Summer Writing

Just back from a memorable trip to Vienna and Lower Austria (see my series of live public travel journals over on Five Suitcases), my to-do list is longer than ever.

After a visit to Dublin's brand-new Teeling Whiskey Distillery, I wrote a review but hadn't yet included it in The Frugal Guide: Dublin. I've since rectified that situation, and the review is in the most recent edition, if you care to check it out. Brainstorming and research continues for the 2016 edition, there are some new eBook features I'd like to include if I can figure out how to do them myself.

I've recently been in contact with the expat community site Expat Focus. This blog was included in a top Irish expat blogs list, and I completed an interview about my experience for other expat hopefuls. I was grateful for the opportunity, and hope my interview proves to be entertaining, informative, or inspiring for someone.

Also this week, I've been working to improve my social media presence, curating my Twitter and Facebook pages to become a more responsive member of both the travel writing and eBook publishing communities. If I'm to be pushing to publish this other book thing later this year, I'll need a bit more robust social presence.

I am also looking at alternate website platforms – particularly Wordpress – to host a better Five Suitcases site. I plan to be experimenting with the options over the next month before I decide what to do with my other site. Moving the site might be labor-intensive, and the longer I wait, the more painful it will be. I'd like to have my web presence looking hale and healthy when I go into book-promoting mode. Learning this stuff will be good for me anyway, right?

Speaking of the book, work continues, but slowly. I've been reading, editing, cutting, and writing the last few tidbits – even doing some work in Vienna's sunny parks. I am feeling very good about its potential, especially when its comedy rhythm is sharpened a bit.

With so many irons in the fire, my progress will be slower on each project, but things are moving along smoothly. Wherever you are, enjoy the rest of the summer, and stay in touch!