:bananadance: Okay, this isn’t about spanking, but that was a fun blog entry title, wasn’t it? I do have a brand spanking new ‘do thanks to Emily at Ciao! My Bella! Check out all the cool new stuff throughout my site and right here in my blog and sidebar! Or skip to the end of this post and read about the PAX mugs and t-shirts I’m giving away this week!
Trying out new plugins–is that “Dates to Remember” countdown thing in the sidebar going to make me nervous? I see Deep Blue is due in 15 days….. If you scroll down further, I also had a weather plugin installed, and a few other things. Isn’t new stuff fun? My website is my toy. :heart: My guilty pleasure. I love to play with it. One of the reasons I changed my design is because I’d had some complaints about the black background making the content hard to read, so I wanted to make the site more user-friendly. But, also, I was bored with it! It’s my theory that while it’s important to maintain a certain tone and branding for my site and my books, that tone and branding can be carried through more than one design–and that a fresh look generates interest for everyone, not just me. I write dark, suspenseful, atmospheric (and sometimes paranormal) romantic adventures, and I hope this latest design is a consistent reflection of that branding while lending a fresh air of excitement. I may change my design once every year or so. It’s fun!
One of the things I love most about my new design is that it’s installed using WordPress, which makes doing minor updates myself SO EASY! ! Updating my site in WordPress is as simple as updating my blog. It’s wonderful. I love having the freedom to revise and add content anytime I want without having to know any coding.
I have a fun “Celebrating My New Design” week planned with silly games and giveaways–PAX mugs, PAX t-shirts, and autographed books! First up: post here for a chance to win an autographed book, your pick, from my backlist today! My website is my guilty pleasure–what’s yours?
And come back tomorrow for a giveaway game! A PAX t-shirt will be up for grabs!
Anna Lucia says:
Guilty pleasure? The mentionable-in-public ones? 😈
Okay, it has to be a jacket potato. A King Edward, for preference. Baked for an hour and a half in a moderate oven (150C for fan assisted…). And NOT PRICKED WITH A KNIFE. Stop it! Stop puncturing the poor oven-baked potatoes!!!
(Can you tell I read a book yesterday where the heroine pricked the potatoes before putting them in the oven. I swear I was… well, swearing at her. It’s all about the steam, people!)
The skin should be crisp, the inside fluffy and grainy, not slimy. Put a cross in the top and squeeze. Add butter. Lots of butter. A huge mound of grated mature cheddar, a little thinly sliced onion, and a sprinkle of maldon sea salt.
Not that I’m fussy, or anything.
:thumbsup:
On May 16, 2005 at 5:52 am
Suzanne says:
Wow, Anna, will you make a potato for me? :yes:
On May 16, 2005 at 6:04 am
Michelle says:
I love the new design. It’s so pretty!!! :):guitar:
On May 16, 2005 at 6:21 am
Laurie says:
Hi Suzanne,
Love your “NEW LOOK”!!!
My guilty pleasure is “ICE CREAM”!! Preferably exquisite mint or mint chocolate chip!!
I absolutely love the stuff…possibly from my Wisconsin roots…THE DAIRY STATE”.
On May 16, 2005 at 6:33 am
Katie says:
Gorgeous new look, Suzanne!! Whoo-hooo!!!!:heart: love it!
On May 16, 2005 at 6:41 am
Jorie says:
Like the new look! And how nice that you can update different sections yourself.
On May 16, 2005 at 6:54 am
Kim says:
The new design looks great! Guilty pleasure…well that would probably be reading an erotica romance book while devouring a bowl full of Chubby Hubby ice cream. ha ha!
On May 16, 2005 at 7:06 am
kacey says:
Isn’t wordpress wonderful?? Using it makes it so easy for a non techie to make changes to their site. It’s as easy as writing a blog entry!
And your header on your site is cool! Love the design. And you still have a cool swirly font. This is great. Oh, and I love the roll overs on your menu buttons too!
This site is so you! And it is WAY easier to read without the black background!! Love the new smilies too :heart:
On May 16, 2005 at 8:13 am
Mary says:
I’ll have to talk to Emily about WordPress. I love your new design. And thanks for sharing the information.
On May 16, 2005 at 8:36 am
Cheryl says:
Gosh, Suzanne, just love the new look! My guilty pleasure? Ummm . . . I hate to admit it but I actually LIKE watching all those animated movies with my two kids. :rolleyes:
On May 16, 2005 at 9:08 am
mary beth says:
I love your new look. 🙂
My guilty pleasure: reading Heaven, Texas, drinking chocolate martinis or eating a few Werther’s chewy caramels. Yum.
On May 16, 2005 at 9:12 am
Margery says:
Love your new look!!!:heart::heart:
Hmm, my biggest guilty pleasure (that I’m willing to share) is ice cream. Love it!! I’m with Laurie, mint or mint chocolate, and I’m not even from Wisconsin.
On May 16, 2005 at 9:40 am
Màili says:
Love the new look! Easy on the eyes, too!
My guilty pleasure? Buying TV series on DVD instead of following the series on TV like normal people do. Guilt haunts me, but … :hyper:
To Anna Lucia – how do you think this idea of pricking jacket potatoes started?
On May 16, 2005 at 9:46 am
Shannon R. says:
Love the new look! My guilty pleasure is having all the 3 girls at school and sending the two boys to the babysitter for the day then having the quiet house to myself for a whole day doing what I want to do and watching what I want to watch on TV.
On May 16, 2005 at 10:13 am
Jill says:
Love your new colors! And Anna Lucia, I’ll take a potato your way, please.
On May 16, 2005 at 10:30 am
Elizabeth says:
Really pretty site update. I agree, it’s nice to change things up every so often.
On May 16, 2005 at 11:59 am
Anna says:
LOL – Maybe I should start a jacket tattie franchise…
I’m not sure Maili – maybe because you have to if you microwave them? Although you will BURN IN HELL if you serve me a ‘baked potato’ that’s been microwaved. *Shudder* Sacrilege.
Call me the potato police.
Maybe it’s because there’s a small risk they’ll explode?
Take the risk. It’s worth it.
*drooling*
On May 16, 2005 at 12:03 pm
Rene says:
LOVE THE SITE!! Very pretty.
My guilty pleasure is hiding in my office like a deranged hermit with a foo foo coffee and a plate of madelines and playing SimCity 4 until my eyes blur.
On May 16, 2005 at 12:17 pm
Mary Stella says:
I LOVE the new look. It’s gorgeous. Note to self: Do not serve baked potatos to Anna. I never have time to back them, so, yes, I puncture them with a fork and nuke them. Shame on me.
Guilty pleasures? I don’t have any. Okay, more to the point, I just decided to stop feeling guilty about any of them. Down with guilt! Up with decadent delights. :rotfl:
On May 16, 2005 at 12:20 pm
Danni says:
Anna~ I adore a good baked potato as well, and I’m with you on the no pricks policy. If the skin isn’t crisp I can’t bear to delve inside at all. I just know I’ll be let down.
Suzanne, I love the colors of your blog now. Very nice. My guilty pleasure is singing in the car. As a teen I sung 2nd soprano in school, but after I took up smoking I lost my singing voice for good. But in the car, with my kids (who think mommy is Babs or something) I love to belt it out. Luckily even the husband is sweet enough to indulge my warbling. :guitar:
On May 16, 2005 at 12:22 pm
BJ Deese says:
The new design is absolutely gorgeous!
Hmmm…I think my guilty pleasure is definitely Vin Diesel. :rotfl:
On May 16, 2005 at 12:29 pm
Lynn says:
My guiltiest pleasure is searching out little-known melodic rock bands and the Internet and buying their CDs. :guitar: DVD purchases run a big guilty pleasure second, though.
And…hmmm…does procrastination count? :bananadance:
On May 16, 2005 at 12:42 pm
Stacey115 says:
I love the new site!
My guilty pleasure? *Surprise* A good book.
🙂 (love the new emoticons)
Stacey115
On May 16, 2005 at 12:43 pm
Sonja (from HCRW) says:
Great site! My guilty pleasure used to be romance novels, but I now accept romance novels as a public pleasure, and no longer feel guilty about reading them. 😉 Because they rock, yo!
So now my guilty pleasure is probably either ice cream (I’m with the rest of you ladies– except my flavor is Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia) or buying really funky socks. 😆
On May 16, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Kelly says:
I love the idea of having an entire website powered by WP!
:talktothehand: Hey, does this remind anyone of “Stop-colaborate and listen.” By the one-hit wonder “Ice, Ice, Baby”? :rotfl:
On May 16, 2005 at 1:26 pm
Beth C says:
Hi Suzanne! Just wanted to say I LOVE the new look. FABulous! :bananadance:
On May 16, 2005 at 1:51 pm
Nicole says:
Great new look! I think my guilty pleasure is buying books. And ice cream (especially now that I’m trying to lose weight). :shocked: I love this guy!
On May 16, 2005 at 3:31 pm
Suzanne says:
Thanks, everyone, for the comments on the site! I love it! I’m gonna marry it!!! :hyper:
All this guilty pleasure food talk is killing me. I’m on a diet! :hissyfit:
On May 16, 2005 at 3:42 pm
Suzanne says:
And please don’t forget to check tomorrow for the winner’s name! I’ll post the name in tomorrow’s blog entry. :heart:
On May 16, 2005 at 3:45 pm
Tori says:
I love your new design!!! It’s absolutely gorgeous!!!
Add me to the list of those who want a baked potato Anna’s way. 🙂
Guilty pleasures… Hmm. Watching Jeopardy. I get really smug when I know the answers (questions?) and the contestants don’t. 😆
On May 16, 2005 at 4:03 pm
Danica says:
Suzanne, your blog design keeps getting better and better. I’m so jealous!
My guilty pleasure, while I could once again wax poetic about those wonderful mint oreos, I’ll go with a non food choice, which is so much better for my sanity, and that’s a bubble bath. BY MYSELF. With a book and a tall glass of lime ice water.
On May 16, 2005 at 4:28 pm
Robyn says:
I absolutely love the new site!:thumbsup:
My guilty pleasure is plain potato chips
and ‘dill pickle’ chip dip; love it.:heart:
On May 16, 2005 at 5:54 pm
kacey says:
okay, raise your hand if you’re having a baked potatoe tonight! I’ve been craving one all day since reading Anna Lucia’s comment… :thumbsup:
On May 16, 2005 at 6:16 pm
Suzanne says:
:wave: Me! I want one!!
On May 16, 2005 at 6:35 pm
Tammy says:
My guilty pleasure is reading books while eating truffles! I buy so many books that I sneak half of them in so hubby wont see then, pretend a headache when he gets off work and nothing is done! :rotfl:
I love the new look! The colors are fab! :thumbsup:
On May 16, 2005 at 7:05 pm
Cece says:
Sometimes reading on black really hurts my eyes, so thank you. As much as I did like the other design, I really do love this new one.
Guilty pleasure? Sleeping all day when the kids are at their dads, when I KNOW I should be cleaning/writing/whatever. And Braums cherry limeaid shebert :bananadance:
On May 16, 2005 at 8:50 pm
Charlene says:
What a great makeover! I love the new you. Oh, and some great new smileys! :hyper:
On May 16, 2005 at 9:27 pm
Carol says:
I love your new web site. :yes: It’s soooo pretty! My guilty pleasure is reading books while eating chocolate!
On May 16, 2005 at 10:47 pm
Angie T says:
I :heart: the new look! It is Beautimous Suzanne!!
My guilty pleasure? Gerard Butler..
You know, the actor who was the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera?
Must…Watch…another…GB…movie….
Not that I am obsessed or anything! :loser:
On May 16, 2005 at 11:13 pm
Alyssa says:
The new design is terrific! I love it!
Hmmm. Guilty pleasures, huh? I guess I would say that my to-be-read mountain of books is my guilty pleasure. I can’t believe how many books I have available to read . . .
Here’s hoping I win another one to add to the mountain. 😀
Alyssa
On May 17, 2005 at 12:32 am
Teresa H says:
My guilty pleasure is Slim Jims, I just love those things, and books, can’t get enough of ’em!:yes:
On May 17, 2005 at 3:45 am
Suzanne says:
The winner is Stacey! Stacey, be sure to email me with your address and your choice of a book from my backlist!
On May 17, 2005 at 6:15 am