Gentle SPECTRUMS discussion

Hello! This is a general folder for queries or conversations about our family of four reading themes generally. If there were a question or note about a particular one, it could go in that general folder for 2019. This is a spot for comments that don't belong to a particular one.

Do you need guidance about signing-up? All you have to do to sign-up, is add yourself to the buttons on each challenge page at my blog. When it asks for a webpage, making a blog post for each is ideal because it helps advertize us to your followers. However, if you do not have a blog: please make a Goodreads folder for each theme you are joining. Add the website links of the folders (also called "URLs") to each sign-up button. I know which ones you have joined when I see your names there!

Don't hesitate to chat via blog comment boxes, or here. I do not use Goodreads private message mailboxes but will certainly follow conversations in this companion group, at my blog, and by e-mail. I look forward to reading with you all! Your hostess, Carolyn.

Hello, everyone! I am going to write a blog post tomorrow and look forward to it. I stayed up last night finishing some things. Paired with never doing anything half-assed; I'm sure you know we have slow rural internet. Uploading and transferring pictures and covers, however lovely, can be quite a process; -if- they upload.

Until then; I invite you to chat, introduce yourselves, and make yourselves at home. February 1 has arrived and it is my pleasure to welcome you and to declare: Happy RIEDEL Fascination starting day!!!! Start your engines, folks: playtime is on!!!!
Yours truly, Carolyn!

It will be tomorrow before I write that "year-starting" blog post. I am happy you are here and have not forgotten in the least, or lowered that priority. Since dashing off a Goodreads note is easier than the meticulous time I put into my blog posts, I assure you my post is merely delayed.

I have never seen so many stymied by "linky buttons" but am doing my best to reach everyone who asks for an explanation. The best advice: the how-to steps are at my sign-up pages (and review pages). Don't be afraid to press buttons and look inside.

So many of you (so many!) still busy signing-up in those buttons. My favourite part, is looking inside the sign-up buttons, or receiving enthusiastic blog comments, and seeing which of my themes you are in! Celtic Coasts and Gentle Spectrums could use a boost but Ethereal and My Kind Of Mystery, are happily up this year!

Thank you to the long-timers still in this chat forum and others particpating in the themes. A sincere welcome to all the new faces. We will laugh about those linky buttons quickly. They will be pressed all year for your many wonderful, eclectic reviews. Please free to add photos and converse about anything here. Chatting at the blog is what its comment boxes are for too. Love and fun to everyone, Carolyn!

Our welcome post and positive starting words are here! Please read it for the information and to share the enthusiasm. Everyone who is signed-up and everyone interested in joining. Please comment and chat at that post and start things up!

RSVP'ing is not the same as signing-up. Knowing how many are playing, seeing you in the blog linky buttons, tells me the scope of festivities we can do. Joining with a blog post especially (for bloggers), is appreciated please, while it is early enough to entice others. Yours truly, Carolyn. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2019/0...

Here is our headquarters:  a handy place for our related pages and activities.  https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/headqu...

I hope you read the welcome post in the comment above from yesterday. It answers questions and stirs our new year up with what to expect.

Hello, chat group and reading challenge group members! How are you? I thought I had better warn you that I cannot get any Wordpress websites to load lately; my own or any others. I asked Ron to verify at work that my website does work and he confirms you. You, yourselves, are often adding links to the review pages, which I enjoy.

Even though the pages are always open and self-serve, I certainly intend to roll out the fun activities portion of our four reading groups! Just when I was gearing up to update some posts, a storm hit my dial-up modem last week. I replaced it the next day and have a UPS battery device protecting my whole phone line and computer now. But I have been unable to load Wordpress since; the page I was on when a storm zapped our modem.

It must be a network or software glitch but I could try phoning Wordpress. Our connection speeds are slow but websites should hang on until they load; not time out. I can't find an e-mail address for them. My internet service has not gotten back to me, so I am figuring out how to get Wordpress working again, myself. There is a great techie at my computer store whom I might call. I have my own thinking cap and other options.

I have deleted Google Chrome cookies, logged in and out of Google, rebooted our computer, checked firewall settings. In case there has been a glitch that I am unaware of - I have found my share of flukes - I might set our PC back to the last "recovery point". If that doesn't work, I definitely need tech support from anyone game to take the time. At least I can help isolate what must be fixed.

WHAT TO DO WHILE I WAIT TO GET BACK ON WORDPRESS AND POST ANEW.

Some of you keen to join this year's challenges had not signed-up. Others have not started adding to our review pages. Now is a good time! I wrote a welcome post that didn't get any replies. Have a read: everything's in there. If there are questions, obviously e-mail or leave a note at this group (not private Goodreads messaging).

Don't forget that you should tell me if you want to be in the December prize draw! It is for everyone who signs-up, except that we ensure the prize goes to someone who is interested and still playing along. It confirms participation: it doesn't matter how much you read, or if you write reviews. All 2019 books count, no matter when you signed-up.

Finally, for an extra name in the draw: try guessing this year's "My Kind Of Mystery" book logo! It doesn't matter if you are in groups other than my mystery one. We have a good standing in "My Kind Of Mystery" this year but "Celtic Coasts", "Gentle Spectrums", and "Ethereal" need to build a little more, before I return to one draw for each theme. Thus, you all have a crack at the mystery.

If it takes much longer to get back onto Wordpress, I will start a clue here. Apologies to members who are not using this group but everyone can read what's here, whether or not at Goodreads. There is my technical update, reassuring you I have not forgotten about hosting fun, seasonal activities! I look forward to it. Yours sincerely, Carolyn.

Hello! I have gotten onto my Wordpress blog only sporadically; enough to makes some updates with relief, not to write new posts. Wordpress support stopped-short of helping me figure out the bizarre error, or combination of glitches which slow internet doesn't improve and Google Chrome does not reply. However, my local computer store is helping. We will try to collaborate on this next week and I can bring things for him to see in person, if need be; a great asset.

If you are seeing this, which I hope you are: please e-mail by November, that you want to be in the year-end prize draw. I draw as close to December 1 as possible, so you can choose an item in time for me to beat each year's postage hike. Participating is all that matters, not how much you read, so it makes good sense to do the draw.

Replies also show that I have an audience eager for activities. With visible interest, I would find a way to roll one out soon. Otherwise, I would wait until access to my blog is a stable constant. I am popping-in again to spark conversation and to reassure you that I am always on-hand, watching for comments; however lack of blog posts might appear.

Hello gang! I was able to write a post yesterday, asking how you are doing and providing an overdue update at Wordpress. I hope everyone reads it because it is part informational and part an invitation to discuss any aspect you would like to share.

I tell you I am here, despite technical issues preventing access to Wordpress, past a few hours per week! Sometimes it just works and then poof. In case you wonder, my dial-up comes from a scarcely-run company who does not answer their phone and I have no call-back number. They appear to refuse to e-mail me back.

The main point is that everyone who would like to be included in a humble but fun year-end prize draw, just for being a member of any of my groups, simply needs to e-mail me by December 1. I draw early to beat the new year Canada Post price hike and drawing has nothing to do with how many books you read.

Furthermore, I give clues to help you guess this year's "My Kind Of Mystery" logo! Everyone is invited to play to win an extra year-end draw entry, no matter which group you are in! Also, you are encouraged to link-up review URLs (or titles via comment box) if you have not started yet. My best, Carolyn. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2019/0...

Challenge members: please read the following close-out summary post! You have my thanks if you are subscribed to my blog and will see it without prompting. However I cannot tell, without having comments to the previous update.

In this post: I direct you to the linky buttons for reviews and wrap-up links: be they blog posts or Goodreads shelves. I reveal the "My Kind Of Mystery" logo! And, since no one e-mailed asking to be in the year-end draw and I do believe most of you are interested: I provide a second chance to do so. But please note, to avoid mail price increases: I ask for a fast turnaround by Christmas Eve.

I'd love a comment at the blog post later and understand that we have more time in January. However, e-mailing that you want a draw is quick. My e-mail address is in the post and sign-up pages. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2019/1...

Surprise! At my blog, I am offering a "Christmas Clue" contest! The prize is the same: a choice from my list of second-hand books and other options, like plant seeds and greeting cards. The surprise is: you do not need to be in my challenges to participate! This is open to everyone: Goodreads friends, blog subscribers, and everyone keen who sees this! My post is here.

The deadline is December 27. Please communicate there, or by e-mail. Merry Christmas, you guys! Your friend, Carolyn. https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2019/1...