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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE

by Mary Andrews

I have always felt a link with outcasts. My upbringing as the eldest of seven children, though not horrible, was not littered with warm and fuzzy feelings. Despite my mother's attempts, my father’s cruel sense of humor and manipulative child rearing techniques pretty much taught us how to survive and adapt without giving us much of a reason as to why.

Basically, we were raised in reverse. Instead of eventually jumping from a loving and secure nest out into the cruel, cruel world to learn survival skills, we came out cold and capable but lacking in humanity. As a result, I’ve always looked at human interactions from the outside, hence the outcast remark earlier.

By the age of 40, I’d say I’d accumulated some semblance of humanity but work relationship pretty well eluded me. As every good woman in the 60’s I’d warred against the status quo and, though I carried no signs or burned any bra’s, I felt determined not to succumb to becoming a stereotypical woman in the workspace. Instead, I tried on a wide and varied range of jobs; everything from electronic assembly to aircraft mechanic and collected a great deal of experience along the way. Still, even when I did well at work, I fell short of success.

There are a good many people like me out there. Someday, if my memory doesn’t deteriorate beyond retrieval, I plan to set some of these experiences to paper in my memoirs. I’ve even got a title: My Macroscopic Memoirs. But for now, I’d like to share the culmination of my research—just in case I get hit by a bus or hereditary Alzheimer’s kicks in. I think this set of instructions would be great to pass on to the young. Maybe it would help them integrate into that social miasma we call school but I’ve never looked into it.

So here’s my answer to how to survive the workplace:

1) Smile. Smile at everyone from the janitor to the suits.

It is an infectious and simple thing in itself, but it will insinuate and eventually initiate confidence, happiness, and a good attitude.

2) At every given opportunity say something nice to strangers. In the hallways, in the restrooms, in passing, compliment people.

It is amazing how hard people work to look nice or do things well and usually it will go uncommented upon. There are entire industries build upon this. Makeup, clothing, perfume, accessories are only the tip of the iceberg here yet compliments are rare.

Now I’m not talking about empty compliments. Just open your eyes and state, in passing, the truths that are out there. On your way to lunch say, “I like your shoes...nice purse...pretty eyes...great smile...” then keep on walking.

This is the important part. Keep on walking.

You see in social interactions and competitive work places there will always be a pecking order. It’s human nature—a pack behavior of sorts. So usually people perceive a compliment as an opening to negotiation. They think he/she wants something from me and the armor up.

If you say nice things in passing and move on, they may think you strange at first, but as they realize this is something you just do, it accomplishes two things. First, it removes you from their ‘enemy’ lists. And second, it makes them feel good which in turn makes the world a better place.

Strange as it may seem, most workplaces rival the school halls in pettiness and competition. It is good to be likable without fear of threat, but also, what if everyone’s efforts were to become openly appreciated? Doesn’t sound right does it? Think about it. They say that it takes seven complements to erase one complaint.

3) At lunch breaks etc, refrain from gossip and complaints. Instead, bring at least one new joke a day to work. A lot of problems and enemies can be eliminated by non participation.

4) Do your job to the best of your abilities. In some venues it is easier to gain acceptance by taking the least liked job first. It is less threatening, more appreciated by coworkers, and easier to work your way up from. And in the end, work is what we do to afford the cost of having a life.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be unique. I, letter by letter, personalized my hand written alphabet. I didn’t date until the end of high school. I remained aloof. But one day I looked up and realized I’d become so unique I was almost extinct. Though I pretty much put myself there, membership to the Outcast Club doesn’t really differentiate how it’s attained or how long one chooses to remain.

Before I ‘retired’ I eventually pieced together this game plan and successfully implemented it in the last jobs I held. I came away with true friends as well as funds earned. It solved my work interaction problems because these few simple things turned my efforts outward instead of inward.

To quote one of my younger sisters, “You can be a thermometer or a thermostat.”

It’s worth thinking about.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Show me the love.... please!

February is, at least for me, usually a feel good kind of a month. There's Valentine's Day, and Spring is on the horizon... but this year, it was a little harder than usual to muster up the warm fuzzies.

It seems everywhere I go these days, I come into contact with the reign of snarkdom. Have people just forgotten the basic rule of "treat others the way you want to be treated"... or my mother's favorite, "if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all?"

