Lessons Learned #OpenBook Blog Hop

December 23, 2019

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I started a list of everything that changed about my writing after publishing my first book, and realized this post could get quite long if I included all of them. So, we’ll start from the “biggest” changes and work my way through a few of them.

Probably the biggest change was I started paying attention to chapters. Yes, Wolves’ Pawn started life as one long story with no breaks. I wrote the prequel and kept on going. When I completed the story and decided that hey, maybe it was good enough to publish, the first editing I did was to add chapters. It’s harder than it sounds, to find the right place to break into the action without leaving the reader hanging. (or hanging so they want to keep reading!)

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Next up – head hopping. I wasn’t even familiar with the term until I shared the first chapter of the book with a critique group. For those of you who don’t know, it means bouncing from one character’s point of view to another’s. Yes, I was guilty of it. I don’t do it any more (much) and normally catch it when I slip. The sad part is that I’m much more aware when other authors do it, and mentally take imaginary points off for the transgression.

Let’s mention editing in general. It’s a lot of work. But as I’ve done more of it, with each new book, I find myself catching mistakes before they get put in the document. It slows down my writing speed, but then I take less time editing. Seems like a fair trade-off to me. Same with passive voice. I don’t use the word ‘was” near as much as I used to in my writing. Along with trying to banish ‘had.’

What’s the most unusual (in my mind) thing I’ve learned? The proper use of the hyphen (-) the en-dash (–) and the em-dash (—). I didn’t even know about the existence of the last two before getting ready to publish Wolves’ Pawn. I don’t claim to be an expert, but at least I have a concept of how to use each of them. (I’ll spare you the boring details.) 

But the most important thing that has changed since publishing my first book? I no longer write my stories out by hand. Yes, gone are the days of notepads with page after page of handwritten words, with slashes through paragraphs and notes written in the margins. Which translated to additional time spending hours interpreting my own writing and transcribing it on the computer. It took effort, but now I’m comfortable creating my first draft on a computer.

Phew! That feels like a lot of changes, so I’m going to stop here. But before I go, I want to wish everyone who is celebrating this week or last week or next week a Happy Holiday. May your days be cheery and your nights warm.

Now I’m off to check what the other authors on the hop have changed in their writing process.

December 23, 2019

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/p/0edb449030ce498aa0d1a75cbb40e072


Meet Eli Hennessey #OpenBook Blog Hop

 

December 9, 2019

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Interview one of your characters. Introduce them to a new audience or give existing readers new insight into their motivations.

Spoiler alerts ahead! If you haven’t read The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, this interview may spoil some of the fun.

Today we’re talking with Elijah Hennessey, owner of Shifter Technologies, a tech company that specializes in  providing computer software for law enforcement agencies. We agreed to meet at his office in the Orlando, FL area. When I arrived, I only had to wait a few minutes until I was escorted into his office. The first thing I noticed was his unusual eyes- they were the palest blue I’d ever seen.

The anticipated offer of coffee came quickly, which I declined in favor of water. I noticed that there were at least three cups in various spots on my host’s desk, buried between various stacks of paperwork.

Me: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Mr Hennessey.

Him: Please call me Elijah.

Me: Sure. Elijah, when I started my research for this interview, I discovered you basically don’t exist on the internet. Can you tell me about that?

Him:  It’s deliberate on my part. I want potential customers to see how serious I am about security, and by not using every social site and app that’s out there, I set a good example.

Me: You think social sites are a security problem? 

He smiled, picked up a manila file folder off the top of a stack, and passed it to me.

Him: Here’s what I found out about you. Do you still drink London Fogs with peach tea? By the way, you should change your password and have a different one for each site you visit.

Me: (Taking a drink of water to cool the heat in my cheeks.) Thanks. I’ll get that taken care of. But moving along, your software is listed as a top performer by Law Enforcement Magazine. Congratulations.

Him: Thanks. I give credit to my staff. I’ve got some real sharp people who can see a coding error a mile away and fix it before anyone else knows it exists. They get all the credit.

Me: What’s your vision for your company?

Him: It’s no secret that we’re making a big move into mobile apps for law enforcement. Police officers don’t need to carry around oversized tablets and laptops when they can do everything they need to on their phones. We just have to up the security factor by ten.

Me: Where did your obsession with security start?

