Pool day

We went to the YMCA this afternoon, for the first time this summer. It was a nice hot, sunny day, and the Y was busy, but not terrifically crowded. The big kids swam around happily and kept themselves entertained. The seven-year-old (who still can't swim) clung to me in terror for a few moments, but quickly began making efforts to paddle on his own.

We left after an hour and a half or so. The kids complained, but I figured we were all out of shape for swimming, and that we'd all be worn out if we stayed much longer. I noticed the boys were dragging as they walked across the parking lot, and I thought smugly that I'd been right. I remarked that they looked tired, and the little guy said with indignation, "I'm not tired!"

We got into the van and drove home. Ten minutes later, I pulled into the driveway, looked in the rear-view mirror, and saw that Mr. I'm-Not-Tired was fast asleep.

New office furniture

Just got this great loveseat in my office, courtesy of my brother-in-law and his wife:
I love it-- it'll be great for relaxing on when I edit on my Kindle. Right now it doesn't fit in the office very well; I have an old dresser taking up space that will need to be moved into another room. But I was planning on doing that anyway. I've been looking for cheap seating for my office for a while now, and was delighted to snag this from the siblings-in-law!

Survey of indies

Here's an article on a survey done of 1007 self-published writers. Fewer than ten percent of them earned a living-- but if I may say so, that's actually a remarkably high number. Five years ago, practically no one was earning a living from self-publishing. And it's not as if going through traditional or small presses is a guaranteed way to earn a living, either (though I do suspect the figure there is higher than ten percent). It's worth noting, though, that half the respondents earned less than $500, so there's a big disparity there.

In any event, having an agent seems to help boost earnings, as does investing in editing, cover design, and book trailers.

Dad meets Siri

I took Dad (who's 95) out for lunch today, as I do a couple of days a week. I wanted to find a Target in the area we were in, so I picked up my iPhone and asked Siri for help, and she promptly identified a Target five miles away. Dad was very impressed. However, further discussion revealed that he thought Siri was an a human being-- basically, he thought I was calling information, and he envisioned a giant room full of operators sitting there, answering the questions of all iPhone owners everywhere with incredible patience and swiftness. I explained that Siri was actually just a computer program... but I don't think he really believed me:-).

All the Way, now available

All the Way (two short stories) is now available on Kindle and Nook. The cover is by LFD Designs for authors.

Amazon and Random House

I'm trying to adjust some prices on books, and Amazon is making me crazy. They keep readjusting my listed prices to match other sites. The problem is, they are somehow failing to see the current prices listed across the internet. They just sent me an email clarifying why they were price matching, listing sites where they thought my book was listed at lower prices, and I sent back an email with links showing them that yes, those books are now listed at the new price. Hopefully Amazon will correct the prices now.

Meanwhile, I got a voice mail from someone at Random House yesterday who's interested in reissuing The Light in the Darkness as an ebook. My friend Jody pointed out to me that Samhain also has a "retro romance" line, and of course, reissuing it myself is always an option, too. So we'll see what Random House has to offer. I'll keep you all updated!

The Light in the Darkness

I finally got hold of a real human being at Random House today, and after a phone discussion, have emailed her to ask about the rights for The Light in the Darkness. I'll update my website if I get any new information!

I'll Be There For You, now on B&N

I'll Be There For You is now up on Barnes and Noble.

Frontlit Kindle

According to this article, a new frontlit Kindle (to compete with the Nook Glowlight) will be coming by July. I'm glad-- I liked the concept, but would rather have a Kindle than a Nook, simply because my Kindle library is much larger.

Happy Mother's Day!

If you're a mom, I hope you have a happy Mother's Day. I'm going out for brunch with the extended family. Should be fun!