The world changed tonight.

ThomasDotson1 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:10:49 -0800

The world changed tonight. A surely as it changed the day the Berlin wall came down. I am filled with such joy and amazement. My country has made a wonderful, history-making choice. A choice that makes me feel hopeful. Hope, what a strange feeling for a pessimist like me.However, there's other work to do. Today I saw my Doctor for a routine appointment. With much pride, he told me, that he and ...

RULES FOR A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:24:02 -0700

Since its Halloween today I decided to venture onto Red Room and share the following tips: RULES FOR A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN 1. When it appears that you have killed the monster, NEVER check to see if it's really dead. 2. Never read a book of demon summoning aloud, even as a joke. 3. Do not search the basement, especially if the power has gone out. 4. If your children speak ...

Happy Birthday Madonna

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:22:28 -0700

Madonna turns fifty this Saturday, a fact that reminds me I'm getting older too. I believe I still have her debut album in a musty box somewhere, packed securely with a pair of parachute pants. Like many gay men at the time, I admired her chutzpah. Her rise to stardom proved anyone could be special no matter where they came from.

My small town was especially hard hit during the ...

Four things meme

ThomasDotson1 — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:17:29 -0700

Thanks to Sean Taylor I've decided to particpate in this great "four things" meme. If you're reading this..then you should too. Also don't forget to stop by Sean's blog and let him know you posted the meme on your blog. Four jobs I have had in my life: 1. Online Community Manager2. Billing Services Rep3. Scenic Design Assistant4. Roadie/Lighting Dude Four movies I've ...

Thank you Jessica

ThomasDotson1 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:36:49 -0700

One of the great things about my job is all the wonderful authors and book-lovers I talk to everyday. These conversations happen on blogs, email, and even the telephone. Whether it's coaching a new blogger or chatting with an author about a new book release working at redroom.com is an inspirational experience. A few days ago, I mentioned to ...

The one word meme

ThomasDotson1 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:12:23 -0700

Where is your cell phone? Purse Your significant other? NonexistentYour hair? CurlyYour mother? Loving Your father? AliveYour favorite time of day? Evening Your dream last night? AmnesiaYour favorite drink? Coca-ColaYour dream goal? UpliftingThe room you're in? WorkYour ex? ForgottenYour fear? TomorrowWhere do you want to be in 6 years? Retired What you are not? AfraidYour Favorite meal? ...

You can’t get a good Pasty in California!

ThomasDotson1 — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:46:11 -0700

There are few things I miss from Michigan: Halo Burgers, Angelo’s Coney’s with French Fries and Gravy, Vernor’s Soda, and hot Pasty’s! I discovered a few stores in the Bay Area that sell Vernor’s but the rest of the list has been proven to be a futile search. So when I woke up this morning craving a pasty, I made a determined decision to be satisfied. What in the h double l ...

New things happening in the Red Room

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:22:08 -0700

Many of you may have noticed something different on redroom.com. Last night we began to roll out completely new author and member search pages. I'm very excited about this as it will allow us even more opportunity to showcase the fantastic community we have here. This blog post is going to focus on the newly designed Member Search page. This feature is a quick, easy way to find other Red Room ...

Using Technorati

ThomasDotson1 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:17:27 -0700

Using Technorati. This is a test post, don't delete. Technorati Profile

A message from the Membership Manager

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:47:49 -0700

If you are new to the Red Room, welcome! My name is Thomas and I'm the membership manager. I often post updates and information to my blog so check back here frequently. If you have questions about using Red Room or suggestions for improvement please feel free to contact me. We also have some great tips regarding marketing and self promotion, located here. Also don't forget to read other ...

Announcement: New Member and Author Search Pages

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:23:18 -0700

I'm posting this blog to inform those of who you visit my page regularly that we've had to revert our member and author search pages back to the old style. While we can all agree the new features looked fantastic, they were causing performance issues which impacted the speed of the entire website. To those of you who were excited about being featured on the pages, rest assured that they are ...

Homage To Southern Cooking w/Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

ThomasDotson1 — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:28:10 -0700

Like many African-American families, mine maintained our unique style of cooking despite the migration north. Now separated by thousands of miles from home I find myself craving the foods of my youth. It's good eat's and whether you call it home cooking, soul food, or southern cuisine its most certainly comfort food.CornbreadBaked to buttery perfection in a cast iron skillet, my ...

Living with the dead

ThomasDotson1 — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:23:59 -0700

I love my home, its darling really; there's a fireplace, two small bedrooms, a nice modern kitchen, laundry area, and a backyard. Most importantly it's cheap. What apparently kept other renters away is the dominant view of Evergreen Cemetery just over the rickety wooden fence. Being a person who loves to read and write spooky stories, what better place could I live? As for the neighbors, they are ...

5 ways to get more comments on your blog

ThomasDotson1 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:49:11 -0700

Blogging is quickly becoming a must for both the aspiring and established author. Maintaining a blog is a great way to grow your audience, promote your writing, and best of all its free. The next important thing to do is to engage your readers and encourage them to comment. This is very easy to do in fact there are numerous articles devoted to the subject. Below I've listed some tips for ...

Ear Candy

ThomasDotson1 — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:05:22 -0700

Last night Jennifer Massoni, Huntington Sharp, and I had the pleasure of attending Literary Death Match Episode 7at the Rickshaw Stopin San Francisco. Red Room Authors Jane Ganahl and Alan Black along with Mia Lipman were judges for the evening. Another Red Room author, the legendary Clive Matson delivered an electric reading of the most sensuous poetry I’ve ever heard. Justin Chin’s ...