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Alan Gratz is our guest blogger during the week of October 20th. If you have any questions for Alan Gratz, add a comment to any of his posts. Here is some more information about Something Wicked:

The Scottish Highland Festival in Tennessee is all set to begin, but there’s one problem: Duncan MacRae, founder of the games, has just been murdered. The police arrested Malcolm, Duncan’s son, but is he really the killer? Horatio Wilkes, for one, has doubts.

Horatio is attending the festival with his childhood friend Mac, Mac’s super-hot yet controlling girlfriend Beth, and geeky sidekick Banks. Once there, he quickly finds himself caught up in the cutthroat world of the Scottish games, where fair is foul and foul is fair . . . and his best friend may yet turn out to be his worst enemy.

Join Horatio as he navigates the sinister world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in this fun and clever follow-up to Something Rotten.

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One of the great revolutions in technology came when the web went from mostly a monologue to a conversation. This paradigm shift, often called Web 2.0, relies on readers to post content, photos and comments. From the dawn of this user-generated idea, sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the current favorite, Twitter, were born. Now more than 70 million people use a social networking site every day.

Whether you own a small or large business, an author, an entrepreneur, solopreneur, boompreneur or want to help your church or non profit organization get the word out about what you do in a natural way, harnessing the power of social media is a powerful tool.

With so many social media sites out there the key questions to ask is: What is your goal?

a. If you're trying to find the largest global group with unique interests and groups, then Facebook might be your best bet.

b. If you want to build a group of professional advisors who can offer you advice, insight, and professional contacts, then LinkedIn may be a better fit for your needs.

c. If you are looking for a hip, fast, and cutting-edge way to boost brand awareness, then Twitter may be just right.

The key thing is you want to be where your target audience is. Here's how to get more out of the current social media platforms.

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For anyone who doesn't like to read or write but wants to jump on to the new media bandwagon, podcasting may be right for you. Podcasting can be either an audio or video file that is delivered straight to your computer. If you have an iPod you can take this handy format along with you on the go but you don't need an mp3 player to listen or watch. All you need is a high-speed connection to download your file quickly and a computer to listen.

Audio podcasts

Sound is a powerful connection medium and nothing communicates faster than the sound of someone's voice telling a story. If you're a writer, think about telling your own story in your own voice. If you're a consultant, imagine sharing your best tips, interviews with industry leaders or guidance. If you're a nonprofit organization, imagine a first-person story from someone you've helped. All these elements take on a distinctly resonate tone when they are told through the power of tone.

Video podcasts

Using the visual medium is best for individuals who like to show, not just tell. Imagine you are an artist who uses the most unusual materials to create your masterpieces. Or a flute maker and photographer who pairs soulful Native American music with vivid scenes from nature or a bed and breakfast owner who wants to show off the scenic area of your town, there is no limit to what you can use a video podcast for.