Him: It was a necessity when I served in the military. When I moved into civilian life, I saw an opportunity to use my knowledge as a career.

Me: Switching topics, there’s a rumor about you and a librarian up north. Care to confirm?

Him: (grinning) What does the internet have to say about it?

Me: Nothing. I looked. She must follow the same theory about a social media presence as you do.

Him: (His grin getting bigger) Imagine that.

Me: Can you at least tell me what your “type” of women is?

Him: (Leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head) Easy. Smart ones. Ones that know how to think on their feet and come up with alternative solutions to existing problems.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and his administrative assistant  stuck her head in the door. “Your next appointment is here.”

Me: Thanks for your time. I’ll send you a copy of the interview when I get it pulled together.

Him: My pleasure. 

*****

Do you have any questions for Eli? If so, leave them in the comments and maybe he’ll answer. 🙂 While he waits, I’m going to go meet some new characters on the other blog hop entries.

December 9, 2019

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Interview one of your characters. Introduce them to a new audience or give existing readers new insight into their motivations.

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


It’s a Trade-Off #OpenBook Blog Hop

December 2, 2019

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

It’s a deceptively simple question, really. I only have to change one little thing. Except I’m the kind of person who worries about the domino effect. If I change this one little thing, what else breaks? For example, the day I got out early and got sideswiped on the way home. That wouldn’t have happened if I left work at my normal time, right?

Or how about the time I got stuck in a long line at the grocery store? Sure, I was saying bad words and pushing the speed limit on the way home. Until I saw a guy in a motorized wheelchair barely moving. I pulled over to see if there was something wrong. Turns out his battery had run down, but help was already on the way. I stayed and talked to him until his family got there. Nothing earth-shaking about the incident, but if the timing hadn’t been perfect the encounter wouldn’t have happened.

So, maybe it’s all part of the butterfly effect. You know, if a butterfly flaps

it’s wings in the Amazon a tornado happens in Texas. It’s part of the chaos theory. One simple, small change can have a much bigger consequence.

As a result, the initial question—one thing I would give up to become a better writer—makes me nervous. What would the unintended side effect be? If I spent less time cleaning house and more time reading, would war break out in Canada? (I know, that’s extreme. It was supposed to be!)

I can’t give up watching TV. because I did that years ago. Giving up reading would have the opposite effect- I firmly believe that as a writer you should also be a reader. I suppose I could spend less time on the biggest time waster of all, the internet, but I never know when something I stumble across may be the spark for a new story.

But there is one thing I’d be willing to spend last time on—playing games on the computer. Sure, I do it mostly while I’m searching for the right words to use, but it’s easy to play two games instead of one. And I can’t imagine which part of the chaos theory that would trigger. I think it’s a safe solution. Fingers crossed.

I hope all of you out there are still safe. No tornadoes, right? I can’t help the winter storms—they started before I made the change. Now, as is my habit, no change there, I’m off to find out what the other authors would change.

P.S.  But you could make one little change for me…I’d love it if you would leave a comment.

December 2, 2019

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 


Marketing 101 #OpenBook Blog Hop

November 25, 2019

We’ve touched on this in the past, but it bears repeating. What’s the best way to market your books?

It’s the eternal question for those of us struggling to sell books, looking for a break, trying to find how to reach the right audience. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of time and energy. And I’m no expert.

What I do have is some experience. And I’m happy to share. Take it with a grain of salt, because I certainly haven’t found the magic formula.

Before I begin, I’m going to refine the question a bit and answer in two different sections—what I enjoy doing, and what sells the most books.

Me at the Deadly Realities book signing.

First, what I enjoy doing. I love going to events. Book events, cons, heck, this year I attended a chili festival. Anyplace where I can look the public in the eye and try to sell them my books. And talk to them about my stories and what they like to read in general. I consider it a win if I make enough to cover my table fee and what I paid for my books. Everything beyond that is a bonus.

Of course, one of the great parts of going to events is meeting other authors and vendors. Even if they don’t buy a book or two, it’s fun hanging out with new people. Or ones you’ve met at other events. I’m looking forward to the Bizarre Bazaar  in Loveland, CO this weekend (Saturday Nov. 30th). This will be my third year and it’s always an entertaining day.

