I sold a copy of my book to a telemarketer yesterday. Usually, I ignore numbers that I’m fairly certain are spam, but this one originated from Washington D.C. and I thought, Hey, it might be President Biden, so I accepted the call.
Turns out, it wasn’t Potus, but it wasn’t exactly a telemarketer either. Instead, the caller was from a charitable organization that I support. I politely listened to the caller’s spiel and then replied, “I’m sorry, but I can’t make a recurring monthly donation at this time. I’m a self-published author and I’m never sure what my royalties will amount to.”
“Oh?” She said. “What do you write?”
I grinned to myself. “I have a novel that was published in December. Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort.”
“She laughed and said, “What?”
I repeated the title.
“Oh my,” she said. “I’m buying that right now!”
We talked a few minutes more then said our goodbyes.
At the top of the hour I checked my sales on Kindle Direct Publishing. Now, I have no way of knowing if the kind caller was the purchaser of my book, but I did make a sale for an ebook that hour. And that’s why they call me, The Hustler. (Note: I think I’m the only one to use that nickname, but maybe I’ll start a trend.)
A few days ago I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. Sales for Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort have been good, but reviews were a little light. The reviews the book received were outstanding; there just weren’t that many of them.
So, I thought, why not have a drawing on my Facebook author page? When the number of reviews reached 40, I’d draw a reviewer’s name at random and give away either a Scout’s Honor coffee mug or a signed copy of Mayhem. Cool, huh?
Except I didn’t take into account that many reviewers on Amazon use nicknames or initials instead of their actual names, so for the last couple of days I’ve been trying to figure out who “Keek” is, and who among my readers might be “Amazon Customer.”
Also, and this is both a wonderful thing and an almost impossible impediment, I don’t personally know at least five of the reviewers! How would I contact them if they won?
Sometime this weekend the number of reviews not only reached, but exceeded the 40 mark. I was able to track down all but two reviewers through connections on Facebook and friends of friends, but those two were untraceable. I felt awful, but went ahead with the drawing as promised, and notified the winner.
So, any suggestions for future giveaways are welcome. I believe this was good for book sales and review numbers, but as Mayhem wanders away from my core group of friends and followers, it might be impossible to track down a winner. This one has given me a massive headache. But I’m also smiling!
Since publishing Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, I’ve joined several writers’ groups on Facebook. In one such group I encountered Sandra Lynne Reed. The title of her book, The Drive in ‘65, intrigued me, so I bought it. And LOVED it.
I had some questions for Sandra about her book, and she graciously answered them.
To give you some context for our interview I borrowed this from the book blurb on Amazon: In 1965, two sisters packed up their five children and their mother-eight people-in a nine-passenger van and traveled North America for fourteen weeks. After living in Alaska for twenty years, they wanted to see more of the world, and show their children what lay beyond Alaska’s borders.
Sandra Lynne Reed was thirteen that summer. The tiny town of Moose Pass, and the southern edges of Anchorage, one hundred miles north, defined Reed’s provincial childhood, and left her curious about the world she saw in magazines and on television-strange places that were her own country. In a summer of ‘firsts’ she and her siblings discovered the magic of fireflies, natural wonders, and treasures of history. On their tinny transistor radio, they followed news of the space race, the Civil Rights movement, and the escalating war in Vietnam. The musical sound track of the British invasion and the rising rock and roll era followed them as they circled North America, traveling as far south as Mexico City.”
Me: Sandra, the first thing that struck me as I began reading The Drive in ‘65 was the way you wove current events of the time into the story of your family’s trip. It’s not just about the road trip, but also about the social and political upheaval of the time. Was that your intention from the beginning or did you decide as you wrote that the tale had to include those elements?
Sandra: I began writing about the drive to preserve the family history, and at first did not include many broader events of the day. But with the encouragement of some writer friends and critique partners, I began to see that there was a wider audience for the story. I also realized that more context of the times would be needed, especially for readers who didn’t live through the 1960s. Including the wider context required a lot of research into the details of the news and culture of 1965.
Me: I can’t imagine my mother and her sister venturing into the great unknown as your mom and your aunt did. Even in the 70’s and 80’s when cars and roads both were superior to what your family was dealing with my mom would’ve been a nervous wreck. Did you realize at the time just how brave they were?
