes...

~ Ovid, The Metamorphoses

My abdomen is probably the only part of my body I’ve never felt insecure about. Everything else has, at one time or another, been overrun by pudge, pimples, stretch marks, or, the most likely culprit in my case, unwanted body hair.

At the turn of the year, I wrote about my New Year’s Resolutions or lack thereof. (See “Listen Hard, Love Life.”) I decided that in an effort to reinvigorate my life, 2013 was going to be a “goalless year.” Backed by the latest research, I stated that I was going to love the life in front of me and allow myself enough flexibility to follow my happiness and passion.

The first part of The Search was released in comic book stores today and should be in wide release in the next couple of weeks. And so begins the 3-part story that answers the question fans have had for years -- "What happened to Zuko's mom?"

I can't count the number of times I've been asked that by fans of the show, because it's a lot.

A brief update on comments. As many of you might have noticed, comments aren't working as advertised. It seems that you post comments, but are unable to see them. The problem isn't in WordPress, but instead it is in the javascript that displays the comments. There is a bug somewhere and I can't find the person who helped with the design anywhere.

I read a lot posts about marketing and selling books. For the most part, they say the same thing. To succeed, a writer (indie or otherwise) needs to:

• Blog
• Have a website or "landing page" for his/her book
• Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.)
• Develop a "platform"
• Build connections with a community of readers
• Develop an email list/newsletter
• Have an amazing book, a professional cover, and a catchy blurb…