What sells the most books? Paid ads in various readers’ newsletters., especially when the book being advertised is on sale. (I don’t do free books, but that a discussion we’ve had before and I won’t get into this time.) There’s a bunch of them out there. Some of my favorites are The Fussy Librarian, Book Doggy, and of course, ENT- EReaders News Today. I’ll be trying a new site next week, that came highly recommended by another author. It’s called Book Rebel, and we’ll see what happens. I haven’t even tried for a BookBub ad because their price is too steep for my pocketbook.

I understand the boost you get from those sites is temporary, but gosh darn it, if feels good to see the numbers go up on Amazon and other book selling sites. 

What doesn’t work for me? I can’t use Facebook to sell a book no matter what I try. Ads, posts, groups, I get crickets. Blog tours don’t do me much good either. And Twitter? Does anyone sell books on Twitter?

What’s on my to-do list? I want to try an Amazon ad. I’ve done my homework, and I think it has potential, although some articles say the ads are past their peak. We’ll see. I won’t hold my breath.

I’m hoping my fellow authors have additional wisdom to share. And if you know something I don’t, please tell me about it in the comments!

P.S. For those of you in the Unites States, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

November 25, 2019

We’ve touched on this in the past, but it bears repeating. What’s the best way to market your books?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


How Long? #OpenBook Blog Hop

 

How many hours a day do you write? How long on average does it take you to write a book?

There are authors out there that aim to write book a month. We’re not talking NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where the goal is to write 50,000 words during the month of November, we’re talking about kicking out a complete book each and every month including editing. I have no idea how they do that. Writing that many words in one month is tough, (and I have done it) but to throw in a comprehensive edit? Wow. Just wow.

But I guess they have more time to write than I do. During the week, I’m doing good if I get two hours a day to write. I spend additional time taking care of social media and publicity. In those two hours, I’m lucky if I get 500 words written. Weekends, I can get more written. If the characters are talking to me, I can write 1000 words or more in a day.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

At that rate, it can take me five to nine months to write a book. That doesn’t include the editing. Editing is easier, but it is also dependent upon other peoples schedules. (Especially when you consider how many rounds of editing one of my books goes through!) And it may be easier, but it’s also the part I despise. It’s so easy to miss things no matter how hard you try and how careful you are. That’s why my books go through three or four rounds of editing.

That means I typically release a book a year. (Okay, a book every ten months or so.) I’d love to write faster, but it is what it is. I’ve got enough ideas to keep me busy, and new genres I’d love to try. I’m leaning towards a hard core female PI or an action-adventure-thriller. Which do you think I should tackle?

I don’t like to compare my output to other writers, but I’m curious to see how fast the others on this blog hop write. Join me in the journey by following the links below.

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 


Spirit Animal #OpenBook Blog Hop

November 11, 2019

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Wolf. How many of you said wolf? Come on, raise your hands and let me see. Keep them up for a minute so I can get a good look.

And the answer is … not a wolf.

But yes, I will still graciously accept the various wolf-related gifts that people like to give me. I know, I’m hard to buy for. Wolf T-shirts, statues, and note cards are great gifts. I have no  problem with them.

But my spirit animal is not an animal at all. 

It’s the dragonfly. An insect. I’ll even accept it’s cousin, the damselfly. Most of us can’t tell the difference, anyway.

I’ve felt an affinity with these marvelous creatures since childhood. Their

variety of sparkling colors. The delicacy of their translucent wings. The way they own the air as they dart about, seemly without effort.

I’ve known people who are creeped out by dragonflies. Not me. I’ve been known to rescue them  when they accidentally get stuck inside a building, encouraging them to land on me so I can take them back outside. 

And yes, I am aware that at their core, they are deadly predators. Those amazing aerobatic maneuvers are executed in  not to entertain us, but to catch and eat another insect. but with mosquitoes and midges being their meals of choice, they serve a helpful purpose to us humans.

Why do I think a dragonfly is my spirit animal? I don’t know the answer to that question. I didn’t have a dream or vision that revealed it to me, the answer just came to me after watching a Star Trek episode. Yeah, go ahead and google that.

And what does a dragonfly have to do with writing? Well, maybe it’s that we, as writers, have to snatch at words that dart through our imaginations and capture them to feed our readers’ souls. 

