Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I Am SO Blogging About This!

“In case you were unaware… asking permission to write about you in my blog is just a courtesy. I cite the first amendment, public domain, and the fair use limitation. Have a nice day.” 


Auntie Social, roller derby athlete with East Bay Roller Derby

Mr. Wright has taken to saying, when he does something particularly humiliating, “You can’t blog about this!” As if I would do anything to embarrass my darling husband. Okay, maybe I would. But – to slaughter an American Express slogan – “bloggership has its privileges.”

I’m not a journalist, so please don’t look to my book or blog for fair, balanced reporting on the things that happen to or around me. Like my namesake (Hunter S. Thompson, the original Gonzo McGonzopants), I can’t help but give my slant on events.

Perhaps Mr. Wright needs to start his own blog.

It’s powerful stuff, blogging. People have actually said to Mr. Wright, “Please don’t tell your wife about this. I’d hate to have her blog about it,” thus inferring I have absolutely no common sense or a shred of prudence. I actually do try to use a modicum of grace and self-censorship when deciding what to blog:

  • Will my kids require therapy if I post this? 
  • Will Mr. Wright divorce me? 
  • Will the FBI show up at my door? 
  • How about CPS?
Fortunately, I’m happily self-(un)employed, so I don’t have to worry about a pesky employer objecting to what I write.

Mr. Editor excluded, of course.

There was one guy, an anti-fan I call Doctor Grumpenstein, who sent Mr. Wright a scathing message on Facebook after I blogged about another guy openly cheating on his wife at a convention. He told Mr. Wright I was an embarrassment, and the only thing anyone should be ashamed of was my decision to blog about what I’d witnessed. It basically made me cry, the way I do when Cantina runs out of Southern Comfort.

Then, I checked my blog hits. The thousands and thousands of hits were still there, and I was receiving an inbox full of emails, thanking me for speaking out against infidelity. Doctor Grumpenstein was totally wrong when he declared “no one” reads my “tabloid of a blog.”

Perhaps Doctor Grumpenstein needs to start his own blog, too. He can blog about bloggers who are blogging about things that shouldn’t be blogged about. Heck, I’d read that!

If I know you in real life or online, there’s a chance I might blog about you. If I see you out in public, you might find yourself in one of my posts. If you tell me, “You can’t blog about this,” there’s an increased probability I will do just that. If I share a bed or a dinner table with you, you can bank on being given a codename and your very own “tag.”

I’m thinking of changing my book marketing pitch to: If you don’t buy my book, I will blog about you. What’s your privacy worth? Ten bucks or more? I do take orders online.



"Like" The Gonzo Mama on Facebook, and don't forget to see what's cooking with Sexy Vegan Mama today!

Monday, December 27, 2010

WANTED: Vegan Bloggers for Fun, Adventure and Romantic Times

Well, maybe not "romantic times..."


I am: Sexy Vegan Mama with an exciting new project.


You be: A vegan blogger with a sense of adventure, a need for shameless self-promotion and the ability to write a riveting post. 


For more info, email me.



Sunday, November 21, 2010

I've Been a Lazy VeganMoFo

My beloved mighty, mighty Goats were ousted from playoff action yesterday. I don't wanna talk about it.

Let's talk about VeganMoFo, instead.

What is VeganMoFo? It's a celebration and collaboration of vegan bloggers, who celebrate Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo) by blogging and writing about vegan food - making it, eating it, discovering it, remembering it, the tools we use to make it...

It's a beautiful thing, really.

But I've been lazy about it. In fact, I've been so busy this month, I haven't even really cooked my family a decent meal. That's all about to change. There's no excuse for no cooking and baking during the week of Thanksgiving.

I missed VeganMoFo's official signup window, so I'm going rogue and getting things started with my recipe for this year's turkey alternative, Sexy Vegan Mama's Oat, Seed & Vegetable Loaf. Join me, won't you?

Stick around for Roasted Garlic & Basil Mashed Yams!

VeganMoFo image from VeganMoFo.wordpress.com

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

If My Book's Gonna be the Next Bestseller, I'm Gonna Need Your Help

Signing books at Edmonds Winery. I'd like to sign a lot more, too... you can help!
As I've learned recently, writing the book is just the first part.

After that, there's the marketing - and it's a full-time job.

It's not enough that I agonized over each and every word contained within the precious bound pages of my tome - now I have to beg people to buy it. The good news, my devoted readers, is that you can help!

My inbox today contained a link to a very useful blog post by author Eileen Flanagan, titled, "If You Love a Writer." And, well, you love me, right? RIGHT?


