Pinterest: An anxiety-inducing, time-sucking, fun, relaxing and inspirational tool.
Unless you’ve been living in the wild and don’t have access to the Internet, you’ve probably heard of Pinterest. I’m here to tell you…I’m addicted.
Wonderland. Time-sucking vortex. Writing inspiration. Recipes. Crafts. Fun. Shoes. Hot guys. Black hole. Feeling of inadequacy. Anxiety inducing. Hero inspiration. Relaxing…are some of the words used to describe Pinterest.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pinterest, here’s the basic gist. You make a “board” and give it a title (desserts, quotes, writing tips, hero inspiration etc.) Your page can have as many or as few boards as you’d like. Totally your choice. When you search within Pinterest for whatever the heck you want to search for, click “pin” and select which board you want the image/website/link to go to. Easy peasy and organized for future reference. Most websites and blogs have a direct “Pin” link so you can click and pin even when not on Pinterest.
I started using Pinterest years ago as a way to save recipes I found online. At first I only had a “Recipe” board and quickly learned I needed sub categories to help organize the bazillion recipes I saved. I now have boards for desserts, breakfast, snack, main dishes, soups…you get the picture. My son was diagnosed with celiac disease two months ago so now I have Gluten Free Desserts, Gluten Free Snacks etc. My account got so huge that I made two: One for personal use and the other for the author side of me.
So how do I use Pinterest as an author? Research. I have a “Hero Inspiration” board where I keep pictures of beautiful men. I have a “Heroine Inspiration” board as well (not sure why I don’t have as many images there as I do in my Hero board. Hmm). I also have a board for each book, whether it’s published yet or not. If there’s a hero or heroine whom I use as inspiration or who looks like my characters, I pin them. I also pin quotes or other “things” that have to do with my books. And of course, my covers.
There are times when I’m working on edits for one book, writing another and pimping yet another. Sometimes I forget what my hero/heroine look like! I refer back to my Pinterest boards and sigh and stare and drool…and then get back to writing.
And, yeah. Because I have an itsy bitsy shoe addiction, I have a Shoe Porn board. And a Dessert board. And a Girly Drink board. It’s not all writerly stuff.
Is Pinterest a time suck? Heck, yeah. And I love it. Come visit me on Pinterest. You can follow all my boards or select which ones inspire you. Check out my board for Then Came You, which came out a few weeks ago (it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited).
Thyme Wilde doesn’t make long-term decisions—until she falls in love with one…
Easily bored and quickly distracted, Thyme enjoys her freedom, so being a temp at her sister’s company is the perfect job. But when she takes a position as a nanny, she instantly falls in love with the five-year-old princess named Maddie—and just two months later, Maddie’s parents are killed in a plane crash, leaving Thyme in an unfamiliar role of responsibility.
Multi-millionaire architect Grayson Montgomery lives in the lap of luxury—but at a cost…
Being the sole heir of his family’s fashion empire and his father’s architectural firm, Grayson has never lacked for anything. But in return, he must stay subservient to the matriarch of his family—his grandmother—and date the heiress of their largest business partner. The only freedom Grayson has is his architectural designs, which are his true passion.
One day changes Grayson’s future forever…
A lawyer summons Grayson to Maine for the reading of the will of a woman he once knew. He doesn’t expect to be named the father of a five-year-old orphan. Then he meets his newly-discovered daughter—and her incredibly sexy nanny.
While acting as Maddie’s loyal nanny, Thyme develops feelings for her new employer that are more than professional. And after several passionate nights with Grayson, it’s clear the feeling is mutual.
When it’s made evident Grayson sees her as a convenient placeholder, Thyme must push aside her desires and put Maddie above herself—even if it means sacrificing her heart to do it.
Amazon: bit.ly/thencameyou
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To read more about Marianne’s books, you can find her here: amazon.com/author/mariannerice
Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, relaxing with fancy drinks and romance books. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on her website at www.mariannerice.com
6 comments:
Thank you for having me today!
I just followed you on Pinterest, Marianne. I have a hot guys board but maybe I'll change it to "hero inspiration." I like that. I have board of my book covers but not a board for each book. I should do that. I agree Pinterest is fun!
I check other boards but don't have any of my own....love Pinterest though. Your new book sounds enticing....
I love your cover. I have a few boards on Pinterest but I'm not a big fan of the site. I guess I'm not visual so I don't have a need to save images. I love to save recipes and have a doc file for those.
All the best with your release and thank you for visiting RB4U.
I LOVE Pinterest! Then again, I probably should since I run the Pinterest site for RB4U (https://www.pinterest.com/romancebooks4us/). I separate my boards into three categories. The first is writing inspiration. Like you, I have boards for heroes, heroines, places, floor plans, and anything else I come across in my general research. Second, I have boards for each of my series. I consider these a behind the scenes sneak peek into the creation of the series. If the hero is a boxer, I will post his exercise routine there. Likewise, I'll post recipes for any meals they eat, places they visit, or special things that they are involved with (like charity organizations, music they like, pets they own, or disabilities they may have). Third, I have boards that tell readers more about me. This involves boards that share my interests outside of writing. Whether it is gardening, crochet, fingernail art, or eating healthy, readers can connect with me through these boards if they think we share common interests.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. It's awesome to meet another Pinterest junkie like me! :)
Cara, Having the "Hero Inspiration" board instead of "Hot Guys" makes it sound more like work...you know, so the hubby doesn't question as much. ;-)
Hi Jean, I love snooping other boards as well!
Melissa, Thank you! My publisher hires some amazing cover artists. They vary so much; we never know what to expect but are usually quite pleased.
Suzanne, It sounds like you're more hooked than I am! I love your ideas. I'm going to vamp up my boards now! Thanks for making me get off task.
--Marianne
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