This is a quick note to let you know that we are switching hosting services for our Roaming About website, which can cause some issues, hiccups, and glitches. We are also changing servers for our email programs and domain names.
It has been a massive, stressful, and time-consuming project, but it had to happen since our three-year Blue Host rate went up more than 100%, from $250 to $700 ($530 after multiple phone calls and pleading for a better price, which is still too much for us). We found a good alternative in Easy WP. Our new service is faster, cheaper ($100/year), and has helpful and responsive customer support. More about that in my December expense report.
I’m grateful for Mark, who knows how to do technical stuff and has spent many days on making this process go as smoothly as possible, on top of everything else that is going on in our life: his job, heaps of driving, sightseeing, errands, taking care of Maya, car projects, and cooking tasty and healthy meals. 🙂
Mark hard at work, dealing with our technical challenges
If you notice anything different, annoying, or disturbing, please let us know via the contact form (which has been tested and works fine), email, a comment, or Facebook.
We will be back to our “normal reporting” soon!
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
It is my pleasure to feature my friend, fellow blogger, dedicated tech teacher, and accomplished author Jacqui Murray on Roaming About today. Jacqui is a huge supporter of indie authors, an Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer, and a Jill of many trades. Ever since I started following her blog WordDreams many years ago, I have been in awe of her writing, her research skills, her dedication and passion for the writing and teaching craft, her genre choice of prehistoric fiction, and her publishing achievements. She is a busy bee and I have often wondered if – somehow – her days are longer than 24 hours.
To support and celebrate Jacqui’s release of Natural Selection, the third and last book in her Dawn of Humanity trilogy (which is part of a grander series called Man Vs. Nature, a collection of trilogies, each dealing with a seminal point in man’s evolution when we could have–probably should have–become extinct), I invited her over to talk about the origins of “wanderlust,” a topic close to my heart. On more than one occasion, Jacqui has pointed out similarities between “her people” in the books and our unsettled lifestyle.
Did Wanderlust Drive Man to All Corners of the Earth? Science Thinks So.
GUEST ARTICLE BY JACQUI MURRAY
Few animals leave their original habitat for a new one without being forced. Sometimes, as in the case of crocodiles who have survived over 200 million years, their habitat moves so they go with it. Man is the exception. In the trilogy, Dawn of Humanity, Lucy’s tribe of early humans journeyed from the North end of Africa to the South in a hunt for better living conditions. In the Crossroads trilogy (the sequel to Dawn of Humanity), our kind migrated from the eastern shore of Asia to a frozen England (via the land bridge that once connected it to the continent).
Why?
It’s unclear. These unusual migrations transcend all theories, most revolving around the availability of food, the threat of deadly predators, the danger from domination by other human species, dramatic changes in the climate, and migration of herds. That the available facts don’t fit nicely into a clean puzzle has caused scientists to rethink what they thought they understood. One alternative theory claimed that this unforced travel was motivated by simple curiosity and boredom, what is often called wanderlust. Some scientists credit it to a variation in the human DNA (DRD4-7R) now dubbed the “wanderlust gene”. Present in about 20% of the population, it impacts dopamine levels, increasing the person’s tolerance for risk taking.
If you’d rather climb a mountain than lie on the beach or are inclined to follow whims rather than rules, you may have this gene variation.
Over time, man–from Homo habilis to Homo erectus to modern Homo sapiens–has evolved a highly adaptable culture that allowed our genus to wander over a wide range of climates and habitats. Our ancestors hunted meat in ever-expanding territories, greater than the usual twelve kilometers of Lucy’s tribe and much more than other primates. The most mobile of our genus, Homo erectus, left Africa multiple times, spread throughout the known world (predominantly Eurasia), again and then again for no particular reason. Once we conquered fire, clothing, and shelter, we found we could go anywhere.
Whatever the reason, for about 99% of human evolution, we have moved around. As a result, until about 50,000 years ago, there were many species of our genus, Homo, wandering the planet. Even today, a percentage of us is ready to move on, explore the world beyond the hill, search out greener pastures, something we are better at than any other life form.
Summary of Natural Selection
In this conclusion to Lucy’s journey, she and her tribe leave their good home to rescue former tribemembers captured by the enemy. Lucy’s tribe includes a mix of species–a Canis, a Homotherium, and different iterations of early man. In this book, more join and some die, but that is the nature of prehistoric life, where survival depends on a combination of our developing intellect and our inexhaustible will to live. Each species brings unique skills to this task. Based on true events.
Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her tribe struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail. If you ever wondered how earliest man survived, but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.
A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!
Book Information:
Title and author: Natural Selection by Jacqui Murray
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature, which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, reviews as an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics, check out the travel/adventure/personal memoir I wrote:
Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
This post is not about resolutions, goals, plans, or gratitude. It’s not a bucket list (a word that is wrongly and over used in my opinion). It’s about what I have in mind regarding this blog, my online presence, and our upcoming adventures.
But first, I would like to wish everyone a healthy, prosperous, recovering, and adventurous new year. I truly hope that we will turn a leaf in 2022, on many fronts. Have a rewarding and happy one!
Roaming About blog
Like my previous website, It’s Irie, which I maintained from 2007 until 2015 to document our sailing adventures and which is still active, this blog (started in 2015) was initially meant to keep friends and family up to date about our whereabouts and whatabouts. But it turned into so much more than that! Thanks to you, dear reader.
It’s Irie blog
My blog’s main theme is travel related, so I want to get back to those roots. I hope to write more compelling posts – entertaining and informative – with a smaller selection of photos. This will be a work in progress. As always, I’ll update our current location in the sidebar.
While my writing journey has been a big part since I started this blog, it should not take up 25% of the content anymore. I wrote a book, edited it, published it, and promoted it. Not everyone is interested in all those details or experiences. I will still post updates, but not monthly anymore; maybe every other month or quarterly. January is the first time I skipped this tradition since the mid-2016.
The first box of Plunge books arrived in December 2020.
Proud of my first book, posing inside Zesty
Posing with my book in the desert of Arizona in 2021
The expense reports are fun to compose and seem to be well received. They also give me an opportunity to display places, occurrences, and photos that didn’t appear elsewhere, so I’ll keep them.
Income from this blog
Ever since I became a nomad in 2003, I’ve been very good at working for free or for a pittance. Yes, earning money should be fun too, but there has to be a balance. I’ve never placed ads or pop-ups on this blog (and never will as they annoy me as a reader) and only recently added a couple of affiliate Amazon links for my book, which offers pennies when used.
Working at my computer on our sailboat Irie (2007 – 2015)
Working at my computer in our campervan Zesty (2017-2021)
Writing Plunge in our campervan
Most of you have purchased Plungealready, left a review, and/or spread the word. My tremendous gratitude for all this support! I do hope new and future readers of Roaming About will (eventually) buy and read my book as well, so I’m keeping the little “prompts” on the sidebar of the website and bottom of certain post. As mentioned in my writing update blogs, I earn US$3.50 from every book I sell online.
Our hosting and domain fees total about $400 every three years. This month, it’s pay-up time again. We have always fronted this money, but because our living costs keep increasing, I’ve added a little “tip jar” on the sidebar in the form of a donation button. Followers have been encouraging us to put some kind of “support system” in place. Of course, unless on a laptop or with devices in the desktop setting, nobody will probably see the button. Can you find it? We have no need for contributions to a pizza, coffee, or beer fund; we’d just like to cover the cost for keeping this blog alive and maintained. We are also considering writing product reviews (like this solar panel one), being sponsored by companies, or becoming brand ambassadors as we embark on our next epic trip.
My blogging interactions
This blogging hobby, and especially reading (and engaging on) other blogs, is very time consuming. I think it’s safe to say that I follow about 50 bloggers and have been adamant over the years to read most of their posts and leave a comment. Since I’m curious about the host’s reply, I mark the checkbox to receive all comments, resulting in a flood of emails in my inbox. I’ve become pretty effective at deleting the masses and singling out the reply I was waiting for. Still, blogging is taking precious time away from real-life adventures, reading books (my current average is six a year!), writing, and trying to earn money. If I was retired and/or living in a stable home with not much going on, it would be different.
Rest assured, dear blog readers, my Roaming About website remains a priority. I still plan on posting about once a week and I always, always reply to comments (eventually) and react to legitimate emails sent my way.
Rest assured, dear blogging friends, I will keep following along and reading the articles that interest me. When I give your post a “like,” it means that I read it, and – well – liked it! My internet availability might prevent me from interacting much, but know you are still a part of my life.