It seems this way of thinking has become pervasive, from impatience on supermarket checkout lines, to the mean spirited dialogue written for characters on TV, to the God-awful comments people leave anonymously on the internet.

I spend my days creating characters that are independent and strong, yet still compassionate. I pour myself into how I craft their natures, developing them into 3-dimensional characters, tested and pushed, but still finding the strength within to hold onto their humanity. But in the real world, lately, I've had a hard time convincing myself that goodwill isn't dead and buried somewhere under a headstone that reads, "Here lies the Golden Rule." That the strength of character I try to instill in the characters I create, is but an illusion that no longer exists.

People will say, "Well, you're from New York, what did you expect to find...please, excuse me and thank you?" But this isn't something limited to my cynical city. It's all over, and I really don't know what to do about it. What's worse, is I see it popping up in the schools my children attend, in the way the kids speak to each another. Of course, the reason why is they're mimicking what they hear and see around them and on TV.

As a society, have we become so soulless that our idea of humor is so entrenched in the self-serving, that the lines between mean and funny are forever blurred? And where is it written that it's acceptable to leave non-substantive yet hurtful commentary all over the internet, and that today it's not only expected, it's considered downright cool?

Part of me cringes inwardly because I know I sound like our grandparents back in the day, when they tried to protest that Rock-n-Roll Rubbish as they called it. But in this case, it I don't think it's so much a shift in freedom of expression as much as it's a blatant disregard for common respect, consideration and right vs. wrong.

Some argue that it's fallout from not enough accountability and too much entitlement. And while I don't know about that, I do believe the warning signs are flashing red, especially when in places like Cincinnati, Ohio, school districts have to bribe students with gift cards to get them to attend school.

Perhaps it's not as bad as my experiences this past month have made it seem, and there are people out there who still believe you go farther with a kind word than a nasty one, and that a job well done is worth the effort you have to put in. One can only hope. At least that's what I keep telling myself.


Marianne Morea

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

February Funnies



Ahhh, love! How blissful and how sweet everything seemed just a week ago. But, Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Flowers have wilted, candy has been eaten, and the reality of the harshness of winter is still upon us.


Brrr! So what can we do to keep our spirits up? LAUGH! Yep, laughter is a *terrific* stress buster. Here’s a dose of February Funnies to bring a smile to your face while you wait for Spring to melt away the snow.

These entries were sent to the Washington Post a few years ago. The competition asked for a rhyme with the most romantic first line... but the least romantic second line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Thought that I could love no other... That is until I met your brother!

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head!

Of loving beauty you float with grace... If only you could hide your face!

Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss... But I only slept with you because I was pissed!

Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;... This describes everything you are not!

I want to feel your sweet embrace... But don't take that paper bag off of your face!

I love your smile, your face, and your eyes... Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:... Marrying you screwed up my life!

I see your face when I am dreaming.... That's why I always wake up screaming!

My love, you take my breath away.... What have you stepped in to smell this way?

My feelings for you no words can tell,... Except for maybe "go to hell"!

What inspired this amorous rhyme?... Two parts vodka, one part lime!

Laughter truly is the best medicine. A research study showed that the average child laughs 150 times a day, while the average adult laughs only 15 times... if that. Why should children have all the fun?? So go ahead and smile. Maybe you’ll end up with a belly-whooper of a laugh, which will also help strengthen your immune system. P.S. A smile also gives you an instant face lift!!

Susanne

Susanne Marie Knight
http://www.susanneknight.com
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now Available: EPPIE Finalist: The Magic Token (Uncial Press)
An old woman gives skeptical Amanda a magic coin. It couldn’t possibly work, but how else can she explain her sudden good fortune?

Coming March: A Karmic Connection (Amazon & Smashwords)
Elizabeth and Paul went their separate ways twenty years ago. When their paths cross again, will they heed the psychic signs that they are meant to be together?

Coming May: The Minx Tobin Mystery Series: The Embezzled Envelope--Case Six (Desert Breeze Publishing)
An old embezzlement case takes on a new twist: murder. When Minx tries to clear her good friend’s name, she gets burned... literally.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

First Love

If you're like me, you've just spent the last three weeks blogging about love in all its wonderful forms. Which has me thinking about the very first love of my life. First Love. My goodness, do you remember it? The fast heartbeats and sweaty palms and confusion?