Sandra: At that time, I didn’t recognize their courage. I knew the trip would be a big adventure, and was glad they had such a great idea. Driving the highways in Alaska in the 1950s and ’60s required some bravery and could be pretty adventurous, so the trip seemed “normal” to me in that way. But as I grew up, and even more so as I began writing the story in earnest starting around 2014, I came to realize what a courageous undertaking it was.
Me: I don’t think it’s a spoiler to tell my readers that your mom and your aunt Phyllis intended from the beginning to write about the trip. If they’d written this book, what might they have included that you didn’t and vice versa?
Sandra: Phyllis and Mom intended to write the book as a series of letters, somewhat embellished because our actual letters were not entertaining enough to suit them! Some of their early beginnings on that book still exist in the archives of The Drive. They wanted to write about it shortly after our return, which would not have included the long-term effects the trip had on all of us. And they probably would not have included some of the difficult and painful family events that I did. They envisioned a more comic rendition of the story.
The Drive in ‘65 Route Map!
Me: The story isn’t all fun and games, though, and we learn a great deal about your family dynamics. How difficult was that to write? At any time did you think “Hey, I don’t want to tell this part.”
Sandra: Some of those were difficult, and I did debate about including some of the more painful stories. Some were included to illuminate the characters, and to reveal some of the effects the trip had on us all. But they are only my perspectives, and sadly, most of the others were no longer living by the time I was writing the book, so I could not consult them.
Me: You were thirteen when the eight of you took off on the adventure. If you could give your twelve-year-old self some advice prior to the trip, what would it be?
Sandra: I’d have loved some advice to help me feel less insecure and geeky! And I wish I had kept a detailed and thoughtful diary–I’m sure I did have advice from my mom to do that, but didn’t follow it. I confess, I have never been a faithful diary keeper!
Me: I can so picture The Drive in ‘65 as a movie. If Hollywood came knocking on your door, who would you like to see cast as a 13-year-old you?
Sandra: I’m very out of touch with actors in that age group! So after a little Googling around, I might choose Brooklynn Prince or Mckenna Grace.
Me: Thank you Sandra for taking the time to satisfy my curiosity. Now I’ll have to Google those actresses!
Sandra’s book brought back so many memories of trips with my family during the same time period. I was only nine in 1965, but the events of that decade are still etched in my heart and mind. And even though we never embarked on a trip of this magnitude, I could relate to her feelings of joy and angst, excitement and homesickness. I highly recommend The Drive in ‘65. It’s available on Amazon and as an ebook for Kindle.
If you’ve read my book, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, you’ll find this cartoon even funnier than it already is. If you haven’t read my book, you really should. You know, to be in on the joke. I knew there was a reason I loved The Far Side so much.
My first novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort has garnered nearly 40 reviews on Amazon! I’m pretty stoked.
When it reaches the 40 review mark I’m going to select one of the reviewers at random to win their choice of either a Scout’s Honor coffee cup (pictured below), or a signed copy of Mayhem.
Isn’t it adorable?
So, if you’ve read Mayhem and haven’t yet written a review, take a couple of minutes and let others know what you think. Reviews don’t have to be fancy or flowery, just sincere. If you’ve rated it, but haven’t left a review, I don’t have any way of knowing your name, so if you want to be included in the drawing make sure to write a few words.
If you haven’t yet read Mayhem, even if you read it and didn’t like it, I still love you. I really do.
The Kindle version is only $2.99! The paperback is available on Amazon for $11.99.
Folks, I promise I’ll try to keep my sales pitches to a minimum, but as many self-published authors have discovered, we really are our own best cheerleaders. And who knows? I get new followers on WordPress almost daily and perhaps they have yet to hear about my book. Honestly, it’s a public service I’m performing here.
You see my debut novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, is my baby, and I’m proud of her. Oh, I’m well aware that she has a few flaws, but those just make her more adorable. And everyone knows that only grandchildren can attain perfection.
If you have a moment today, I’d love for you to visit Amazon, look up Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort and take a moment to read the reviews. Yes, some of them were written by personal friends, but most are from innocent bystanders. Innocent. Bystanders. Who genuinely seem to have liked my story and my characters.
I know eventually there’ll be less than stellar reviews. I’m trying to prepare myself mentally for those. An author in one of my groups said her favorite bad review was along the lines of, “This story seems to have been written by a constipated rock. Just let it GO!”
