The Blog Tour of Author Shelia Goss

Today I'm hosting author Shelia Goss on her blog tour. Her most recent book is My Invisible Husband.

Blogging has become a popular way for authors to reach their readers. Sheilia will give us information about blogs and blogging...and how to get started. As Sheila says, blogging is "the wave of the future."

MEA: Shelia, what is a blog?

SHELIA: A blog is the equivalent to an online diary. You can use it to post personal information or useful information . It also can be used to interact with other bloggers, and if you're an author, your reader.

MEA: Why would I want to blog?

SHELIA: Blogging is what you make of it. It's a way to introduce your readers to a side of you that they cannot see from reading a bio on your web site or on the back of your book cover. It also gives your reading audience a chance to leave you real-time comments and interact with not only you but also other readers of your books.

MEA: How often should I blog?

SHELIA: Don't look at blogging as a dreaded task placed on your to do list. Blogging should be fun, and if you become an active blogger, you'll look forward to posting as well as interacting with others. How often you post is up to you. You can post daily, every other day, weekly or whenever the whim hits. You'll find the more responses you get on your blog posts, the more you'll be inclined to post on somewhat of a schedule.

MEA: Is there Blog etiquette?

SHELIA: If you'll be away for an extended period of time, just write a quick post, so your regular visitors won't think you forgot about them.

There are times that you may get some unwanted comments (yes, spammers have infiltrated the blog world), so don't hesitate to either delete those posts or set up your blog so posters have to put in a password.

MEA: Should my blog have a theme?

SHELIA: It's not necessary, but it makes it fun. I have three blogs. Each blog has a central theme. For example:

* http://myspace.com/sheliagoss chronicles the life of a writer.
* http://myinvisiblehusband.blogspot.com is a place to discuss relationships, books, or whatever else is on your mind.
* http://espiret.blogspot.com showcases my interview excerpts, reviews and/or information on the world of entertainment: books, music, TV, and film.

MEA: How do you come up with topics?

SHELIA: Keep your eyes and ears open. Life is filled with ideas. Some of my topics stem from what's going on in the nhews or from conversations I've had or observed. Since the central theme on My Invisible Husband blog is about relationships, it's hard to run out of something to discuss.

Take a chance and see what works for you. Blogging shouldn't be difficult. It should be fun. If it's draining, maybe you need to step away from it for awhile or come up with another topic. There may be some days you only feel like rambling and that's okay, too.

MEA: When someone has decided to blog, how do they get started?

SHELIA: There are many blog services available to you. Below is a short list of blog websites:

* http://www.blogger.com (The workshop and all of my blogs are hosted here.)
* http://www.typepad.com
* http://www.bloglines.com
* http://www.myblogsky.com
* http://www.blogstream.com

MEA: Do you have some blogs you like to visit?

SHELIA: Here are examples of author blogs:

* http://www.princessdominique.com/blog/
* http://www.romancingtheblog.com/
* http:///www.tiawilliams.net/blog/
* http://vanthonyrivers.blogspot.com/

Remember keep blogging fun and your readers will enjoy visiting. Who knows, you might just get a book sale or two from it, too.

Stop by Shelia's blogs (www.myinvisiblehusband.blogspot.com or www.myspace.com/sheliagoss and leave a comment with your weblink.

MEA: Thank you for stopping by today, Shelia. I'm sure my readers have learned a great deal about blogging from you and are anxious to get started with their own blogs.

(Shelia Goss is an entertainment writer and the author of My Invisible Husband and Roses are thorns, Violets are true. She recently was named Infini's Outstanding Author of 2006. She's also the recipient of three 2003 Shades of Romance Magazine Reader's Choice Multi-cultural Awards and the 2004 Onesan Productions Female Author of the Year. My Invisible Husband is published by Urban Soul, an imprint of Kensington.)