(Up)Dating Adventures

by HL Carpenter

Image Courtesy of Dreamstime Free Photos

"I regret I am the bearer of bad news." Stalwart Code hoped Bizzy Author was not the fainting type. "Your website is not responsive."

"Not responsive?" Bizzy peered at the computer screen, without a vapour in sight. "What does that mean?"

Impressed by her calm demeanor, Code said, "It means readers who visit using smart phones, tablets, and gaming devices cannot properly see your content."

"Ah! That explains the death of my book sales, does it not?"

"In part." Code drew a breath. Sometimes he hated his job. "I am afraid I must impart more bad news. Your site is also the victim of Neglect."

Bizzy gasped. "Not that diabolical criminal!"

"Unfortunately, yes. Neglect is a sneaky rascal, but he leaves clues." Code pointed to the copyright at the bottom of Bizzy's home page. "Here is one. That date is two years old."

"This is far worse than I believed." Bizzy clutched Code's muscular arm. "Please! I beg of you. Help me set this right."

"Are you certain?" Code asked. "I am happy to be of service, yet you must be aware the trek will be long and perilous. You will need much bravery and determination to carry you safely through the hazards of the Land of Website Updating."

Bizzy fluttered her eyelashes. "If you consent to be my guide, I will go boldly forth."

"Your request and my desire are one." He smiled. "Let us begin."

They stopped first at the Bank of Goals, a fortress guarding the gateway to the Land of Website Updating. Bizzy withdrew three goals: Build Your Presence, Spread the Word, and Sell Books.

"Excellent choices." Code took her hand. "Next stop, the Design Studio."

Once in the Studio, Bizzy debated the merits of a nice-but-not-so-easily-changed traditional website or a content management platform called Wordpress.

"The matter is one of personal preference." Code winked. "Are you a conventionalist or a do-it-now gal?"

"No waiting around for me."

Bizzy grabbed a Wordpress ready-made theme off the shelf, and added colors, fonts, and images. She tossed plug-ins, widgets, and extensions into her bag too, when Code said they were the simplest way to add audio and video as well as social media links to her re-designed website.

"Thank you for the tip." She grinned. "A woman never knows where the road through the Land of Website Updating will lead. Mayhap I shall establish my own shopping cart one day."

"You are indeed fearless." Code took the bag and held the door open. "Let us proceed to the Content Factory."

"No need. I shall create my own content. I maintain a running account at the Idea Store."

"Fearless and talented." He ran his fingers along her back. "Shall we begin the real journey now, my dear Bizzy?"

"I thought you would never ask, darling Code."

She leaned against him and they contemplated the adventures ahead.

Logo Valley awaited, a maze of false starts and dead-end canyons from which they would mine a brand. After navigating the valley, they would brave the rapids of Cascading Style Sheets, ride the powerful Search Engine Optimization train to the wild frontier town of Marketing, create a Child Theme, and endure the unrelenting toil of Recurring Maintenance and the perils of Email Marketing. Their tale would be faithfully chronicled on the pages of the virtual home they would build together.

After all, what is a website but the happy marriage of Bizzy Author and Stalwart Code?

And on that happy ending, we invite you to enjoy an excerpt from our mystery, Murder by the Books.

A letter from beyond the grave brings accountant Fae Childers face to face with murder, embezzlement, romance, and a hidden family legacy.

Then the fortune-telling grandmother Fae never knew existed, whose name and psychic abilities she now learns are also hers, issues a challenge from beyond the grave—a challenge that brings Fae face to face with murder, embezzlement, romance, and a hidden family legacy.
When the mystery of Fae's past collides with the troubles of her present, the situation veers out of control. Her very life is threatened. Who can she trust? The man she's falling in love with? The former fiancé who has already betrayed her once? Or only herself?

With justice, romance, and her future at stake, Fae must overcome personal and professional obstacles to save herself and those she loves. And she's going to have to do it fast, before someone else dies.

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Mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter write family-friendly fiction from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, they enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity.

Visit their website to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happeni
ng in Carpenter Country.

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