So, these are some of the ways you can help me to get the word out about my book (I'm going to hit on the high points of Eileen's post):


  1. Buy the book, and buy often. If you haven't bought your copy of Everything I Need to Know About Motherhood I Learned from Animal House yet, please take the leap and do so, here. If you're already the proud owner of your very own copy, buy a copy for each of your friends and family members.
  2. Ask your library to carry the book. This is something you can do to help me gain exposure and boost sales - and it's absolutely FREE.
  3. Buy local! I'm a huge proponent of feeding local economies (but you know that, right?), so I always recommend that folks order through their local independent bookseller, via IndieBound. You can connect to a local indie bookstore to order my book here.
  4. Do a review! If you've read Everything I Need to Know About Motherhood I Learned from Animal House and loved it, please review it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads, or all of the above. Reviews help to boost my "cred" as an author, and help others to realize they must read the book.
  5. Blog it, Tweet it, Facebook it. Mention the book on your blog, and link to it, or embed the video book trailer on your blog. Or interview me for your blog, so I can talk about it. Send out a tweet with a link to the book's page, or post the link on your Facebook profile. The more mentions out there, the more the word spreads! Blogging and social media not your bag? That's cool... you can send an email to all your friends, instead, telling them your friend just published a book and would love some support.
  6. Book me... and my book. If you own a bookstore, coffeehouse or winery (or are good friends with someone who does), consider booking me for a reading and book signing. I promise to make people laugh! I'm also available to speak to your writers' group, book club, mommy group or girls' night out posse.
  7. By all means... Yes, if you know Oprah, send her my book, along with my telephone number.
  8. Don't forget to pray! Pray that the Lord will allow me to use the talent He blessed me with to be a shining example of His glory. Of course, I won't tell if you pray that I get on Oprah, too.

Monday, August 16, 2010

The World's Hottest Mommy Blogger Laughed at Me

Well, actually, she laughed at my book.

Crissy, Blogger's Choice Awards Hottest Mommy Blogger of 2008 and 2009, reviewed Everything I Need to Know About Motherhood I Learned from Animal House, and she said she was LOLing.

Crissy blogs at, appropriately enough, Crissy's Page, and is a regular columnist at Toy With Me.

Apparently, Crissy is hotter than me. She has the awards to prove it. But, you know, whatever... The fact that my book resides in the bathroom of the world's hottest mommy blogger is, as far as I'm concerned, quite an honor.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Mommy Blogger Book Giveaway | Joe Spake's Weblog

Mommy Blogger Book Giveaway | Joe Spake's Weblog

My favorite Memphis darling, Joe Spake, is holding a contest to give away a signed copy of my book!

If you haven't ordered your copy yet, why not click on over and enter?

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Move Over, Elvis... Memphis has a New Darling!

Okay, maybe I'm not going to be bigger than Elvis.

The undeniable fact, though, is that someone in Memphis loves me - and my book!

Joe Spake knows real estate. He knows Memphis. He's a guy who knows and blogs what he likes, and currently, he likes my book.

Here's what Joe had to say:

Christina-Marie Wright can tell a story. Whether you are reading her stories in her first book, "Everything I Need to Know about Motherhood I Learned from Animal House," or listening to them over coffee or drinks, Christina-Marie is engaging, honest, and incredibly funny.

This collection of essays documents the joys and tribulations of mothering seven kids, while being the charming wife of Mr. Wright, blogging, writing, and teaching. Her blog, The Gonzo Mama, takes “mommy blogging” to a whole new dimension.

Erma Bombeck entertained the moms of Boomers decades ago. With "Everything I Need to Know about Motherhood I Learned from Animal House," Christina-Marie takes the lead as the modern Mama humorist.


Wow! Consider me humbled.

Joe is my go-to guy for social media news and tips, and he can tell me absolutely anything I need to know about Memphis. If you're looking for a home - or a friend! - in Memphis, give Joe a tweet!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oddsock/71878427/

Friday, April 30, 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Gonzo Mama Guest Blogs for The Wittery

The Wittery is a new venture started by some folks who wanted to put together a marketplace for publishers to find humor writers - and for humor writers to find jobs. The service is still in its infancy/beta, but I offered them a post for their blog to help get things rolling.

Stubble Trouble was a piece I originally guest blogged for the now defunct LipstickDaily.com. Since the site is gone (R.I.P., LD), I wanted to find a new home for the piece.

Anyway, you can read it here. It's about the not-so-pleasant realities of hair removal, and asks the question, "Did the badass women of history actually shave their legs?"

Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

On the Road to Fame and Fortune

My interview is up at 100-interviews.com. Check it out!

You may remember me mentioning the interview here. I was terribly nervous, and rocking my sexy Kathleen Turner voice after several days of partying in San Diego. Reviewers, please - go easy on me.

Follow 100-Interviews on Twitter for more social media insights. Enjoy!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Bless Me, Blogger, For I Have Sinned...

It has been ten days since my last blog post. I realize that I have committed one of the deadly sins of blogging by allowing more than a week to pass between posts.

During that time, I have been unfaithful to my blog by whoring myself out to write freelance pieces on topics that may or may not interest me.

I also failed to keep sacred the "Bad Gratitude Monday" posts and, in fact, did not post them at all. It doesn't mean I haven't been bad or grateful in my heart.

Blogger, I must confess that I have a longing for photos of hot mamas to show up in my inbox, so that I may shamelessly post them on my blog.

Finally, Blogger, forgive me for not glorifying you in all that I do, especially on Twitter and Facebook.

Friday, June 19, 2009

My First VGNO!

My readers have some of the greatest blogs in the blogosphere, in my opinion. I'm always on the lookout for more quality reads for my crowded Google Reader, though, and I've discovered a sure-fire way to connect with more talented bloggers.

I'm attending my first Virtual Girls' Night Out!

Photobucket


The super-cool author of Ann Again... and Again hosts the Virtual Girls' Night Out every Friday. Just go to the VGNO post, click on the Mr. Linky to sign up, and start the blog-hopping and commenting goodness!

I've added so many new blogs to my Reader that I may have to hire a driver, a nanny and a chef to free up my time to read them all, but I'm loving every minute!

Cheers!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

What Can I Say? I've Got a Face Made for Radio...


I appeared on XRadio.biz's "House Talk" program, hosted by the beautiful and talented Dawn Lane of Las Vegas. Mr. Wright spoke during the first hour of the two-hour show, and I chatted with Dawn for the last 30 minutes. THIRTY MINUTES?! With no prepared talking points and no clear idea what we were going to discuss, I was freaking out.

Some people, when nervous, clam up. Not me.

Oh, no.

I get talkative. I ramble. I speak incrediblyrapidlyanddon'tstoptotakeabreath.

I talked about the parental blogging community. I talked about TheGonzoMama.com. I talked about Gonzo Parenting Zine. I talked about the importance of sharing our parenting experiences with one another and encouraging each other. I just talked and talked and talked.

I'm hoping it came out okay, but I won't get a chance to listen to it until the archive link is posted. Naturally, I will post the link here when I get it.

Mr. Wright was brilliant, by the way. Ditto for Miss Lane. She made my rambling make sense, and is an excellent host.

In the meantime, I will leave you with a link to my last radio appearance. In January, I had a spot on The Mommy-Muse is In: Empowering Your Journey into Motherhood. You can listen to it here. I come on somewhere in the last half of the show, but the beginning is totally worth listening to. It features Dr. Nichol Turner-Lee, talking about Diary of a Single Mom.

Photo by Brand X Images

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Ultimate Blog Party '09!

So... like so many other events in my life, I arrived to the party late, but signed up for Ultimate Blog Party '09. The awesome moms over at 5minutesformom.com arranged this awesome party to promote cross-networking for bloggers and the readers who love them. They've compiled a huge list of some of the coolest people in the blogosphere, on Facebook, and Twitter!

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

Go on over and give 'em some love, lovelies!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Borrowed Boobies Boon for Bloggers


It’s sad when moms turn on each other. Motherhood is tough enough without having to keep one eye on the kids and the other over your shoulder to see who is waiting to judge or condemn you. However, that is exactly what has happened in the blogosphere in the last day or so. While the action continues in the center ring, Twitter’s capacity is overloaded, the sparring blogs in question are racking up hits, and everyone else (including me) has something to say about it.

Who needs UFC? We’ve got blogmamas to tune in to!

It is my opinion, redundantly enough, that an opinion is just that: an opinion. It is not a condemnation or judgment, and we are all entitled to one. Like the saying goes, “Opinions are like assholes – everybody’s got one.” The difference is, while I am willing to display my opinion to the world, I really hope someone would tell me if my asshole was showing.

The problem begins when opinions evolve people into assholes. It’s when an opinion is so vehemently stated and defended that it becomes a judgment.

I’ve got opinions. Strong ones. Some of my opinions don’t curry the favor of others, and that’s okay. As a vegan, for example, I really think that eating should be a celebration of life, and that my personal celebration needn’t involve another living creature’s suffering. I’m open to other opinions, and I respect them. For the record, I’m married to a hunter.

As a woman who has mourned the loss of a miscarried fetus, it is my opinion that life begins at conception. How else, then, could I grieve for my unborn child, if it was not truly a life to begin with?

The current “blogroversy” turns on the issue of breastfeeding. Not breastfeeding in public, not breastfeeding photos on Facebook, not breastfeeding as a concept, but, specifically, one woman breastfeeding another woman’s child.

I am not going to name names, since anyone genuinely invested in the battle already knows the players. I am not going to defend either party, since I see both sides and respect both of their opinions (Opinions, not judgments or back-biting behaviors – if you are a mama engaging in back-biting behavior, STOP. Motherhood should be a sisterhood, not a junior high clique war.). As a writer and publisher, I defend the rights of these women to speak their minds, even if their respective opinions do not prove to be popular.

I have deliberately intended to put a child that was not biologically mine to my breast. Before my husband and I took in our two youngest daughters, we had looked into private adoption. As a true believer in the slogan “Breast is Best,” I studied up on adoptive nursing. I fully intended to nurse the newborn child we thought we’d be adopting. Things didn’t work out that way, but I was prepared. The purpose of my intent was not just to nourish, but to soothe, comfort, and bond. All of these are gifts of motherhood.

That being said, I can’t definitively state how I would feel about another woman nursing “my” child. Nursing is, at its core, a very intimate act. However, does that preclude my husband from intimately bonding with our child as he feeds her a bottle? Certainly not. I’m still emotionally muddled about how I might react to another woman putting my child to her breast.

In the same vein (so to speak), I can’t imagine another woman handling my husband’s member. If he ended up in the emergency room with an injured member (I don’t know how; it’s for the sake of argument, okay?), and the ER doc was a woman, I’d tell her to handle with care and get to work. It’s all about circumstance, I suppose.

Enough about all that, though. What I’m really amazed at is how these sparring women, who previously enjoyed a respectable degree of noteriety, have literally overnight lit up the Internet, made it next to impossible for me to access my mobile Twitter account, and garnered a plethora of new commenters, subscribers and followers while conducting their girl-war online.

It seems that nursing someone else’s baby (or observing the borrowed boob spectacle) and blogging about it is a sure-fire way to increase blog traffic.

So… who’s got a hungry baby? My 34Ds are here and waiting!

Or, I just need one mommy blogger to virtually bitch-slap me so that I can Tweet about it and crash the Twitterverse!

Any takers?



P.S. – Unlike the popular girls, my comments are ALWAYS enabled. Have at it.
P.P.S. – Just don’t be a pansy and comment as “Anonymous.” That’s lame.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Other Places to Find the Mama

It's okay to admit it. After all, denial is a sign of addiction. You want more of me, and that's okay.

Savoring the Thyme
The amazing foodie at Savoring the Thyme linked to my Vegan Double Chocolate Chai Cake recipe in her International Chocolate Day post.

Pittsburgh Parent
August 2010 print issue.

Kids VT
Kids VT published my humor piece, "Someday, I Won't Be Here To..." in their July 2010 print issue.

Edmonton's Child
Edmonton's Child published one of my humor pieces, "Wife, Mother... Exhibitionist," and I rather enjoyed emailing with Kerri, the friendly editor. You can find my piece in their humor (they're Canadian, so it's "humour") section, here.

Hip Mama magazine (print)
My essay, "Everything I Need to Know About Motherhood I Learned from Animal House," was published in Issue 45. You can order it here.

Askew Reviews
Denis Sheehan printed my "Letter to..." in Issue 14. (Rated R for language and adult content!) You can order it here.

Reality Mom
"Parenting + Politics (results may vary)," published in Volume 6, Issue 1. Info and ordering here.

The Wittery
The Wittery commissioned me to do a humorous piece on real estate. Find my piece, "The Dodgy Real Estate Agent," in their sample works section, here.

Jaren's Blog
Sometimes, I guest blog over at my friend Jaren's place. Find my stuff here.

GonzoParentingZine.com
I'm the publisher/editor of Gonzo Parenting Zine. It's a funky little self-published magazine featuring stories by and for real parents who are raising real kids. Gonzo Parenting Zine is not going to give you advice on how to potty train your toddler in three days. Instead, it's more likely to share stories about parents who have survived three years of potty training. Each issue is laugh-out-loud funny and lives up to Gonzo Parenting Zine's motto: "Sometimes, parenthood is all about surviving it."

Motherhood: From Egg to Zine (and everything in between)
I am proud to be a columnist for Motherhood: From Egg to Zine (and everything in between). It's a veritable Mamapalooza of mamas, grandmamas, soon-to-be mamas, and would-be mamas! We are a literary performance tour. We are an online zine. We are a voice for all mamas, and we're taking over the world. Read my contributions:

LipstickDaily.com
I adore Kate and Elaine, the funny women behind LipstickDaily.com! Sadly, the site is now defunct, but they published two of my pieces over there:
  • Stubble Trouble
  • Makeup Sex
Mommy-Muse.com
I was completely honored when Christy, the Mommy-Muse herself, asked me to guest blog for her. Read my "wisdom" here: