The Last Daughter - FREE

Just a short quick post to let you all know The Last Daughter, my romantic suspense, is FREE today through Friday. I hope you'll all download it whether you read it or not. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/kzmoxzz

 

If you do read it, please leave an honest review on
Amazon. Flattery will get ME nowhere.

 

Thanks gang!

Progress--It Ain't All Good

The Internet is one of life’s most amazing perks. I can sit all day and browse newspapers from every state and country. For some odd reason, I’ve always loved reading obits. Really good ones are detailed tributes to the life of the deceased.  Did you know there’s even a club for obit writers? I used to be a member until they started charging dues.  And that brings me to this:

I just read in The New York Times that some of the independent bookstores are starting to charge to meet the author. They’re taking this approach because they’re being squeezed by the competition—Internet  retailers like Amazon. You can read the article HERE:  Be sure to read the comments too, and think about it. As an author, you might feel slapped in the face if no one paid to attend your signing. As a fan, you might get a little ticked if you shell out ten bucks to hear a reading, have to stand the entire hour and don’t even have a visual of the author. I can understand why independent stores feel the need to give this a try, but I don’t like it. At the same time, I feel a little guilty that I visit book stores and key titles into my phone. I want to get them for free from PaperBackSwap or cheaper from Amazon. Please tell me you’re as guilty as I am. Of course, I purchase new books too, and support brick and mortar stores--just not as much as in earlier years. These days, I’m a little more careful in how I spend hubby’s hard earned money.

On the other side of the country, visiting The Los Angeles Times, the following headline screamed at me: Spam is Clogging Amazon’s Kindle. Spam? How’s that happening. According to the article, thousands of e-books are being published and they just aren’t book worthy. The article is worth reading. Go HERE.

Progress is great. Progress is also a curse—in its own way. Sometimes I yearn to go back to the flashlight under the covers with my Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books.  I hope I don’t read an obit telling me that free author readings and signings are dead. That would actually bring tears to my eyes.

How about you? Got any news to share?

Let The Insanity Stop HERE!

I just found NEW copies of my 14-year old romance on Amazon for $82.42 (3.99 shipping).

Is that crazy or what? Don't panic, they have another copy for only $19.95. And used for a penny. :)

Please, please...let the insanity stop! Don't pay $85+ for my little romance, I'll send you a copy. :-)
(Note: this is not a Christian romance but it's not R-rated either.)

Every now and then I check and this is the first time I've found my book (new or used) on Amazon. Where did it come from? Do used bookstores stockpile? How come mine is just making it out of the pile and onto Amazon? I don't understand how or why this happens. Can someone explain? A friend just bought a copy from another bookseller for a couple of bucks. Why is it I'm not getting any 'bucks' on these sales?

I'm in the process of trying to get the rights back on this book but I've been told it's a slow process. Publishing is a crazy business. About the time I think I understand--everything shifts and I'm back at square one.

When a writer finally sells his or her book, who do you think makes the most money: the author? the agent? the publisher?
Just curious.