Victoria Advocate, A Different Perspective
Hurricane preparations took center stage last week but, for the most part, Beryl decided Victoria wasn’t worth the effort. Thankfully, she meandered away from us. Our son, who owns South Texas Fence and Deck, had lots to do. Not only did he have to take all the normal precautions for a hurricane, he had to think ahead to what employees and customers would need in the aftermath. Fences are often casualties of high winds and people want their fences fixed immediately. He also purchased about sixty bottles of insect repellent because his employees get little work done if they’re slapping at mosquitoes.
While my husband made sure the generator was in working order and made ready to hook it up to the existing electrical panel, I sat at my computer and wrote as many words as possible for my next book deadline. I beat my record in weekly word count. My neck, shoulders, and hips will testify how long I sat.
I have to think ahead with book contracts. The deadline for Waitin’ On Paige isn’t until November, but there’s a lot happening in my writing world between now and then.
Book Three of my series, Glitter and the Grouch, will release in September and it will require a book launch. Book launches are a way to get other people to help you spread the word about a new book. This time around, I’ve paid for a professional to help me with the actual launch, which involves daily posting and online interaction. My job will be to recruit a team. Anyone who wants to help fills out a short launch application in which they agree to complete certain tasks. In return, they receive a free ebook of Glitter and the Grouch. One of their jobs is to read the book and post a review.
One perk of a book launch is the neat prizes for participating. Every week, (three weeks in all) there are prizes awarded to people who complete the tasks. It’s a way of encouraging people to do what they signed up for—LOL.
It takes a lot to get noticed in the book world, but a successful book launch helps. And even though I’ve got professional help, it still boils down to every team member doing their part.
Aside from the launch, I’ve signed up for several blogs and other online promotional options. Hopefully, I’ll get calls for speaking events and book signings.
Which brings me to another issue, but it’s a good problem to have. I’m getting so many newsletter subscribers, I need to switch to a different mail server with better terms and conditions. A newsletter is an author’s best way to build a following—or as I prefer to call it—a “tribe” of people who like your writing and want the latest book news. Like many authors, I have a “reader magnet” for signing up for my newsletter. It’s a short ebook featuring the backstory for characters in the Valiant series. The focus is an event in Afghanistan and the aftermath. Both situations make them the characters the reader meets in the first book, Countin’ On Jesse.
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As for storms, I’m convinced they don’t happen because God is mad at us. Storms reveal our maturity, or lack of, and help us grow in character. That said, I’m still happy that we dodged Hurricane Beryl. I hope she wanders through sparsely populated territory and fizzles into a lonely death. As for me, I’m never alone—with writing, a busy schedule, or a storm.