Background Changes

The background is once again experiencing a state of flux in preparation for voting next week.

One of the primary concerns was the transparency of the side columns on the Picture Window format. Another concern voiced by several people is that the busy background might be distracting.

Since pictures make it hard to judge exactly what things might look like we're going to cycle through a couple of the favorite background so everyone can get a feel for them. The complete list and comment on the backgrounds is HERE.

Would you like a new background?

All hands on deck!

We are looking at giving the blog a new look for summer? Why? Why not?

There are several good options available but everything you see here is a suggestion. We can refine these ideas, change things, and add features to make the SFR Brigade blog more accessible for our members and people who are cruising through looking for a new author to love (check our library!).

 

This is what the Brigade page currently looks like. Very utilitarian but not unattractive. Some people dislike the black background and have commented that it's hard to read on. Other people prefer this background. This is our default look that we will keep until something better can be found.

ETA: The side bars can change in color and level of transparency so that the image won't show through. Fonts, colors, post background colors, widths, and layout are all variables we can adjust.

Option #1 -The Generic Blogger Space Background

Not much to look at, but blogger has a default "space look" with planet Earth in the background. 

 Option #2- The Eagle Nebula

Courtesy of the copyright free images at NASA (check the archives they are awesome!) we could use this bright nebula as the background. If we wanted a header could be made to match and all the font colors and backgrounds can be changed with ease.

Option #3 - The Solar Flare

A nice dark option with a little shot of heat for those who like our current background. This is also a NASA image. The simple image against black makes this a clutter free choice.

Option #4 - Close Up Of The Sun

It is summer in some parts of the world so why not something fiery?  This is another NASA image, free for use, and tiled.

Option #5 - Something else entirely 

We don't need to change the background. We could get one of the brigade members to donate their artistic talent to creating a background just for our use. You are welcome to scroll the NASA image archives and see if there's something you'd like better.


Leave your thoughts in the comments box below, link to the NASA pics you like and we'll try to add them to the line up. Next week the top favorites will be put up for official vote with a blind ballot widget so everything is anonymous.

Keep flying!

SFR Brigade Library Updates

NOTE: If you have previously published books not yet listed in the library, please fill out this form. If you have multiple titles that fall under one sub-genre and heat rating (like a series)you can list them all with commas between the titles.

**ETA** The question about advertising on the SFR Brigade blog through tag parties and other options is not letting authors pick multiple options, please list them under "other" while we get this bug sorted out. Thanks!

Welcome New Brigaders!

Please give our newest members a hearty Brigade welcome!

Daryn Cross

K. R. Lawson

Layna Pimental

(Click names to visit their websites.)

Welcome New Members!

SFR Brigade welcomes two new members to our ranks...

Diane Dooley

Laurel Kriegler

(Click on names to visit their websites.)

Quick Vote Part Two

Is this layout better or worse?

A quick thumbs up or down, with suggestions if you have any.

Quick Vote

As many of you have by now noticed our side bar is grown just a little long. (Does a quick check to make sure that sentence isn't dirty... I think it's safe. Who's giggling?) Is there anyone opposed to the idea of changing the design of the blog so that there are two side bar columns instead of one?

Would you prefer two or three?

Burnett or Blond?

Wait... NVM... that was another conversation. O:-)

The end goal of this conversion would be moving the Bases of Operation up a little so they aren't Lost in Space.

Vote and discuss, please.
-Liana Brooks

Spiffin' the Blog

The SFR Brigade has been in operation for six months now, and it's time for a bit of updating and spring fall cleaning. We need a little help from members.  For any of the actions below, please email me at Lgreen2162 (at) aol (dot) com (in the usual emial format).

Blog Authors

We've been at capacity with 100 blog authors for quite some time now, so we can't offer new members who'd like to post an author spot on the blog.  If you were assigned an author spot but don't intend to post in the future, please notify me so I can reassign your spot to a new author who would like to post.  This will not affect your membership in the Brigade and only applies to posting on the blog. (You can still post on the web site forums at any time.)

If you're a previous member who doesn't need author priviledges, please email me with "REMOVE AS SFRb BLOG AUTHOR" and your member name in the subject line.

If you are a new member who doesn't have an author slot and would like one, please email me at the above address with "ADD AS SFRb BLOG AUTHOR."

Membership List

Please check the Brigade Member roster on the sidebar to 1) verify you are listed and 2) verify your name is linked to your blog or website. (If we didn't get a working link for you at the time you requested membership, we linked you back to this blog.) If we need to make corrections, send an email with your member name and web address in the subject line and include the link for your site in the body of the email. We'll also add new blogs to the Base of Operations blog roll at the bottom of this page.

Base of Operations Blog Roll

The Base of Operations blog roll at the bottom of this page lists member blogs in order of most recent posts. If you'd like your blog listed, please email me with BLOG ROLL in the subject line and the web address of your blog.

