Read:

5 Ways to Impress a Book Publisher in Half a Second (Chad R. Allen): Yes, you really can impress a book publisher (or Literary Agent) in half a second. And it all comes down to (you guessed it) Google. As Allen writes: “Book deals are business partnerships, which means authors are not only artists but business partners. I Google authors’ names because I want to know something about them. And Google can tell me very quickly–in about half a second, actually–whether to keep my interest alive or walk away forever.” I do this same thing. In today’s world, it is absolutely essential to have an online presence. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

The 4 Platform Secrets No One Has Told You (Carly Watters): “You’re not a satellite circling alone, you’re a compass pointing visitors to your brand. A vacant platform can be a sign of fear: are you afraid to follow other people because you’re afraid you won’t be any further ahead? It’s also a sign of disinterest: are you too “busy” for your brand? Then a publisher isn’t going to make time for you. Many of today’s success stories revolve around authors who have understood what their fans expect and want from them.”

Why Do People Share What They Do? Here’s What Neuroscience, Psychology, and Relationships Tell Us About Highly Shareable Content (Mridu Khullar Relph of Buffer): “If you want your content to be shared and shared regularly, understanding the “why” and “how” behind social shares can go a long way in showing you how to craft the perfect post for your audience.” This is a long post, but it’s chock-full of information that will help you dig deeper into understanding the social environment of the Internet. Plus there’s good news buried in there: positive content trumps negative content when it comes to shareability. So keep up the cheer!

“Don’t Read Books!” A 12th Century Zen Poem (Maria Popova of Brain Pickings): Another wonderful find from the ever-interesting Maria Popova: a poem called “Don’t Read Books” written by Yang Wanli in the 12th century. It’s just what it sounds like: a plea to avoid the brain-rot of book-reading. “It might seem like a ridiculous notion to us today, loaded with heavy cultural irony, but it offers a poignant reminder that if books, which we presently worship as the most meditative form of media, were in the twelfth century what video games or Twitter are in the twenty-first, then a few dozen generations into the future — provided humanity still exists — the very forms we dismiss as spiritually worthless distractions today may come to be seen as the strongest anchors to the fabric of cultural history.”

Eat & Drink:

I’m handing the writing reins over to Jarrett, for a very awesome announcement:

The rumors are true: Maria and I got engaged last weekend! We’ve dated for nearly 6 years after having met during the tail end of our senior year at the University of Richmond. We met at the campus coffee shop–we were discussing writing an article for our school newspaper, The Collegian, which should show you how cool we were–and from the start I could tell that Maria was whip smart, gorgeous, and that we had the exact same sense of humor. The rest, as they say, is history.

Last year, after several years of being long-distance, we were finally able to move to Alexandria together, and I started planning on proposing to Maria this summer. We took a surprise trip back down to Richmond last weekend and stopped at the Maymont Estate to stroll around. We decided to sit on the grass under an enormous old tree and enjoy some ice cream to cool off. I slipped a silver spoon with the words “Will You Marry Me?” engraved on it in her ice cream, then handed it to her. When she pulled it out and realized what was going on, she broke into a huge smile, and I pulled out the ring. We then ended the night at La Grotta, the restaurant where we had our first date!

So it’s only fitting that we have ourselves a celebratory cocktail! A few weeks back we were at our friends’ house (another story for another day), and they served us jalapeño-infused tequila with pineapple juice. I took our friends’ idea, as well as this margarita recipe (we’ll steal from anybody!), and used them as my jumping-off point for making these Frozen Jalapeño-Pineapple Margaritas:

Frozen Jalapeño-Pineapple Margarita Recipe

Makes about 4 drinks

• 3 cups of pineapple chunks (preferably freshly cut, but frozen works too)
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 cup jalapeño-infused tequila (see below)
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• Salt

Toss all ingredients (except for the salt, obviously) in a blender and blend. Start with a few ice cubes and add more to create your desired level of frozen-ness. Rub a lime wedge on the rim of a coupe (or margarita) glass and then dunk in salt to create a salt rim. Pour in the frozen margarita mix. Add a lime slice for garnish.

The jalapeño-infused tequila is very simple. Just follow this straightforward recipe. (Basically you just combine sliced jalapeños and tequila and let it steep for 24 hours.) But please, please, get some good-quality tequila (Espolón is my current go-to). Nothing is worse than cheap tequila.

And that is how you celebrate an engagement in boozy style. It’s also not too bad on these last few hot, humid weeks of summer. Cheers!