I haven’t thought about Bobby in years. What a cutie he was! Light blond hair, huge blue eyes and adorably pudgy cheeks. I was nine years old.


Keep in mind, I have lots of brothers, so to me boys were disgusting and something to be avoided at all costs. That tells you right there that Bobby was some pumpkins to catch my eye.

I remember the giggles and passing notes with friends about the cute little mistake he made on the board, and how his blue jacket just matched his eyes. There were nervous mornings getting dressed for school. I was in a private school at the time and not much made the red plaid uniform attractive. But I’d brush my hair until it sparked with static and some brother or another pounded on the door for me to hurry the heck up.

But with my first love came my first heartache and insecurity. You see, he loved DeeDee and never even saw me. Broke my poor young heart. It was the first time I realized you can be in love and the other person not be. I’d always assumed it would be mutual when it happened.

Don’t despair! My story has a happy ending. I now live with the love of my life, my adorable husband and friend, who is also a blond haired, blue-eyed beauty. Lucky me!

Hope your month of love has been has happy as mine!

Dianne Hartsock


Friday, February 17, 2012

Why Men Should Read Romance

A recent tweet led me to a blog post over at the Red Pen of Doom. As I write this, the lead post is from 02/05 and is entitled "One Man. One Romance Novel. One Bottle of Bourbon." But that's not the tweet I got. Believe it or not - and yes, such strange things sometimes happen in the duck lady's world - I had no idea that the blog author was actually reading a romance novel when I started this post. The tweet I got was to a prior post at the same blog entitled: "Romance Novelists Are A Secret, Epic Army of Man Boosters."

The Red Pen of Doom is apparently the blog of a speechwriter named "Guy" from Washington - okay, I didn't do any in-depth research. I come to praise Guy, not to dismantle him. As far as I'm concerned, he can call himself Merlin The Magnificent. Anyway, in his post about "Man Boosters," Merlin - err, Guy - first makes the clearly brilliant observation that romance novelists are "talented and funny." (See why I like him right from the get go?) I even forgive him for saying the following:

These women are more talented than most folks writing about elves and spaceships, or elves riding spaceships, because there is so much freaking competition with romance novels.

It’s like throwing 10,000 authors into the Thunderdome, tossing in a single chainsaw and refusing to unlock the door until there’s only one woman left. By definition, that woman is going to kick tail. She will be a writing goddess.


It's funny -- that's what I'm saying. It's also true, but that's beside the point. We've already established that Guy is brilliant and funny. The point of his post provided the fodder for this one - he thinks that romance novels "celebrate and adore men" so they should be encouraged. His post notes that romance novels "spend a lot of time writing steamy scenes encouraging women to do natural things with men. This is a Good Thing, and should be encouraged, and celebrated throughout the land, unless we men have been busy taking Stupid Pills."

Guy's post is makes the point that romance is great PR for guys because the genre is so focused on men and is so very, very pro-man. He thinks romance novelists are an army of dedicated women spearheading a "$16.5 Billion" PR campaign promoting men and manliness and manly men. And he thinks men owe romance novelists.

Well, I decided he was right. I think men owe romance novelists - and, for that matter romance novels - and payback means giving the genre a shot. Yes, Virginia, I think men should read more (some) romance novels.

Why would a smart man read a romance novel? Well, first because a smart woman wrote it. That means a guy gets a smart woman's assessment of what women want from a man. Let's face it, the guys in romance novels aren't the regular Joe you'll meet on every street corner. They're special - and each romance novel hero is special in his own way. If a man wants a certain woman to see him as special, he can't find a better way to get a clue than to read romance.

Another reason for guys to read the genre is that romance novelists write heroes they way they wish guys acted. Often, the hero at the beginning of the story will act more like "real" guys. By the end of the story, the hero has been through a process and he's learned to react and respond differently to the heroine. The reader - male or female - takes that journey with the characters. A man who wants to understand women couldn't find a better place to start than inside the pages of a romance.