RT Top Picks Widget

A RT Top Picks widget has been added to the sidebar featuring recent novels by Brigade members--CLOSE CONTACT by Katherine Allred and ENEMY WITHIN by Marcella Burnard).  If you've had a novel selected as an RT Top Pick and want your novel added to the widget, email me with the title of your novel and what issue of RT Reviews lists your novel. 
 
See anything else that requires a clean sweep?  Let us know via email or comments below.
 
Thanks all!

Weekly Recap (SitRep)

It's been another banner week for the Brigade! 

Although membership requests slowed down a bit, it's actually a good thing for two reaons: 

1) It gave us the opportunity to explore new territory--a SFR Brigade web site.  Thanks to Larianne Wills for the link. Though still in experimental stages, please give it a thorough shakedown and report back if you think it might serve our purposes (at least on a temporary basis).  SFR Brigade Web Site

2) We're almost at maximum capacity as far as site authors here on the main site, so I have a special request (plea, cajole or arm-twisting, as applicable). 

For those who haven't and don't plan to post to the blog, could you please contact me and we'll reassign your author slot to a new member.  Important: You will still be a full member of the SFR Brigade, listed on the roster and encouraged to participate in all activities.  If you should decide in the future that you want to post, we're reserving one floating slot for that purpose, and we'll also reassign the next available author slot to you.  (Does that sound like a deal?)

New Members

Ann Willows
Is working on her first SFR.  Welcome, Ann!

Gini Koch
Has a recent SFR release, Touched By An Alien.

Hywela Lyn
Author of "Children of the Mist."

Lisa Paitz Spindler
Aka in Skiffy Rommer circles as "Danger Gal."

Sara Brookes
Has an upcoming release with Liquid Silver Books, Midnight's Ghost.

Sara Creasy
Released Song of Scarabaeus in print this past week.

Sara Rustan
A published author with Samhain and Loose-Id.

Points Standings 

1 - Charlie Allden, Officer on Deck duties
1 - DL Jackson, Officer on Deck duties
1 - Leslie Dow, Officer on Deck duties

1 - Sandra Stixrude for the Tagging Party

1 - Frances Pauli for recruiting Ann Willows
1 - Laurie Green for recruitning Sara Creasy
1 - Laurie Green for recruiting Lisa Paitz Spindler
1 - Laurie Green for recruiting Sara Brookes

1 - Katherine Allred for the post generating the most activity

1- Laura Scarlett for her RT workshop information post

As before, if you think I've missed you, please let me know.  The points tally has been updated on the sidebar.

Publisher's Week: May 17 - 21
We still have room for a couple more if anyone would like to host a spotlight for their and/or a publisher.  Current participants and member hosts with tentative dates assigned for their spotlights are as follows:

Carina Press -- Heather Massey (May 18th)
Devine Destinies - Frances Pauli (May 17th AM)
Ellora's Cave -- Barbara Elsborg (May 19th AM)
Liquid Silver Books -- D. L. Jackson (May 19th PM)
Mundania -- Arlene Webb via Marie Dees (May 21st AM)
Red Rose Publishing -- Sandra Stixrude (May 20th AM)
Samhain -- Sheryl Nantus (May 17th PM)
Shadowfire Press -- Arlene Webb (May 21st PM)

If your interested in hosting a publisher that's not listed, let me know a.s.a.p.

What's Coming Up?
In the coming week, we look forward to hearing more from our RT attendees and we'll continue to develop and experiment with our new website. Don't forget that both Coyote Con and the Brenda Novak auction are still underway.  For anyone with a book release in May, please let me know the date and also if you'd like an official Launch Party on the SFR Brigade.

Igniting the Main Engines

To be a healthy community, activity is the key. Here are some suggestions:

Fire at Will
Each of you have access to post (or an invitation has been sent—check your email). Feel free to post book reviews, contest finals or wins, upcoming releases, SFR submission calls, links to helpful articles, or posts about SFR in general. In order to keep the communications coming at a digestible megahertz, I propose the following:

If your first name starts with A - H, post on Mondays
If your first name starts with I - K, post on Tuesdays
If your first name starts with L - Ma, post on Wednesdays
If your first name starts with Me - R, post on Thursdays
If your first name starts with S - Z, post on Fridays

Anyone can post on weekends, so you'll have two opportunities per week to post personal articles, if you so choose.  Of course comments are open season at any time. 

Task Forces/committees/soiree scouts (see Ready, Stormtroopers?) can post at any time with information or news on their findings, discoveries, or victories.

I think too much content is a smaller problem than too little content.  (Uh...Did you copy that?)

Recreational Activities

Tuesday Tour
Every Tuesday we’ll post a members’ site or blog to infiltrate in massive numbers so as to make their stat counters explode. But it’s a friendly skirmish. Really!

Thursday Tag Party
I’d like to institute an Amazon tag party on Thursdays. This is a group effort to tag SFR books in order to help readers find them. We’ll focus on a few books or a particular author every week. Every Thursday, our tag target will be announced for the coming week.

Activity plans may be altered as our theater of operations expands, so other ideas are not only welcome, they are strongly encouraged, endorsed, and may be rewarded with a medal.  HUA!