Down a Rabbit Hole Part 1

Oh my.  If I were being less than politically correct, there would probably be a few inappropriate adjectives as well.  Why, one might ask?  Well, let me share today's newest journey down the Rabbit Hole.  (I foresee this being an ongoing theme in the weeks and months to come, so it will be serialized.)

So, to begin:  I have mentioned that I am working with the new website Pronoun for an online only platform for my book, Death's End.  I went to that site today to update a few things, and down one hole I went.

Who knew that newsletters were a thing? I certainly didn't.  But having emerged on the other side, no doubt now in Wonderland, I have officially signed up for an account to now write newsletters to send to my readers (who I'm still trying to figure out who, what, where, when, even why they are).  Anyway, in case anyone is interested, here is a link. https://tinyletter.com/legibler.  For those wondering about newsletter's as I was, may I recommend the following website: https://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/the-how-and-why-of-author-newsletters/.  As for the rest of us, shall we see how far this rabbit hole goes?

After I emerged from that particular hole (and I'm not entirely certain I actually have), I went down another: my personal website and Facebook page.  I don't know about the majority of the population, but I am not a fan of Facebook.  I don't like sharing my "relationship status", and the amount of oversharing is truly staggering. That being said, I am well aware that there is a benefit to it form a business standpoint.  Having updated that as well as my author page courtesy of Wix.com, well...

Somewhere in the middle of my day, I stumbled upon Medium.  This does, for all intents and purposes, appear to be a website just for writing and reading.  On the surface, it sounds like a lovely idea.  (But let me not forget the very best such site, Writers Carnival).  As I do need to wrap up in order to complete my weekend without stressing over upcoming exams, I did not take the time to start down yet another rabbit hole and create from scratch works.  Instead, I thought it best to share a friend of the feline variety. (Secret Agent Cat Volume 1)

Now, having updated my personal website, my author's Facebook page, created a new account on Medium and a newsletter on TinyLetter, what is left?  Well, I think that would be for me to return to the mundane world and finish up my homework. Anything more, and there's no telling where this Alice might end up.

Queries, the horror, the horror

Well, let's just start this off by saying query letters will be the making or breaking of me. I'm fairly certain I am not alone in this belief. 

Having said that, and having also gone on record as saying that I publish for my own purposes, not to make money, I think I might need to clarify why, if self publishing is what I do, queries should even matter.

Anyone who has ever written a story and believes it to be worth publishing knows the agony that follows. First there is the challenge of sifting through the mountains of rather erroneous information on the web for anyone willing to accept un-published authors. Honestly, publishing industry, how is anyone supposed to start if you won't even let us submit without an agent, most of whom are unwilling to accept unpublished authors? Does this seem like a Catch-22/ Kobayashi Maru situation to anyone besides me? 

I digress. 

Why, then, the renewed interest in that horrid exercise of query letters? I blame NaNoWriMo. Yes, November is that wonderfully awful month where writers churn out tens of thousands of words and I was no exception. I managed to "wins", and wrapped up another just as the month began. But then comes the "Now What" phase.  It just so happens that this year, the "Now What" is Pitchapalooza, where we silly writers have to cram down our pride and joy into a measly 250 words and, really, hope for the best. 

About a decade ago, I worked long and hard to get my book, First Bite, out into the publishing world. I was rejected by several agents and most simply never responded.  I'm not sure which is worse, but it left a bitter taste in my psyche that made me never want to go that route again. I opted instead to publish my own works, because, really, that was all I really wanted. I've been relatively content with CreateSpace and I'm trying out Pronoun (eBooks only). I do promise to post updates as I get the hang of it all. 
And here we are, circling back to the point at hand. Ten years ago, there were dozens of sites about how to write the "perfect pitch". Now, there are dozens of sites about paying money to be told how to write the perfect pitch. No offense, but I highly doubt shelling out hundreds of dollars is going to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. Regardless, for those who, like me, have tried in vain to find a site that just helps us WRITE the pitch, might I suggest the following?http://thewritepractice.com/dreaded-query/ (This link is not done with any sort of benefit in mind, or endorsement, or whatever leagal paraphrasing should be here. This is just me, a struggling writer, directing fellow struggling writers to a site that actually gave some information about the query itself, not about how to pay to be told to write a query.)

And so concludes my foray into the world of writing queries. It's brutal work for an author. It truly terrifies me to have to condense my entire written work into such a tiny word constraint. I feel as if my characters and I will slowly suffocate, but there you have it. When Pitchapalooza goes live, I'll share my pitch here, and maybe some kind souls will vote for me, give feedback, or just say hello. I'm not picky.

