Life's Adventures: The Daily Grind

Blogging. Life's Adventures. I haven't had any momentous adventures lately. At one time, I thought maybe recounting the daily push of being an author could be of interest. I keep a daytimer with my list of to-dos. Hmm... I'll think on it. I did make note of a few days at the beginning of last year. Maybe I'll drop in my daily routine from time to time.

January 29, 2024

Create QR codes for promotional handouts. 

Done. Yay. Now when I do book fairs and someone wants an eBook instead of print, I can hand them my post card or business card with the link to find my books using a QR code on their phone. 

Reevaluate all of Gaughran’s webinars and emails I’ve saved to determine if I want to invest the time in listening and reading them.

I know I need to. David Gaughran is one smart guy when it comes to marketing. I’ve read two of his books. No time today. Push it forward 

The Amazon Ad Class I took all last week – files are closing today if I missed any

Done. Huff and puff, I skimmed through all 6 because, yeah, I didn’t look at them last week. It is much of what I already know but there were a few gems I will review in a few days. 

Pay personal bills

Done and paid and logged into the spreadsheet in my computer. 

Get set up in Payson with a primary care doctor on my new insurance.

No time today. I’ll call on another day. 

Call GoDaddy, my domain provider for my website, regarding authentication of my email and website so my newsletters don’t get bounced.

The writing community is going crazy over this. I have NO idea what it is, but I thought I should pursue it. Hold time was 46 minutes. I just can’t worry about it today. 

Day One of getting back on weight lifting

Done! 

January 30, 2024

2:30 AM awoke with a pinching pain in my chest

I got back to sleep around 3:30. Up again at 6:00. Only ½ mile walk. So sleepy. 

Find out why no reviews on Amazon for Amanda in the Summer

Spent nearly an hour on texting with Amazon to no avail. I finally said forget it. I’ll try another day and disconnected. 

Make sure Amanda in the Summer is on BookFunnel, BookBub, and GoodReads

Done. BB and GR had it already. I uploaded a copy to BookFunnel so I can give a free copy to my newsletter subscribers in February. 

Upload the corrected copy of A Legacy of Love and Murder to Amazon

Done. Found a small mistake. This is the free book my newsletter subscribers can have. 

Start revising Amazon Ads

I’m still fuzzy headed from the lack of sleep with the chest pain thing. Push this forward. 

Read advice from a fellow author on Amazon Ads saved in email of 11/20/2023

Too fuzzy headed. Push this forward. 

Call Colorado Credit Union regarding personal online account

Done! 

Sign up for more BookFunnel promotions

Sort of Done. I managed a couple. I need sleep. 

Edit Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder

Done. Ah, yes. This was relaxing and fun. I put in a couple of hours. I am so excited to get this third book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mysteries published in April. 

Remind FDW to call the VA billing department

Done! Suckers are overbilling us for his prescriptions. 

Defrost the small refrigerator

I couldn’t face it today. Push it off until tomorrow. 

January 31, 2024

Looking back on pushed forward items: 

I dug into defrosting the fridge. We let it go so long it took me all day…done! 

The chest pain kind of scared me so I set my butt down and got set up with a primary care doctor in Payson. But I’m fine, you know. Done! 

Still not enough time to delve into Gaughran’s advice. 

Found the online chat feature for GoDaddy and spent 45 minutes getting my domain authenticated. I guess. It’s all Greek to me. (Update: days later discovered I am still a fail on one aspect. I tried MailChimp and couldn’t get a response. I tried GoDaddy again and had to give up that day after a half hour since I had an appointment. Still unresolved. This kind of stuff gives me a major headache.) 

Searched in KDP and Author Central for who to help me to get my Amanda in the Summer reviews to show on Amazon. Hit dead ends on both sites. Push it forward yet again. 

I got halfway through revising Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder ads on Amazon. I can see this is going to take a while…like weeks. I also need more knowledge beyond what I learned in the Amazon Ad class. I purchased Publisher Rocket. FDW has committed to helping me. Yay! 

Schedule more BookFunnel promotions

Done! 

Edit Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder

Aw, yes, again. I’ll be at this for the next week and a half. These hours are truly my enjoyable time. 

February1, 2024

I need a break after those last 3 days of January. FDW and I headed north for lunch and shopping in Pine. Elk roaming through town, a hippie shop full of fun stuff to walk down memory lane, delicious fudge and coffee, and a lunch in a high-country café. A satisfying adventure.

Reading and #Reviews (Henderson and Labrecque)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

Troubled Waters (Cypress Coast book 3) by Alison Henderson

Glassblower Angelica McDowell has aspired to be a full-time artist since she was a child growing up in Big Sur. When presented with a career-changing commission, she dares to believe her dreams might come true. However, the discovery of a desperate young woman on her doorstep and the subsequent murder of her shady landlord threaten to drag Angelica into a dark underworld, destroying her hopes, and possibly her life.

FBI Special Agent Hunter Blackstone, accompanied by his irrepressible pug, Jocko, has come to Monterey to join a task force pursuing a gang of international human traffickers. When he meets Angelica, he is immediately attracted by her bright wit and sunny disposition. But when she’s inadvertently drawn into his case by a pair of seemingly unconnected deaths, the stakes in their budding relationship soar, and he finds himself in a race against time to prevent her from becoming another victim. 

MY REVIEW 

This has been an entertaining series about three sisters. Mom plays a roll in the stories too with a restaurant I’d love to eat at. In the third book, Troubled Waters, Ms. Alison tackles human trafficking in her story, and she does it well. Heroine, Angelica McDowell has a fear of the water although living on the coast. That added another element of interest. A pug named Jocko almost steals the show, but I have to say FBI Agent Hunter Blackstone stands out in my mind. In fact, I loved him! His seemingly flat personality actually has depth. Ms. Alison does an excellent job of painting him for the reader. I love character driven stories and this book has that as well as a complicated plot. An entertaining read for sure.

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

Newsletter Nija 2: If You Give a Reader a Cookie: Supercharge Your Author Mailing List With the Perfect Reader Magnet Kindle by Tammy Labrecque 

You know you need a reader magnet. You know it will help you attract newsletter subscribers, launch to a bigger audience, and find more success as an indie author. You know that a good reader magnet can turn casual readers into superfans, and superfans into evangelists.

Everyone says so.

But knowing and doing are two different things, especially when all the advice out there is overwhelming and confusing.
Newsletter Ninja 2: If You Give a Reader a Cookie is a thorough breakdown of all the aspects of reader magnets—from choosing which type to write, through planning how it fits into your catalog, to getting it into readers’ hands. Written in the same down-to-earth style as Newsletter Ninja, and packed just as full of solid information and useful ninja tips, Newsletter Ninja 2 will help you. 

MY REVIEW 

Only authors will appreciate this book. I do have to read books that can help me in my career, and this one has already given me some direction. For some reason, I bought this one instead of book one, so I’m heading back to that one next. Authors, you need this book. 

AMAZON BUY LINK