Buyer Beware

 You know that exhilarating feeling that comes with buying something big and new? 

I got that feeling in December when I bought a new laptop. It doesn't happen every year or even every other year, but being so reliant on teaching online, I decided I needed a new laptop.

I had been wanting to add some software called ManyCam that allowed me to show slides while I taught. The recommendations were for an i7 processor. My old laptop has an i5 processor, so I upgraded. Ordering a computer from Amazon on December 8. 

You can see the blur beginning at the bottom of the screen.

Last week, February 1, conveniently one day after the Amazon warranty expired, the camera began to get fuzzy. I asked fellow teachers what could be causing it. They agreed that it looked like a camera problem, and sure enough, my camera was slowly blurring from the bottom of the picture upwards. 

By the next day, I had a student who said the picture was so dark he couldn't see me. I knew the camera was getting worse. 

This is what it looks like today. That's me peeking above the expanding blur.

Trying to get help with a technical problem is a ridiculous process. I spent about six hours on the phone calling Dell for help, being cut off, then shifting to another IT person. I watched various tech people moving around the cursor on my screen, checking for drivers and updates, turning on my camera only to see a blurry me looking back at them. After talking to seven people on two separate nights, here's what they told me, call the Dell France division. They'll have you mail your computer to them and they'll fix your camera then mail it back. How many weeks without my computer does that sound like to you? 

I teach on my computer six days a week. I just spent a thousand dollars on a new computer in December, and I'm going to have to send it away for an unknown number of weeks only to receive a "repaired" computer back, rather than the new one I thought I was getting in December. 

So, this is my attempt to warn you to avoid making the same mistake I did. Do not order a computer through Amazon, Best Tech Deal (which is apparently Best Buy) or Dell Inspiron. They don't care if you get a faulty computer or camera.

A company concerned about good customer service would send another computer, allowing me to return mine after the new one arrives. Then, I wouldn't miss any days using my computer to teach. I'd get a computer with a working camera, the company could fix the camera on my laptop and sell it as a reconditioned laptop. 

But a lot of things would change if I ran the world. Sigh!

Attention Seeking

I have to admit that I've been slacking big time at advertising my novels for the last year or so.
In an effort to get them out there, I had some photos made that incorporate the book cover into pictures, along with a blurb of a review.

I love the way he found a picture that use the same colors and foliage.

The Summer of France is about (surprise) a woman who runs away from her life in Ohio to run her Uncle's B&B in Aix en Provence. Could a crackly phone call from France save Fia Randolph’s jobless and family troubles? That’s what she hopes when her Uncle Martin asks Fia, her husband, and teenage twins to move to Provence and take over his bed and breakfast. She pictures long picturesque walks carrying crusty baguettes and bonding with the kids. But Fia didn’t bargain on being pulled into Uncle Martin’s World War II secret that wrenches her family further apart.  

The Summer of France is available on Amazon or Amazon.uk

This picture definitely feels like a dive down a forest trail, this one is my only novel set in the United States, so far. 

How does a woman know what she wants after spending 20 years thinking about her husband and children? Sometimes it takes an escape from everyday life, time to examine the forest before the trees become clear. Friends Jess and Andi figure life hiking the Appalachian trail can't possibly be worse than dealing with disgruntled husbands, sullen teens home from college, and a general malaise that has crept up in their daily lives.

Trail Mix is available on Amazon and Amazon UK

This photo might be my favorite, the way the book cover is slotted along the top of the building, like a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower between different sides of the building. 

I See London I See France is about another woman running away. When her husband of a dozen years walks out in a huff, Caroline Randolph walks out too – to Europe, with her kids after impulsively selling her minivan for travel money. Tired of being the perfect wife, she escapes to rediscover herself, and possibly rekindle the unrequited love of a Frenchman from her college days.  While shepherding her kids from London to Scotland then Paris to Provence, she finds herself at a crossroads. Does she choose love, or lust, in the arms of a European man, or should she try again with the father of her children and the man she truly loved, once?

It's available on Amazon and Amazon UK 

And, of course, my latest novel set in Paris needs a picture from Paris. I love the Metro sign in the foreground. 

When divorced mom Sadie Ford realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris, all she can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit. She joins forces with the boy’s father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find the missing teens. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. Since the divorce, Sadie has devoted herself to raising kids and putting her dreams on hold, but when her daughter needs her most, Sadie finds that concrete barrier to life beginning to crack. In her journey, she learns the difference between watching the hours pass and living.

Paris Runaway is available on Amazon and Amazon UK 

If you haven't read my novels, I'd appreciate the support. Just click and download to your Kindle.
And if you don't have a Kindle, they're free to download on your computer or your phone. I love reading on my phone because if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, I don't have to turn a light on, I just pick up my phone and get lost in a story (with the screen on black and the print white to reduce ambient light).

My Latest Novel -- Paris Runaway

I'm so excited to share that my new novel, Paris Runaway, is available for pre-order on Amazon. And those pre-ordered Kindle books will be available on Thursday, June 30.
I think this might be my best novel yet, so I hope you'll give it a try.

