Networking Nuisances with Guest Blogger: Bri Clark

Win a copy of Familial Witch and meet author Bri Clark today at the Book Boost!


Here's what she had to say...


Social Media and Authors…Some People Will Become Offended

Recently I had a friend, an amazing friend that I go to church, who lives near me in the community and who I am on good terms with (really I am). She deleted me from her networking friends list. I noticed it and worried I had offended her. Therefore, I sent a message then followed up with a call. She wasn’t offended but had some other concerns with my page. That sparked some ideas for this post.

I started into networking just for the social aspect, to reconnect with old friends and keep up with new ones. However, now that I’m an author I now have hundreds of friends and would hope to get up to the thousands. The reason is it’s how I market my career. However, for those friends that are specifically friends. What do you do when they get upset?

The best thing to do is understand why they are upset. Here are two examples I have encountered.

* Privacy: My friend I mentioned was worried that with all those people I don’t technically know on my page that they may be able to access hers. While she does have high privacy settings we all know, nothing is concrete and you have to keep a check. Who wants added responsibilities? Therefore, I respected that and made a point to go through my own setting and keep people from accessing my friends’ pages. As an added protection, I have made it a habit to check my setting every Monday morning to make sure that they haven’t been changed.

* Annoyance: If you see a grand article on writing techniques or an open submissions call you definitely want to share that with your industry friends. Or a great deal is happening locally and you wanted to share it with you neighbors so you turn to social networking. Point is one may not care about the other. The solution is lists. I have lists in my accounts that are titled by relationship. Business and Personal…I have recently done this so I still have some bugs to work out. I hope to only post to each that applies.

Will people still delete me in the future? Probably. Am I still friends with them in real life? Absolutely! However, because I appreciate all my relationships through social media I am going to try to be mindful of everyone. So have any of you had any problems through social media? Please Share!


A Note from the Book Boost: I only use social media very carefully and I'm really particular about what I put there. I never mix business and personal because you just never really know who is out there reading it. This is a crazy world we live in these days and privacy is becoming more and more difficult with each new technology creation. Thanks for sharing your story and I hope you and your friend survive the media incident. Please tell us more about your book.


Blurb:


Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.


After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien is…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?


Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?

You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.


Excerpt:

After searching through her supplies for the specific leaf she was looking for, she rejoined Lucien on the small bed. Through trial and error with the vampire, she knew that the rare, sinewy leaves of the GroBe’ tree would only work. Like all her best potions and spells, the ingredients always included rare plants. It was another reason for her living situation. Trinity Forest held many uncommon plants and trees that she had been able to utilize in her craft.

She positioned the leaf over the front part of his shoulder and prepared to push it all the way through. Before she began, she noticed hidden down within the upside down V the arrowhead made, fitted to the shaft, was a small serrated tip that formed a plug. Upon further inspection of the injury, she concluded that she would have to adjust the direction of the arrowhead since it had been stopped by his shoulder blade. Gathering up some extra linen and bandages, she said a prayer to the Mother Goddess.

It took some maneuvering and strength, but she finally was able to get it into position. He groaned from the abuse, but continued to sleep. Aisleen was glad she’d doubled the dose of dream stem tonic she had given him. Finally, the arrowhead went cleanly through his front and the leaf then, as if by magic, completely enclosed the arrowhead, keeping any potential surprise safely tucked in its folds. The covered tip fell to the mattress as she applied pressure to the hole. What was left of the arrow came out quickly, followed by blood. Aisleen was prepared for a large amount of blood loss. However, the blood actually slowed. Then, she saw the wound all but disappear with a new epidermis appearing in its place.

She pursed her lips and thought, Few beings have the power to regenerate like that. While vampires couldn’t be killed, their wounds, healing somewhat, would be left scarred and it never happened that quickly. She decided to inspect him further—easing him down on his back.

Breathless from all her efforts, she sat back up and was greeted by an unexpected surprise. A tattoo was perfectly situated over his heart, only it was more than a tattoo. It was a living birthmark. The mark was intricate artwork of lightning bolts ending in a half moon. The golden bolts seemed to pulsate into the white crescent as if on fire with red and orange hues illuminating from the marked skin. Sitting straight up and taking a breath within her nostrils, holding it, and slowly letting it out, she felt like she could handle the thought anxiously waiting to be acknowledged.

Want More Bri?

Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own. Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets.

She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything. She moved west and found herself living with her husband and 4 kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. She often tells friends, “I can do poor. I’m good at poor. It’s prosperity that I’m not used to.” Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature.

Visit her blog here: briclarkthebelleofboise.blogspot.com

Pick up your copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a response to Bri's question of the day from her blog post and be entered to win a copy of Familial Witch.


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