A Big Announcement! At Least It Is for Me...

Those of you who regularly read Raychelle Writes know that I enjoy interviewing authors and artists. I love blogging about all things writing and hosting other writers. Oh, and I have a thing for children's books, so I write them, illustrate them, and review them, too. All and all, I see writing as a way to share what I am learning. It is cathartic and a true outlet for me.

There are many other subjects that I am passionate about and wellness is one of them. I am a certified personal trainer and I have a degree in the wellness and fitness field. For the last several years, I have been posting about health, fitness, and wellness on my other blog, Journeys Fitness. It has been said that we teach what we need to learn and I will admit that I am always on the quest for better and more balanced ways to live.

So, I am excited to announce my first project in the self-help genre! The Living Well: Taking Your Journey to a Balanced and Successful Life is a collection of original essays and published blog posts where I offer my take on success, conquering fears, atonement, finding your balance, setting goals, motivation, and happiness. My intention in writing this book is inspire each of us to consider our place in life, decide how to improve it, and then take action. My hope is that The Living Well becomes a resource for living which will be revisited as often as needed for years to come.

The Living Well is scheduled for release this summer. Stay tuned for other exciting news!

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

25 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic by Robert Lee Brewer, Plus This Week's Line-Up on The Writer's Block

Robert Lee Brewer ("My Name Is Not Bob" blog) offers 25 tips for increasing traffic to your blog. I found these to be especially helpful, so I am passing them along to you. Enjoy!


"I won't bore you with numbers, but I now consistently have as much traffic in one day on this blog as I used to receive in two months! It didn't all happen at once, and there were some ups and downs along the way, but I've found that the 25 steps below can help any blog increase traffic, whether it's brand new or been around a while.

Here are my 25 ways to increase blog traffic:

1. Post consistently. When I first started blogging, I'd have months of 6 posts here and months of 2 posts there--with no rhyme or reason. The smart blogger will at least post once a week--usually on the same day of the week. The benefit to a consistent schedule is that readers know when to "tune in" to your blog.
2. Encourage comments. Some bloggers recommend turning the comments off when the traffic is low, because conditions are favorable for zero comments. However, I think it's a smarter strategy to expect zero comments, but encourage them from the very beginning. The best blogs will get a conversation going, and that helps build traffic. I know it can feel lonely waiting for that conversation to start, but just keep plugging away.
3. Tag content. Most blogging interfaces (like Blogger and WordPress) have ways to tag posts with keywords that you may use multiple times. For instance, I know this post will have a "blogging" tag at the very least, though there will probably be some others as well. And this enables readers to click on the tag to see all the content on your blog that is related to that topic. Plus, it helps with SEO (more on that below)."

To read the entire post, visit this link.

This Week on The Writer's Block:

Monday, February 13, 2012~ Freelance Illustrator, Daniela Frongia

Tuesday, February 14, 2012~ Founder of Storiad, Ramzi Hajj

Wednesday, February 15, 2012~ Meet The Alphabet Kids

Thursday, February 16, 2012~ Author of Hope Road, John Barlow

Friday, February 17, 2012~ Author of Natasha Lands Down Under, Katherine McCaughan






Stop by my health and fitness blog Journeys Fitness starting Monday, February 13, 2012, and check out my nutrition series, "What's Eating You?"

Keep the pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...