I’m curious to find out what the others on this blog hop have as spirit animals or mascots. You can find out, too, by following the links below. Or, hang around for a few minutes and share your spirit animal in the comments.

November 11, 2019

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


I See Dead People #OpenBook Blog Hop

 

November 4, 2019

Do you Google yourself?

I admit, I have Googled myself. And the results for my pen name are rather boring. My Facebook page, my Amazon listings, this blog, and lots of blogs I’ve had guest posts on. I don’t believe there is anyone else using this name and that limits the potential for exciting finds. I got all the way to page 7 of the results before I gave up. (I did find a poem I published in a literary magazine before I started writing books. That came as a pleasant surprise.)

Googling my given name is more interesting. There’s a former middleweight fighter in Canada that shares a form of my name. And a hip-hop artist, although most of the information about him isn’t in English. (I think he’s French, but couldn’t find his bio. And his Instagram account only has two posts.)  Then there’s a bridge in Tennessee that bears my name, although it’s a memorial to someone else. I know it sits at an elevation of 594 feet, but I couldn’t find any information about the person it was named after.

We’ll skip all those people finder sites. They don’t count.

Then there are the obituaries. More than I anticipated. It’s fascinating reading the stories of people who shared your name but are are gone now. All of the ones I read seemed to be your standard salt-of-the-earth type people. And that’s an okay legacy to leave. “Loving mother.” “Dear sister.” “She was baptized on a winter day in Storms Creek in the early years of raising her children.”

I did find a record of someone bearing the same name as me being involved in a shooting at a political gathering in 1902. He survived, his opponent was expected to die. There was also a census record from the early 1900’s that I suspect is tied to the bridge I mentioned earlier. (Same state and city, so now I know his parents’ names but not what he did to deserve having a bridge named for him!) 

A few months back, we talked about names on this blog hop, and I mentioned how I frequently search for the names of my characters so I don’t accidentally use a real person’s name. On one of the comments, it was suggested that Harmony Duprie, the main character in my mysteries, probably has a namesake out there in the world somewhere. 

That comment sparked a subplot in my current WIP. Yes, Harmony is searching for herself. With good reason. I won’t reveal the results, but she, too, sees dead people. (And at least one person who is still alive!)

So, how about you? Do you Google yourself? Are your results any different than mine? Let’s talk in the comments.

Until then, I’m going to go check out the other authors and their results. You can come with me by clicking on the boxes below.

November 4, 2019

Do you Google yourself?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 


Reader’s Block? #OpenBook Blog Hop

October 28, 2019

We’ve talked about writer’s block. Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

My first thought when I saw this question was that surely it was a typo. So was my second. Then I thought more and asked, is it really a thing? Reader’s Block?

I don’t try to hide the fact that I read. A lot. When I was a kid, I read everything that I could get my hands on, including the back of cereal boxes. I don’t read as much now, but I still love me a good story.

But there have been times when, for one reason or another, I didn’t read for a long stretch of time. (I define that as a month or two in terms of reading!) Perhaps I was too busy with work. Or family things. Or so wrapped up in my own writing that I didn’t want to spare the time to read someone else’s. Or I didn’t have time to get to the library and didn’t feel like re-reading any of my old favorites. (This was before ebooks, folks!)

And, I am sad to admit, there has been a time or two when I sour on

whatever book I’m reading and I simply stop. Then, because I have this need to finish every book I start, I just don’t. Start reading a different book, that is. I feel guilty about the one I didn’t finish. Until I can forgive myself and push past the shame of abandoning a story, I can’t move on.

There’s also the issue of editing mode. When I’m in the middle of editing my own work, it’s hard to turn that inner editor off. It makes it difficult to simply enjoy a story and not pick it over looking for faults.

How do I overcome it? Time. The answer is always time (unless it’s 42.) Since reading is an addiction, I always come back to it.

So, yes, I have experienced reader’s block, at least the way I choose to define it. How about you? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. 

As usual, now I’m off to check out the other writers on this blog hop and find out if they’ve experienced reader’s block. And if you are looking for a good book to break yours, I’d appreciate it if you would check out my stories. You can read all about them elsewhere on this website.

October 28, 2019

We’ve talked about writer’s block. Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/


Original or Popular #OpenBook Blog Hop


October 21, 2019

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

It’s a trap! I started to compose my answer and realized I was on the path to insulting authors who are different than me. So here we are, stuck.

Because the two are not mutually exclusive- a good author can be both. I haven’t been that gifted or that lucky.

I strive for both, with some caveats. We’ll talk about that later.

When I first attempted to write a book, I wasn’t worried if I was doing it right. I wrote it without chapters, just one long story. My only focus was getting the words on paper and seeing if I could do it. Write a book, that is. And I did. Not a good book, but a book nonetheless.

So I tackled a second one. And I tried to make it more bookish. With chapters and everything. I even paid some attention to crazy things like point of view and settings. And then a third. 

And somewhere along the way, I decided I was good enough to share a story with the rest of the world. And I really paid attention to all the things that make a book a book and readable by others. What I didn’t know about was things like finding a target audience and genres and readers’ expectations.

But that gave me the freedom to write my stories without worrying about  what readers were looking for. I was more worried about my stories being my stories and not a clone of someone else’s. I read a lot and I was rightfully worried about my stories being original and not heavily influenced by books I’ve read.

With time and experience, I’ve come to understand a bit more about things like market share and reader experience. I also understand that my stories don’t dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s of what “generic” reader expectations might be. My heroines are strong without needed men to save them. My mysteries don’t require murders. And, heaven forbid, my cozy mysteries have the occasional swear word.

Now, remember that thing I mentioned we’d get back to? It’s sex scenes. If you’ve read my books, you didn’t find any. It’s not that I object to them, it’s that I feel my stories don’t need them. And frankly, I’ve read enough of them that they have started to get boring. Or unrealistic. And this coming from someone old enough to remember when even one sex scene in a romance was breaking new ground. Readers may want them, but they don’t get them from me.

So, if I answer the question honestly, I try to be more original. Or maybe try is the wrong word. I wouldn’t write any other way. I have to be true to my characters and their stories. Because that’s what it comes down to- my books are their stories, not mine. And I hope readers enjoy them.

You can find out more about my books elsewhere on my page. The urban fantasy/paranormal (notice I didn’t say paranormal romance?) books can be found HERE. The female sleuth mysteries are HERE

Now, I’m off to visit the pages of the other authors in this hop. You can come along by following the links below.

October 21, 2019

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


Is The Pen Mightier Than the Keyboard? #OpenBook Blog Hop

October 14, 2019

What is your preferred method of writing? (By hand, on a computer, dictate it?)

Somewhere – and I can’t tell you exactly where because I don’t know – I have a box crammed full of tablets and binders. It’s in one of three storage spots, buried under Christmas decorations, old knick-knacks, or outdated computer parts. The pages are filled with my handwritten first and second drafts of various book—most of which you and everybody else have never seen.

Just like I love the act of holding a book in my hand when I read, I love the sensual feeling of a pen slipping across a piece of paper, leaving behind the words flowing from my brain. Even a pencil will do if that’s all I can find. (I rarely have a problem finding a pen these days. The picture is a small segment of my desk.)

And yes, I have written entire books by hand. Not notes or drafts, but the whole darn thing. The words seem to spill more freely when I don’t have to concentrate on finding the right keys on the keyboard and I don’t see those squiggly red lines that tell me I spelled something wrong. I can write faster when I write by hand.

But there’s a catch. Isn’t there always a catch? I’m a better writer when I sit in front of a computer and type my stories. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because I can visualize how the words will look on paper or the screen of an e-reader. And yes, I can catch my mistakes and correct them immediately. It also allows me to use words that I might not remember how to spell because the computer will help me to get them right. So, I’m more accurate when I compose my stories on a computer, if slower. In the end, I have less editing to do.

There’s also the issue that it’s tedious to type handwritten pages to transfer them to computer format. There are times when I have a hard time reading my own writing!

I’ve never tried to dictate a story. I can’t imagine it going too well, based on my limited experience in trying to compose text messages using the microphone on my cell phone. You know how auto-correct is, right? It frustrates the heck out of me.

There you go. That’s why I do most of my writing on the computer. It’s not that I prefer that  method, but it’s more logical.

Now let’s check out what the other authors on the hop have to say about the topic. But before  you go, feel free to tell me how you like to write in the comments.

October 14, 2019

What is your preferred method of writing? (By hand, on a computer, dictate it?)

Rules:1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter