Carla Swafford, Author

Conference, Odd Observation, Pictures

Party NYC

Posted on July 27, 2015July 27, 2015 by Carla Swafford, Author

I had a blast in New York City. Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Sightseeing cruise with buddy, Heather Leonard.

Intrepid Navy Ship in background with planes.

Times Square ahead (Heather Leonard and Meda White in front of me)

Yankee Stadium in background with cool speed boat

Heather and my other buddy, Meda. Had so much fun with these ladies.

One of the well dressed men I saw in NYC. SO MANY GOOD LOOKING MEN! My neck hurt from looking.

They did a presentation and opened this wall. Then you saw NYC from way above.

Food! This was one of the good restaurants. Sadly, I forgot the name but it was near the theater.

View from One World Trade Center (this was a floor – really an outside camera projecting beneath the glass)

View from One World Trade Center. (Amazing, isn’t it?)

Odd Observation

I’m Anti-Martyrdom

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Carla Swafford, Author

If you’re wondering what I mean, see if any of this sounds familiar?

Everyone ignores me in the meeting/class/workshop/conferences.
I’m always dumped on/given more work/forgotten.
Others have more fun/time to talk/goof off.

Oh, I’m sure I can think of a dozen more. Some that I’ve even said before I caught myself.

Really, people, most of those statements are simply because you won’t stand up for yourself or open up. Yes. I’m an extrovert, but I do have moments where I feel insecure. You wouldn’t know it but when I was a kid, I stuttered. Not terribly bad, but bad enough for people to poke fun at me. I still stutter when I get angry or extremely nervous. Plus I have difficulties pronouncing certain words. A little quirk of mine. I know what they mean, just don’t use them often enough in speech. And anyone who sees pictures of me know I’m overweight. Over the years, I’ve heard enough about that to be self-conscious.

Okay, what I’m getting to is that everyone have issues and insecurities. When you feel dumped on, ignored, or/and left out, stop and think of how you can fix it. More times than I can count the problem starts with yourself.

If I don’t want to feel that way, I found if I open myself up, things change. If they act like an asshole, the world is large. look for another friend, nice acquaintance or companion. There are others out and about who are in the same spot.

So keep that in mind next time you feel like a martyr.

Why do you think all of those nerd movies are so successful? One nerd finds like minded nerds to hang around.

Circle of Defiance, Circle of Dishonor, Contests, excerpt, Giveaways, My Books, Special Price

The Contest Continues for the iPad Mini

Posted on May 31, 2015June 30, 2015 by Carla Swafford, Author

If you haven’t caught the news here or on Facebook, I’ve decided to give more people time to read CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE (novella – in other words, short story) and answer the questions for a chance to win the iPad Mini. The contest has been extended to June 30. If you’ve already read it, click here and answer the questions. They give you three possible answers. They’re not easy, and a couple are trick questions. BUT, if you read the book, you won’t have a problem.

CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE is only $2.99. And during the contest, I’ve made CIRCLE OF DISHONOR free during this time. So double bonus!

Here’s a little tidbit from CIRCLE OF DEFIANCE. (No answers given away.)

He lightly squeezed the woman in his arms. Who was he kidding? He was up shit creek without a paddle when Kat learned the truth. So, he’d keep her safe and when it was over, leave. Same old, same old. Chances were she wouldn’t want anything to do with him when she found out he still worked for The Circle, and they had set her up.

[June 30, 2015: Congratulations to Jenn Williams. She was one of the few to answer all the questions correctly. The iPad Mini will be mailed this week! Please keep reading! Thanks! Carla]