If a guy wants to know what turns women on - if he wants to know what'll get her hot and bothered enough to bother him real good - a romance novel is sort of like a female operator's manual. Often we won't tell you what we want or how we want it because we want you to care enough to figure it out. We don't come with instructions, but you can buy them at your local bookstore or on Amazon if you'll pass up the "A"ction and adventure, the "C"rime and detective stories and stop at the "R" shelf instead of speeding by it on your way to the "S"cience fiction section.

There's one other reason for men to read romance, but it's so far-fetched and over the top that it takes the duck lady to make the suggestion. A man might read romance because he'd ENJOY the books. Yes, it's okay for a man to actually like a story focused on feeling instead of fighting. A man might like to read about a couple meeting for the first time and enjoy experiencing how their feelings change and grow. Courtship, love and marriage aren't solo experiences. It takes two, baby, and there is no reason on earth that men can't enjoy reading romance novels.

What romance novels would make good "starter" reading for a man brave enough to give the genre a try? Well, Guy of the Red Pen of Doom posted that he's started reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. He says that was based on reader recommendations. I find that -- unfortunate. No, I don't like the book. I more than don't like it - I don't think it's a romance. (If I start that argument, this blog post will rival War and Peace.)

I think a romantic suspense might make a good starter romance for a man daring enough to dabble in romance reading. Linda Howard and Elizabeth Lowell write good romantic suspense - as does Catherine Coulter. I particularly enjoyed Lowell's Donovan series. (Amber Beach, Jade Island, Pearl Cove, and Midnight in Ruby Bayou) Another choice might be Jayne Anne Krentz's Arcane series because it mixes elements of romantic suspense with paranormal or "sci fi" elements of "superheroes" that might strike a familiar note.



What romance novels would you recommend to introduce men to the genre?



Mary Anne Graham
Quacking Alone Romances
Friend Quacking Alone on Facebook!
Follow Quacking Alone on Twitter!

Picture credits:

Duck drinking whiskey
http://www.jokestation.org/view/357/Drunk-Duck

Metrosexual man
http://fveda.com/lifestyle/385-metro-sexual-men-of-the-21st-century.html

Female operator's manual
http://www.junekramin.com/archives/2368

Diana Gabaldon Outlander cover
http://www.readingwithtequila.com/2011/11/outlander-by-diana-gabaldon.html

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Roses and Valentine's Day




Did you receive roses for Valentine's Day? Red is the most popular color to give, but other colors are also given on this day.

Let's hear it for the roses...all sizes, shades and colors! The wonderful aroma, beautiful bouquets, bushes, etc., all around us.Do you know what the colors signify?






RED: Known as the Lover's Rose, shades can go from light to deep crimson. What better Valentine's gift than red roses? Maybe with chocolates to add a special "romance" meaning?









PINK: Expresses gentility, femininity, elegance, admiration. Deep pink: gratitude. Light pink: grace.






WHITE: Represents purity, innocence and celebrates weddings and young love.









 YELLOW: Evokes a sense of warmth and friendship. In Victorian times, it symbolized jealousy!





ORANGE: Symbolize desire, attraction, and passion...that can lead to a wild romance!












LAVENDER, LILAC, PURPLE: Displays enchantment, and imagination...and love at first sight.


 





TURQUOISE: Expresses well-being, calmness, fertility.









BLUE:  Embodies a sense the impossible and of mystery while hoping for an extraordinary chance for the beginning of something new.






GOLD: No better way to say "I Care", "Welcome Back", "Remember Me", my friend.





Whatever color is given is a wonderful expression of love...except black. No romance there. Just sorrow so let's hope none come your way. Although, I'm sure some paranormal romances will feature these black roses as the choice of shade for dark tales!

Credits: Teleflora, Proflowers, Morrison Gardens, Roses for Life.
Photos: Flickr: D. Sharon Pruitt, Joe Shalbotnik, The Gifted, Angela M. Michel, BONGURI, dorena-wm, KIUKO, naitokz, toastforbreakfast, and ghewqill's photostreams.

Monday, February 13, 2012

A Valentine's Day Dream Come True


Last month I posted about the too-often-true story of a romance gone bad. Now, with Valentine's Day upon us, I thought I'd pass along the story of the same broken-hearted lover two years later, happier than he'd dreamed he could be with the BFF of his childhood.