Good luck to all struggling artists out there. Know that tonight especially, I feel your pain.

L.E. Gibler

Nothing Ventured...

One of these days, I am going to sit down and write a long blog about how much I hate statistics class, but this is not that day.

(The mistake being the fault in taking statistics to begin with)

No, this day is all about trying new things.  Those new things today refer to the self publishing platform Pronoun.  

In previous self publishing endeavors, I have gone through CreateSpace.  Anyone who has wanted to see their words in print has probably at least considered this particular avenue, but having reached a point where the old is growing stale, I decided to branch out.

For those of you who were successful with NaNoWriMo this year, Pronoun was one of the offers.  I decided, what the hell, and signed up.  Now, it has, admittedly, taken me two months to finish, but then, well, that's life.  

Still, with a new platform, I decided to try a new everything.  Rather than the young adult fiction I have been working with on CreateSpace, I decided to throw into the world one of my more unique endeavors.  Death's End (link to come) is about Persephone, a reaper who collects souls for Death.  And I fell away from all the previous constraints about where a plot should start and end, and I'm sure I'll someday be reviewed mercilessly for my endeavor, but it felt so right for this story.  And what better story to share on this new platform than one that is a bit of a non sequitur?

So far, I have nothing but positive things to say about Pronoun.  They very helpfully had guidance for formatting, the process itself was painless, and I love the final product as it stands.  Going forward, who knows, but then:

I've decided to add on a quick note to this particular post.  While it will take me a week to have further updates on how well Pronoun works for me, and realistically even more time than that, I just want to say, again, to anyone out there who is interested, that if all you truly want is to hold your written work in your hands, then I can offer no greater option than Createspace.  I had some issues with cover and formatting when I worked with Lulu when I first started out.  They are set up almost identically, but I tried to shift my Lulu work from hardcover to soft and the images never made the cross.  So, if anyone out there is like me and just wants to hold their "precious", then I suggest going cheap.  Worst case scenario, you can always start from scratch later (which I hope to start in on later in the year as well - updates to follow).  For what it's worth, there is my two cents on the weekend.  Now, off to "creatively write" my research paper.  Ah, school.

*** Spelling corrections courtesy of my mother (who has finally read my blog)

Writing for the Sake of the Writer

Last weekend, I made a point of just writing.  I carved out a part of my Sunday and dedicated it to simply letting a few of my characters breathe.  Unfortunately, as Sherlock would say:

And so for the next three days, I had to battle through my own characters desperate for life and the constant responsibility that most of us are faced with.  Once, long ago, I suffocated a character.  He still hasn't forgiven me, and when I find myself in such a desperate place, I can feel him back there, tantalizingly close, but never to be fully realized.  If ever a character haunted me, it would be him.

However, having learned my lesson, I know better this weekend.  I won't be trying to let a few characters out with an exam on Monday and another on Thursday.  But it isn't like the soul of a writer can stay so repressed.  Something has to give, and rather than have it be my sanity, I found a way to feel at one with a touch of myself again.  And so we come to the point of this week's title.

When I first branched out in self publishing, it was because I had won my first NaNoWriMo, and it seemed such a waste of the opportunity to continue to let my stories sit in my bookshelf as binders and 8.5"x11" editions.  So I took the plunge.  There was never any real great drive to self publish and somehow, miraculously, become wealthy through it.  All that mattered was that I had shifted from being simply a writer into being an author, and that was enough for me.

I won't lie.  I still dream about being a well paid author, but I have to just hope that day will come when I can give a little more time to the endeavor.  For now, and just for me, I will continue to write as the stories come and the time allows.  But for the sake of my sanity, I found an outlet that should last me until the exams are over.  I've been writing and completing full stories for nearly a decade.  One memorable year, I wrote four novels.  I have a pletheora and for now, with not thought to any profit in the future, I will turn a few stories into books.  The only purpose is for me, and me alone.  And that, fellow writers and readers, is what should be our driving force.  If we cannot love what we write, why write at all?

So Life Goes...

I'm relatively positive that I am not alone in wanting to shoot a computer, throw it out a ten story building, run over it with a car, or all of the above.  I've often thought of taking annoying computers and putting a "Free to Good Home" sign on them, but there is far too much sensitive data floating around in the world to risk it.  However, late last night, I was more than happy to have let someone have my old woolly mammoth.  

(My ancient laptop, which has been with me since I graduated high school, was so obsolete that no one else would touch it.  I adopted it fully, called it a dinosaur, and used it to write stories - with Microsoft Word 2001 - and watch movies.  Then, sadly, it's charger died and I was left without my dinosaur.  Enter the woolly mammoth, again, a device no one wanted, but my needs are relatively minor when it comes to computers.  I need Microsoft Office, and that's about it.  The ability to listen to music is a bonus, but I am not so picky as to need the internet.)

Jackie (my good friend and constant motivator for all things book related) and I had decided that my first book about vampires HAD to be ready for release on Halloween.  Somehow, around a full time job, a part time job teaching therapeutic horseback riding and an even more part time job just teaching horseback lessons, owning an entire herd myself and trying to cram for NaNoWriMo, I had to push to get in an entire book worth of edits by October 29th.  I'd paced myself early in the day, managed five chapters before work, and was well over half way through my latest book when the woolly mammoth decided to fail me.  It not only failed to save changes, it lost the file completely.  An entire book was lost to the unknown void that is my old computer.  I won't lie, I was in tears.  I wanted to break something, tear out wires, and baseball bats were sounding appealing.  But, for once, I didn't want to give up.  I had set a deadline, and I was going to make that deadline.

Fast forward four hours and three computers later, and I had done what I needed to do.  At one in the morning, slightly woozy from a lack of sleep and the remnants of the 48 hour flu, I could safely say I'd accomplished what I set out to do.  I went to sleep, resting on my laurels.

At eight this morning, I received word that the formatting was approved, and I was in the clear.  All I had left to do was proof the bare necessities before clicking that fateful button that would allow me to share my hard work with the world.  I suppose I should be happy that I thought to check one last time, for there, right smack dab on the cover, was a change I had missed.  Bear in mind, I was noticing this after I got home from work, through a sleep deprivation induced headache.  Now, I'm left wondering if I'm too late.  If all that crazy scrambling with one lone goal was for naught.  And the worst part is, I now have five hours to think about it.  To think, wonder, hope and fear.  

I suppose the moral of this story might be to get a new computer.  It's a nice moral, but not what I had in mind.  Someday, as Jackie pointed out, I will look back and laugh at what I have to deal with, but for now, it is what it is.  I choose, instead, to see this as a lesson in perseverance.  If I had given up the first time a computer crashed on me, I would never have finished my senior research paper.  I would never have finished my first published novel, The Other Side of the Looking Glass, and I'd be left with an unfinished book and absolutely no chance of a Halloween release for First Bite.  I guess, then, I've given it everything I have.  For now, I'll just continue to wait.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll find a little bit of luck at the end of it all.

For what it's worth, I can hope that by knowing of my difficulties, others might find some solace in similarity.  With NaNoWriMo quite literally only a day and a half away, perseverance is one of the greatest qualities anyone can have.

Keep rambling on...

L.E. Gibler


P.S. A link to First Bite will appear if the writing world is kind tonight..

Another November Gone

November is the National Novel Writing Month.  For those who have tried, failed, or succeeded to spin out 50,000 words in a month, you understand what an undertaking it is.  For those who haven't, you probably think the rest of us are a wee bit mad.

Last year was my first attempt at NaNoWriMo.  I've been writing since I was in the first grade, and I had finished close to 12 stories at the beginning of November last year, but I tended to keep what I did a secret.  I know I am not alone in my introverted ways as a writer.  My writing is personal, a piece of me, and it took the wonder of NaNo and the continued support of my friends to finally embrace this side of me.  But not just that.  It wasn't just about embracing, it was about sharing.  I had never shared what it was I did.  There is no doubt in my mind that without the community of NaNo, the opportunities that came with winning, and the feeling of accomplishment I would still be what I was.  Now I can say I am a published author.  Self published, but still, near strangers have read my work and that is something I could not have said before.

Now I might be an oddity in the fact that while I do not willing share what I do with others, I know what I do isn't half bad.  I have confidence in my writing.  Is there room for improvement? Of course, there always is.  Anyone who stops learning has stopped living.  But I do know that I have a talent that extends past simply putting words on paper.  And so I wait patiently, still writing, always writing, for an opportunity to finally shine.  That waiting game is what has prompted me to try furthering my self published works.  I said before that I would try and document these struggles.  And I tried, but life intervened.  

Now, it occurred to me rather belatedly, that what I should write about is not necessarily how to self publish.  There are plenty out there who have done this and done it far better than I can.  What I've decided to share is the process of becoming a writer.  If that means self publishing or floating ideas or taking a break and day dreaming, then that is what it means to me.  And I hope I can help others who struggle like I did in the shadows find the force that helps you to break through.  We all know the stories are in us.  We can talk to our characters, feel what they feel, but it is truly another experience to share those thoughts with others.  That is what all the fuss is about.  So good luck to all of you out there who are trying to find it within them.  Just remember we write for the sake of writing.  Making a penny on the side is just a bonus.

Having said as much, I have two books out in the world and I've decided to try different avenues for each.  I will be sharing what I find with the world for what good it does.

Ramble on...
L.E. Gibler

Like a Beacon...

"Like a beacon in the cold dark night...

So, having decided in the last few months to fully embrace being an author, I also decided to embrace a writers' conference, the Rivers of Ink.  I have to admit to some last minute jitters.  After all, anyone who considers themselves a writer is probably going to be quick to admit that we're not the most social of groups.  By nature, we are introverts.  I imagine those writers who are extroverts are exceptions to the rule.  

...told you everything would turn out right...

For me, personally, my writing was something personal.  This isn't to say that when I write I bare some sort of dark secret of my soul, it just means that when I write, my characters are a part of me, and like a mother seeing her children off to their first day of school, the idea is quite terrifying.  Filled with such trepidation, I went with very low expectations.  Instead, I learned a great many tidbits, not necessarily what I had been hoping for, but valuable all the same.  I'll transcribe my notes for my next blog to give those tidbits to others, without giving away trade secrets.  I'll give my impressions, not what was specifically told.  And helpful websites as well.  We all sort of promised...

...so don't lose hope...

The biggest takeaway I had from it all was that the author's themselves oftentimes joined in on the classes they weren't teaching.  This was probably the coolest part, and I got to sit and learn how to attack people, complete with demonstrations.  To know that these people, successful in a field I wish to be moderately successful in as well, are always searching for ways to continue their own education.  That, to me, meant the most, and it made me realize we are none of us ever done with learning.  And so I must take a humble step backwards and ask for help before boldly striding forward again.

...keep your eyes on the skies...


Just to try and keep a theme going, I will reiterate what I said in my last post that had to do with the self publishing market: the first person to message me with the movie that I am paraphrasing the sound track of this month, I will send you a free copy of my book:Caitiff Academy: The Tigress.  And seriously, don't just Google it.  I'm paraphrasing for a reason.  And as a hint, its not one of the better known animated films of a certain powerhouse.  We are all still capable of problem solving, trust me.

Until next time.
 

I Have Often Dreamed

I have often dreamed...

The problem with having a blog that comes right out and says it will be a rambling bit of who knows what, is that there will never be solidarity.  I can write about nothing to my heart's content, but what, truly, is the purpose?  I have decided to alter the premise of my blog a little.  I am truly passionate about four things in life, writing, horses, traveling, and sports (largely hockey).  But I have decided that as a struggling artist turned struggling author, I need to make a point of doing what all the know it alls out there say.  I need to write every day.  The problem with this premise is that when I write to tell a story, I write 12-16 hours a day for seven-ten days, and then the book is complete.  It is a compulsion, an obsession, and certainly not something I can break down and give helpful tips for.  But this also means that I can go months without writing until it just bubbles up inside me and bursts.  To try and make the life I lead and the one that goes on in my head more harmonious, I've decided to try blogging as my outlet of writing daily.  And that means having a daily topic, though I think I'll take Sundays off.  Or Mondays, I don't have an overflowing fondness for Mondays.  Chances are, I've completely lost any prosepective readers in my first paragraph, but I'm trying to learn as I go, so I'll just keep on going.

...of a far off place...

When coming up with a reason to self publish, there are really three reasons.  Reason Number 1, you love what you do and you want to share it.  Reason Number 2, you think you can share something and gain an audience.  Reason Number 3, no agent/publisher would take you.  I confess, I'm a bit unmotivated when it comes to finding an agent.  I've had a tiny bit of interest, but never enough to launch my own career, and so I stopped trying.  INstead, I did what I love to do, I continued to write.  Then, I had no ability to write, I am currently suffering the worst case of writer's block I've ever experienced.  Four months and counting.  So with no ohter outlets, and growing pressure from friends, I chose the self publishing route.  I am largely a self published Reason Number 1, with a dose of laziness and Reason Number 3 thrown in.  If you are looking for great insights into the self publishing world, my best suggestion is to either find someone else or stick around for awhile. I am literally learning this all as I go, and my own trials and tribulations might someday be helpful.

...where a big, warm welcome will be waiting for me...

What I have learned so far is simple: Createspace was much easier for me to navigate than Lulu.com, formatting is a pain in the rear, and no matter how much help your friends might be in promoting you, professional help is probably necessary. Having successfully checked off all but the last box, I am currently researching avenues for professional assistance. I am lucky in that my mother was an editor for the government in several avenues, so I don't have to pay for that particular part.  I have had some success with Cover Generator from Createspace, enough that I'm not inclined to go out and pay $500 for a professionally done one.  So that leaves me with the promotional part. 

...where the crowds will cheer...

On my own, I have this blog, one on Createspace, one on Write On by Kindle, as well as a Twitter feed (@blythelea), a Facebook page (L.E. Gibler), and now an Amazon Author page.  All in all, it is a lot of upkeep but so far with very little reward.  Now, I've decided to test paid for services, and I'm leaning towards Self Publisher's Showcase.  I will also, when my budget permits (please note I have six horses), attempt one or two of the Tweet Your Book promotions.  All such experiences will be duly noted here, for whatever purpose it might serve.

...when they see my face...

As one last self promotional bit, if anyone can identify what movie I paraphrased today's song from, message me, and the first correct response will recieve a free copy of Caitiff Acadmey: The Tigress.

...and a voice keeps saying, this is where I am meant to be...

BlytheLea/L.E. Gibler

Live and Let Die

In this ever changing world in which we live in (is that a line from a James Bond film?  I think it is...Live and Let Die), keeping up with the Jones' is near impossible.  I do not have full time internet access in my life.  Every morning may be spent at Starbucks, but that is a close as it gets.  The surface I have just been beginning to scratch when it comes to successful social marketing puts me on the short end of the stick.  

There are several key points that I have quickly come to notice.  1.) A lot of money can be poured into this life dream, but without a guarantee of any payback.  (Note: I do not have a lot of money.  I have a lot of horses) 2.) Social marketing is really an all day affair (See Note about having horses).  3.)There are far more people out there doing something similar to me.  It's downright awe inspiring and a touch depressing.  

And so here we are, well, here I am.  The odds are currently against me, but if there is one thing to learn from trying to attain the unattainable, it is that if you love what you're doing, then you're going to keep doing it.  I have joined no less than three chat groups, NaNoWriMo is just around the corner, and I'm trying to land a full time job.  If I can still squeeze in time to do the two things I love most in this world, then that will be what I determine success by.

In this ever changing world in which we live in, makes you give it a try, say live and let die. (Pretty sure that's not exact, it's paraphrasing.  What are the rules for citations on paraphrasing?  I write fiction, citations aren't really my forte.)

And finally, one last shameless plug for anyone who has made it this far in my blog.

 http://www.amazon.com/Caitiff-Academy-L-E-Gibler-ebook/dp/B00O2EQ8P6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412446036&sr=8-2&keywords=l.e.+gibler

Update Volume 3

Oh my goodness there is SOOO much information out there about self-publishing, writing in general, forums, the like.  I know for a fact I have only scratched the surface with a single fingernail, if that, and I'm feeling just a little bit overwhelmed!

Today's great adventure, after a more mundane job interview to pay for the increasingly expensive passions/hobbies in my life, was to set up profiles.  Profiles for what, you might ask.  Well, there is this blog, that I feel I'm not quite fully covered on, my Createspace website (which I managed to update, but still don't have a picture for), Amazon in general (yeah, got lost on that), and Writers Carnival.  In a rare turn of events, I am going to shamelessly plug something that has almost nohting to do with me.  If you are a new writer, or you just like to put a few creative thoughts out there from time to time, join Writers Carnival.  I've never come across a more fun and supportive group of people.  I really expected the writing community to be all about htemselves, but so far that has not been the case.  The only small problem for me is that the writi8ng that goes on is all short, and in case you missed it, I'm far too verbose to manage something short.  High school papers were hell for me.  For my senior research paper, I fudged the page count by changing my font to 10.5 instead of 11 to make it under the 14 page limit.  Yeah, that's me.  If I can take an hour to say something someone else could say in five minutes, I probably will.

The other, not really about me plug for the day is NaNoWriMo.  I've been getting more and more updates, and I am so freaking excited!!!  I loved the crazy experience of writing a book in a month so much last year, that I wrote two.  And with the running of a 16+horse barn that finally closed to setting up my on the side teaching business (please don't tell the authorites), I haven't had any time to just write.  Hence the push on publishing.  Here's my tip of the day:  If you can't write, publish.  Anyway, I have an idea I'm having to hold on tight to that I am really hoping will just be unleashed come November 1st.  Oh, those thirty days.  On the bright side, those thirty days are in my favorite month.  