Here's a blurb about Paris Runaway: When divorced mom Sadie Ford realizes her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett has run away to Paris all she can imagine are terrorist bombings and sex slaves. After learning her daughter chased a French exchange student home, Sadie hops on the next plane in pursuit. She joins forces with the boy’s father, Auguste, and the two attempt to find the missing teens. The chase takes Sadie and Auguste to the seedier side of Marseille, where their own connection is ignited. Since the divorce, Sadie has devoted herself to raising kids and putting her dreams on hold, but when her daughter needs her most, Sadie finds that concrete barrier to life beginning to crack. In her journey, she learns the difference between watching the hours pass and living.

A few early readers have left reviews on Goodreads.

"This book is a fun, twisty ride that goes full-speed up until the last page." Goodreads review

and

 "This was a fabulous beach read! I picked it up this morning and never sat it down until I was done. The characters were relatable and their adventure was a joy to watch unfold. If only real life teenage drama ended in a trip to Paris and an adventure with a sexy French man then the teenage years would not seem so bad. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, sexy read!" Goodreads review

I can't wait for everyone to be able to dive in and tell me what you think about it.
If you plan to buy my novel, and I'm so grateful if you do, I'd really appreciate if you'd pre-order. The more purchases on the day my novel is released, the higher the ranking of my book. The higher the ranking, the more people who see my book and buy it.
Sigh! It's all about marketing, which takes a lot more work than the actual writing of it sometimes.

So, if you want to buy Paris Runaway, you'll find it on Amazon here.
Amazon in the UK, you'll find Paris Runaway here.
On Barnes and Noble, you'll find Paris Runaway on June 30, but can't purchase it early.
And the paperback should be available for online purchase soon on Amazon along with Barnes and Noble. Until then, you can find the paperback here.

As if I'm not asking enough, if you read my book, I'd really appreciate a review on Amazon and Goodreads. And friend me on Goodreads too. I'd love to see what else you are reading.

Book Sale

Friday and Saturday, you can find two of my novels on sale for the Kindle or other ebook.
If you haven't read them, I hope you'll give them a try. And tell your friends.

I See London I See France is the story of a mother who sells her minivan and runs off to Europe with her three children in hopes of finding the vibrant woman she once was.
I think it's my best book. It has some romance and some adventure thrown in.
It's only 99 cents through Saturday.

Trail Mix, the story of two women who try the ultimate diet plan on the Appalachian Trail is also 99 cents. The women leave behind disgruntled husbands and infuriating young adult children, but they find some magic on the trail.

Thanks to everyone for your support.
And,  yes, tomorrow I'll finally write the blog post that I've been avoiding, the frustration of having my 19-year-old son living at home again.
19-year-olds were definitely meant to live in dorms.

At Least Something About Me is Hot

So, my book releases have never gone the way I have planned.
When The Summer of France came out in October 2012, I was in the middle of a broken nose and recovering from surgery.

I didn't do the best job promoting that first novel, but it has plugged along and still sells the best of all my novels. 

My next novel, I See London I See France, came out right before Christmas in 2013. All of the hectic activity of the season caught me unawares again. 

I thought I'd get it right with this third novel. I had finished and edited my novel. Then I sent it out to the copy editor to find any missing commas or transposed letters. The editor told me when she would be finished and I set the book on pre-order for the following Friday. 

But then she wasn't finished on the promised date. And then suddenly I was unable to cancel the preorder. I did manage to update the file with the correctly formatted one. 

I sent the book off to another editor and finally got all the minute corrections in. And I'm thrilled that even without promoting it, Trail Mix has sold well.

In the tradition of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, comes a novel of two suburban women who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail, escaping their lives as moms and wives in search of nature, adventure, and the ultimate diet plan.
How does a woman know what she wants after spending 20 years thinking about her husband and children? Sometimes it takes a distraction from everyday life, time to examine the forest before the trees become clear. With no previous camping experience, Andi and Jess begin the 2100-mile odyssey from Georgia to Maine. The friends figure life on the trail can't possibly be worse than dealing with disgruntled husbands, sullen teens home from college, and a general malaise that has crept up in their daily lives. At the very least, the women are bound to return home thin.

Look, it even made the list of "hot new releases" on Amazon in the Adventure Travel category. 

The kindle edition is available on Amazon. The paperback is coming to Amazon, but currently on Lulu, and the Nook version is available now on Barnes and Noble, so everybody can get a taste of life on the Appalachian Trail.

My Novel For a Bargain Price

Thursday through Saturday, my first novel, The Summer of France, is available for only 99 cents on Kindle.
If you haven't read it yet, I hope you'll buy it.
If you have, why haven't  you written a review for it on Amazon? Well, a lot of you have, so thank you.
Here's a description to tempt you:

Could a crackly phone call from France to Ohio save Fia Randolph’s jobless complications and family troubles? That’s what she hopes when her Uncle Martin asks Fia, her husband, and teenage twins to move to Provence and take over his bed and breakfast. She envisions long picturesque walks carrying crusty baguettes and bonding with the kids as they all learn French. But Fia didn’t bargain on the way Provence would tempt her teens and husband away from the family. Then Uncle Martin’s World War II secret wrenches her family further apart. Can Fia pull her family back together and help clear her uncle’s guilty conscience?

Thanks for your support. Hope you enjoy it.

Free Novel -- Only Not Today

I messed up on giving away my novel this month.
I was fooled by one of those backward calendars -- the kind we don't have in the U.S. too much.
The calendar on Amazon begins the week on Mondays. Obviously, I'm used to a calendar that begins on Sunday, so I thought I was marking Friday and Saturday to give away my novel for free on Kindle, but I accidentally marked Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday is usually a bad day to give away books. Hoisted on my own petard. (Isn't that a great phrase!)
Hope if you haven't downloaded my book yet that you will. It's free on Saturday and Sunday to download on Kindle or on  your computer.

Number 19 -- Something to Brag About?

One of my new obsessions is checking my sales numbers on Amazon.
Since my book The Summer of France was published last fall, the numbers haven't been amazing, but they've been climbing slowly. After the initial purchases by people I know, the numbers fell off. In February, I decided to get serious about marketing. I started advertising on Goodreads. (Friend me if you want. I'd love to read your reviews.)
I've sent some press releases to the local newspapers and I'm preparing for a tour on Francebooktours.com, which is, of course, about books set in France.
So in February I set a goal to sell at least one book per day and I surpassed that goal. In March, I was shooting for two books per day and surpassed that.
For April, my goal has been four books per day. I'm a little behind that goal, but I've sold more than three books per day, so maybe I'll get an upsurge at the end of the month to meet my goal. (I feel like public radio.)
My ritual for checking my sales numbers is to first look at the Amazon.com numbers to see where I rank. Next, I look at Amazon.co.uk numbers to see where I rank there. My numbers are almost always better in the UK than in the US. It might be my British sense of humor! I've risen to as high as #8 in Kindle books under France.
Today, I hit a low number for the U.S., coming in at #19 for books on France in the Kindle paid category. Top 20. If my book were a song, Ryan Seacrest would be announcing me on the Sunday morning radio. (That's today's Casey Kasem for those of us who are older; and today's Dick Clark for those who are even older.)
So, I'll keep plodding along, hoping that each book I sell will lead to another one, or another two.
After all, it took 18 months for Eat, Pray, Love to hit the bestseller list. (I read that somewhere and I haven't verified it because it gave me hope and I don't want to lose hope.)
Thanks for all your support as I continue to muddle through this writing/publishing thing.

Goals

As most of you know, I've been slogging along doing okay selling my novel, The Summer of France, although I'm nowhere near a movie deal or quitting my day job (yet!).
This month I decided to set a goal of selling 28 books, equivalent to one book per day. That seemed like a manageable goal.

This is an alternate cover that I did not use

I had my Kindle giveaway the weekend after Valentine's Day and 870 people downloaded my book, including more than 150 in the UK and 6 in Germany!
My number of sales were increasing slightly. I had 14 sales on Feb. 20, so I hoped I could still sell 14 more for the month to make my goal.
Today, on Feb. 22, I checked my sales and I have 22 total sales for the month. So for today anyway, I have met my goal of selling one book per day.
That makes me happy.
For people with bestsellers, this probably seems silly, but I'm thinking momentum. Who knows what could happen?
And I just checked on Amazon, my book is #59 under Travel/Europe/France. That puts me in the top 100!
Thanks for all of your support. (If you haven't read it yet, it's available on Kindle for only $3.99 or in paperback for $14 at Amazon).
I'm going to start thinking about my goals for next month.
Onward!

State of Wonder -- Review

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett definitely lived up to its hype.
What? You haven't heard the hype?
Well, Ann Patchett weaves a wonderful spell with her words beginning in Minnestoa where Marina works in a pharmaceutical lab and finds out her lab partner who traveled to South America is dead. Amid complications of an affair with her boss and a mentoring relationship with the scientist who is working in the Amazon, Marina travels to South America to get answers about her dead friend and the miracle drug that can allow women to bear children into their 70s.
Funny that this is the second book I've read in a month about a scientist working on a miracle drug and someone needing to track the scientist down. (Hector and the Secrets of Love)
Patchett's picture of the Amazon as both wondrous and miserable had me feeling the heat and itching from the bug bites. Her characters are marvelously alive. Some of them unlikeable and others, like Easter, the deaf boy from a neighboring tribe, are so loveable that I wanted to sneak him home with me.
My favorite line in the book was about Easter. As Marina is falling in love with the little boy, she thinks, "So he had been a cannibal once, if only in another lifetime. In light of all that had happened it was hardly worth mentioning."
The book was not one to undertake in one long gulp. I spread it throughout the week and felt gratitude in the end, although some questions remained unanswered.
I definitely recommend it.