That was my reaction when I first heard about MySpace, which was about a year ago. Yeah, I know, I’m seriously behind the times. The MySpace phenomenon has been around a lot longer than a year. So has LOST, I think, but I’ve yet to watch one episode. Just goes to show ya…

Anyway, the friend who told me about this large web community insisted that it would be in my best interest to get hooked into that network. I balked—stalled—gagged actually. The last thing I needed was another website to manage. Not long after that initial introduction to M/S, author friends began bombarding me with, “Whadda ya mean you don’t have a MySpace site? You’ve gotta get one!”….. “You’ve gotta do MySpace!”…….. “I get more hits on MySpace than my regular site. Ya gotta do one!” Blah, blah, blah….ad nauseam.

So….I had one of my daughters create one for me. Now it’s just kinda sitting out there because I’m not quite sure what to do with it. Even more ridiculous is the fact that I get a minimum of five emails a day from folks I don’t even know, asking if they can, “Be My Friend.” Huh? What’s up with that? Is there some kind of cyber contest for the person who collects the most ‘friends’? Is this whole ‘friends’ thing tied to status? Boredom?

Regardless what the ‘friend’ count is about, though, I’m tellin’ ya, MySpace should carry some kind of warning from NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). The damn thing sucks out brain cells. I swear. You log on, intending to update some info on your site, and before you know it, it’s DAYS later. I thought Google was bad, leading you link by link into oblivion when all you wanted was info on frogs. But Google is milk toast compared to the time vacuum MySpace can create. I got lost in it once. Now, each time I go to the site, I tether myself to someone who promises to jerk the rope if I’m not up and outta there in ten minutes. I just wish those ten minutes could be more productive….Any suggestions? What causes you to visit someone’s My Space site vs their regular website?

Inquiring minds (and screwed up ones, like mine) want to know! Oh, and in case you’re wondering, here’s the link to my M/S thingy. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=86605470

Whadda ya think? Is the damn thing even set up right?

One of the hardest parts of being an author is coming up with new–and interesting–ways to market your book. The same old contests, the same old promotions, the bookmarks…. You are often left wondering, does this really work? And yet you KNOW that it is necessary, and it must be done.

How much of an author’s very valuable time is spent doing promotion that is NOT valuable? I always wonder this.

I hate the thought I am wasting my time. And yet there IS no surefire way to market.

I became intrigued with the idea of a “viral” marketing campaign after I read about it on a loop. I had already made plans to give away a free e-book, my first book SISTERWIFE, but wondered if there was some way to make it “viral.”

For those of you who are as perplexed as I was two weeks ago, when I first heard of it–a viral campaign is one that spreads like wildfire, mostly through the Internet. Examples are the lonelygirl15 youtube videos (now revealed to be professional videos with an actress who is getting film work).

Another example is the campaign for The Secret, by Rhonda Byme. It has now sold millions for both the book and the DVD, and it apparently started with a single Web site which offered a free partial viewing of the DVD (which people emailed to each other) and a full download for a small fee. (Thanks to Ann Marie Michaels, author of Cooking to Hook Up, who provided me with this information when I asked what a viral campaign was. I would have linked a current site, but couldn’t find one.)

So, I’m trying to create my own, teeny tiny viral campaign, by offering SISTERWIFE free, no strings attached. This was my first book, with a very TIMELY subject. Polygamy in Utah. And just how far bent the “prophets” go to protect their sacred beliefs. I wrote this book before Elizabeth Smart, before Warren Jeffs began building his compound and went on the lam, and before Big Love. It was not hard to see it coming. I’m not a visionary. But it definitely spotlights the beliefs–and explains why Mormon fundamentalists believe the way they do–in a way that is easy to understand.

Plus there is a killer love story and some great action thrown in for good measure.

So far, nearly 1,000 people have downloaded the free copy of the book. I plan to keep the offer up for a few more weeks. If you are interested, jump on the band wagon. Come on, you know you want to do it. All the popular kids are doing it. He he. Just a bit of peer pressure.

Visit my site, http://www.nataliercollins.com/sisterwife.php
to get your free copy of SISTERWIFE, a “ripped from the headlines” story of love, lust, greed and murder, set in the crazy world of polygamy.

Do you give authors second chances? I just did this weekend and I am so glad I did.

The first book I read of this author drove me out of my mind. I wanted to punch the heroine. She pushed every button I had. I only finished the book because so many of my friends loved it.

I was baffled. I demanded of friends, “Tell me why you loved this book!”

“Because the plot was so fresh and surprising…”

“But the heroine…” I’d complain.

My friends shrugged. When I outlined what bugged me, they said they noticed it but the book was so compelling that it just didn’t ruin it for them.

Okay, is there a glimmer of a possibility that I was…GASP…wrong?

Then I was in a bookstore and saw another release by the author and it hit me—these days I tend to have so many books on my to-be-read list that I’m not giving authors second chances. I’m judging them on one book and moving on. It wasn’t a conscious decision, and I was actually shocked to realize that I was doing that.

I bought the book.

Then I ignored it. For good reason, actually, since I was finishing up writing my book and I had a stack of books for a contest to read.

This weekend, I read the book.

Second Chances Rock! And I am left wondering how I became so unforgiving? Yes, book dollars are precious, but as an author, I completely understand that books are hit and miss, and as Karin said on Friday, SUBJECTIVE. The second book I read is great, fantastic and I didn’t once have the desire to run the heroine over with my car.

So while I still have a huge list of books to read, I’m going to add a few second chance authors to that list.

Do you all give authors second chances if you didn’t like the first book you read by them? What are your criteria for giving authors a second chance?

Don’t ask—I’m not going to name the author or the book. My point is about second chances, not a specific author or book!

How many of you have been watching American Idol?

How many of you have been following my First Line Contest over at my site?

How many of you who do watch AI were shocked last night when the two worst performers, Sanjaya and Antonella were not voted off this week?

I would have bet the farm those two were history. I cannot for the life of me understand how they managed to garner even one vote. They were horrible! Will either one of them make it to the top twelve? Lord, I hope not, but anything is possible at this point.

In my First Line Contest I have been surprised at some of the entries my judges have culled. There are those I felt would go all the way but they were history 3 rounds ago.

It’s all so subjective. When one review site gives top marks for a book the other site gives toilette bowl scores. Who can figure this out? It’s easy. Subjectivity. What one editor may love another editor may hate. What one reader can’t get enough of another is throwing the book against the wall.

Here are a few very important lessons I have learned from American Idol and my First Line Contest: Be true to your voice, don’t hold back and, always, stand out. Who remembers the contestants who were kicked off last week? No one. Why? Quite simply they weren’t memorable, they didn’t bring it, they blended in, they didn’t take a risk, they chickened out. Oh, and some just don’t have talent, but that aside, add up all of those other things, and you have failure stamped all over the product.

I read books that push it. I my not like what is pushed but it holds my interest, it makes me remember, it strikes a chord in me. I don’t set it down, not unless I find it disturbing.

So what does it for you? What do you like to see in a book or a performer? The same thing done well or something fresh, something new, something that you may not be all warm and fuzzy with but something that makes you think, and maybe just maybe might make you change how you see life?

What works have struck such a strong chord with you, you can’t forget?