Photo of Naples Marina, Florida, taken by seamermate on Photobucket. Our next vacation spot.

Since returning from our year in Belize in 2005, it seems that every vacation turns into a research project on where to relocate.

My friends have quit asking, “Why do you want to move away from southern California? We have the best weather, beaches, mountains, Disneyland and more.” So I ask myself why would I want to move? Perhaps you can help me?

During our first year back, Duke and I researched Albuquerque, New Mexico. Housing looked affordable, but the suburbs were too flat and desert-like for me. Also my gut told me this place is a little depressing.

People rave about the artsy town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Sedona, Arizona, and there again, it was pretty, but not for me. I felt landlocked.

The following summer, we flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and spent a long weekend visiting Daytona Beach and driving along the Atlantic coast. The Atlantic was too cold and gray–yes, I’ve been spoiled by the nice turquoise Caribbean.

With hours, if not days spent on the Internet looking at places like Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Port Townsend, Washington, Austin, Texas and now Matlacha Island, Florida, I could have written a thesis by now.

This time, we’re leaving for Fort Myers, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico side, not the Atlantic side. If you don’t hear from me by September 7th, please check the hurricanes in that area.

I want to thank Tink and Nancy for their numerous e-mails on the Fort Myers and Naples area. They have been very helpful, since one relocated from New York, and the other from San Francisco area. Both love Florida.

Do you want to relocate? If so why and where?

SOME NEWS FOR BLOGGER FRIENDS WHO ARE WRITERS SINCE I WON’T BE HERE FOR A WHILE.

My friend Shirley, who has the marvelous blog 100 memoirs posted some very helpful blogs on reading challenges and blog carnivals, which I think many of you may want to check out.

I met Jerry Simmons at a writers meeting and he’s an expert on the publishing business, having 25 years experience with Random House, and the former Time Warner Book Group. He has a fantastic website for writers, and is more than happy to help all of us. Please visit WriterReaders.

Sorry if I did not respond to your comments on my guest post on Blogging’BoutBoys. Jennifer is on vacation and I haven’t seen all of your comments. I hope to respond when I get them.

These days, being a great writer will only take you so far. Good looks will get you media coverage.

In the September 2009 issue of, The Writer, I found an interesting article on page 8, about “The marketing of an author’s image.”

According to Harper Collins editor Gail Winston, attractive authors, “get a little bit of an advantage” when marketing their books.

Nicholas Latimer, director of publicity at Knopf, told National Public Radio what he heard from an editor at People magazine: “If you have an attractive-looking author, there’s a better chance that your book will get reviewed.”

This may not sound fair to struggling writers, but we live in a society where the media and consumers worship celebrity. So what can we do about it?

Perhaps authors should ask for a publicity and a plastic surgery advance in their contract with their publisher. (Yeah, right. I can just see that happening in the near future.)

With advances running between $500-$2,000 for unknown authors, it seems that writers today, not only have to be extremely talented, but also millionaires before they can get published.

Example of a writers out-of-pocket expenses:

1) WRITING CLASSES

University extension classes: $1,000
Local writers conferences, including hotels: $2,000
Freelance editorial fees: $1,500-$3,000
Other workshops, writers’ retreats, writers’ clubs: $800
Total: $6,000

2) PUBLICITY

Hiring a publicist: $3,000-$5,000/month. Easily $15,000 total
Media Training? no clue. Perhaps they’re included in publicist’s fees. Anyone know?
TOTAL: $15,000

3) PLASTIC SURGERY

If you’re over 40 and you want media coverage, maybe you need to budget. If you’re under 40, then no worries.
$15,000-$25,000 Facelift
Botox, Juvederm, MicroDermabrasion
TOTAL: $30,000

4) DENTAL

Teeth Whitening, other dental work, depending.
TOTAL: $500-$3,000

5) CLOTHING

Suits, clothing, accessories:
TOTAL: $2,000

If my calculations are right:
Author pays out $56,000, and receives $500 advance from publisher.

$56,000-$500 = $55,500 total out-of-pocket expenses for author. Sounds FAIR to me (Ahem!).

Please share your thoughts on this topic, whether you’re an aspiring author, already an author, or if you care to share your opinion.

I’m curious if this is the same for writers in other parts of the world.

Mix blogging, cooking and Paris, and what do you have? A recipe for success.

As an avid blogger, and an optimist who plugs in her cell phone every Sunday night, just in case Random House calls first thing Monday, I’m convinced Nora Ephron made “Julie and Julia,” just for me.

When I first saw the trailer for “Julie and Julia” two months ago, Meryl Streep, in the role of Julia Child, propelled me to my kitchen where I circled Friday August 7th with a giant red Target-like ring. Thanks to Meryl, I forgot my twenty-third wedding anniversary on August 10th.

What fascinated me in Julie and Julia, wasn’t only the life of Julia Child in Paris, but the way the publishing world works, and how an ordinary employee, bored with her day job, could get 70-80 publishers, agents and media people calling her, thanks to her blog being discovered, and one interview.

According to Drew McWeeny from HITFIX “Nora Ephron, thanks to this film and “You’ve Got Mail,” has emerged as one of the few filmmakers who seems to be actively chronicling the way the Internet is changing us socially. I don’t think anyone’s captured the lifestyle of a blogger on film until now, and the little ways they get it right impressed me.”

Catherine Sanderson, an English author I blogged about here, also succeeded in receiving media attention from her blog as an English expat living in Paris.

I’m trying to follow the footsteps of both Julie and Catherine Sanderson, and on Sunday, August 9th, received the best present I could wish for when my blog post was picked up by the OC Register, The Mom Blog. My wedding anniversary gift in disguise.

If you’ve seen the movie, what did you think?

Do you like the way the Internet is changing how we promote ourselves as writers, business owners, professionals?

Please add any other thoughts or comments that can stimulate a discussion.