What is true love? He's learned it's not just hot sex and party time--not for long. He's suffered heartache and despair and come out wiser. He's rediscovered friendship and shared interests with the woman who's no longer a little neighbor girl...and together they've found their friendship has morphed into something more. After a lot of soul-searching he's realized he'd trust her with his life, after going through a time when the only woman he could trust was his own mother. He's discovered the best kind of passion grows from friendship and trust, where before he'd been ruled by mindless lust.

So...it's the day before Valentine's Day and he has a ring in his pocket. The spicy-sweet smell of two dozen American Beauty roses surrounds him as he stands at his best friend's door, vase in hand. His pulse accelerates when she appears, her smile welcoming him and her eyes twinkling with anticipation. He wonders how could he ever have thought of this gorgeous creature as his buddy--practically another sister?

He makes a living by persuading others but suddenly he's at a loss for words. He thrusts the vase of roses at her. "Here. The florist said these signify love and passion."

"You shouldn't have, but I love them. Come on in," she says, accepting the flowers.

Are those tears he sees welling up in her eyes? She's never looked so beautiful, and he's never loved another woman one tenth as much. She sets the roses on the table and sits beside him on the couch. A tear rolls down her cheek, and strangely that gives him courage.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." Dare he say it? The words hadn't escaped his lips for so long, and so many hurts had followed that first commitment. He had to. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She laughed as though she didn't want to put more importance on the word. "We've loved each other since we were five years old, haven't we?"

"Yeah. But not always the way I love you now. My little guy loves you, too." In for a penny, in for a pound. "I want you to marry me." Taking her hand, he reached in his pocket, brought out the ring and slid it on her finger. "Please."

Would she ever say yes and put him out of his misery? For the longest time she just stared at her hand, seemingly mesmerized by the flash of the heart-shaped diamond he'd picked out just for her. "Oh, yes." She broke into a dazzling smile. "Did you know I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember?"

He let out the breath he'd been holding and took her in his arms. "I may not always have been very smart, but I finally wised up. You're the woman I've always wanted. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it."

And so, the two lived happily ever after, after all, and his little boy found a stable home full of love and laughter! Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.

For a heartwarming reunion Quickie set around the lovers' holiday, check out my latest, IRRESISTIBLE...AGAIN, available now from Ellora's Cave, Amazon.com, or ARebooks.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Jan 2012 Accomplishments

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
We're in the second month of 2012 already. Can you believe it? Time passes so fast these days.

Looking back at the month of January, I began to wonder what I accomplished.
  • I've been writing 10-12k per week for an urban fantasy novel, which is close to completion.
  • signed a contract with Lyrical Press for The Quest
  • The Awakening came out 1/23
  • notified 3-4 pirate sites to remove my book, which they did (yay!)
  • signed a contract for a novella under my pen name for a pub date in April
  • signed up and confirmed my first ebook signing event at RT
  • ordered more swag for RT
  • queried agents for my PNR novel (expecting only rejects - no big deal on that)
  • won a Kindle Fire and a $25. GC from Amazon
I'm sure I forgot something. Sleeping tends to help me forget. Why do I sleep?

Still, all this in addition to regular day job and mom duties. I have NO complaints what-so-ever. I'd say January was successful, and as I'm riding the roller coaster of life, I believe I'm heading up steadily. I just hope the ride doesn't descend soon. I really need to win the lottery first. (brings up new web page to check numbers)

How was the month of January for you? Drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you!

Best Wishes,
Mary Abshire
Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Author

Published PNR:
The Soul Catcher series:
Claiming the Evil Dead
Catching An Evil Tail
Fighting Evil
Love Conquers All Evil

Published UF:
The Awakening












Excerpt:
She's the only one of her kind. And she doesn’t even know her name.

Two investigators--one human, one vampire--find a young woman among a mass of dead bodies. She has no memories, and nothing but her clothes, two receipts, and a mysterious dagger carved with the initials ‘SB’. As she seeks her identity, SB realizes she's unlike any other creature in the world, making her the most valuable person on the planet. And the most wanted.

Where to find Mary:

Friday, February 3, 2012

Imbolc & Groundhogs

In pagan and Wiccan belief, February 2 is known as Imbolc or Candlemas. It's the first recognition of the sun's return, a festival of candles and lights. It's also a time where we plant the seeds for the new year, though in most parts of the world it isn't planting time at all. Still, we can plan. We can make decisions. And then we know what we need to do in the coming months to make our goals grow.

