A couple of things

First of all, I just received some coupons from ACX for a free copy of of the Unintended Consequences audiobook.

If you would like a coupon, send me an email.

The sales are slow, but I haven't been doing much in the way of marketing right now.

The WIP has changed slightly. I took down the image from the sidebar because I think I will be using other artwork. And the title I had been using doesn't work anymore with the shift in plot. Bummer. Naming a book is one of the hardest parts. I was wandering through images on Shutterstock the other day and may have found the perfect one. I need to figure out how I will use it before I buy the license. One license has a limit of 230,000 copies. Ha, ha, ha! Wish I had to worry about that!

On the writing side - I think I may have finally broken through the sludge. I wasn't happy with the part of the story I was writing. Then I realized how bare bones the story was. I went back and clarified point of view, added setting, emotion and wow, what a difference. The words are flying again.

Branding. 

I have been reading a lot about branding lately. It makes sense. First rule - make sure your covers indicate your genre. I think mine are fairly obvious. Blood dripping into a puddle probably won't make people think it's a romance or humor. Maybe horror, but the cover blurb would clear that up. White Lies has flames, I might consider tweaking that when I have some time.

For the next book, which will be near-future, post-apocalyptic fantasy, I am thinking of using a pen name. That way all the mysteries will be under one name and other genres get other names. Another way to brand. Although I have heard that the downside to that is that it confuses fans that might read across genres. I have to think about it.

I added some pictures to the Artwork page. All watercolors. Several from when I lived out west. Enjoy!

Joy

The other day a person asked me, "What gives you joy?" I was stumped for an answer. And that worried me. Was my life not joyful? What was the definition of joy - so happy you're giddy?

But I love the way my life works right now. So then I thought, if I put it on a scale of 1 to 10, and 10 is bliss, I might average a 6 on any day of the week. An 8 if it's a breezy summer day and I'm working in the garden. A 9 when I check my sales figures and a few books have sold.

Maybe you have to be down in the 2s and 3s to appreciate the rise to an 8. Maybe I'm just coasting a little too high and I'm already at joyful, so I can't see what greater heights I could reach?

An hour long massage is a 10.

Dinner with friends and family can be a 10.

Laughing so hard I can't catch my breath is always a 10.

Making dinner entirely out of the garden, a blue-sky day so clear it makes your eyes tear, the scent of daffodils in spring, homemade peanut butter ice cream with dark chocolate chips, hearing robins call to one another in the cooling twilight of a summer's day, the smell of autumn leaves, sleeping late on a cold, rainy morning, spiced cider in the winter, jam made from plums off the tree I planted...

Perhaps I take joy for granted.

Unintended Consequences Audio book is out!

It's taken a bit longer than anticipated, but the audiobook is now complete. I added the link to Audible and it is also available through Amazon. Just click on the tab at the top for Unintended Consequences to get to the links.

I've already had some sales, very exciting!