Oh, if you have read Mayhem, THANK YOU! Please leave a review. A few words mean so much and reviews are the key to keeping one’s book in the spotlight on Amazon.
End of sales pitch. Carry on (to Amazon). And peace, people.
The resulting comments from friends on WordPress and social media led me to purchase a copy of the book, and thanks to Amazon, I’ll soon be comparing the book to the film. Seldom do I do the reverse order thing. Usually I’ve read the book first and then often find the film disappointing.
As a newly self-published author I can’t help but imagine what the screen version of my book might look like. Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Express would work well as a movie, but I’m afraid one scene would need to be cut or altered and that would be a shame. Since Hollywood isn’t going to come knocking on my door anytime soon, I guess that’s a senseless waste of a good worry.
A couple of years ago I got to hear author Louise Penny speak when she launched one of her Detective Gamache books here in Tallahassee. Someone asked what she’d thought about the screen adaptation of her first novel. I can’t provide a direct quote, but Ms. Penny said she’d not been happy with the way the book was transformed for the film and that she’d felt as if she had let her characters down.
I totally understand that. My characters, Paula and Cassie, the 3M’s, and Dr. Hunky, are all important to me. They’re like family. I find myself wondering, WWPD (What Would Paula Do) in certain situations. As I write the sequel to Mayhem I ask myself that question multiple times a day. So if I allowed someone to take my characters and change them in ways that weren’t true to my images of them, I’d feel awful. Again, a baseless worry, but hey, that’s how my mind works.
So buy the book. Support those characters, so you too can think of them as family.
Studly Doright scared the crap out of me on Sunday morning. I was busy working on edits for The Cowboy and the Executive while my husband was supposed to be playing golf. There I was, my head buried in the task of revising and rewording the first five chapters of the book when he came around the corner of my office and uttered the scariest of words— “Boo!” It’s a miracle I didn’t have a blooming heart attack.
His golf game was rained out after only nine holes of play, so I guess he had nothing better to do than frighten the love of his life. Of course, if the situation were reversed, I’d have done the same to him. We have equally warped senses of humor.
Once my heart rate settled down, I finished my work while Studly got down to the business of enjoying a nap from the comfort of his recliner. His gentle (ha!) snores soon filled the halls of Doright Manor. He’d flipped the television to one of the old movie channels and to my delight the 1947 movie, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was just beginning.
Now, Rex Harrison knew how to scare a lady properly. Not a single “boo” was uttered. And oh my goodness, was there ever a prettier leading lady than Gene Tierney?
I spent part of the morning and a chunk of the afternoon watching this wonderful old film. Do any of my readers remember the television series based on the movie? It was one of my favorites, but nothing compares to the film. I wonder why someone hasn’t done a modern remake? I’d watch that.
Oh, I’d forgotten that Rex Harrison’s character is a literal ghost writer in the film, and Gene Tierney’s character is his scribe. They bicker over word choice and what to include or omit in the book —just as my editor and I do. The whole scenario was comforting. As I watched, I wondered if Studly could be my muse. Then he snored, not so gently, and I decided that was a big NO.
I had an embarrassing dream last night. Apparently I’d told a group of people that I could play the trumpet, thinking that I’d never have to prove it, or that if someone did ask for proof I could somehow fake my way through it.
In the dream I bought a used trumpet and an instruction book, but never bothered to actually learn to play. Of course, in the dream an emergency situation called for a trumpet player and the group turned to me.
You know how in dreams the magical can happen? You need to be able to fly, so you fly. Or you’ve met Huey Lewis and he falls in love with you? Yeah, this dream wasn’t like that. I carried my trumpet on stage, put it to my lips, and went Pvvvttvvvpp!
The audience smiled politely, probably thinking I was just warming up, and then it happened again: Pvvvttvvpp! Pvvvttvvpp……!
There were loud boos, and somehow worse—looks of disappointment. Someone from backstage came forward and pried the trumpet from my hands. I recall wishing I could sink between the boards, but I just stood there taking my punishment until in the real world my cat patted my cheek and woke me up.
Analysis? I think maybe the trumpet represents my current frustration with editing and revising my romance. Someone’s going to come along and yank it out of my hands before it goes Pvvvttvvpp. I’d call it Imposter Syndrome, but that connotes some level of success that I have yet to achieve.
Or maybe I just ate too much too close to bedtime.
Praying for Eyebrowz 