Who loves Halloween?  Pictures to follow, and they will be more horse related.  I just got Maleficent horns, maybe one of my mares will submit to having her picture taken with them...

Update Volume 2

The great wide world of self publishing is a massive Catch 22.  On the one hand, a desire to be published can drive an author to send their fledgling creation out into the world.  On the other, any chance of success in this cut throat world is entirely dependent on a plan, and money, preferably lots of it.  I will freely admit to being one such conundrum.  In a fierce desire to have some sense of accomplishment, I have entered the fray of self publishing.  Two books are out there, for the world to see.  And please stay with me on the following (shameless) plug:

The Other Side of the Looking Glass
( http://www.amazon.com/Other-Looking-Glass-World-Walkers/dp/1499573510/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412114907&sr=8-1&keywords=l.e.+gibler )

Caitiff Academy: The Tigress
( http://www.amazon.com/Caitiff-Academy-Tigress-L-E-Gibler/dp/1502544431/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1412114907&sr=8-3&keywords=l.e.+gibler )
(Both available on Amazon)

So, back to the point at hand.  For those who crack, give up on big contracts just to feel a sense of accomplishment, the real world is out there waiting to remind us of our own smallness.  There is a certain feeling that comes with being an author, a feeling of being a part of another world. And that can be a powerful feeling.  Then, when the glow wears off, you begin to realize just what a small fish in a big pond you are.  However, I do feel a sense of accomplishment.  Without the availability of my own money, I will stay just that, a small fish, but at the same time, all seven copies are seven more than it was a year ago.  So, success, and yet still so much further to go.

Another funny point about self publishing: how many others just like you there are out in the world.  Funnier still, how they all seem to find you on Twitter.  So tip of my hat to all of those struggling just like me.  May we keep on keeping on.

Updates Volume 1

And so another day, another check list that will no doubt prove too long to accomplish in a mere twenty four hours.  

On the bright side, I have been struggling mightily with Lulu.com and the formatting of my cover, complete with the perfect image for my second book, Caitiff Academy: The Tigress.  (Shameless plug?  Maybe)  I switched over to Createspace, and viola.  In a simple morning at Starbucks, the groundwork is already laid, and I'm well on my way to where I want to be.  

I like to consider myself a realist.  I am not looking to publish the next great American novel, or to snag a massive contract, but I absolutely love the feeling of accomplishment that comes with knowing that something I created is out there for the world to see.  Would it hurt my feelings if a lot of people appreciated my work and bought in bulk? Absolutely not, I'm a realist not an idiot.  And no, this time, that was not a plug, just an observation.  I'm not publishing to make money, I'm doing it to feel like I've done something.  And you know what?  It's working.

Now, with November on the horizon, I am positively giddy at the opportunity to continue my new NaNoWriMo tradition and write book #2 in the series in a meager 30 days.  Last year I wrote book one in eight, so I think I should be fine.

As always, feedback is welcome.  Surely there are more people out there in the world with experiences to be shared. Until then, keep rambling on.

With a Purpose

Rambling With a Purpose

So, thanks to the support and continued reminding (sort of like nagging, only much nicer), of my friends (shout out particularly to Jackie and Wendy) I can finally say I am a published author!!! And also a huge thanks to those who have already purchased my book.  It is such an odd, wonderful feeling to finally say I am an author when people ask what I do for a living.  Or I say I am a riding instructor, but saying I write and ride is so confusing.  Saying I ride and am an author, doesn't that just sound so much less so?  (input your own level of sarcasm)

As to the rest of the world, may I just say that while I love my family, it is incredibly stressful to have them visit.  Why do we all have to be worried about the state of our silver for family?  For visiting celebrities or dignitaries, yes, that might make sense,  but my family should be well aware  by now that my priorities are out in a barn and what goes on in the house is a long distant second.

In other news, my second book is now in the hands of my unofficial publicist.  After she reads through, and I make corrections, it will be out there for the whole wide world to see.  Not to mention book number three is in the formatting stages.  I don't know how the rest of the self publishing world has operated, but I have found that CreateSpace is far more user friendly than Lulu.  So, going forward, look for me on Amazon!  (And, yes, that was a shameless plug)

In the meantime, here's to many more rambles with no rhyme or reason.