My social media presence
And, what to do about social media, that other time-sucker? I’m taking a step back from Instagram (after three years of having an account, I gained a “whopping” 338 followers), hope to engage more with Twitter (how long have I been saying that?), and will keep using Facebook as my main “channel.” I also wonder if we shouldn’t try YouTube one day, but that is opening a can of very different, technical, timely, non-stop, and even more time-consuming worms!
Facebook page Liesbet
Facebook page Roaming About
Facebook page SV Irie
Instagram Page Roaming About
Twitter Page Liesbet
LinkedIn page Liesbet
Our lifestyle
If you know us and/or have read Plunge, you will be accustomed to our attitude of not planning much, going with the flow, and being a tad impulsive. As we get older, however, it feels like we need to be better prepared and organized. Gone are the days that we bought a truck camper – or a sailboat – and set out on an international adventure within months. How long have I wanted to take a small camper to South America? Plunge readers might remember…
Ready for new adventures
So, our big incentive is to get this open-ended adventure started in 2022. Of course, a lot depends on the pandemic situation, our choice/change of mobile living quarters, and preparing ourselves, our vehicle, our camper, and our dog for extensive and indefinite travels again. Stay tuned!
Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary
Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.For December, the question is: “In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you?”
My answer to the question – In your writing, what stresses you? What delights you?
I’ve always had a strange relationship with writing… It comes easy for personal use: diaries, notes, blog posts, emails. But when I have a deadline or an assignment, I find it hard to place my bum in front of a computer. Something is fighting it. Pressure? Yet, from the moment I start, the words flow and by the end I’m usually pleased with the result.
Regarding book writing, I enjoy most of the process, especially the writing and editing steps. Promotion can be fun if my creative juices are flowing and I have time. When I put my mind to anything writing-related, most of it delights me. If I don’t have other priorities or distractions, which usually is the case. What stresses me is the lead-up to events, like in-person/online presentations, interviews, podcasts, meetings, or other performances. Afterwards, I’m always glad I participated, though.
My book news
November was a relatively quiet month for Plunge. Mark and I have had a lot on our minds lately (more about that in a future post), so book promo was not a priority. That being said, I continued posting the occasional content, positive reviews, and a link nudge on different Facebook groups I am a member of.
Fellow author, blogger, and book reviewer Sue Bavey is featuring me this week in her Indie Spotlight on Sue’s Musings. The post went live on November 25th, Thanksgiving Day in the US. Not the best timing, but the interview was fun to do and exposure is always a good thing. You can find our Q&A here.
It is always a delight to hear from readers, known or unknown. When my Facebook notifications showed that someone mentioned Roaming About in a post and I checked it out, this appeared: a wonderful review of my book and a photo. This new reader didn’t post her review on Goodreads or Amazon, but she shared it with her followers and friends on Instagram and Facebook. A wonderful surprise.
Post by Plunge reader Regina
Photo from reader Regina
And my friend Kavita, whom we visited in the suburbs of Chicago a few months ago, brought Plunge on her vacation in Southern Utah, where she posed with it in the amazing scenery. Here she is with my book at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. It’s one of the photos that she publicly posted about her adventurous trip. Incredible!
Kavita with Plunge in Canyonlands
Three days after Thanksgiving, we celebrated my 46th birthday and Plunge’s 1st birthday in the desert of Arizona. I can barely believe that it has been a year already since I published my travel memoir. The book has come far, but the three of us are still/again in the same place: Southern Arizona.
To celebrate my book’s first anniversary, Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary is on sale worldwide for five days, from November 28th through December 2nd, 2021. It’s the perfect time to buy this compelling, inspiring, and adventurous travel memoir if you haven’t yet or if you are looking for an entertaining gift. Or two. ????
How to support an indie author and lock in this deal?
Buy the eBook at your retailer of choice for US$3.99 instead of US$5.99 (or equivalent in your currency)
Buy the paperback on Amazon for US$13.99 instead of US$15.99 (or equivalent in your currency)
Buy an autographed copy with a personal message from me for US$13.99 instead of US$15.99 (only for US shipping addresses)
Interested? Take the plunge online (https://amzn.to/3jZRrpm) or if you prefer a signed copy, let me know in the comments, via the “contact us” form, or by email.
Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.For October, the question is: “In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?”
My answer to the question – In your writing, where do you draw the line, with topics or language?