This was the time when a farmer would look at his land and livestock and make decisions for the coming year. In Thoroughbred breeding, since all Thoroughbreds have birthdays on January 1, this is breeding season. You want the foal born as close to January 1 as possible, so now you are looking at and booking matings with stallions. You're planning matches and researching pedigrees. Business owners plan their years. Authors plan what books they may be writing. This is a time of planning, of predictions.

So it probably makes some sense that a cute, cuddly, hibernating mammal comes into play this time of year. Ground hogs actually hibernate the longest. So if Phil did see his shadow, he probably thought something like "damn it! I was sleeping! Turn off the lights!" And if he didn't, well...we know no matter what the groundhog says there will be six more weeks of winter.

This is the time of year when we set goals and when we plan. As we move toward spring, what seeds will you sow? And what will you strive for this year?

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Rude or infinately patient?

If you don’t know, carry on a conversation with someone hard of hearing. Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not slamming people with a hearing handicap. I’m on the receiving end, not the giving. About twenty years ago, thanks to a doctor who gave me a medication in too strong a dosage for too long a time, I’ve discovered people who answer to both ends of that question. To some, I have suddenly become invisible to a degree they not only cut me out of a conversation; they turn their backs to me. Are they embarrassed, thoughtless, or….? I really don’t know, but I do know, there are more on the other side. I know it’s frustrating to have to repeat what you say, two or three times. It’s frustrating to me to have to ask you to. I’m happy to say the ratio of those willing is far higher than those who get irritated, rude, or back off when I move closer to hear better. Honestly, I’ve had people back away to the point I worried about BO more than did I invade their space. There are those like a clerk I asked questions about my computer. He’d repeated the information in parts for the third time before he asked, “Are you having trouble understanding me or hearing me?” I could have hugged him. He didn’t look at me as if I were stupid. Furthermore, he didn’t start yelling at me to embarrass me. Yelling, btw, only makes it worse. Yelling distorts the sounds I’m already having trouble recognizing. I have about 25% speech recognition in one ear. I supplement that with lip reading which at its best is estimated to be 33%. Anything that distorts the sound or obscures your mouth lessens my ability to catch enough to make sense of what you’re saying, although admittedly there are some people who don’t make any sense anyway. Poor diction makes it nearly impossible. I’m becoming more and more aware of how poorly people speak, enough to make me wonder do they not teach pronunciation in the schools anymore. Slurring, running words together, talking a mile a minute, and chewing gum take my comprehension abilities down to about one word in twenty.
As hard of hearing, I would like to pass these tips along in talking to people ‘like us.’
Get our attention. This doesn’t mean walk up and slap us on the back or. Some people’s favorite, on the fanny. Not only is it jarring to the nerves it’s irritating. A light touch on the arm or shoulder is so appreciated. If you’re across the room, waving wildly usually helps. Also what works nicely is to ask a hearing person near me to ‘touch me lightly on the arm’ and point in your direction.
Look at and talk in our direction. It isn’t necessary to look us in the eye. I know that makes some people uncomfortable. I wouldn’t look you in the eye anyway; I’d be watching your mouth. Keep in mind if you’re looking over your shoulder, to the side, or even at the floor, not only is it difficult to see your mouth, the sound is going that direction.
Don’t cover your mouth.  You’d be surprised how many people do that when their talking. Are they afraid they have spinach in their teeth?
Don’t shout. I’ve already explained why. Sometimes pitching your voice to another level helps, but generally speaking normally works the best.  
Pronoun your words clearly. Self explanatory.
Speak at a normal rate. By that I mean, just because I tell you I’m hard of hearing, don’t think talking in slow motion is going to help. I’ve found slow motion is like shouting. It tends to distort. I’mmmmm gooooing etc. I have asked people to slow down. It’s usually last about three words into a sentence before they’re back up to speed.
Don’t be irritated if I parrot back what you said. I’m just making sure I heard you right before I answer.
Be patient. That’s the most important thing, and enjoy some of the unexpected humor when you ask me a question and I give you some off the wall answer to what I think you said.

Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/ White Savage, Chase, Tarbet
my links: