One Year to the Next

Somehow I have lost my entries between November 11^th and December 23^rd. Had to have been when I had PC problems and needed Windows 8 to be re-loaded. I lost a few things then.

December 23^rd.

As Christmas approaches we are getting close to that ‘looking back’ over the year time. For many it would have been average, but for me, and in some respects, Pat, it has been nothing like that. My book sales have improved, although not into stratospheric proportions, but enough to be encouraging. My latest manuscript, PAST IMPERFECT, was accepted by my publisher, and I had another paperback, THE EAGLE’S COVENANT, released by Harlequin Books in North America. We sold our house here in Spain; something we have been trying to do for about four years, although we don’t have to move out until April. This is a God-send because I am on chemo therapy until the end of March. Oh, and we had to have our dog and cat put down. Not at the same time of course. Lucy (the dog) went in March, and Treacle went last month. Very sad. We have now decided we will not have any more animals. So, by and large nothing like an average year. But what now for Christmas and my writing schedule? We are both looking forward to Christmas Day, opening our presents and having a laugh and joke with our two friends who will be here with us. No family of course; that’s something that fill our memories with smiles. It’s the kids turn to fill their houses with their offspring and toddlers. I wish them luck.

As far as my writing is concerned, I have made a decision about the story I have been working on. I gave it up earlier this year and it looks like it’s going to happen again. The reason for that is because I have decided to embark on another project. I’m keeping it under wraps at the moment, but I think a lot of people will be surprised with the result. It isn’t likely to earn me any money, but it’s something that has been on my mind for a few years.
I’m still managing to keep upright even though my chemo wants to knock me down. It’s no fun but there’s not a lot I can do about it. Time now for me to wish all those of you who read my blog a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. God bless.

January 5^th 2014

So, a new year begins. What’s in store for us all, I wonder? In his message this morning at church our pastor said we should not look back on our successes and build monuments to them; we should press forward and look for more. He was not talking about selling more books of course, but achieving goals; more so in our walk with God. But we are all human and inevitably we want to improve and do better in whatever walk of life or circumstance we are in. My own circumstances hinge round beating my cancer and moving back to the UK once I have been given the all-clear by my Consultant. It is something to look forward to, naturally, and my faith in God tells me that this will happen.

My other goals are to finish two writing projects: one of which I mentioned in my last blog post. I am making good headway with that at the moment, and hope to embark on a renewed attempt at writing my latest thriller. I am fast coming to the conclusion that it will need a complete revamp, even though I have achieved something like 30,000 words. I have already binned a lot of the research.

I will also be looking at ways of improving my marketing approach. There is so much, well-meaning advice on the web these days that it makes it difficult to know which way to go. I have saved an article by David Gaughran in which he expounds some solid advice. He’s a successful writer, so it might be wise to take note of what he is saying. One thing that I often come across though is the de-bunking of the Twitter and Facebook myth that you need these sites to improve your public face and book sales. Another “must” I am told is Goodreads. I have used that site for over two years now and have thirteen followers. Not exactly pulling up any trees yet, am I? I still believe in the old saying: “Big oak trees from little acorns grow”. I can build a readership in the fullness of time, of course, and maybe one day I’ll have a big band of readers who want to buy my books. Trouble is: I’m getting on in years and may not be around when I have that trusty group. So it looks like it will have to be encouraged by skilful marketing techniques. Anyone know any? Oh yes; on the web. So that’s where I’ll be headed. And no doubt sometime in the New Year I’ll do a promotion on BookBub. I had some good results with that when I promoted NORTH SLOPE in October. I am still seeing a knock-on effect even now.

One other change I will be making is to the book jacket for EAGLE’S COVENANT. Sales for that are abysmal, and I honestly believe it’s because the jacket just doesn’t sell it. I was responsible for the design, but when I saw the paperback release of this book by Harlequin Books in November, I realised there was so much more I could do. So I have given my son, Terry, who produces my book jackets, something to get his teeth into. I’m sure he’ll come up