This is a toughie, especially with memoir, as the idea is to represent the story as truthfully as possible in this genre, even the dialogue parts. That being said, it is easy to omit curse words or swearing. Yet, when the situation allows it or “asks” for it, I am tempted to and I do leave some of these words in the prose, since they are important to the context of those situations. Finding a balance is the solution, I think. You don’t want to put readers off, but you do want to draw them into these real-life scenes.
An author ready for the road…
My book news
Another month has passed. Can you believe it? Even though I swapped my comfortable “home base” in Massachusetts for the confines of a truck camper mid-September, I still managed to get a lot done, book-wise and otherwise.
The goal was to come to a stopping point with a few promotion tasks I still had in mind for my travel memoir Plunge. Once I moved into our new home on wheels, I knew my focus would (and should and did) shift to a life on the road, driving, figuring out our new set-up, sightseeing, hiking, taking it slower, and not being a slave to the internet and the computer anymore. But all that is for a different blog post. This one touches on what I was up to lately, regarding book stuff.
Facebook banner
Blog banner
I finally created a book banner for Facebook and my blog, based on my Yankee Homecoming banner, leaving space for default images in the middle.
These are the quotes I decided to pick excerpts from:
Amazon editorial reviews
Here are a few photos that vied for the background:
Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.For September, the question is: “How do you define success as a writer?”
My answer to the question – How do you define success as a writer?
This is an excellent question and answers will greatly vary. As a matter of fact, this question is so good and insightful that I could write an entire post as my answer. Don’t worry, I won’t. Being a perfectionist (when it comes to work) with an A-type personality (I think that’s what it’s called), it is very difficult for me to reach what I would define as success. I always want to do better, reach more readers, inspire more people, engage a wider audience.
Each writer has their own goals. I set mine six months after publishing Plunge and I will revisit those on my first book birthday. In short: success to me as a writer is first to have my work published – in magazines, newspapers, anthologies, or books. Next, it would be to touch/inspire readers. I also aim to get some kind of recognition (positive reviews, write-ups, feature articles, awards, prizes) and – eventually – make a little bit of money with Plunge, once I break even. All this requires a lot of time, effort, and focus.
My book news
August was an incredibly busy month – in life, with our truck and camper projects, a summer-long noisy condo deck project, helping out my in-laws, writing, editing, and translating commitments, and with book stuff! In this post, of course, it’s all about the book action.
I finally created a banner for Plunge.
In the beginning of August, I did my first in-person “book event” by manning a (shared) booth during the annual Yankee Homecoming Festival in Newburyport, MA. Fellow travel author Marianne Curcio (find her book here) and I split the cost and the space on Craft Fair Day, which is where the organizers thought we’d fit in the best.
Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing.A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional.For December, the question is: “Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?”
In the beginning of this year, I wondered: “Are there times of the year that writers are more productive than other months? Why would that be?” I emailed Alex, the founder of the IWSG, suggesting he’d pose this question to the group. He replied that it would be the perfect December prompt. So, now I get to – have to, really – answer my own question! ????
If I’d live in a house or settled environment, I expect winter would be my most productive writing month as it’s colder out and I wouldn’t feel guilty sitting behind the computer all day. But, as you might now, my husband, Mark, our dog, Maya, and I are nomads (and have been for over a decade), so no “settlement” for us. This means I only manage to write whenever it fits the schedule, the situation, the location, and, mostly, the logistics (internet, electricity, no dramas). Which – if you’ve read any of my previous IWSG blogs – is darn sporadic. I write when I can; when I’m not driving, hiking with Maya, sightseeing, working, running errands, fixing the van, catching up on diaries or my inbox, or sleeping…
Our favorite free campsite this year, in Arkansas
Cold and rainy days would be perfect to write, but they cause other issues with all of us cooped up in a 19ft van. By the way, I keep track of our current location in the right column of this blog.
My book progress
After a long road to completion (five years!), my travel memoir Plunge has been published. I announced that feat here, a few days ago.
Roaming About – Liesbet Collaert & Mark Kilty & Maya
We have been perpetual nomads as RVers, sailors, house and pet sitters, and overlanders since 2003. Currently, the three of us are roaming about South America in our truck camper Thirsty Bella.
As lifetime adventurers, we are self-employed and maintain a tight budget. This blog is about all that – and more – to inspire a life less ordinary. Don’t dream but do! 🙂
