A little BSP

Can you believe April has come and gone? I can’t. Not sure it means we’re having a good time, just because time goes by so fast. But maybe it does.

BSP, for those who don’t know, is blatant self-promotion. I’m going to indulge in a little bragging tonight because I hope you’ll share my joy. The Gilded Cage so far has only one review on Amazon, a five-star, but it’s a long book and early in the game, so I’m hoping for more. I’m hearing from several people who are enjoying the book, a couple who think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written (do you know how happy that makes me?), friends from Chicago who are looking forward to the nostalgia of visiting our city’s history. As I may have said, I have high hopes for this book—my first major historical in over ten years. And it was almost ten years in the writing, revising, changing point of view, etc. So far I’m pleased with the reaction and the sales, which are modest by many standards but good for me.

Today I got a royalty report from the reprint house who handles my Real Women of the American West books—Libbie, Jessie, Cherokee Rose, and Sundance, Butch, and Me. The publishers are really good about promotions and have even gotten me a slot on BookBub (hard to do) but it pays off and I expect a nice check in a bit—again, modest by some standards but not mine.

Sleuthing Women, a boxed set of nine e-books, first mysteries in series of cozies, launched today and sales are promising. Skeleton in a Dead Space, my first Kelly O’Connell Mystery, is included (there are now six in the series). The idea behind this boxed set is to introduce readers to authors they may not have discovered, and to put cozy series in front of new readers who will be inspired to read the rest of the series. So far, sales are good, and the set has even sold in the UK.

Last night I wrote 500 words—the third start on my new Blue Plate Café Mystery. I think I like this one and hope to write 500 more words tonight.

Meantime it’s been a pleasant, peaceful day. Jacob spent the night and has been here all day, choosing not to go to a wedding shower with his dad (good choice, Jacob). It’s boring for him but he keeps busy with his iPad and he is currently obsessed with Rubik’s Cube—has seven different variations, spends all his time clicking them—yes, it gets annoying. Bad me, I chose not to go to church because it was Youth Sunday—I so admire what the young people do and when it’s Jacob’s turn I’ll be in the front row, but meantime I don’t get much Sunday inspiration from that service.

Feeding Jacob: 11 a.m., brunch with his dad, cereal; 1 p.m. waffles; 3:00 p.m.  a snack from the snack cupboard; 6:30 p.m., leftover spaghetti (he didn’t like it was well as the other night), half an ear of corn, and an entire small head of broccoli; 8:00 p.m. ice cream cup; 8:45 p.m. half a can of Spaghetti-Os. I’m sending that kid to bed before he can eat any more.